Ron Kaplan's Baseball Bookshelf
If it fits on a bookshelf, it fits here.
From the category archives:
The composer of “Meet the Mets” died June 30 at the age of 84. From the JTA’s Eulogizer blog: Ruth Roberts, 84, wrote ‘Meet the Mets’ Ruth Roberts, a popular song composer whose work was sung by millions of New York Mets fans and the Beatles, among many others, died June 30 at 84. Roberts […]
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I heard about Northrup and Pagan on the Mets radio broadcast last night. It’s one thing when a player of Bob Feller’s age passes; he was “before my time.” But when the guys I grew up with start to go, the mortality factor really sets in. Northrup, who died at the age of 71, was […]
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Had the Mets game on in the background yesterday and heard the sad news that Dana had passed away suddenly. Update: Here’s the obituary from yesterday’s NY Times. I knew Dana on very casually through his written work, including Mets Fan and The Last Days of Shea: Delight and Despair in the Life of a […]
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From the Baseball Hall of Fame: Killebrew Family, Hall of Fame and the Twins Announce Funeral and Memorial Plans The Killebrew Family, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, and the Minnesota Twins have announced plans for the memorial services and burial of the late Twins legend and 1984 Hall of Fame inductee Harmon […]
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Killebrew passed away this morning. The Hall of Fame released the following statement: Harmon Killebrew Remembrances, From Family to Hall of Famers “It is with profound sadness that we share with you that our beloved Harmon passed away this morning. He died peacefully surrounded by Nita and our family. He will be missed more than anyone can imagine […]
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The New York Times saw fit to published their own obituary of Gallo, who died on May 10. The New York Post ran this editorial in honor of the rival Daily News‘ late sports cartoonist. Too bad they still had to insinuate themselves in the piece by mentioning the fact that Gallo’s son had been […]
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I have a special affinity for cartoonists and artists. My father was a pretty good art hobbyist who worked on the cheap, using the backs of discarded poster, cardboard, whatever he could scrounge up. Maybe that has something to do with it. Anyway, today we mourn the passing of Bill Gallo, long time cartoonist for […]
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Metro, one of the all-time baseball lifers, passed away March 18 at the age of 91. Metro was a “wartime Player”; his playing career lasted from just 1943-45 during which he compiled a .193 batting average in 400 at bats. He also spent parts of two seasons as a manager (Cubs in 1962, Royals in […]
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The popular fixture of St. Louis baseball — playing for both the Cardinals and the Browns — passed away yesterday at the age of 93. Marion was a seven-time all star and NL MVP in 1944, even though his stats were less than stellar. Although there are no titles specifically on Marion, he is a […]
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Wally Yonamine was the first Asian-American to play baseball in Japan, died on Monday at the age 0f 85. As a Nisei — a first generation American of Japanese descent — Yonamine had many Jackie Robinson moments when he debuted for the Yomiuri Giants in 1951. His story was chronicled in Robert Fitts’ excellent biography, […]
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How depressing is it when guys you followed as a kid growing up in the sixties start to die off? It’s one thing — and no less unfortunate — for people like Duke Snider, but I remember Greg Goossen, from his years on the New York Mets. Goossen, who signed with his home town Los […]
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The legendary “Bum” died today at the age of 84. Here‘s the Richard Goldstein obituary from the NY Times. Guarantee there will be front page mention of this tomorrow. Snider collaborated on his autobiography, The Duke Of Flatbush, with Bill Gilbert in 1988. Other titles include: The Duke Snider Story, by Winehouse (1964) Duke Snider, […]
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The name might not be familiar but the pictues are. I just learned that Jurinko, who specialized in baseball art, died recently from pancreatic cancer at the age of 71. There will be a memorial service tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Crestwood/ Perazzo Memorial Chapel, 199 Bleeker Street, Manhattan. Jurinko published The […]
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Besides playing Irene Lorenzo, Archie Bunker’s liberal neighbor on All in the Family, as well as other TV, film, and theater roles, Garrett starred in the 1949 Sinatra-Kelly musical Take Me Out to the Ballgame. Garrett died yesterday at the age of 91.
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The former manager died yesterday. The NY Times obituary by Bruce Weber put his age “in his early 80s.” Tanner, who led the Pittsburgh, Pirates to the world Championship in 1979, played for eight seasons with the Braves, Cubs, Indians, and Angels from 1955-62, compiling a .263 batting average, 21 homers, and 105 RBI, mostly […]
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The oldest baseball player died Tuesday at the age of 101. Malinosky played briefly for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1937.
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The author of My Life As a Fan and Baseball and Lesser Sports died earlier today at the age of 80. Sheed also collaborated on other baseball books, providing text for the 1990 publication book Face of Baseball and the foreword for a Kal Waggenheim biography on Roberto Clemente. Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, author of Me and […]
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The hard-throwing reliever with the coke-bottle glasses died yesterday at the age of 81. Duren was an alcoholic. He attributed his wildness on the mound just as much to the booze as his poor eyesight. But he cleaned up his act and in later years worked as a substance abuse counselor and motivational speaker. He […]
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(and other media, of course.) With the close of 2010, I thought I take a few moments to review the highlights of the past 12 months as pertains to our favorite topic. It’s been a banner year for baseball biographies. We’ve enjoyed munch-anticipated titles from major publishers on Hall of Famers such as Hank Aaron, […]
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The year-end issue pays tribute to the sports figures who passed away in 2010. Baseball notables included Bob Feller, Ron Santo, Bobby Thomson, George Steinbrenner, Phil Cavarretta, Sparky Anderson, Robin Roberts, Gil McDougald, Willie Davis, Dorothy Kamenshek (All-American Girls Professional Baseball League), Bob Sheppard, Jose Lima, Jim Bibby, Ernie Harwell, Ralph Houk, and Mike Cuellar […]
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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
