Ron Kaplan's Baseball Bookshelf
If it fits on a bookshelf, it fits here.
From the category archives:
I always get a kick out of seeing an old book “discovered” by a new generation of fans/readers. Case in point, Jules Tygiel’s examination of Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey. His remains one of the best on the subject, a notion with which Blackathlete.net seems to agree.
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One of the few books that dares to have an open mind about the steroid scandals. From Sports of Boston.com. Uphsot: If you are convinced Barry Bonds used steroids, read this book. It is going where other books have not gone before and that alone makes it worth picking up. Bonds is a horrible human […]
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An enthusiastic critique of this graphic novel by Comicstory-arc.com. And another from Publisher’s Weekly. Here are some samples from the book.
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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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Author Allen Barra submits his list of top books for the new season, including: Baseball Prospectus Change Up Rob Neyer’s Big Book of Baseball Legends You Can Observe a Lot by Watching, although I’m not sure why this is here, since it’s not new.
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I’m going out on a limb here, because there’s no description, but I’m guessing the Fiftybooksproject blog is a school assignment, which means these are young people writing the reviews. That’s kind of refreshing. The choice of The Southpaw strikes me as a bit unusual. For one thing, it’s a serious book that I don’t […]
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I came across this 12-year-old article from Marylaine.com on baseball novels. It’s no less relevant now, and maybe, with the hindsight of time, can offer a few suggestions that might have gone unconsidered.
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From MPNow.com (Canandaigua, NY), this review of the book about the Negro Leagues that’s receiving universal praise.
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http://images.booksense.com/images/books/217/243/FC9780803243217.JPG The image “http://images.booksense.com/images/books/217/243/FC9780803243217.JPG” cannot be displayed, because it contains errors.The TwinsGeek blog carries this review of Tom Swift’s new book on the early 20th-century pitcher.
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As reviewed in the Providence (RI) Journal. Upshot: [Author Peter] Morris achieves his main purpose, and more. He traces the game’s westward advance — often along canal and railroad routes — and its evolution toward competitiveness and standardized rules. As he does, he takes the reader deep into the culture of 19th-century America, as revolutions […]
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They’re coming in fast and furious now. Selena Roberts on SI.com writes that Canseco’s allegations about other players who use warrant further scrutiny. “It’s up to baseball’s new detective squad to unearth the truth about A-Rod, about Ordonez, about their owners, before Canseco makes it a trilogy.” Chris Olds of the Orlando Sentinel calls Vindicated […]
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Two reviews from the book industry publication: The Crowd Sounds Happy: A Story of Love, Madness and Baseball, by Nicholas Dawidof (a “starred” review) and Working at the Ballpark: The Fascinating Lives of Baseball People—from Peanut Vendors and Broadcasters to Players and Managers, by Tom Jones (a different one, I’m sure).
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With the dozens of new titles out each year, it’s interesting to see if there’s a consensus among the major media as to which titles to promote. I’ll be looking into that further a bit later, when more data comes in. For now, here’s the take from the Sun-Times: Change Up: An Oral History of […]
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As appears on SportsAgentblog.com. Up-shot: I think that a major hurdle that I had to get past was the unorthodox style of authors Larry Burke and Peter Thomas Fornatale. Before opening Change Up, I had never read a book that was 95% narrated by other people. The stories do a little jumping all over the […]
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The Chicago Daily Defender considers this one a “no-brainer.” Up-shot: …a low batting average of insight to arcana. But if, in spite of all this advice, you simply must have a copy of “Your Brain on Cubs,” be sure to put it in the bathroom book bin. It should match perfectly with your Cubs toilet […]
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From Kevin’s Meandering Mind, this review about regional baseball.
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A selection of four kids’ books, including: Smithsonian Baseball Treasures, by Stephen Wong Swinging for the Fences: Hank Aaron and Me, by Mike Leonetti Six Innings, by James Preller Barnstormers, Game 3, by Phil Bildner
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Several children’s titles here.
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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
