Boots Poffenberger: Hurler, Hero, Hellraiser

Boots Poffenberger spent only parts of three seasons in the major leagues, but is unquestionably among the wildest figures of his era--one that included Dizzy Dean, Bobo Newsom, and Van Lingle Mungo. Boots was every bit as much an all-star character as the others. He enraged management by playing by his own set of rules; delighted sport writers with an endless stream of crazy missteps and one-liners; and frustrated teammates who in the end always forgave him because of his warmth and genuine character. To the ballplayers and the many fans who adored him, it was just "Boots being Boots."

This carefully researched and affectionately written biography captures the essence of a true baseball original. Follow Boots’ rise and fall in the big leagues, where his fondness for beer earned him the nickname "The Prince of Pilsner." Enjoy his resurrection in the minor leagues, including a 29-win season that amazingly did not earn him a return to The Show, due to Boots' nonconformity. Read about him during World War II, and his perilous assignment as a Marine Corps pitcher based in Hawaii. Finally, get to know Boots in his later life, as a small town local hero, whose outsized personality and heart resonate with the locals still today.

Boots’ story is one of a time gone by, an antidote to today’s game, of baseball and America before big money and big media became so dominant.