* Bits and pieces

The back page of The New York Times Book Review features a full page advertisement from Bauman Rare Books. I usually don’t pay attention because as much as I lvoe ’em, they’re out of my league, to borrow from a famous title.

But a photo of Joe DiMaggio caught my eye and sure enough there were several (expensive) books listed, including:

A 1973 Old Timers’ Day program signed by “24 ‘standout’ players, including DiMaggio, Rizzuto and Stengel.” $4200
Whitey and Mickey, a “double biography” of the two Yankee legends, signed by both. $1600
The DiMaggio Albums, a two-volume album of newspaper stories about the Yankee Clipper, signed by DiMaggio. $2200
America’s National Game, by Albert Spaulding, A first edition from 1911. $2800
The National Game, by Alfred Spink. A 1910 first edition. $2200
Wait Till Next Year, by Jackie Robinson and Carl Rowan. A 1960 first edition, signed by Robinson. $4900.

Well, my birthday is coming up soon… I’m just sayin’.

* * *

Entertainment Weekly highlighted three new baseball titles in its April 10 issue, not all of them garnered favorable remarks. The controversial memoir Odd Man Out by Matt McCarthy received a B. Becoming Manny got a C-, and Alyssa Milano’s Safe at Home: Confessions of a Baseball Fanatic, a D.

A few things come to mind. One, did they just pick three titles at random? why these books and not others that might be a bit more likely to win a higher “grade,” like Bruce Weber’s treatise on umpires, As They See ‘Em? Two, does these guys just not like baseball? In that case, why bother? Three, as much as I don’t like Milano’s book — and my sentiments are echoed in many places — such “dog-piling” seems mean. Just let it die a natural death.

* * *

Meanwhile in the April 10 issue of The Week, Tome Werner, chair of the Boston Red Sox, picks his favorite titles on the game, including, among others, Bang the Drum Slowly (Mark Harris), The Teammates (David Halberstam), and Game Time (Roger Angell).

* * *

Finally, The New York Times Magazine printed a Q&A with former Met Darryl Strawberry, who — guess what — has a new book coming out.