Annual Baseball Book Review: Combined into One Post!!

By David Rubin

Some of our readers may have only had a chance to read one or two posts in this series, listing my top 2010 baseball books. I've pasted the entire series together, to make it easier to read- and, if you were lucky enough to receive some gift-cards from a book-store, easier to get ordering suggestions from. And remember- baseball books are a gift that keep on giving!!

PART ONE

The New Phone Books Are Here: aka The Annual Baseball Book Review, 2010: Part One

{Editor's Note: if you have NOT seen Steve Martin in "The Jerk" then you are ordered to either rent it or download it immediately and do NOT come back until you have watched it and can get the joke in the title...or you can simply take our word for it that it was hilarious and commence with reading Part One of our annual baseball book reviews - it's your choice...but DON'T say we didn't warn you!!} Back in the days when blogging about the Mets - or ANYTHING, for that matter - wasn't as "commonplace" I began a little blog called "Mets Trades." From there, I combined with the long-lost John Young, and Shea Nation blossomed into one of the most-read baseball sites in the "blogosphere"...once Shea was no more, and my father had passed away, things simply weren't the same for me anymore, and for a time, most of my baseball "musings" came via interaction with other fans, family and friends, until Ed Ryan, over at Mets Fever offered me a "safe-haven" from which to write from again. At the time that Ed agreed to bring me on, some other things changed in my life, and it grew harder to cover the team that I've loved these past 40+ years with any regularity. Finally, as things got better, and those I love most got healthier, it became easier to get back to posting regularly again, and the lesson learned is that you often never realize how much you miss something until it's gone - NOT to sound too cliched, but it really is true. Many thanks to the great Mack Ade for allowing me a forum with which I can vent and speculate about my favorite past-time, baseball, and, in particular, the New York Mets. Interestingly enough, the one thing that I found that I missed most during the year or so when I wasn't posting regularly was coming up with my annual "best of baseball books" list. It's quite an accomplishment that James Patterson & company can release a book just about every 2 weeks or so (at least it seems that way), but it's an even bigger accomplishment, in my opinion, that an author, armed only with a notepad, pen and some moxie (and a laptop or two), can re-create games, situations, characters and lives from a combo of difficult research and a keen mind, resulting in a slice of time from the game that we love so much, in black and white, to be shared for the remainder of time, often decades after their subject(s) have long passed on. Memories fade...history is exaggerated or forgotten altogether...until, and unless some aspiring author somewhere gets a "bug in his craw" and simply MUST tell a story that is dying to be released. That's how we all learned about the infamous "Black Sox," and it's also how we've learned to understand new ways to look at performance via metrics never once considered. These authors usually don't receive the accolades they so richly deserve, and, being that baseball history is by far my favorite subject (as anyone who has ever visited my home office is well aware), I've always felt it a privilege to be able to offer my two cents, for what it's worth, in support of these authors and the lives/history that they have brought to life. That's why you won't see any negative reviews here - if a book has made it to this list, it's because of its many merits; there are a number of baseball books I haven't really enjoyed, but for the purpose of this column, we'll leave those for another day.

The calendar year 2010 has seen more top quality baseball books released then any year in recent memory; it isn't often that I'm unable to read all of the books that truly interested me within a single calendar year, let alone before the next gem was released. I guess there's always a first for everything, and this year was "it" for me. In order to do justice to the many great reads that have been released this year, I've had to break this column up into four parts. Today, in part one, we'll briefly discuss a number of books that I've recently finished, all of which were excellent, each of which came close to cracking the "top 5" of the year. Part 2 will continue this theme, as we'll review the remaining contenders who slightly missed that designation. Part 3 will begin the countdown, starting with #5 and ending with the #3 ranked book; finally, in Part 4, we'll review the 2 books that I felt were simply the very best of a most excellent pool of contenders. What does this all mean? Quite frankly, absolutely NOTHING!! If I can inspire some of our readers to grab any one of these amazing books, then my job here is done. And, if 2011 is half as good as 2010 was from a baseball-writing perspective, I'd better make an appointment to see my eye doctor and FAST!!

The Ring of Greatness (with all apologies to the Dallas Cowboys) As I said, there were so many great baseball books released this year, it almost seemed like a new one of great note was released each and every week. Hank Aaron? Yep! Willie Mays? Say hey!! Charles Radbourn? Who? ExACTly!! With coverage ranging from the regular (LA Book Review) to the surprising (Entertainment Weekly), reviews to numerous baseball books seemed to be popping up everywhere, as fast as the books themselves were being released (yeah, I know that's how it works, but it usually doesn't SEEM to happen that way!) Each book on this list is deserving of great praise, is singularly interesting and well-written, and tells a story that is integral to truly understanding the "American Past-Time." Each contributes greatly to the ever-expanding mythology that has become the game of baseball. Here then, in no order what-so-ever, are the worthy contenders:

The T206 Collection: The Players & Their Stories - Tom Zappala Some books are said to have great content (photos, stories) that simply leaps off the page - "The T206 Collection simply makes this happen on each and every page. Just from an aesthetic standpoint, I can't recall a more beautiful book in almost any genre. This book immediately reminded me of an old Topps baseball card television commercial, where the players seemd to jump right out of their cards - and author Zappala has replicated this effect, except his is one of quality of both content and design. I certainly don't want yo u to think that this book is simply a "design marvel" without substance - it's quite the opposite. Style is astounding and compelling, but the substance, the "meat" if you will, is truly what allows the book to leap off the page- the stories of the players themselves! As someone who has recently struggled to trace back a portion of my family that I knew little to nothing about, I am well aware of the challenges involved in trying to uncover information about those who are long departed. Zappala tasked himself with bringing to life not a small family, but each and every player who appeared in the legendary T206 baseball card set, which was released over a three-year period (1909 - 1911), issued in cigarette and loose tobacco packages, numbered hundreds of players, and featured the most famous trading card of all-time, the legendary T206 HONUS WAGNER!

Zappala takes an interesting tack in dividing up the few hundred players whose faces once appeared on these cards; he divides them into six sections - "The Hall of Fame," "Overlooked by Cooperstown," "The Uncommons: Some Interesting Stories," "The Bad Boys of Baseball," "The Minor Leaguers" and "The Commons." Each chapter is laden with great detail, and Zappala manages to pack in tons of pertinent information and key components of each player's career into tightly woven paragraphs. It certainly leaves you wanting to know more, in a good way, about many of these fascinating men who often were simply names on a card (or a listing in a record book) to most fans - until now. I know I'll never be able to afford a complete T206 set of cards, regardless of condition; but, with this book, the T206 Collection will now always be a part of my collection, too... The Game From Where I Stand: A Ballplayer's Inside View - Doug Glanville Baseball players aren't often looked at for their verbal and/or written skills- it's simply not part of their job (not that they're not intelligent, but it's simply not part of their job descriptions.) Over the years, writer's have often grown frustrated with some of the more "bland" (in their minds) subjects over the years, whether actual or perceived (see: Roger Maris!) Glanville, a former player, like Jim Bouton before him, offers an amazing and insightful look into the day-to-day world of today's baseball player, but not just from the eyes of a player, but more like it came from a buddy who simply wanted to share with you all that he'd learned about the game we both loved, without pretense, in a personal and engaging fashion. However, this "buddy" was blessed with a true insider's knowledge, the likes of which most of us will never get to share first-hand, whether it's a real-world perspective on the use of PEDs (neither accepting nor pointing fingers), to smaller, but just as interesting tidbits about what really goes on inside "kangaroo courts." Glanville has expanded upon his semi-regular columns in the New York Times to create an endearing (and what will become an enduring) look into the modern game of baseball, the way that only a player can possibly do. I often find myself wondering what a player is thinking about when going through a slump; why one player was able to steal a sign, but another can't; and, most of all, how a player feels when his time under the spotlight draws to its inevitable conclusion. Glanville, a graduate of Penn (Ivy League all the way) and himself a quality outfielder over a career that lasted 9 years in the bigs, not only offers answers to these and so many additional questions, but in doing so, it's almost like he's opened the clubhouse and offered us a glance at things that haven't been shared in over 40 years, since the release of Bouton's iconic "Ball Four." (One of my friends would call it "getting a peak under the kimono; my daughter would say we got to "peak behind the curtain of Oz!") With "The Game From Where I Stand," Glanville goes one step further then those who preceded him; he paints a portrait of the life of the modern day baseball player not with broad strokes but with delicate brushwork, as we learn that, while money and "bling" might be what many outsiders see, the actual day-to-day lives that ballplayers live, from town to town, and season to season, while rarefied, are not without pratfalls and challenges all their own. Glanville has now joined the ranks of the best "athlete-writers," and I get the sneaking suspicion that I'll be picking up this book again sometime between now and the start of Spring Training...it will certainly make the days and weeks between now and the regular season seem that much further away, but you'll want it to get here that much faster! Now when is the sequel coming out?? Roger Maris: Baseball's Reluctant Hero - Tom Clavin & Danny Peary The name "Roger Maris" is usually associated with two things - "61 homers" and "the asterisk." Most people know very little about the North Dakota native, including the fact that he was actually born in Minnesota, but simply decided to ignore that part of his background in favor of the state of his childhood. Maris had the temerity, the audacity, the outright ca-hones, to break the most sacred of all records in pro sports- Babe Ruth's 60 home runs in a single season, back in 1929, a record that everyone thought would truly stand the test of time- until it didn't. Maris' life was largely that of a man who simply loved his family and utilized baseball to put bread on his table and a roof over his family's head. But he was also so much more than that. He was a hard worker who was one of the best all-around players in the game, what we call a "5-tool" player - he could hit, hit with power, run, throw and play great defense in right-field. By all rights, Maris should have been one of THE most beloved players to ever play the game. He's certainly someone you'd love your daughter to marry; you'd be ecstatic if he was your son; you'd be blessed if he called you friend. Yet, in a town known for it's baseball intelligence, New York, particularly those that favored the team in the Bronx, not only never took to Roger but in fact outright despised him. His only offense? Hitting those darn 61 homers!! Gee- what a horrible thing to do, huh? Maris' story doesn't begin nor end there, but that part of his life is not only the most interesting, but also the most confusing to anyone not around in those days. Idol-worship comes in all forms and sizes, but for some reason, in New York, if your last name wasn't Ruth, Gehrig or DiMaggio, you simply weren't worth the time of day. Mickey Mantle, one of the 10-best players to ever lace up a pair of cleats was repeatedly booed in the Bronx, ironically until the "outsider," Maris, came to town. Maris rose to the major leagues by playing hard, being consistent, keeping his head down, and doing whatever it took to win a game, whether throwing to the right base or sliding in hard to break up a double-play. He was the ultimate "lunch-pail guy," a true gamer who deflected the bright lights to those around him, content to simply be allowed to play a game that didn't necessarily bring him great joy, but did allow him to provide his family a much better life, at least financially, then the one he lived through as a child. But that wasn't enough for Yankee fans and the writer's covering the team. Maris, quite frankly, wasn't a "Yankee." He began his career with Cleveland and Kansas City, and by the time he came to New York in 1960, he was already a finished product, no more then a "gun for hire." All he did in 1960 was win the MVP award, leading the team to the World Series, and stepping up when the other half of the "M&M Boys," Mantle himself, went through numerous injuries and bouts of poor judgment. Maris further "offended" Yankee fans, many for all-time, by being the one to break the legendary "Sultan of Swat's" single-season home run record. Commissioner Ford Frick, bowing to pressure from cantankerous writers (like future Met-meddler, Dick Young), announced that, as Maris' chase came during the first year of major league expansion (adding teams and moving from 154 games to 162 and a balanced schedule), if he failed to break Ruth's record within the same 154 game-season that Ruth played within, the record would thereby always be demarcated with an "asterisk" along side it, a sentiment that sadly grew in popularity, everywhere, it seemed, except the Yankees clubhouse. Maris was a beloved teammate, and in spite of rumors to the contrary, he and Mantle (along with teammate Bob Cerv) even lived together during the majority of that crazy 1961 season. In the end, after a series of injuries robbed Maris of a number of years at the end of his prime, he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals, perfect timing, it turns out, as the Yankees post-Maris were a mess for a number of years, while the Cardinals staked a path to the World Series, the place that the Yankees seemed to consider as their yearly "divine right." Maris saw great success during his 2 years in St. Louis, winning 2 pennants in '67 and '68, and a World Series in '67 in what was one of the best World Series' of all-time. (Ironically, Maris was immediately embraced by his mid-western brethren, and former Cardinal owner Gussie Busch set up Maris with a beer distributorship that made him and his family far more money then he ever saw from the tight-fisted Yankees.) Authors Clavin and Peary offer great insight along the way, as they tell the story of someone who, by all rights, should have been another American hero, but due to nothing more than being a "boring" interview at a time when sports' journalism began looking past on-field contributions in writing their stories, Maris was a unique case of being in the "right place at the wrong time." At least Maris never had to see Mark McGwire and company break his record, as the slugger succumbed to Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 1985, at the young age of 51. Now that PED-usage has come to light, Maris' accomplishments seem that much more special, and today, almost 50 years since he first broke the record, Maris himself is finally getting the credit he so richly deserved. (In one last sense of irony, both Maris and Mantle were featured in books that both made this list and came out in the same calendar year. More about the Mantle book in a future post in this series.)

PART TWO

The New Phone Books Are Here: aka The Annual Baseball Book Review, 2010: Part Two

By David Rubin

When last we left our "hero"...he was snoring in front of his computer, dreaming of all of the amazing stories he's had the pleasure of reading this year, from Musial to Maris, Finley, Satch & everyone in-between. In part one of our "annual" baseball book review, we looked at 3 amazing books that just missed edging their way into our top 5 for 2010. Today, we'll share some additional books that just barely made the cut, but each one is more then worth reading- I'd call everything on this list a "must-read" for baseball fans!! There are 8 fantastic books on this list, and as always, you can order any of them by clicking over to Amazon.com, or any other internet site that sells books - or - if you are so inclined - you can actually visit your local bookstore - if you still HAVE one nearby (but that's a conversation for another day...) Without further ado...

Big Hair & Plastic Grass: A Funky Ride Through Baseball and America in the Swinging 70's - Dan Epstein

Having grown up during the 70's, it all seems like a haze of colors and sounds, polyester and disco, and, of course, big hair and plastic grass...and that's WITHOUT doing drugs!!! That being said, I don't think it would be possible to choose a better title for a book about 70's baseball then Epstein's "Big Hair & Green Grass.." - and we couldn't ask for a better trip down this psychedelic memory lane!! It's probably taken me these past 30 years to get over the memories of ballparks that were built as "multi-purpose" ballparks - in other words, giant concrete obelisks that could equally swallow you whole whether attending a football or baseball game and, if you were thrown into the middle of one in the middle of the night, you wouldn't have been able to tell one from the other. Well, unless you happened to see one of their distinctive uniforms, that is. Who remembers the Gold & Green of the A's? How about those Chicago White Sox uniforms that looked like pajamas? And OH, that amazing Afro on the head of one of those Sox- one Oscar Gamble!! It's no coincidence that Gamble's pic (and flowing 'fro) appear on the cover of Epstein's book, as no tome about that period would be complete without a giving a chapter to Gamble that his 'fro could call its own!! Lest you think Epsteins' book is all fun and games, well, in the very best way possible, it IS- but it's also informative and striking in its attention to the major details that made up this wacky decade that many people (myself included) were happy to see from our rear-view mirrors. If you lived through these weird/fun times, you'll be able to relive the best of the decade - think Big Red Machine, Finley's A's, '73 Mets/Ya Gotta Believe, Disco Record Burning Promotions and the additions of owners Ted Turner & George Steinbrenner - and, if you didn't live through it, but wondered where all of that craziness came from, well then, this book is for YOU!! Kudos to Epstein for bringing back the best, worst and the "otherwise" of my formative years as a baseball fan - and maybe, for his next trick, he'll tackle the techno-80's!!

Charlie Finley: The Outrageous Story of Baseball's Super Showman - G. Michael Green & Roger D. Launius

I think I first took note of Charlie Finley during the 1972 World Series, when my dad pointed out that this was the owner who wanted baseball to utilize an orange ball during night games to improve batter's vision. As I later found out, Finley was equal parts used car salesman and carnival barker, along with helpings of hard work and bluster thrown in for good measure. He was the king of leveraging one's assets, and grew from a modest, working class background to become a millionaire from writing insurance policies for doctors. Finley looked like a first class nincompoop who stole from Bill Veeck's repertoire, but somehow he often came off as lovable - until you had to negotiate a contract with him or had the temerity to manage a baseball game for him- even when you WERE the manager!!

Finley was a character, of that there is no doubt- but sadly, he's not a very lovable one, although he had his moments. Although leveraged to the eye-teeth at the end of his ownership days, Finley remained a great judge of talent, and he was perhaps the only owner with the foresight to predict what arbitration would do to the player's salary structure, while other owners were focused simply on free agency.

For anyone who couldn't understand why the late Commissioner Bowie Kuhn tried to stop Finley from selling a bunch of players to the Red Sox & Yankees; for anyone who wanted to know how those near-dynastic A's were built; or, for anyone who wants to learn the truth behind the character that was Finley, then this book is truly for you.

Reggie Jackson: The Life and Thunderous Career of Baseball's Mr. October - Dayn Perry

It was long overdue that someone wrote the complete biography of Reggie Jackson, perhaps the first truly polarizing figure in baseball (you either loved him or you hated him- there was NO in-between), and Perry's bio was worth waiting for.

When Reggie Jackson signed with the Yankees after the 1976 season, I think I knew, for the first time, that the Mets had a long road ahead of them - how could we compete with the Yankees NOW?? And I have to admit- it was really weird to not see Jackson in his normal gold and green garb, just a few months after the end of what should have been a dynasty in Oakland.

Reggie is truly one of a kind - singularly long home runs, singularly large personality, singularly selfish at times, a complex blend of cocky athlete combined with a kid still trying to get his father's approval. "Mr. October's" mouth might have gotten him into trouble more times then not, but he also had the "pleasure" of growing up in the game when Jackie Robinson had already broken the color line, but true equality for African-American players was not yet a reality. Jackson, of mixed heritage, learned quickly that, in the eyes of a racist, the only part that mattered to them was that his skin evidenced his heritage and kept him from living the life of a hero when lesser players around him were granted exactly that luxury.

Always one to meet the magnitude of the challenge with equal aplomb, it's impossible to understand the mythology that is Reggie without discussing his amazing World Series feat (3 straight homers) or his quest to become the highest paid free agent in the world. Perry's well-written book may not explore much new ground, but it certainly encapsulates the life of one of the most colorful characters (and best power hitters) the game has ever seen. If you're a Yankee fan, an A's fan, or the fan of a good biography, then you'll enjoy this book. And, if Reggie was playing now, he'd be the "Michael Jordan" of baseball, because he was exactly that, long before Jordan was the "Reggie Jackson" of basketball.

Cardboard Gods: An All-American Tale Told Through Baseball Cards - Josh Wilker

Can you remember the first time you had the pleasure of opening up one of those small wax packages, the smell of sugar and cardboard sprinkled in with the seeds of anticipation, as you knew that what awaited you on the other side was a card that might depict one of your idols? A "Cardboard God" if you will? Well, whether you remember the first time or the hundredth time, or even if you never collected baseball cards at all, this book is still a compelling tribute to the author's life, as seen through- and along with- some of those very same pieces of cardboard that your mother probably threw out when you weren't looking. As an avid collector who tried to share my love for baseball cards with my younger brother (the baseball took; the cards, not so much), this book hit home, at times a bit too close for comfort. More real life then baseball, but told through tying his childhood memories to the heroes who kept him going - whether Steve Garvey in all his athletic goodness, or Kurt Bevacqua and his amazing bubblegum bubbles- "Cardboard Gods" deftly weaves the two parts that were/are Wilker's life in an intimate and moving fashion. Not so much a "feel good" read as much as a pseudo Holden Caufield-like depiction of Wilker's complex life, all true, all moving, often painful and always entertaining, and, in the end, you'll be glad that you read it.

Are We Winning?: Father's and Sons in the New Golden Age of Baseball - Will Leitch Full disclosure - I was not able to finish "Are We Winning" - NOT because it's not a great book - it IS (having read half of it) - more-so, it's due to the fact that the best memories I have as a child all involved going to ballgames with my dad, and his loss is still a bit too fresh for comfort. I know that, some time prior to baseball season, I'll pick it up again, and I know that my reviews will echo the excellent ones it's already received, but I didn't want to exclude it from this list as I truly enjoyed the half that I've already read. (I'll post a review some time in 2011, for sure!) Satch, Dizzy & Rapid Robert: The Wild Saga of Interracial Baseball Before Jackie Robinson - Timothy M. Gay

With Rapid Robert Feller just recently moved to hospice care, I'm sure this book will start to receive more attention, and it's well-deserved. It's always a treat when rarely-explored portions of baseball's past is unearthed, like 2008's "Ty & The Babe" - which is why I was excited to purchase this book on release day, as it relays the story of the barnstorming days of baseball legends Bob Feller, Satchel Paige and Dizzy Dean, an unlikely gathering if ever there was one. From the 20's through the 40's, baseball players didn't make enough money to sit at home and work out or rest during the off-season, as they can today. There was no free agency nor guaranteed contracts; the color line was thick as it ever was; and baseball was still the game that defined the country. Fans in small towns across the country never got to glimpse one of these stars in person, unless, once the season was finished, one of them happened to be part of an off-season tour, called "barnstorming." In spite of Commissioner Chandler's protests, groups of players traveled throughout middle America, all the way to the west coast, playing games against the best players a small town could provide, often making more money during a brief tour then they made during the long regular season. It could be said that barnstorming laid the foundation for the eventual dissolution of the color barrier, as long before Jackie Robinson took the field for the Dodgers, Satchel Paige and Dizzy Dean took opposing positions from each other on the diamond, to the cheers and surprise of thousands of fans across the States. Feller, another participant in the annual ritual, eventually put together his own tour, which introduced plane flight to baseball as a means to travel the country in 1946, a year before Robinson's formal introduction to the game. It took a great author, and true historian, like Gay, to put together this rich, yet largely unaccounted for period of history, filling in the many gaps with painstaking research and thoughtful commentary. I remember meeting a baseball fan in the mid-90's, after having recently moved to Los Angeles, who had actually seen a number of Feller and Paige's games in opposition to each other, in the 30's and 40's particularly. Although in his late 70's at the time, the thing he told me that I remembered most was the joy he saw in the eyes of all of the players, from Oscar Charleston to Feller himself, and that they were truly having fun on the diamond, which was contagious. Gay has taken these stories far beyond the box-scores, and painted a picture of a time of great change and growth, through the rather small world of off-season baseball. It ends well, with the integration of the game, but somehow, I'd still love to see today's ballplayers gather together for a similar tour, with nothing at stake except their reputation and the fun of being a kid again. A truly wonderful read, and another portion of the rich tapestry that is the game of baseball made available for our reading, and educational, pleasure.

The 300 Club: Have We Seen The Last of Baseball's 300-Game Winners? - Dan Schlossberg

"Groucho Marx once said "I don't want to belong to any club that will accept me as a member." However, if he was a pitcher, this is the ONE club he'd kill to get into- the 300 Win Club, the most rarefied club in baseball, a sport that is analyzed & re-analyzed by statisticians & non-stat-heads alike!!! But nearly everyone would agree that gaining membership into a club that numbers only 24, out of the tens of thousands of players who have ever pulled up a stirrup, is a remarkable accomplishment, indeed. So why, you might ask, has no one thought to write extensively about this exclusive society, one that counts Cy Young, Warren Spahn, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Steve Carlton, Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan, Greg Maddux & Roger Clemens, but one in whose doors are closed to the likes of Bob Gibson, Don Drysdale, Sandy Koufax, Whitey Ford, Fergie Jenkins, Robin Roberts & Juan Marichal?? Well, thankfully, baseball expert/author Dan Schlossberg has rectified that oversight, with his fantastic new book, "The 300 Club." Covering every member of the club, from Pud Galvin to Early Wynn, Schlossberg is able to capture the lives of these incredible pitchers in a mere 12-20 pages each, where other authors have crafted far longer and less interesting bios over entire books. This captivating book explains why each pitcher achieved their entry, lists their stats and, most interestingly, includes the box score of each of their 300th win. Perhaps most impressive, Schlossberg interviewed each of the 10 living members, including some difficult subjects (my words, not the author's) such as Carlton & Seaver. It's like a modern version of "The Glory of Their Times" for the top pitchers of all-time!! What makes this book so striking isn't just the excellent profiles of the pitchers who did make it into the club, but the thought that so many incredible pitchers from the past, as well as the present, will fall short- sometimes far short- of entry into this club for, perhaps, many years to come (unless Jamie Moyer pitches for another 5 years-LOL!!). Unlike the 500 home run club, those who have gained admittance into this club won't see the bar set higher, to, say, 400 wins, as many have speculated that 500 homers isn't enough to warrant entry into the Hall of Fame on the heals of so many PED-cheaters achieving that once rarefied air, in favor of, say, 600 homers as the new benchmark. In order to gain admittance into this club, one would have to win a minimum of 15 games per year, for 20 years, which means a combination of great health, incredible fortitude, and amazing consistency, something that most pitchers today will not achieve in a game run by pitch-counts, guaranteed contracts, expansion, smaller ballparks and stronger bats!!

Willie Mays: The Life, The Legend - James S. Hirsch

We've all heard the stories about a kid meeting his hero, only to find that, in person, the hero lets him down in some fashion. Sadly, I witnessed it first-hand with the "Say Hey Kid" almost 30 years ago, when Mays refused to personalize an autographed photo that I had paid for, which I had intended to give to my dad as a birthday present. Mays was my dad's favorite player of all time, having grown up a New York Giants fan, and having watched his first, and most of his most important games, in the Polo Grounds, until the dreaded day that owner Horace Stoneham took the team West to San Francisco. I saw a side of my dad's hero - heck, one of MY heroes - that I didn't particularly appreciate that day, but still, a part of me felt badly for Mays. Here was a man whom everyone felt an attachment towards. His game was larger then life, and he was the ultimate "five tool" player. His game included the best tools a player could own- blinding speed, amazing defensive instincts, power to all fields, and a flare for the dramatic which, combined, made Mays perhaps the first African-American superstar in professional sports. That's a hard title to bear for any one man, and, with "Willie Mays: The Life, The Legend," author James S. Hirsch offers an intimate look into the circumstances and fortune that made Willie into the legend he became. It took Hirsch 7 years to convince Mays to collaborate with him, so that it would be an authorized biography, and possibly as a concession, Hirsch avoided, or touched lightly over, some of Mays' more brusque personality traits. What does come across is a life that was well-lived, at times; unappreciated, at times, especially, at first, in his new home of San Francisco; and one that inspired young boys (and girls) across the country to pick up a baseball glove and practice basket catches or running around the bases with their cap flying off. His play combined the grace and style of his idol, Joe DiMaggio, with the speed and daring of the man who made playing ball a reality for him, one Jackie Robinson. His home run total, long third behind Aaron and Ruth, would most certainly have been much higher had he not missed time for military service, nor played in such an unfriendly home ballpark as Candlestick Park. That aside, Mays the ballplayer represented the best the game could provide, in all facets, and the enduring image of "the Catch" from the 1954 World Series (and the accompanying throw) will always be one of the games' greatest moments. Coming in at almost five-hundred and sixty pages, there's hardly another ballplayer this side of Babe Ruth who could not only deserve the amount of ink dedicated to him, but even at that size, another hundred or so additional pages would have still been appreciated. That's a testament to both Hirsch's writing ability as it is to the worthiness of his subject. I can still remember Mays falling down in the outfield at Shea Stadium, a shell of the player he once was, and my father had to make excuses for this player most sacred to him, most near and dear to his heart. As much as it was saddening (if not maddening), it was also wonderful to see Willie retire in a New York uniform, especially one that has its roots in the Giants garb. Finally, putting aside our brief meeting, Mays the ballplayer remained my dad's hero until the day he died, and will always remain as my definition of the "best baseball player who ever lived." Thank you, Mr. Hirsch, for not only writing this amazing biography, but doing it during Mays' lifetime so we can all continue to celebrate his amazing career together. One of the 10 best biographies I've ever read, and this just narrowly missed coming in at "number 5" in our "Top 5" baseball books of 2010. Which books made that cut? Well, you'll just have to come back soon to see the next part of this series, won't you?

Happy Monday, folks!!

PART THREE

Annual Baseball Book Review Continued: The Top Five

By David Rubin Okay - in my 2 previous posts (Part One is here and Part Two is here) we looked at some of the very best books about baseball that were released during 2010. Baseball continues to be the game of history, with stories passed down from fathers to sons, and with the impact of newspapers lessened every year (sadly), books have truly become the best way to keep the history of the game alive. It's not like there haven't been treasure-troves filled with great baseball books in prior years; it's just that, for whatever reason, 2010 seemed to truly be the "year of the great baseball book." Moving forward, we'll list the "Top 5" of 2010 over 5 posts, and end the year (some time next week) with our all-time favorite baseball book list. I would heartily recommend each and every book on these lists for any baseball-lover on your holiday list!! As someone who has received numerous baseball books for gifts over the years, I can tell you that, long after the book has been read, the memory of the stories inside live on - and lending books to someone else allows them to share these memories with you, as well! (Okay- I'm off my soap-box now, and on to the reviews!!) 5.) THE BULLPEN GOSPELS: Dirk Hayhurst I can still remember the first time I read Jim Bouton's classic, "Ball Four" - I was all of 10 years old, and my dad had read and re-read the book a number of times. It was a beaten up paperback by the time I read it, or at least that's how I remember it- turns out, more than likely, it only became beaten up AFTER I read and re-read it!! I couldn't believe that ballplayers could act in the manner in which they were portrayed in Bouton's book - and thoughts of "poppin' greenies" made me reluctant to eat jelly-beans for a while. The most lasting memory for me, after reading it the first time, was the fact that there was actually an entire way of life inside a baseball clubhouse that was both alien to me and exciting at the same time! Prior to having read "Ball Four" I thought that ballplayers came to the ballpark, got dressed, and went right out to the field; after games, they simply got showered and went home. Thoughts of hotels/motels, airline fights, locker-room antics and pill-popping were the last things I ever thought about where the game of baseball was concerned. Just like Bouton did for major league baseball, so did Hayhurst do for minor league baseball. Hayhurst, drafted in 2003 by the San Diego Padres in the 8th round out of Kent State, bounced around the minor leagues for parts of 5 seasons until being called up in August, 2008. At the end of the '08 season, Hayhurst was put on waivers and claimed by the Toronto Blue Jays, only to be waived again and sent to the Jays minor leagues. In June of '09, he was again promoted to the bigs, relieving in 15 games for the Jays, totaling 22.2 innings- not exactly workhorse numbers. Hayhurst missed the entire 2010 season, due to injury, and begins 2011 once more as a minor leaguer trying to fight his way back to the big leagues. Obviously, his "success" in baseball isn't his biggest claim to fame- his insightful book, "The Bullpen Gospels" - is! Hayhurst's battle to reach the big leagues ultimately drives the narrative forward, but it's the colorful characters (Slappy, Mad Dog, Pickles - all pseudonyms to protect friends/fellow ballplayers) the hilarious situations (don't get me started on the Octopus & the bag-pipes) and the hard reality (living in his grandmother's spare room) that make "The Bullpen Gospels" so compelling and such a quick-read. Part Bouton, part Holden Caulfield and part Pat Conroy, it's Hayhurst's honesty, about his own career, those of his fellow "prospects," and the yo-yo life of a minor league ballplayer, that separates this book from other "tell-all" stories that preceded it. The life of a minor league ballplayer, as Hayhurst portrays it, is not filled with the glory that most of us ascribe to it. Imagine that everyone on your team was once the "best" at their position in the small-town they came from; and now imagine that each and every one of you are competing for one of the same 25 spots on a major league roster, except there are many more of you- by the hundreds - then there are spots to acquire- and the "game" part of the equation grows ever-distant while the "business" side gains traction, sadly. In the end, you're left with a portrayal of a man searching to achieve his "true calling" - and you can substitute nearly any career for baseball and the poignancy would be the same. However, in writing about the many ups and downs he faced, Hayhurst does, indeed, become a major leaguer- except his path led him towards a future as a compelling writer more then that of a successful pitcher. In high school, one of my English teachers said that, in his opinion, the best writers were those who honestly portrayed the human condition, warts and all, and in so doing, always kept a sense of humor about themselves and their subjects. By those standards, Hayhurst certainly succeeds, and then some...he didn't have to throw anyone under the bus...he was honest about his own short-comings...and he paints a portrait at times funny, at times sad, and at times serious, but one thing is for sure- you'll walk away from reading "The Bullpen Gospels" with a better understanding of what it takes to play the game of baseball as well as some additional insight at what it means to follow your dreams, wherever they may take you. A quick read, and one you'll be glad to have read, I wholeheartedly recommend adding "The Bullpen Gospels" to your library- and those of your friends!! Next: #4 on our list...something about a Yankee owner...

PART FOUR

Annual Baseball Book Review Continued: The Top Five - #4

By David Rubin Some of the best baseball books I've read over the past few years have been about:::(gulp)::: Yankees- there, I said it. And let's face it- they HAVE had some of THE most colorful and/or interesting characters in baseball history. Recent biographies have covered the likes of Thurman Munson, Yogi Berra, Reggie Jackson, Roger Maris and, as we'll see in future entries, Mickey Mantle. However, THE most colorful character of all, their late owner, George Steinbrenner, was the subject of the number 4 choice in our "Top Five Baseball Books 0f 2010"- #4 - Steinbrenner: The Last Lion of Baseball - Bill Madden (Click on the title to purchase this book- on sale @ Amazon for $10.80) Author Bill Madden, long-time Daily News columnist and beat reporter, was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame this past summer; George Steinbrenner, the subject of Madden's latest book, passed away this summer; "Steinbrenner: The Last Lion of Baseball" was released in May; and Steinbrenner, the complex man, was not voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame via the recent Veteran's Committee voting - a confluence of crazy events that seem fitting, in sum, when discussing the tumultuous life of professional sports most famous owner. Who else could go from firing Billy Martin (over and over) to being played by Larry David on an episode of Seinfeld? (Many episodes, in fact.) As a Met fan, I often wished "King George" owned the Mets, as I knew, at worst, he'd call out any ballplayer who wasn't at least trying - I mean, can you imagine players like Bonilla and Coleman getting away with the crap they pulled under George? By the same token, the meddling owner also allowed his desire to constantly prove what a great businessman he was (or wasn't) by playing de facto General Manager to over-rule decisions made by his various baseball "brain-trusts" - which, especially in the late 80's and early to mid 90's, left his team play-off and World Series free the majority of the time. "The Boss" as Steinbrenner was known, was at times irrational, yet charitable; unreasonable yet kind; but at all times, he marched to the beat of his own drummer, fueled by his unfulfilled efforts to please his demanding father, according to Madden. Although intimately familiar with his subject from years of covering the Yankees as the beat reporter for the New York Daily News, Madden crafts a fair and objective look at one of sports' most controversial figures. In doing so, we are reminded of the many objectionable actions made by Steinbrenner over the years, from conspiring with Howie Spira to bring down Dave Winfield's Foundation to making 20 managerial changes over 22 years ('73 - '95); from firing front office personnel at the drop of a hat to taking away health benefits in a fit of rage. However, we also hear about, mainly for the first time, the many charitable and kind acts that Steinbrenner preferred to keep quiet about, from setting up a fund for the widows and orphans of deceased New York Firefighters and Policemen to picking up all of the health care costs for the spouse of a long-term employee. Steinbrenner the man was a most complex person, at the very least; Madden's biography offers a fitting, final tribute to this sports legend, and his fair and balanced accounting of this bigger-then-life figure offers a fitting coda to Steinbrenner's legacy. Whether you're a fan of Steinbrenners' or the Yankees, or simply wish to learn about one of the 20th Century's most powerful and controversial sports figures, Steinbrenner: The Last Lion of Baseball is a must-read!! Next: Number 3- something about a former home run champion, though some would say he is STILL the home run champion...

PART FIVE

Annual Baseball Book Review Continued: The Top Five - #3

By David Rubin

I can still remember the day in 1974 when Henry Aaron broke Babe Ruth's all-time home run record; number 44 Aaron hitting number 715 off of number 44 Al Downing, pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Legendary announcer Vin Scully, with the Dodgers since their days in Brooklyn, called the action, and his call remains one of the best the sport has ever seen:

"What a marvelous moment for baseball; what a marvelous moment for Atlanta and the state of Georgia; what a marvelous moment for the country and the world. A black man is getting a standing ovation in the Deep South for breaking a record of an all-time baseball idol. And it is a great moment for all of us, and particularly for Henry Aaron. … And for the first time in a long time, that poker face in Aaron shows the tremendous strain and relief of what it must have been like to live with for the past several months."

I remember asking my dad why it was so significant that a black man beat Ruth's record, as I couldn't imagine what a person's skin color mattered in "real life" let alone on the baseball diamond. This became a great chance for my dad to share with me the struggles that Jackie Robinson had to overcome in order to break the "color barrier" in baseball, and put it into proper perspective by realizing the magnitude of Aaron's accomplishment. All I could imagine was how great it must have been to be one of the 2 kids who ran onto the field to join Aaron in his historic home-run trot- but there was so much more to that moment that most of us never knew, from the many death-threats to the ways baseball attempted to minimize Aaron's amazing achievement. Henry Aaron is one of baseball's classiest, yet least-understood players, which is why our next selection in 2010's Best Baseball Books of the Year was such an amazing read!! #3 - The Last Hero: A Life of Henry Aaron - Howard Bryant There have been a number of books written about Henry Aaron (he prefers "Henry" to "Hank") - some written by Aaron himself. Bryant, one of my favorite journalists, dug hard in order to paint a full portrait not just of Aaron but of life in Mobile, Alabama, for Aaron and his entire family, and in so doing, crafts by far not only the greatest Aaron biography but also one of the greatest baseball biographies to date. Bryant takes on the difficult task of portraying Aaron not only as the superstar he was but as the man he is, warts and all. Aaron remains one of the most respected men in the game of baseball, but that's a far cry from the young man whose many accomplishments never got noticed, lost in the shadow of Willie Mays' flamboyance or Mickey Mantle's geographic advantage. Aaron's biggest flaw was being so consistent as a player that he often stayed anonymous due to the same consistency (or lack of flare) that made him the foundation of the Braves for 20+ seasons. Even an old-timer like Ty Cobb, not exactly known for his progressive thoughts on race relations, had the following to say about a young Aaron:

"Incidentally, Ty Cobb rates Henry Aaron, Braves' Negro newcomer, one of the best young players he has seen in years," reported Al Wolf in the Los Angeles Times. "Calls him a hitting natural."

And yet, not many fans outside of Milwaukee and, later, Atlanta, truly appreciated Aaron while he was still playing, until late in his career when he threatened Ruth's long-standing records. It was never records, however, that drove Aaron to achieve greatness; in fact, he was more hurt that his records as a player over-shadowed his many personal, non-game related achievements. Aaron did seek recognition for his on-field accomplishments while playing the game, but again was often over-shadowed by the likes of Mays, who in spite of their alleged friendship (as portrayed on an episode of HBO's Bob Costas Show, as well as an episode of the MLB Network's "Studio 42 with Bob Costas") seemed to take joy in mistreating Aaron during their playing days. In spite of the many cruelties that Aaron faced during his career, including those from then-commissioner of baseball, Bowie Kuhn (one of my LEAST favorite people of all time), he remained true to himself, becoming a role model in his quiet dignity. Bryant captures this dignity, as well as bringing to life the many key games of Aaron's long career. The only slight critique I had was that I wanted to learn even more about Aaron's life after baseball, but even at 525+ pages, it's hard to bring to light everything about the fascinating subject that is Henry Aaron. In sum, Bryant paints an amazingly colorful portrait of a man, Henry Aaron, who was never known for hogging the spotlight; "The Last Hero" gives Aaron the spotlight that he has, for so very long, richly deserved. Kudos to Howard Bryant, and I can NOT stress enough how great a read this was and how much you owe it to yourselves or those who love baseball to buy this book, which you can do by clicking here. Next: The "Top 2"!!!

PART SIX

Annual Baseball Book Review Cont: The Top Five: #1 and #1???

By David Rubin

First, Merry Christmas to our readers- I hope everyone received some awesome presents this year, and hopefully some of them were Met-related, too! I'm also hoping that some of you opened your gifts to find some great baseball books under your tree or in your stockings; if you haven't, but you DID receive a gift card from someplace like Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Borders, then I hope you'll consider purchasing one of the great baseball books we've reviewed these past few weeks.

Continuing our countdown, today we finish our reviews with our 2 #1 picks- wait- 2??? What happened to #2? Well, if you'll recall, the #3 book was Howard Bryant's "The Last Hero: A Life of Henry Aaron" - but what happened to #2? Well, quite frankly, there were two books that, for entirely different reasons, were equally incredible, and ranking either of them as #2 just wouldn't do them justice. Therefore, without further ado, we introduce our 2 top baseball books of 2010.

#1-B - "The Last Boy: Mickey Mantle and the End of America's Childhood" - Jane Leavy

In 1978, my dad decided to take my brother and I to a baseball card convention at Hofstra University in Uniondale, Long Island. My brother was 10 and I was 14, and we were very excited to go. We were all huge baseball fans, and there was going to be a special guest signing autographs, one Mickey Mantle! Although my dad has always hated the Yankees, he did meet Babe Ruth when he was a youngster (although the Babe was a coach with the Braves at the time), and that meant a lot to him; therefore, if there was ever a chance for his baseball-crazy sons to meet a legend of the game, he would try his best to arrange something for us.

Before leaving for the show, I dug through my book-shelf and grabbed 2 well-worn Mantle books, "The Quality of Courage" and "The Baseball Life of Mickey Mantle," both purchased from a used book sale at the school my dad taught at. With books in hand, we arrived at Hofstra only to wait on a very long line, at the end of which sat Mantle, pen in hand, looking down, signing either the ticket stub from the show or one of the items for sale from the show proprietors - that was it!

As we got closer to Mantle, I noticed that he didn't really look like a "superstar" - he looked just like any other dad on my block, except he was a bit bigger, and a bit more grizzled-looking, but he was still very handsome, and had an air of dignity around him, perhaps part swagger and part reaction to the idol worship he had been subjected to for so many years. The long lines seemed to make him weary- perhaps it was the heat of the gymnasium, or perhaps it was having to hear the same platitudes over and over again. Either way, "The Mick" had a long day of idol worship ahead of him.

When our turn to get autographs came, I held out my ticket stub, as did my brother, and Mickey signed both of them with a smile.

Both my brother and I became shy in the shadow of a legend, and said nothing, happy to watch Mickey sign and then walk away. To my surprise, Mickey noticed the books I had forgotten, which were still under my arm, and asked me if he could see them. I gave them to him, and he smiled the smile of legend, and, to use the cliche (because to me, that day, it was the truth), I could see "clouds part and angels hum," as a bright light seemed to shine down on Mickey as he said to me "Son, these books have seen some better days. Have you read them?" I told him that I had, many times, to which my dad smiled and my brother came out from behind me. "Son, let me shake your hand," he said, and I looked to my dad for approval. He nodded, and the Mick's hand enveloped mine, and our faces were inches apart. He put his arm around my small shoulders, and told me to "keep reading, keep studying, and get some better-written books!" He laughed, I laughed, my dad and brother laughed, and in that moment, I got it! I saw the charisma first hand of someone who had spent the past nearly 30 years under a spotlight- but this charisma didn't come from fielding questions about his knee or his personal life- it came from his heart, which, we would later find out, was truly that of a champion!

Mickey took the book and signed the inside cover, "To David, Best Wishes To A Big Fan, Mickey Mantle", (which you can see a photo of) in spite of the fact that I had already received his autograph on the event ticket, and in spite of the fact that he wasn't personalizing anything that day, and in spite of the fact that the show rep started getting angry that Mickey was holding up the line. Mickey didn't care- he was reaching out to a kid, and in doing so, he created a magical memory that would last a lifetime.

It was therefore with great interest (and anticipation) that I read Jane Leavy's book about "The Mick," "The Last Boy" - Leavy herself had a far more substantial encounter with Mantle, and had also authored one of my all-time favorite books, "Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy" that shed light on the life of the reclusive pitching great. While there have been numerous books written about Mantle over the years, the combination of the author's love of her subject, as well as her personal encounters with her idol and the amazing amount of in-depth research she completed which combine to make this not only the most interesting Mantle book of all, but the most poignant as well.

For Leavy, it was Mantle who bridged the gap from the quiet, milquetoast 50's to the wild and tumultuous 60's; it was Mantle who drove her to attend games and worship at the center-fielder's alter; and it was Mantle who would win the ages-old argument of who was the best New York center-fielder, Willie, Mickey or The Duke. It was Mantle the hero, then, upon meeting and interacting with her idol, it became Mantle, the man, who, in Leavy's words, was "beautiful, flawed, damaged and gifted." The same man who noted tight-wad, Branch Rickey, once said he would "agree to pay any price for" should the Yankees agree to sell him. The same man who made fans swoon, knees go weak and hearts beat faster, unless of course you happened to root for one of New York's other teams - and even then, fan appreciation of Mantle's immense talents seemed to know no boundaries.

Leavy paints Mantle in all his incarnations, and does so in a fresh manner- by breaking up his life into a series of days, and painting around them, the legend that was Mantle's facade is shed and the little boy inside, always seeking his late father Mutt's approval, is exposed in a way that is both poignant and revelatory. Mantle was his own worst enemy - he even says of himself "the only thing I was ever good at was destroying myself." As the layers are shed, and Mantle's alcoholism, fatalism, philandering and self-destructive behavior are laid bare, we are left with someone who, at heart, was indeed, as Leavy said, "the last boy."

It's extremely hard to write about someone you idolize, and it's to Leavy's ever-lasting credit that not only did she not shy away from sharing Mantle's frailties, but she also allowed us to see Mantle from her childhood eyes, as the hero he was to so many millions of people, as well as from her adult eyes, as the lush who tried to hit on her during a golf outing. However, it's the heroic aspect, the kind aspect, that reverberated most loudly through the din of Mantle's foibles, and in spite of said flaws, the overwhelming impression of "The Last Boy" is one of a heroic man who played through pain that would have sidelined anyone else, who, in the end, faced with his own mortality, finally became the man many wished he was all along.

In the end, I'm left with sadness...first, because the book had to end, just as I was getting to truly know Mickey Mantle, the man...and second, because even after a few dozen books have been written about Mantle, there will never be one as touching, as fair, and as poignant as "The Last Boy" is. Kudos, Ms. Leavy...and I guess I'll just have to re-read this book every so often, to re-visit his life and to renew acquaintances with one of the greatest heroes the modern world has known.

#1-A - "Fifty-Nine in '84: Old Hoss Radbourn, Barehanded Baseball, and the Greatest Season a Pitcher Ever Had" - Ed Achorn

Statistics surround us - imagine turning on the computer and NOT seeing your teams' winning percentage; the unemployment rate; the stock market daily gain or loss; or interest rates for mortgages no one can afford. In sports, statistics have become the greatest measuring tool we have, enabling us to compare players' from one generation to another. With all of this "statistical fanfare" surrounding us, particularly in baseball, it's hard to imagine that one of the greatest statistical seasons any pitcher ever had- heck, that any player PERIOD has ever had- was barely a blip on any fans' radar-screens. Thankfully, Ed Achorn, an editor with the "Providence Journal" and life-long baseball fan, has rectified this major oversight with one of the best-written, best-researched and most compelling books you'll ever have the pleasure to read- "Fifty-Nine in '84" - our 2010 BASEBALL BOOK OF THE YEAR!!! Author Achorn has taken what is, arguably, both the most incredible season any pitcher in baseball has ever had as well as the least heralded feat in a game where statistics are legend, and shed light and life to a most remarkable story- especially since it's 100% true!!

Charles "Big Hoss" Radbourn (or Radbourne, as the Baseball Hall-of-Fame spells it- and no one can even agree as to how his NAME is spelled) won 59 games in 1884, hence the name of the book, as well as why said accomplishment isn't top-of-mind, as pre-1900 baseball stats tend to get the short end of the stick (all pun intended!). With this remarkable biography, Achorn brings light to one of the most fascinating characters the game of baseball has ever known, the raconteur Radbourn, tough as nails and a member of both the Hall-of-Fame & the "300 Win Club" ; the love of his life, Carrie Stanhope, a former brothel madam; the most remarkable season any pitcher has ever known (imagine- winning 59 games in one season- that would be a 6-year career for many starters today); and, finally, an amazingly vivid portrait of not just baseball but LIFE as it was before the turn of the last century, when the Civil War was still fresh on the minds of men, and where baseball was a brutally-played, bare-handed game without any of the luxuries we know of today.

Every ballplayer who complains about the conditions they face today should be forced to read this book and learn how tough things REALLY used to be; no mitts, only 2 pitchers on your team at once, partial umpires, rough travel, not to mention overall corruption, harassment and even attempted murders were standard practice.

This is one book you won't be able to put down, and the only negative I can think of is that it had to end...but have no fear- Hollywood is on the case and the book has already been optioned and a screenplay is on the way..it can't outdo it's source material but it's gratifying to know that this remarkable story will continue. Kudos, Mr. Achorn, and this is a MUST-READ for everyone who loves baseball, a great romance, history or just damn good reading!!!

(Incidentally- this is the second time I've reviewed this book this season- the first was for Ed Ryan's Mets Feve