The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant

Book by Douglass Wallop
The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant
First edition cover
AuthorDouglass Wallop
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
PublisherW. W. Norton & Co.
Publication date
September 9, 1954[1]
Media typePrint
Pages250

The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant is a 1954 novel by Douglass Wallop. It adapts the Faust theme of a deal with the Devil to the world of American baseball in the 1950s.

Plot summary

The novel's protagonist, mild-mannered, middle-aged Joe Boyd, is depicted as a lifelong fan of the hapless Washington Senators. As the novel begins, the Senators are losing ground in the American League to their longtime nemesis, the New York Yankees.

The discouraged Boyd runs into an unexpected offer from a fast-talking confidence man, who introduces himself as "Mr. Applegate." "Applegate" offers to transform Joe Boyd into Joe Hardy, a young baseball superstar, and facilitate his signing with the Senators' front office so that Hardy can help salvage the Senators' lost season. Boyd, suspicious, negotiates with "Applegate" and extracts a promise that the transformation will only be temporary and, after helping the Senators win a suitable number of games, Hardy will be able to re-transfer himself back to his Joe Boyd personality.

The transformation takes place, Hardy joins the Senators, and all begins to develop as "Applegate" had predicted. However, the new baseball superstar begins to realize that his deal with "Applegate" may not be so temporary and he may have let himself in for more than he had expected. As Hardy's doubts grow over his predicament, "Applegate" presents Hardy with love interest Lola, depicted as a glamorous temptress in the style of the 1950s.

Adaptations

The novel was adapted into the 1955 musical Damn Yankees. The musical's book was written by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop; its music and lyrics were written by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. The musical starred Ray Walston as Applegate, Stephen Douglass as Joe Hardy and Gwen Verdon as Lola.

The 1958 film adaptation featured Tab Hunter as Joe. Hunter was the sole actor who had not been in the stage play.

Reception

Anthony Boucher dismissed the novel as "just another Pact-with-the-Devil story, somewhat brightened by its Major League baseball setting."[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ "List of the Books Published Today". The New York Times: 29. September 9, 1954.
  2. ^ "Recommended Reading," F&SF, April 1955, pp.82.
  • v
  • t
  • e
Minnesota Twins
  • Established in 1901
  • Formerly the Washington Senators
  • Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota (Twin Cities)
FranchiseBallparksCulture and loreRivalriesImportant figures
Senators Hall of Famers
Wall of Fame members
Key personnel
World Series
championships (3)Pennants (6)
Division titles (13)Wild Card titles (1)Minor league affiliates
Seasons (124)
1900s
1910s
1920s
1930s
1940s
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
  • v
  • t
  • e
New York Yankees
  • Established in 1903
  • Formerly the New York Highlanders
  • Based in The Bronx, New York
Franchise
Ballparks
Culture
Lore
Rivalries
Monument Park
honorees
Key personnel
Championships (27)
American League
Pennants (40)
Division titles (20)
Wild Card titles (7)
Minors
Seasons (124)
1900s
1910s
1920s
1930s
1940s
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
  • v
  • t
  • e
Folk legend
Seminal works
Prose
Plays
Operas
Ballets
Classical music
Other music
Albums
Songs
Films
Television
Episodes
Other
Musicals
Comics
  • Gods' Man (1929)
  • Faust (manga) (1950)
  • Doctor Faustus (comics) (1968)
  • Faust (comics) (1987)
  • Frau Faust (2014)
Art
  • Category


Stub icon

This article about a 1950s fantasy novel is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

See guidelines for writing about novels. Further suggestions might be found on the article's talk page.

  • v
  • t
  • e