Professional baseball has always consisted of a variety of characters, from likeable youngsters to notorious rebels. From 1871 to the present, the sport has witnessed the likes of Germany Schaeffer, an infielder with a penchant for "stealing" first base; Joe Medwick, the only player ever removed from a game for his own safety; and first baseman Hal Chase, noted for being one of the most corrupt players in baseball history. The Cooperstown Chronicles takes an entertaining look at the unusual lives, strange demises, and downright rowdy habits of some of the most colorful personalities in the history of baseball. Chapters profile the game's well-known tough-guys, the hard-drinking revelers, head-hunting pitchers, players who took their own lives, and those who died far too young from accidents or diseases. Frank Russo goes beyond the stats and delves into each player's personality, his life outside of baseball, and even his final resting place. The stories of little-known players like Terry Enyart, who pitched just one and two-thirds innings in the major leagues, are told next to those of superstars such as Mike Flanagan, who played professional ball for 18 years. However brief or long a career he may have had, every major league player has a story to tell. The Cooperstown Chronicles gives a voice to many of those players who are no longer able to tell their stories themselves. Compelling, fun, and often surprising, this book will entertain baseball fans and historians alike.

An entertaining look at how a number of baseball players have left fthe game all too soon, this book covers murders, suicides, accidents and bizarre mishaps, deaths by alcoholism, and even deaths by sexually transmitted diseases. The ever amusing and interesting stories include James Phelps, who made a running catch, was bitten by a poisonous snake, finished the game, then promptly died; Harold B. “Rowdy” Elliott, who fell out of an apartment window in San Francisco in 1934 at the age of 33; Gus Sandberg, who’s demise was when he decided to light a match to see how much gas was in the tank of his car; Dernell Stensen, who was shot in the chest and head and run over by his own SUV in 2003 at the age of 25; Len Koenecke, who got his head smashed in by a pilot as he tried to grab controls in the cockpit of a commercial airplane flying from Chicago to Buffalo in 1935; and love-sick, star-stuck Bob Lansford, who poisoned himself to death with a picture of a young actress in front of him in 1907. There are countless offbeat facts, trivia, and even specific locations of where many of the ballplayers are buried such as Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Billy Martin, and many more. The book also provides you with a grave-hunting for dummies chapter with tips on how to find your favorite deceased ballplayer.