5 comments about Ty Cobb (Sport in American Life).

1. Now featuring a new afterword by author Charles C. Alexander (Professor Emeritus Of History at Ohio University), Ty Cobb is the classic biography of one of baseball's most brilliant, volatile, and intimidating presences. An inset section of black-and-white photographic plates illustrate this chronicle of not only Ty Cobb's robust life, but also the startling transformations taking place during twentieth-century baseball. A fascinating, deftly researched and highly readable "must-have" for fans of baseball legends.



2. TY COBB BY CHARLES C. ALEXANDER (1984)

   Audio book review

   Charles C. Alexander's Ty Cobb is an illuminating review of the legendary early Twentieth Century baseball superstar. This audio book, read by Walter Zimmerman, is written more like historical biography than a baseball book
   Alexander dispels many long-held Cobb myths. Cobb was mean and nasty, but not nearly the ogre of legend. In fact, Cobb was a devout Christian (Baptist), very well spoken, a man who cared about his public image, and engaged himself in many acts of on and off-field kindness. Caricatured as a savage racist by revisionist history, Cobb actually was kindly in his relations with the many black people he grew up with in Georgia, some of whom worked for his family. He had no patience for blacks he considered uppity. He was not Branch Rickey, but he was not the Grand Dragon of the K.K.K., either. Miserly? Sometimes, but without fanfare he took care of players who had hit the skids. A spikes-sharpened demon? You bet, but Ty also shook hands with his combatants after the dust settled, and performed various acts of dovish peacemaking for the benefit of hostile fans.
   Alexander is not a psychiatrist, but it is obvious that the fact that Cobb's mother killed his father in what may not have been an accident, during an incident that occurred because Mr. Cobb suspected Mrs. Cobb of having an affair, shaped Ty's combative nature. What has been lost over the years is that Cobb became friendly with Babe Ruth (common legend holding that he always hated him). Cobb was a shrewd millionaire investor who never needed to work after baseball, therefore separating himself from regular contact with people while living in huge mansions that were too big for him, after his wife left. Most telling is the relationship Cobb had with his two male children. He raised them strictly, and because of baseball travel left much of the child rearing to his wife. When he retired, they were grown up and on their own, and Cobb had genuine regrets for "missing" their childhood's. He wished he had been a doctor, so he could have been home for his kids, and when one of his sons went into medicine, Cobb lamented that if he, too, were a doctor they would have something in common. With all that baggage in tow, Cobb had to endure the premature deaths of both of the boys from untimely illnesses, living the last 20-odd bitter years of his life blaming himself.
   Cobb may have been hard to live with, but this book empathetically explains some of the demons that drove the man into becoming a brilliant stock manipulator, a taskmaster father, an unfeeling husband, a reviled teammate, a hated opponent, and in the opinion of those who saw him, perhaps the greatest baseball player who ever lived!




3. Alexander approaches baseball history as a historian; not a mere storyteller. This book reflects that approach. Alexander reports the feats and faults of Cobb, but doesn't try to pass judgement. Cobb's career speaks for itself (men are still chasing some of his records). However, in our age of political correctness Cobb's misbehavior speaks louder.

   Alexander details a complete Cobb. For all his faults Cobb was mannered and gracious in public (most of the time), a perfect host (if he liked you) and a generous philanthropist. This is the side most other Cobb bio's whitewash.

   This book proves useful as a resource about Cobb. It details the facts about his life season by season. The only way to improve the book would be to add more detail and color to some of Cobb's exploits-- but then the book would have to be about 500 pages.

   I consider this to be the primere biography of Ty Cobb. However, those looking mostly for anidotes, stories and that harsh personality brought to life might want to check out Al Stumps' "Cobb". I suggest reading both to develop the full image of the Greatest innovator baseball has ever seen.




4. Ty cobb was the most ideal hitter in baseball before "the Babe" opened its new era.

   The author described well enough for me to understand 1900-1910's players, ballparks, other circumstances around baseball.

   I sincerely recommend this book to all the baseball fans.




5. Perfect companion to Al Stump's bio of Cobb. Alexander is more factual; Stump gives the reader a more thorough understanding of Cobb and his peculiarly ferocious personality. (The Alexander and Stump biographies portray a man who is one part Bedford Forest, one part Patton, one part Perot and one part Michael Jordan). For instance, Alexander devotes little more than one paragraph to Cobb's nervous breakdown in August, 1906. On the other hand, Stump details the inhumane hazing Cobb received from his yankee teammates in 1906 due to southern upbringing which led to Cobb's breakdown and fed his massive paranoia. Stump does a much better job on detailing Cobb's rivalry with Babe Ruth. Alexander briefly mentions the rivalry; Stump details the intense hatred Cobb felt for Ruth. For example, as player-manager of the Tigers, Cobb would often scream at the thick-lipped Ruth from the dugout, "You Nigga', Nigga' etc., etc.." However, where Stump takes many of Cobb's stories and yarns at face value, Alexander sifts through the clouds and tells the reader what is definitely true and leaves out what might be lies. Ty Cobb is the most interesting baseball player of all time though not the most important (Jackie Robinson, Babe Ruth, Roberto Clemente and, because of his role in free agency, Catfish Hunter were more important than Cobb). To get a real good feel of Ty Cobb, you need to read two books. Mr. Alexander's book is one of the two.

5 comments about Cy Young: A Baseball Life.

1. This book is for baseball fans. It answers the question of Who was Cy Young? Every year Major League Baseball gives an award in both leagues and I doubt that the vast majority of baseball fans can write two sentences about Cy Young. I found his accomplishments stunning in an era when pitchers started every third day, the good ones threw more than 400 innings a year and finished their own games.
   
   Baseball was clearly not the game then that it is today. This tells how it has changed. For example, in Young's day, fans were called "cranks." I think this is an apt description of even today's fans! It was common to call the police to settle on-field arguments! Wow! Read this before the season starts if you are a fan. If you aren't a baseball fan...why not?
   
   Jim



2. We are very interested in baseball's history, so this book is a welcome addtion to our library.



3. Cy Young spent most of his life in a small Ohio village. He left in 1890 to play baseball for the Cleveland Spiders, and returned in 1912 after racking up a truly impressive pitching career: 511 wins, pitched the first perfect game, won more than 30 games a season five times.
   
   This modern biography (written in 2000) is equally impressive for focusing on his baseball career instead of making spurious accusations about his psychological makeup and personal life. It also gives an excellent historical background and explanation of the rule changes during the period, and touches on a few personal areas without going into excessive detail; his life from 1867-1890 and 1912-1955 is covered in just two chapters.
   
   Of the six baseball biographies I've read recently it truly stands out. The author did a great job of explaining how baseball worked back then, both in terms of the game itself and the teams/managers--and, as you can imagine, professional baseball was more than a wee bit different in 1890 than it is today. He uses copious references and footnotes, and makes it clear when he's speculating rather than writing based on fact. (In particular we don't know for sure what player salaries were like during the time. He has a helpful appendix explaining his reasoning.)
   
   If you have any interest in baseball history pre-1920, or are just curious, it's well worth reading. It's one of the best modern biographies I've read.



4. Reed Browning set the model for baseball bios, and it's too bad the scores of works that have come out since this volume have not been up to the mark set. Mr. Browning is a history professor, but other professors who have written about their favorite players have been less accurate and unbiased. Browning has done his homework thoroughly and with no errors. Of course, with Cy Young it's easier to be unbiased and still show him to be among the greatest of all time.
   Browning has the perfect combination: all the detail about Cy Young's personal life he could get and keep the book flowing; all the baseball anecdotes worth telling; a fine writing style; and all the live action game and year by year stats and events you can want.



5. Considering the lack of material, Mr. Browning does an excellent job recounting Cy Young's life. While he is forced to make a number of guesses, they are all well reasoned. Some biographies give a game by game description of what the subject did year by year. Mr. Browning thankfully does not do that, instead focusing on the high points of each year. The book includes a number of informative discussions about the evolution of the rules in the late 19th/early 20th centuries.

5 comments about My Life in Baseball.

1. ROBIN ROBERTS DOES A GREAT JOB TELLING US ABOUT HIS LIFE AND CAREEER IN BASEBALL. SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS (THERE ARE MANY) ARE: 1950 WHIZ KIDS, RELATIONSHIPS WITH EDDIE SAWYER, INVOLVMENT IN THE PLAYERS UNION AND FINALLY HIS JOB LATER IN LIFE AS A STOCK INVESTOR. HE HAS MANY INTERESTING AND FUNNY STORIES. IT IS ONE OF THOSE BOOKS THAT IS HARD TO PUT DOWN. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS FOR BASEBALL AND EXPECIALLY PHILLIE FANS WHO REMEMBER THIS GREAT PITCHER.



2. I read-read-read baseball books. This is one of the best. Ranks right behind Roger Kahn's "Boys of Summer" and David Halberstams "October 1964". This includes an excellent description of how the players became organized into a union and the reasons why.



3. Robin Roberts was a great pitcher, arguably the greatest right-handed pitcher ever for the Philadelphia Phillies. In 1950, the Philadelphia Phillies won the pennant over the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Phillies went on to lose in four straight to the New York Yankees in the World Series. Although they had a nucleus of very good, young ballplayers (Roberts, Richie Asburn, Curt Simmons, Granny Hamner, etc), they never seriously contended again.
   Roberts fills you in on every painful detail of the Phillies demise.
   As a life-long Phillies fan, but one born after Roberts career had ended it was good to read about his insights. I suggest that those who never saw Roberts play read this book. Roberts is very even-handed. Complimenting others and admitting his mistakes.
   He discusses the failings of baseball in general and the Phillies in specific, but still keeps it light. He laments the Phillies reluctance to sign black players - missing out on Roy Campenella as well as others. He recalls his involvement in the Player's Union. He let's the reader know how the players were not treated fairly, but now it is the fan who is not treated fairly.
   This book is a good easy read. Very close to a 5 star rating, but just not enough juicy and/or unique information.



4. 
   
   To fully appreciate "My Life in Baseball", it would help if the reader knows what the "Hot Stove League" is. (The phrase refers to fans amusing themselves in the cold winter by talking baseball, looking forward to Spring Training- and presumably staying warm around the hot stove in a rural general store.) MLBB is set mostly in Major League Baseball's golden era, from 1946-1960 when BB was comprised of the original 16 teams and St. Louis and Kansas City were the western outposts. Robin Roberts played from 1948-1966 but his most productive years were in the early to mid 1950s with the Phillies. The author has an encyclopedic recall of old games, former teammates, managers, coaches, front office staff and opponents. His musings on individuals are more absorbing than the play by play in games of long ago. This reviewer was more taken with Roberts' less productive years in the early to mid 60s as he struggled to hold on with the Orioles, Cubs and Astros. The reader follows with admiration as Roberts invents a life for himself outside of Major League Baseball. He was highly instrumental in the formation of the Major League Players Association, though he disagrees with some of the actions that organization has taken. MLBB is an intelligent sports biography by a thoughtful and serious athlete. Roberts attained success on and off the playing field but had his struggles as well. He tells it like it is and, as another reviewer noted, does not use MLBB to settles old grudges. If one is over 50, or a die-hard Phillie fan of any age, MLBB is a safe choice. One dig at the author: How did he not know that Sal "The Barber' Maglie of the New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers didn't shave on days he was scheduled to pitch? (It made him more intimidating to the batters!) Every school kid in New York City knew that one! Those who fondly remember Sal will enjoy MLBB.



5. Robin Roberts' book, My Life in Baseball, along with his previous book, The Whiz Kids and the 1950 Pennant, transported this 62-year old back to my early childhood memories growing up in a Philadelphia suburb. Mr. Roberts' writing helped me recall a time when life was less complicated, a time of few worries, and a time when baseball was all about the game.
   
   Mr. Roberts' book is so detailed with the names of who hit what kind of pitch, in which inning, and to what part of the ballpark that it is like having been at the game or reading last night's box score. He provides a different perspective about baseball - of how the game used to be played back when players earned $5,000 a year and traveled long hours on the train going from one big league city to another.
   
   Mr. Roberts had a remarkable career as a big league pitcher. In just his third year in the Major Leagues, he won 20 games, which he did for six consecutive years. His record in his fifth year was 28 and 7, with 330 innings pitched. In 19 seasons, his overall ERA was 3.41. No wonder Mr. Roberts was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976, at that time just the second Phillie ever elected to the HOF.
   
   Read about some of the stars and Hall of Famers who played alongside Mr. Roberts or who faced him on the field, players such as Ashburn, Simmons, Ennis, Jones, Hamner, Mays, Aaron, Robinson, Musial, Spahn, Koufax, and Campanella. And read about the spitball, the development of the Players' Association, and the creation of the players' pension fund. This is a must-read for anyone who has a passion for the game of baseball.

5 comments about Josh Gibson: A Life in the Negro Leagues.

1. It's the great chicken/egg debate, was Josh Gibson the black Babe Ruth or was Babe Ruth the white Josh Gibson. Thanks to narrow minded thinking we'll never really know.
   Josh Gibson was a man driven by deamons, the tragic death of his wife made him incapable of letting his emotions go. So he gave his children over into the care of other family members and threw himself into baseball, drugs, and alcohol. Records were kept sloppily back then and are scarce today, but it is believed that he hit approximately 800 home runs during his career. In the end his family couldn't afford a grave marker and for years his body was in an unmarked grave until Major League Baseball paid for one.
   A sad chapter in our history. We can only guess what might have been.



2. Josh Gibson was a great baseball player in the 30s and 40s in the Negro Leagues. This book chronicles his baseball career, as well as the life in the Negro Leagues and playing in Latin America during the winter months and some summers as well. William Brashler does a fine job writing about Gibson's passion for the game, to the point that I feel like I know him as well as any current major leaguers. In addition, Brashler explains in detail what life was like for Negro League players; the horrible way they were treated in many places in the south; the winter months that they played in places like Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba and other Latin/South American countries. There are also separate short chapters on Cool Papa Bell, Jimmie Crutchfield and Sammy Bankhead, as well as plenty of interesting information on Satchel Paige. I'm glad I had a chance to read about the great Josh Gibson and the Negro Leagues. I believe anyone interested in baseball history would appreciate this book.



3. Beginning in 1930 with his debut with the Homestead Grays and extending through a career which featured several years with the Pittsburgh Crawfords and stints with various winter league teams in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico, Josh Gibson was quite simply the greatest hitter of his era. While he is often referred to as the black Babe Ruth, the black press and fans of the Negro Leagues during the 1930's called Ruth the white Josh Gibson. Though records are sketchy, Gibson is reported to have hit as many as 70 homeruns in a single season and it can safely be assumed that he hit more than 800 round trippers in his career. There are stories indicating that Gibson actually hit a homerun completely out of Yankee Stadium, a feat no major leaguer has accomplished, and although Brashler's research disputes this claim, there are countless other tales of tape-measure blasts. There was a 525-foot homerun that landed in a Puerto Rico prison, a one-handed homerun in Indianapolis, and a doubtful claim of a 700-foot blast out of Chicago's Wrigley Field. Whether or not the stories are believed, the overall perception cannot be ignored. As the most imposing hitter of the 1930's and 40's, Josh Gibson was larger than life. He was posthumously inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame in 1972.

   Most baseball fans are familiar with the legend of Josh Gibson, but Brashler brings readers behind the stories of one of the greatest hitters of all-time. Along with the glory accorded a player of such talent, there were disappointments as well. The death of his first wife and the subsequent abandonment of his children haunted Gibson throughout his playing career, and he often felt overshadowed by the showmanship of Satchel Paige. These concerns, combined with the disappointment of not being able to play in the major leagues, likely led him to alcohol when his body began to break down late in his career. When he died in 1947 at the age of thirty-five, months after Jackie Robinson broke in with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Gibson was buried in an unmarked grave. His family couldn't afford a gravestone.

   Brashler's biography of Gibson is complete and honest in its approach to Gibson's character and accomplishments. In addition to Gibson, he briefly profiles his peers, men like Satchel Paige, Oscar Peterson, Judy Johnson, Jimmy Crutchfield, Cool Papa Bell, and others. There can be no discussion of the Negro Leagues without comment on the discrimination which made them necessary, but Brashler avoids the trap of becoming overly sentimental, focusing instead on the facts. For a more complete picture of the players and teams mentioned by Brashler, try Only the Ball Was White, Robert Peterson's comprehensive history of the Negro Leagues.




4. This is among the very best books I have ever read. Easily the best biography and the best book on baseball (of which I have read a lot). Brashler's account of Gibson's life and the Negro Leagues engrosses you like a great novel. I could not recommend it more highly.



5. I HIGHLY RECOMMMEND THIS BOOK TO ANYONE WHO ENJOYS BASEBALL AND THE HISTORY OF THE GREAT PLAYERS IN THE NEGRO LEAGUES. TOO BAD STATS WEREN'T CLOSELY KEPT FROM THAT TIME PERIOD, FOR THE NUMBERS THAT JOSH PUT UP ARE PROBABLY TRULY BREATH TAKING. HE WAS THE BABE RUTH, JIMMIE FOXX, AND MARK MCGWIRE OF 1930'S AND 40'S. THE BOOK DOES A GOOD JOB OF SHOWING US JOSH'S TRIUMPHS AND HIS DARK SIDE. HE WAS WITH FAULTS, BUT THAT MADE HIM EVEN MORE INTERESTING. THIS BOOK ALSO TREATS US TO SOME INTERVIEWS WITH MANY OTHER GREAT PLAYERS OF THAT ERA AND AN IN DEPTH HISTORY OF THE NEGRO LEAGUES. WELL WORTH READING ABOUT A GREAT PIECE OF BASEBALL HISTORY.

5 comments about The Only Way I Know.

1. Thought this would be interesting as a peek into the life of someone in "the show". Fairly so, though the level of detail (which could just as easily been a positive) was a bit much at times. Or perhaps the details that were revealed weren't that interesting.
   
   Ripken definitely isn't a deep person, or if he is he works to hide it in this book; though I'm not sure why anyone would look to a pro athlete for anything deep.
   
   The life he presented basically boils down to - "I played every day because I could, not as an attempt to break a record. I played hard because that is how I was raised."
   
   Nothing wrong with any of that, just a bit pedestrian. Again, why would you expect more out of a book about a baseball player though?
   
   Good insight into someone doing their best on a consistent basis. Don't expect anything magical though. It's along the lines of the saying "90% of success is showing up".



2. I love Cal Ripken Jr. He's been one of my favorite players since I was 9 years old. I was really looking forward to this book. I wanted to be able to rate it higher. I really did. However, the books is very dry and doesn't have a lot of really good stories in it. It's mostly about stats for different years and how he broke out of his slumps. There's not a lot about his childhood growing up in the shadow of the big leagues with his dad being in the Baltimore organization. There were very flat stories of how they drove to spring training as kids with their mother organizing. I just thought Cal would have so many good stories about his life and the different people he met along the way. I know he is a very private person but he didn't really open up and let you get to know the real him. This book also stops after the record is broken and doesn't go any further in his career or his after baseball life. I was a little disappointed, but would recommend it to the true Cal fans.



3. If you are a fan of Cal Ripken Jr., "The Only Way I Know" is the book for you. In this autobiography Cal shares information with us on how he got to where he is today and what it is like being a profesional baseball player. He overcame a lot during his brilliant career as a Baltimore Oriole. In Ripken's illustrious 20 year career with the Baltimore Orioles he broke several records and appeared in several all-star games. Having is dad pass away and battling to stay healthy, Ripken was a hero off the field as well as on the field. He participated in several diffent charities throughtout his career. That is what makes him not only a great athlete, but a wonderful person. This book is 326 pages and it took me about three weeks to read. I am a big fan of Cal Ripken Jr. so I really enjoyed this book. Everyone who is a sports fan should have a fun time reading this book because there is plenty of information and it makes you want to keep reading because there is so much information that people do not know about Cal Ripken. Ripken is one of the most recognized profesional athletes ever, so you can only imagine how good this book really is. As you all know Ripken broke the record of consecutive games by playing 2,132 consecutive games; he is known as the iron man. There are also many pictures in the book from different points in Ripken's career. I hope you enjoy this book.
   Also recommended: Cal Ripken Jr.: My Story
   Cal Ripken Jr.: Play Ball



4. If you are a fan of Cal Ripken Jr., "The Only Way I Know" is the book for you. In this autobiography Cal shares information with us on how he got to where he is today and what it is like being a profesional baseball player. He overcame a lot during his brilliant career as a Baltimore Oriole. In Ripken's illustrious 20 year career with the Baltimore Orioles he broke several records and appeared in several all-star games. Having is dad pass away and battling to stay healthy, Ripken was a hero off the field as well as on the field. He participated in several diffent charities throughtout his career. That is what makes him not only a great athlete, but a wonderful person. This book is 326 pages and it took me about three weeks to read. I am a big fan of Cal Ripken Jr. so I really enjoyed this book. Everyone who is a sports fan should have a fun time reading this book because there is plenty of information and it makes you want to keep reading because there is so much information that people do not know about Cal Ripken. Ripken is one of the most recognized profesional athletes ever, so you can only imagine how good this book really is. As you all know Ripken broke the record of consecutive games by playing 2,132 consecutive games; he is known as the iron man. There are also many pictures in the book from different points in Ripken's career. I hope you enjoy this book.
   Also recommended: Cal Ripken Jr.: My Story
   Cal Ripken Jr.: Play Ball



5. If you are a fan of Cal Ripken Jr., "The Only Way I Know" is the book for you. In this autobiography Cal shares information with us on how he got to where he is today and what it is like being a profesional baseball player. He overcame a lot during his brilliant career as a Baltimore Oriole. In Ripken's illustrious 20 year career with the Baltimore Orioles he broke several records and appeared in several all-star games. This book is 326 pages and took me about three weeks to read. I am a big fan of Cal Ripken Jr. so I really enjoyed this book. Ripken is one of the most recognized profesional athletes ever, so you can only imagine how good this book really is. As you all know Ripken broke the record of consecutive games by playing 2,132 consecutive games; he is known as the iron man. There are also many pictures in the book from different points in Ripken's career. I hope you enjoy this book.

5 comments about Ichiro on Ichiro: Conversations with Narumi Komatsu.

1. The book appears mostly a direct translation of Japanese version. Although I am in a previledged position of being able to understand both English and Japanese, I have not had access to the Japanese version. This seems irrelevant to most readers who would be reading this book, but my point is that at times it is apparent that the target audience is not *American* baseball or Ichiro fans. How you feel about reading about a person yet he is not necessarily communicating with you depends on the reader, I guess. Some readers may get bored about his Japanese league endeavor simply becaused the vantage point is that of an avid Japanese Ichiro fan. Yet, Ichiro would not have gone into technical discussions of hitting, for example, unless he was talking to a Japanese writer (otherwise the subtleties of what he really wants to say would be lost in translation; he even struggles to make it into words in his mother tongue anyways), so the fact that the interviewer was not an American who would have been writing for Americans may well made the book more interesting.
   
   One thing that I wish to point out is that many Americans, after reading this book, are surprised how eloquent Ichiro actually is. Most atheletes are not really known for their eloquence, so there is nothing interesting there, but for Japanese ballplayers language barrier is often the reason why they appear even more quiet. They fear of getting misunderstood using little English. Even someone like Hideo Nomo, who has been described as a sourpuss, does actually talks substantially to the media, if you can understand Japanese.
   
   If you wish to know Ichiro the baseball master in depth or wish to know a bit about the Japanese baseball, I highly recommend this book. For casual observers, the book might just be a curious read into the mind of baseball *geek* from a land where attention to subtleties is appreciated.



2. This book is a fascinating set of interviews between Ichiro Suzuki, one of the world's best baseball players, and reporter Narumi Komatsu. I'm a Seattle native and Mariner's fan who has always been fascinated with all things Japanese. Naturally I'd be drawn to this book yet you don't have to be like me to thoroughly enjoy it. You don't even have to be a Mariner's fan, or a baseball fan to appreciate this excellent work. I highly recommend it.
   
   Ichiro is not only one of the game's great players but he's a classy, hard-working guy as well. It's nice to know that the guy who broke the major league single season hit record is a truly worthwhile human being rather than just another steroid freak. To illustrate his character, it states herein that he was surprised by how shabbily the American players treat their equipment. Rather than letting the staff clean his shoes and take care of his gloves, Ichiro prefers to do such tasks himself, demonstrating a greater respect for the game. I liked this book much better than David Shield's collection of media quotes and cryptic comments published in 'Baseball is Just Baseball'. In this tome, you really get to know Ichiro not only as a great player, but as a great person as well.
   
   You can learn a whole lot about Ichiro, his family, and his transition form Japanese baseball to the American system. You find out how he learned to bat so well and the game where his technique finally clicked into place (on 04/11/99). And, you can learn some practical real life wisdom from his struggle for perfection. An example quote: "Win the MVP and everybody says you're great," Ichiro says. "Everywhere you go people make a fuss over you... But once you get used to that and get carried away by it, you lose a sense of who you really are." Sage advice I think.
   
   Lawrence Kane
   Author of 'The Way of Kata' and 'Martial Arts Instruction'



3. This is an amazing book! Ichiro is extremely informative, and I have learned a lot about baseball, both Japanese and American. Ichrio seems to typically be fairly reserved, but this book let's you discover what he's like. At first I thought that a book that was basically just one big interview would be boring, but this is far from that! I highly recommend this book!



4. Ichiro recently broke the Major League Baseball record for most hits in one season, a record that had stood for 84 years. On the evening in Seattle when he had a chance to tie the record with a hit, or break it with two, he promptly hit safely his first two times up. His record number of 262 hits was nearly 50 hits better than the runner up in the American League this season.
   
   This book gives a very personal glimpse into the mindset of the man who not only has set numerous Major League records, but is a national hero in his native Japan after winning seven consecutive batting titles there. The book is laid out entirely in Q&A format and covers his entire playing career, his childhood, little league, his move to America and his first three seasons playing for the Seattle Mariners. While most biographies tell a story, what is surprising about this book is how direct and honest he is. It is fascinating to read about the mental and physical preparation he puts into the game.
   
   Recently a Sports Illustrated writer attempted to discount his hits record. This was a huge miss. Ichiro is the real deal, a major leaguer who respects the game in every way, plays his all for the fans, and earns every hit he gets. The hard facts are that for 84 years thousands of players have failed to break that record for a reason. An amazing athlete with gold glove fielding ability, an arm like Roberto Clemente, and the ability to turn a soft infield ground ball into two bases with a single and a stolen base.
   
   This book is worth reading if you are at all a fan of the game. It is refreshing in an era of ego-maniacs and over paid prima donnas, that we have an athlete who takes his craft seriously, wants to work to earn every penny, and is humble in the process. If you are not a fan of his records, then this book will likely make a fan out of you for his professionalism, respect for the game and attitude. An unfortunate rarity in sports these days. A class act all the way.



5. The superlatives are well known: hits, fielding, 3.6 seconds to first base, stealing bases - everything. Less well known is the man behind the bat. From his life in Japan, his family, the big change from living in Japan to living in Seattle.
   
   But above all this book is on baseball: how it is played in Japan, how it is different here; the relationships among the players, negeotiating salaries with the team; the consistent and unrelenting pressure from the press. Perhaps the best though is the serious analysis of the game that he gives every aspect of the game. Excellent, even if you're not a Mariners fan.

1 comments about Eddie Collins: A Baseball Biography.

1. When I finished reading Rick Huhn's excellent and comprehensive biography of Eddie Collins, one of the top secondbasemen and batsmen (.333) of all time, I was left with one burning question. Why has it taken so long for this story to be told?
   
   That the tale is worth telling is obvious. Eddie Collins was an educated man with baseball braininess to boot -- not the first, but a standout in his era. His ML playing career spanned over two decades, and his seasons climaxed six times with a World Series. He was one of the game's top base-stealers, and simply a shoo-in for Cooperstown, when that honor came along.
   
   Collins also had great supporting casts: he was a member of the $100,000 Infield, the first Mack Dynasty in Philadelphia, the White Sox dynasty of the late teens and 1920. He lingered in the game long enough to be part of Mack's Second Dynasty, too. So why is he not the subject of the small library of biographies that he seems to deserve?
   
   Huhn's book represents the answer. First, Eddie's baseball story spans a quarter of a century, just on the MLB diamonds, and to set the stage, you need to look at his days of college ball. But there's more, he was not just a player, but a manager, coach, scout (without that title), and then General Manager with yet another team, the Boston Red Sox, sandwiched between Tom Yawkey and Joe Cronin, and a force in more World Series in the Ted Williams era. In other words, this guy may not have covered as much territory in the field as a Mazeroski or Morgan, but he covered over four decades of baseball history, from 1906 until his death in 1951.
   
   That's just part of the answer. Telling his story requires an understanding of various baseball eras, as well as the events and economics that shaped each -- both World Wars, the Depression, the dramatic transition from Deadball Era to Lively. While many biographies fit into one or two periods, Collins runs the gamut. And along the way, there is a stumbling block.
   
   And that is "the Black Sox scandal" -- an event in which Eddie Collins and each member of the 1919 Chicago White Sox, like it or not, played a role. It would be easy to simply declare Collins a member of the "Clean Sox" and distance him from the fixed World Series, but to his credit, Huhn tackles this complicated and mysterious (even today) occurrence head on. Not only that, but he looks even closer at the shady business in 1917, and during the seasons of 1919 and 1920, a treat for readers who know that The Big Fix of October 1919 was hardly "baseball's single sin" (in Voigt's phrase).
   
   This book leaves so many impressions, it is hard to recall them all. First there is the relationship with Connie Mack and the A's -- Mack being one of the few figures to cast a shadow in the game, that is longer than Collins'. Under Mack, Collins bloomed into an All Star worth the small fortune he was paid each season -- $15,000, when other stars earned a third of that, or less. I do not believe his next team's magnate, Charles Comiskey, was an exceptional Scrooge; I think Commy continued those high wages year after year because Collins was always more than a player -- he was a leader, a steadying influence, always a coach and teacher, and a "company man" -- always learning, preparing for a role in management.
   
   Huhn's book is chock full of Eddie's own words -- he was also a writer, and apparently never employed a ghost -- and these words are almost "other-worldly" compared to the language common among ballplayers then and now. They reflect his college education, and a kind of gentle refinement; they are often peaceful and thoughtful, and the reader feels as if he is sitting beside a fireplace while Eddie puffs on a pipe after a day of hunting. They are a treat.
   
   So is the balanced tone of the book. It is never hero-worship, or too-harsh criticism. Huhn himself is thoughtful and reflective, as if in the time he has spent with Collins, something has rubbed off. Eddie Collins was the quintessential Quiet Man, before, during and after the Babe Ruth comet blazed across the game. He was a ballplayer first and foremost, letting his bat and glove and spikes do most of the talking. Perhaps this is another reason his biography appears so late.
   
   Huhn asks great questions all along the way (317 pages, plus end notes worth reading). How to assess the silence of the Sox who knew the Fix was in, but said nothing to the press? For insiders like Collins and Ray Schalk, it was more than suspicion, and the public silence of their manager Gleason and owner Comiskey in the year that followed the tainted Series comes in for examination, too. There is another kind of silence, too, when Collins is GM in Boston. We know now that the Red Sox had a look at Jackie Robinson before he signed with Brooklyn, and Huhn cannot resist observing that Eddie Collins' life might have been crowned with the heroism that surrounded Branch Rickey. But it wasn't, and the BoSox would not sign their first black player until long after Collins passed away.
   
   It is tempting to use both silences to underline Collins as a bureaucrat, one who refused to make waves that might upset the boat he wanted to steer someday, or the sport that prides itself on unchanging tradition. But Huhn does not do that -- he gives readers the context, the bigger picture, looks at the options, and reports the facts. Collins probably had no leverage to move the stone of the cover-up of the Fix in 1919 and 1920. And he probably was no racist in the 1940s. It was not that simple, and longer, deeper looks are needed. Huhn takes those looks.
   
   If they make a movie of the life of Eddie Collins, it just might need that old title, It's a Wonderful Life. Like the character Jimmy Stewart played in the Christmas favorite, Eddie's life touched and influenced many others -- take it away and there would be a huge hole in baseball history.

5 comments about Fouled Away: The Baseball Tragedy of Hack Wilson.

1. Clifton Blue Parker had a great subject in Hack Wilson but Parker fouled out with his writing.
   Parker took a interesting ballplayer and turned him into a bore. His chapter "Hacking Toward Immortality" was written like it was taken out of a daily newspaper. To many mundane accounts of each and every RBI. It would have been nice to also have a little more info on his second wife in the years after Hack died.
   It took me weeks to finish this book. I couldn't believe I spent so much money on this bio. I will not buy anything else from Clifton Blue Parker. I think he is a overrated writer.



2. This book is full of lively anecdotes written in a thoroughly illuminating and informative manner. Learning about the highs and lows of Hack Wilson - one of baseball's biggest enigmas -- was a rollercoaster ride of fun. Heartily recommend it.



3. I found this to be a very well written and very interesting book. Clifton Blue Parker has done an excellent and very thorough and complete research of a rather difficult subject, and pulled off a solid read from start to finish. Clifton Parker is correct in one of his assessments late in this book...People are forgetting Hack Wilson. Here today and gone tomorrow aptly applies to the career and life of Hack Wilson. That is sad indeed. Hack Wilson was a character of the game both on and off the field. What Mr. Parker has done is preserve a life, career and very important lesson in life in his book.

   Clifton Parker puts Wilson's 191 RBI's into perspective and does not candy coat it. He backs it up with reasonable assumptions and hard facts. A tragic figure is Wilson, and Mr. Parker portrays him accordingly. Interesting how some of today's so-called athletes and heros are really no different than Wilson...

   I consider this a must read for anyone that loves baseball history. This is as good a read as you will find. An interesting subject and an equally interesting read.




4. I read a lot of baseball biographies, and one of the worst things is reading player propaganda. It seems that hero worshipping infects far too many endeavors in the baseball arena, including biogaphies. Refreshingly, this book on Hack Wilson does not hero worship. It is a serious thorough accounting evidently based on plenty of research. It covers Wilson's rise and fall, from cradle to grave, with warts and heroics, and all. Prior attempts on Wilson's life never gave an adequate accounting of his life otuside baseball. The one thing that would have helped this book is any surviving members of the Wilson clan. That's no fault of Parker, who writes in an engaging, almost poetic, manner about this fascinating character out of Baseball's Roaring 20s. I hope to read more of his work!



5. The author makes a diligint effort in telling baseball fans the accomplishments and lifestyle of Hack Wilson, one of baseballs most over looked Hall of Famers. The author does an excellent job tying in the roar 20's and the city of Chicago into the book. Wilson's best years were spent in Chicago at Wrigley Feild with the Cubs. All the accomplishments and downfalls of Wilson are noted. What the author does leave the reader wondering is first who exactly is this complicated yet modest man, which may be of no fault of his own. Second, the author fails to describe why the small West Virginia town of Martinsburg was so important to a man who was a star in the "Second City".

No comments about Biggio: The Final Game.

No comments about "The Father of Baseball": A Biography of Henry Chadwick.