5 comments about Willie Mays: The Life, The Legend.

1. The best ballplayer I ever saw play in person was Willie Mays. Not only was he a consummate athlete and center fielder, but he also took the time before the game to sign autographs for almost two hours.
   
   This biography suggests something of that person's essence and character.
   
   It is an enjoyable read and worth the time to read and savor, and to reread when the mood strikes.
   
   I enjoy books on Kindle (on my iPod Touch) but the reviews with 1-3 stars slamming the book because the publisher has opted to delay its availability on Kindle are a shame because they do nothing but lower the overall review average. When you take the time to read the comments made by people who actually READ the book, you'll find it worth your time and effort.



2. I've been saying for years that a decent Biography about "Baseball's Greatest Living Player" (even when Dimaggio was alive),needed to be written.
   We finally have it, factual and well written as well.
   This is the man that my idol Mickey Mantle said was the best he ever saw.
   I recommend this to any seriously objective baseball fan.



3. I am about half way through this book about Willie Mays, and so far, I have found it an enjoyable read. While it has a lot of stats, both Willie's and other players in the Giant organization at the time, it isn't boring. Since, I only knew about him as a baseball player, (I was a teenager back then) I am enjoying finding out more about his personality. This book is long overdue!



4. Excellent history of Willie, baseball, civil rights movement in the 50s and 60s. Well-written, a little repetitive but not too bad. Recommend for baseball fans of all ages.



5. The opportunity to review this book came shortly after nearly four feet of mid-February snow arrived in the mid Atlantic. What better way to fight off cabin fever and count down the days until spring training with a 560-page examination of one of baseball's most iconic players?
   
   The cover of James S. Hirsch's book contains an "authorized by Willie Mays" caption under the author's name. When I saw this, I was prepared for either an bowlderized "as told to" story, or worse, a glossy hagiography. To Hirsch's credit, this book is neither. Mays was not without flaws. And while this is clearly not an expose, they are not concealed in this book. His lack of financial discipline, his relationships O.J. Simpson and Barry Bonds, his physical reactions to the stresses of living in a the fishbowl of high expectations...any of these could have been ignored or glossed over, but they are not. The result is a great baseball biography.
   
   Willie Mays entered the major leagues at time of baseball transition: the game was moving west, moving south, moving to television and and rosters becoming more diverse as African Americans and Latinos arrived in greater numbers. He arrived via a path that took him variously through the Negro leagues and Birmingham's industrial teams, the product of an unconventional home life and blessed with enviable physical skills.
   
   What can we make of the portrait Hirsch paints? While Mays was clearly not perfect, he was also less flawed than many of his peers (from Mantle to Rose). He thrived in the spotlight of celebrity and high expectations on two coasts, and set an unequaled standard for center field play.
   
   Even if you think you know his story, this book is well worth the time to help fill in the blanks.

5 comments about Satchel: The Life and Times of an American Legend.

1. There are several thorough and quite competent reviews of Satchel that truly provide insight into the book and a peek into its subject. What more can another reviewer add to the 29 predominantly favorable reviews currently presented here? I thought about that as well and still I felt that I could provide at least, a tidbit into why a prospective reader should delve into reading Larry Tye's work.
   
   Being an American history buff, and an avid baseball fan, I had perceptions of Satchel that were, in part, based on historical facts. I was very familiar with Paige's Major League statistics and his limited performance during his brief MLB tenure. Having visited the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown on a few occasions seeing Satchel's plaque, I wanted to learn more about him and the other Negro League notables. Being a dyed-in-the-wool Dodgers fan, I had a biased perspective of MLB's integration and didn't fully understand the Negro League experience from a personal point of view.
   
   Larry Tye, tasked with undertaking a monumental task of research, interviews and writing, provides and incredible piece that seemingly gives the reader much more than a glimpse into the experiences from a player's perspective. Exactly what it was like to grow up in African American (not a term used back in the early 20th century) in the Deep South as well as in Jim Crow America, I will never know, but Tye gives the reader a taste of what Satchel Paige endured.
   
   This work does spend some time addressing the almost mythical statistic-accumulation this hurler amassed during his career, but this work is truly about the struggles Mr. Paige dealt with. From his meager beginnings in Mobile to his incarceration as a youth (which became a turning point for his life), to his dead-arm troubles in the late 1930s, and his personal relationships, Satchel is an assembly of anecdotes, quotes, news articles, and Paige's own recollections that sheds a great deal of "qualified" light various aspects of his life.
   
   As was addressed earlier, Satchel is a work that extends beyond the realm of baseball fans or Negro League aficionados. It is a deep dive into the fabric of Leroy "Satchel" Paige and who he was to those close to him, his fans, his opponents and to Paige himself.
   
   Satchel is an in-depth story that deals with the single most important goal of Satchel Paige: his acceptance as the best pitcher who played the game.



2. Leroy "Satchel" Paige was one of the most colorful and most talented pitchers in baseball history. This is a very well researched and well written book about his life. Larry Tye does a good job of seperating the myths from the facts regarding Satchel. If you are interested in baseball history, you will probably enjoy this book.



3. Great item accurately described, fairly priced and quickly shipped. Smooth transaction all the way around.



4. Larry Tye's book on Satchel reminds me of a biography of Scott Joplin I once read in that both men were of largely undocumented mythic proportions. Both men were itinerant performers and entertainers who did not garner the attention from the white media until their legends had already been made, forcing historians and biographers who followed to rely on oral history and the scanty references they find in unlikely sources to recreate their lives. In "Satchel: the Life and Times of an American Legend," Larry Tye finds the right balance between the folklore of Satchel's life and the social history of the times in which he lived, the age of segregation and Jim Crow "laws." I finished the biography believing that Satchel's greatness would have been supported by the numbers had someone been around to record them. However, we don't have much primary material to go by except for Satchel's own telling of his tale and the interviews with his contemporaries. But that doesn't matter much because the author has recreated the tone and timbre of Satchel's being. How I wish I could transport myself to Bismarck in the 1930's to watch Satchel throw his slow-delivery fastball over the top of his shoe! If you want to feel what the life of a Negro itinerant ballplayer was like in the 30's and 40's and understand how Satchel performed much of the "leg work" for Jackie Robinson and the young black players to follow, read Larry Tye's biography of Satchel.



5. If you love baseball and love a good story by a gifted writer, this book will be a huge disappointment. Mr. Tye took what should have been an epic story about a great ballplayer, probably the best pitcher ever, and made him boring. Oh, there are a few funny anecdotes and a few gee whiz stats, but Satchel is buried in Tye's sermon-like prose.
   
   Compare this book with Charles Einstein's "Willie's Time" and you'll see what I mean. It is the epitome of capturing the essence of a ballplayer and the times in which he lived. Einstein is also a first-class writer. Tye is not.

1 comments about Roger Maris: Baseball's Reluctant Hero.

1. Finally, a long overdue book on the great Roger Maris. This man should be in the Hall of Fame, and he most definitely still should be officially recognized as the REAL one season home run record holder. McGuire`s recent admission that he cheated in 1998 surprised absolutely no one. We all know that Sammy "speak no english" Sosa and the adorable, loveable, honest, under federal government investigation for the past ten years Barry Bonds are just as big a fraud as McGuire. Roger Maris was a decent family man who never asked for the public attention thrust on him starting in 1961 and continuing the remainder of his career. The maggots calling themselves sportswriters that populated New York newspapers in the sixties, not to mention the buzzards and vultures that called themselves "fans" during that time, made this mans life a living hell his last five years with the Yankees and it was good to see Roger get the last laugh. He went to St. Louis, helped the Cardinals to two pennants and one World Championship while the Yankees and their wonderful writers and fans sank into the cellar or very near to it in 1967 and 1968. How ironic that baseball once thought of placing an asterisk on Maris` 61 homers because he played 8 more games than the Babe, now, he has been passed by three dirty, rotten , no-good cheaters. Bonds, Sosa`s and McGuire`s accomplishments should not have an asterisk placed next to them. They should be erased from baseball`s record book as if they never happened.

5 comments about Fifty-Nine in '84: Old Hoss Radbourn, Barehanded Baseball, and the Greatest Season a Pitcher Ever Had.

1. I am fascinated by professional sports in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. While the players may not have been as big, fast, or strong and modern athletes, they seem a thousand times more rugged and tough.
   
   This book focuses on a pitcher who played in the barehanded era who holds the professional baseball record for most wins in a season at an unbelievable 59. Charles Radbourn, or "Old Hoss," played from 1880 to 1991, mostly with the Providence Grays. In 1884, pitching nearly every day, which is something I can not even fathom, he compiled his 59 wins. This book is mostly about the life and playing days of this taciturn hero, mostly forgotten by all but the most studied baseball historians.
   
   But the book is more than a biography. It also provides a glimpse into what baseball was like in an era where pitchers pitched frequently, you caught the ball with your bare hands, and violence and dirty tactics on the field of play were the norm not an aberration. To sit back and think what a rugged, brutal, physically demanding, and even debilitating game baseball was in the late 1800's is simply mindboggling.
   
   This book is an excellent addition to baseball history. While the author does provide a bit more day to day detail than was probably needed, it is a fascinating read and one those who love baseball history should enjoy.



2. In 1884, Charles "Old Hoss" Radbourn won 59 games for the Providence Grays. This is the story of that almost unbelievable season. It is also the story of a hard-nosed man in a rough and ready sport.
   
   The story begins with a brief biographical sketch of Radbourn, who grew up in Bloomington, Illinois. He enjoyed life in the Midwest, hunting being a favorite pastime. He also enjoyed baseball. We see the start of his career and his eventual signing a contract with the major league team from Buffalo. After a short-lived tenure there, he entered the major leagues next with the Providence team. We read of his feats in 1883, when he won a remarkable 48 games--and ended the season with a sore arm.
   
   1884 began inauspiciously, as Providence acquired a second strong-armed prima donna pitcher (Charlie Sweeney). Sweeney and Radbourn were not exactly bosom buddies, and much animosity existed between them, not helping the team chemistry. Radbourn's arm was stiff at the start of the season. How would he perform? This book captures the hard work, the success, and the pain of pitching so many innings (678 innings pitched in 1884--after 632 in 1883). To make a long story short, Sweeney bolted and Radbourn agreed to pitch almost every game with a sore arm if he were reimbursed appropriately. From that point on, he pitched in almost all his team's games.
   
   There is a rather tender (but thinly supported) talk of his romance with Carrie Stanhope, a woman with a probably dubious past. One of the recurring themes that is somewhat problematic of the continuing references along the lines of "Carrie might have been at the stadium that night." The thinness of information on their relationship seems to impel the author to create something that he really has no evidence for.
   
   Radbourn never equaled the performance he had in 1883 and 1884. The author notes that his subsequent career was not so brilliant and that his wrecked arm prevented him from doing so well. But Old Hoss still won about 140 more games, so the statement seems somewhat of a stretch.
   
   The book closes with his brief and rather sad post-baseball life, graced by life with Carrie Stanhope. By now, his relationship with her is much better fleshed out.
   
   For those who want to know something about this amazing season, Edward Achorn's book will fill a void. Some questions for me: He does seem to stretch to fill in the relationship between Carrie and Old Hoss. Old Hoss still had a lot of success after the 1884 season. Finally, it would have been nice to have had Radbourn's career pitching statistics appear in this book.



3. Charles "Old Hoss" Radbourn won 59 games against 12 losses for the Providence Grays in 1884. Radbourn accomplished the feat in a 112-game schedule (compared to today's 162-game schedule). He started 73 games and completed all 73, threw 678 2/3 innings, struck out 441 batters and compiled a microscopic 1.38 earned run average. Author Edward Achorn terms it "the greatest season a pitcher ever had."
   
   Achorn chronicles Radbourn's amazing season while educating the reader about what baseball in the 19th century was like. Baseball in the 1880s was described as "nasty, brutish and fast-paced played by profanity swearing men who didn't hesitate to use violence to get their way."
   
   1884 marked the first year pitchers could legally throw overhanded. At the time, there was no pitcher's mound, but a pitcher's box. Pitchers could throw from anywhere in the box and could take a running start before releasing the ball. The box was only 50 feet from home plate compared to today's 60-feet and 6-inches.
   
   Baseball was played with no gloves, no batting helmets, no trainers and physical therapy was virtually non-existent. Pain was accepted as part of being a pitcher or catcher. Clubs generally used two starters and they frequently pitched several games in a row.
   
   Radbourn, a Hall of Famer, was extremely talented. He mixed up his pitches, had an explosive fastball, pinpoint control and incredible stamina. He used different motions and pitched to different spots.
   
   His manager Sam Crane described him as "strong, sturdy as an oak and the most willing worker of any pitcher who ever lived." A former teammate said Radbourn was "the brainest pitcher that ever delivered a ball over the plate."
   
   In late July, Radbourn declared he would pitch every game for the Grays until they clinched the pennant, which they did on Sept. 26. From July 23 through Sept. 26, he pitched in 36 of 39 games, including 14 of 17 days and five days in a row. At one point, he won 18 straight games.
   
   Achorn's story of Radbourn's 1884 season is enhanced by recounting his battle with Charlie Sweeney to be the ace of the Grays' staff (they bitterly resented each other), his clashes with management and romance with Carrie Stanhorpe.



4. About the only attention I ever paid to pre-1900 baseball was reading that Detroit used to have a team in the National League and were the World Champs of 1887. I imagined that baseball in the 19th century was something comparable to beer league baseball. This book changed my thinking completely. The author presents the case of Charles "Old Hoss" Radbourn so effectively, that I am now convinced that his 59 wins in 1884 may be the single greatest feat in baseball history.Author Edward Achorn spent years researching this story that had been buried and forgotten decades ago. There was a little amount of repetition in the book, but it may have been necessary to bring Old Hoss back to life. In fact the author brings to life the culture of 1884 as we learn about people and events outside of the baseball world. Any lover of history and/or baseball would enjoy this. I am glad I read it.



5. Remember one of the greatest pitchers ever? Hall of Famer since 1939, holder since 1884 of the major league record for most victories in a season (59 in 1884 for the National League Providence Grays), 301 career victories (1880-1891)? Remember "Old Hoss," Charlie Radbourne?
   
   No, you don't. Sure, you may know that major league ball existed then (the National League opened in 1876). But the uniforms were funny looking and players used no gloves. They had the old "dead" ball and hit few homers. Yeah, some of them are in the Hall of Fame, but the Hall has to have somebody from every era, right? How good could they have really been?
   
   They were hard men in a hard game and thrillingly good at it, as this book makes entertainingly clear. In an era when a skilled worker might make six dollars a week (with no vacation), regulars in the major leagues made several times that and top stars more. Radbourne's salary in 1884 was $3000 for six months of work and more when he took over for the team's other key pitcher in mid-season. That kind of money meant that competition was intense in every aspect of the game: To get and keep jobs, to win, to play in every game in any role available.
   
   Even in the dog-eat-dog 19th century, the competition in baseball was ferocious. The players did anything they could to win, including flagrant cheating. Pitchers routinely aimed at opposing batters, and "beanings" occurred regularly. Runners tore into fielders with their spikes high and blood was a common sight on the field. Missing games risked a player's career, so injuries were seldom admitted (and seldom treated, either--there were no team doctors or trainers).
   
   National League teams in 1884 played a 112 game schedule with (typically) two main pitchers and a couple of emergency extras. Most pitchers threw a hard fastball, a change-up and a variety of hard and slow curves. The toll on good pitchers was high. In 1884, Radbourne pitched in 75 of the Providence Grays 112 games, starting and finishing 73 of them while hurling 678.2 innings (no, that's not a typo) and going 59-12 with a 1.38 ERA. He had to employ hotel porters to massage his arm with liniment through the night to diminish the pain and allow him some fitful sleep. Each morning he needed help to dress because he could not raise his pitching arm. He limited his hard pitches because of the pain and relied on control and guile. He was never the same after that amazing, arm-destroying season.
   
   Achorn tells Radbourne's story brilliantly. He conveys the atmosphere of a fierce, glorious and often violent game played without restraint by skilled men, seeking victory through any means. Along the way Achorn gives glimpses of the late 19th century urban environment that was, not surprisingly, just as ferociously competitive and unforgiving as its baseball. He even works in a little romance featuring Radbourne and his eventual wife, a beautiful woman who was perhaps an ex-prostitute and possibly ran a bordello.
   
   The main story, however, remains the 1884 season and what it shows about the times and the baseball it produced. This is a fascinating read both for baseball fans and those interested in the manners and mores of a different America.

5 comments about The Yankee Years.

1. My husband requested this book for Christmas; he is a big baseball fan and loves the Yankees so this gift was definitely a 'home run'. He is currently reading it and it enjoys it very much. Thank you.



2. This is a very quick and entertaining read, particularly for Yankee fans who followed the great teams of the Torre era. The book is written by Sports Illustrated reporter Verducci, not Torre -- though Verducci has access to extensive interviews with Torre. As a result, some of the sources for the book are third persons, sometimes even anonymous ones. Press reports that Torre was ripping A-Rod and others are not quite true. Third persons, not Torre, called A-Rod "A-Fraud." Torre was concerned about perceptions of A-Rod and his concern about A-Rod's fear of failure as undermining his performance is something he told A-Rod directly. One surprise to me is that Damon essentially lost interest in baseball at the beginning of 2007 and almost walked away from the game. He ended up playing catch-up the rest of the season.
   
   Given the extraordinary performance of both Sheffield and Giambi as clutch hitters, I was a bit surprised to hear criticism of those two. Yes, it was stupid for the Yanks to go after Sheffield instead of the younger Guerrero. But I was surprised that Torre was never a fan of the Giambi deal -- the guy was a terrific hitter and clubhouse presence. He is criticized, somewhat unfairly, for telling management that he was too lame to play defense in the 2003 World Series. Yet, this is precisely the kind of honesty Torre wanted from his players. Still, Torre emphasized defense and reliability, which I suppose was his root problem with Giambi.
   
   The real problem of the Yankees from 2004 to 2007 was not Giambi or Sheffield or A-Rod, but their pitching. Their offense was terrific in this period. But all great offenses are prone to being shut down against post-season pitching, and the Yankees lacked the top starters necessary to match up with the pitching of the Red Sox, Angels, Tigers, and Indians in these years. The book makes a very good case that the Yankees went after the wrong pitchers in this period -- Vazquez, Pavano, Contreras, Brown, Johnson, Wright. Vazquez may not belong on this list, but he certainly was not the number 1 or number 2 pitcher the Yanks were looking for.
   
   One of the problems, however, was what was the alternative? As Verducci points out, the rest of the league was on to the Yanks. They were signing their young pitchers to long term deals to keep them away from the Yankees. Still, the Yanks just plain blew the opportunity to get Schilling and should have held on to Pettite and Lilly. This would have made a huge difference and may have produced another championship during the end of the Torre era.
   
   My criticism of the book is threefold. First, it is poorly organized and repetitive. Second, the criticism of Cashman is unfair. Yes, he blew the pitching moves. But he was a big supporter of Torre and put his neck out for him to help save his job. Only when the franchise was irretrievably committed in another direction does Cashman back away from Torre. I think Torre should have seen Cashman's conduct as simple business as opposed to a personal betrayal. Third, and most importantly, if Torre's management is based on trust, doesn't he breach it by doing a tell-all book so soon after his departure? Revealing locker room secrets is a betrayal of trust. I could see writing this book several years after the fact, but writing it now was unfair to A-Rod, Giambi, Damon, Sheffield, Cashman, and some of the others who do not come off well in this book. As an admirer of Torre, this lapse in judgment is very disconcerting.



3. Very well written book that flows smoothly and very easy to read. A must read for any Yankees fan!



4. I am neither a baseball fan nor a Yankee fan. I picked up the book because I was interested in knowing how a baseball team runs its organization. This book did not disappoint me in this sense. Basically, working in Yankee is pretty much similar to working in a corporate as a office worker.It explains why the Yankees were able to achieve a couple years of continuous success and then goes on to describe their quest in trying to win the championship under the leadership of Joe Torre. It also provides a semi-baseball history of the Torre years as well as behind the scenes tales.
   
   The book is not told by Joe Torre as I would have imagined. Instead, Joe Torre as well as many other players and coaches were being interviewed and quoted so the reader gets a lot of perspectives from different people. It was well written and compact. I would assume that a Yankee fan would appreciate it even more.



5. Bought this book for Christmas Present for family member. All of us have been Yankee Fans for years. I read the insert and part of the book. I know it is a must read for any Yankee Fan! I feel that it is especially important for those fans who enjoyed Joe Torre when he was manager of the Yankees. In my opinion he is as much a part of NY as the Donald Trump only better. It was a sad day when he left.

5 comments about Is This a Great Game, or What?: From A-Rod's Heart to Zim's Head---My 25 Years in Baseball.

1. My husband is not a reader, and he can't put this book down - he loves it!! If you're a baseball fan, this is a must-buy.



2. Tim K's walk through 25 years of baseball reporting shares many diverse moments of his experience both on and off the baseball diamond. In all of my baseball reading over the years it's the first time in my experience that an author talks about the fear that is present in the game of being hit by pitched and batted baseballs. Many of the Tim's personal experiences with some of the great names of the game are hilarious! At times though the continual litany of individual experiences gets a bit tiresome and caused me to do some scanning during my reading.
   
   Overall though it's a worthwhile read for the avid baseball fan.



3. Tim Kurkjian shows here why he's now the real in-depth analyst on Baseball Tonight. He has some great stories, although I wish that he had gone into more detail on some of them. I especially liked his chapters on reviving youth baseball and the injuries that can be caused by a thrown or hit baseball. Tim also includes some biographical stories but I wish he had included more, although I loved the stories about him and Earl Weaver. Loved the story about the time when as a young reporter he went to interview football coach Ron Meyers and was mistaken for the paper boy because he looked so young. Now if we could just bring back Harold Reynolds.



4. I really enjoy Tim on ESPN and on the radio; thus, I was eager to read this book. While entertaining in spots, it reads like one long stream of conscience starting with the many things Tim finds fascinating in the game (many with which I agree) and then deteriorating into a diatribe/rant on how kids should be more effectively taught the game and his list of pet peeves. At the end of the book, he credits the editor but I didn't get the sense the book had, in fact, been edited: typos, nonsensical sentences due to inadvertent duplication of words or dropping of verbs, etc. I pushed through the book because I had already bought it but I'd advise others to pass on this one. Sad effort by a good writer.



5. Tim Kurkjian had a name and face I recognized from a few appearances on ESPN but I really didn't know much about him until this book. Now, if I hear Kurkjian is going to be on shortly to talk baseball, I keep the channel where it is because I don't want to miss what he has to say. Suddenly, he was my favorite baseball commentator.
   
   Not only is Kurkjian totally honest, but he's insightful, really knows the game, has a lot of common sense, and with this little kid-squeaky voice, he's fun to hear. There's only one thing better: this book, in which almost every page is entertaining, filled with short stories.
   
   The more you love baseball, the more you'll enjoy this book and the author, who isn't afraid to say anything that pokes fun at himself, such as being such a statistics nerd. I mean, who else has clipped out all the boxscores of baseball games and kept them in a book for 30-plus years?
   
   There is hardly a topic he doesn't discuss in here, from weird players to steroids. Some of the topics are ones I have never read elsewhere, such as ballplayers dealing with fear when coming to the plate, just like Little Leaguers. Still, most of the book is humorous and I lost count how many times I laughed out loud.
   
   Kurkjian is someone who obviously loves his job, talking and writing about baseball.....and it shows on every page..

5 comments about Beyond Belief: Finding the Strength to Come Back.

1. I haven't read this book yet because I have four different students sharing it. That must mean it's a good one!



2. It is a good book, great story. I'd like to see it made into a movie.



3. Product is in excellent condition. Thanks, Amazon this book made a great gift for my brother.



4. Very uplifting story of strength and will. Josh has such a feel good story. Let's hope he stays true to the Lord and resists his demons.



5. Amazing book. You do not even have to know the first thing about baseball to truely enjoy this book. This book is so much more than baseball and can be read by anyone. I've never been so inspired and touched by a story.

5 comments about Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big.

1. I'm sorry, but I could only make it through about 75 pages of this. I am so thankful that I didn't purchase it and only have it on loan from my library.
   
   I was really interested to hear about this guys take on steroids, but this book is so poorly written--think of a memoir by your obnoxious brother in law who didn't graduate from high school but knows what's best for everyone--and you'll just about have it. Mr. Canseco is more in love with himself than Oprah and more self deluded than Dick Cheney. The 10 or 12 pictures in the middle of the book are all of---guess who?!
   
   Jose is not bright or creative enough to sustain the interest of any mildly intelligent reader. This is fare for Junior High Schoolers, which is kind of terrifying if you think about it.



2. I will shamelessly admit that I bought and read the book hoping for some good locker room dirt and the book certainly delivers some pretty good scoop.
   
   What I got out of the book:
   
   Jose Canseco considers himself a victim of discrimination and "celebrity". He has a grudge against MLB and he takes it out squarely on Mark McGwire - MLB's golden boy during the Canseco era.
   
   Canseco defends his steroid use and is proud to be the go-to-guy for other players on how to use them, combine them, and inject them.
   
   He names names and tells their story. One name he mentions as a steroid user absolutely broke my heart. He mentions Clemens in the book too and for some reason I think there's a deeper story there. I hope it comes to light once Clemens own saga with Steroids is resolved.
   
   
   I'm glad I read the book. I gave it three stars because its a light read and I didn't wish for the 4 hours back that I spent reading it.



3. I totally agree with reviewer "future America" about this being a sad state-of-affairs and real comment about our society. Canseco, like all people, is not all good or bad, as he is painted. On one side, he's truthful, bold and transparent. On the other side and extremely egotistic with that ego leading to astonishing revelations in here divulging his selfishness and the all-about-me syndrome. That's what has become so prevalent in sports and our society so much in recent years.
   
   Reading Canseco's words, you get a clue no man has little knowledge of what is right or wrong. He not only doesn't apologize for his drug-taking, he brags about it and his vast knowledge of steroids. Wow, what a role model for our kids!
   
   I really applauded this guy for doing what the bigwigs in baseball did not do for many years - tell the truth about steroids in baseball. However, the more pages I read in this book, the more disgusted I got at the author. Yes, Jose was vilified for writing this book - and, for that, a number of people owe him an apology - but the guy is such an -ss, it's a reluctant apology. Read this book, and you'll see what I mean.



4. Juiced By Jose Canseco, the famous baseball player, was interesting and very informative. The autobiography of Jose Canseco's life in and out of baseball shows that he really went through a lot of tough times.
   In this book Jose Canseco reveals the he and many other players partly and mostly from his influence started taking steroids to improve their abilities. He also reveals his experience with Major League Baseball. He tells about his experience as a rookie in the minor leagues, where he was looked at as the runt of team. No one believed he had a chance of making it to the professional level.
   I liked this book because it revealed some of the players that used steroids. It explained a lot of things that he did to influence them and strategies that he learned to improve himself and his teammates both mentally and physically.
   In this book Jose Canseco promotes taking steroids the correct way can be beneficial to an athlete. He recommends being educated about steroids and taking them in appropriate doses. He cautions that the abuse of steroids will have an adverse effect on the body over time. However, the long term effects of his steroid use will only become known as he ages.
   I would definately recommend this book. I would recommend it to a baseball fan primarily. I would recommend it to them because the book is mainly about baseball. Overall I think that it was a good book that really opened my eyes on how many professional baseball players are actually take performance enhancing drugs, whether steroids or HGH.



5. Even when this book came out, and the howls of derision from sports journalists on the back pages and ESPN talking head shows about its existence and veracity were loudest, there was always the hunch that Jose Canseco, the one person probably more responsible than any other for making steroids popular among the players of his era, knew where an awful lot of the bodies were buried. Juiced lets on about a lot of that, and serves up a slew of juicy tidbits along the way (his bathroom-stall exploits with Mark McGwire and his personal joy at tracking the spread of steroid use across the leagues as he jumped from team to team, with the owners and the league offices looking the other way the whole time, have all entered public knowledge by now). In fact, it's still surprising how much of what he's mentioned about performance enhancers in this book has actually turned out to be the truth.
   
   Like him or hate him, take him seriously or write this stuff off as the ramblings of a junkie, it turned out his voice is the most consistently honest and accurate one in the steroid debate. That speaks less to his credibility than it does to the lack of credibility on the part of anyone else (including, or especially, Bud Selig, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez).
   
   The whole thing is written in a breezy, conversational style which is surprisingly easy to read. I wouldn't pay full price for it, but if you need something dishy, funny, a little sexy and full of good anecdotes about sports and the notorious bunch who follow athletes around, I can easily recommend this.

5 comments about Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig.

1. fast read, interesting for both a sports fan or not. the game today needs more lou gerhig's.



2. This book was suggested by a Social worker at the VA Hospital. I was told I have Lou Gehrig's or ALS diesease. I am interested and learning about the Mam thus Disease gets its name from. This book has the whole history of the New York Yankees. If You are a history buff this book will be for you. I have not finished the book but continue to read it each day. not only for the history but for an insight on what living with ALS will incure. I was happy I found the book on Amazom.com for duch a low price.



3. Jonathan Eig's biography of Lou Gehrig is a superb account of one of baseball's greatest... in the days when the sport truly was a game. "The Pride of the Yankees," a 1942 film starring Gary Cooper and Teresa Wright, is inspiring and entertaining; but, with the limitations of the motion picture industry, the emphasis was uplifting, even though it, as in real life, ended with the tragic illness which struck 'The Iron Horse,' and which still today bears his name. And, for a two-hour movie, this approach was appropriate. Mr. Eig's book takes the reader beyond these limitations, and we learn in great detail the extraordinary pain and suffering--physically and emotionally--inflicted upon Mr. Gehrig and his wife during the last months in the life of the "Luckiest Man." The book, which bears this title, is highly recommended, not just for baseball fans, but for anyone who appreciates a well-researched biography of a great man.



4. I am new to baseball and this was a wonderful way to begin. A moving biography of a great player and a great man, not to mention one of the golden ages of Yankee history.



5. My only real familiarity with Lou Gehrig, prior to reading this book, were his baseball stats and The Pride of the Yankees, an adoring and largely inaccurate film.
   
   Jonathan Eig has written what will be the definitive biography of Lou Gehrig for decades to come. Based on primary sources, some only recently rediscovered, this is the most well-rounded portrait of "The Pride of The Yankees" as there may ever be.
   
   I found the Lou Gehrig who appeared on these pages to be---well, far more boring than legend makes him. Gehrig was the quintessential "quiet man," whose preferred activity away from baseball was fishing.
   
   Despite Gehrig's fame, he was not a fan favorite, largely because he was painfully shy and hardly could carry on conversations with strangers. He was an impressively handsome wallflower who blushed and became tongue-tied when he spoke to women. He lacked charisma. The sportswriters that could make or break a player's public image largely ignored him except as an adjunct to Ruth. (He was known as "Babe Gehrig" in his earliest playing days for his prowess at the plate.) He was not quotable. His kindnesses were kept private. He had no vices (except pipesmoking). For most of his career he played in the shadow of Babe Ruth, who WAS eminently quotable, who loved the spotlight and engaged in showy philanthrophies, and who was an epicurean in all realms of hedonism. The public embraced the seemingly teddy bear-like Babe. After Ruth's departure, the press embraced Joltin' Joe DiMaggio, making him the next Yankee icon.
   
   During all these years there was Gehrig, playing in game after game, setting records. His consecutive games record of 2,130 was eventually broken by Cal Ripken Jr. and was his hits record by Derek Jeter, but both these records stood for a half century, and in the absence of steroids and sports medicine. Not for nothing was he "The Iron Horse." In so many ways he was a living embodiment of all the best American virtues, an icon in and of himself. Still, the public kept their distance from the indefatigueable "Iron Man." As much as paragons are extolled, they are often unloved.
   
   Yet, Gehrig was hardly inhuman. He came from an immigrant family that had buried three children, leaving him the sole surviving son. As a result, he was hugely overprotected. He grew up with the immigrant mentality of never risking his employment. Hence, for years the Yankees shamefully underpaid him, playing on his fears of being cut from the lineup. His father was a cipher, but his mother dominated him to such an extent that he often brought her along on Yankees road trips.
   
   "Babe tipped the two call girls. Gehrig kissed his mother goodbye." This brief quote illustrates like nothing else the vast difference between the two men. The Babe was a celebrity, the Iron Horse a naive albeit extraordinary ballplayer. They were friends by dint of their sequential place in the Yankees' batting order, and by their incredible talents on the field which made them natural allies. The Yankees took advantage of this, touring them together and creating competing novelty teams (The "Busting Babes" and the "Laruppin' Lous") which they each captained in exhibition games.
   
   Gehrig remained the sidekick for years, a relationship which suited the Babe perfectly, but did little for Lou. Yes, they were friends, but they were never truly close. No one seemed close to Lou Gehrig, except perhaps his mother. Gehrig stayed away from the usual male vices of liquor and women (Eig speculates that he may have been a virgin well into his twenties); no woman was good enough, not by Lou's lights but by his mother's. Mrs. Gehrig interfered successfully in every relationship Lou had until he was thirty when he married his wife. A grand war erupted between the two Mrs. Gehrigs that lasted their lifetimes.
   
   Eleanor Twitchell Gehrig may have been played by Theresa Wright in the movies, but she was a harder, more savvy woman than the film portrays, a former flapper, and a somewhat jaded drinker. She was dedicated to having Lou promote himself (once, he was asked by "Huskies" cereal, a sponsor he endorsed, what his favorite breakfast was, and he answered "Wheaties!"), and she was dedicated to driving a wedge between mother and son. Eig never comments on the Gehrig marriage, but it seems that it was hardly bucolic---Gehrig suspected Ellie of having an affair with Babe Ruth, and never spoke to Ruth again. He seemed to have no close male friends, and no confidants.
   
   Gehrig's rock solid dependability led Manager Joe McCarthy to name him team Captain, but (as Eig states) "he was not a fiery captain." He was helpful and friendly to the rookies and the younger men who sought the benefit of his experience, but he looked askance at some of the behaviors of his more seasoned teammates. He snubbed men he thought were not giving their all. He moped over his own errors, and often wept at losses, particularly when he failed to come through in the clutch.
   
   Much of Gehrig's insecurity seems fearsomely misplaced. He played in every Yankee game from 1925 to 1941. He was a bulwark of the Yankees, and indeed a bulwark of the game of baseball as a whole. A power hitter par excellence, Eig gives us a picture of Gehrig around 1935: "His torso formed a perfect V . . . not an ounce of fat on his belly . . . his thighs were wider than most men's waists . . . calves the size of hams."
   
   This seemingly superhuman specimen though, was carrying a ticking time bomb inside himself. Exactly when ALS first attacked Lou Gehrig is unclear. Eig postulates an early onset date of January 1938 and a late onset date of June 1938, but Eig also documents a few anomalous moments in Gehrig's life that may (or may not) have been harbingers of the disease---a chronic cramping backache which recurred at intervals in 1937, and "a strange tingle in his spine" that same year. Gehrig fell into a batting slump at the end of the '37 season. Of course, having played some 1800 consecutive baseball games to that point may have just been wearying.
   
   ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) is a disease in which the motor neurons become brittle and nonfunctional. This leads to progressive muscle wastage, and eventual death. There is still no effective treatment available, and most patients die within five years.
   
   ALS devastated Lou Gehrig. His power at the plate simply vanished overnight and his ability to field faded. Once he fell over backward from the momentum of a caught ball. Gehrig figured he needed more work, and pushed himself harder in batting practice, but at best he could wring out an occasional good game. Fans booed him and opposing players razzed him. The Yankees were mystified. All athletes eventually lose their edge, but Gehrig didn't lose his edge, he fell off the edge. Clearly, something was very wrong, but a kind of shared delusion of denial set in among teammates, friends, family, fans, and Gehrig himself, which carried him through the 1938 season. In photographs taken over that year Lou seems to be shrinking, but no one seemed to take notice.
   
   By Opening Day of 1939, denial was no longer an option, but neither Joe McCarthy nor Gehrig wanted to face facts. Gehrig had often said he wanted to play 2500 consecutive games, and over the years McCarthy and Gehrig had cooperated in keeping the streak alive (once, a flu-ridden Gehrig took the first at-bat in a game, struck out messily, and retired to the clubhouse). In '39, Gehrig bravely played eight games, but his deteriorating skills were costing the Yankees their standing in the league. He benched himself in his 2,130th game, although he continued to dress for the games and captain the team. For a while.
   
   In his decline, Gehrig caught the imagination and the sympathy of baseball fans everywhere. Where he couldn't command attention in his prime, where he was seen as remote at his best, the fans embraced him sympathetically as he lost his skills. Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day, July 4, 1939, during which Lou uttered the immortal phrase, "Today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth" transformed him into a folk hero, vulnerable and gracious under pressure, and beloved. He blossomed briefly, becoming a gregarious raconteur, as though he wanted his baseball memoirs to be recorded before he lost the power of speech.
   
   There was little that could be done for Lou, though he tried experimental drugs such as histamines and superdoses of Vitamin E. Interestingly, his correspondence to and fom his doctors in this period was full of encouraging though ultimately false reportage from his doctors, mostly for purposes of morale. Lou reported "improvement" himself from time to time, but every "improvement" was followed by a sharper fall-off. Nonetheless, he maintained a positive attitude, even in the face of his own mortality. He made the most he could of the last few months of his short life, working until April of 1941. He kept smiling, and kept reassuring everyone of his "50/50 chance," even as he obviously lay dying. Lou Gehrig passed away on June 2, 1941.
   
   Although Lou Gehrig was a great ballplayer he did not attain personal greatness until faced with the ultimate crisis of his life. It is the quiet dignity with which he addressed his condition that made him the "Pride of the Yankees," and for which he is so well remembered.

5 comments about Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball's Last Hero.

1. When David Maraniss was growing up in Madison, at about the same time as I was, no doubt Henry Aaron attracted more of his attention than Roberto Clemente. But Clemente was always there, making even greater throws from Forbes Field's right field than Aaron's from the one at County Stadium. He was a great outfielder in an age that included Aaron, Mickey Mantle, and Willie Mays. Maraniss shows us not only his athletic prowess, but his humanity and his heroism on the real world stage. Clemente did almost as much to break the barrier for Latinos to play in the major leagues as Jackie Robinson did for African-Americans; but Clemente's revolution was lower on the public radar screen. His struggle for respect and appreciation (consistently underrated in the MVP voting most of his career) was quiet but fierce. From the initial story of how he became a Pirate because the Dodgers were attempting to hide his talent deep on the minor league bench, to the final saga of his tragic death trying to help victims of the Nicaraguan earthquake, Maraniss reveals important and dramatic stories that most sports fans and witnesses of human struggles in the twentieth century do not know.



2. This is a pretty good book, especially for any baseball fan also interested in acquiring a more profound understanding of the psyche and torments (hypochondria, fear of dying young, the rub of ego) of one of the game's all time greats --- and perhaps, the greatest right fielder of all time.
   
   The book is well researched, and provides an easy, interesting, and insightful view of Roberto, the man.



3. I enjoy David Maraniss' writing. In fact, one of my favorite books that I have also reviewed for Amazon is "When Pride Still Mattered," which is a bio on Vince Lombardi.
   
   Maraniss' bio of Clemente is a very good book. Not as good as "WPSM" but still very good.
   
   Of particular note was the way that he described the events leading up to the plane crash that claimed Clemente's life. Maraniss provided a wealth of background on the earthquake in Nicaragua, the political situation in the region and in the U.S., the safety record of the plane, the pilot, and the company that leased the plane, and finally a detailed account of what led to the actual crash. A first-class job by the author in describing this in detail.
   
   I also liked the way he covered Clemente the player. You don't have to go into a labor intensive review of every season of baseball the man played. Hit the highlights on those seasons where Clemente - while still special -wasn't extra special. Go into detail in important seasons, for instance the 1960 and 1971 World Series seasons and the year that Clemente won the MVP award in 1966.
   
   I also liked the way that Maraniss described how Clemente was discovered and the pains that the Dodgers went to hide him. The author did a great job detailing the rules of baseball at the time and why Clemente was hidden in the first place. He also does a great job in relaying Branch Rickey's association with Clemente. I didn't know about that and really found that interesting.
   
   Finally, the best thing about this book and any bio for that matter, is when the author isn't afraid to show you who the person really was. Clemente had his quirks and was viewed by some as a hothead and could possibly have even been seen as a Me First guy by some. Not in the way that today's athlete (Terrell Owens comes to mind) are. Clemente wasn't well liked by the media and at times by Pirates Brass. I'm glad the author didn't gloss over this. It doesn't make Clemente less mystical or less important as a player, but helped to humanize him.
   
   The only thing lacking in this book was more description of Clemente's relationship with his wife and children. I thought that was lacking. It doesn't appear Clemente was a drinker or a womanizer but most players at that time were. Did Clemente stray? I don't remember that ever being addressed. It isn't important in the big picture but it seems that Maraniss intentionally doesn't go into detail. Maybe the Clementes were just that private and there is not a lot of info there. I'm not looking for gossip but I would have found something about his relationship with his family helpful. He really seemed to like kids a lot... but his kids?? There really isn't a lot of info about Clemente the family man.
   
   I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to know the whole story of this man. He was pretty remarkable on and off the field. Not the best ever like some might claim, but definitely amont the top 15 or 20 to ever play the game.



4. As with David Maraniss' excellent bio of Vince Lombardi, the most appealing parts are that which cover off the field, hitting the life and times and getting into the character of the athlete. And in Lombardi and Clemente, we learn about two intense men. Maraniss gets into baseball to a satisfactory degree, with occasional game details and pennant races, without turning this into a "baseball book". It is more of bio of an admirable, highly accomplished man who played baseball.
   
   The look back to the 1950s and 60s may remind readers of how much baseball and society have changed. The rise of football and a variety of entertainment in general have pushed baseball down from its peak. The scenes of a rapt city and a whole country hanging on baseball that Maraniss describes so well are remnants of the past. Maybe if the Cubs and Red Sox had played a Futility Series a few years back could we have approached that awareness. Not any more.
   
   Far more important are the changes that brought Latin players to America and the reduced racism and bigotry from when Clemente couldn't eat with his teammates, reporters quoted him phonetically, and so on. The challenges of the trailblazing set were fascinating and profoundly sad. No wonder the proud and dignified Clemente resisted and took action, along with public and deep respect for the small number of players who preceded him in the struggle. The author rightly highlights many individuals whose names are mostly forgotten now.
   
   "Clemente" brings out the human side, prickly and generous, so it feels genuine. Enough praise, but not too much. Enough flaws, but no cheap shots or accent on the negative. Nice balance, and surprises (for me), such as the mix of strangers he befriended and brought into his circle. Imagine sending your teenage girl today far away to spend a few months with a famous athlete and his family today.
   
   I did not know the specifics of the crash, so much of the coverage was fresh reading. How disappointing to learn how avoidable that was, with such a convergence of mistakes.
   
   4.5 stars



5. Biography of Clemente that spends most of its time off the field revealing the unique and sometimes odd character of the first great Latin American player, certainly the best fielding right fielder of all time, and one of baseballs all time greats.
   
   Most impressive of his on-field stats are his 14-game World Series hitting streak (every World Series game he played in) and his 166 career triples that leave him 27th on the all time list that is dominated by players from 100 years ago when gloves and outfield fences were non-existent.
   
   Off the field, his quirks, his passion, and his pride make him more human and even heroic in an age of self-centered steroid freaks. His sudden death in a plane (most tragically) that should have never tried to leave the ground but was bound to Nicaragua with earthquake relief supplies he had gathered moved him toward sainthood.