Jack Sanford

New Book on Wellesley’s Jack Sanford- A Really Good Read

Our recent baseball focus had the entire WHS team primed for an excellent new book that just came out: “Jack Sanford: From Blightville to the Big Leagues .”

Jack Sanford’s career is a favorite topic of Bob Brown, one of our board members who is founder of The Swellesley Report and a long-time Wellesley resident. This quick read tells the fascinating story of Jack Sanford, a 1947 graduate of Wellesley High School who had an impressive career in the big leagues. 
Author Jim Hawkins does a great job telling the story of how Jack worked so hard to become a major league baseball player – including winning such accolades as the 1957 National League Rookie of the Year and starting three games of the 1962 World Series for the San Francisco Giants against the dreaded Yankees.

Aside from the diamond notes, the Wellesley piece is also rich in history. Jack and his family lived in “Blightville” — the name they gave to the area around Oakland Circle where they grew up. This area was the rough part of town (back when the town actually had a wrong side of the tracks!).

Jack Sanford’s story recounts his rise from an undervalued young prospect to a major leaguer who made the National League All Star team as a 28-year-old rookie. His career at Wellesley High was notable, but not so stellar that major league success was guaranteed. Jack worked really hard to rise up through the minor leagues and eventually become a 20-game winner.

Check out this really good read!