Ron Kaplan's Baseball Bookshelf
If it fits on a bookshelf, it fits here.
From the category archives:
Larry Tye’s new biography has generated renewed interst in Paige’s own (purported) autobio. There are two versions of Jane Leavy’s book on Sandy Koufax, the first abridged (6 hours, 14 minutes), narrated by Robert Pinsky (his named is listed, but it dosn’t sound like a male voice on the sample); the latter, unabridged (almost 10 […]
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Dover Publications, under the direction of contributing editor Paul Dickson, has just begun a series of classic books on sports with an emphasis on baseball titles, which are running about 3:1 over other sports. The line will be varied to include fiction but its early emphasis is on autobiography and oral history. Connie Mack’s My […]
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The Christian Science Monitor published this review of Larry Tye’s well-received biography of the Negro League legend. Upshot: It’s about time somebody wrote a good biography of Satchel Paige, the great baseball pitcher, personality, showman, and entrepreneur. In Satchel: The Life and Times of an American Legend, journalist Larry Tye has done just that. Likewise, […]
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The American Spectator published this review of Curt Smith’s new book, emblematic of an increasing sentiment. Upshot: Unfortunately, Smith gives us a wealth of good information in a pedestrian writing style, clipped and choppy and occasionally incoherent. He sometimes changes subject in the middle of a paragraph. There are quotes where it’s hard to tell […]
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books on baseball, that is, at least according to this blogger. The list includes: The Kid from Tomkinsville The Southpaw The Glory of Their Times Stealing Home The Bill James Historical Abstract
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Larry Tye’s new bio of the great Negro League pitcher gets the treatment from the Stockton (CA) Record.
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By Allen Barra, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Upshot: “Cooperstown Confidential” is bold, intelligent, gutsy. [Author Zev] Chafets is strongest on what is soon to be the next controversy of the Hall — steroids. and … if you don’t like Roger Clemens — and there are so many who don’t that one questions why the authors […]
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This week in baseball books, featuring the best-sellers according to Amazon.com on Friday, June 19. Title Rank General The Yankee Years, Torre and Verducci 1 As They See ‘Em: A Fan’s Travels in the Land of Umpires, Weber 2 Satchel: The Life and Times of an American Legend, Tye 3 Moneyball: The Art of Winning […]
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The New York Times’ Janet Maslin published this review of Larry Tye’s new biography of the great Paige. Upshot: “All the African-American luminaries had climbed to the top of their fields, but none did it with Satchel’s over-the-top style and charm,” Mr. Tye claims. “And none of the others had been seen up close by […]
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Allen Barra, author of the new biography on Yogi Berra, gives his considered opinion on two other titles that deal with the Hall of Fame: Zev Chafets’ assessment of the problem of the Hall of Fame, and the quartet of NY Daily News writers on a pitcher who would have been a lock to earn […]
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Sorry, give me a minute here. The Mets just lost their game with the Yankees when Luis Castillo dropped a two-out POP UP that allowed two runs to score. TWO HANDS, dammit!! Anyway, my review of several books that encompass the Yankees and Mets during interleague weekend appear on the latest posting of Bookreporter.com. Titles […]
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According to this item by Don McKee in the Philadelphia Inquirer: In case you have to buy a present for someone you really don’t like much, take a look at Selena Roberts’ unauthorized biography of Alex Rodriguez. According to the Associated Press, A-Rod: The Many Lives of Alex Rodriguez has been a major disappointment. Since […]
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The Ventura County Star posted this review on Curt Smith’s new Vin Scully biography. Upshot: Some people say “God is in the details.” Others say “the devil is in the details.” With Smith’s writing both are present. Those of us who look forward to poring over every facet of Scully’s life won’t be disappointed; Smith […]
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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.
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
* TWIBB — June 26
June 26, 2009
This week in baseball books, featuring the best-sellers according to Amazon.com on Friday, June 19. Title Rank General Satchel: The Life and Times of an American Legend, Tye 1 The Yankee Years, Torre and Verducci 2 Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, Lewis 3 The Science of Hitting, Williams 4 As They See […]
Tagged as: baseball best-sellers, baseball books
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