Customer Reviews
It Reminds Me of My Childhood
Growing up in Detroit, I was raised to be a Tigers fan. My dad taught me about baseball, and took me to games at "The Corner." It was there that my love of the game grew. The thing about Tiger Stadium is that you were so close to the action. Sitting in upper deck behind Ernie Harwell's booth, you would be closer to home plate than the first basemen. Tom Stanton seems to have a love for the game like so many of us do. His memories from his childhood remind me of mine, the stories of his father's childhood as the son of Polish immigrants is much like my father's. I find the book reminding me of family stories long forgotten, and will remind every male raised to love sports of going to the old ballpark, playing catch with dad, and what sports WERE about, not money, but a love of the game. It is a great tribute to baseball.
Stanton reaches back for youth, learns about growing old.
In this book, under the premise of watching an old ball park wind down it's last season, Stanton explores father and son relationships through three generations, aging, family problems, and the universal love of baseball as a thread that keeps families close. It's a touching memoir of the Detroit Tigers last season at Tiger Stadium that covers each and every game. It's also the story of Mr. Stanton's family through four generations, their relationship to baseball, the Tigers and each other. You'll be moved, you'll reminisce about your youth, and you'll (hopefully) be reminded of what is important in life. This book will have you smiling at old memories of your first trip to the ballpark with your dad, crying at the passing of the years, and reaching back to relationships long ago ended. It was an easy and enjoyable book to read, and I'm glad that I did.
A Book About A Great Ballpark, And Much More
As a child growing up in the Detroit area, Tom Stanton dreamed about attending every home game of his beloved Tigers. When the dreaded news game that 1999 would be the team's final season in historic Tiger stadium, he decided to make that dream come true. What emerged was much more than just a game-by-game chronicle of what was, on the field anyway, a rather dreary season.
This book celebrates the stadium as a place that spanned the generations for countless players and fans. It's about the traditions that tie family and friends together; it's about life, love, loss...all the things in life that truly matter. You'll share this season with Tom, his aging father, and a cast of wonderful people he encounters during that summer, including Al Kaline, Ernie Harwell, Alice Cooper, Al the Usher and dozens more.
"The Final Season" won an award as best baseball book of the year. I hope you'll open these pages and learn why.
