Book Review: David Halberstam's October 1964

This book was touted on KJR-AM a couple of months ago after David Halberstam's
tragic death. The backdrop is the World Series of 1964, but the book is about so much more.

At the time, the American League and the National League were microcosms of 2 different segments of American society. The American League was steeped in tradition, clean cut, and mostly white. The teams in the American League relied mostly on sluggers like Mickey Mantle, Harmon Killebrew, and Boog Powell. The teams in the National League where more new era, with many African Americans, Hispanics. The teams played more "small ball" with bunts, stolen bases and more versatile players like Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, Lou Brock, and Maury Wills. This was a transitional time in our history going from an era of innocence into a time of dissent. A great deal of this was reflected in the 1964 baseball season. The Yankees great run was coming to an end while the St Louis Cardinals were emerging. I think that one thing that interested me in this book was the fact that this was beginning of the great Cardinal teams that I would see in the first 2 World Series that I would ever watch, 1967 and 1968.