Among the great Christmas gifts this year was one from my buddy Tom in Midland, a book called ” Big Hair & Plastic Grass ” written by Dan Epstein.
The book covers the decade of the 1970’s in Major League Baseball, each chapter devoted to either a specific year or a specific trend in the game.
I don’t think I’ve ever been as much of a baseball fan as I was in the 1970’s and I was captivated by the accounts; some of which I have vivid memories of, some others which were forgotten until they were recounted by Epstein and still other tales I had never heard before until they were outlined in this book.
In a compilation of the 70’s, you’d expect to find stories regarding the Big Red Machine, the Oakland dynasty, Astroturf and free agency.
However, it was the unexpected or the insights to the stories you knew that made this book.
When two Yankee pitchers swapped wives, a member of the Yankee promotional staff commented, ” we may have to change our plans for ‘ Family Day ‘.
When the Oakland A’s had 3 Jewish players on the roster, pitcher Ken Holtzman remarked, ” I hear we’re going to have Golda Meir play shortstop. “
And when ‘ Disco Demolition ‘ Night in Chicago created a riot at Comiskey Park, owner Bill Veeck was asked whether the promotion was his best idea or his worst. Veeck answered, ” it was both. “
The Carlton Fisk homer, Pete Rose at the All Star Game, the San Diego Chicken and Dock Ellis pitching a no hitter on acid.
This and so much more, packed into ” Big Hair & Plastic Grass “.
I’m Fred Wallace