Rob Kirkpatrick (2)

Being a biography of an underappreciated Senators standout of the 1930's. To some extent this is a hagiography, as the author starts right out by voicing opinion from the many who think that his output justifies his inclusion in the Hall of Fame. However, in the summing up at the end, reality sets in when he points out that Travis was basically a spray hitter with a short career who was an indifferent fielder and who played for a rather poor and obscure team, and those are factors which are often crucial in Hall election. The book's main problem was that Travis was a colorless figure and that to get this up to book length, there is considerable digression into such matters as Negro League baseball and the 1941 hitting feats of Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams which really have little or nothing to do with Travis.… (mais)