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 First edition cover | |
| Author | Douglass Wallop |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publisher | W. W. Norton & Co. |
Publication date | September 9, 1954[1] |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 250 |
The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant is a 1954 novel byDouglass Wallop. It adapts theFaust theme of adeal with the Devil to the world of Americanbaseball in the 1950s.
The novel'sprotagonist, mild-mannered, middle-aged Joe Boyd, is depicted as a lifelong fan of the haplessWashington Senators. As the novel begins, the Senators are losing ground in theAmerican League to their longtime nemesis, theNew York Yankees.
The discouraged Boyd runs into an unexpected offer from a fast-talkingconfidence man, who introduces himself as "Mr. Applegate." "Applegate" offers to transform Joe Boyd into Joe Hardy, a young baseballsuperstar, and facilitate his signing with the Senators' front office so that Hardy can help salvage the Senators' lost season. Boyd, suspicious, negotiates with "Applegate" and extracts a promise that the transformation will only be temporary and, after helping the Senators win a suitable number of games, Hardy will be able to re-transfer himself back to his Joe Boyd personality.
The transformation takes place, Hardy joins the Senators, and all begins to develop as "Applegate" had predicted. However, the new baseball superstar begins to realize that his deal with "Applegate" may not be so temporary and he may have let himself in for more than he had expected. As Hardy's doubts grow over his predicament, "Applegate" presents Hardy with love interest Lola, depicted as a glamoroustemptress in the style of the 1950s.
The novel was adapted into the 1955 musicalDamn Yankees. The musical's book was written byGeorge Abbott andDouglass Wallop; its music and lyrics were written byRichard Adler andJerry Ross. The musical starredRay Walston as Applegate,Stephen Douglass as Joe Hardy andGwen Verdon as Lola.
The 1958film adaptation featuredTab Hunter as Joe. Hunter was the sole actor who had not been in the stage play.
Ray Middleton played Joe inthe 1967 television film adaptation.
Anthony Boucher dismissed the novel as "just another Pact-with-the-Devil story, somewhat brightened by its Major League baseball setting."[2]
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