Bits and pieces, Aug. 11, 2015

Been following the adventures of Brad Balukjian, who’s traveling the country in search of his baseball heroes for a book project. He was a guest on a recent edition of Slate’s excellent sports podcast, Hang Up and Listen. We had a Bookshelf Conversation prior to his departure and I hope to have another one upon his return, before he gets down to the actual writing of the book. In the meantime, you can read his blog, Wax Pack, here.

Is this trip really necessary? “Andi Dorfman [The Bachelorette] is writing a “tongue-in-cheek” book about her split from former professional baseball player Josh Murray.” A few things. First, I weep for America. Second, I can’t see an entire book about this (but then I am definitely not the demographic for something like this). Third, although it’s technically correct to identity Murray as a “former professional baseball player,” to me that connotes “Major Leaguer.” Murray played five minor league seasons (six if you include his last year in indy ball) and was out of the game before he was 23. I’m willing to concede the last point, however.

The Buffalo News carried this review of John Klima‘s The Game Must Go On: Hank Greenberg, Pete Gray, and the Great Days of Baseball on the Home Front in WWII. WUWM, Milwaukee’s public radio station, did an interview with the author.

So when does Yankees manager Joe Girardi has time to develop Portalball, a baseball game app? Actually this looks kind of cool. Have to upgrade my iPhone someday soon.

Sports Illustrated for Kids published this review by “Kid Reporter” Will Foster of 16-year-old Matt Nadel’s Amazing Aaron to Zero Zippers: An Introduction to Baseball History. Upshot: “While Matt’s prose can be a bit clunky at times, both his knowledge and his love for the game shine through…” I did my own Q&A with Nadel for the newspaper back in March.

Here’s the first review I’ve seen on Lonnie Wheeler‘s newest title, Intangiball: The Subtle Things That Win Baseball Games, from the Washington Post. Upshot: “My…misgiving about what, on the whole, is a most enjoyable book is that it doesn’t go far enough.” Here’s a Bookshelf Conversation prototype I did with Wheeler in 2010 after the release of Sixty Feet, Six Inches: A Hall of Fame Pitcher & a Hall of Fame Hitter Talk About How the Game Is Played, with Bob Gibson and Reggie Jackson.

Brian Carroll, chair of the Department of Communication at Berry College and a black press historian, recently published The Black Press and Black Baseball, 1915-1955: A Devil’s Bargain,” as reported in the Rome (Georgia) News-Gazette.

Baseball fan and author George R.R. Martin better be careful. We’ve seen this sort of thing before and it didn’t end well.