* Bits and pieces

• The Daily Reflector ran this piece on Chasing Moonlight. Moonlight Graham was a North Carolina product.
• Bronx Banter ran a Q&A with Arnold Hano, author of the acclaimed A Day in the Bleachers, his account of the first game of the 1954 World Series.
• BaseballDigest.com’s review of Satchel, by Larry Tye. Upshot: “Before I read one page, I was impressed. Thoroughly researched, I thought this book might be the answer to so many poorly written biographies of baseball players. I thought Satchel would be the page-turner my summer reading list was missing. Alas, it was not.”
• The Washington Examiner‘s review of Lew Paper’s Perfect. Upshot: “Baseball purists and non-fans alike will find a lot to enjoy in “Perfect,” a home run of a look back at Larsen’s gem, the golden age of baseball and the men who made the game great.”
• Will the madness never end? They’re still talking about the guilt or innocence of Shoeless Joe Jackson, as per Chicago Lawyer magazine.
• Will the madness never end, part II. “Alcor sues ex-employee to block Ted Williams cryonic expose,” in which said author, Larry Johnson, supposedly writes about the Splendid Splinter in Frozen: My Journey into the World of Cryonics, Deception, and Death. And more from John Kass of the Chicago Tribune.
• BostonRedThoughts reviews Mike Vaccaro‘s compelling The First Fall Classic. Upshot: “Extremely well researched and written, The First Fall Classic is perfect book for a student of the game, or anyone looking for a great TRUE baseball story….” Jeff Frier’s interview with Vaccaro appear’s on BleacerReport.com.
• Here’s an interesting way to preview the post season: via baseball cards (which can be kept on a bookshelf).
• All Things Considered recently considered the best time for post-season games. Interesting thought processes that go into the decisions, which are made by the television gods with little concern for how the fans might be inconvenienced. The gentleman who was interviewed commented that his 10-year-old son has never seen a single pitch of a World Series game.  Most first pitches begin before nine o’clock; what time does that kid go to bed? You can hear the feature on the Oct. 18 podcast of Pop Culture, available on iTunes.

Tagged as: Arnold Hano, Boston Red Sox, Mike Vaccaro, Satchel Paige, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Ted Williams, World Series books