Death Row All Stars

September 1, 2014
In the course of spurring western expansion in the early twentieth century, the railroad brought baseball to a new audience, creating a fresh outlet for entertainment, civic pride, and gambling. The Death Row All-Stars, organized by an enterprising warden who wanted both to rehabilitate prisoners and cash in on gambling windfalls, represented the Wyoming State Penitentiary during the baseball summer of 1911. Their lineup featured a motley band of felons, some serving time for assault and thievery, and some awaiting the hangman's noose. Although they only played four games, the All-Stars caused quite a stir with their baseball prowess against other local teams. Using historical records, newspaper articles, and personal journals, the authors piece together a dramatic account of the All-Stars' brief run, replete with political backstabbing, prisoner escapes, and, of course, baseball. Illustrated throughout, the book contains many archival photographs and mug shots of the players. The Death Row All-Stars has been optioned for the movies, which may attract additional attention to an unusual story.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)