Number 1, with and without a bullet

Classic title

Apropos to yesterday’s post on The Babe Ruth Story, these are the only baseball books to make the top spot on The New York Times Best-Seller list, along with the dates of their “coronation”: The Boys of Summer, by Roger Kahn, May 28, 1972 (a total of 24 weeks on the list) Summer of ’49, […]

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This week (Sept. 10) in Sports Illustrated

Uncategorized

Baseball items will become more scarce until the post-season kicks in as college and pro football games become more prevalent. So enjoy it while you can. This week’s baseball items include: Photos of Clay Buchholz’s no-hitter over the Orioles A chart of possible 300-game winners “Hitting a fastball…with Chipper Jones” “Back to School Memories,” including […]

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Resource: The Whole Baseball Catalogue

Industry/Literary Analysis

They don’t make ’em like this anymore. At least not lately. The Whole Baseball Catalogue, edited by John Thorn and Bob Carroll (A Fireside Book, published by Simon and Schuester, 1990) has an excellent chapter on “Going by the Book: Baseball Between the Covers.” “You can have a complete library for approximately what it costs […]

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The first baseball book to make the NY Times' best-seller list

Classic title

The Babe Ruth Story, by Babe Ruth and Bob Considine, was the first baseball book to make the prestigious NY Times‘ Bestseller List (July 4, 1948), debuting at #15. Read the original review, which appeared 0n May 2, 1948 together with Walter Johnson, King of the Pitchers, by Roger L. Treat; Jackie Robinson: My Own […]

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Whither 756?

Memorabilia

Fashion entrepreneur Marc Ecko recently purchased Barry Bonds’ 756 home run ball for more than $752,000. So what’s he going to do with it? Put it on his desk? On the mantlepiece in his home? No. Ecko, a man of the people, wants those people to have a say in the fate of said ball. […]

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Review: The Entitled

New title

by Frank Deford Sourcebooks, 2007 I don’t like reviews of fiction too much. Not reading them, not writing them. I find it too subjective. And when it comes to writing, I find it difficult to not divulge too much of the story. The titular “entitled” is a superstar outfielder for the Cleveland Indians. His “entitlement,” […]

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This week (Sept. 17) in Sports Illustrated

Magazines

Cover story: Football again. Baseball coverage: Alex Rodriguez is included in “As Good as It Gets,” by Phil Taylor. Along with Roger Federer and Tiger Woods, A-Rod is celebrated for his accomplishment of hitting seven home runs in five games. “For the Record” takes a look at “The Unnatural,” a.k.a Rick Ankiel. The former pitcher […]

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Bits and Pieces

Bits and Pieces

A collection of (very) brief entries on several dozen baseball titles from The Bullpen (“baseball’s collaborative encyclopedia”), a wiki-type subsection of the excellent Baseball-reference.com. “Books” fall into a broader “Media” category which also includes broadcaster, authors, writers, fictional abseball teams and characters, ESPN personalities, literature, movies, TV/Radio, and television shows. Like most wikis, this seems […]

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Bronx is Burning: A revised assessment

Baseball movies

Prompted by this review of Jonathan Mahler’s best-seller, and after finally having finished watching the miniseries, I have come away with a new appreciation for the televised version. Several weeks ago, I was skeptical about the project. I amend my criticism somewhat. Platt was an excellent Steinbrenner and most of the series depicted the difficulties […]

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Review: Welcome to The Terrordome

Review by Ron Kaplan

The Pain, Politics, and Promise of Sports, by Dave Zirin (Haymarket Books, 2007) Dave Zirin is an angry young man. But he has his rights and speaks on behalf of the multitude of fans whose attatchment to their games goes beyond the box scores. His Web site, EdgeofSports.com, is a double entendre: the topics for […]

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Richard Carter, co-author of The Way It Is, dead at 89

Author Profile / interview

Richard Carter, an award-winning newspaper writer for the New York Compass, and co-author of Curt Flood’s 1971 memoir, The Way It Is, died on Sept. 8 at the age of 89. Flood wrote his book after his decision to quit baseball rather than acquiesce to a trade from the St. Louis Cardinals, where he had […]

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Author profiles: Angell, Halberstam, Deford

Author Profile / interview

From Powells.com, the online book store, three “exclusive” author interviews: “Roger Angell, Still Throwing Strikes“ “Frank Deford Recalls When the Radio Guys Came in with Packs on Their Backs, Looking like Astronauts (and More)“ “David Halberstam’s Hit Streak Continues“

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Profile: Elinor Naeun, editor of Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend

Profile by Ron Kaplan

When songwriter Julie Styne penned “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend,” he couldn’t have known that it would apply not only to jewelry, but to green fields and wood bats. Elinor Nauen recognized the dual meaning when she edited an anthology of baseball writing by women. The collection features a lineup of heavy literary hitters […]

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Bits and pieces

Bits and Pieces

From Baseball-fever.com, this discussion thread about books, television, and other arts-type issues. From the Dowagiac (Mich.) Daily News Web site, an somewhat poorly-written item about a new book on the House of David, which includes considerable material about its famous baseball team. From the Faithandfear, a blog about the NY Mets, this review of Dana […]

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Writer Profile: Sportswriter Maury Allen is Burning to act

Television

As a sportswriter for the New York Post, Maury Allen had a front row seat for the tumultuous 1977 baseball season. The Yankees were in turmoil; the city was mired in social and economic woes that came to national attention when disastrous blackout struck; and a serial killer was on the loose. Jonathan Mahler brought […]

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From father to son: Interview with James Bassler

Bits and Pieces

From the Smithsonian Archives of American Art, an extensive interview with the artists James Bassler, son of major leaguer catcher Johnny Bassler who played from 1913-14 with the Cleveland Naps and, after a seven year absence, returned for another seven years with the Detroit Tigers (1921-27). He compiled a lifetime .304 batting average with a […]

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On-line exhibit: "America's National Game": The Albert G. Spalding Collection of Early baseball Photographs

History

The New York Public Library is hosting this marvelous collection of old-tyme baseball images. Some are in uniform, others more formal, and others staged “action” shots. The Albert G. Spalding Collection includes photographs, prints, drawings, caricatures, and printed illustrations related to baseball and other sports gathered by the early baseball player and sporting-goods tycoon A. […]

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Announcement: Haunted Baseball

New title

From the Sept. 4, 2007 issue of the Worcester Telegram: Baseball and ghost stories are part of the fabric of American culture. A new book by Mickey Bradley and Dan Gordon, Haunted Baseball: Ghosts, Curses, Legends, Eerie Events (288 pp., The Lyons Press, $14.95), combines both, according to the publisher. It is a “fun and […]

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Pocket Books Gets Yankee Stadium retrospective

Industry/Literary Analysis

From Publishers Weekly, Sept. 4, 2007 With 2008 set to be the last year that the New York Yankees will play in the current Yankee Stadium, Pocket Books’ v-p and deputy publisher Anthony Ziccardi has acquired Yankee Stadium: The Official Retrospective. The book, acquired from Mark Vancil of Rare Air Media, will feature more than […]

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This week (Sept. 10) in Sports Illustrated

Magazines

With football season starting, baseball will lose its dominance on the pages of SI. This week’s items include: Photos of Jay Buchholz’s no-hitter over the Orioles “Hitting fastballs with…Chipper Jones Back to School memories with several big leaguers including Shawn Green, Adam Dunn, and Russell Martin (no really big stars here) A chart of potential […]

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