"Deadball Mayhem: Scoundrels, Scandalous Behavior, and Tragic Events" Author Ronald T. Waldo returns to The Sunbury Press Books Show Artwork

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"Deadball Mayhem: Scoundrels, Scandalous Behavior, and Tragic Events" Author Ronald T. Waldo returns to The Sunbury Press Books Show

March 01, 2025

Ronald T. Waldo has written widely about baseball and its history, with ten books to his credit. In this latest work, Waldo looks at the "Deadball Era" of professional baseball, in Deadball Mayhem: Scoundrels, Scandalous Behavior, and Tragic Events.

Waldo joins Sunbury Press Books founder and podcast host Lawrence Knorr to discuss a few of the era's characters, some of whom committed acts that adversely affected the game. The suicides of Win Mercer and Chick Stahl are examined, along with the mental breakdown suffered by Eddie Doheny on the eve of the 1903 World Series. Further tales of famous (and infamous) hurler Rube Waddell are also considered, including at least one pinned on him that was later debunked.

The newspapers of this time did much to mythologize the players of the day, some with ulterior or business motives. Gambling and other temptations were a part of this time as well.

Ronald T. Waldo's five previous books on the Deadball Era have each been nominated for the Larry Ritter Book Award. One of these, Deadball Trailblazers: Single-Season Records of the Modern Era was a finalist in 2023.