Ron Kaplan's Baseball Bookshelf
If it fits on a bookshelf, it fits here.
From the category archives:
According to Jon Friedman on MarketWatch.com, it’s Sports Illustrated‘s Gary Smith. Perhaps a secret to his success is that he maintains a distance from his peers. “I don’t read that much sports journalism,” he said. He prefers fiction and philosophy, which shouldn’t surprise his fans because he’s a master storyteller and amateur philosopher.
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According to the HBO Web site, the second story of the April 15 edition of the hour-long sports magazine profiles Torii Hunter: Since entering “The Show” in 1997, Torii Hunter has made playing center field look easy. His electrifying, fearless style earned him seven Gold Gloves, as well as a new $90-million contract with the […]
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You know baseball is a serious business when Forbes Magazine makes it the subject of a special issue. To which I say, well done, sirs. The issue. titled “Sportsmoney,” is a glitzy combination of thoughtful articles on economic issues, but with a mix of fun tossed in. Editor Michael Ozanian opines on “Baseball’s Golden Age” […]
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(Because I keep some old gloves on my bookshelf…) While looking for some artwork for the piece on the Forbes baseball special, I came across this 2001 article from the magazine on why they’re not making baseball gloves like they used to. Upshot: [T]oday’s inactive, rushed-to- slaughter, feedlot cattle don’t have hides as strong and […]
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This article in National Review Online is all about how baseball is the professional sport that best embodies conservative principles. The reasons have nothing to do with the game itself — the absence of a clock, the lack of penalties called by officials, the way fans can keep a ball hit into the stands, none […]
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Get me re-write. This story, dated April 7, is already obsolete since Pedro –called “the Mets’ clown prince and evil genius” — has been put on the disabled list following his first appearance. The onus now falls squarely on the shoulders of Johan Santana. The crew on Pardon the Interruption noted that all he has […]
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Bearing in mind that SI is a weekly, and ESPN a bi-weekly… Sports Illustrated ESPN The Magazine Cover boy(s) “New generation of Stars,” featuring Ryan Braun, Justin Upton, Troy Tulowitzki, Jacob Ellsbury, Clay Buchholz, and Ryan Zimmerman C.C. Sabathia Lead Story Tulowitzki profile Sabathia profile Sidebars(s) Five future stars (Cameron Maybin, Ryan Braun, Jay Bruce, […]
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The Minneapolis-based Finance and Commerce reports on entrepreneurs John Bonnes and Tom Genrich, a couple of Davids trying to beat back the Goliaths (in the form of the Minnesota Twins) by hawking Game Day, their own (unauthorized) version of the team’s program, available for sail at the Metrodome. They also host a similarly-named blog. They’re […]
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Forget the peanuts and popcorn. One of the nice things about the new season is the chance to read another New Yorker essay by Roger Angell. You can also listen to his comment here: http://downloads.newyorker.com/mp3/comment/080407_comment_baseball.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
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The newsweekly conducted a 10-question interview with the new Dodger skipper. The queries were submitted by Time‘s readers. The piece also includes an audio. http://www.sonibyte.com/audio/6370.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
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The current issue of Men’s Fitness features a cover story on Red Sox’ pitcher Josh Beckett. Meanwhile the current issue of Men’s Health features Derek Jeter as it’s cover boy. (They also have a brief piece featuring Jacob Ellerbsy of the Sox). I’m not just saying this because I’m from the NY area, but Jeter […]
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Sports Illustrated launched its new digital archive earlier this week. After a quick glance, and realizing it’s still in beta, I have mixed feelings. Bear in mind I’m only talking about the baseball here, but I’m assuming the same applies for everything else. As of today, there are 14,985 articles, 3,750 pictures, 69 “galleries” (photo […]
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Doubledown Media, LLC (http://www.doubledownmedia.com), announced its newest magazine launch, The Players Club — a magazine by and for professional athletes launched in partnership with New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies All-Star outfielder Lenny Dykstra. The Players Club will be focused on providing athletes with the resources to make well-informed financial and lifestyle decisions. Dykstra, a […]
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If ever there was a player who did not fit the New Yorker mold, it’s Lenny Dykstra, former Mets star. Ben McGrath wrote this in-depth profile about what “Nails” is doing these days. In fact, he’s is doing pretty well (“Improbably, he has since become a successful day trader. “). He’s also “launching a magazine, […]
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With apologies to Journey. Other publications have made their full runs available as either CD (New Yorker, Rolling Stone) or on-line, but this, this is an important resource. Coming Thursday to a computer near you.
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For a few weeks I was wondering when the Street & Smith’s new baseball annual would hit the newsstands. After all, the other publishers had released their magazines. I figured it would surely be available by now. Well. it’s not. And don’t call me Shirley. After a visit to my local Barnes and Noble proved […]
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A feature piece on Kadir Nelson’s new children’s book on the Negro Leagues, as well as a slide-show of the author’s paintings of some of the legends of the era.
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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
* State of the "art"?
April 10, 2008
Michael Rowe wrote this analysis of modern sportswriting on the Utne Reader Web site. He laments the art of the craft, as was evidenced by such wordsmiths as Ring Lardner, Huey Fullerton, and, more recently, the likes of Roger Angell. “Does sportswriting suck,” he asks, bemoaning the lack of reporting “that tackles an actual ethical […]
Tagged as: Sportswriting
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