Ron Kaplan's Baseball Bookshelf
If it fits on a bookshelf, it fits here.
From the category archives:
The best way to play catch-up is via a “Bits and Pieces” entry so here goes: James Bailey offers this appreciation for W.P. Kinsella’s The Iowa Baseball Confederacy. Rob Neyer, Grant Brisbee, and Murray Chass on Mike Piazza and his new book, Long Shot. Don’t know where this excellent Simpsons/Moneyball mashup came from, but Brisbee […]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Value Over Replacement Grit offers a baseball-themed crossword puzzle. At the risk of appearing sexist, I must say this is the first time I’ve encountered a woman who collects baseball cards with such a passion as Cee Angi, who wrote this mournful “Requiem for the 00s: The Decline of Topps Baseball Cards,” in which she […]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Came across this interesting item by Joe Posnanski on how the iconic baseball card company decides who gets the honors of the prime “real estate” of their annual output. At least that’s how it was in the 1976 set he bought on eBay. I haven’t bought sets in awhile; is that still the case? Also, […]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
With all due respect and this is a fascinating, if sad, story, but how else to explain this story about the murder of ex-Pittsburgh Pirate infielder Sammy Khalifa’s father and the psychic toll it took on the ballplayer over the years that starts on the first sports page then jumps to a full-page continuation? Rob […]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
501 update: Received the index back for a bit of very minor revising. Then it’s really done. Gratified by the very early interest by members of the media in doing reviews. Bruce Markusen over at The Hardball Times offers another in his series of “baseball card mysteries.” This time it’s Dave Nelson’s 1973 Topps. Speaking […]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Looking at the video from the Dennis Leary, I am reminded that Kevin Youkilis didn’t always have his distinctive appearance. He was actually pretty nondescript for a time. This all poses a potential problem with his new team. Which reminded me of this classic bit from The Simpsons:
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Sorry, was basically out yesterday and unable to blog, but how about that, boys and girls? The Yankees pick up their first Jewish player since Ken Holtzman back in the 1970s. Youkilis signed that 1-year, $12 million deal to play for the Bronx franchise next year. Here’s wishing him good health and good luck. As […]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
* Gone but not forgotten: The Baseball Hall of Fame has some Montreal Expos memorabilia on display. * Not sure if the ship has sailed on this, but The Book: Playing The Percentages in Baseball is on a deep discount (I believe it’s 50 percent) “for a limited time.” * Bruce Markusen posted another entertaining […]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
BaseballCardInvestment.comt posted this piece on “Sandy Koufax Baseball Cards: A Short but Solid List.” I’m guessing it applies to at least a few of you out there.
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Good news! Plans for a new issue of the Jewish Major Leaguer baseball card set is on the planning board. According to Bob Ruxin, author of An Athlete’s Guide to Agents and former director of business operations for the Israel Baseball League, the target date is “Hanukka 2014 or Passover 2015 in keeping with the […]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
I love these investigative analysis from The Hardball Times Card Corner columns by Bruce Markusen. This time, it’s Alex Johnson from the 1972 Topps set.
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
♦ From the Tulsa World, this on on Robert Fitts’ Banzai Babe Ruth: Baseball, Espionage, and Assassination during the 1934 Tour of Japan. Upshot: “It is very well-researched and a balanced account, but it occasionally threatens to sag under the weight of such details. Readers need not be fans of baseball to appreciate the sport […]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Conducted my semi-regular scan of new titles. Submitted for your interest. It may seem unfair, but I do tend to judge e-books by their cover, especially when they are offered only in that format. It’s an indication of the time and effort the author/publisher puts into the project. Similarly, I’m basing my opinions strictly on […]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
The New York Times ran a couple of interesting pieces in the July 8 issue. (Yeah, I know I’m late, so sue me.) * Tyler Kepner wrote, “The 83F project: Sign here, please,” about one man’s attempt to have his entire 1983 Fleer card set signed by the subjects, all 660 of them. he’s 99 […]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Look, I love baseball and baseball cards as much as, if not more than, the next fellow, but some people just don’t know what to do with their money.
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
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 blog 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.
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
