Ron Kaplan's Baseball Bookshelf
If it fits on a bookshelf, it fits here.
From the category archives:
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, […]
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Another oldie but goodie, this one from Play by the Book, a blog of books and baseball.
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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
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“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 […]
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“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, […]
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‘Nuff said.
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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, […]
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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’ […]
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in 1957, Yankee manager Casey Stengel is arrested and is released on $50 bail after he allegedly curses at and kicks a newspaper photographer during an exhibition game in St. Petersburg. (Thanks to NationalPastime.com.) So what did the stunned shutterbug say to Stengel? Now wait a minute, Casey!
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The Hall of Famer was born this day in 1893. “Gorgeous George” languished with the browns for most of his career, compiling a lietime .340 average. He twice batted over .400 and was the 1922 American League MVP. Perhaps he was more proud of the fact that two of his sons, Dick and Dave, went […]
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The Hall of Fame outfielder for the Phillies was born this day in 1927. Ashburn, who finished his career with the New York Mets, was a popular broadcaster for the Phillies. The Amazon Report on Richie Ashburn: Richie Ashburn Remembered (excerpt here) The Richie Ashburn story
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in 1954, the Baltimore Orioles purchase the contract of first baseman Eddie Waitkus from the Philadelphia Phillies. Waitkus was the player shot by a stalker fan and the supposed inspiration for Bernard Malamud’s The Natural. The Amazon Report for Eddie Waitkus: Baseball’s Natural: The Story of Eddie Waitkus
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“Little Poison” was born this day in 1906. The 5’9″ Hall of Fame outfielder for (primarily) this Pittsburgh Prates batted .318 over his 18-year career (1927-45). Legend states that he has his brother, “Big Poison” Paul, were thusly dubbed by Dodger fans who said “There goes the big poison (person in Brooklynese) and the little […]
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The Minnesota Twins Hall-of-Famer was born this date in 1960. He died way too young, just shy of his 46th birthday in 2006. The Amazon Report for Kirby Puckett: I Love This Game!: My Life and Baseball Puck! Kirby Puckett: Baseball’s Last Warrior Be the Best You Can Be
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Almost didn’t get this one in today. John Franklin Baker was born on this date in Trappe, Maryland in 1886. I only mention his birthplace because it was also where he died 77 years later. I wonder how many people live and die in the town in which they were born? Baker spent his 13-year […]
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The submariner journeyman pitcher turns 58 today. Leach was another of those players who came to the Majors relatively late (27). He had one great year, going 11-1 for the Mets in 1987, including a 10-innning, 1-0 shutout, but received relatively littl fanfare. Leach wrote about his experiences, including his sense of betrayal by “the […]
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Potential is such as sad word when it comes to sports. It seems it more often used when an athlete fails to live up to the predictions. Strawberry, who turns 46 today, was one such player. When he burst on to the scene with the Mets in 1983, people started comparing him with Ted Williams […]
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in 1933, Rogers Hornsby returns to the Cardinals as a player after a six year absence (thanks to NationalPastime.com). Hornsby was not one of your happy, shining people. His reputation as a misanthrope preceded him, yet he was able to find a job because he was such an astute baseball ma who batted over .400 […]
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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
* A "how-to" guide for buying baseball books
April 7, 2008
Came across this piece on one of my Google searches. It’s dated (2003), but there still valuable information to be gleaned.
Tagged as: baseball books
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