From the category archives:

Non-fiction

Bits and pieces

July 21, 2011

Because, why not? Baseball Reflections posted this review of David Halberstam‘s October 1964, one of several baseball books from the author of “more important” works. Upshot:”This work is one of the most in depth looks at the behind the scenes make-up of a World Series match-up that has ever been written. While certainly not a […]

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Combining two themes here to bring you some recent podcasts. * Craig Robinson, author of the new Flip Flop Fly Ball: An Infographic Baseball Adventure (See all Humor Books), was on the July 19 edition of Slate’s Hang Up and Listen. There are several excellent questions about Robinson’s though processes as he comes up with […]

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From the Baseball-Reference.com Bullpen: San Francisco’s Gaylord Perry connects for his first Major League homer, to beat the Dodgers, 7 – 3. The previous year, Giants’ manager Alvin Dark had remarked that “They’ll put a man on the moon before he hits a home run.” Perry’s homer comes about 20 minutes after the club house […]

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Winning, Losing, and the Remembrance of Things Past, by Lee Congdon. St. Augustine’s Press I’m not going to spend a lot of time on this one. A) I’m on vacation and working as much as possible on my own project, and B) I was fairly disappointed with the book. When I scanned the upcoming titles […]

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One down, one to go

May 26, 2011

With the Red Sox having broken their long, long streak without a World Championship, the Cubs are still standing at the wall, waiting to get into the dance. Chicago Heights Patch, one of the new trend of  hyper-local sites, published this story about an appearance by Charles Billington, author of the 2005 book Wrigley Field’s […]

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Bits and Pieces

May 24, 2011

As I try to play some catch-up: From the Atlantic: “Why the Royals are a Better Baseball Team Than the Yankees.” Sports Illustrated‘s Tom Verducci gives us more Wilpon analysis. Marc Tracey published this review of Bottom of the 33rd: Hope, Redemption, and Baseball’s Longest Game by Dan Barry. Upshot: “More than an Easter play, […]

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(Or “Night and Day, you are the one…”) One of the baseball books that’s been getting a lot of buzz lately is Dan Barry’s Bottom of the 33rd: Hope, Redemption, and Baseball’s Longest Game, about the longest game in pro baseball, a 1981 affair between the Pawtucket Red Sox and the Rochester Red Wings. Herewith […]

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Judy Van Sickle Johnson over at the very excellent Watching the Game blog does the occasional book review that goes beyond the normal critique. Her thoughtful takes include sundry views on life, the universe, and everything, to borrow another title. Her latest considers Matthew Silverman’s Baseball Miscellany: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Baseball […]

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Bits and pieces

May 3, 2011

Now brought to you by … the breakfast cereal of AMC’s The Killing. Very cool. Anyway… * Ben Platt posted this review of Kostya Kennedy’s new biography of Joe DiMaggio on MLB.com. * The “Bats” baseball blog of The New York Times ran this profile of Steve Stone, author of the new book Said In […]

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Day 23: New York Mets: 50 Amazin’ Seasons — The Complete Illustrated History Day 24: The Runmakers: A New Way to Rate Baseball Players Day 25: Wizardry: Baseball’s All-Time Greatest Fielders Revealed Day 26: Pitchers of Beer: The Story of the Seattle Rainiers Day 27: Bullpen Diaries: Mariano Rivera, Bronx Dreams, Pinstripe Legends, and the […]

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Here’s the latest week’s worth of Tom Hoffarth’s Book a Day feature from the LA Daily News. Day 16: The Most Famous Woman in Baseball: Effa Manley and the Negro Leagues Day 17: 1961*: The Inside Story of the Maris-Mantle Home Run Chase Day 18: Bottom of the 33rd: Hope, Redemption, and Baseball’s Longest Game […]

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Bits and pieces

April 20, 2011

Time once again for a major links dump to make up for bad behavior. Warning: some of these links go back to March. Just sayin’. * A member of Red Sox Nation pays tribute to a “mortal enemy” by giving the NY Times photo book on Derek Jeter the thumbs up. * The Wall Street […]

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TWIBB: March 18, 2011

March 18, 2011 · 2 comments

The top baseball books, according to Amazon.com as of Friday, March 18, at 4 p.m. Title Rank General Baseball in the Garden of Eden: The Secret History of the Early Game, by John Thorn 1 The Extra 2%: How Wall Street Strategies Took a Major League Baseball Team from Worst to First, by Jonah Keri […]

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Intro: As previously stated, the recent election of Robert Alomar and Bert Blyleven got me to thinking: how many Hall of Famers have had books written about them or penned their own stories. Here are the results. Again, this is not an all-inclusive list; almost all juvenile titles have been omitted. * * * Hal […]

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TWIBB: March 4, 2011

March 4, 2011

The top baseball books, according to Amazon.com as of Friday, Feb 25, at 1:30 p.m. Title Rank General Baseball Prospectus 2011 1 Baseball America 2011 Prospect Handbook: The 2011 Expert Guide to Baseball Prospects and MLB Organization Rankings 2 Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, by Michael Lewis (Kindle version) 3 Moneyball: The […]

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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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Intro: As previously stated, the recent election of Robert Alomar and Bert Blyleven got me to thinking: how many Hall of Famers have had books written about them or penned their own stories. Here are the results. Again, this is not an all-inclusive list; almost all juvenile titles have been omitted. * * * “M” […]

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TWIBB: Feb. 25, 2011

February 25, 2011

The top baseball books, according to Amazon.com as of Friday, Feb 25, at 1:30 p.m. Title Rank General Baseball Prospectus 2011 1 Baseball America 2011 Prospect Handbook: The 2011 Expert Guide to Baseball Prospects and MLB Organization Rankings 2 Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, by Michael Lewis (Kindle version) 3 The Last […]

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The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, located in Kansas City, MO, will  host “Baseball Book Notes” featuring Dr. Adrian Burgos, Jr. on Saturday, May 7, at 10:30 am. Burgos, who teaches history at the University of Illinois, will discuss and sign copies of his work Cuban Star: How One Negro-League Owner Changed the Face of Baseball, […]

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“M” is truly an amazing initial for Hall of Famers, isn’t it? Mays, Mantle, Musial, Marichal, , McCovey, Mathewson, no to mention managers such as McCarthy, Mack and McGraw Connie Mack (Manager; inducted 1937) My 66 Years in the Big Leagues, by Mack (1950) Connie Mack and the Early Years of Baseball, Macht (2007) The […]

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