Pete Reiser

the long version

"In 1941, his first full season, Pete Reiser became the youngest batting champion in history, winning the NL title with a .343 average, and leading the league in runs, doubles, triples, total bases, and slugging average. By July of 1942, the popular Brooklyn outfielder was flirting with .400 and was easily baseball's fastest rising star. Then a jarring collision with the outfield wall in St. Louis sent his season into a tailspin. After three years in the Army, he led the league in stolen bases despite persistent headaches and dizziness. Ten more collisions with the outfield wall added a shoulder separation, muscle tear, fracture, contusions, and concussions to Reiser's long list of injuries, and he would never again play a full season." "This biography provides the full story on Reiser, with special emphasis on the highlights of his playing days and the factors that kept him from fulfilling his enormous potential. The conditions under which big leaguers of the era lived, worked, and played are detailed as well."--Jacket.