Silver Seasons: The Story of the Rochester Red Wings

Silver Seasons: The Story of the Rochester Red Wings
Jim Mandelaro, Scott Pitoniak

The dawn of spring brings with it certain familiarities that arouse our senses and revitalize our hopes after a long harsh winter. With the first glimpse of warmer weather flowers begin to blossom, the singing of birds once again fills the air and the smell of fresh cut grass reminds us that the joy and excitement of summer is just around the corner. There is another spring-certainty that millions of Americans look forward to as the bitterness of winter fades from memory; baseball's opening day.

For nearly two hundred years baseball has been played in Rochester, NY. Some of the earliest documentation of the sport traces the roots of the game to the sandlots and meadows of the Genesee River. In the game's early years it was denounced by the church and forbidden on the Sabbath. But the game endured, and some of the greatest players in the history of the sport have stepped up to the plate in the Flour City.

Silver Seasons is a walk through the history of baseball in Rochester. More specifically it is the story of how the Rochester Red Wings, one of the oldest franchises in the history of the sport, came to prominence. It traces the team's roots from the invention of the game, through the end of their playing days at 500 Norton Street. From Babe Ruth to Cal Ripken Jr., Jackie Robinson to Stan Musial; the book is packed with fascinating stories of the game's top players and the great games they played at Red Wing/Silver Stadium.

Jim Mandelaro and Scott Pitoniak have done a great service for generations of Rochester baseball fans to come. Silver Seasons is full of wonderful stories of seasons past, and contains a rich sense of tradition and history; not only concerning baseball, but the city of Rochester and America as well. Anyone who reads this book will come to appreciate the historic significance of the game of baseball, and the role that the city of Rochester has played throughout the history of the sport. You will also be reminded of what made you fall in love with the game of baseball in the first place; its tradition.


If you like baseball--you'll like this book.   April 1, 1997
 1 out of 1 found this review helpful

SILVER SEASONS: THE STORY OF THE ROCHESTER RED WINGS is a book for everyone who likes baseball. People don't know this, but but baseball actually originated in Rochester, New York, and the city has given us lots of first-rate players, such as Cal Ripkin, Jr., Stan Musial, Bob Gibson, Jim Palmer... The authors obviously love this sport, and they tell us all about it. You learn about the history of the game, its connection to Rochester, and you learn all about the personalities of the players and managers of this minor-league baseball team. Read it if you love baseball.