Society for American Baseball Research Recognizes 'War Fever' by Johnny Smith

Posted May 14, 2021

The Society for American Baseball Research awarded Johnny Smith the Larry Ritter Book Award for War Fever: Boston, Baseball, and America in the Shadow of the Great War. Smith, the Julius C. "Bud" Shaw Professor of Sports History in the School of History and Sociology, shares the accolade with his War Fever co-author, Randy Roberts of Purdue University.

The Larry Ritter Book Award recognizes works that demonstrate "original research or analysis, a fresh perspective, compelling thesis, impressive insight, accuracy, and clear, graceful prose." 

War Fever, which the award committee called "meticulously researched and riveting," is a portrait of three men in Boston in 1918 — a symphony conductor, a Harvard law student, and baseball star Babe Ruth — whose lives were changed by the Spanish Flu and World War I. 

"Randy Roberts and I are truly honored to be recognized by the Society for American Baseball Research," Smith said. "Winning the Larry Ritter Book Award means a great deal because it comes from an organization of researchers and writers who truly know baseball history. We are grateful that the award committee found War Fever worthy of this generous award."