Roger Angell, from March 1962, in The Summer Game:
“Off hand, I can think of no other sport in which the world’s champions, one of the great teams of its era, would not instantly demolish inferior opposition and reduce a game such as the one we had just seen to cruel ludicrousness. Baseball is harder than that; it requires a full season, hundreds and hundreds of separate games, before quality can emerge, and in that summer span every home-town fan, every doomed admirer of underdogs will have his afternoons of revenge and joy. “
Joe, this connects to your query earlier this month about what makes baseball different and special.
I’ll admit to ignorance and never having heard of Mr. Angell. As a longtime resident of Kansas City, however, I am familiar with a certain sportswriter named Joe Posnanski, who, in my humble opinion, is the GOAT of sportswriters. The New Yorker tribute to Mr. Angell did prompt me to read Angell’s piece on Bob Gibson, having just arrived in St. Louis after graduating from college in time to see the Cards take it all. Very nice writing (and, very long!), but in my book, Mr. Posnanski is better. I’m not a huge fan of baseball, golf is more to my liking, and JP’s book about Nicklaus and Watson, and the many columns he has written about golf are just plain the best. Rest in peace, Mr. Angell. Your shoes are being very capably filled…
I have an old ratty paperback copy of season ticket by Roger Angell, from like the middle to late 80s. Really just his musings about baseball, but there were a couple of chapters where he interviewed various players about the positions they played. It was probably pretty technical, but I enjoyed it immensely. I think my favorite line was about catchers, since I was a catcher. “Somewhere along the way, I realized that everything about catching is harder than it looks.”
Roger Angell was among the most brilliant essayists of the past century, along with his step-father, whose writing style was similar, but different. His writings flow from the page into the reader's mind with such ease, such lyrical beauty, and such instantly felt, familiar-yet-profound imagery, that it's as if he is simply clarifying what one always knew (or thought one knew) but simply needed to be reminded of. Though baseball was the subject he wrote about most often, his other essays are just as wonderful. We were fortunate to have him writing for us for so many years, and we won't see his like again in our lifetime.
It’s remarkable how each quote you highlighted I could remember as if I read it yesterday. And I read all his books in hardcover except The Summer Game, which I could only afford in paperback.
You can't go wrong, reading Roger Angell on baseball. I'm glad you followed him, Joe. Yours was the first tribute I read, after the one in the New Yorker. Grateful that he wrote so well, and so much. Grateful to you, too, Joe.
Some of the earliest baseball bilks I read where Angell's work and those added to my love of the game. three hundred books later, still in awe of baseball and Roger. RIP and thank you.
I have all of his collected New Yorker essays and can’t say enough good things about them. Simply, a brilliant writer with a love and understanding of the game.
Thank you for introducing me to this wonderful writer. I will seek out his books and the biography of him.
Roger Angell, from March 1962, in The Summer Game:
“Off hand, I can think of no other sport in which the world’s champions, one of the great teams of its era, would not instantly demolish inferior opposition and reduce a game such as the one we had just seen to cruel ludicrousness. Baseball is harder than that; it requires a full season, hundreds and hundreds of separate games, before quality can emerge, and in that summer span every home-town fan, every doomed admirer of underdogs will have his afternoons of revenge and joy. “
Joe, this connects to your query earlier this month about what makes baseball different and special.
I’ll admit to ignorance and never having heard of Mr. Angell. As a longtime resident of Kansas City, however, I am familiar with a certain sportswriter named Joe Posnanski, who, in my humble opinion, is the GOAT of sportswriters. The New Yorker tribute to Mr. Angell did prompt me to read Angell’s piece on Bob Gibson, having just arrived in St. Louis after graduating from college in time to see the Cards take it all. Very nice writing (and, very long!), but in my book, Mr. Posnanski is better. I’m not a huge fan of baseball, golf is more to my liking, and JP’s book about Nicklaus and Watson, and the many columns he has written about golf are just plain the best. Rest in peace, Mr. Angell. Your shoes are being very capably filled…
I have an old ratty paperback copy of season ticket by Roger Angell, from like the middle to late 80s. Really just his musings about baseball, but there were a couple of chapters where he interviewed various players about the positions they played. It was probably pretty technical, but I enjoyed it immensely. I think my favorite line was about catchers, since I was a catcher. “Somewhere along the way, I realized that everything about catching is harder than it looks.”
Roger Angell was the Vin Scully of the written word.
The Boys Of Summer made me a fan of writing.
That was a different Roger, Roger Kahn.
Roger that. Thanks.
Roger Angell was among the most brilliant essayists of the past century, along with his step-father, whose writing style was similar, but different. His writings flow from the page into the reader's mind with such ease, such lyrical beauty, and such instantly felt, familiar-yet-profound imagery, that it's as if he is simply clarifying what one always knew (or thought one knew) but simply needed to be reminded of. Though baseball was the subject he wrote about most often, his other essays are just as wonderful. We were fortunate to have him writing for us for so many years, and we won't see his like again in our lifetime.
great stuff, Joe
amazing
Wonderful tribute. Roger was an incomparably wonderful writer.
Great tribute Joe
Brilliant and wonderful appreciation. Best one I've read yet. And shared! https://twitter.com/PaulSaxMD/status/1528327041388625920?s=20&t=dxmR91Ce3SkZ4tNxZBUtYw
It’s remarkable how each quote you highlighted I could remember as if I read it yesterday. And I read all his books in hardcover except The Summer Game, which I could only afford in paperback.
You can't go wrong, reading Roger Angell on baseball. I'm glad you followed him, Joe. Yours was the first tribute I read, after the one in the New Yorker. Grateful that he wrote so well, and so much. Grateful to you, too, Joe.
Some of the earliest baseball bilks I read where Angell's work and those added to my love of the game. three hundred books later, still in awe of baseball and Roger. RIP and thank you.
I have all of his collected New Yorker essays and can’t say enough good things about them. Simply, a brilliant writer with a love and understanding of the game.