Review roundup, Sept. 25

♦ Baseball de World ran this review of Mike Shropshire’s Seasons in Hell. Upshot: “Overall, the story was a pleasure to read.”

♦ Here’s another review of the new Clint Eastwood project, Trouble with the Curve (“Predictable”). And one from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer (“a by-the-book romantic comedy that has the usual ingredients.”)

♦ A mini-review from the Provo, Utah Daily Herald of Fenway Park:The Centennial: 100 Years of Red Sox Baseball, by Saul Wisnia.

♦ The Sumter, SC, Item ran this “completely biased” review of favorite son Bobby Richardson’s new work, Impact Player: Leaving a Lasting Legacy On and Off the Field. (The author writes, “I freely acknowledge my admiration of the Richardson clan. You see, if it weren’t for Bobby Richardson and Yogi Berra, my mother and father would never have gotten together in New York back in 1959. I’ll save that one for another Sunday.”) Upshot: “It’s a great book, and I’d strongly recommend buying it immediately. Grab a few extra copies as gifts.”

♦ I have seen several reviews from all over the country about local productions of the musical play Damn Yankees and have yet to come across one that likes the performance, including this one from the Camarillo (CA) Acorn. Has the play become that dated?

♦ Baseball by the Letters posted this about Gil Hodges: The Brooklyn Bums, the Miracle Mets, and the Extraordinary Life of a Baseball Legend. Upshot: “[A]uthors Clavin and Peary are impressive in their sincere pitch to get Hodges another look with Hall of Fame voters. Give their book a look, and you may agree.”

♦ Here’s The Wall Street Journal assessment of the Hodges book.

♦ A look at La Russa’s new memoir via Reviewing The Brew. And this from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. And one more, from Baseball Books, the “official” baseball book blog of MLB.

♦ Waukeesha Now posted this about Bushville Wins!: The Wild Saga of the 1957 Milwaukee Braves and the Screwballs, Sluggers, and Beer Swiggers Who Canned the New York Yankees and Changed Baseball. Upshot: Bleacher Reports chimes in with a review of their own. Upshot (from Bleacher): “Bushville Wins! is an entertaining read for baseball fans, but a must-read for Milwaukee fans. Whether you are old enough to remember the Milwaukee Braves, or are just a big Brewers fan, this book is a Milwaukee baseball story that was long overdue in being told.”

♦ James Bailey wrote this review of Tim Wendell’s Summer of ’68: The Season That Changed Baseball–and America–Forever for Baseball America.