"September Swoon captures the drama of the 1964 pennant race
while shedding much light on the problems the Phillies faced with
the racial integration that centered on talented rookie Richie Allen.
Any Phillies fan will enjoy reading Kashatus’s interesting
book." — Allen Lewis, former Philadelphia Inquirer
baseball writer and member of the writer’s wing of the Baseball
Hall of Fame
"Allen's 1989 autobiography, Crash, was a toned-down
version of what happened to him....In Kashatus' book, Allen now
reveals the hatred he faced both in Little Rock, Ark.—where
he was the first professional black player in the state's history—and
in Philadelphia, where fans threw trash on his lawn....Kashatus
did impressive research, interviewing most of Allen’s teammates
during that era. But he also faced the challenge of putting it in
proper context....(T)his is a notable book about a notable man in
a notable time and place.” —Jon Caroulis, Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette
“There are also dozens of previously untold backstage stories,
including an incredibly moving tale of a blind girl befriended by
catcher Clay Dalrymple.
What sets September Swoon apart from previous ‘64
books is an earnest attempt by Kashatus to craft a parallel narrative
about the seismic shifts that were occurring simultaneously in Philadelphia’s
sociological landscape. Political figures and civil rights activists
carry equal weight with the heroes of Connie Mack Stadium. At the
center of everything is Richie Allen, the Phillies’ first
true African-American superstar.... September Swoon follows
the remaining path of Allen’s career, a path that ironically
ends up in Philadelphia many years later. How he went from Philadelphia
pariah to a beloved Quaker City sports icon is, in its own way,
as compelling a story as the team’s tragic collapse of 1964.”
—David Plaut, USA Today Sports Weekly
Everything seemed to be going the Phillies’ way. Up by 6 1/2
games with just 12 left to play in the 1964 season, they appeared
to have clinched their first pennant in more than a decade. Outfielder
Johnny Callison narrowly missed being the National League MVP. Third
baseman Richie Allen was Rookie of the Year.
But
the “Fightin’ Phils” didn’t make it to the postseason—they
lost 10 straight and finished a game behind the St. Louis Cardinals.
Besides engineering the greatest collapse of any team in major league
baseball history, the ‘64 Phillies had another, more important
distinction: they were Philadelphia’s first truly integrated
baseball team. In September Swoon William Kashatus tells
the dramatic story—both on the field and off the field—of
the Phillies’ bittersweet season of 1964.
More
than any other team in Philadelphia’s sports history, the ‘64
Phillies saddled the city with a reputation for being a “loser.“
Even when victory seemed assured, Philadelphia found a way to lose.
Unfortunately, the collapse, dubbed the “September swoon,”
was the beginning of a self-destructive skid in both team play and
racial integration, for the very things that made the players unique
threatened to tear the team apart. An antagonistic press and contentious
fans blamed Richie Allen, the Phillies’ first black superstar,
for the team’s losing ways, accusing him of dividing the team
along racial lines. Allen manipulated the resulting controversy
in the hopes that he would be traded, but in the process he managed
to further fray already tenuous race relations.
Based
on personal interviews, player biographies, and newspaper accounts,
September Swoon brings to life a season and a team that got
so many Philadelphians, both black and white, to care deeply and
passionately about the game at a turbulent period in the city’s—and
our nation’s—history. The hometown fans reveled in their
triumphs and cried in their defeat, because they saw in them a reflection
of themselves. The ‘64 Phillies not only won over the loyalties
of a racially divided city, but gave Philadelphians a reason to
dream—of a pennant, of a contender, and of a City of Brotherly
Love.
Contents
Foreword by Gerald Early
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. A Shameful Past
2. Integrating the Phillies
3. The Spring of ’64
4. On Top of the National League
5. September Swoon
6. Seasons of Frustration
7. Breakup
Conclusion
Appendixes
A. What Happened to the 1964 Phillies
B. Individual Statistics for the 1964 Phillies
C. The 1964 National League Race
Notes
Selected Bibliography
Index
William
C. Kashatus is a professional historian who earned a doctorate
at the University of Pennsylvania. A regular contributor to the
Philadelphia Daily News, he is author of several books, including
Connie Mack’s ‘29 Triumph: The Rise and Fall of the
Philadelphia Athletics Dynasty (1999), Mike Schmidt: Philadelphia’s
Hall of Fame Third Baseman (2000), and Just Over the Line:
Chester County and the Underground Railroad (2002).
