Sport in American History Reviews Chicago Cubs Book

CHICAGO - EntSun -- The Sport in American History website, on which sport scholars critically engage current and historical issues in sport, on July 24, 2021, published a review by Bob D'Angelo of the book The Forgotten 1970 Chicago Cubs: Go and Glow. The author of the book is William S. Bike, and the publisher is The History Press.

D'Angelo was a sports journalist and editor for more than three decades and is currently a digital national content editor for Cox Media Group.

In his review, D'Angelo notes that in 1970, "the Cubs had the personnel" to win, including "the free-spirited Joe Pepitone." He quotes Bike as writing, "Acquiring Pepitone was just about the last move anyone expected from conservative Cub management."

The review examines the Cub collapse of 1969, and D'Angelo asked, "If a total collapse happened in 1969, what was to prevent that from happening in 1970?" He quotes Bike as writing, "A Cub collapse became an expectation."

D'Angelo notes that Bike "devotes a chapter to a 'What if' scenario, using simulations on WhatIfSports.com." Bike's simulation had the Cubs winning the 1970 National League Championship Series; D'Angelo actually ran his own WhatIfSports.com 1970 NLCS; in his version, the Cubs would have lost in five games.

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The reviewer noted how Bike explored the talent the Cubs allowed to leave the organization, quoting Bike as writing, "so many players…would go on to have stellar seasons or great careers for other teams." "That includes Larry Gura, Ted Abernathy, Dick Selma, Joe Decker, and Oscar Gamble, to name a few," D'Angelo writes.

"Bike's research is thorough and extensive, as he uses books, magazines, and newspapers as sources," D'Angelo wrote. "He also conducted three interviews and plumbed the internet for online sourcing." D'Angelo also called the book "long on detail, research, and anecdotes.

To read D'Angelo's interview for Sport in American History, log on to https://ussporthistory.com/2021/07/24/review-of-the-forgotten-1970-chicago-cubs/. For more on the book The Forgotten 1970 Chicago Cubs: Go and Glow, log on to www.1970chicagocubs.com.