The Top of His Game: The Best Sportswriting of W. C. Heinz : A Library of America Special Publication

**Bill Littlefield (NPR's __Only a Game__) presents the second installment in the Library of America series devoted to classic American sportswriters, a defintive collector’s edition of the pathbreaking writer who invented the long-form sports story.** Like his friend and admirer Red Smith, W. C. Heinz (1915–2008) was one of the most distinctive and influential sportswriters of the last century. Though he began his career as a newspaper reporter, Heinz soon moved beyond the confines of the daily column, turning freelance and becoming the first sportwriter to make his living writing for magazines. In doing so he effectively invented the long-form sports story, perfecting a style that paved the way for the New Journalism of the 1960s. His profiles of the top athletes of his day still feel remarkably current, written with a freshness of perception, a gift for characterization, and a finely tuned ear for dialogue. Jimmy Breslin named Heinz’s “Brownsville Bum”—a brief life of Al “Bummy” Davis, Brooklyn street tough and onetime welterweight champion of the world—“the greatest magazine sports story I’ve ever read, bar none.” His spare and powerful 1949 column, “Death of a Race Horse,” has been called a literary classic, a work of clarity and precision comparable to Hemingway at his best.Now, for this essential writer’s centennial, Bill Littlefield, the host of NPR’s Only A Game, presents the essential Heinz: thirty-eight columns, profiles, and memoirs from the author’s personal archive, including eighteen pieces never collected during his lifetime. Though Heinz’s great passion was boxing—the golden era of Rocky Graziano, Floyd Patterson, and Sugar Ray Robinson—his interests extended to the wide world of sports, with indelible profiles of baseball players (Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio), jockeys (George Woolf, Eddie Arcaro), hockey players, football coaches, scouts and trainers and rodeo riders Introduction: True to the way it happens / by Bill Littlefield Out of the war. Transition: Autumn 1945 On the beat. Memories of a great jockey: George M. Woolf, 1910-1946 Beau Jack is good customer: "Ah'm buyin' hats..." Down memory lane with the Babe: The ascension of George Herman Ruth About two guys named Joe: DiMaggio and Louis are picture-perfect sportsmen German Heavyweight checks in: Hein Ten Hoff says "Ja" to America "They used to fight dogs": Ringside with William Jennings Bryan Rumpus in the living room: "Toughie" Brasuhn, queen of the roller derby Uncle Mike is back: You can tell he's all right, he won't listen to Morgan Late afternoon on the Harlem: The Columbia freshmen are first on the river How they told Charlie Keller: The Yankees send a good man down Jake steals the show: Mintz crowned heavyweight manager of the world Death of a race horse: Air Lift, son of Bold Venture The psychology of horse betting: Hooked on the thrill of almost winning "The lost leader": Gardella drops his suit against baseball Retired undefeated heavyweight champion: Or, How Joe Louis makes a living Out in the world. Brownsville bum: Al ("Bunny") Davis, 1910-1945 The day of the fight: Graziano-Zale, September 27, 1946 The fighter's wife: Norma Graziano gets through the night Punching out a living: Billy Graham, boxing's uncrowned champ Young fighter: The trouble with McNeece is that he fears nothing Brockton's boy: A rising Marciano lifts all boats Scouting for the Yankees: Between phone calls with Paul Krichell The rocky road of Pistol Pete: The Dodger they padded the walls for The ghost of the gridiron: Red Grange could carry the ball Work horse on ice: Gordie Howe of the Detroit Red Wings The happiest hooligan of them all: What a card this Pepper Martin is! The rough and tumble life: Jim Tescher, rodeo rider The twilight of boxing: They're dimming the lights at Stillman's Gym Among the monuments. The shy one: The quiet power of Floyd Patterson The man who belongs in blue jeans: Jim Tescher revisited So long, Jack: John C. Hurley, 1897-1972 The fireman: Joe Page's good days The artist supreme: Dancing with Willie Pep The coach, relived: Willie Davis talks Vince Lombardi The greatest, pound for pound: There's only one Sugar Ray The smallest titan of them all: Eddie Arcaro rode to win Somebody up there likes him: The life and times of Rocky Graziano. Bill Littlefield (NPR's Only a Game ) presents the second installment in the Library of America series devoted to classic American sportswriters, a defintive collector’s edition of the pathbreaking writer who invented the long-form sports story. Like his friend and admirer Red Smith, W. C. Heinz (1915–2008) was one of the most distinctive and influential sportswriters of the last century. Though he began his career as a newspaper reporter, Heinz soon moved beyond the confines of the daily column, turning freelance and becoming the first sportwriter to make his living writing for magazines. In doing so he effectively invented the long-form sports story, perfecting a style that paved the way for the New Journalism of the 1960s. His profiles of the top athletes of his day still feel remarkably current, written with a freshness of perception, a gift for characterization, and a finely tuned ear for dialogue. Jimmy Breslin named Heinz’s “Brownsville Bum”—a brief life of Al “Bummy” Davis, Brooklyn street tough and onetime welterweight champion of the world—“the greatest magazine sports story I’ve ever read, bar none.” His spare and powerful 1949 column, “Death of a Race Horse,” has been called a literary classic, a work of clarity and precision comparable to Hemingway at his best. Now, for this essential writer’s centennial, Bill Littlefield, the host of NPR’s Only A Game, presents the essential Heinz: thirty-eight columns, profiles, and memoirs from the author’s personal archive, including eighteen pieces never collected during his lifetime. Though Heinz’s great passion was boxing—the golden era of Rocky Graziano, Floyd Patterson, and Sugar Ray Robinson—his interests extended to the wide world of sports, with indelible profiles of baseball players (Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio), jockeys (George Woolf, Eddie Arcaro), hockey players, football coaches, scouts and trainers and rodeo riders. Bill Littlefield (NPR's Only a Game) presents the second installment in the Library of America series devoted to classic American sportswriters, a definitive collector's edition of the pathbreaking writer who invented the long-form sports story. Like his friend and admirer Red Smith, W.C. Heinz (1915--2008) was one of the most distinctive and influential sportswriters of the last century. Though he began his career as a newspaper reporter, Heinz soon moved beyond the confines of the daily column, turning freelance and becoming the first sportwriter to make his living writing for magazines. In doing so he effectively invented the long-form sports story, perfecting a style that paved the way for the New Journalism of the 1960s. His profiles of the top athletes of his day still feel remarkably current, written with a freshness of perception, a gift for characterization, and a finely tuned ear for dialogue. Jimmy Breslin named Heinz's "Brownsville Bum"--A brief life of Al "Bummy" Davis, Brooklyn street tough and onetime welterweight champion of the world--"the greatest magazine sports story I've ever read, bar none." His spare and powerful 1949 column, "Death of a Race Horse," has been called a literary classic, a work of clarity and precision comparable to Hemingway at his best. Now, for this essential writer's centennial, Bill Littlefield, the host of NPR's Only A Game, presents the essential Heinz: thirty-eight columns, profiles, and memoirs from the author's personal archive, including eighteen pieces never collected during his lifetime. Though Heinz's great passion was boxing--the golden era of Rocky Graziano, Floyd Patterson, and Sugar Ray Robinson--his interests extended to the wide world of sports, with indelible profiles of baseball players (Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio), jockeys (George Woolf, Eddie Arcaro), hockey players, football coaches, scouts and trainers and rodeo riders "Heinz had it all," says David Maraniss of The Washington Post, "a deep understanding of human nature, a wonderful sense of humor, and a writing style so clean and clear that he makes the difficult seem easy, just the way a great athlete does." Here--in thirty-eight timeless pieces, chosen and introduced by NPR's Bill Littlefield--is an American master at the top of his game. The volume also contains, as an appendix, postscripts Heinz published in books and magazines between 1979 and 2000, offering reflections and updates for seven of the stories .--Provided by publisher