Schoolboy

He passed away in 1984 and with the help from ghostwriter, Tim Manners, we get his story in his words as Tim was given access to Waite’s archives from his family.

I had no clue who Waite Hoyt was, but from the description on Netgalley, I was very intrigued.

He is a Hall of Famer, he won 3 World Series, and he played with Babe Ruth on the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. He was signed as a professional ball player by the New York Giants in 1915 when we just a high school junior. He persevered and had much success.

After he left the game, he became a radio broadcaster for the Cincinnati Reds.

I really enjoyed all the stories from his playing days and broadcasting days, and the book was a great read.

This is a variation of an autobiography on that Tim Manners wrote the book use of the extensive notes and journals of Waite Hoyt who died in 1984. Hoyt is best known as a pitcher for the Yankees in the 1920s. The book itself focuses more on Hoyt himself rather than his baseball exploits, but they are sprinkled throughout. As a lifelong Yankees fan I found the book interesting, but would have liked to have read more about specific games he pitched. Overall a good book.

I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook page.

When given several totes filled with an unorganized collection of a lifetime of Waite Hoyt’s journals, letters, and mementos by Hoyt's son, Tim Manners felt compelled not only to sort through it all, but also to make a memoir out of it. I was intrigued by this premise: creating what amounts to a posthumous memoir of the great, but largely forgotten Yankee pitcher, a story told in his own words, thanks to his voluminous writings.
For the most part, Manners does a masterful job of organizing the tubs of information into an engaging narrative. In his own words, Hoyt comes across as an earnest product of a tight-knit family, that feared for his safety but nonetheless allowed him to pursue his dream of becoming a major league baseball pitcher at the tender age of 15. Over his career as a pitcher and play by play announcer, Hoyt developed a philosophical approach to the ups and downs of life. He was unflinchingly honest about his drinking problems, as well as his oversized ego, which led to many of his travails. But the admissions don’t weigh down the narrative at all.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers of this book for providing me with an ebook copy.
Being a baseball fan enhanced my enjoyment of this narrative. For instance, already knowing who John McGraw was, thanks to my reading of a biography of Jim Thorpe in which McGraw plays a role, it was interesting to read about the owner of the New York Giants’ dealings with Hoyt and the words of wisdom he passed along to the young pitcher.
It was also interesting to read about how unorganized the baseball minor leagues were, as compared to the highly organized Triple A, Double A, and Single A leagues of today. By far my favorite parts of the book were Hoyt’s remembrances of and observations about the legendary Yankee icons: Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.
Hoyt’s second and third careers (broadcasting and painting) show that Hoyt was by no means a one-dimensional ballplayer. There are numerous funny anecdotes that liven the story up and move it along. Kudos to Manners for taking on such a monumental task. Hoyt’s own words bring the early 20th century era of major league baseball vividly to life and confirm that Hoyt certainly deserved his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers of this book for providing me with an e-book copy.

Tim Manners brings us an intriguing biography of Waite Hoyt taken from his personal notes. This book brings the lesser known Hall of Famer to light. From his start with John McGraw and the Giants, to his time with the Yankees to his second career as a broadcaster with the Reds, Hoyt tells many of the tales that got him to that point, From his immaturity as a husband and father to his battle with alcoholism, Hoyt doesn't hide from the challenges he faced throughout his life and career. He also has an excellent chapters on his relationship with Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. I enjoyed the book from start to finish and it would be a welcome addition to any baseball fan's library.

𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭𝘣𝘰𝘺: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘯𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘠𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘰 is an incredibly unique and remarkable work of nonfiction. Officially the autobiography of Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Waite Hoyt, who died in 1984, it is more a showcase of the research skills and editing prowess of coauthor Tim Manners, who wrote the book 40 years after Hoyt’s passing without ever - as far as I can gather - meeting the man.

Manners crafts Hoyt’s autobiography (through writings and transcripts provided by Hoyt’s family), creating a narrative reminiscent of Lawrence Ritter’s 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 with its first-person journey through early 20th century baseball. At the same time the book provides a candidness reserved for more modern autobiographies.

Manners does a fantastic job of allowing Hoyt’s voice to come through, including one of my favorite turns of phrase in the book: “The town of Lebanon evidently didn’t believe in our baseball prowess because they gave us a good lettin’ alone” (31).

On a personal note, there was a pleasant surprise when Waite spent a season with the Nashville Vols, playing at Sulphur Dell. My great-grandfather owned a semi-professional team (Patten Cats) and a ballpark (Patten Park) on the family farm in Lyles, Tennessee. The team occasionally played against the Vols both at Patten Park and at Sulphur Dell. The team didn’t exist when Waite was with the Vols, but kind of a fun little connection just for me.

Without a doubt this book is a recommend if you, like me, are a reader of baseball history and biography.