Ron Kaplan's Baseball Bookshelf
If it fits on a bookshelf, it fits here.
From the category archives:
“Super Joe” Charboneau, one of those one-year wonders who won Rookie of the Year for the Indians in 1980 and was gone from the Majors after 1982, turns 56. Many Cleveland fans point to his as a prime example of the shortcomings of the franchise and their long-term failure to produce a winner (the curse […]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
The swift Tiger/Expo/White Sox outfielder turns 63 today. The speedy Tiger presented an interesting story of getting that “one in a million” chance while in prison to try out for the Detroit team, which he turned into a book with Jim Hawkins with One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story. The two collaborated on […]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Hall of Famer Wade Boggs turns 53 today. Books on Boggs includes: Boggs!, by Boggs The Techniques of Modern Hitting, by Boggs Wade Boggs: Baseball’s Star Hitter (Taking Part) What, no chicken cookbook? Also celebrating today, Brett Butler, who turns 54. He published Field of Hope: An Inspiring Autobiography of a Lifetime of Overcoming Odds, […]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Van Lingle Mungo, born 100 years ago today, pitched for 14 seasons (1931-43,1945) for the Brooklyn Dodgers and NY Giants. While he wasn’t a superstar, he did win 120 games, including four seasons of 16 or more victories. Somewhere I have a paper I delivered, deconstructing the out the Dave Frishberg song about players from […]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Bud Harrelson, the Mets’ shortstop of my youth, turns 66 (!) today. He published How to Play Better Baseball, an instructional, in 1972 and is a staple of any book on Mets’ history. Also born this date, Yankees Hall of Fame catcher Bill Dickey (1907). Amazingly, there is no stand-alone biography on Dickey, although he’s […]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Steve “Psycho” Lyons turns 51 today (so does Barry Lyons, who is no relation as far as I know). Lyons — a “colorful character” (or “flake.” depending on your point of view) batted .252 over nine season for the Red Sox, White Sox, Braves, and Expos. Perhaps his most famous moment on the field was […]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Carlos Zambrano turns 30 today. In addition to being one of the best pitchers of the past decade (121-76), he is, as the old announcer used to say, a pretty fair country hitter. He leads all active pitchers-as-batters with 22 home runs and is a three-time Silver Slugger winner. Pedro Miranda wrote The Big Z: […]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Come on, admit it, won’t you miss hearing “Manny being Manny?” The one-time sure-fire Hall of Famer turns 38 today. I wonder if the authors of Becoming Manny: Inside the Life of Baseball’s Most Enigmatic Slugger would consider a revised edition? Also born this date, actual Hall of Famer Amos Rusie (1871). Bonus nicknames of […]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Frank Thomas turns 42 today. He’s one of the few sluggers of the recent vintage who have not been (overly) tainted with the steroids suspicion brush. He was a two-time MVP and five-time All-Star in his 19-year in which he averaged 36 homers and 119 RBI per season. There have been several books written about […]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
The first Jewish major Leaguer was born this date in 1845. A few months back I did an interview with Richard Michelson, author of a new children’s book about Pike. You can hear it here.
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Clyde King was born this date in 1924. He published A King’s Legacy: The Clyde King Story in 1999, which isn’t bad considering his playing career lasted just seven seasons and five as a manager (but only one full season). Also born this date, Hall of Famer Zack Wheat (1888). I don’t understand how there’s […]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Minnesota hometown favorite Kent Hrbek turns the big five-oh today. Surprisingly, he was an All-Star just once, finishing second in the AL Rookie of the Year voting in 1982 and MVP voting two years later. He lent his name to Kent Hrbek’s Tales from the Minnesota Twins Dugout in 2007. Also born this date (in […]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Gil McDougald, born this date in 1928, was a solid player on the Yankees during their heyday (hey-years?) of the 1950s. In 10 seasons, he averaged 14 home runs, 76 RBIs, and a .276 batting average. He added another seven blasts (and 24 RBIs) in eight World Series (53 games). Sadly his legacy is to […]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
The Hall of Famers were born this date. Brooks Robinson turns 74, while Reggie Jackson turns 65. Books on Robinson include Third Base is My Home, by Robinson, 1974 Putting it all together,by Robinson, 1971 The Brooks Robinson Story, by Zanger, 1967 Books on Jackson include Reggie Jackson: The Life and Thunderous Career of Baseball’s […]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Billy Martin, the feisty ballplayer and feistier manager, was born this date in 1928. Martin was hired and fired so often by Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, it became something of a pop culture phenomenon. I’m pretty sure the original of this Miller Lite commercial has Steinbrenner saying, “You’re fired.” Sounds (and looks) like a dub […]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
The Yankee legend turns 86 today. You can’t have a baseball book about the Yankees post-war dynasty without Berra, who happens to be a nominal neighbor of mine in that we live in the same New Jersey town. One of his books is titled The Yogi Book: “I Really Didn’t Say Everything I Said. “ […]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Hall of Fame second baseman Charlie Gehringer was born this date in 1903. He earned the nickname “Mechanical Man” for his steady play for the Detroit Tigers, with whom he spent his entire 19-year career, earning the MVP award in 1937 and six All-Star berths. Charlie Gehringer: A Biography of the Hall of Fame Tigers […]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Not the Ken Berry of F Troop fame, but Ken Berry the outfielder for the White Sox, Angels, Brewers, and Indians, who turns 70 today. The defensive standout (two Gold Gloves) served as a technical adviser for the movie version of Eight Men Out and even had a speaking part. He’s the loudmouth in the […]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
I have a special affinity for players who remain with one team for their career: Carl Yazstremski, Cal Ripken, Jr., Mantle, Feller, Musial, etc. Free agency has rendered such a feat exceedingly rare. (Several years ago, The New York Times produced a pretty item featuring a a dozen or so contemporary players; the date isn’t […]
{ 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 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
