As fans, we are very fortunate that baseball has been documented over the years and continues in sharing differing view points of the game. Authors such as Fay Vincent, George Castle, Sam Walker, George F. Will, Jonah Keri, and Roger Kahn have left a legacy with us in their many informative and entertaining novels. These books, with all the knowledge they hold, will be around forever and with that, the authors have made their personal portrayal of baseball something we can always use as resource to broaden our own love of the game.
The best part? There are books for every type of baseball fan. Whether you've been to hundred of games or just a few, Zack Hample's Watching Baseball Smarter can intensify your personal connection to the game. Do you view baseball as a religion or even have some great obsticles in your way? Then Josh Hamilton's autobiography, Beyond Belief will suit you just right. Fantasy Baseball fanatic? Check out Sam Walker's Fantasyland dubbed "Brilliantly funny!" by the Washington Post. I've been reading baseball books for as long as I can remember, and in that 24 year time span I can honestly say that the words in those books have insprired me in life, work, and even love. Tommy Lasorda's, I Live for This, changed my life - I finally found the words to describe my own love for baseball after hearing his.
The list below is my summer reading list of books I have been recommended to read or stumbled upon on my own. Last summer I read the books mentioned above and about 12-15 others (some can be found on the right panel of this blog with links to purchase them on amazon.com.)
Book #1: The Extra 2%, by Jonah Keri (forward by Mark Cuban). Subtitle: How Wall Street Strategies Took a Major League Baseball Team from Worst to First --- Details the Tampa Bay Rays. My interest in this book comes from it's comparable financial aspect of Moneyball, one of my all time favorites. It delves deeper than the surface of assembling a team to the actual figures, strategies, and intense study used to take a low market team to compete against the best of the AL East (Yankees and Red Sox).
Review: "Jonah Keri has given us a fascinating look at how the Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays became winners. The Extra 2% is a captivating book if you love baseball, but it's an even more captivating book if you love success" -Joe Posnanski, senior writer, Sports Illustrated.
Book #2: Men at Work, by George F. Will. Subtitle: The Craft of Baseball --- A #1 New York Times Bestseller. This book was recommended to me by a friend who works for the Chicago White Sox noting it is one for the most passionate, die hard fans of baseball.
Review: "George knows baseball. No kidding... Men at Work turns out to be a delightful look at all the little things that make major league baseball a subtle spectacle," -Seattle Times
Review: "A classic... the best baseball book of the '90s" - Chicago Tribune
Book #3: Fantasyland, by Sam Waker. Subtitle: A Sportswriter's Obsessive Bid to Win the World's Most Ruthless Fantasy Baseball League. I originally read this book in 2008, during one of the greatest baseball seasons of my life. I connected with the book through it's hilarious, yet charismatic view of the world of fantasy sports - and how to be the best! Not going to lie though, the only reason I read it in the first place was because the author very first chapter is about Jacque Jones, one of my all time favorite players.
Review: "Entertaining... One of the book's strengths is that Mr. Walker not only finds the humor in this world of the obsessed, he also finds the drama... Mr. Walker's prose is entertaining and informative... and often very sweet" - New York Times
Book #4: It's What's Inside the Lines That Counts, by Fay Vincent. Subtitle: Baseball Stars of the 1970s and 1980s Talk About the Game They Loved. First of, it's a book of first person narratives put together by a former MLB commisioner, so you know it's going to be packed with good stories. Second, my favorite books are the ones that chronicle early players of the game. Since I was not around when these legends played, the next best thing is to hear their personal viewpoints of the game, teammates, fans and traveling the country playing baseball. Fay also wrote a book called "We Would Have Played for Nothing" which is also a peronal favorite.
Book #5: When the Game Changed, by George Castle. Subtitle: An Oral History of Baseball's True Golden Age: 1969-1979. This is another book similar to #4, in that it chronicles an era of baseball I was not priveleged enough to have lived in. George Castle is such a talented writer and basebal historian who always brings the game alive through his words.
Book #6: Benchclearing, by Spike Vrusho. Subtitle: Baseball's Greatest Fights and Riots. A huge aspect of baseball, although also entertaining at times, is the violent clash between opposing teams when someone crosses the line or gets too cocky. The gray areas of baseball make the strategy of baseball more intense and adds a human element to it. I randomly opened he book and the first name I saw was Rob Dibble, so I bought it.
Book #7: Veeck as in Wreck, by Bill Veeck (with Ed Linn). Forward by Bob Verdi. What needs to be said about an autobiography of one of the most involved baseball men ever? I've heard his son motivationally speak a few times now and between his talks and his fathers writing, I've never laughed more in my life while still feeling inspired and enlightened. Must read for baseball fans.
Book #8: The Head Game, by Roger Kahn. Subtitle: Baseball Seen From the Pitcher's Mound. Roger Kahn is one of the greatest baseball writers out there and this book looks to be up to par. The psychological aspect of pitching along with the battle involved on a daily basis is the emphasis of the book. It seems comparable to #10 on this list, Ron Darling's, The Complete Game (another of my favorites).
Book #9: High Heat, by Tim Wendel. Subtitle: The Secret History of the Fastball and the Improbable Search for the Fastest Pitcher of All Time. Another pitch-themed book to add to the list. The author compares legends like Koufax and Nolan to current flame throwers by using physics, biology, mechanics, and psychology.
Book #10: The Complete Game, by Ron Darling. Subtitle: Reflections on Baseball and the Art of Pitching. The best way to describe this book is to quote a review by the New York Times that stated it is "A pitcher's answer to Ted Williams's classic, The Science of Hitting." I am currently half way through this book and I feel like I am pitching for the New York Mets. Darling takes you pitch by pitch into specific innings from his career. He tells you his mind set, his mistakes, his patterns and science of not just throwing- but pitching a baseball. If you love baseball, you need to read this book.
Book #11: The Game From Where I Stand, by Doug Glanville. Subtitle: From Batting Practice to the Clubhouse to the Best Breakfast on the Road, an Inside View of a Ballplayer's Life. I'm adding this book to the list because it's a first person narrative from a former, likeable, ballplayer. Once again, the human side of baseball is the focus. It takes you out of your shoes and into centerfield of the best ballparks in America. I can't wait to read this one and since Doug lives in Chicago he has book signings often where you can talk to him in depth about the book and his life in the majors.
Book #12: Sandy Koufax, by Jane Leavy. Subtitle: A Lefty's Legacy. I read Leavy's Mickey Mantle biography this past winter and it was phenomenal. She goes so indepth with her research that you feel you actually know the subject like he's family. And while she doesn't just paint a pretty picture, her interviews and first person experiences tie in so neatly you'd think she was best friends with her characters. Granted this book came before the Mantle one, I have yet to read it but will do so this summer.
Book #13: Shane Victorino, by Alan Maimon. Subtitle: The Flyin' Hawaiian. He's a hard worked, a passionate player, and one of the few Hawaiian players in the game. Maimon tells the story of of the most humble, fan friendly ballplayers in the game. I'm a big Victorino fan and I am very interested in his charitable endeavors, so this book was a definite yes for my list. It's always refreshing to read the journey of a ballplayer who did it the right way, struggle with obstacles, yet still came through it with a good attitude and hard working attitude.
Book #14: The Life You Imagine, by Derek Jeter (with Jack Curry). Subtitle: Life Lessons for Achieving Your Dreams. The classiest, most professional and idolized short stop in the game. This book can reach anyone, on any level. It's dramatic tie in's with real life and enough to make you inspired to acheive the highest of goals. Jeter's book passes on his life lessons to challenge yourself while doing so with class and respect those around you. Th perfect way to end a season of baseball.. try reading this one around September before the playoffs and it's impact will be even more significant.
Thanks for all the suggestions for the book list to all my readers. I appreciate all the emails and insight you guys share with me and couldn't write without you guys. Any other suggestions, don't hesitate to send them in. It's an easy way to "pay it forward" to other baseball fans :)
The Baseball Life,
-Stephanie
2 comments:
Thanks for the suggestions. I am always looking for new books on baseball and really want to check out The Extra 2% now.
No problem Eric! Let me know how you like it when you are done. I just finished The Complete Game by Ron Darling, and it was fantastic! I also just bought It's What Inside the Lines That Counts :)
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