Table of Contents

Acknowledgments      vii
Preface      1

1 The Flesh and Blood Frank Merriwell      5
2 Guilford County      17
3 The Free Agent      32
4 1929–The Prodigy      38
5 1930–The Best Pitcher in Baseball      51
6 1931–Baseball’s Greatest Hitting Pitcher      73
7 1932–Peck’s Bad Boy      96
8 1933–First All-Stars      114
9 1934–Brother Battery in Boston      133
10 1935–The Best Player in Baseball      151
11 1936–The Blow-up in Boston      177
12 1937–On to Washington      206
13 1938–On a Wing and a Prayer      227
14 The Knuckleball Catcher      240
15 The Executive      261

Epilogue      273
Appendix      277
Chapter Notes      289
Bibliography      295
Index      299