Memories of a Ballplayer; Bill Werber and Baseball in the 1930s

Cleveland, OH: The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), 2001. Presumed First Edition, First printing. Trade paperback. Very good. Ronnie Joyner (Cover Design). [6], 250 pages. Illustrations. Index. Cover has slight wear and soiling. William Murray Werber (June 20, 1908 - January 22, 2009) was a third baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Yankees (1930, 1933), Boston Red Sox (1933-1936), Philadelphia Athletics (1937-1938), Cincinnati Reds (1939-1941) and New York Giants (1942). He led American League third basemen in putouts and assists once each, and also led National League third basemen in assists, double plays and fielding percentage once each. A strong baserunner, he led the AL in stolen bases three times and led the NL in runs in 1939 as the Reds won the pennant. He was born in Berwyn Heights, Maryland and batted and threw right-handed. A 5'10", 170-pound infielder, Werber was at spring training and toured for several weeks in July with the Yankees in 1927. He returned to North Carolina to attend school at Duke University, where he was the first Duke basketball player to earn All-America honors. In 1934, Werber became the starting third baseman of the Red Sox. Boston traded him to the Philadelphia Athletics for the 1937 season, and he joined the Cincinnati Reds in 1939. At the time of his death at 100, Werber was recognized as the oldest living former player of Major League Baseball. Werber was also the final surviving teammate of Babe Ruth. Rich in anecdotes and humor, Bill Werber's Memories of a Ballplayer is a clear-eyed memoir of the world of big-league baseball in the 1930s. Bill Werber's claim to fame is unique: he was the last living person to have a direct connection to the 1927 Yankees, "Murderers' Row," a team hailed by many as the best of all time. Signed by the Yankees while still a freshman at Duke University, Werber spent two weeks that summer of '27 on the Yankee bench to "gain experience". He was traded to the Red Sox. A fleet-footed third baseman, Werber also played for the Athletics, Reds, and Giants, leading the league three times in stolen bases and once in runs scored. He was with the Reds when they won the pennant in 1939 and 1940. Werber played with or against some of the most productive hitters of all time, including Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Lou Gehrig, and Joe DiMaggio. Bill Werber played major-league baseball from 1930 to 1942. C. Paul Rogers III is a professor at the Southern Methodist University and a SABR member since 1990.