Pudge: The Biography of Carlton Fisk

Carlton Fisk's homerun in the 12th inning of game six in the 1975 World Series is indelibly etched in the memories of all baseball fans, even those who weren't alive to experience it. Wilson (Brooks: The Biography of Brooks Robinson) provides extensive background research about this prominent player who, upon retirement, had caught more games and hit more home runs at the catcher position than any player before him. Raised in New Hampshire by a loving but demanding family, Fisk (b. 1947) was instilled with a humble work ethic that served him well over his 20-plus years as a professional athlete. Hard playing and reflective, Fisk was also at the fore of baseball's labor movement and was a major supporter of Marvin Miller and the Major League Baseball Players Association. Witnessing the inequality inherent in the system was a factor for leaving his beloved Boston Red Sox for the Chicago White Sox in 1981. The one weakness of the book is that Wilson draws entirely upon old articles and secondary interviews to write about a living player. Of course, this isn't the author's fault as Fisk has been reluctant to document his life.