Ron Kaplan’s Baseball Bookshelf — If it fits on a bookshelf, it fits here — Page 3

Baseball Best-Sellers, January 19, 2024

A reminder: The Amazon rankings are updated every hour, so these lists might not be 100 percent accurate by the time you read them (or even by the time I finish posting them). But close enough for government work, as the saying goes (see my piece on “Why Amazon’s search engine sucks“). In addition, occasionally […]

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Baseball Best-Sellers, January 12, 2024

A reminder: The Amazon rankings are updated every hour, so these lists might not be 100 percent accurate by the time you read them (or even by the time I finish posting them). But close enough for government work, as the saying goes (see my piece on “Why Amazon’s search engine sucks“). In addition, occasionally […]

Tagged as: Bud Harrelson

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Lest we forget: Bud Harrelson

Sad news today. Bud Harrelson has passed away at the age of 79. He had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2019. Harrelson, of course, was a key player for the Mets since joining the team in 1965. A member of the Miracle Mets in 1969, he was perhaps better known for his fight with Pete […]

Tagged as: Bud Harrelson

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Bits and Pieces, January 9, 2024

Baseball and pop culture

♦ The Baseball Hall of Fame will hold a screening of Fielding Dreams: A Celebration of Baseball Scouts on Thursday, Jan. 18. “[T]his new documentary goes beyond moneyball [sic] and features dozens of interviews with some of the scouting legends of the game, including 5 scouts who helped build the 2023 World Series Champion Texas […]

Tagged as: baseball art, baseball scouts, Graig Kreindler

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Baseball Best-Sellers, January 5, 2024

Welcome to the first BBS for the New Year! I hope 2024 brings lots of good reading your way. A reminder: The Amazon rankings are updated every hour, so these lists might not be 100 percent accurate by the time you read them (or even by the time I finish posting them). But close enough […]

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Records (books) are made to be broken

Baseball records

It’s easy to find this info on-line, but getting less so to get them in book form. Here’s a list I just read about “The 25 Invincible MLB Records” along with my personal take on whether their validity. Most are questions of longevity. Generally speaking, fewer players […]

Tagged as: baseball records

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You snooze, you lose

Time was baseball cards were worth something besides sentimental value. I nought my wife’s engagement wring with the money I received selling a set on 1967 Topps. That ship has sailed. As I mentioned recently, I recently rediscovered a foot locker full of various card sets, as well as a couple of smaller boxes in […]

Tagged as: Baseball Cards

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Whiz Kids? No, Quiz Kids

So that’s the first question: Which team was known as the “Whiz Kids?” The New York Times had its annual “Baseball Trivia Extravaganza” to wrap up 2023. Unfortunately, since they no longer really have a sports department, having handed that over to The Athletic, you might not be able to access this 50-question test. I […]

Tagged as: trivia

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Mind your manners

Because you can put your baseball cap on a shelf: From the ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION BEWILDERED BY ATHLEISURE AND BASEBALL CAPS DEAR MISS MANNERS: Returning to the United States after several years of living in Europe, I have noticed that “athleisure” wear is acceptable everywhere, and that wearing baseball hats in restaurants (done by people […]

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“Reports of my death…”

Come on, you can’t blame FOX for reporting on the death of The Big Hurt, mistaking him for the other Frank Thomas. What, you expect them to actually, like, fact check? It’s so ridiculous that even this British news outlet reported on it: “Fox News apologises after claiming baseball MLB Hall of Famer had died” […]

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Baseball Best-Sellers, December 29, 2023

The last one of the year. where did the time go? A reminder: The Amazon rankings are updated every hour, so these lists might not be 100 percent accurate by the time you read them (or even by the time I finish posting them). But close enough for government work, as the saying goes (see […]

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The End of the End

As New Year’s rolls around, one of things you can still count on these days are those “end of the year” recaps. You know, “The Top 10 in…” or “The Best of…” fill-in-the-blank. However, after going through numerous such lists, I was dismayed at how few sports titles, let alone baseball, were included, given the […]

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Rabbit Hole? Try Attic Hole

Since it was fairly moderate yesterday I decided to tool around the attic in yet another attempt to purge. That’s where I have the bulk of my library as well as other baseball-related items, including a foot locker of baseball cards. Problem with trying to clean up is that you get caught up in a […]

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The Bookshelf Conversation #173: Ryan Lavarnway

Apologies, chaverim. If I had my act together, this would have been done before Channuka. Oh, well. You know what they say about the road to hell. Similarly, if I was still working in the Jewish media, this would have been a pretty major story. Ryan Lavarnway, a prototypical backup catcher, enjoyed a ten-year career […]

Tagged as: Israeli baseball, Ryan Lavarnway, World Baseball Classic

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Lest We Forget: Michael Nussbaum

Baseball in movies

No, Michael Nussbaum never played professional baseball. Nor was he an executive or a coach on any level. So what’s the connection? Recognize him now? It’s a scene from Field of Dreams (1989) in which Ray Kinsella and his wife, Annie, attend a school meeting regarding book censorship (unfortunately still a topical issue today. Not […]

Tagged as: Field of Dreams

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Baseball Best-Sellers, December 22, 2023

You know what? I’m not even gonna bother this week. A) Many of you are probably busy with holiday preparations. B) Nothing has changed from the Dec. 15 post, save for the order, with the exception of the inclusion of The Story of Baseball in 100 Photographs from Sports Illustrated, the only item I would […]

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Lest We Forget: Ken MacKenzie

The only pitcher on the 1962 New York Mets with a winning record, MacKenzie passed away December 14 at the age of 89. The Gore Bay, Ontario-born lefty also went 3-1 for the 1963 Mets. Rookie Grover Powell, at 1-1, was the only other hurler not to have a losing record that year. MacKenzie made […]

Tagged as: Ken MacKenzie

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Lest We Forget: Vic Davalillo

This is kind of a tree-falling-in-the-forest thing. If the “paper of record” carries an obituary, does that make an otherwise obscure player more of a celebrity? Probably, since many readers might never have heard of him before. The New York Times published this AP article noting the passing of Vic Davalillo, “a two-time World Series […]

Tagged as: Vic Davalillo

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Baseball Best-Sellers, December 15, 2023

A reminder: The Amazon rankings are updated every hour, so these lists might not be 100 percent accurate by the time you read them (or even by the time I finish posting them). But close enough for government work, as the saying goes (see my piece on “Why Amazon’s search engine sucks“). In addition, occasionally […]

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Lest We Forget: Andre Braugher

I was shocked to hear the news this morning that Andre Braugher has passed away. Braugher, 61, made his TV debut on Kojak but really received attention as Det. Frank Pembleton on Homicide: Life on the Streets (created by David Simon, a Baltimore Orioles fan). He appeared in numerous movies and other TV shows, most […]

Tagged as: Andre Braugher, Jackie Robinson

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