Big Hair and Plastic Grass, Dan Epstein
Big Hair and Plastic Grass, Dan Epstein
List: $22.95 | Sale: $16.07
Club: $11.47

Big Hair and Plastic Grass
A Funky Ride through Baseball and America in the Swinging ’70s

Author: Dan Epstein

Narrator: Dan Epstein

Unabridged: 12 hr 54 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 06/25/2019

Synopsis

The Bronx Is Burning meets Chuck Klosterman in this wild pop-culture history of baseball’s most colorful and controversial decade.The Major Leagues witnessed more dramatic stories and changes in the ‘70s than in any other era. The American popular culture and counterculture collided head-on with the national pastime, rocking the once-conservative sport to its very foundations.Outspoken players embraced free agency, openly advocated drug use, and even swapped wives. Controversial owners such as Charlie Finley, Bill Veeck, and Ted Turner introduced Astroturf, prime-time World Series, garish polyester uniforms, and outlandish promotions such as Disco Demolition Night. Hank Aaron and Lou Brock set new heights in power and speed, Reggie Jackson and Carlton Fisk emerged as October heroes, and All-Star characters like Mark “The Bird” Fidrych became pop icons.For the millions of fans who grew up during this time and especially those who cared just as much about Oscar Gamble’s afro as they did about his average, Big Hair and Plastic Grass serves up a delicious, Technicolor trip down memory lane.

About Dan Epstein

Dan Epstein has written for Rolling Stone, MOJO, the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Time Out, and dozens of other print and online outlets. He has worked as a producer at VH-1, an editor at Revolver magazine, and is also the author of Stars and Strikes: Baseball and America in the Bicentennial Summer of ’76.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Noah

This book reads like Epstein's research notes. Rather than do the author's task of finding an interesting STORY to tell and being selective about what he includes, he just dumps everything he can find in a big pile for you in chronological order. He doesn't identify a lot of themes, he doesn't focus......more

Goodreads review by bamlinden

I discovered this book at the same time I discovered author Dan Epstein. Journalist, pop-culture historian and baseball fan, his style and enjoyment of both the game of baseball and the characters who play it are evident in his Twitter feed. I saw this title at the library, took one look at the stun......more

Goodreads review by Tad

Of all of Dan Epstein's credits listed on the dustjacket, the most apt one for this book is that he's penned liner notes for a several bands. This book is a relentless bunch of liner notes thrown together as a book. I wound up just skimming it looking for the fun anecdotes and skipping all of the hi......more

Goodreads review by Quinn

Good book that details a fun decade in baseball where a lot of wacky weird stuff happened. Easily the best tidbit from the book was that MC Hammer was a bat boy for the Oakland A's in the '70s and got the name Hammer because he had a resemblance to Hank Aaron.......more

Quotes

“There is a trove of nuggets many of us either never knew— or forgot…Savor the good parts, which are plentiful.” New York Times

“The ’70s were a colorful, druggy time in baseball, as well as everywhere else, but this history makes the decade particularly vivid…Enormously entertaining.” A. V. Club

“[A] loving look at a long-gone era.” Kirkus Reviews

“Epstein is a thorough researcher, a devoted fan of the game, and an entertaining writer.” Publishers Weekly

Add to Cart
Add to Wish List