Ron Kaplan's Baseball Bookshelf
If it fits on a bookshelf, it fits here.
From the category archives:
The pioneering African-American writer/broadcaster was a favorite around our household in the days of a kinder, gentler sports-talk radio format. Rust, who also appeared on WNBC-TV news programs, died Jan. 12 at the age of 82. From the New York Times‘ obituary by Richard Goldstein: In his 1976 book “Get That Nigger Off the Field!,” […]
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One more legend I missed an opportunity to interview. Rodney, who died at the age of 98, was the sports editor of the communist newspaper, The Daily Worker. He was also a champion in the battle to have Major League Baseball admit African Americans to its ranks. So in a sense, he was probably doubly […]
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The wordsmith passed away at the age of 79 on Sept. 27. I’ve always had a love for words and language, how everything comes together. Safire was a hero when it came to bringing it all together without being too academic about it. From the “On Language” column — Safire’s outlet for many years — […]
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The poster girl for ill-treated baseball wives passed away on Monday at the age of 77.
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I looked for some connection here, perhaps he recorded a rendition of “Casey at the Bat” but te best I could come up with was this. Nevertheless, Cronkite was one-of-a kind in the industry. The videos of him reporting the eeath of JFK have been looping since last night and the tributes continue to pour […]
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ESPN’s Outside the Lines provided this touching look at the correspondence of the Iron Horse after his diagnosis with ALS and his retirement from baseball. You can read copies of the letters as well as view video of his famous farewell speech, delivered on 70 years ago today. Kirk Minihane from sports radoio station WEEI […]
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who died this day in 1972. Also see My Time with the Catcher Spy Morris Moe Berg, by Neil Farkas.
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Patrick Saunders of DenverPost.com also recommends this excellent book by the late David Halberstam.
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I never had a brother, so I don’t know what it’s like to be in someone’s shadow. Imagine Dom DiMaggio. He had a wonderful 11-year career with the Boston Red Sox, finishing with a .298 career batting average and a seven-time all-star. But there was Joe, always in the spotlight. Dom passed away yesterday at […]
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What a shocker to learn The Bird had passed away so suddenly. I remember seeing Fidrych beat the Yankees on an ABC Monday Night Baseball telecast in 1976 during a day off from the summer camp where I coached the softball team. His antics drew rave reviews from the announcers and appreciation from the fans. […]
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The long-time baseball writer and executive died today at the age of 83. After spending 25 years with the Mets as promotions director, traveling secretary, public relations director, and special assistant to the general manager, Richman joined the Yankees in May, 1989 as senior VP. He had a hand in the hiring of Joe Torre […]
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The oldest ex-major leaguer passed away yeasterday at the age of 100. Here’s the AP obituary, but I expect Richard Goldstein of The New York Times to come up with something soon. Veteran writer Ray Robinson wrote this tribute when Werber ht the century mark last June 20. And read this appreciation from Steve Politi […]
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The last timne I went on vacation, I returned to the news that Bobby Murcer had died. This time, it’s Dock Ellis. (Just goes to show that I can’t go away for a minute.) The former Pittsburgh Pirate, who admitted to tossing his 1970 no-hitter against the San Diego Padres under the influence of LSD, […]
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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 blog 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
* The things we keep: The National
December 4, 2009
Twenty years ago, next January 31, The National Sports Daily made its debut. In the pre-Internet days, the mission statement of this publication was to provide readers with as much information as quickly and well-written as possible, taking a swipe at the weekly Sporting News (less so Sports Illustrated). Those lending their name to the […]
Tagged as: sports newspaper, The National
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