Book Review: October 1964 by David Halberstam

October 1964
by David Halberstam
published by Villard Books
p.373

Several months ago when someone recommended October 1964 as one of their favorite baseball books of all time I was a little bit skeptical of their judgment. It was not an overly well-known book and from his description it did not seem to have a clearly defined focus. Still I knew that I should take a look and read the book so I could offer my own opinion and much to my surprise I found myself agreeing that this is a great baseball book.

On the surface this book is about the pennant race in 1964 in which the Phillies and Cardinals fought for the right to play against the ever-present New York Yankees, but it’s really about much more. It’s about the decline of that Yankee dynasty as the great stars aged and the farm system and management failed to replace the talent that was aging. In their hubris, the Yankees, along with many other American League clubs, had failed to understand what the shattering of the racial barrier would do for baseball.

The St. Louis Cardinals (and the National League on the whole) adapted much better and spent their time and resources investigating and tapping into this group of talented and often well-educated ballplayers. The players were hungry, not just to play in the majors, but like all ballplayers to be the best.

The Negro leagues had largely hidden in the shadow of the Major Leagues since MLB had come into existence but many of the players and scouts knew how talented the ballplayers there were. In many cases they were among the best that played the game. When the color barrier broke, the talent that would soon join the majors excited many of those who really knew the game but stereotypes and prejudice influenced a lot of the teams’ decisions.

For a time the Yankees’ scouts were ordered not to sign black players and due to this shortsightedness of management (in believing racial stereotypes), the Yankees fell behind the curve. It was something that would doom them to mediocrity for more than a decade.

This serves as the backdrop to October 1964 but the book is not just about the games or even what happened leading up to the series, it’s about the men themselves. It’s about a Cardinal team that was built by Bing Devine. Devine was not appreciated and was eventually fired by Gussie Busch whose limited understanding of the game did not allow him to realize what he had. It’s also about Yogi Berra’s Yankees and the mystique of the Yankees. It’s about a number of great players who were approaching the end of their legendary careers or time in a Yankee uniform including Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, and Whitey Ford.

Sports and history come together on the field, with social change, a change in the powers of baseball, and in the business of baseball, all in one book. The personalities of the players and management all come through and perhaps that is the greatest strength of the book. Looking at baseball and the world in the eyes of players like Bob Gibson, Curt Flood, Mel Stottlemyre, Jim Bouton, Lou Brock, Tim McCarver, Ray Sadecki, Bill White and more is an education on the game itself.

Best of all it’s an interesting and exciting read with a lot of history and personalities that every baseball fan will enjoy. It’s a dense book that will leave you thinking about baseball, about change, and about the game as it used to be.

Give this book 3 out of 4 balls and put it on the must read list about baseball, and how it has changed over the years.

Our Rating System is based on a four ball system as follows:
One Ball: Average. It has something to say but is nothing special.
Two Balls: Something men usually have - also means its a cut above average, and worth reading/owning.
Three balls: Stands out from its peers and is highly recommended.
Four Balls: More than just what two men have when hanging out together, it means it is an exceptional book that truly earns a walk - straight to the local book store to get a copy.

At Home Plate

Book Review: October 1964