No comments about Ted Williams: Hey kid, Just Get It Over The Plate!.

5 comments about Cup of Coffee: The Very Short Careers of Eighteen Major League Pitchers.

1. If you like stories about average people with big dreams, and you like baseball, this book is a perfect read. The book is written interview-style, and Rob Trucks asks the players questions that tell stories from the heart. There is a piece of inspiration in each story. I recommend this book to student athletes who are serious about their sports.



2. I enjoyed the book and I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to read about the "average joe baseball player". However, the tense it was written in is positively annoying and makes it hard to read some of the time. Instead of writing how real people would talk, like, "So when you were in high school, what types of pitches were you throwing?" he writes, "You're in high school. What types of pitches are you now throwing?" It's written as if you're in a hypnotherapy session and you're regressing your memories.

   Bottom line: Good book. Get a real editor.




3. 18 bittersweet tales of careers doomed by bad timing, bad luck and in some cases just plain bad play.

   A welcome reminder that even those who play at sports highest levels are, at the end of the day, just plain Joes (and Janes).

   The tales here are worthwhile and often touching (such as the pitcher who used his signing bonus to pay for running water for his family) but the author decided to serve merely as a court reporter providing near verbatim transcripts of the interviews. This makes the reader wade through unecessary pages of exhanges punctuated by "yes" and "no" answers. This slows the overall flow of the book to a snail's pace at times reducing impact and enjoyment of the book. In short, it's a subperb 200 page book that unfortunately goes on for 400+ pages.

   The author/stenographer would have been well served to read and follow the example set by Lawrence Ritter in his classic "The Glory of Their Times" -- still the Gold Standard for baseball oral histories.

   And what about the story of Larry Yount, the best "short career" story ever. Was introduced as pitcher(thereby registering officially as a player) pulled a muscle during his warm up pitches, was pulled before facing a batter and never made it back to the Bigs. Plus he was Robin Yount's brother. Now that's a story!




4. Simply, I loved this book. I would read one bio each night before bed and found it (the individual bio) to be the perfect length, basically what Poe had in mind when he said a short story should be read in one sitting. I think readers make a mistake when they try to read this in one sitting. It should be read, in my opinion, more like a collection of short stories or a book of poetry, one ballplayer at time.

   It's a lovely book, paced leisurely and calmly like the game it depicts. I mean, really, what's up with the reviewer who complains about the length. He's probably in favor of time limits on games and no extra innings too. This book, like the players and the subject it covers, should be read slowly, with the rhythms, the quiet passion and sudden moments of insight, that define America's game.

   In sum, take your time and enjoy the ride. You'll be glad you did.




5. My dad is one of the ball players featured in this book. My 3 siblings and myself always knew our dad played professional baseball back in the 60's, but we never really knew "the story". We would ask questions, but dad never really shared too much. He said it was his job. It was fun while it lasted. I really enjoyed reading the interview Rob Trucks did with my dad. I learned a lot about my own father's past and success and disappointments with baseball. I also enjoyed reading the other stories included in the book. Thank you Rob Trucks for putting my fahter's story into print!

1 comments about The Life of Lou Gehrig: Told by a Fan.

1. "I won't even pretend to be the official Gehrig biographer," Brunsvold warns in the introduction to her book, which is largely written from secondhand sources. However, her passion for her subject is unparalleled. From describing the little nuances of "Rawhide" -- Gehrig's first and only big-screen role -- to the obscure, rarely-known tidbits about Gehrig's life, Brunsvold has assembled an attractive package for any Gehrig fan. Her funky, informal writing style and knack for storytelling makes for an easy and quick read. One can tell she must have had a lot of fun putting this together.

1 comments about Ted Williams: A Portrait in Words and Pictures.

1. For many Ted Williams remains a mystery wrapped in an enigma. This well written and nicely crafted book does much to untangle the mystery, intrigue, and controversy that seems to orbit Ted Williams to this day.

   Williams, like Ruth, was both wonderfully flawed and wonderfully talented. This book reveals both with honesty and candor.

   It has been said that in learning about others we find ourselves. I found this to be the case here. For example, which is not specifically a book about and for adult children of alcoholics Ted Williams definitely was one (in his case, the son of a religious addict). If you find yourself on the recovery path you will find much to glean from here! I found myself in this book time and time again. Perhaps you will too. Now if only I could HIT like Williams...

   And on top of everything else it's a Baseball book with photos and stats galore! What more could you ask for?

   I adored this book and believe that you will too!

1 comments about The Missing Cub.

1. Having wondered for aeons what might have happened to Darcy, this book was a find. Being a rabid B.B. fan since bus rides to Sicks Stadium & a fan of L. Pinnela & crew, I've followed his new team, the Cubs with renewed interest.The book is not only entertaining but gave me new insight into the drama of a rookie pitcher & the trauma of being sent down to the minors again.Darcy faced some of the best & I enjoyed the name dropping and sharing in his great memories.

5 comments about Me and Hank: A Boy and His Hero, Twenty-Five Years Later.

1. What a wonderful book! This is a fitting tribute to a man who has been shamefully underrated in American life, as well as a probing look at race relations in the past forty-plus years, seen through the prism of baseball and Hank Aaron's breaking of Babe Ruth's record. Like the author, I grew up in Milwaukee, although I am a bit older and so I saw Hank Aaron hit many of his home runs. His dignity and grace are a precious memory of my youth. Also like the author, I wrote Hank Aaron a letter when I learned that racists were hounding him for challenging Ruth, and received an eloquent letter in reply from Mr. Aaron. This book, with its highly personal approach to the subject, is a multifaceted view of a revealing part of American life. I couldn't recommend it more highly.



2. Sandy Tolan did a good job interviewing many people, including Hank Aaron, to do this book. Hank Aaron is a wonderful person who deserves much more recognition for what he has done both on the field and off. The book is very well done. It makes you think.



3. Don't get me wrong -- this was a great read and a provocative book about my favorite ballplayer of all-time. But I thought Tolan was at his best describing the people who experienced Hank Aaron's home run chase firsthand (including himself) and at his worst when his personal memories shifted from fact to opinion.

   The tale of his encounter with a homeless Atlanta man who attended the game where Aaron hit No. 715 is beautifully told and moving. His personal friendship with a Babe Ruth admirer ignores racism in his hometown and praises Aaron for his accomplishment illustrates how we need inner strength and conviction not to simply march in tune with those around us. Tolan's interviews with Aaron, his daughter Gaile and former teammates reveal the depth with which Aaron had to endure racism as a ballplayer, and his historical portrait of the racial tension in his hometown of Milwaukee is thorough and fascinating.

   But the more Tolan discovers about how unappreciated Aaron truly is, the more preachy -- and less effective -- he becomes. He hits a low point when he grills three advertising executives on their lack of knowledge of Aaron's hardships as they prepare to pay homage to Aaron in a MasterCard commercial. Are they to be blamed for that? All of these people clearly respect Aaron, and they all interviewed Aaron in preparation for the commercial. If he'd really wanted them to know what he endured, he probably would have told them. He also takes some unnecessary shots at the Hall of Fame because they have chosen to pay tribute to Babe Ruth with an entire room, while Aaron gets only a wall. Sure, Aaron deserves a room to himself, so do Jackie Robinson, Bob Gibson, Curt Flood, and many of baseball's other African-American pioneers. They don't. Deal with it.

   One need not be a walking encyclopedia of Aaron's life, as Tolan is, to appreciate his accomplishments achieved under extreme duress. Let those who appreciate Aaron for who he is -- a great ballplayer and a great man -- simply be. The irony is, I'm with Tolan on his central argument, that Aaron is one of the greatest and most underappreciated Americans in history. I'll even go far as to say you can't prove Ruth is better than Aaron, because Ruth played an all-white game and didn't necessary play against the best. But Ruth made the game popular. If not for Babe Ruth and what he did to make baseball America's pastime, Aaron's chase wouldn't have inspired the rancor that it did. People wouldn't have cared.

   Sandy, let's enjoy being Hank Aaron fans by not wasting our time beating up those who don't appreciate him to the extreme degree we do.




4. I have to say this is the saddest baseball book that I've ever read. This book really is about the reality of sharp division between two Americas --- the main stream one that belongs to whites and another that belongs to blacks.
   
   Being an avid Hank Aaron fan, the author Sandy Tolan does have a strong --- could even say a bit biased --- opinion about how Aaron has not been given proper credit he deserves. As an earlier review points out, he sounds angry at times, but really the whole point in the end is that racism doesn't even take active hatred like those manifested in tons of hate mail Aaron received in his quest for the homerun record. That the main stream America has had so little interest in Aaron's great feat shows the reality of human's natural tendency to unconsciously discount "others." In this sense, I don't think Tolan intended to blame the main-stream America for not giving Aaron enough respect; the white people in the States never truly understand what someone like Aaron had to go through and what he meant to those who are considered as "others" simply because they cannot experience it in today's America. And sure they don't wish to experience if given a choice. I saw much more resignation than accusation in Tolan's narrative.
   
   It is only relieving because Tolan, who is white, does treat Aaron's achievements and deeds with such a profound respect and passion. Yet even Tolan could not break ice with Aaron, whose emotional scar has not been healed. It is too sad Aaron had to go through so many negatives for what everyone should feel happy for. But the book tells what he did really, really meant a lot for those who cared about him, and Tolan made sure that those won't be forgotten.



5. First, this is not a book totally about baseball. If that's what you're looking for, you will have to look elsewhere. If you want a real life account of what went on while The Hammer was chasing The Babe, this is the book for you. It is well written and has enough facts/stats to interest a baseball fan like myself but it has a lot more. It goes into detail about what was going on behind the scenes. It's not pretty but the truth rarely is. There was (maybe still is) so much hate for Hank due to his color that I couldn't believe it was real. It happened before my time and it was sad to know how he was treated. As sad as it was, I think it is important to understand what went on. You know what they say about history repeating. In this case, I hope it never does.

4 comments about Ring: A Biography of Ring Lardner.

1. I was delighted to finally find a biography of Ring Lardner. I had read all his stories, and the "You Know Me Al" articles. I was full of anticipation when I began reading Mr. Yardleys history of early baseball under the guise of a Biography of Ring Lardner. I realize that Ring Lardner wrote about baseball, but Mr. Yardley's coverage of this part of Ring Lardner's life is over done to put it mildly.

   When I read a biography I expect to learn about the details of the individual's life, not baseball stories during the teens.

   Mr. Yardley does cover some very limited events of Ring Lardner's life between his baseball history lessons. If I want to read a book on Baseball history, I would find a book on that subject. While some may find the stories entertaining, I found them boring and over done.

   If you are looking for a Biography of Ring Lardner's life do not buy this book. If you want a early history of Baseball you will be right at home. I rate this book in reality 5 yawns, the only way I could stay awake reading it was on a cross trainer at the gym and even then it was an effort.




2. Ring Lardner began his career as a sports journalist, writing mostly about BASEBALL. He had his first literary success with stories about a BASEBALL player. There is a good case to be made that BASEBALL events like the Black Sox Scandal greatly affected his world view. So guess what? Any biography of Ring Lardner is going to have a lot of stuff about BASEBALL in it! Kind of like a biography of George Patton might mention the army here and there.

   Jonathan Yardley sets the stage with a 38 page section about baseball as Lardner knew it. If you're allergic to baseball you can skip this part. The other 362 pages of text mention baseball no more than is necessary to tell Ring's story. Mostly this is an affectionate, critically insightful, well written biography of a vastly influential and still funny American writer who is sadly neglected today. Includes a decent sampling of Ring's newspaper journalism and personal letters.




3. Yardley remains one of the best critics of American literature around, and this book does Ring justice. You may enjoy this book if you're interested in the period (America from the teens to the 30s), but it's mostly for those who have read Lardner's fiction and nonfiction and want to know more. I'd recommend you read it alongside the memoir written by his son Ring, Jr: The Lardners: A Family Remembered. Both books are wonderful, entertaining tributes to a great American writer.



4. Jonathn Yardley has written the most gutless autobiography of the last twenty years. Whatever you think of his literary gifts, (I think they were marginal at best) Ring Lardner was unquestionably a hopeless alcoholic, a spineless lackey of baseball management, and an all around second rate punk. Yardley does an amazing job of NOT addressing unpleasant issues in the life of Ring Lardner.
   
   LARDNER, THE MODEL FAMILY MAN. Yardley reports with a straight face that Ring was a "wonderful" father and a "devoted" husband. Then he details year after year of destructive, compulsive binge drinking -- as if that didn't damage Lardner's relationships with his wife and sons. For the record, alcoholics make lousy fathers.
   
   LARDNER, THE GREAT SPORTS WRITER. Yardley insists that Ring was "one of the all time greats" along with Grantland Rice, Fred Lieb, and all the other lying drunks. But, right along with them, Ring Lardner steered a gutless course throughout his career, never challenging the status quo. Yardley never even hints that there were major baseball issues Lardner refused to touch even after he attained the heights of eminence. Negroes were barred from major league baseball. Did Ring Lardner approve or disapprove? Gutless and silent. The White Sox were underpaid for years. Did Lardner approve or disapprove? Gutless and silent. The Reserve Clause made players slaves of management. Did Lardner approve or disapprove? Gutless and silent.
   
   Yardley is the kind of bully-boy white conservative who can sneer at a genuine American icon like Elvis Presley for being a drug addict, but is determined to see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil when it comes to a spineless alcoholic -- sorry, I mean a great American writer -- like Ring Lardner.

5 comments about Born to Play.

1. When I was 10 years old I went to a Mets/Reds Game at Shea Stadium. After the game was over I was standing outside the player's exit area and a new rookie named Eric Davis came out of the door. I could only tell he was a player and I had no clue what his name was. It was "bat day" that day and I asked this man to sign my bat. He signed it 'Eric Davis' and stopped to ask me some questions about myself which I wasn't thinking he would...I figured a bigshot ball player would sign their autograph quickly and move on. Being only 10 years old, I had never encountered any type of person in the public eye such as a celebrity or major league ball player. I then followed Eric everyday in the papers. When I met him, he was just up from the Minors and hadn't gotten any notice yet. I took such pleasure following him and seeing him excel in the game. My parents would mail me box scores of the Reds' games when I was in sleepaway camp over the summer. I still remember getting excited when following Eric in the summer of 87 when he was on fire.

   This book gives the reader an idea of what a warm person Eric is. His courageous struggle through cancer and his triumphant return to the game are simply amazing. I hope that Eric reads this one day, and realizes that a fan from the age of 10 (27 now) still follows and admires him. From reading the book, I agree with one of the other reviewers that said that after reading the book, they weren't just a fan of Eric Davis, the baseball player, but they were a fan of the person.




2. This autobiography is the best book I have ever read. I have followed ED for the last fifteen years and I still cannot find a better role model to look up to (disregarding my parents). His strength and ability to overcome numerous injuries and colon cancer are still amazing to me. I'm only 22 years old and I highly doubt I will ever find a greater person to admire. His book talks about his love for family, God, and baseball. Please do not have any doubts concerning the content of this book. You will find no greater athlete to read about and be amazed by.



3. I did not know what to expect from this book. The reviews were mixed and I did not know enough about Eric Davis to have an opinion of him.
   I found this book to be refreshingly honest. Davis was a star for a lot of years in baseball. His book is not the standard star bio. Davis tells the good and the bad of his career. He certainly does have an ego (probably a necessity to be a real star), but he comes across as genuine. It is not a problem to say how good you were, when you were that good. He isn't bragging, just stating the truth. He also relates times when his career wasn't going so well.
   His battle with cancer and the comeback are really inspiring. His desire to give back a bit is also inspiring. His relationship with his brother provides another good glimpse into the real Eric Davis.
   Davis put up solid numbers over the course of his career. He is just a notch or two below Hall of Fame calibre. I would say the same about this book.



4. Back in the late 80's I went to a Reds game with a group of friends, one of whom told me that he wanted to sit next to me during the game so he could hear me rip Eric Davis to shreds. I told him that if he wanted to hear me rip on someone, sit by me when Rickey Henderson came to town because I was then, and had always been a big fan of Eric Davis. Davis spent his whole career in Cincinnati as an object of scorn because of what some felt was an overdeveloped willingness to spend time on the disabled list. This always puzzled me because I felt that it should have been obvious to anyone who watched the game that Davis played with an almost complete lack of concern for his body. There wasn't anything resembling padding on Eric, so when he hit something at full speed, he often paid the price. As far as I could tell, he sacrificed a hall of fame career by playing the game as hard as anyone before or since him. This book isn't a must read unless you watched him play on one of the myriad of teams that he played with during his career and wondered what made him tick. He comes off as being impressed with himself, but I'd have been impressed with myself if I could do the things he did over the course of his career.



5. This is the greatest baseball book I have ever read! Eric Davis was one of the hardest playing players of all-time and would definately be Hall of Fame bound had he not played so hard. But Eric couldn't hold back a bit and instead left a legacy of how to play the game right. His story of how he overcame cancer through his faith in God is very inspirational reading even for the non-baseball fan. Davis is my all-time favorite player and this book did not disappoint! I highly recommend this book to any sports fan or fans of winning against the odds!

No comments about Tinker, Evers, and Chance: A Triple Biography.

3 comments about The Last Magic Summer: A Season With My Son.

1. Although the divorce is pivotal in this story, it is not necessarily the key to the book's essence. Any parent who has reached the point of letting go can relate to the emotions the author so wonderfully describes. If a reader is an avid baseball fan, especially Little League, Pony League, Babe Ruth, etc., the story jumps out at you and transports you to that "magic" only summer youth baseball can take you. As the mother of three children, two who are finished with youth baseball and softball, and one still keeping me in the "magic" at the age of 13, I loved the book. Mr. Gent deals with emotions like unconditional love, fear, apprehension,regret and wins during that Last Magic Summer.



2. After Pete had asked a friend & I to join his Bangor team for the Kalamazoo tourney in the summer of 1991, I really got to understand & appreciate the love that he had for Carter & youth sports. His book was truly touching, especially after he asked me to be a small part of one of those summers. I will always cherish the opportunity he gave me, as well as the autographed copy of this book. A must read for all baseball fans & parents.



3. I cannot believe this book is out of print. I gave my copy to my brother several years ago, and went looking for a new copy today after the hated New York Yankees swept my beloved Boston Red Sox by scoring a whopping 6 runs in three games.
   Why? Because Peter Gent's book - which is a wonderful tale about a father and his son getting to know one another - is also a prequel to the very public and successful career of Derek Jeter. You see, Derek Jeter starred on the Connie Mack team that Gent's son Carter played against for the Michigan state championship, and even back then, he was being viewed as a big-time up-and-coming baseball phenom.
   And while some of the scenes between Gent and his son will tear your heart out, Jeter is front-and-center in the best sports scene in the book. That occurs when Mike Wyshowski(sp?), the farm-boy pitcher for Carter's team, whiffs Derek Jeter swinging with runners in scoring position late in the very close Championship Game, thereby sealing the win for the underdogs (and permanently endearing himself to me).
   This is a wonderful novel. I read North Dallas Forty when I was just a kid, and thought it was a great, funny book. I thought this book, which I read after I'd gotten old enough to get married and have kids of my own, was much, much better. I'm assuming the fact that it's out of print means it didn't sell well. That's a shame, because it's every bit the story NDF was, and then some.