Intro: As previously stated, the recent election of Robert Alomar and Bert Blyleven got me to thinking: how many Hall of Famers have had books written about them or penned their own stories. Here are the results. Again, this is not an all-inclusive list; almost all juvenile titles have been omitted.
* * *
Rube Waddell, Inducted 1946
- Rube Waddell: The Zany, Brilliant Life of a Strikeout Artist
, by Levy, 2001
- Just a Big Kid: The Life and Times of Rube Waddell
, by Prioa, 2007
Honus Wagner, 1936
- Honus: The Life and Times of a Baseball Hero
, by Hageman, 1996
- Honus Wagner: The Life of Baseball’s “Flying Dutchman”
, by Hittner, 2003
- Honus and Me: A Baseball Card Adventure
, by Gutman, 1997 (juvenile)
- Honus Wagner: On His Life & Baseball
, by Wagner, edited by Cobb, 2006
- Honus Wagner: A Biography
, by DeValeria and DeValeria, 1996
- All Star!: Honus Wagner and the Most Famous Baseball Card Ever
, by Yolen, 2010 (juvenile)
Bobby Wallace, 1953
There are no titles about Wallace.
Ed Walsh, 1946
- Big Ed Walsh: The Life and Times of a Spitballing Hall of Famer
, by Smiles, 2007
Lloyd Waner, 1967
- Big and Little Poison: Paul and Lloyd Waner, Baseball Brothers
, by Parker, 2002
Paul Waner, 1952
See Lloyd Waner
John Montgomery Ward, 1964
- A Clever Base-Ballist: The Life and Times of John Montgomery Ward
, by Di Salvatore, 1999
- Baseball’s Radical for All Seasons: A Biography of John Montgomery Ward (American Sports History Series)
, by Stevens, 1998
- Ward’s Baseball Book: How to Become a Player
, by Ward; SABR edition, 1993
Earl Weaver, 1996
- Weaver on Strategy
, by Weaver with Pluto, 1984
- Earl of Baltimore
, by Pluto, 1982
- It’s What You Learn After You Know it All That Counts: Updated to Include the 1982 Season
, by Weaver, 1982
George M. Weiss, 1971
There are no titles about Weiss.
Mickey Welch, 1973
There are no titles about Welch.
Willie Wells, 1997 (Negro Leagues)
- Willie Wells: ‘El Diablo’ of the Negro Leagues
, by Luke, 2007
Zach Wheat, 1959
There are no titles about Wheat.
Sol White, 2006 (Negro Leagues)
- Sol White’s History of Colored Baseball with Other Documents on the Early Black Game, 1886-1936
, by White, 1995
Hoyt Wilhelm, 1985
There are no titles about Wilhelm.
J.L. Wilkinson, 2006 (Negro Leagues)
There are no titles about Wilkinson.
Billy Williams, 1987
- Billy Williams: My Sweet-Swinging Lifetime With the Cubs
, by Williams with Mitchell, 2008
Dick Williams, 2008
- No More Mr. Nice Guy: A Life of Hardball
, by Williams with Plaschke, 1990
Smokey Joe Williams
There are no titles about Smokey Joe Williams.
Ted Williams, 1966
Like Ruth, DiMaggio, and Mantle, there are a number of bios about The Splendid Splinter, especially later in life when he was the last of that level of player remaining. Several were published come after his death.
- Ted Williams: The Biography of an American Hero
, by Montville, 2004
- The Science of Hitting
, by Williams with Underwood, 1971. Williams and Underwood collaborated on a few projects. Many Major Leaguers have said in interviews that they read Williams’ instructional on batting.
- My Turn at Bat: The Story of My Life (Fireside Sports Classics)
, by Williams with Underwood, 1969.
- It’s Only Me: The Ted Williams We Hardly Knew
, by Underwood, 2005
- Ted Williams: A Biography (Baseball’s All-Time Greatest Hitters)
, by Markusen, 2004
- The Unforgettable Season: Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams and the Record-Setting Summer of 1941
, by Bildner, 2011 (Juvenile)
- Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu: John Updike on Ted Williams
, by Updike, re-released 2010
- Ted Williams, A Biography of The Kid
, by Sampson, 1950
Ted Williams: 1951, by Meany, 1951
- The Ted Williams Story
, 1955
- The Ted Williams Story
, by Schoor, 1963
- Hitter: The Life and Turmoils of Ted Williams
, by Linn, 1993
- Ted Williams: The Eternal Kid
, by Linn, 1961
- Ted Williams
, by Robinson, 1962
- Ted Williams: My Life in Pictures
, by Williams with Pietrusza, 2001
- Baseball Legends: Ted Williams
, by Wollf, 1993
- Ted Williams Reader
, edited by Baldassaro, 1991
- Ted Williams at War
, by Nowlin, 2007
- Ted Williams: The Pursuit of Perfection
, by Nowlin, 2002
- Ted Williams: A Splendid Life
, by Nowlin, 2002
- The Kid: Ted Williams in San Diego
, by Nowlin, 2005
- Ted Williams: A Tribute
, by Nowlin, 1997
Vic Willis, 1995
There are no titles about Willis.
Jud Wilson, 2006 (Negro Leagues)
There are no books about Jud Wilson.
Hack Wilson, 1979
- Fouled Away: The Baseball Tragedy of Hack Wilson
, by Parker, 2000
- Hack: The Meteroric Life of One of Baseball’s First Superstars, Hack Wilson
, by Boone and Brunska, 1978
- Hack’s 191: Hack Wilson and His Incredible 1930 Season
, by Chastian, due out 2012
Dave Winfield, 2001
- Winfield: A Player’s Life
, by Winfield with Parker, 1988
- Dave Winfield
, by Schoor, 1982
George Wright, 1937
Harry Wright, 1953
- Harry Wright: The Father of Professional Base Ball
, by Devine, 2003
Both Harry and George Wright are staples of histories about the origins of baseball.
Early Wynn, 1972
- Early Wynn, the Go-Go White Sox and the 1959 World Series
, by Freedman, 2009
Carl Yastrzemski, 1989
- Yastrzemski (Icons of Major League Baseball)
, by Yastrzemski, 2007
- Yaz/Baseball, the Wall, and Me
, by Yastrzemski, with Eshkenazi, 1990
- Batting
, by Yazstremski, with Hirshberg, 1968
- Let’s Go, Yaz: The Story of Carl Yastrzemski
, by Jackson, 1968
Tom Yawkey, 1980
There are no titles about Yawkey, but he’s a staple of books about the Red Sox and, unfortunately, racism in baseball.
Cy Young, 1937
- Cy Young: A Baseball Life
, by Browing, 2000
- Cy Young (Baseball legends)
, by Macht, 1992 (juvenile)
Royce Youngs, 1972
There are no titles about Youngs.
Robin Yount, 1999
- Robin Yount: The Legend Lives on
, by Baggot, 1995
- Robin Yount: Always the Kid
, by Cameron, 1994
Previous entries:
- Hank Aaron – Earl Averill
- Home Run Baker – Jesse Burkett
- Roy Campanella – Kiki Cuyler
- Ray Dandridge – Buck Ewing
- Red Faber – Frankie Frisch
- Pud Galvin- Tony Gwynn
- Chick Hafey – Monte Irvin
- Reggie Jackson – Bowie Kuhn
- Nap Lajoie – Ted Lyons
- Connie Mack – Stan Musial
- Hal Newhouser – Kirby Puckett
- Hoss Radbourn – Nolan Ryan
- Ryan Sandburg – Don Sutton
- Ben Taylor – Bill Veeck













