Product Description

Following a devastating German artillery attack in December 1944, most of Leland Victor (Lou) Brissie s squad was destroyed and the shrapnel-riddled corporal from Ware Shoals, South Carolina, was left for dead. The unconscious pitching prospect clung to life along the muddy banks of an icy creek in northern Italy s snow-covered Apennines for hours until medical corpsmen discovered him. Doctors at the battalion aid station noted that his left leg was shattered beyond repair and recommended immediate amputation.

No, Brissie protested. You can t take my leg off. I m a ballplayer. I can t play on one leg.

You will die if we don t.

Doc, he said quietly, I ll take my chances.

Thus the 20-year-old Brissie began the arduous process of recovery. But would he walk let alone fulfill his life s ambition of pitching for the Philadelphia A s? Letters from club president Connie Mack assured the fireballing lefty of his opportunity to pitch, and provided some relief from the painful parade of reconstructive surgeries. Strength of will, a supportive family, and the new miracle drug penicillin proved an effective combination as Brissie learned to walk, and eventually to pitch, with his damaged leg encased in a protective metal brace.

Pulitzer Prize winning author Ira Berkow chronicles a remarkable life as The Corporal Was a Pitcher: The Courage of Lou Brissie masterfully recounts one soldier s compelling struggle to overcome incredible odds and journey from an army hospital in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius to the pitcher s mound in Shibe Park. Named to the 1949 All-Star Game, Brissie threw a fearsome fastball. I couldn t hit the guy with a tennis racket, noted Johnny Pesky, the former Red Sox third baseman. Brissie was a great guy.... A fine arm, sneaky fast, said batting champion Ted Williams.

Even more remarkable are Brissie s accomplishments away from the baseball diamond. Through regular visits to veterans hospitals and children s hospital wards, Brissie found his inspiration as he inspired others. It s a practice he has maintained for more than 60 years. The Corporal Was a Pitcher is a must-read for baseball fans and will inspire everyone to conquer impossible odds.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #175666 in Books
• Published on: 2009-02-20
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 256 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781600781049
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Booklist
On December 7, 1944, a young army corporal from South Carolina was riding in a transport in northern Italy when an enemy shell hit the vehicle. Five of the 11 riders survived, including Lou Brissie, a promising Major League pitching prospect. Doctors wanted to amputate. Brissie implored them to save the leg. They did, and Brissie made the climb to the majors while wearing a knee-to-ankle, steel-and-aluminum brace. Called up to the majors by the Philadelphia Athletics on the last day of the 1947 season, he pitched through 1953 for the A’s and Indians, compiling a journeyman’s 44–48 record. Berkow, a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and author of 18 books, profiles Brissie’s courage in overcoming his injuries and realizing his dream, but he also details the man’s post-baseball career, in which he inspired injured vets and sick children with his calming presence, sincerity, and history of overcoming the odds. A deeply empathetic and moving chronicle of a life well lived. --Wes Lukowsky

About the Author
Ira Berkow, a sports columnist and feature writer for the New York Times for more than 25 years, won the Pulitzer Prize for national reporting in 2001 and was a finalist for the Pulitzer for commentary in 1988. He is the author of 18 books, including the best sellers Red: A Biography of Red Smith and Maxwell Street: Survival in a Bazaar, as well as two memoirs, Full Swing and To the Hoop. Hank Greenberg: The Story of My Life, cowritten and edited by Mr. Berkow and published by Triumph Books, was a primary source for the award-winning documentary The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg. Mr. Berkow lives in New York City.

Customer Reviews

Inspirational
Excellent read for any age, I cannot recommend this book strongly enough. Great message on the power of mental toughness, overcoming adversity, setting goals for yourself, and giving back to others. All of today's stories about our athletic "heroes" overcoming long odds to play their chosen sport cannot hold a candle to the story of Lou Brissie.

An inspiring story of courage and determination
An excellent read that will be treasured by baseball fans and anyone that has ever faced obstacles in chasing their dreams. I finished the book in two days!

An inspiring story of courage and determination
Lou Brissie's lifetime record of 44 wins and 48 losses with the Philadelphia Athletics and Cleveland Indians from 1947 through 1953 wouldn't be impressive if you didn't know his incredible story.

A sportswriter once described Brissie as "a living symbol of one-man's will to win against all odds."

Brissie, a pitching phenom before he entered the service, was 20 years old when he was wounded in World War II. In November of 1944, his group of men came under artillery fire in Italy. Many of his men died and he was seriously wounded. The doctors wanted to amputate his leg, but Brissie refused, saying it would end his hopes of a major league baseball career.

He had no solid bone in more than four inches of his left leg. A skilled surgeon wired together the torn bone and stitched together the ripped muscles and tendons. Still, there was a chance the doctors would have to amputate the leg to save Brissie's life.

Brissie's recovery was slow and painful. He had 21 pieces of shrapnel removed, 30 blood transfusions and 17 operations. He spent three months in Italian hospitals and more than a year in various other hospitals during his rehabilitation. He couldn't walk for six months.

During this time, Brissie corresponded with Connie Mack, manager of the Philadelphia Athletics. Brissie had come to Mack's attention before he entered the service. Brissie apparently still has the letters from Mack since they are reprinted in the book. Mack promised Brissie a tryout with the A's and offered constant encouragement.

Brissie, a southpaw, traveled to Philadelphia still on crutches in July 1945 to tryout for Mack. According to other players, Brissie "looked pitiful" physically. He wore a steel brace from his knee to his ankle on his left leg. Few A's ever thought they'd see him again.

He attended spring training with the A's in 1947, but Mack assigned him to Savannah in Class A to see if Brissie could pitch regularly. Brissie had to relearn how to pitch. His hard work and determination paid off as he compiled an impressive 23-5 won-lost record with a 1.91 ERA. He made his major league debut against the Boston Red Sox on the final day of the 1947 season, losing 5-3.

Brissie won 14 games for the A's in 1948 and 16 in 1949. He pitched three innings in the 1949 All-Star game. He fell to 7-19 in 1950 and was traded to the Cleveland Indians in 1951, winning seven games before retiring in 1953.

Cleveland Indians pitching great and World War II veteran Bob Feller said Brissie would have been a Hall of Famer if not for World War II.