David Halberstam knew how to write. His voluminous works that he left behind after his recent death is a tribute to his diversity as a writer and his belief in telling the WHOLE story.
In a shorter book than say "The Powers that Be," "Teammates" captures the essence of a rarely touched upon issue - the male friendship and the bond of being a teammate.
The story of friends last trip to see Ted Williams alive illustrates the camaraderie of men who played ball, made history, were icons, but still remained at their heart - simple men who enjoyed the basics of life, good food, good fishing, a nice roof over their head and the box scores for the Red Sox during the season.
These men weren't the superstars of today. They didn't hold out for millions upon millions of dollars. Baseball players today - like Roger Clemens - will make more in one game than these men made playing their entire lives - except for time off for wars they participated.
These men played for the love of the game, for the definition it gave them - not superstars, but teammates, not by the drugs they took to hit home runs, but for a batting record come by cleanly at .400.
Halberstam's book is a treasure. It's a glimpse into the pure age of baseball history from the view of some of the best known Red Sox players ever. It's a view into a friendship between men built over batting practice and decades of ups and downs, wins and loses, loves and heartbreaks.
It's a short read - don't let Halberstam's byline discourage you. Let the book take you back in time and then back to the present to a world where Ted Williams no longer lives, but his memory will hold on forever ... as long as there is baseball and as long as there are little boys learning to swing a bat and catch a fly ball.
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