THE AUTHOR’S SON, Gordon J. Kahn, A.I.A., of Somers, New York, was kind enough to check certain details pertaining to the Flavian Amphitheater, the Coliseum, in libraries of architecture. My old Herald Tribune colleague Harold Rosenthal was particularly generous with his memories, as were many old traveling companions, including Dr. Robert “Bobby” Brown, Stan Musial, Harold “Pee Wee” Reese, and Edwin “Duke” Snider.
Mark Balk provided tireless research assistance, as did Susan Kilgour. Barbara G. Flanagan copyedited the manuscript with great care. Karen Sevell Greenbaum punched it into her word processor. Neil Reshen and Dawn Reshen-Doty, of Benay Enterprises, run the business side of my writing life and they performed difficult work skillfully.
One reads today, with some justification, about changes in publishing, the ascendancy of the M.B.A., and the decline of the editor and editing. This is something close to my twentieth book and I have never been privileged to have more careful, tasteful, and even loving editing than that which John Herman of Ticknor & Fields offered to The Era.
My thanks to the following for generous help: Marty Adler; Mel Allen; Emil J. “Buzzie” Bavasi; Yogi Berra; Mildred (Mrs. Bill) Bevens; Ralph Branca; Andrew Bullen, Center for Research Libraries, Chicago; Roy Campanella; Mary Carey, New- York Historical Society Library; Jerry Coleman; Bill Deane, National Baseball Hall of Fame Library; Don Drysdale; Dennis Falcone, WCBS-FM; Edward Falcone, Field Library, Peekskill, N.Y.; Charles S. “Chub” Feeney; David Fischer, Time-Life Library; Edward E. Fitzgerald; Joe Garagiola; Albert Gion-friddo; William J. Guilfoile, National Baseball Hall of Fame; Tommy Henrich; Gene Hermanski; Clem Labine; Al Lightner, Salem, Oregon; Carroll “Whitey” Lockman; Lee MacPhail; Terry Moore; Donald Mueller; Arthur “Red” Patterson; Mark Reese; Arthur Richman; Phil Rizzuto; Emily Rose, Putnam Valley, New York, Library; Albert “Flip” Rosen; Faigi Rosenthal, chief librarian, New York Daily News; Steve Saks, New York Public Library; Mike Shannon; George Shuba; Lisa Siclare, SUNY, Purchase; Charlie Silvera; May Stone, New-York Historical Society Library; Robert “Bobby” Thomson; Mariam Touba, New- York Historical Society Library; Gary Van Allen, National Baseball Hall of Fame; Peter Wessley, Field Library; Wesley Westrum; Sal Yvars; and Vic Ziegel.