Acclaimed baseball writer Rob Neyer recently released his new book entitled Rob Neyer's Big Book of Baseball Legends.  Neyer breathes new life into both classic and obscure stories throughout twentieth-century baseball -- stories that, while engaging on their own, also tell us fascinating things about their main characters and about the sport's incredibly rich history. With his signature style, Rob gets to the heart of every anecdote, working through the particulars with careful research drawn from a variety of primary sources. For each story, he asks: Did this really happen? Did it happen, sort of? Or was the story simply the wild invention of someone's imagination?  The book is a must for those who enjoy learning about the history of the game.

1. Rob, why don't you give our readers a quick and dirty on your new book, Rob Neyer's Big Book of Baseball Legends?

It's a collection of great baseball stories, the modern twist being that I've actually checked to see if they're true, false, or somewhere in between.
 

2. Anyone who has an interest in baseball history must love this book.  What inspired you to write about this unique topic?

When I worked for Bill James (1989-1992) I did a lot of different things, one of which was tracking down the facts (or non-facts) in old baseball stories that Bill found in one place or another. Some of these stories, with the fact-checking added, were then published in the various editions of Bill's Baseball Books. Of all the things I did for Bill, that was my favorite. I'm just a curious sort, especially when it comes to baseball. This actually started when I read my first Baseball Abstract in 1984, and was focused on baseball's Conventional Wisdom: a walk's as good as a hit, pitching's 75 percent of the game, etc. But later -- again thanks to Bill -- I turned my skepticism toward baseball stories, too. A lot of people find my skepticism obnoxious, but at this point there's not much I can do about it. Thanks Bill!
 

3. How did you choose what stories to write about? How did you even know where to start?

I have a pretty good-sized library, and I started with the books consisting purely of anecdotes. Then I shifted to my collection of Baseball Digest from the 1950s and '60s, as each issue contains a dozen or so amusing stories. Then there were autobiographies, collections of interviews (i.e. oral histories), TV broadcasts ... really, once you start paying attention there's no end to the good baseball stories out there. The only question is, at what point do you say "Enough!" and stop collecting stories. And start working on the ones you've got.
 

4. How did you disprove or verify all of the various stories/myths/anecdotes?  An extraordinary amount of research much have been conducted.  What types of research did you conduct?

I spent a lot of time with Retrosheet, and with the New York Times' on-line archives. Also spent a fair amount of time poring over microfilm in various libraries, and looking at players' daily sheets from Cooperstown.
 

5. Bill James wrote the Foreword of your book and kicked things off by talking about dinosaurs. What is your favorite dinosaur and why?

When I was a kid I was always attracted to the big ones, the Brontosaurus and the Diplodocus. I suppose bigger dinos have been discovered since, but I haven't really kept current with the field. Aside from seeing all three Jurassic Park movies.
 

6. Let's take a look at some of the legends covered in your book and let's first talk about the big one: Did Babe Ruth call his shot in the 1932 World Series?

I don't believe he did. Which doesn't mean he didn't do something legendary.
 

7. Thurmon Munson and Carlton Fisk ... supposedly they loathed each other, and according to a Munson biographer, he purposely dropped 3rd strikes in a Ron Guidry start, so he could take the season assist lead from Fisk. True or False?

Well, I would rather not give away the ending. But ESPN.com excerpted that very chapter last week, so you can see for yourself  if you like.
 

8. This story is crazy.  Supposedly, Lou Gehrig had someone fill in for him for a game during his Ironman streak -- an imposter.  Can you give us some background on this story and if you were able to verify its accuracy?

That tale first appeared in a men's magazine in the 1950s, and after all this time it's hard to know exactly what happened. But my aged colleague Scribbly Tate has done his best.
 

9. In one tale, an early 1930s Yankees utility infielder, Jimmy Reese, hid the fact that he was Jewish.  In fact, the name "Jimmie Reese" wasn't even his real name. Was this common practice for all Jewish players during that time period, or was the Yankee organization anti-Semitic?

I'm not an expert by any means, but I don't believe it was common practice. Neither was it unknown (just as it was not unknown in American society in general). Hank Greenberg certainly carried his name with pride, and he wasn't the first Jewish player who did. As for Reese -- or if you prefer, James Herman Soloman -- I don't know that he ever publicly discussed his name change. But I do believe it's possible that a Jewish name wouldn't have helped his cause with the Yankees, as that franchise was generally conservative and did not, to my knowledge, ever express any interest in Jewish players. Which I mention only because the other New York teams did publicly express that interest.
 

10. Pick a story, Yankee-related or not, that you really enjoyed researching.

I enjoyed researching all of them; otherwise I wouldn't have written the book. But there's a chapter about Johnny Beradino that is the fruit of another, much larger research project that may never see the light of day anywhere else. So I suppose I've got a sentimental attachment to that one.
 

11. Ok, how about some myths which weren't covered in the book (in your sequel perhaps?)?  Did Tim Raines really never slide feet first because he had bags of cocaine in his back pocket?

Oh, I don't know. Wasn't it vials? Anyway, I've just sort of assumed that was true, though I haven't ever written about it and wouldn't without checking first. Raines has acknowledged his cocaine problem and that's enough for me. I did collect some stories that aren't in the book, but I didn't have time to research them so I don't know if they're actually any good.
 

12. You mention Johnny Roseboro (catcher with the Dodgers in the 1960s) in your book, but not that Juan Marichal incident.  Why did Juan Marichal brutally beat Johnny Roseboro with his bat in 1965?  Has he ever admitted why he did that?

As I'm sure you know, there was a great deal of tension between Roseboro's Dodgers and Marichal's Giants, and that season both teams were battling for the pennant. As I recall, Roseboro had nicked Marichal's ear with a throw to the pitcher. And obviously things just sort of degenerated from there. It was a terrible incident and might have cost the Giants the pennant, because of Marichal's suspension. But I believe the two reconciled not long afterward and have been friendly ever since.
 

13. A bit of a baseball strategy:  A closer or "8th inning guy" has more impact on the outcome of a game than a starting pitcher.  True or false?

False. You can easily win a game with a good starter and a lousy closer. You can easily lose a game with a lousy starter and a good closer.
 

14. Myth or Fact?  You have a personal vendetta against Jim Rice.

Fact. When I was 13, Jim Rice was in Kansas City for an eight-game series against the Royals, and one morning he was driving through my neighborhood -- no, I don't know why -- and ran over my dog, Sugarplum. Which I might have excused. Except initially he didn't kill Sugarplum. Just sort of winged her. But he stopped the car, then backed over her with a maniacal grin on his face. So I hope you'll forgive me for not holding Mr. Rice in the highest esteem.
 

Rob Neyer's Big Book of Baseball Legends can be purchased at just about any bookstore, or online by clicking here.