Review by Choice Review
Drawing on contemporaneous newspaper accounts, Hogg (Bradley Hogg's grandnephew) has compiled a revealing look at a journeyman ballplayer who briefly competed in the major leagues during the 1910s. Most accounts of early 20th-century baseball--particular biographical ones--focus on larger-than-life figures who starred at the game's highest levels and compiled stats that present-day players still find insurmountable. Not such a one was Bradley Hogg, described here as a fair-to-middling pitcher who had a brief stint in the "show" in 1911 and 1912, but failed to make it back to the majors until the US entered WW I. In 1918, Hogg had his most successful season as a big leaguer, but even then he split 26 decisions (although compiling a solid 2.52 earned run average). Hogg did star in the minors, including one season with the Los Angeles franchise in the Pacific Coast League when he won 27 games. After a poor 1919 campaign with the Philadelphia Phillies, the spitballing Hogg chose to retire from the game and turn to law. This book, which includes many statistics, will interest die-hard fans of baseball. ^BSumming Up: Optional. Comprehensive academic and public collections. R. C. Cottrell California State University, Chico
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
