2 comments about Nice Guys Finish First - The Autobiography of Monte Irvin.

1. This book tell a great recollect of Monte Irvin's hard and good times with baseball and life. It reached my heart and told me what it would have been like to live in America as an African American.



2. Monte Irvin provides us with his experiences of playing in the Negro Leagues prior to joining the New York Giants. The part I enjoyed best was his relating his experience of playing with the Giants since I was a kid at that time. He seems to feel that Rickey's choice of Jackie Robinson to break the color barrier was the wrong choice that worked out well. Irvin feels he could have been the chosen player and handled it better due to his more noncombative nature. He also provides us with his opinions on present day baseball related matters. He liked Bowie Kuhn as a commissioner, but feels he erred in not being present at Aaron's record breaking home run. Irvin, as Kuhn's aid, substituted for him. He doesn't feel Pete Rose should be elected to the Hall of Fame due to his gambling. Irvin blows his own horn a few times in the book, but I found it to be enjoyable, but certainly not a classic.

No comments about Rogers Hornsby: A Biography (Baseball's All-Time Greatest Hitters).

No comments about Muscle: A Minor League Legend.

2 comments about Mickey Mantle: Before the Glory.

1. I was hoping for something a little more exciting. A really dry read.



2. i knew the mick for 40 years and this helped me learn even more about his young life even when i thought i knew most everything.
   this is a great job by the author and i thank him for his book
   BOB SARRA

No comments about The Quiet Hero: A Baseball Story.

5 comments about Lefty Grove: American Original.

1. I enjoyed this book thoroughly. It fills in the gaps that most baseball fans have regarding Lefty Grove, whom most confuse with Lefty Gomez. That's a shame becasue Lefty Grove is arguably one of -if not the - best pitchers in baseball history. Some has stated that his personality was rather dull and that explains why he is often overlooked. After reading this book, I'd characterize his personality as more eccentric than dull.
   
   ...And what a great pitcher! Read this book - you won't regret it.



2. I was particularly happy to receive this book on Lefty Grove because, as with a number of pre-World War II stars, a meaningful biography has been lacking about them. Jim Kaplan's version of Grove's life isn't perfect, but it's close enough, filled with stories about Grove, his teammates and the times. It's an interesting, well-written, thoughtful biography about an outstanding pitcher and one of the best ballplayers ever, and fills a gap in baseball literature that needed to be addressed.



3. Jim Kaplan sets out in this well-researched book to resurrect the figure of Lefty Grove, a 300-game winner whose career spanned those of Walter Johnson and Ted Williams. For the most part, he convincingly makes his case that Groves deserves to be included among a handful of baseball's elite pitchers and that he was perhaps the best lefthander hurler ever.

   Whatever shortcomings the book may have, the reader is bound to be impressed by Kaplan's knowledge of Grove's career (he takes us through each of his 17 big league seasons and four that he spent at the minor league level) and his painstaking efforts to convey a sense of the time in which Grove played. When he describes one of Grove's many confrontations with Babe Ruth, the writing has the ring of truth. Particularly effective is his recounting of the famous 1929 World Series game in which Grove's Philadelphia A's scored 10 runs in one inning to wipe out an eight-run Chicago Cub lead en route to winning the world championship.

   Kaplan brings to life several key figures of Grove's time, most notably Connie Mack, Grove's manager with the A's and a man who not only strongly influenced the lives of his players but also the organizational direction of baseball. Long before the 1997 Marlins were broken up to save money, Mack was doing the same thing, jettisoning big names and large salaries to build teams anew. He also offers a valuable analysis of Mack's and Grove's 1929-1931 Philadelphia A's, convincingly arguing that these teams (that also included Hall of Famers Al Simmons, Mickey Cochrane, to name a few) were the equal of the more celebrated 1926-1928 Yankees, whose 1927 edition is generally considered the greatest in baseball history.

   Also of note is the final section, which analyzes the careers of Johnson, Grove and Sandy Koufax and offers the reader statistical food for thought in considering who was the greatest lefthander ever.

   Kaplan's writing is solid but unspectacular and he lapses at times into a cheerleading tone, particularly when he discusses Grove's great achievements (which included nine ERA titles, a 31-4 season, a career .680 winning percentage and a 1935-1939 resurrection of his craft, during which he transformed himself from a fireballer into a finesse pitcher.)

   Kaplan's otherwise fine description of the last day of the 1941 season, in which Williams secured his .406 average by going six-for-eight after refusing to sit on the bench for a doubleheader, is marred by the writer's tone of breathless admiration for the player's feat. Nothing wrong with being a fan when you write a baseball book, but I prefer that the author for the most part let the facts speak for themselves.

   All in all, Kaplan produces a portrait of a driven, often disagreeable man who hated losing and was impatient with the shortcomings of mere athletic mortals. The picture of Lefty is convincing, but Kaplan uses the same strokes pretty heavily to produce it.

   The baseball fan/historian will find this a very useful look at this undeservedly obscure figure and will find it particularly interesting to revisit an era of the sport that differs so radically from the present one.




4. When I told friend of mine (a sports fan) that I was reading a book about Lefty Grove, he asked "Who is that?" Considering Grove was probably the greatest pitcher who ever lived, this public ignorance is unfortunate. Robert Kaplan in American Original does a very good job of letting us know who Grove was. Grove's terible temper and hatred of losing are brought to life in this book. Kaplan also includes a statistical breakdown of Grove's career and a detailed comparison between him and some other great pitchers. No true baseball fan should miss this book!



5. LEFTY GROVE AMERICAN ORIGINAL IS WORTH READING. I ENJOYED THE TELLING OF HIS CAREER AND LIFE. HE WAS PHENOMINAL TALENT WITH A HOT TEMPER TO GO WITH IT. THIS NOVEL IS WELL WRITTEN AND KEPT MY INTEREST ALL THE WAY. I RECOMMEND THIS TO ANYONE WHO ENJOYS BASEBALL HISTORY AND THE GREAT MEN WHO PLAYED IT.

2 comments about The Kid: Ted Williams in San Diego.

1. This book was a very pleasant surprise. It is one book that details his early years in San Diego. Reading of Ted's high school games, tournaments, the PCL, his exibition games in SD, etc, was great. Unfortunately the second half really bogs down with some information that I was not interested in. Researching the origins of his family; the father's military and work record; etc. were not the things I was looking for. Too much time was spent debating the years his parents were born - and then never really coming to a conclusion. Again, there was too much in the second half of the book that was of very little interest to me. I would rate the first half of the book 5 stars. The second half detracts from the book.



2. Ive read 8 books in the last year about ted williams and I found that this book doesnt talk as much about his life but more of his statistics throughout his years in the PCL , AA , HS , and MLB. It is amazing that they were able to find the statistics they did for his highschool days and the few tournaments he played in. But if you are going for a more complete book about his life I would go with Ted Williams: The Biography of an American Hero by Leigh Montville.

2 comments about Diamonds in the Coalfields: 21 Remarkable Baseball Players, Managers, and Umpires from Northeast Pennsylvania.

1. with a great background already towards pennsylvania history. bill kashatus brings to life a compelling tale about the area's coal history & it's fabric culturally. easy to read with lots of pictures & statistics giving great cultural & baseball information.



2. "Diamonds in the Coalfields" is a documentary of life in the 1920's, 30's, and 40's. William Kashatus has done an excellent job of organizing the history of the mining communities, from a perspective of how baseball affected everyone's lives in those happy, glorious years. You can get an estimate of his effort by looking at his detailed reference notes and bibliography at the back of the book. He has devoted a huge amount of time in research and interviews in the writing of this book.
   The accuracy of his descriptions is uncanny, for a person who did not "live it", except vicariously, through the eyes of others. My father pitched for the Glen Lyon Condors, in the 1920's. I lived through the era of Zig Najaka, Stan Pawloski, and Bob Duliba, at Newport Twp. High School. This is a personalized view of early baseball history, a meaningful picture for all baseball fans. My complments to William Kashatus for giving us such an accurate picture of those happy times in our lives. He has done a great job of documentation with an entertaining accent to this portrayal of life in the coal towns. I am purchasing additional books for my uncle, brother-in-law, and three sons, who also share an interest in the nostalgia for sports in the Wyoming Valley. (Pennsylvnia)

5 comments about Talking on Air: A Broadcaster's Life in Sports.

1. Mr. Coleman is considered one of the finest of baseball broadcasters, but his (and Mr. Valeni's) writing is rote - tell a lot of familiar yarns, and hope Red Sox fans will buy the book.



2. I AM FROM CLEVELAND AND I GREW UP WATCHING HIM COVER THE SPORTS ON CHANNEL 5 NEWS. HE ALSO HAD AN EXCELLENT SHOW CALLED QUARTERBACK CLUB COVERING EACH WEEKLY BROWNS GAME. HIS CAREER IS A GREAT ONE. I THINK HIS BOOK IS VERY INTERESTING, WELL TOLD, AND ENTERTAINING. HE HAS MADE MANY RELATIONSHIPS WITH A GREAT NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE SPORTS WORLD. I SALUTE KEN AND HIS GREAT CAREER.
   THIS IS AN EXCELLENT TELLING OF HIS CAREER AND THE EVENTS HE HAS BEEN A PART OF. A MUST READ FOR CLEVELAND AND BOSTON FANS.



3. Ken Coleman was the announcer for the Browns and the Indians. I enjoyed reading about Jim Brown of the Browns and other football players. I remember a lot of the ball players for the Indians. They were noted for having one of the best pitching staffs in baseball in the late 1940s and 1950s. Ken was also the announcer for the Red Sox.



4. Although Ken Coleman was primarily identified with the Boston Red Sox, you don't have to be a fan of the Bosox to enjoy this book. (I'm a Tigers' fan.) Ken was blessed to be a part of the Cleveland Indians, Coach Paul Brown's Cleveland Browns during the days of the great Jim Brown, Cincinnati's Big Red Machine, and two stints with the Boston Red Sox, including the Impossible Dream year of 1967 (The Year of the Yaz.) The most interesting story that I found was Ken's telling for the first time the story of the decline of Indians' pitcher, Herb Score. People attribute Score's decline to the 1957 line drive off the bat of Yankees' infielder, Gil McDougald. However, Coleman relates that Score had his ankle injured in a spring training pickup basketball game in 1958 and tried to come back too soon before his ankle had a chance to heal and ended up with a sore arm. Ken provides us with a good summation of his career and his subsequent retirement from play-by-play work. He wanted to continue on a year-by-year basis, but an excuse was given that an announcer was wanted who would insure of being there for four full years. We are all remembered by what we give to others, and Ken Coleman gave his listeners and others he came into contact with a lot to remember. The Lord doesn't permit us to know all the good we do for others, but, in time, He will reward us. Thank you, Ken, for sharing your career with us.



5. Talking On Air: A Broadcaster's Life In Sports is the biographical story of Ken Coleman, former Boston Red Sox broadcaster who worked in Major League Baseball from 1954 to 1989, including ten years with the Cleveland Indians and four years announcing games for the Cincinnati Reds. In the twenty years he spend as the voice of the Boston Red Sox, Coleman became known to millions of New England baseball fans, making him an institution throughout the region, and eventually resulting in his election to the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame. Talking On Air is a "must" for baseball enthusiasts in general, and Boston Red Sox fans in particular!

5 comments about Rogers Hornsby: A Biography.

1. Just like his book on Cobb, Alexander's bio on Hornsby is excellent. What I especially like about it is that the author provided considerable info. on Hornsby's personal life during and after his career as a player. I don't feel that Hornsby was "colorless." He had an abrasive, stubborn insensitive personality and his interests were generally confined to baseball and horseracing. Still he managed several major league teams and married three times. I think Alexander really captured the essence of Hornsby. you were actually able to feel Hornsby's one track obsession with baseball and human failings that his contemporaries saw. If Hornsby had been able to contain his horseracing gambling addiction, he would have become a wealthy man after he retired as a player instead of struggling. Yet Hornsby was always able to find someone- in baseball or out to hire him.
   
   The author's writing style makes for an easy read. Alexander's research is excellent. This includes interviews with players who played for him. There's just enough detail about his career to make the chronology of his baseball career complete- without a boring recitation of every game he played. And in contrast to one reviewer, I don't find the author's omission of Hornsby's baseball statistics or discussion of his saber metrics a problem at all. There are many other sources for such information.



2. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I thought the author did a marvelous job of capturing the essence of Rogers Hornsby's personality, warts and all. By the time I finished it, I felt that I really knew what Hornsby was like.
   
   I also had a small personal connection to Hornsby that served to increase my enjoyment of this book. When I was ten years old in 1960, living in the Chicago suburb of Lincolnwood, my grandfather, who was retired and living with my family, somehow became friends with Rogers Hornsby. What was the one common interest that brought these two guys together? You guessed it - playing the horses! Almost everyday, from the time they met in 1960 until Hornsby died in 1963, he would drive his car to our house, and then ride together with my grandfather in my grandfather's car to Arlington Park Race Track. Knowing of my love for baseball even at the age of ten, my grandfather introduced me to Mr. Hornsby and even had him sign a baseball for me - unfortunately long since lost! I also spoke to him numerous times on the phone when he called our house.
   
   Mr. Alexander makes it vividly clear that, other than his love for baseball, the major constant in Hornsby's live was his addiction to playing the horses. It's now very clear to me why these two old codgers became fast friends - their love of horseracing.



3. This is an outstanding biography of the hitting machine, Rogers Hornsby, perhaps the greatest right-handed hitter in the history of Major League Baseball (MLB). The story that Charles C. Alexander tells explores the rise and fall of this remarkable baseball player, an individual who could work magic on the diamond but had real difficulty off of it.
   
   Signed out of Texas to the St. Louis Cardinals, he had a "cup-of-coffee" with the team at the end of the 1915 season, hitting a measly .246. Hardly a stellar debut, but after working hard all winter the next year Hornsby made the Cardinals and batted .313 while becoming the everyday second baseman. He went on to compile a career batting average of .358 and established the highest single season batting average when he hit .424 for the Cards in 1924. Indeed, from 1921-1925, Rogers' overall batting average was .402, a truly amazing accomplishment. In 1925 Hornsby became player-manager of the Cardinals and the next year his team captured its first National League pennant by edging Cincinnati in the final week of the season after an August spurt had shot them into pennant contention. The season was made perfect by the Cards' first victory in the World Series, coming at the expense of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and the rest of the New York Yankees.
   
   Always an abrasive force on the Cardinals, the year after his World Series success the owner shipped him off to the New York Giants for Frankie Frisch and Jimmy Ring. It was only the first time in which Hornsby's personality led to adversity for him. But there was room for only one massive ego on the Giants and within a short time manager John J. McGraw shipped him to the Boston Braves. From there he went to the Chicago Cubs, back to the Cardinals, and then to the St. Louis Browns. He finally retired in 1937. Hornsby lived another 26 years after retiring from MLB, always hovering around the fringes of it but never truly a part of it. He eventually died in 1963, bitter about his fate.
   
   Charles C. Alexander is an outstanding historian, the author of several other books on baseball as well as on other subjects. This is a superb addition to his path-breaking series of studies on a range of subjects.



4. This is the third book I've read by Alexander, which I suppose is evidence that his books are readable.

   In the end they all share the same strengths and weaknesses.

   For a straightforward narrative of the key points of Hornsby's career and life, this is perfectly OK.

   But the book really stays on the surface. For example, there is never any in-depth discussion of techniques of batting or fielding. It's like reading a book on Napoleon without finding anything about the nature of warfare in the period.

   Also, there is very little meangingful discussion of Hornsby's relative baseball greatness. Alexander doesn't need to become a zealous SABRmetrician, but some basic statistics about Hornsby and others (beyond saying what the average batting average for the league was in a given year) seems called for. Alexander doesn't even include a table or appendix with Hornsby's basic statistics.

   I've given this 3 stars, because for the general reader it's OK. If I were rating it as serious history, I'd give it a 1. You come away from this book unaware that there have been lots of serious books written about baseball and its relation to society. Alexander's attempts to provide historical context are embarassing--on the order of, "The same continued hot, dry weather than made the Great Plains a Dust Bowl was present on Opening Day 1936 [my paraphrase, to be honest]".

   In short, there is the same strain of intellectual laziness in this book that I saw in his others.




5. Alexander captures Hornsby and his times perfectly. While not as readable as the author's previous "Ty Cobb", this is due more to Hornsby's general colorlessness than in Alexander's writing. As enigmatic as Hornsby was, Alexander does a great job in telling the life of the man who hit for the highest average in the 20th century.