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The San Francisco Chronicle's Jill Tucker published a very interesting obituary for historian (of a lot of topics) Jules Tygiel, who passed away Tuesday.
Interestingly, Joe Morgan and I are in agreement on one thing:
His 1983 book was less of a biography than a historical account of Robinson and his role as the first African American player in modern major-league baseball.
That's what Hall of Fame second baseman Joe Morgan loved about it.
"I though it was fabulous because it wasn't someone's opinions and stuff," Morgan said Wednesday after learning of Professor Tygiel's death. "His book showed us exactly how we got to where we were."
Robinson's widow, Rachel, considers it the best book on her husband, Morgan said.
The book pieced together what happened in those post-World War II days of integration in America's favorite pastime. Morgan said once he got his hands on the book, he couldn't put it down.
"There have been lots of books written about Jackie Robinson," he said. "This is my favorite one."
San Francisco attorney and law professor, Richard Zitrin, a close friend of Tygiel's, also liked to point out that Tygiel started what was believed to be the first fantasy baseball league on the West Coast, the Pacific Ghost League, around the same time Daniel Okrent and company were starting Rotisserie Baseball. Zitrin also related to me a tale of going to an A's game with Tygiel in which Ozzie Canseco was playing. Tygiel's comment about Ozzie Canseco, "He looks like a big league player."
I'm in awe of that line.
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