July 2, 1903: The Mysterious Death of Big Ed Delahanty Book

The exact circumstances of the 1903 death of baseball great Ed Delahanty (his body was found at the foot of Niagara Falls) is enshrouded in mystery. Author Sowell has enshrouded it (all 32 pages of it) in another 294 pages of baseball history...not necessarily a bad thing. (After all, the stage needs to be set.) But the author's style is a bit dry, and he seems to write about topics, which messes with the chronology and results in some needless repetition. Of course, there are fascinating things to be gleaned from these pages: that pitchers not on the mound on a given day were required to serve as ticket-takers at the gates; that Philadelphia (Phillies) was the first to build a brick-and-steel ballpark as an answer to the frequent fires of all-wooden structures; that players used to change into their uniforms at their hotel, then appear in a motorcade to the field (called a 'tally-ho'); the first death in professional baseball (1862, Jimmy Creighton -- he apparently swung so hard in hitting a ball that he ruptured his bladder and died in excruciating agony a few days later); the war between the National and fledgling American leagues; etc. The book will definitely appeal to readers interested in the history of baseball, but this reader, at least, believes the title of the book promises more than it, in fact, delivers. (BTW, 'Cousin Fred' is mentioned in passing: page 56.)