OT: Brad Park Book

[Turk 16]

Was in Barnes & Noble yesterday and came across Straight Shooter: The Brad Park Story.

http://www.amazon.com/Straight-Shoo...UTF8&qid=1373207860&sr=8-1&keywords=brad+park

Apparently published last fall, still out only in HC. I'd never heard of it. Wondering if anyone has read it? I skimmed through it and there was quite a lot on the late 70s Bruins, quotes from Cherry, Wayne Cashman and others.

Definitely going on my to-get list. Will always have a soft spot for Park and the Lunch Pail AC.

Click to read more...

 

[Tim O'Reilly]

I bought it and its a good read about a great player and Bruin. Gives good insight into hockey in the 70's, the '72 series with the Russians, life with the Rangers & Bruins too. Worth it for any Bruin fan. If you lived through the Park era in Boston, its not hard to link what his memories are to what we saw on TV. Great family man too that put his family first. Not because his wife wanted to live in a sunny place (hello Horton!) but because it was the right thing to do. Great book Brad!

 

[Serge]

I have not read the new one but I remember reading his auto-bio, co-authored with Stan Fischler called Play the Man. It came out in 1972 and before the was traded to Boston and he apparently *hated* the Bruins. I imagine that his views are more restrained in the new book. LOL!

Here is the link to the old book:
http://www.amazon.com/Play-Man-Brad...2650&sr=1-1&keywords="brad+park"+play+the+man

 

[BNHL]

I ran into him at BC a few years ago and asked him about being traded to Boston and he said it was the best thing that ever happened to him. A healthy Park would have been up there with Potvin and Bourque and Lidstrom as number 2 alltime.

 

[GordonHowe]

I have not read the new one but I remember reading his auto-bio, co-authored with Stan Fischler called Play the Man. It came out in 1972 and before the was traded to Boston and he apparently *hated* the Bruins. I imagine that his views are more restrained in the new book. LOL!

Here is the link to the old book:
http://www.amazon.com/Play-Man-Brad...2650&sr=1-1&keywords="brad+park"+play+the+man

Poor Parkie. He would have been the best defenseman in the league except for the greatest player on the planet.

In the event, he certainly switched his allegiance swiftly. BTW, Read Derek's recently published "Crossing The Line" using the BPL's electronic book feature. A great read. Knowing his story, I expected that perhaps how he was raised might have precipitated his later difficulties. Not so. His Dad seems to have been an amazing father with a ton of common sense. The book is worth reading just for that.

 

[DOGSTARMAN]

I really reminds you how fortunate we are in Boston to have had a succession of defensemen that went Orr > Park > Bourque > Chara, with the only real gap being between Bourque and Chara. That's quite a group.

 

[Serge]

Poor Parkie. He would have been the best defenseman in the league except for the greatest player on the planet.

In the event, he certainly switched his allegiance swiftly. BTW, Read Derek's recently published "Crossing The Line" using the BPL's electronic book feature. A great read. Knowing his story, I expected that perhaps how he was raised might have precipitated his later difficulties. Not so. His Dad seems to have been an amazing father with a ton of common sense. The book is worth reading just for that.

I remember that he quickly became a Bruin and grew enamored with the city. I would read the new book just to get his take on the trade, Grapes, and his time as a member of the Lunch Pail Gang. His views on playing with Orr for that brief period would also be a good read.

Call me an old timer but I prefer holding a book and ear marking the pages. I'll pick up a copy from B&N.

 

[GordonHowe]

I remember that he quickly became a Bruin and grew enamored with the city. I would read the new book just to get his take on the trade, Grapes, and his time as a member of the Lunch Pail Gang. His views on playing with Orr for that brief period would also be a good read.

Call me an old timer but I prefer holding a book and ear marking the pages. I'll pick up a copy from B&N.

I don't have the coin to buy books these days. Would have preferred the actual book but for some reason the digital version was the only "copy" available.

I'm an old-timer myself. The romance with the B's began with that 1970 team. Hating Les Habitants began in earnest with Dryden's '71 heist.

 

[BobbyAwe]

I ran into him at BC a few years ago and asked him about being traded to Boston and he said it was the best thing that ever happened to him. A healthy Park would have been up there with Potvin and Bourque and Lidstrom as number 2 alltime.

Got a pretty meaningless question, but, seeing as how you met him...

Park was always listed at 6'0 but in every team pic i've seen him in, standing next to many players whose height i'm reasonably certain of, he looks a LOT shorter...like maybe 5'9. What did he look like to you?

 

[mikelvl]

I read the book last year, along with the Sanderson book, very good read for one of my favorite Bruins growing up. I was alive but too young to appreciate Bobby and the 70,72 teams. I'll never forget his Game 7 winner against Buffalo (also an all time great Fed Cusick moment on the call). Brad to me was the master of the one timer from the right point. Seemed like he always got it on net with power and accuracy. Great perspective on Eagleson screwing the players of that era and the animosity that still exists because of it. Great family man too. The only jaw dropper( as compared to Sandersons book that had one right after the other) was that he married his cousin, but, hey, she was a stewardess

 

[BostonBob]

I have not read the new one but I remember reading his auto-bio, co-authored with Stan Fischler called Play the Man. It came out in 1972 and before the was traded to Boston and he apparently *hated* the Bruins. I imagine that his views are more restrained in the new book. LOL!

I remember when that book came that some reporter ( maybe Stan Fischler ???? ) asked Phil Esposito what he thought about the book and the reply was " just spell Park backwards ".

 

[BNHL]

Got a pretty meaningless question, but, seeing as how you met him...

Park was always listed at 6'0 but in every team pic i've seen him in, standing next to many players whose height i'm reasonably certain of, he looks a LOT shorter...like maybe 5'9. What did he look like to you?

Huh,no,he's 6 feet if Orr's 5-11.

 

[Serge]

I remember when that book came that some reporter ( maybe Stan Fischler ???? ) asked Phil Esposito what he thought about the book and the reply was " just spell Park backwards ".

Espo was the king of the one liners. Park spelled backwards is what I think of him and his adoptive team along the Florida gulf coast.