go to Bobby Richardson, who turns 75 today, and Ron Darling, who hits the half-century mark. The Bobby Richardson Story The Complete Game: Reflections on Baseball and the Art of Pitching
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Ron Kaplan's Baseball Bookshelf
If it fits on a bookshelf, it fits here.
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August 19, 2010
go to Bobby Richardson, who turns 75 today, and Ron Darling, who hits the half-century mark. The Bobby Richardson Story The Complete Game: Reflections on Baseball and the Art of Pitching
Tagged as: Bobby Richardson, Ron Darling
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May 3, 2009
A joint review of two new books by former Mets graces the pages of the Sunday Times Book Review Section. Under the general headline “The Boys of Bummer,” Bruce Handy, a writer and deputy editor of Vantiy Fair, critiques Ron Darling’s The Perfect Game: Reflections on Baseball, Pitching, and Life on the Mound, and Darryl […]
Tagged as: Darryl Strawberry, New York Times, Ron Darling
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April 15, 2009
Ron Darling, former Mets star and author of The Complete Game: Reflections on Baseball, Pitching, and Life on the Mound, was on The Daily Show last night. The more I watch the interview segments of the program, the less I like the job Jon Stewart does as host. he’s fine for the “news” items, but […]
Tagged as: Keith Hernandez, New York Mets, Ron Darling, Shea Stadium
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March 31, 2009
Former Mets’ favorite and current broadcaster Ron Darling humps his new book, The Complete Game: Reflections on Baseball, Pitching, and Life on the Mound, on today’s Brian Lehrer Show. You can hear the segment here http://audio.wnyc.org/bl/bl033109epod.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
Tagged as: Brian Lehrer, National Public Radio, New York Mets, Ron Darling
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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.
In Forbes Magazine re: Baseball Business Books
On Will Carroll’s “Under the Knife” substack
Most recent books read updated 12/21/24:
Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose, and the Last Glory Days of Baseball, by Keith O’Brien
Grade: A. The most in-depth bio to date, focusing on Rose's gambling addiction.
Sometimes You See It Coming, by Kevin Baker
Grade: B. I first read this one when it originally came out some 30 years ago. I must say I don't remember it being so raunchy in spots. Draws on lots of real-life events and characters that real fans will recognize.
The Last of His Kind: Clayton Kershaw and the Burden of Greatness, by Andy McCullough
Grade: A. I usually don't like titles with superlatives, but in this case the author might be right, although there are probably a couple of Kershaw's contemporaries (Verlander and Scherzer) who fit that description.
The Yankee Way: The Untold Inside Story of the Brian Cashman Era, by Andy Martino
Grade: B+. Even this non-Yankee fan found the deep background with its Moneyball-like machinations interesting
The New York Game: Baseball and the Rise of a New City, by Kevin Baker
Grade: A. Well-researched, well-written. What else could you ask for? Baker has a lot of street cred writing about New York as well, both in fiction and non-fiction.
The Body Scout, by Lincoln Michel
Grade: C. Perhaps the ultimate performance enhancers -- interchangeable body parts -- help major leaguers of the future. But, as with all of these things, there's a price to pay.
Cardboard Gods: An All-American Tale Told Through Baseball Cards, by Josh Wilker
Grade: A. Re-read in preparation for a Bookshelf Conversation with the author. Had a deeper meaning than when I first read it more than a decade ago.
The Bookshelf Conversation
Discussions about all things baseball with authors, journalists, filmmakers, musicians, artists, et al
Subscribe to the "Bookshelf Conversations" podcast on iTunes and please leave a rating and/or review. Gracias!
Mike Shannon on "Diamond Classics II" ( video)
Todd Radom, Ellen Linder, and Brian Kong ( video)
Rick Cerrone (Baseball Digest, video)
Kevin Baker (Sometimes You See It Coming, video)
Curtis Pride and Doug Ward (video)
Dan Epstein on James Earl Jones (video)
Jim Gilmore and Tracy Holcomb (video)
"The Lost Tapes": Conversations prior to 2011 (audio)
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


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