Ron Kaplan's Baseball Bookshelf
If it fits on a bookshelf, it fits here.
From the category archives:
Because I find cricket so fascinating. From The Wall Street Journal‘s Daily Fix blog: The Ashes: Record-Breaking Day at the Bottom of the Order In cricket the last slot in the batting order is a little like the pitcher’s spot in National League baseball. It’s usually reserved for your weakest hitter and you’d be crazy […]
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From the folks at Mental Floss. Just curious: As a New Yorker, I know there are “official” songs for the Mets and Yankees. And “Tessie” has historically been considered the theme for the Boston Red Sox There are lots of songs about teams, but I’m just looking for more “official” tunes. For example, is this […]
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Or, ‘What’s a ball game without a nosh?’ From this week’s “Lightning Fill-in-the-Blank” round of my favorite NPR podcast: PETER SAGAL: Cincinnati Reds reliever Aroldis Chapman pitched the worst game of his career after blanking. FAITH SALIE: Michele? (Editor’s Note: a reference to that show’s “Not My Job” guest, sports side-line reporter Michele Tafoya) (LAUGHTER) […]
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So was the guy holding out the candy bar like it was a microphone/recording device?
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I’m sure I corresponded about this with Dave Jamieson after my recent purchase of a pack of 2013 cards and well before this NY Times story came out, but can’t seem to find a record in any of my e-mail accounts. Drives me nuts. Anyway, has anyone else notice that Topps changed its card-numbering system? […]
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I have been begging for an update of the classic Dodger Dogs to Fenway Franks: The Ultimate Guide to America’s Top Baseball Parks, originally published in 1988 by Bob Wood. If they ever get around to do that, they’ll have to update the info to include not only the new teams, as well as the […]
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That remains to be seen, but Baseball National posted this about one of the few baseball movies that I have missed: the 1953 vehicle Big Leaguer, starring Edward G. Robinson as a former, well, big leaguer. Pro ballplayers Tony Ravish (!), Bob Trocolor, Harv Tomtor (in an uncredited role), and Al “Necessities” Campanis all appeared […]
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Some people are nostalgic for the old days. Boomers might think the 1950s and 1960s were the best of times (despite social unrest, Jim Crow laws, fewer rights for women, worse health care, etc.). Their parents might think it was the simple more innocent time of the 30s and 40s. I know I long for […]
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Not content with destroying their previous franchise — my beloved Montreal Expos — the current management of the Miami Marlins are intent on ruining — for the second time — another team as well as crushing the souls of whatever fan base they’ve managed to muster. Now they have the nerve to sue a […]
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Since I write a weekly Torah haiku as part of my many functions at the New Jersey Jewish News, I thought I’d give some props to Diane Firstman, who blogs at the thoughtful and often “out there” Value Over Replacement Grit for her season preview haikus posted at ESPN.com. Brewers BrewCrew is Hartless And Gamel […]
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Actually when I was a head counselor at Camp Maromac, they called me Dr. Wakeup, but that’s another story. Anyway, Rob Neyer posted this about who the real Mr. baseball is, or should be, or something like that, offering a quote from the Dickson Baseball Dictionary.
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Last week I wrote about the little factoids that appear on the back of baseball cards. Rob Neyer at baseball Nation picks up on that theme with this post focusing on the 2013 Bowman set.
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I wonder if that was an edict handed down by MLB. Submitted for your enjoyment: Cleveland Indians: A (Annotated!) Miami Marlins: B+ Arizona Diamondbacks: B Oakland A’s: B- Kansas City Royals: D
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Courtesy of my daughter, a student at NYU.
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I was watching Saturday Night Live last weekend and the musical guest was Macklemore whose hot song is “Thrift Shop.” Warning: Naughty words render this video NSFW. There are some “clean” versions to be found, but they don’t convey the story without the action, which is why I’m posting the original. I’m not familiar with […]
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Heh. From The Perry Bible Fellowship
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Long gone are the days when Topps would post tiny cartoons talking about a player’s unique skill, accomplishment or hobby. But fear not; as long as there are Jumbotrons, we’ll still be able to enjoy these gems.
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Sorry, but no cards for George Washington, top, who played for the Chicago White Sox from 1935-36, or Ezra Lincoln, below, who split his one big league season in 1890 between the Cleveland Spiders and Syracuse Stars.
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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
