2018SABRBaseballResearchAwardWinnerBaseballinthe1920sismostknownforBabeRuthandtheNewYorkYankees,buttherewasanothergreatYankeeplayerinthaterawhosecompellingstoryremainsuntold.UrbanShockerwasafiercelycompetitiveandcolorfulpitcher,aspitballerwhohadmanyfamousbattleswithBabeRuthbeforereturningtotheYankees.ShockerwastradedawaytotheSt.LouisBrownsin1918byYankeesmanagerMillerHuggins,atradeHugginsalwaysregretted.In1925,afterfourstraightseasonswithatleasttwentywinswiththehaplessBrowns,ShockerbecametheonlyplayerHugginsbroughtbacktotheYankees.HefinallyreachedtheWorldSeries,withthe1926Yankees.IntheYankees’storied1927season,widelyviewedtobethebestinMLBhistory,Shockerpitchedwithgutsandguile,finishingwitharecordof18-6evenwhilehisfastballandphysicalskillsweredesertinghim.HardlyanyoneknewthatShockerwassufferingfromanincurableheartdiseasethatlefthimabletosleeponlywhilesittingupandwhichwouldtakehislifeinlessthanayear.Withhisphysicalskillsdiminishing,hecontinuedtowingamesthroughcraftinessandwell-placedpitches.DelvingintoShocker’sbaseballcareer,hisloveofthegame,andhisbattlewithheartdisease,SteveSteinbergshowsthedominantandcourageousforcethathewas.Purchasetheaudioedition.
