ESPN best seller's list

June 13, 2007

ESPN The Magazine lists the following baseball titles in its bi-weekly sports best-sellers list:

  1. Big Papi, by David Ortiz (St. Martin’s Press) (No. 3 overall)
  2. Opening Day, by Jonathan Eig (Simon and Schuster) (4)
  3. Clemente, by David Maraniss (Simon and Schuster) (5)
  4. I Told You I Wasn’t Perfect, by Denny McLain (Triumph) (9)

I spoke with Joseph Rinaldi, director of publicity at St. Martin’s, at the Book Expo America in Manhattan earlier this month about the publisher’s sports line-up. Rinaldi said Papi was doing very well, in part, because Ortiz was so personable and accommodating at book signings. Opening Day is still in the “honeymoon” phase, celebrating the 60th anniversary of Jackie Robinson’s debut. Clemente has been out for quite awhile, so its staying power is a bit surprising.

The big surprise, however, has to be McLain’s book. After all, aside from his Cy Young seasons and the fact that he won 31 games in 1968, his reputation as a troubled soul — extending well into his retirement (or banishment, depending on your point of view) — supersedes his stardom. Even with all his troubles in recent years, he’s no Pete Rose; it’s hard to conceive that McLain still generates that degree of interest.

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