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...
Without further ado...
Big Hair & Plastic Grass: A Funky Ride Through Baseball and America in the Swinging 70's - Dan EpsteinHaving 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!!
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.
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.
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.
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. GayWith 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!!
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!!
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!!
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