Ron Kaplan's Baseball Bookshelf
If it fits on a bookshelf, it fits here.
From the category archives:
The exact date of birth of the American icon has been in dispute for many years. Books on Paige include: Maybe I’ll Pitch Forever, by Paige with David Lipman Satchel: The Life and Times of an American Legend, by Larry Tye (read my Q&A with Tye here) Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow, by James […]
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And Ozzie, too, of course. Made a major faux pas, thanks to the evil Facebook, which notified me that Logan Miller, whose film Touching Home garnered major praise, was also celebrating a birthday today. What it didn’t mention (duh!) was that it was also his twin brother and collaborator, Noah’s, birthday as well. The management […]
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No book about Cletus Elwood, born this date in 1915. I just thought the name was cool.
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“King Carl” was born this date in 1903. The Hall of Famer was the subject Carl Hubbell: A Biography of the Screwball King, by Lowell L. Blaisdell, and A Pitcher’s Moment: Carl Hubbell and the Quest for Baseball Immortality, by Fritz A. Buckallew. he also ostensibly contributed a chapter on pitching for Joe DiMaggio’s 1949 […]
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Eddie Lopat, born this date in 1918. From 1948 through a partial season in 1955, The lefty from NYC won 113 and lost 59 and was 4-1 in seven World Series starts. He was one of the subjects of Sol Gittleman’s Reynolds, Raschi and Lopat: New York’s Big Three and Great Yankee Dynasty of 1949-1953, […]
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Happy birthday to Shufflin’ Phil Douglas, born this date in 1890. Douglas, who was expelled from baseball for “gambling issue,” pitched for nine years, primarily for the Cubs and Giants and was the subject of the 1978 bio One Last Round for the Shuffler, by Tom Clark. Also celebrating, “Super Joe” Charboneau, 55, one of […]
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The former catcher who played 15 years — mostly for the Toronto Blue Jays — turns 58 today. He published Catch: A Major League Life, co-written with Greg Cable, in 1989.
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To Van Lingle Mungo, made famous in a song by Dave Frishberg: And to Eddie Gaedel, because he could probably fit on a bookshelf.
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To Thurman Munson, who would have been 63, believe it or not.
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To Phil Linz, 71, because I keep several harmonicas on my bookshelf. Kinda feel sorry for him. He spent seven seasons in the majors, but when he dies, the obituary will highlight the Harmonica Incident. Of course, Linz would probably disagree, since it’s kept him in the spotlight for all these years.
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to Clyde King, who turns 86 today. And to William Elsworth “Dummy” Hoy, the first deaf Major Leaguer, who was born this day in 1862. Hoy was responsible (depending on whose story your believe) for helping to create umpires’ signals. His descendants have created a website in his honor and are coming out with a […]
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to Josh Hamilton, who turns 29 today. and Monty Stratton, born this date in 1912. It will take a bit of doing, but you can watch the entire movie, The Stratton Story, starring my favorite, Jimmy Stewart, on YouTube. Here’s part one:
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to Bobby Murcer, who would have been 64 today. He published Yankee for Life: My 40-Year Journey in Pinstripes, written with Glen Waggoner, shortly before his death. Also born this date, in 1921, “Prince” Hal Newhouser, subject of A Tiger in His Time: Hal Newhouser and the Burden of Wartime Ball, written by David M. […]
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to Reggie Jackson, born this date in 1946. Reggie (no last name necessary) has been the subject of several books, including Reggie Jackson: The Life and Thunderous Career of Mr. October, the just-released bio by Dayn Perry, which I’ll be reviewing for Bookreporter.com in the very near future. The Jackson collection includes: Also celebrating a […]
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Born this date in 1928. All’s I know is that I found the TV version of The Bronx Is Burning to difficult to watch, if only because of John Turturro’s ears.
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Milt Pappas (1939). From the Baseball-Reference “Bullpen”: Milt Pappas came one batter short of throwing a perfect game for the Chicago Cubs on September 2, 1972. He had 2 balls and 2 strikes on hitter #27, Larry Stahl, and his last two pitches were ruled balls. He settled for the no-hitter, but he never forgave […]
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The Hall of Famer was born this date in 1960.
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to Willie Mays, who turned 79 yesterday.
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to Dick Williams, born this date in 1929. Williams published a memoir/autobio No More Mr. Nice Guy: A Life in Hardball (with Bill Plashcke) in 1990. He was also one of the baseball personalities interviewed in Fay Vincent’s latest collection, It’s What’s Inside the Lines That Counts : Baseball Stars of the 1970s and 1980s […]
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Born this date in 1947. House — immortalized by catching Hank aaron’s 715th home run — has reinvented himself as a top pitching guru.
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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
