June 6th, 1934 - Book Review: The Good Old Days: Baseball in the 1930s

The Good Old Days: Baseball in the 1930s

Thomas Gilbert
Watts, pp. 157, index

Thomas Gilbert's The Good Old Days: Baseball in the 1930s is part of a series of slim volumes that covers baseball from its birth in the mid 19th century until the end of the 1940s. Although the books are generally aimed at a school age audience, they are well written and will prove of interest to any generalist who wants to learn the basics about any particular period of the game's development.

Readers of this slim volume will be introduced to Hack Wilson, Connie Mack, Kenesaw Mountain Landis, and, of course Babe Ruth who was still a force in the first part of the decade. They will learn about the emergence of the modern farm system under Branch Rickey and the emergence of radio broadcasts. Many other aspects of the game's developments are well covered in a short space.

Despite its title, Good Old Days is not overly sentimental. In fact, the title is ironic as Gilbert indicates that although we tend to remember the 1930s as being a golden age of baseball, there were many things wrong with it, and he is not shy about pointing them out: low attendance and salaries due to the Great Depression, and a precarious existence for player and fan alike.
"There was nothing graceful, elegant or sporting about life or baseball in the 1930s," he concludes, but notes that the great players and stories from the decade are a rich part of the game's lore and many of the innovations meant to keep the game afloat during the decade contributes significantly to its profitability in the years afterwards. Gilbert credits nostalgia for the era as the chief reason that 44 players from the 1930s are in the Hall of Fame, and calls the decade the "most overrepresented" in terms of Hall membership.

Gilbert portrays the major figures of the era, provides essays on important aspects of the game and its development, and provides an outline of each of the decade's seasons. Although comprehensive by no means, it can be read in just a few hours, hits all the "high points" and is an ideal means to introduce the reader to its subject.

Rating: *** (Worth purchasing used)

Purchasing Information

Although out of print, copies can be obtained through the Amazon Z-Shops.