1 comments about Steamboat Single Tracks : The Mountain Biking Guide to Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

1. We bought this book for a trip to Steamboat in July 2003. My wife is a beginning rider, so we picked a ride classified as "easy", and described as fire roads/dirt roads throughout. That may have been the case when this book was first written in 1993, but 10 years later, there were almost no signs, and about half the course had regressed to seriously overgrown single-track. It took three of us (two with substantial outdoor and hiking experience) 6 hours to finish what should have been a 2 hour ride, as we kept getting lost and having to back track. The authors say they revise this book: DON'T BELIEVE THEM.

1 comments about Broadcast Rites and Sites, Revised Edition: I Saw It on the Radio with the Boston Red Sox.

1. This book was awful. I lost this book halfway through and it didn't matter to me. Normally if I lost a book I would go through the house so I could finish it.
   I'm a big Sox fan and Joe Castiglione is a great broadcaster, but he's not a great author. One star for trying.

5 comments about The Mind of Bill James: How a Complete Outsider Changed Baseball.

1. This book could have been titled "The Best of Bill James" instead of "The Mind of Bill James." About 70% of the book is just excerpts from old publications of James', often inserted without any real context or additional insight. Gray, when he appears, is a decent writer but not a great one, and I agree with an earlier reviewer who said that his writing style often seems derivative of James himself.
   
   Fun in parts, but poorly edited, disorganized, and ultimately a very sparse book.



2. "The Mind of Bill James: How a Complete Outside Changed Baseball" delivers better on the first part of the title.
   
   The book serves as a narrative biography of James, who is best known for popularizing a term he coined, "Sabrmetrics" or the use of statistics to analyze all facets of baseball decisionmaking, from which minor league pitchers would have solid major league careers to the value of stolen bases. While it summarizes James's most important ideas, it really doesn't explore how they've impacted the Major Leagues at all, even though James is now a paid consultant to the Red Sox and his ideas clearly play a role.
   
   Gray's sources seem to be limited to James's writings (which are mostly out of date) and interviews with James. He really doesn't seem to have talked at all with other baseball executives to get their views on James's methods, and therefore its really difficult to know how seriously those truly "in power" take them. For instance, Billy Beane of the A's is known to use Jamesian methods and done quite well with them (see Michael Lewis's "Moneyball"). Gray doesn't seem to have talked with him or other GMs though.
   
   Another disappointment is the cursory coverage Gray gives some of James's most important ideas, such as the concept of "Win Shares" that allows players to be evaluated over different periods of time, i.e. did Yogi Berra or Jackie Robinson contribute more to their teams' success? Calling the concept too complicated to really break down, Gray doesn't even get to it until about 2/3 of the way through the book.
   
   One of the reasons for this is a real weakness of the book - its use of a narrative format instead of a topical one. Because the book takes James from childhood to the presdent and discusses his ideas as he wrote them, there's no sense of hierarchy, i.e., which of them are most important in terms of their contribution to baseball, which is the book's ostensible purpose.
   
   Finally, the book doesn't really take a comprehensive look at the world of baseball analysis to get a sense of how much ground James really broke. The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) preceeded James's appearance onto the scene. To what extent did James popularize work being done already (James can write clearly and make the mundane fascinating) and to what extent did he plow new ground? Again, while the book acknowledges that there was this universe of research and analysis before James, he doesn't even begin to explore this.
   
   None of this is to criticize James at all, who best exemplifies someone who writes about the game with intelligence and passion. His ideas are important (whether you agree with him or not), and deserve a better explication than this volume.
   
   In short, a good concept poorly executed in my view.



3. One sign of a great, compelling biography, I think, is a kind of merging of the two voices - that of the subject of the biography and that of the biographer himself. When a kind of seamless interaction between them occurs on the page the result can be beautifully illuminating. Scott Gray's The Mind of Bill James: How a Complete Outsider Changes Baseball accomplishes exactly this and does so by focusing on the essence of James' contribution to the game rather than devoting too much time to more personal details of his subjects' history. That said, the book is, in it's way, intensely personal - again, from the both the standpoint of the individual as well as the author, for both make a deeply felt, strong case for the beauty of real, meaningful information over appearances, not only in baseball, but in ostensibly disparate subjects such as politics and crime stories as well. Essentially Gray's book supports James' method and approach to deciphering the actual and real strengths of a baseball team and of individual players by citing him extensively. But what makes the book such a great read is that Gray provides an enlightening and, at times, poetic, context in which sabermetrics takes on the broader scope of things. His particular form of prose is not ethereal or flowery at all however, on the contrary, it is rather calculated, surefooted, and certain, and possesses edges as sharp as the James analyses cited throughout the book. This book represents what I consider a perfect fusion, a great meeting of the minds. I think the thought that most struck me from reading it is that I'm sure James would have been an incredibly interesting voice in any pursuit - and Gray's book conveys that in a comparably staightforward and precise way and with undeniable enthusiasm and depth.



4. Gray takes the bio genre into uncharted waters--a perfect match for his iconoclastic, quirky subject. Full of unique insights and strange-and-beautiful humor, Gray's book takes us on a remarkable journey as we discover how this maverick came to be so loved and so hated and so influential in the baseball world.



5. As baseball books go, this one is unusual. Instead of mimicking the tried-and-true journalistic voice of authority, the author lets his subject do most of the talking, about baseball in general and the Red Sox in particular, as well as on things that have little to do with sport but are nonetheless interesting, such as the Ramsey murder, life in the Army during the Vietnam era, race, and psychology. In one lengthy passage, the author uses old and new James analysis to make a case for Lou Whitaker being severly underrated and having had more value to his teams than Ernie Banks or Lou Brock to theirs. Whether you agree or disagree, or you like Bill James or don't, this book is pretty fascinating. Some reviewers have complained about the structure, but I found it a fun and easy read. If you're a Red Sox fan, you'll dig the "Pedro Martinez / London pub" story.

2 comments about Still a Legend: The Story of Roger Maris.

1. You said he could have been as big as Mark McGuire? I do not thing Roger took steroids my friend!!!!!!!!!!!!



2. As a teenager at Busch Stadium I thrilled to watch Roger Maris play right field during two Cardinal championship seasons. In "Still A Legend" I was introduced to the man wearing number "9". In this work, Harvey Rosenfeld does a good job at projecting the whole Roger Maris. Comparable emphasis is given to Maris the baseball player, Maris the family man, Maris the son of Fargo and Maris the faithful Catholic.
   
   Roger Maris grew up an Fargo, North Dakota where he attended Catholic schools and met his wife, Pat, while developing into a great baseball star. After the minor leagues, Roger continued his march to stardom as a Cleveland Indian and a Kansas City Athletic. Even in Cleveland he was regarded as a surly loner.
   
   After his playing time in his adopted home of Kansas City, Roger was ready for the Yankee pinstripes but not for the glare of the New York press. Although he changed teams, Roger retained a privacy which would forever bar the press from his world and would limit his enjoyment of public adulation. The press would demonize Roger in his pursuit of Babe Ruth's record, while manufacturing the legend of a feud between himself and his roommate, Mickey Mantle.
   
   Throughout the ups and downs of his stormy and injury plagued career, Roger retained his love of baseball which was damped only during the most severe of the onslaughts by fans and media.
   
   This book wears its themes on its sleeve. The main themes are that Roger was not properly appreciated, his purported surliness was merely a justified demand for privacy and that he has been unjustly denied admission into the Hall Of Fame.
   
   Although written by an obvious fan, this book does not do justice to Roger Maris. Too often the story degenerates into a litany of quotes from Roger, his teammates, friends and detractors to be classified as good writing. The sections dealing with the media bias and the injustice of his exclusion from the Hall Of Fame run on too long. This book is more editorial than biography. Still, this book tells much about Roger Maris. It also tells us much about ourselves, the fans. Yankee fans booed the Roger Maris whom they regarded a surly usurper. By contrast, Cardinal fans loved Jolly Roger. This is in keeping with our reputation as the greatest fans in baseball. The story of how the Cardinals restored Roger's enjoyment of the game and delayed his retirement for two years confirm the stories I remember from the time. It is too bad that Roger did not become a Cardinal in 1960. He could have been as big as Mark McGwire.

3 comments about Satchel Sez: The Wit, Wisdom, and World of Leroy "Satchel" Paige.

1. One cannot help but be moved by this little book of various sayings of and articles about Satchel Paige. Yet this is one of the most delightful reads I have experienced in quite a while. David Sterry and Arielle Eckstut have put together a collection of witicisms and rare articles that will delight the baseball fan and history buff.

   Beautifully illustrated with vintage photographs and pictures, this book is a gem. A reader will learn about the spirit of a man who looked Jim Crow in the face and won!




2. Satchel Paige. Just saying the name brings to mind a personality as vibrant and singular as any seen in the world of baseball. This short, effective book presents a glimpse into the truly marvelous wit and wisdom of the pitcher who seemed terminally young, throwing baseballs with purpose and precision into his 60s. A pitcher who once struck out 24 batters in one game. A player many claim was the ultimate master of the pitched ball. A competitor with constant chatter and quips. A man who was relegated to second-class citizenship because he was African-American, yet with whom all the white teams of the 1930s wanted to play against in the barn-storming games because he was such a draw. Take a peak at this book and you'll glean a new insight into the man who became a legend. The authors have captured the essence of Satchel via quotes about and by Paige, lots of photographs, stats, stories, and memorabilia all wrapped in a wildly successful graphic design.



3. I'm not much of a baseball fan, and Satchel Paige has always just been a name to me, but a friend showed me this book and I couldn't resist reading it. I do like history, philosophy, and stories about people with integrity who overcome obstacles to do what they love and live by their own standards, and Satchel Sez pleased me on all of those levels. For those of you who are as uninformed as I was before I read this book, Leroy "Satchel" Paige started out with a job carrying suitcases at the age of seven and went on to become the greatest pitcher baseball has ever known, with stats that far outshine the records set by white players who were allowed careers in the big leagues. Satchel played in the Negro Leagues for almost his entire career - he spent a few years in the Major Leagues. He was eventually named the oldest rookie when he was in his sixties. "Age is a question of mind over matter," he said. "If you don't mind, it don't matter." The book is colorful, fun, and easy to read, pairing quotes and anecdotes by and about Satchel with lots of photographs of the man himself. Satchel's humor and easy-going nature are captured here, but at the same time the book portrays his grace and dignity, a side of him that has often been overlooked due to racial stereotypes. Satchel has lots of advice to give on everything from baseball to aging to women to stomach trouble. Some examples are: "Slow down, you last longer," "Be satisfied in your own world," and "Just take the ball and throw it where you want to. Home plate don't move." He also offers inspiration, such as, "You have to believe in yourself. When you believe, you do." One of my favorite quotes could be applied to the racism he faced: "It's not what you don't know that hurts you. It's what you know that just ain't so." I'm also impressed by Satchel's goodwill. For sure, he trash-talked and was never modest about his genius, but he was generous at the same time. Once he didn't show up to the Negro League equivalent of an All-Star game because the owners of the teams refused to donated all of the proceeds to returning wounded GIs. When he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame (Negro League players were supposed to be recognized separately), he said, "There were many Satchels." I am simultaneously impressed, informed, and inspired by Satchel Sez, and I would recommend it to anyone.

5 comments about Chipper Jones : A Brave Legend in the Making.

1. Chipper (Larry) was, is and will be a baseball legend. This Brian guy is obviously full of sour grapes for some reason. Maybe he's an Indians fan. (remember '95 ?) Either that or he is completely ignorant about baseball. Oh, and the book is just fine.



2. This is the best book I have read. I did not know famous player thank chipper is a MVP



3. This is a really good book about Chipper Jones. It's a few years old now so he's accomplished even more now than he did when this book was first released. Also ignore that guy with the negative rating, he's obviously a Mets fan who has some grievance with Chipper and didn't even bother to discuss the book at all. Good book



4. This book was one of the best book I had read. If you are a true Braves fan you should read this book. Every Braves fan should have. Chipper is playing next year.



5. This book is another way to get Larry some money because he won't be playing ball next year....he needs his money so he is calling on his sheep to help him.

5 comments about Perfect I'm Not: Boomer on Beer, Brawls, Backaches, and Baseball.

1. This is probably one of the all time top 10 baseball Bio's in my book. David does a remarkable job of giving you a complete look into his life and incredible career. I would really like to party with this dude he seems pretty cool. He is one of the smartest ballplayers out there today.Finally someone who can appreciate the Babe without putting him down. I promise you a good time if you check this book out.



2. I had the pleasure of meeting David Wells at the dealership I worked. We stored his motorcycles and he always had a smile. There's a lot of things in his past that no one would expect and some that definitely surprised me.



3. At times he comes off as a long, lost best friend and at others he is a self-inflated, self-absorbed ass. He is a colorful character providing illuminating stories from the earliest days of playing rookie ball and Venezualan winter ball with beer guzzling, tail chasing future MLB players including Pat Borders, Cecil Fielder, Rob Duecy, and Todd Stottlemyre to the later days as a member of the Yankees. Wells is a good pitcher with a booming personality who pitched for some great teams and of course will always be remembered for his May 17, 1998 perfect game. His career numbers do not support his own assessed value (4.04 ERA, 1 year with at least 20 wins) but his book will stay on the top shelf of my collection of baseball books.
   
   I found myself laughing out loud over and over again. Steroid and cortisone stories aside, Wells adds candid insight into the managerial and GM activities from every team he played for (up to the end of the 2002 season). Inside observations are made on notable managers (Cito Gaston, Sparky Ansderson, Davy Johnson, Joe Torre, and Jim Fregosi) and GMs ("stand" Pat Gillick, Gord Ash, Jim Bowden, Ken Williams, and Brian Cashman). Wells also includes colorful stories of two of the most notoriously hated and loved baseball owners of the last 50 eyars -- Marge Schott and George Steinbrenner.
   
   It was odd to read the momentum praise and glory of the '98 Yankees who won 114 games without any mention of the record-tying 116 wins by the '01 Seattle Mariners . By failing to mention this incredible milestone, he appeared to be protecting the legacy of the 114 win NY team. He should have mentioned the 116 win Seattle team and emphasized the fact that the NY team went on to finish like champions by winning the world series. Wells also slights some players by limiting praise to his favorite teamates. For example, the contribution of Alfonso Soriano and Roger Clemens in NY is clearly understated. Huge character, raging hair band air guitar junkie, and pure attitude live in the pages of this book, making it a worthy read for any baseball fan.



4. Great baseball (auto)biography. Fun to read and not just about the game but about life around the game. There are moments when you cannot help but laugh out loud. Read this book. It explains why Boomer is Boomer.
   
   Recommend: The Last Commissioner - Fay Vincent, Catcher in the Wry - Bob Uecker, Zim - Don Zimmer, anything by Yogi, Moneyball



5. I was interested in David Wells' life. This book satisfied that. To my astonishment, it is incredibly well-written, funny and insightful. The stories and revellations are great. Best baseball player's book I've read in years. Superior on all accounts to the recent David Cone book.

2 comments about Willie Mays: A Biography (Baseball's All-Time Greatest Hitters).

1. Not the standard by which biographies should be judged, but okay. Unless you're a huge Willie or Giants fan, it's not a must read. There are a few editing mistakes and several factual errors. Juan Marichal was suspended eight days not nine in 1965 for his fight with John Roseboro as reported in the book. There were other errors that a baseball fan would know as obviously wrong, such as making a 400' throw from the outfield to 2nd base.
   
   It covers Willie's life equally. Talks of his special relationship with Leo Durocher and how Willie didn't care for Bill Rigney. It talks about Willie's two marriages a sufficient amount and his problems in buying a house when he first moved to SF. It also tells that Willie moved back to NY to placate his first wife to try to save his marriage. Maintaining homes on both coasts was a strain on Willie financially. The book also mentions that Willie worn large baseball hats, so it was easier for his hat to fall off and impress the crowd. Now we know!



2. For a solid biography of baseball's great, look no further than Mary Kay Linge's WILLIE MAYS: A BIOGRAPHY: it covers everything from his segregated childhood in Birmingham Alabama to how he became the first black team captain in baseball, then moved up to become a world-famous player. From his army stint to his championship season, WILLIE MAYS captures all the highlights of his career and life.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch

4 comments about Home Run: My Life in Pictures.

1. the man was not only a great ball player but a reminder of the struggle for african-americans.he broke down so many doors.imagine having the fbi escort you to a baseball game? hate mail for breaking babe ruth's record? jackie robinson&larry doby opened the doors as well as the negro league but mr. Aaron kicked it thru.he is a class act and a true ambassador.he stared racisim dead in the eye and achieved.a true hero for all time.this book states that&more.



2. the book deeply touched me , as it told the life of the great base ball palyer , and his struggle as an african american in the major leagues.



3. This was an excellent book with beautiful illustrations. The quotes from so many exceptional athletes really adds to the book. It made a great Father's Day gift, especially since Hank was in Atlanta last week for the book signing. He's a class act who is very humble. He's the type of person I hope my children have as one of their heroes. I didn't realize until I read the book the kind of discrimination and criticism he had to deal with in baseball.



4. I haven't read this book but I think it is a great book about a great player as well as person.I was shocked that he was getting death threats from people and it was over a stupid homerun.Thats my review on the book Homerun:My Life In Pictures by Hank Aaron and Dick Schapp and a forword by Ted Williams.

4 comments about All My Octobers: My Memories of 12 World Series When the Yankees Ruled Baseball.

1. All My Octobers is a great book, full of great moments and great players in Major League Baseball's greatest classic, The World Series. Told in the first person by the late baseball legend and New York Yankees powerhouse centerfielder Mickey Mantle, these stories of the World Series are natural and authentic. It's up close and personal, right from the dugout at Yankee Stadium. From his first series in 1951, playing with The Yankee Clipper, Joe Dimaggio, right through to his last in 1964 against the St. Louis Cardinals, where Mantle hit three home runs to set a career World Series record at 18. Mantle still holds that record, along with runs scored (42), and runs batted in (40). Of course, he writes about the excitement on the field during the games, but he also gives us some personal tid-bits and his thoughts on the games and players. He tells us that some mistakenly thought he was giving Joe Dimaggio the cold shoulder, but in truth, he just didn't feel it was his place as a young player to be so forward with a legend like Joltin' Joe. He recalls conversations with Casey Stengal and Yogi Berra, the all-night drinking sessions with Whitey Ford and Billy Martin, and how he watched Roger Maris hit his record breaking 61st home run on television from a hospital bed, while sidelined with a hip infection. Each chapter is devoted to a different World Series, and every one is remembered fondly and precisely by Mantle. These were the glorious New York Yankees' dynasty years, back when The Bronx Bombers ruled Major League Baseball, and the world was a different place. All My Octobers is a very interesting and intimate look at the best of baseball during that magical time.



2. I was a Big Mickey Mantle fan back when he first came up to the Yankees as a 19 year old.
   He immediately had an impact on me. As a young boy he was my idol.
   
   I just began reading the book, and am already impressed with all the won- derful memories of the great Mickey Mantle.
   
   The book is great!, and I expect no less, as I continue to read on.



3. Love 'em or hate 'em, the New York Yankees are an integral slice of Americana. The superstars seem to shine brighter there than in other markets. They transcend sports and become a part of American life. From Ruth and Gehrig's dominance of the Roaring 20s to Joltin' Joe Dimaggio's hitting clinics of the 30s, 40s, and 50s, to Mantle and Maris in the 60s, and finally the resurgance of recent days, the baseball world hangs in the balance of what the Yanks ultimate destiny is on a yearly basis.
   
   With the exception of Ruth, it is entirely possible that no one figure captured the baseball world's imagination to the same degree as Mickey Mantle. From his humble beginnings to his majestic homeruns, "The Mick" had something for every baseball fan and he displayed it all while wearing the famed pinstripes in a total of 12 World Series.
   
   Not every World Series was won and Mickey certainly illustrates that he was far from perfect, both on and off the field. It's a wonderful look back to the Golden Era of baseball and an inside perspective of an age of sports that will never be seen again.
   
   Fully recommended!



4. An interviewer asked Yogi Berra to do word association. The interviewer's first words were Mickey Mantle. Yogi's association was - What about him?

   Mickey takes us through his World Series appearances - 1951 when he permanently injured his knee, 1952 when Jackie Robinson told the press that Mantle beat the Dodgers and that the Yankees didn't miss DiMaggio, 1953 with Mickey's tape measure homeruns, 1955 when the long suffering Brooklyn Dodgers won their only World Series, 1956 when the umpire gave Don Larsen that final strike, 1957 when Yankee reject Lew Burdette beat the Yanks, 1958 when Bob Turley returned the favor by beating the Braves, 1960 when Casey failed to use Ford 3 times against the Pirates, causing the most heartbreaking disappointment in Mantle's baseball career, 1961 when Maris outpaced Mantle and substitutes won the World Series, 1962 when McCovey lined out to Richardson, 1963 when they ran into Koufax-Podres-Drysdale-Koufax, and 1964 when Whitey had a sore arm and couldn't pitch to St Louis.

   Mickey blamed himself for failing to do rehab on his legs. He endured constant pain, and it was a miracle that he had a baseball career at all. He rated himself as equal to Mays in fielding, faster than Mays on the bases, but without the longevity.

   If you look at the incredible Yankee dynasty of the 1950s you see a team that wasn't great on paper. The Cleveland Indians were at times as good or better. The Brooklyn Dodgers had much better hitting. It wasn't like the awesome Yankee teams of 1998 and 1999. The Yankees of Mickey's day had no business winning so many pennants and world championships. What they had was Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Gil McDougald, and above all Mickey Mantle.

   Did you ever see him swing a bat? He hit the ball harder than Babe Ruth. He had the best swing in history, combining the grace of Ken Griffey Jr. with the power of ...... of nobody but Mickey Mantle. McGwire is a deep popup artist like Babe Ruth was. Mantle would drive the ball through a brick wall. He was the most powerful hitter who ever lived, and had the Olympic class speed of Rickey Henderson.