Detroit Tigers Gone Wild: Mischief, Crimes and Hard Time by George Hunter

Abstract

196 The Michigan Historical Review other problems plaguing Flint and its residents—particularly Black citizens—among which were systematic racism and the lack of nutritionally rich diets for the poor. (13, 18) Indeed, this last aspect further compounded the treatment of affected people as the magnitude of lead poisoning experienced was directly affected by the lack of access to quality food. Interestingly, Hanna-Attisha extends these observations not to just Flint, but throughout the rest of the United States and calls for action to fix the problem. Third, above all, Hanna-Attisha emphasizes that there is hope. (14, 25) This emphasis, given the bleakness of the topic, is surprising yet convincing. Indeed, the author, with her medical experience and authority, asserts in the closing that “the most important medication that I can prescribe is hope.” (325) This reviewer only has one minor critique. What the Eyes Don’t See is not a historical monograph. There is no methodology, no situation of its place in the literature, and most strikingly, written from a first-person point of view. This is not to say that the work does not have merit. Indeed, the monograph has great merit but in perhaps, a less traditional historical setting. Hanna-Attisha’s book should be used as a primary source for future scholars looking to write a more analytical history of Flint and the Flint water crisis. The insights and personal anecdotes that Hanna-Attisha shares as witness to the crisis, instead of as a writer/scholar of the crisis, will be incredibly valuable to future studies of Flint. Thus, What the Eyes Don’t See, while very much not history—but then again, that is not the book’s goal—should be of interest to anyone interested in Michigan history, the Flint water crisis, or even in a broader sense environmental and racial activism. David F. Banas Jr. Central Michigan University George Hunter. Detroit Tigers Gone Wild: Mischief, Crimes and Hard Time. Cheltenham, UK: The History Press, 2020. Pp. 128. Images. Paper: $21.99. George Hunter, the author of the new book, Detroit Tigers Gone Wild: Mischief, Crimes and Hard Time, is the perfect pairing with his subject. Hunter grew up in the Motor City’s Cass Corridor, when the neighborhood was a notorious den of pimps, prostitutes, and pushers. Three of his siblings were members of Detroit’s Finest. And, for over two decades, Hunter was a crime writer for the Detroit News. With such a métier, Book Reviews 197 it is only natural that he should write a book that is part Detroit baseball history, part crime reporting, and totally engrossing. Hunter deftly delves into the darker criminal elements of Tigers lore, arguing that bad actors and thuggish behavior have been around since the team’s inception in the late 1800s and on into today. And it wasn’t just the players. Club owners, as well as fans, were often guilty of less than gentlemanly behavior. Many of the scoundrels and their stories will be familiar to seasoned Tiger fans, but there are plenty of obscure names throughout the book whose activities are no less felonious. Hunter’s newspaper background allows him to describe the scandalous tales with the economy and straightforwardness of a seasoned reporter. Much of what Hunter describes in the book belies the game’s reputation as wholesome Americana. The pages are peppered with unsavory stories. Of course, there is Ty Cobb, who, among his other transgressions, once assaulted a fan in the stands. There is Denny McLain, the former thirty-one-game winner whose high crimes and misdemeanors (along with a bad right arm) drove him from the sport and eventually landed him in prison. Slick-fielding (but criminally inept) second baseman Jerry Priddy was arrested for a bungled attempt to blow up a cruise ship unless he received a sizeable ransom. He was convicted and sent to prison for nine months (he only served four and a half). Relief pitcher Ugueth Urbina’s career ended when he was convicted in his native Venezuela for trying to slash several men with a machete and set them on fire (he thought they had tried to kidnap his mother). Urbina...