Scott Longert was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. At age five he learned to read by deciphering the baseball box scores in the morning newspaper. Scott has been a devoted fan of the Cleveland Indians/Guardians for most of his life. He has seen hundreds of games at Municipal Stadium and continues to frequent Progressive Field every summer.
Scott has an M.A. degree in American History from Cleveland State University. His graduate research paper was on the life and times of Tris Speaker. He has written articles for various publications on baseball history, including the old Sunday Magazine published by the Cleveland Plain Dealer. In 1999 Scott completed his first full length biography, "King of the Pitchers," the story of Addie Joss. In 2013 he published, "The Best They Could Be," a chronicle of the Cleveland Indians first pennant and World Series victory over the Brooklyn Dodgers.
In September 2016 "No Money, No Beer, No Pennants" was published by Ohio University Press. It is the story of the Cleveland Indians during the years of the Great Depression. There are biographical sketches of Earl Averill, Mel Harder, Hal Trosky and a teenage Bob Feller. The building of Municipal Stadium is presented as well. The stadium was the site of the 1935 All-Star game that featured Mel Harder and local product Joe Vosmik.
Scott's "Bad Boys, Bad Times" was released in February 2019 again by Ohio University Press. This book covers the Cleveland Indians from 1937 through 1941, including the famous "Cry Baby" incident where the players tried to have manager Oscar Vitt fired.
In 2020, Ohio University Press published Cy Young: "An American Baseball Hero". This is Scott's first book for children, ages eight to twelve. Cy Young was one of baseball's greatest stars and led an exemplary life on and off the field. The book includes a timeline, glossary and text boxes. Children can learn all about the early days of baseball and what America was like in the 19th and first part of the 20th century.
February 2022 saw the release of "Victory on Two Fronts," the story of the Cleveland Indians and baseball through the World War II years. The war had a profound effect on the world until peace was restored in 1945. Baseball went through major changes including the passing of Commissioner Judge Landis and ballclubs having to train in the Midwest due to travel restrictions. This work completes a trilogy beginning with "No Money, No Beer, No Pennants" and "Bad Boys, Bad Times."
Scott's latest book will be "Love and Loss: The Short Life of Ray Chapman," to be published by Ohio University Press in September 2024. It is the first biography of Chapman to hit the market. Ray was much more than just the only Major League player to be killed by a pitched ball.
