♦ The latest in Tom Hoffarth’s 30/30 feature: A People’s History of Baseball, by Mitchell Nathanson. Upshot: “The book jacket says Nathan writes with “passion and occasional outrage.” Sometimes it comes off as more bittnerness [sic] or misdirected anger. ♦ The Chicago-Sun Times posted this review of Grisham’s Calico Joe. Upshot: “In baseball terms, Calico […]
Tagged as:
Calico Joe,
John Grisham,
Mitchell Nathanson,
Tom Hoffarth
History is not supposed to be something I’ve lived through. History is supposed to be something that happened well before I was born. It was therefore with a mix of nostalgia and dread that I read Tim Wendell‘s Summer of ’68: The Season That Changed Baseball–and America–Forever. 1968 was the first year I really started […]
Tagged as:
1968,
David Halberstam,
Detroit Tigers,
St. Louis Cardinals,
Tim Wendel,
World Series
The Baseball Reliquary program on Bill Veeck and his contributions to the game opens today in Arcadia, Calif. Paul Dickson, whose new biography, Bill Veeck: Baseball’s Greatest Maverick, will be at the event. His essay on Veeck has appeared in several publications over the past few days.
Tagged as:
Baseball Reliquary,
Bill Veeck,
Paul Dickson
Some of the contributions for the new collaboration Damn Yankees: Twenty-Four Major League Writers on the World’s Most Loved (and Hated) Team are dewy-eyed tributes, either about the team in general, or a player in particular, or a personal moment with a family member, bonding over a shared love. On the other end of the […]
Tagged as:
Charlie Pierce,
Damn Yankees,
Daniel Okrent,
Jane Leavy,
Rob Fleder,
Roy Blount Jr.,
Sports Illustrated
Gelf magazine begins the season with a “Varsity Letters Baseball Night” on Thursday, April 5, at 7:30 p.m., at The Gallery at LPR, 158 Bleecker St. (between Sullivan St. and Thompson St.), NYC. Four writers of recent baseball books will read from and talk about their work, including New York Times columnist Dan Barry (interview […]
Tagged as:
Dan Barry,
Glenn Stout,
Jay Jaffe,
Steven Goldman
Can it really be 25 years ago since Al Campanis appeared on what might just be the most (in)famous episode of Nightline (when it was a real news program)? Campanis, then the general manager of the LA Dodgers, was on to discuss the lefacy of Jackie Robinson and ended up losing his job for his […]
Tagged as:
Al Campanis,
Jackie Robinson,
Nightline,
Ted Koppel
♦ Bill Jordan at Baseball Reflections on Tim Wendel’s Summer of 68. ♦ Tom Hoffarth kicked off his annual “30 book in 30 days” feature yesterday with Baseball Prospectus 2012. Today’s book is Trading Manny: How a Father & Son Learned to Love Baseball Again, by Jim Gullo. (Here’s another review from The Oregonian.) ♦ Sticking […]
Tagged as:
Bill Veeck,
Damn Yankees,
Jim Abbott,
Paul Dickson
Another book about Yogi Berra? Yup, and one that shouldn’t be missed. Harvey Araton published Driving Mr. Yogi: Yogi Berra, Ron Guidry, and Baseball’s Greatest Gift as an extension of a column he had written for The New York Times last year, about the annual ritual in which the former Yankee ace would pick up […]
Tagged as:
Harvey Araton,
Ron Guidry,
Yogi Berra
Cleveland Indians shortstop Ray Chapman remains the only Major Leaguer to die from injuries sustained during a game, the result of being hit in head by a pitcher from Carl Mays, then with the New York Yankees, on August 17, 1920. (It should be noted that some consider the death of “Doc” Powers — a […]
Tagged as:
Carl Mays,
Molly Lawless,
Ray Chapman
I have a soft spot for ballplayers who remain on one team for their entire career. Especially in the post reserve clause era, when athletes often look for the biggest paycheck, if not the best fit. Loyalty is a hard thing to come by these days. How many Cardinals fans expected Albert Pujols would re-sign […]
Tagged as:
Chipper Jones,
New York Times Magazine
Over the past few days, a number of interesting items have come my way. Summer of ’68: The Season That Changed Baseball–and America–Forever, by Tim Wendel, makes me feel old. “History” should only apply to events that took place before I was born. This was the first year I really started paying attention to baseball […]
Tagged as:
Bud Harrelson,
Carl Mays,
John Grisham,
New York Mets,
Ray Chapman,
Ron Guidry,
Yogi Berra
Alex Belth, author of Stepping Up: The Story of All-Star Curt Flood and His Fight for Baseball Players’ Rights and Lasting Yankee Stadium Memories: Unforgettable Tales from the House That Ruth Built, conducted this in-depth interview with Rob Fleder, editor of the new collection of essays, Damn Yankees: Twenty-Four Major League Writers on the World’s […]
Tagged as:
Alex Belth,
Curt Flood,
Damn Yankees,
Dirk Hayhurst,
Rob Fleder,
Ron Guidry,
Yogi Berra
The author of Banzai Babe Ruth: Baseball, Espionage, & Assassination during the 1934 Tour of Japan will discuss his latest book at Oblong Books & Music, 6422 Montgomery St., Rhinebeck, NY on Saturday, March 24 at 7:30 p.m. For more information, call 845-876-0500.
Tagged as:
Babe Ruth,
Robert Fitts
Several new titles arrived over the past week including: Before the Curse: The Chicago Cubs’ Glory Years, 1870-1945, by Randy Roberts and Carson Cunningham A People’s History of Baseball, by Mitchell Nathanson Bill Veeck: Baseball’s Greatest Maverick, by Paul Dickson (Of The Dickson Baseball Dictionary fame) The Big Show: Charles M. Conlon’s Golden Age Baseball […]
Tagged as:
Charles M. Conlon,
Chicago Cubs,
Paul Dickson,
World Series
Thanks to Dan Barry, one of the contributors to this collection of essays, for alerting to this excellent book trailer: Barry will join fellow contributors Will Leitch, Jane Leavy, and Rob Fleder, editor of Damn Yankees at a discussion and booksigning on April 18 at the Yogi Berra Museum in Little Falls, NJ. For more […]
Tagged as:
Damn Yankees,
Dan Barry,
Dave Kaplan,
Jane Leavy,
Rob Fleder,
Will Leitch
The author of the new Summer of ’68: The Season That Changed Baseball–and America–Forever will be at the famous Politics & Prose Bookstore, 5015 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington D.C. (202-364-1919), on Saturday, April 14, at 1 p.m. Wendel, a former baseball writer for USA Today, also wrote High Heat: The Secret History of the Fastball and […]
Tagged as:
Tim Wendel
James Bailey posted this review of Banzai Babe Ruth: Baseball, Espionage, & Assassination During the 1934 Tour of Japan on the Baseball America website. Upshot: “This is a well-researched, fascinatingly told tale of two super powers whose shared passion for baseball wasn’t enough to maintain the peace, though it did help to restore it in […]
Tagged as:
Babe Ruth,
World War II
The baseball book news is coming in fast and furious, so rather than wait (and forget) to do longer items, here are some highlights: Phil Haddad is about to release his new book High Flies, Pennant Drives, and Fernandomania. You can learn more at the author’s website. Bill Jordan at Baseball Reflections posted this review […]
Tagged as:
Barry Zito,
Hardball Times,
Justin Verlander,
Kate Upton
New York Times columnist Dan Barry, author of Bottom of the 33rd: Hope, Redemption, and Baseball’s Longest Game, posted this essay about rooting for the Yankees during their dog days of the late 1960s in the paper a couple of weeks ago. That’s kind of the way Mets fans felt post-1973 and again today. Which […]
Congrats to Zachary James of Searsboro, Iowa, winner of the RKBB Facebook fan drawing, Curt Smith’s new book is A Talk in the Park: Nine Decades of Baseball Tales from the Broadcast Booth. (Yeah, I know it’s “like,” but that just sounds stupid in context, so I’m gonna keep on going with “fan.”) The next […]
Tagged as:
Curt Smith,
John Thorn
is available on Amazon.com,
