1937 Newark Bears

Originally published in 1980, this book recounts the wonderful early years of the Newark Bears after millionaire beer baron Jacob Ruppert, owner of the New York Yankees, purchased the team from the newspaper publisher Paul Block in 1931. Mayer traces the Bears' exciting first five seasons under Ruppert and the building of a farm system that eventually produced the great Yankee dynasty. These colorful early seasons were sprinkled with some of the great names of the American pastime: Ed Barrow, Paul Kritchell, Al Mamaux, Red Rolfe, Babe Ruth, Shag Shaughnessey, Bob Shawkey, and George Weiss. The Bears' finest hour, however, came in 1937 with a team that many experts consider the greatest in the history of the minor leagues. This book captures all the thrilling moments of that memorable season - action-packed spring training at Sebring, Florida, the day-to-day excitement of the pennant race, the vivid play-by-play action of the semifinal playoff against the Syracuse Chiefs, the final playoff against the Baltimore Orioles, and finally, the spellbinding, unforgettable Little World Series against the powerful Columbus Red Birds. This book is packed with photos and colorful profiles of Babe Dahlgren, Atley Donald, Joe Gordon, Charley Keller, George McQuinn, manager Oscar Vitt, and the rest of the great Newark players.