When the Giants Were Giants: Bill Terry and the Golden Age of New York Baseball

This is the story of a forgotten Giant–the man Baseball Magazine called in 1930 “baseball’s greatest first baseman”–Bill Terry. Brought up from proverty and the obscurity of semipro ball in the South by the famed “Little Napoleon,” manager John McGraw of the Giants, Terry developed into the team’s key player in the 1920s. As America battled the Depression, the no-nonsense Terry replaced McGraw as manager of the Giants and led the team to three pennants and a world championship. In When the Giants Were Giants, author Peter Williams looks at the end of an era–a time before television, night baseball, player strikes, or free agents–through the lense of this Hall-of-Famer’s career as a player and coach. Exclusive interviews with Bill Terry and other players bring to life the rich and color tapestry of Golden Age baseball when the big New York baseball teams were the biggest names in sports.