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My New Book:

Out From Under the Shadow of the Babe!

One hundred and ten baseball profiles of ball players NOT named Babe Ruth

I’m happy to announce that my new book, Out From Under the Shadow of the Babe! One hundred and ten baseball profiles of ball players NOT named Babe Ruth is hot off the press and available on Amazon.

Out From Under the Shadow of the Babe is a collection of essays I’ve written over the years. All have been published here on the Baseball History Comes Alive website. I compiled the essays mainly from the categories “Forgotten Stars,” and “Spotlight on Former Players.” Many were written after I was contacted by a family descendant or friend of a player, adding a nice personal touch to those essays. Others were written as a tribute at the time of the player’s passing. The essays are entered in alphabetical order, starting with my interview with a dear friend of Dick Allen, and ending with my essay on Don Zimmer’s 66 years in baseball. Many thanks to my friend Mark Kolier for contributing a nice Foreword to the book. 

Just to give you a flavor of the book, here are some excerpts from the Introduction:

And what a shadow the Babe cast!

My goal with my website — and with this collection of my favorite ballplayer profiles — has always been to preserve the game’s rich traditions and glorious history. Over the years, I’ve written extensively about the great Bambino, Babe Ruth. The Babe has always made for interesting copy ever since he burst on the national scene as its first legitimate slugger in the early decades of the twentieth century. His story of being raised as an orphan at St. Mary’s Industrial School is compelling. His unmatched prowess on the field, the sheer force of his lovable, endearing personality, and his ground-breaking role as the first megastar sports celebrity, transformed the game and the country in ways in which we can hardly appreciate from our vantage point many decades later. During his life, he was likely the most recognizable and popular person in the world. 

As arguably the game’s greatest player, Babe — along with other “top tier” stars from baseball’s Golden ages — cast a long shadow over virtually everyone else who has ever played the game. Comparisons to the Babe are still commonplace today. A tape measure home run is a “Ruthian blast.” Great player production is characterized as “Ruthian in scope.” His “Called Shot” in the 1932 World Series is still one of the most debated topics in all of baseball lore, as are his home runs for little Johnny Sylvester in the 1926 World Series, and his 1925 “bellyache heard ‘round the world.” Among his many records, one that may never be broken is his career .689 slugging average. It’s “off the charts,” and the only way to describe it is as, well, “Ruthian.”

Many of the game’s lesser stars — hopelessly overshadowed by the great Bambino, and with accomplishments and stories of their own to tell — are in danger of being lost over the passage of time. As each year goes by, their memories fade a bit further into the recesses of history. I’ve decided to do my part to halt this seemingly inevitable process. Thus was the genesis of this my fourth book, Out From Under the Shadow of the Babe, One hundred and ten baseball profiles of players NOT named Babe Ruth. This somewhat quirky title fully captures my intentions. 

 As I’ve said many times, whenever I delve into the career of former ballplayers, invariably I find something of interest. I tried to capture that aspect in these selections. After you finish the book, I hope you’ll share my enthusiasm for reading stories about the many fine ballplayers who are not household names….and who are not named “Babe Ruth!

Gary Livacari 

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