{"id":6369,"date":"2017-01-11T14:04:00","date_gmt":"2017-01-11T20:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.baseballroundtable.com\/?p=6369"},"modified":"2017-01-11T14:04:00","modified_gmt":"2017-01-11T20:04:00","slug":"book-review-seinsoth-the-rough-and-tumble-life-of-a-dodger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/book-review-seinsoth-the-rough-and-tumble-life-of-a-dodger\/","title":{"rendered":"Book Review … Seinsoth – The Rough and Tumble Life of a Dodger"},"content":{"rendered":"

Steven Wagner\u2019s very personal telling of Bill Seinsoth\u2019s story of triumph and tragedy will leave you wondering what might have been<\/em> and wishing you had enjoyed the pleasure of crossing paths with Seinsoth \u2013 the ballplayer and the young man. You\u2019ll also likely be convinced \u2013 as I was \u2013 that Bill Seinsoth packed a lot of life into his 22 years.\u00a0 An inspiring tale, well told.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n
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\u00a0<\/em>Adversity \u2013 Triumph \u2013 Tragedy.<\/strong> That is the all-too-short life story of Bill Seinsoth, well- told in Steven K. Wagner\u2019s book \u201cBill Seinsoth \u2013 The Rough and Tumble Life of a Dodger.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/em>William Robert Seinsoth was born (Los Angeles, California; April 7, 1947) to be a baseball player. \u00a0His father William Welty Seinsoth was a left-handed pitcher who spent 13 seasons in the minor leagues (and earned a brief call up to the American League St. Louis Browns). Bill Seinsoth (son) carried on the family tradition as a hard-throwing, hard-hitting left-handed pitcher and first baseman. Like so many youngsters of his era, young Bill longed to be a major leaguer. He spent most of his life scorching a path toward that goal – starring on every team at every level he ever played in.\u00a0 Seinsoth, in fact, had the brass ring of major league stardom on the edge of his fingertips when he lost his life \u2013 at just 22 years of age \u2013 in a tragic automobile accident. Along the way, Bill Seinsoth overcame obstacle and injury. Steven Wagner has chosen to share Bill Seinsoth\u2019s story with readers.\u00a0 It is a story of courage, good nature and triumph in the face of adversity, of consistent excellence on the ball field and, in the end, of unexpected tragedy.<\/p>\n
Wagner tells Seinsoth\u2019s remarkable story not just in his own (Wagner\u2019s) words and well-researched statistics, but also in the words of Bill Seinsoth himself, as well as those of his family, friends, coaches and teammates.\u00a0 In the book, we hear from: Seinsoth\u2019s family and friends; his high school and college coaches; professional scouts and managers; teammates that went on to the major leagues like Bill \u201cSpaceman\u201d Lee, Bob Boone, Ron Cey, Tom House (and more). There are even cameo appearances in Seinsoth\u2019s life by the likes of Tommy Lasorda and O.J. Simpson. It\u2019s a very personal tale and Wagner will leave you wondering what might have been<\/em> and wishing you had enjoyed the pleasure of crossing paths with Bill Seinsoth. \u00a0You are also likely be convinced \u2013 as I was \u2013 that Bill Seinsoth packed a lot of life into his 22 years.<\/p>\n
There is no doubt that adversity had a way of finding Bill Seinsoth.\u00a0 Here are just a few examples of the trials he faced: beleaguered by parents who believed he was just too talented a player and pressured the Seinsoth family to pull him out of Little League and Babe Ruth League baseball; slashed twice (high school and college) by knife-wielding assailants; had his nose broken three times in one year (baseball and surfing); suffered a broken wrist and severe eye injury when hit by pitches in college; and, the ultimate tragedy, \u00a0lost his life at age 22 in an automobile accident while driving home following his first season in the minor leagues.<\/p>\n
Through all of this he persevered and triumphed \u2013 California Interscholastic League (high school) Player of the Year; College World Series Most Outstanding Player award and All American recognition; Alaska Goldpanners (collegiate summer league) MVP; first-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers.\u00a0 But I\u2019m getting ahead of myself.\u00a0 \u00a0You\u2019ll need to read the book to get the full details, but here are a few highlights.<\/p>\n
\u201cBill was not just a great baseball player, but a complete person who faced adversity and hardship \u2013 and there was much of it \u2013 with grace, dignity and a broad smile.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
Tommy Hutton \u2013 Twelve-season major league 1B\/OF, long-time baseball broadcaster and Bill Seinsoth\u2019s cousin. \u00a0<\/span>From Bill Seinsoth \u2013 the Rough and Tumble Life of a Dodger. <\/em><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
$\"seinsothll\"$ <\/a>Wagner takes us through Seinsoth\u2019s Little League years, where he was far and away the best player on the field.\u00a0 In fact, his dominance was so clear that a number of parents demanded the eleven-year-old (nicknamed \u201cNo-Hit Seinsoth\u201d) be pulled from the League). The animosity grew to such a level (the family’s mail box was blown up four times) that Seinsoth did leave Little League early, a scenario that was repeated at the Babe Ruth League level.<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember one occasion when the opposing team just flat out asked him not to pitch. They were terrified of batting against him.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
Chris Arnold, six-season major league infielder and Little League teammate of Bill Seinsoth.\u00a0<\/span>From Bill Seinsoth \u2013 The Rough and Tumble Life of a Dodger.<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
We also get a look at Seinsoth\u2019s high school career \u2013 where he was a standout at both baseball and basketball at Arcadia High.\u00a0 In 1965, he led his basketball team in scoring and the baseball squad to a California Interscholastic Federation title.\u00a0 That season, Seinsoth went 15-1, with a 0.72 ERA on the mound (145 strikeouts in 116 1\/3 innings pitched) and hit .390. In the playoffs, he logged five complete-game victories.\u00a0 Seinsoth was named CIF Player of the Year \u2013 a portent of many recognitions to come.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was the best I ever coached. He was dominating, intimidating. He was a man playing with boys.\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n
\u00a0Lani Exton, Bill Seinsoth\u2019s high school baseball coach. \u00a0<\/span>From Bill Seinsoth \u2013 the Rough and Tumble Life of a Dodger.<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
$\"seinsothadult\"$ <\/a>From high school, it was on to college at the University of Southern California (1966-69), where he played under legendary coach Rod Dedeaux (eleven national titles and 28 conference championships, six-time College Coach of the Year and Collegiate Baseball Magazine Coach of the Century). Seinsoth had a brilliant run at USC \u2013 where he played with such future major leaguers as Bill \u201cSpaceman\u201d Lee, Tom House, Jim Barr and Brent Strom. At USC, Seinsoth was selected as the Most Outstanding Player of the 1968 College World Series, earned All American recognition and was named the USC team captain. \u00a0Seinsoth showed the depth of his toughness in the face of adversity in 1969. Early in the season, after crushing a single and a home run in the first game of a doubleheader against Oregon State, Seinsoth took a fastball to the head (above the right eye) in his first at bat of the second game. The blow knocked him unconscious. Rushed to the hospital, he had fifteen stitches to close the wound over his right eye and suffered a blood clot behind the eye that resulted in double vision. He missed just five days (two games) on his way to a .368-14-52 season.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe (Bill Seinsoth) knew he was good, but he never let you know that he knew he was good. He had that confidence, he was ‘The Natural<\/em>.’ There wasn\u2019t anything he didn\u2019t do well.”<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n
Jerry Merz, Bill Seinsoth\u2019s freshman baseball coach at USC. \u00a0<\/span>From Bill Seinsoth \u2013 The Rough and Tumble Life of a Dodger.<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
While in college, Seinsoth also played for the Alaska Goldpanners of the Alaska Baseball League \u2013 among the premier collegiate summer baseball leagues.\u00a0 His teammates included such future major leaguers as Dave Kingman, Bob Boone, Jim Nettles, Bill Lee, Brent Strom and Tom House.\u00a0 How did Seinsoth do in this competitive league? \u00a0In 1967, he was the Goldpanners’ MVP.\u00a0 In three seasons (149 games) with the Goldpanners, Seinsoth hit .341, with 23 home runs and 122 RBI<\/p>\n
Baseball was a family passion.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
Bill (William Robert) Seinsoth came by his baseball prowess naturally.\u00a0 His father \u2013 William Welty Seinsoth – was a switch-hitting, left-handed pitcher who logged 156 victories (130 losses) and a 3.22 ERA in 13 minor league seasons. He also hit .254 with a 31 home runs during his minor league career.\u00a0\u00a0 His best year was 1942, when he went 24-10, with a 2.79 ERA for the Class A New Orleans Pelicans, while also hitting .248 with two home runs. In 1944, Seinsoth was briefly called up to the American League Saint Louis Browns, but did not get into a game.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
After college, Seinsoth was \u2013 for the fifth time \u2013 selected in the MLB Draft.\u00a0 (Between 1965 and 1969 he was drafted by the Astros, Orioles, Dodger and Senators.) \u00a0When the Dodgers made him the eighth overall (first-round) pick in 1969, Seinfoth \u2013 born to be a ballplayer and, apparently, also born to be a Dodger \u2013 signed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t think of any shortcomings (Bill Seinsoth) had. He was a good ballplayer. He had power, he could do everything.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
Tommy Lasorda, former manager, Los Angeles Dodgers. From Bill Seinsoth \u2013 The Rough and Tumble Life of a Dodger.<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
He spent his first (and only) minor league season with the Dodgers’ Bakersfield farm club, where his teammates included Ron Cey, Tom Paciorek and Steve Yeager. \u00a0\u00a0In that season, Seinsoth showed his power potential, hitting.276, with 10 home runs and 37 RBI in 80 games. He was on his way.<\/p>\n
Then tragedy struck.\u00a0 Driving home after his final game of the 1969 minor league season, Seinsoth was killed in a single-car accident along a dangerous stretch of Interstate 15 in the Mojave Desert. \u00a0(Note: Seinsoth\u2019s Bakersfield teammate Ron Cey, who went on to stardom with the Dodgers, was slated to make the trip with Seinsoth, but had to cancel.)<\/em><\/p>\n
His ball playing prowess is reflected in his statistic and awards, but Bill Seinsoth\u2019s status as a person may be better reflected in the recognitions that came after his death: establishment of the Bill Seinsoth Memorial Baseball Scholarship Fund and the Bill Seinsoth Award (for highest batting average each season) at USC; the Bill Seinsoth Memorial Award at Arcadia High School; The Alaska Goldpanners\u2019 Bill Seinsoth Night and Bill Seinsoth Memorial Game in 1970.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne thing you know more than anyone is how much better the world is because your son passed this way.\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n
Ronald Reagan, then Governor of California, in a letter to the Seinsoth family. \u00a0From Bill Seinsoth \u2013 The Rough and Tumble Life of a Dodger.<\/em><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
___________________________<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
BBRT Talks to Author Steven K. Wagner<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
What prompted you to write Seinsoth’s story?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
I grew up in Arcadia, California, and everyone knew of Bill Seinsoth. In fact, he and I were on the same Little League team, the 7-Uppers, although five years apart. So, I never knew him personally. He was a god to us Little Leaguers, and we all expected him to play for the Dodgers someday. When he died his death hit everyone in Arcadia and indeed Southern California hard. In the early 1990s, I wrote a story on him for the Los Angeles Times<\/em>, and that got the ball rolling. The feedback was good and the notion to someday write a book stuck with me.<\/span><\/p>\n
What most impressed you about Seinsoth as a ballplayer and a person?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
Everyone liked Bill Seinsoth.\u00a0 Through dozens of interviews, I never found one person who disliked him. He had intensity for baseball that players found contagious, and everyone respected him. One USC Trojan put it succinctly: You wanted to play well so that Bill Seinsoth thought you were good.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n
He was friendly, likable, charismatic, athletically gifted and, as the late owner of the Alaska Goldpanners once said, would give you the shirt off his back. He also would destroy your team with the bat if he got the chance. There was nothing not to like about Bill Seinsoth, and that he never had the chance to reach his full potential is a tragedy. That he was around to share his capabilities and his persona for 22 years is a blessing.<\/span><\/p>\n
Other books by Steven K. Wagner: Perfect: The Rise and Fall of John Paciorek, Baseball’s Greatest One Game Wonder<\/em>.<\/strong> (Reviewed here.<\/a>)<\/span><\/p>\n
About Steven K. Wagner<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
Steven K. Wagner has worked as a freelance journalist since 1989. He began his career with the Monmouth Sun-Enterprise in Oregon and worked for the Oregon City Enterprise-Courier and Portland Daily Journal of Commerce before joining United Press International. He has also worked for the Portland Oregonian and has freelanced extensively for the Los Angeles Times, Oklahoma City Oklahoman, Seattle Times, Baseball America and numerous other newspaper and magazines. He is also a lifelong fan of the national pastime.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT<\/h3>\n
Follow me there for new post notifications.<\/strong><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Member: Society for American Baseball Research (SABR); The Baseball Reliquary; Baseball Bloggers Alliance.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u00a0Seinsoth \u2026 The Rough and Tumble Life of a Dodger By Steven K. Wagner $29.95 Sunbury Press, Mechanicsburg, PA; November 2016 Available at: \u00a0Sunbury Press, Amazon.com and bookstores. Steven Wagner\u2019s very personal telling of Bill Seinsoth\u2019s story of triumph and tragedy will leave you wondering what might have been and wishing you had enjoyed the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n