Sunday, January 07, 2007

Book: Sal Maglie: Baseball's Demon Barber by Judith Testa

The ANNOTICO Report

Salvatore Anthony Maglie (April 26, 1917-December 28, 1992) Maglie had the distinction of being one of the few players to play for all three NYC baseball teams, (Giants, Yankees, and Dodgers) and also pitched for the Cleveland Indians and St Louis Cardinals.

Maglie was known as "Sal the Barber," because he gave close shaves - that is, pitched inside to hitters. "When I'm pitching," he explained, "I own the plate." Coincidentally, he also sported a five o'clock shadow look.

Maglie was integral to the brilliant success of the New York Giant teams of the early 1950's. In 1950, he went 18-4 for the Giants and led the NL in winning percentage. His 23-6 mark the next year helped New York to the pennant.

 A back ailment reduced Maglie's effectiveness in 1955. He was waived to Cleveland and eventually the Dodgers picked him up for $1,000 in mid-1956. He pitched magnificently down the stretch to help the Dodgers to a pennant, going 13-5 and pitching a no-hitter on September 25, in a key game against the Phillies.

Sal  was the Dodgers' pitcher opposing Don Larsen of the Yankees in the latter's famous perfect game of the 1956 World Series. Maglie won 119 games and lost 62, with an ERA of 3.15, over his career.

In 1969, Maglie later became a pitching coach for the  Seattle Pilots team.Jim Bouton's book profiled Maglie unflatteringly in his book "Ball Four", although Bouton was known as an incessant trouble maker at the time,

Hall of Famer Don Drysdale credits Maglie with giving him the ability to pitch inside that would later make Drysdale a legend. Jim Lonborg, AL Cy Young Award winner in 1967 also learned to brush hitters back under instruction from Maglie; before that he had been an inconsistant pitcher.

 

"Sal Maglie: Baseball's Demon Barber"  by Judith Testa.

A new biography about  Italian American baseball player,  

Published by Northern Illinois University Press

 

This engaging book details the life of Maglie, an intimidating pitcher who achieved fame in the 1950s while playing for the New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers.

 

Through wide-ranging research, some of which includes interviews with Maglie's relatives, friends, former teammates, and team officials, Testa offers a compelling portrait of not only a baseball player, but that of the son of poor Italian immigrants who experienced success, pain, and personal tragedy throughout his life.

 

Donald Honig, author of Baseball When the Grass Was Real and Baseball America, says:

 

"Testa's achievement lies in depicting this man as a complete, full-dimensional human being. The book transcends its genre and is a first-rate work of literature."

 

Visit NIU Press online at   www.niupress.niu.edu

Linda Manning is  Marketing Manager of Northern Illinois University Press, 2280 Bethany Road, DeKalb, IL 60115

ph. 815-753-9905: fax 815-753-1845; lmanning2@niu.edu <mailto:lmanning2@niu.edu>

 

 

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