In Red: A Baseball Life, Red Schoendienst details all of the events that have shaped his life, on and off the field, as he moved from the playing field to the manager's office to his current position as a special assistant to the general manager of the St. Louis Cardinals. Schoendienst played, coached, and managed in nine World Series. In 1989, he was inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame.
Dan Albaugh of the "Sports Book Reviews" says 3 Stars!!!The 1998 season marked Albert "Red" Schoendienst's 57th consecutive year in professional baseball. Born in 1923, Schoendienst's life and baseball career have met with many struggles. In 1939, Red Schoendienst quit school at age 16 to join the government-sponsored Civilian Conservation Corps. While working in the CCC, Schoendienst suffered a severe eye injury that threatened to ruin any chance he had of signing a pro baseball contract like his older brother.
Always a battler, Schoendienst recovered from the injury and began his baseball career in the low minors in 1942. Three years later, in 1945, he was in the starting lineup of the St. Louis Cardinals. Over the next 19 seasons, Schoendienst was considered to be one the best second basemen to ever take the field. Schoendienst made the transition from player to coach in 1963. He has served as a major league coach and special assistant to the general manager for the past 36 years, save for 12 seasons (1965-1976) when he managed the Cardinals.
The autobiography chronicles Schoendienst's career and examines his close friendship with hitting king Stan Musial and his relationships with many other baseball greats - Enos Slaughter, Bob Gibson, Ken Boyer, Hank Aaron and Whitey Herzog to name a few.
Schoendienst also reveals his emotions upon learning of the 1956 trade that ended his 13-year stay with his beloved Cardinals. The second-base stalwart moved from the Cardinals to the New York Giants to the Milwaukee Braves. In Milwaukee, Schoendienst proved to be the catalyst that propelled the Braves into the 1957 and 1958 World Series.
It was during his time in Milwaukee that Schoendienst discovered he had tuberculosis, a disease that affects the lungs and lymph nodes and can be fatal. In Red: A Baseball Life, Schoendienst tells of the effects of the disease and how he battled back against the odds to resume his profession as a major league player.
The book also deals with Schoendienst's return to the Cardinals and his managerial career, including his hiring, the 1967 and 1968 pennants and his dismissal in 1976. The veteran uses the final chapters of the book to share his thoughts on baseball today and the players who make up the sport. Schoendienst devotes one chapter to elaborating on the thrill of being elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989.
Red: A Baseball Life is an enjoyable look at the stellar career of one of baseball's true good guys. The book confirms what knowledgeable baseball fans already knew - Red Schoendienst played the game with class and dignity.
