In February, 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt narrowly survived an assassination attempt in Miami, Florida, weeks away from his first inauguration. The Mayor of Chicago, Anton Cermak, was injured and later died. So begins this tale of bouncing back from adversity. In Chicago, there was a palpable need to do something grand to heal from this tragedy. Fortunately, the city was already planning a world’s fair to rival the one decades earlier. The new mayor asked the Chicago Tribune to formulate a spectacular sports events. Sports editor Arch Ward considered several sports but settled on baseball for the “Game of the Century.” Up until then, American League and National League teams only played each other once a year in the World Series. To get this off the ground, Ward had to navigate the fragile egos of the league presidents. The iconic baseball commissioner, Kennesaw Mountain Landis, was an easy sell however.
Ward went to work, publicizing the event nationwide and was rewarded with a mountain of votes. Fan votes were most important but the league presidents could have the final say. Ward had months to invent this event and bring it to reality. He took some heat for choosing Comiskey Park as the host stadium, but fielded this with the fact that it held more people. As the lineup took shape, Sullivan tells us the stories of each man on the field, as well as a few who should have made it. At first, Ward worried that the game would have to include Babe Ruth, but the Bambino knew that this was a natural for him. The author almost loses his objectivity when writing about the 37 year old Mega Star. The managers were John McGraw, the fearsome and unlikeable manager of the New York Giants, and Connie Mack, manager of the Philadelphia Athletics.
The game itself was a nail biter, starting off as a pitcher’s duel, and ending with a hard won 4-2 American League victory. This was supposed to be a one of a kind event, but obviously the game was held in perpetuity. Meantime, Sullivan deals up a generous slice of US history in the thirties as Roosevelt struggles to get America back on its feet. A great find for history buffs and baseball fans.
Reviewed by Terry Ballard
June 2, 2026
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