Tales from the Dodger Dugout

Book excerpt: The famed Boys of Summer -- a.k.a. the Brooklyn Dodgers -- were some of baseball's best and funniest players. The group included Hall of Famers Duke Snider, Roy Campanella, Gil Hodges, Pee Wee Reese, and Jackie Robinson, the game's first black player. For the first time, Carl Erskine, another member of that legendary team, relates memories about his Dodger days. The result is a delightfully interesting trip through the world of 1950s baseball. Among Erskine's tales are his dealings with the immortal Branch Rickey, his view from the Dodger bench of Don Larsen's perfect game, and his firsthand experiences when Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier.