Here is a stunning and largely unknown true story about a scandalous romance, baseball and the American theater in the years before World War One. Think of this as the Joe Di Maggio and Marilyn Monroe of an earlier era. Former ‘Sports Illustrated’ contributor Noel Hynd has recreated a fascinating era in all its scandal, sexiness, charm and glamour. A memorable true tale!

From Publishers Weekly

Rube Marquard (ne Richard LeMarquis) was the pitching star of the New York Giants in their pennant-winning years of 1911-1913. Blossom Seeley (nee Minnie Guyer) was a San Franciscan who had great success as a singer on the West Coast and went to New York City, where her first show, The Hen-Pecks, established her as a star. At the time, it was not uncommon for sports stars to play in vaudeville shows written especially for them, and so it was that the skit “Breaking the Record” was put together for Marquard and Seeley.

Not only was it a great hit, but the two fell in love and Seeley divorced her husband of just a year to marry Marquard. In 1914, however, the Giants had a bad year, Marquard became less of a stage attraction and his wife went back on the vaudeville circuit as a solo act. They separated in 1916 and were divorced in 1922, as his career went downhill and hers soared so high that George Gershwin wrote “Somebody Loves Me” for her. The divorced couple corresponded for 50 years, until Seeley died in 1974.

Hynd (The Giants of the Polo Grounds) has captured the spirit of the times in this quaint and entertaining sidelight to sports and show-biz history.

Copyright 1996 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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