Van Lingle Mungo

Just as 1930s and 1940s Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants pitcher Van Lingle Mungo was surprised that Dave Frishberg wrote a song around his name back in 1969, so he might have been surprised to come across this book in the year 2014. Frishberg's song "Van Lingle Mungo" listed 37 ballplayers in the lyrics. A different version contained three different names. That's a total of 40, and all 40 are represented with biographies in this book.

Dave Frishberg himself has been a member of SABR (Society for American Baseball Research) since 1984. This book, largely comprised of biographies of all the players mentioned in the song, is the product of the hard work and dedication of 31 other SABR members.

SABR is the Society for American Baseball Research, a group of over 6,000 enthusiasts about the game of baseball whose research interests range from the game's history to statistical analysis, records, cultural impact, and more. The BioProject is a SABR effort to research, write, and publish biographies of every player--and every person--ever connected with organized baseball. Anyone with a love of baseball can join SABR and become a part of these efforts.

Included in the book Van Lingle Mungo are

The Songwriter

Dave Frishberg by Stew Thornley

THE PLAYERS

Hank "Heeney" Majeski by Mark Hodermarsky

Johnny Gee by Armand Peterson

Eddie Joost by Bill Nowlin

Johnny Pesky by Bill Nowlin

Thornton Lee by Gregory Wolf

Danny Gardella by Charles Weatherby

Van Lingle Mungo by Alan Cohen

Whitey Kurowski by Rick Swaine

Max Lanier by Gregory Wolf

Eddie Waitkus by C. Paul Rogers

Johnny Vander Meer by James W. Johnson

Bob Estalella by Joanne Hulbert

Augie Bergamo by Gregory Wolf

Sigmund Jakucki by Gregory Wolf

Johnny Mize by Jerry Grillo

Barney McCosky by Jim Sargent

Hal Trosky by Bill Johnson

Augie Galan by Greg King

Pinky May by Alan Cohen

Stan Hack by Eric Hanauer

Frenchy Bordagaray by Norm King

Phil Cavaretta by Larry Baldassaro

George McQuinn by C. Paul Rogers

Howie Pollet by Warren Corbett

Early Wynn by David Fleitz

Art Passarella by Rob Edelman

John Antonelli by Jim Sweetman

Ferris Fain by Gregory Wolf

Frankie Crosetti by Tara Krieger

Johnny Sain by Jan Finkel

Harry Brecheen by Gregory Wolf

Lou Boudreau by Ralph Berger

Frankie Gustine by Gregory Wolf

Claude Passeau by Gregory Wolf

Eddie Basinski by Dave Eskenazi, Steve Rudman, and Mark Armour

Ernie Lombardi by Joe Wancho

Hughey Mulcahy by C. Paul Rogers

THE ADDITIONAL PLAYERS

Roy Campanella by Rick Swaine

Johnny Kucks by Alan Cohen

Virgil Trucks by Gregory Wolf

as well as the full lyrics to the song, how it was recorded, and other tidbits of interest.