The New York Times Book Review pans Ring Lardner’s baseball novel You Know Me Al, recently published by George H. Doran Company at $1.25. The reviewer says “the author was for some time sporting writer on a Chicago newspaper, and so may be supposed to know his subject thoroughly, but for the honor of the ‘national game’ we trust that his ‘busher’ is not typical of the majority of its players […] As it contains many accounts of baseball games strung together on the thinnest possible thread of plot, it may please the ‘fans.'” Notwithstanding the poor review, the novel will be recognized in time as a classic.

On July 30, 1916 — The New York Times Book Review pans Ring Lardner’s baseball novel You Know Me Al, recently published by George H. Doran Company at $1.25. The reviewer says “the author was for some time sporting writer on a Chicago newspaper, and so may be supposed to know his subject thoroughly, but for the honor of the ‘national game’ we trust that his ‘busher’ is not typical of the majority of its players […] As it contains many accounts of baseball games strung together on the thinnest possible thread of plot, it may please the ‘fans.'” Notwithstanding the poor review, the novel will be recognized in time as a classic.

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Sources:
Baseball Reference July 30
National Pastime July 30
Retro Sheet
Hall of Fame
SABR Games Project
Replay The Game