Ron Kaplan's Baseball Bookshelf
If it fits on a bookshelf, it fits here.
From the category archives:
March 6, 2012
The Mets’ resident egghead is publishing Wherever I Wind Up: My Quest for Truth, Authenticity and the Perfect Knuckleball (with Wayne Coffey). Would it be mean to call Dickey a knucklehead, too? He had a nice Q&A — more about the writing than his pitching — in the Newark Star-Ledger on Sunday. So, like his […]
Tagged as: RA Dickey
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March 6, 2012
Frankly, I’m surprised more former Mets aren’t hopping on the 50th anniversary bandwagon with books. Buddy Harrelson, one of the team’s early stars, is coming out with Turning Two: My Journey to the Top of the World and Back with the New York Mets (with Phil Pepe). I have to say, that’s an odd name; […]
Tagged as: Bud Harrelson, New York Mets
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February 16, 2012
If you happen to be at the University of North Carolina tomorrow afternoon, the author of The Art of Fielding will be on hand to discuss “collegial life, baseball and literature.” The free program takes place at 3 p.m. on the second floor of the Morehead-Cain offices in the east wing of the Morehead Building.
Tagged as: Art of Fielding, baseball fiction, Chad Harbach, University of North Carolina
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February 1, 2012 · 1 comment
In celebration of Black History Month, the Baseball Reliquary and Pasadena Public Library present a program honoring Los Angeles baseball pioneer Emmett Ashford, the first African American umpire to officiate in both minor and major league baseball, on Saturday, Feb. 25, at 3 p.m. at the Allendale Branch Library, 1130 S. Marengo Ave., Pasadena, California. […]
Tagged as: Baseball Reliquary, Black History Month, Emmett Ashford
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December 28, 2011
Gelf’s Varsity Letters sports reading series returns on Thursday, Jan. 5, at 7:30 p.m., to Manhattan’s The Gallery at LPR. At this free monthly event, hosted by Gelf, George Vecsey, Mark Ribowsky, and Dave Zirin will read from and talk about their work. Vecsey, who recently ended his 30-year stint as a New York Times […]
Tagged as: Dave Zirin, Gelf, George Vecsey, Howard Cosell, John Carlos, Mark Ribowsky, Stan Musial
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November 14, 2011
One of my long-overdue projects is an entry about the BBC, located at 67 East 11th Street in Manhattan. The tiny store run by Jay Goldberg is part gift shop, part gallery and features an eclectic collection of photos, sketches, and paintings, as well as the occasional sculpture or word-work. Goldberg, a former sports agent, […]
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November 8, 2011
Former JML Shawn Green, Israel Baseball League pitcher Aaron Pribble, and MLB official historian John Thorn will be the featured guests as the Marcus Jewish Community Center book fair on Sunday, Nov. 13. From the press release: Introduction by Stan Kasten, former President of the Atlanta Braves and Thrashers. * The Way of Baseball: Finding […]
Tagged as: Aaron Pribble, Israel Baseball League, John Thorn, Shawn Green
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July 1, 2011 · 1 comment
What vacation? Work, work work. That’s why my entries have been tailing off of late. With three months left til the due date, I have almost 100 of the 501 titles I need for the University of Nebraska Press project. As Regis says, “I’m only one man!” Anyway, I will try to post as often […]
Tagged as: Bernie Williams
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May 31, 2011
The ex-major leaguer will be discussing his new book, The Way of Baseball: Finding Stillness at 95 mph (See all Personal Transformation Books) at a couple of venues in the New York area over the next week or so. On Monday, June 6, Green will be at Book Revue in Huntington, NY at 7 p.m. Call […]
Tagged as: Shawn Green
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Robert Lipsyte (Accidental Sportswriter, An: A Memoir) , Robert Wientraub, (The House That Ruth Built: A New Stadium, the First Yankees Championship, and the Redemption of 1923), and Alan Hirsch, (co-author with Sheldon Hirsch, The Beauty of Short Hops: How Chance and Circumstance Confound the Moneyball Approach to Baseball) will discuss their new books as […]
Tagged as: Alan Hirsch, Babe Ruth, Robert Lipsyte, Robert Weintraub, sabermetrics, Sportswriting
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May 4, 2011
From a press release issued by the baseball hall of Fame: This year, some of baseball’s greatest storytellers are coming to Cooperstown to share their work as part of the Museum’s annual Authors’ Series offerings. The Hall of Fame’s Summer Authors’ Series gets under way May 28 and continues throughout June, July and August. The […]
Tagged as: Danny Peary, George Vecsey, Joe DiMaggio, Lipman Pike, Richard Michelson, Roy Campanella, Stan Musial
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May 3, 2011
Please note there’s a new venue for the May 5 Varsity Letters program hosted by Gelf Magazine featuring Jonah Keri, Harvey Frommer and Lang Whittaker. The event will be held at the Bergino Baseball Clubhouse, 67 E. 11th St. (between Broadway and University Pl.) in Manhattan. Enjoy! Looks like a fun night.
Tagged as: Harvey frommer, Jonah Keri, Lang Whittaker
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April 15, 2011
Harvey Frommer (Remembering Fenway Park: An Oral and Narrative History of the Home of the Boston Red Sox), Jonah Keri (The Extra 2%: How Wall Street Strategies Took a Major League Baseball Team from Worst to First), and Lang Whitaker (In the Time of Bobby Cox: The Atlanta Braves, Their Manager, My Couch, Two Decades, […]
Tagged as: Bobby Cox, Fenway Park, Harvey frommer, Jonah Keri, Lang Whitaker, Tampa Bay Rays
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April 7, 2011
The Casey Stengel Chapter of SABR hosts a program in honor of the Ole Perfessor on Thursday, April 14, at 6:30 p.m. at the Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Avenue (212-534-1672 or www.mcny.org Among the writers participating in the event: Marty Appel, former public relations director and television producer for the New […]
Tagged as: Casey Stengel, Marty Appel, SABR, Society for American Baseball Research, Steven Goldman
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March 31, 2011
The former Major Leaguer, broadcaster, and National league president will be at the Yogi Berra Museum in Little Falls, NJ, tomorrow at 7 p.m. to discuss his new book Uppity: My Untold Story About The Games People Play. A former All-Star first baseman with the New York Giants, St.Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies, White became […]
Tagged as: Bill White
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March 27, 2011 · 1 comment
Regular visitors know I rarely consider juvenile literature, but once in awhile an “important” book comes along that deserves attention. Previously it was Kadir Nelson’s We Are The Ship, an introduction to young readers about the Negro Leagues. This time it’s Richard Michelson’s Lipman Pike: America’s First Home Run King, a picture book about the […]
Tagged as: Kadir Nelson, Lip Pike, Lipman Pike, Richard Michelson
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March 7, 2011
Joseph Wallace, author of Diamond Ruby: A Novel, will discuss his work in a program of books and baseball on Sunday, March 20 at 3 p.m. at the Ossining Public Library, 53 Croton Ave, Ossining, NY (914-941-2416). Dan Fost, author of Giants Past and Present will unveil the new World Championship edition of his book […]
Tagged as: baseball fiction, Dan Fost, Joseph Wallace, San Francisco Giants
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March 1, 2011 · 1 comment
John Thorn, who today was named as Major League Baseball’s official historian, will be one of several authors presenting at the March 5 meeting of SABR’s Casey Stengel Chapter. The day-long event — which is open to the public — will be held at the Mid-Manhattan Branch of the NY Public Library (Fifth Avenue and […]
Tagged as: John Thorn, Society for American Baseball Research
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February 23, 2011
Wallace will read from his 2010 title, Diamond Ruby: A Novel, at the WORD bookstore, 126 Franklin St., Brooklyn, NY, tomorrow (Feb. 24) at 7:30 p.m. Wallace, who has several non-fiction baseball books to his credit, will be joined by Randy Susan Meyers, author of The Murderer’s Daughters. For information, call 718-383-0096 or visit the […]
Tagged as: baseball fiction, Diamond Ruby, Joseph Wallace
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February 23, 2011
The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, located in Kansas City, MO, will host “Baseball Book Notes” featuring Dr. Adrian Burgos, Jr. on Saturday, May 7, at 10:30 am. Burgos, who teaches history at the University of Illinois, will discuss and sign copies of his work Cuban Star: How One Negro-League Owner Changed the Face of Baseball, […]
Tagged as: Alex Pompez, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
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is available on Amazon.com,
In a former life, I was the sports and features editor for a weekly New Jersey newspaper, where I hosted an award-winning bog about Jews and Sports.
I did a profile piece on the legendary cartoonist Arnold Roth and he was very generous in immortalizing me in this caricature.
In Forbes Magazine re: Baseball Business Books
On Will Carroll’s “Under the Knife” substack
Most recent books read updated 12/21/24:
Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose, and the Last Glory Days of Baseball, by Keith O’Brien
Grade: A. The most in-depth bio to date, focusing on Rose's gambling addiction.
Sometimes You See It Coming, by Kevin Baker
Grade: B. I first read this one when it originally came out some 30 years ago. I must say I don't remember it being so raunchy in spots. Draws on lots of real-life events and characters that real fans will recognize.
The Last of His Kind: Clayton Kershaw and the Burden of Greatness, by Andy McCullough
Grade: A. I usually don't like titles with superlatives, but in this case the author might be right, although there are probably a couple of Kershaw's contemporaries (Verlander and Scherzer) who fit that description.
The Yankee Way: The Untold Inside Story of the Brian Cashman Era, by Andy Martino
Grade: B+. Even this non-Yankee fan found the deep background with its Moneyball-like machinations interesting
The New York Game: Baseball and the Rise of a New City, by Kevin Baker
Grade: A. Well-researched, well-written. What else could you ask for? Baker has a lot of street cred writing about New York as well, both in fiction and non-fiction.
The Body Scout, by Lincoln Michel
Grade: C. Perhaps the ultimate performance enhancers -- interchangeable body parts -- help major leaguers of the future. But, as with all of these things, there's a price to pay.
Cardboard Gods: An All-American Tale Told Through Baseball Cards, by Josh Wilker
Grade: A. Re-read in preparation for a Bookshelf Conversation with the author. Had a deeper meaning than when I first read it more than a decade ago.
The Bookshelf Conversation
Discussions about all things baseball with authors, journalists, filmmakers, musicians, artists, et al
Subscribe to the "Bookshelf Conversations" podcast on iTunes and please leave a rating and/or review. Gracias!
Mike Shannon on "Diamond Classics II" ( video)
Todd Radom, Ellen Linder, and Brian Kong ( video)
Rick Cerrone (Baseball Digest, video)
Kevin Baker (Sometimes You See It Coming, video)
Curtis Pride and Doug Ward (video)
Dan Epstein on James Earl Jones (video)
Jim Gilmore and Tracy Holcomb (video)
"The Lost Tapes": Conversations prior to 2011 (audio)
My article on Sandy Koufax in the 1965 World Series appears in
My article on the later biographies of Babe Ruth appears in
My article on the Mets’ 1969 postseason appears in
Profiles of several Jewish baseball figures appear in
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