The true life story of one of early twentieth century's baseball legends—a Most Valuable Player and Hall of Famer who was as difficult as he was talented. A relentless competitor, Rogers Hornsby—arguably the finest right-handed hitter in baseball's history—was supremely successful on the baseball field but, in many ways, a failure off it. In this biography, Charles Alexander turns his skilled eye to this complex individual, weaving the stories of his personal and professional life with a lively history of the sport. "Destined to occupy prominent shelf space in baseball's essential library." — The Sporting News "The author delves into Hornsby's professional and personal life: his relationship with managers Miller Huggins, Branch Rickey and John McGraw; his scandalous affair and subsequent 20-year marriage to a 'flapper'; his personal prohibition on drinking and smoking; his reluctance to watch movies because they might impinge on his eyesight; and his obsession with horse racing-although he never learned to read a racing form. Alexander reviews Hornsby's successful tenure as player-manager of the Cardinals; his subsequent stints with the Giants, Braves, Cubs and Browns; and his career as manager and coach." — Publishers Weekly