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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Baseball Hall of Fame
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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Brooks Robinson,
Carlton Fisk,
Doug Wilson,
Fred Hutchinson,
Mark Fidrych
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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Adam Greenberg,
Baseball Hall of Fame,
baseball managers,
Chicago Cubs,
Florida Marlins,
Forbes,
Grantland,
kunckleball,
Matt Harvey,
Piuttsburgh Pirates,
R.A. Dickey,
Shawn Green,
Stephen Strasburg,
Tim Wakefield,
Tony LaRussa,
Will Ferrell,
Zev Chafets
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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Babe Ruth,
Bill James,
Calico Joe,
Chicago Cubs,
Federal League,
Ichiro Suzuki,
John Grisham,
John Thorn,
Robert Creamer,
sabermetrics
Editor’s Note: Brought to you as another PSA, via the Baseball Hall of Fame. For further reading on the topic, scroll down to the bottom of the announcement. ——- In the earliest years of wireless radio, the pioneers of the industry created a new genre: Baseball broadcaster. This fall, one of those pioneers will win […]
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baseball broadcasting,
Baseball Hall of Fame,
Ford Frick Award
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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baseball broadcasters,
baseball uniforms,
Bobby Valentine,
Boston Red Sox,
Casey at the bat,
Hofstra University,
Huffington Post,
New York Mets,
PED. Mental Floss,
Ryan Braun,
Tony Conigliaro
The Baseball Hall of Fame will host 11 Authors Series events throughout the season, bringing noted baseball authors to Cooperstown for special lectures and book signings. Among the highlights of the 2015 Authors Series is an appearance by former major league pitcher Masanori Murakami, the first Japanese-born player in the history of major league baseball. […]
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Babe Ruth,
Billy Martin,
Boston Red Sox,
Ed Lucas,
Masanori Murakami,
Tony Oliva,
Who's Who in baseball
The Yog turns 90 today, God bless. I ran this piece four years ago, listing several titles about and (ostensibly) by the Hall of Famer. Except for the age, the info remains valid except for the addition of my NJ neighbor Harvey Araton‘s excellent book, Driving Mr. Yogi: Yogi Berra, Ron Guidry, and Baseball’s Greatest […]
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Harvey Araton,
Medal of Freedom,
Yogi Berra
NEW STUFF: 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… […]
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baseball business,
baseball instructionals,
Billy Martin,
Boston Red Sox,
Derek Jeter,
H.A. Dorfman,
Jim Kaat,
Michael Lewis,
New York Yankees,
Oakland As,
Pedro Martinez,
Ted Williams,
Ty Cobb
Just finished thumbing through A History of Baseball in 100 Objects, the latest baseball release by Josh Leventhal, author of several other well-produced baseball titles. The objects included herein represent the game since before its “formal” recognized inception in the mid 1800s (and please don’t write about the exact DOB of the game). But the […]
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baseball history,
baseball memorabilia,
Milwaukee Braves,
Moneyball
NEW STUFF: 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… […]
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Baltimore Orioles,
baseball history,
Baseball instruction,
Bill Pennington,
Billy Martin,
Derek Jeter,
H.A. Dorfman,
Hal McCoy,
Jim Kaat,
Michael Lewis,
Moneyball,
New York Yankees,
Oakland As,
San Francisco Giants,
Ted Williams,
Triumph Publishing
NEW STUFF: 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… […]
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Billy Martin,
Derek Jeter,
Fantasy baseball,
John Feinstein,
Michael Lewis,
Moneyball,
New York Mets,
New York Yankees,
Oakland As,
San Francisco Giants,
Sandy Alderson,
Steve Kettmann,
Ted Williams
NEW STUFF: 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… […]
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Billy Martin,
Derek Jeter,
Fantasy baseball,
Hal McCoy,
John Feinstein,
Michael Lewis,
Moneyball,
New York Yankees,
Oakland As,
San Francisco Giants,
Ted Williams
Note: Just like Chuck Lorre’s “vanity cards” at the end of The Big Bang Theory, you should read these list stories to their conclusion; the end is always changing, even though the theme is basically the same, finishing up with a self-promotional message. So without further ado, here are the top ten baseball books as […]
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baseball statistics,
Bill James,
Derek Jeter,
Fantasy baseball,
Los Angeles Dodgers,
Michael Lewis,
Montreal Expos,
Oakland As,
Tommy Lasorda
Note: Just like Chuck Lorre’s “vanity cards” at the end of The Big Bang Theory, you should read these list stories to their conclusion; the end is always changing, even though the theme is basically the same, finishing up with a self-promotional message. So without further ado, here are the top ten baseball books as […]
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Bill James,
Cleveland Indians,
Derek Jeter,
Fantasy baseball,
Michael Lewis,
Moneyball,
New York Yankees,
Ted Williams,
Yogi Berra
* Josh Wilker’s forthcoming book, Benchwarmer: An Anxious Dad’s Almanac of Fatherhood and Other Failures gets a thumbs up from Kirkus. Upshot: “This almanac of fatherhood (and other failures) is honest, relatable and humorous—an indispensable read for fathers (and sons) whose joy in life comes not from winning the big game but being alive to […]
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Babe Ruth,
Branch Rickey,
Field of Dreams,
Jackie Robinson,
Josh Wilker,
Roger Kahn,
W. P. Kinsella
And the wrap-up… * denotes items of particular interest (to me, at any rate). Odds and Ends ** It will be interesting to see how The Hidden Game of Baseball: A Revolutionary Approach to Baseball and Its Statistics has held up since it was first published 30 years ago. Authors John Thorn and Pete Palmer […]
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baseball food,
baseball statistics,
hidden ball trick,
John Thorn,
Pete Palmer