From the category archives:

Biography

NOTE: I have been posting these things long enough now that a few have commented that the introductory section isn’t necessary anymore. But I’m leaving it in because, to paraphrase Joe DiMaggio when asked why he played so hard all the time, there may be people who’ve never read the best-seller entries before. So on […]

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One of the great ambassadors of the game, Monte Irvin passed away last night at the age of 96. Irvin was member of that generation of African-American ballplayers who suffered greatly as they integrated the game. Jackie Robinson was the first and most famous, and sometimes men like Irvin and Larry Doby don’t get the […]

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Meet the Mets (Books)

January 11, 2016 · 1 comment

I don’t know who Matthew Price is, but he recently contributed this piece which appeared on the Newsday website on “11 books every New York Mets fan should read.” As a fan of the team myself, I believe every Mets devotee should read just about every book they can on the ball club, so I […]

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Bits and Pieces, Dec. 31, 2015

December 31, 2015

In a vain attempt to clear out my inbox, here is the final B&P for the year. Hope you’ve enjoyed learning about these things as much as I have. Don’t read anything political into the posting of this piece about “How Bernie Sanders brought professional baseball to Vermont,” via The Sporting News. From outsports.com, this […]

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Dandy Sandy turns 80 today, if you can believe it. Back at the All-Star Game in July, Koufax was anointed — along with Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Johnny Bench — as one of baseball’s greatest living legends. The MLB Network aired a special moderated by Bob Costas featuring the quarter reminiscing and sharing anecdotes. […]

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I know most of you have more pressing things to do today, you procrastinators, you. But here’s something for when you take a break. ♦ Like the Bookshelf, DiamondHoggers has a podcast segment. This episode features Rob Miech, author of the 2012 release, The Last Natural: Bryce Harper’s Big Gamble in Sin City and the […]

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Since I posted the first of these on a Thursday, which is known on social media as a time of reflection, I thought to make it a regular thing under this rubric. These are kind of fun; it’s like a box of chocolates — you never know what you’re gonna get. (Actually, I never understood […]

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NOTE: I have been posting these things long enough now that a few have commented that the introductory section isn’t necessary anymore. But I’m leaving it in because, to paraphrase Joe DiMaggio when asked why he played so hard all the time, there may be people who’ve never read the best-seller entries before. So on […]

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Award-time for books, too

December 8, 2015

The longlist for the PEN/ESPN Award for Literary Sports Writing To honor a nonfiction book on the subject of sports published in 2015 was announced today. Winner gets $5,000. Of the ten books on the list, four are baseball titles including: The Best Team Money Can Buy: The Los Angeles Dodgers’ Wild Struggle to Build […]

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My kindle is telling me I’m running out of storage so submitted for your interest from another semi-regular scan of new titles. 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 often an indication of the time and effort the […]

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NOTE: I have been posting these things long enough now that a few have commented that the introductory section isn’t necessary anymore. But I’m leaving it in because, to paraphrase Joe DiMaggio when asked why he played so hard all the time, there may be people who’ve never read the best-seller entries before. So on […]

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At least you won’t have the ridiculous dramatic pauses with camera zoom-ins and throbbing music as the audience awaits the name of the winner. (DWTS, I’m looking at you.) The editors of Spitball Magazine announced the nine finalists for the coveted CASEY Award for Best Baseball Book of the Year. The titles include: The Betrayal: […]

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Coming down the pike

November 24, 2015

Five new baseball titles from the University of Nebraska Press (“home” of 501 Baseball Books Fans Must Read before They Die) in their Spring & Summer 2016 catalog, including: Hairs vs. Squares: The Mustache Gang, the Big Red Machine, and the Tumultuous Summer of ’72, by Ed Gruver Dodgerland: Decadent Los Angeles and the 1977–-78 […]

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NOTE: I have been posting these things long enough now that a few have commented that the introductory section isn’t necessary anymore. But I’m leaving it in because, to paraphrase Joe DiMaggio when asked why he played so hard all the time, there may be people who’ve never read the best-seller entries before. So on […]

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{ Comments on this entry are closed }

Since I posted the first of these on a Thursday, which is known on social media as a time of reflection, I thought to make it a regular thing under this rubric. These are kind of fun; it’s like a box of chocolates — you never know what you’re gonna get. (Actually, I never understood […]

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Bits and pieces, Nov. 18, 2015

November 18, 2015

Been a bit busy lately with the two author events, so I know I’ve fallen behind. You never know where inspiration will come from. According to this public radio story, Haruki Murakami came up with the idea for his first novel, Hear the Wind Sing, as the result of a 1978 pro game in Japan, […]

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I recently created a bit of a stir of Facebook when, after doing some research for new titles coming down the pike, I questioned  the “necessity” for a biography on Mike Torrez. All due respect for the 18-year veteran, he doesn’t seem to have the gravitas of a Hall of Famer. That reminded me of […]

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Here’s guy who takes the admonition “Don’t quite your day job” to heart. Dr. Doug Wilson, a full-time ophthalmologist with a thriving practice, has written biographies about four prominent men — including two Hall of Famers — who nevertheless have slipped under the radar, especially for fans who never saw them player. Wilson’s latest — […]

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NOTE: I have been posting these things long enough now that a few have commented that the introductory section isn’t necessary anymore. But I’m leaving it in because, to paraphrase Joe DiMaggio when asked why he played so hard all the time, there may be people who’ve never read the best-seller entries before. So on […]

0Shares

{ Comments on this entry are closed }

NOTE: I have been posting these things long enough now that a few have commented that the introductory section isn’t necessary anymore. But I’m leaving it in because, to paraphrase Joe DiMaggio when asked why he played so hard all the time, there may be people who’ve never read the best-seller entries before. So on […]

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{ Comments on this entry are closed }

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