A generally lackluster look back at sports and sporting events in
Boston. As most of the world knows by now, the Boston Red Sox broke
their ill-fated "curse," finally winning the World Series title
after 86 long years. Unfortunately, this achievement occurred too
late for inclusion in this series of essays on Boston sports over
the ages, but debut author Roberts (History/Purdue) profiles plenty
of other sports personalities and events. The pieces run the gamut
from the Boston marathon to rowing on the Charles River. Roberts
covers such well-known figures as Ted Williams, Frances Ouimet,
John Sullivan, Bobby Orr, and Bill Russell, representing,
respectively, baseball, golf, boxing, hockey, and basketball.
Prominent in major sports, as the essays conclusively prove, Boston
has seen its share of both heartache and triumph. A few of the
attendant stories are interesting-for instance, that of Babe Ruth's
brief tenure with the Red Sox before he was traded to the New York
Yankees, supposedly bringing on the Sox the Curse of the Bambino,
with its deadly result of winlessness in the World Series from 1918
until this past sweet autumn. Another enthralling essay, by David
Zang, is the tale of the 1968 Harvard crew teams that represented
the USA in the Olympics that year in Mexico City. Of equal interest
is the astounding account of Frances Ouimet, a little-known
American who captured the 1913 US Open at the Country Club in
Brookline, opening the gates for golf in America: James Campbell's
piece perfectly captures the time and importance of little Ouimet's
victory. Sadly, though, that sense of excitement is rare here.
Despite a few sparks, then, a mostly dry, plodding collection.
(Kirkus Reviews)
When you hear the words "Boston sports," does your mind flash to a
place or to a person? Do you think of a fly ball arching over the
Green Monster, a Celtic breaking across the parquet at Boston
Garden, rowers skimming along the Charles River in autumn, or
runners tackling the grueling stretch of "Heartbreak Hill" during
the Boston Marathon? Or do you conjure faces--a smiling Babe Ruth,
a bearded Bill Russell, a determined Rocky Marciano, a boyish and
nimble Bobby Orr, or a defiant Pedro Martinez? Most likely, it is
impossible to separate the two, impossible to imagine Bob Cousy on
any court other than the Garden or Ted Williams playing at any
field other than Fenway. Certain people and places are as
inseparable as heads and tails on a penny. The Rock, the Curse, and
the Hub is a collection of original essays about the people and
places that live in the minds and memories of Bostonians and all
Americans. From the Boston of the young Bambino and even younger
Francis Ouimet to the glories and agonies of 1986 and the struggles
to keep the Patriots in town, each chapter focuses on the games and
the athletes, but also on which sports have defined Boston and
Bostonians. In a city of deep ethnic and class divisions, sports
have provided a common ground, an intense shared experience.
Pursuing the legend and the lore, these essays celebrate the
players, the games, and the arenas that are at the heart of the
city of Boston.
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