Ron Kaplan's Baseball Bookshelf
If it fits on a bookshelf, it fits here.
From the category archives:
The Hall of Famer, Class of ’39, was born this day in 1852. The Amazon Report for Cap Anson: Howard Rosenberg has done an exhaustive study of Anson, compiling a four-volume biography. Cap Anson 1: When Captaining a Team Meant Something Leadership in Baseball’s Early Years Cap Anson 2: The Theatrical and Kingly Mike Kelly: […]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
in 1929, the Yankees become first team to wear digits on uniforms. Numbers are assigned based on the order in the lineup thus Earle Combs wore #1, Mark Koenig #2, Babe Ruth #3, Lou Gehrig #4, Bob Meusel #5, Tony Lazzeri #6, Leo Durocher #7, Johnny Grabowski #8, Benny Bengough #9, and Bill Dickey #10 […]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
The Boston ace who won the Cy Young in 1967 for leading his team to their first pennant in 30-plus years turns 66 today. I can still see his picture, shirt undone as he joins teammates in celebrating the pennant clincher. Unfortunately he suffered a broken leg in a skiing accident and was never the […]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
in 1955, Chuck Tanner hits a home run in his first major league at bat for the Milwaukee Braves. He would have another 20 in his eight-season playing career. (Thanks, NationalPastime.com.) His son, Bruce, pitched in 10 games for the White Sox in 1985. Seems like he could have used him over in Pittsburgh, where […]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
In 1913, in a game which features President Woodrow Wilson throwing out the first pitch, Washington’s Walter Johnson gives up an unearned run in the first inning of the home opener but will not yield another for 56 innings. The Senators beat the Yankees, 2-1. (Thanks to NationalPastime.com.)
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
MLB’s “police officer” turns 62 today. Watson‘s claim to fame was scoring the one millionth run in Major League (i.e., NL and AL) history. He enjoyed an 18-year career, spent mostly with the Houston Astros, with a few seasons with the Red Sox, Yankees, and Braves. The Amazon Report on Bob Watson: Survive To Win
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
In 1969, the Seattle Pilots score all of their runs in the first inning to win their major league debut over the Angels, 4-3. See the table of contents here. More about the book.
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
The Hall of Fame catcher turns 54 today. Carter was a “like him, hate him” kind of guy. There are those who said he was too eager to smile for the camera. For me, as a fan of the Mets, he was a savior, one of the tools helping propel them to some quality years […]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
in 1969, Ted Williams makes his managerial debut in front of President Nixon and a crowd of 45,000 at Washington’s RFK Stadium. ‘Tricky Dick’s’ Senators are defeated by the Yankees, 8-4. (Thanks nationalpastime.com) Williams was the subject of a 1970 book, What a Baseball Manager Does, by Roy Hoopes.
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Born this date in 1873. Talk about “old school.” The Amazon Report on John McGraw: My Thirty Years in Baseball, by John McGraw and Charles Alexander Casey and Mr. McGraw, by Joe Durso How to play baseball, by John McGraw Science of baseball, by John McGraw The Old Ball Game: How John McGraw, Christy Mathewson, […]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Came across this piece on one of my Google searches. It’s dated (2003), but there still valuable information to be gleaned.
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Another oldie but goodie, this one from Play by the Book, a blog of books and baseball.
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
The sister of Paul O’Neill wrote Mostly True: A Memoir of Family, Food and Baseball in 2006. She will discuss her memoir on Sunday, April 6, at 2 p.m. at Ferguson Library’s main branch in Stamford, CT. Mostly True: A Memoir of Family, Food, and Baseball
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
“A-Rod makes more than Marlins Roster” Rodriguez: $28,000,000 Marlins: $21,800,000* * Active roster includes Lee Gardner, Kevin Gregg, Mike Hendrickson, Logan Kensing, Matt Lindstrom, Andrew Miller, Ricky Nolasco, Scott Olsen, Renyel Pinto, Taylor Tankersley, Rick VandenHurk, Paul Hoover, Matt Treanor, Robert Andino, Jorge Cantu, Mike Jacobs, Hanley Ramirez, Dan Uggla, Jason Wood, Alfredo Amexaga, Brett […]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
“Knucksie” turns 69 today. The Hall of Famer defied time by pitching until he was 48, amassing a record of 311-274 while playing for some pretty bad teams. One stat I found particularly “enjoyable”: In 1979 Niekro won 21, lost 21, started 44 games, completed 23 (more than entire leagues these days), threw 311 innings, […]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
‘Nuff said.
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
Perkins School of Theology will host a worship service entitled “Reflections on Baseball” in Perkins Chapel at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 2. Speakers include Dr. Mark W. Stamm, associate professor of Christian Worship at Perkins and Dr. Kathleen Sullivan Porter, Academic Advisor in Dedman College, Southern Methodist University. In addition to being lifelong baseball fans, […]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
in 1973, the Braves release former 30-game winner Denny McLain two days before his 29th birthday. In a career which spanned ten years, McLain compiled a 131-92 record with an ERA of 3.39. I Told You I Wasn’t Perfect In 1982, the Mariners sign 43-year old Gaylord Perry to a one-year contract. The ‘Ancient Mariner’ […]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
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
* Catching up, Part 1
April 8, 2008
There’s a lot of material that’s fallen by the wayside as I try to keep this blog fresh with the latest in baseball book publishing information. But in the words of the revered philosopher, Regis Philbin, “I’m only one man!” So I’m using this space to try to catch up. Some of the items might […]
Tagged as: Audio, baseball books, Bobble heads, collections, hobbies, Memorabilia, Nostalgia, Sportswriting
{ Comments on this entry are closed }