2 comments about Connie Mack: A Life in Baseball.

1. It is evident that writing and publishing this book was a labor of love for its author, and for that he is to be commended. Although the book is primarily a narration of the highs and lows of the early and middle years of the Philadelphia Athletics, it does provide some basic biographical information on Connie Mack himself. As a devoted fan of the various incarnations of the Athletics, I appreciated this opportunity to learn more about their early years and become better acquainted with their legendary and revered manager/owner.

   However, be advised that this book is riddled with grammatical mistakes. I found that I was so distracted by having to decipher the text through all the mistakes that my appreciation of the book was greatly diminished. If you depend upon quality writing, as I do, then reading this book will not be an enjoyable experience.




2. THIS IS A GOOD ACCOUNT OF THE LIFE OF CONNICE MACK AND THE HISTORY OF THE PHILADELPHIA A'S. THE BOOK SPENDS MORE TIME ON A SEASON BY SEASON HISTORY OF THE A'S THAN ON THE LIFE OF CONNIE MACK BUT IT IS VERY INTERESTING AND VERY FACT FILLED. I ENJOYED THIS BOOK AND RECOMMEND IT FOR HISTORIANS AND BASEBALL FANS. CONNIE WAS TRULY ONE OF A KIND OWNER. HIS YEARS IN BASEBALL ARE UNSURPASSED AND HIS LEGEND WILL LIVE FOREVER. A GOOD READ.

1 comments about Blackout: The Untold Story of Jackie Robinson's First Spring Training.

1. An excellently researched and written book. One would think that there isn't much new to be said about Jackie Robinson, who is among the two or three most written-about men in the history of baseball, but Lamb tells a story that has previously received little attention, mainly because the mainstream news media didn't think it was worth covering.
   
   Lamb points out that black newspapers covered Robinson from the moment he began spring training with the Montreal Royals in 1946, and he uses many of those papers as his sources. In retelling the story of Branch Rickey's historic decision to sign Robinson and break baseball's color line, he refuses to treat Rickey as a lone, saintly hero; he points out that, for decades before Rickey joined the fray, black newspapers, socialists, and Communists had been agitating for the inclusion of blacks in organized baseball. Lamb shows that Lester Rodney, sportswriter for The Daily Worker, was also instrumental in the struggle to bring integration to the game. His is a name that seems to have been dropped from the record when other authors retell Robinson's story.
   
   The most powerful aspect of the book is the way Lamb portrays the gagging outrageousness of the racial prejudice and discrimination Robinson faced in the Jim Crow-era American south. The vicious, buck-naked bigotry he and other blacks encountered ought to make every white American ashamed.

2 comments about Things Happen for a Reason: The True Story of an Itinerant Life in Baseball.

1. This book is a short fast read a fairly detailed account of Terry Leach's major league career. While it contains almost no controversy or dirt, espicially when he was a member of the "bad boy" Late 80s Mets, the book is a good read when if you would like to know about the lesser players in baseball.



2. To be honest, I really wanted to like this book because Terry Leach seems like a good guy and an honest man, but this book isn't one that I'll think of when I think about good baseball books. It's an autobiographical account of his playing days in college at Auburn, the minor leagues, and the big leagues with the Mets, Royals, Twins, and White Sox. It's not a very well-written book. For example, there are a number of grammatical errors. He tends to use the word myself a lot when he could just use I or me. He also makes way too many excuses for his failures (I wasn't used right, I was hurt, etc., etc., etc.,) and he also complains too much about not being treated right by the different teams that unceremoniously dump him. When he does taste success he can't stop raving about himself or praising himself. On the plus side, this book is easy to read and easy to follow. It's possible to finish this book in the amount of time it takes to watch an entire major league baseball game. Another good thing is that he doesn't have anything bad to say about old teammates, managers, etc. The closest he comes to bad-mouthing someone is when he says that he didn't care for some of his teammates in the minors. He seems like a genuinely good man, and that's why it's too bad this book wasn't a bit more interesting to read.

5 comments about Ain't No Sense Worryin: The Wisdom of Mick "the Quick" Rivers.

1. This book by Mickey Rivers is truly unique. It reads more like a loosely connected bunch of stories somewhat covering his life and career. Mickey breaks the rules of proper grammar in favor of telling a story in his own words.
   The book is interesting, but lacking in any real depth. You can probably read it quickly in one setting, but I would rather have a meatier book from one of the true characters of the game, a man who spent time on one of the craziest and greatest baseball teams ever.



2. In a sense, this book IS Mickey Rivers - humorous, irreverent, oddly distracted, and in a sense somewhat disassociated from the reality that the rest of us live in. On the surface, the book is little more than a collection of mildly to moderately humorous stories: other than (arguably) Billy Martin, Rivers does little to expose facets of the people he discusses that we aren't already well aware of.

   Yet in the telling of the stories Mickey does expose much of his inner self to the reader, and in so doing he more or less validates the title of the book. Apparently, Mickey truly didn't believe in worryin' about anything: his marriage, taking care of himself physically, what others thought of his various and sundry antics. Having said all of that, though, Rivers does come off as quite likable - he may have more or less unconsciously made his way through his career, but at least he did so with a smile on his face and a desire to do the best he could with those talents that he could readily muster.

   In the end, I gave this book three stars because one doesn't get the feeling that Rivers put much thought into it, but what the heck... if the book was full of deep self-contemplation, it wouldn't be Mickey, would it?




3. A great book for Yanks fans as well as other baseball fans, and a great trip down memory lane for those of us who remember and treasure the late 70s Yanks and Sox.

   I bought this because Mick's odd yet wise quotes were legendary during his playing career, kind of a next-generation Yogi Berra. (A nice touch in the book is that it includes many of these quotes in his own handwriting.) Mick recalls his baseball life with humor and a deep sensitivity, especially for those teammates who are gone -- Thurman Munson, Billy Martin, Catfish Hunter, Jim SPencer, etc. For example, he recounts his post-game activities playing ball with kids around the stadium and racing them down the street, and talks about the importance that today's players - Jeter, Williams, etc. - be role models for children.

   A quick read that will bring you back to the Bronx Zoo. (Particularly enjoyed the story about how Mick's wife played bumper cars w/ his Benz and Cadillac in the Yankee Stadium parking lot - bet The Boss loved cleaning up...)




4. I had hoped this book would be a lot more of a biography. Instead it was written as if the reader was a 10 year old. Not informative and a waste of money.



5. I purchased this book at the Yogi Berra museum in Montclair, NJ during a book signing by Mickey Rivers himself. I always liked him, and knew about his witty quotes, however, I never realized what a genuinely nice person he was. At the book signing, he talked to me for more than 5 minutes. The fact he's a nice person comes across loud and clear in the book as well. He tells tales of his childhood, the minor leagues, the Angels, Yankees, Rangers, and other experiences. The book is written in a conversational style, as if Mickey is talking right to you. You get a feel for the man, and you get to hear good stories as well. As you read, you'll laugh and come to like Mickey more and more. For me, I started to long for the days of my youth when the Yankees Bronx Zoo team battled with the Boston Red Sox, the KC Royals and the LA Dodgers. All in all, this book is a thoroughly enjoyable read. If you enjoy humorous baseball stories in an easy-to-read format, I highly recommend Ain't No Sense Worryin'.

No comments about Babe Ruth - The Sultan of Swat (Biography).

2 comments about Owning a Piece of the Minors (Writing Baseball).

1. As mentioned in the previous review, this work is a collection of separate essays. Because of that there is a lot of overlap in terms of the stories told. Each essay recaps what the previous essay already recapped, and so on. And on and on. When the author expresses fresh material, the reading is a true pleasure. Therefore, I think these essays would be better digested read separately, ie between readings from another work. I read them straight through and kept getting the feeling that I had heard this story a thousand time before. Also, half of the book is the author critisizing his own work. Is it just me, or does critisizing ones own work, or rather praising one's own work, seem amazingly egocentric?????



2. ...of what it's like to be involved with a small-town minor league baseball team. The author uses humor and sensitivity to capture how his love for baseball as a child - lost for a number of years - was rekindled by his association with the Waterloo, Iowa team. It's a relatively quick and easy read. My only negative, is that because it's a series of independent essays combined in this book, there are a number of redundancies throughout. That is a minor downside however. I plan on reading more by the author.

5 comments about Zim: A Baseball Life.

1. One of the greatest characters of the game! Don Zimmer brings six decades of baseball to life in these pages. It's funny, serious, interesting, and unselfish. We all know that he's pretty much done it all in baseball, but this book will show you how. You'll meet lots of baseball people, and go behind the scenes to see what fans usually don't. One of the best autobiographies I've ever read. I can't wait to read The Zen of Zim now!



2. Remember how in "Forrest Gump" any major event in history Forrest was always there in the back ground? Don Zimmer is the "forrest Gump" of baseball.Any major happening in the game and Zim was there.He spins a tale here that will keep you interested from page one to the very end. He has probably forgotten more about the game than most will ever know.This book has some great stories and some very funny ones. I promise you will enjoy this.



3. You just have to love this guy. Too bad he left the Yankees and the game. He had a good career in baseball being in the company of the great ones in the game. This book is full of great anecdotes. Great cover. He can say just as much with his face as with his words so you still have to read the book. It is toughly enjoyable.



4. With baseball season on the way, I recently went through a period where I read a bunch of baseball biographies that a friend gave me. This was one of the best of the bunch. Don Zimmer gives an honest portrayal of his career in the game, leaving out nothing, even if it reflects less than shiningly on himself. His stories are well told, to the point, and honest. What else is there? I'd recommend this one as a summer read.



5. Geez, what a great, great book. What a great story and what a great life. Don Zimmer is the last of the best generation of ball players, the ones who played because they loved the game and focused on it all the time. It is a major loss that he's still not on a bench somewhere imparting his wisdom. This is by far my favorite baseball book and made me feel young again. I mean, who doesn't love the Zim? One thing though, while reading it. Major League Baseball should give the wives a pension too for all the support they give their husbands over the years. Just buy the book, I promise you, you won't be sorry.

1 comments about RYAN HOWARD: KING OF SWING.

1. A great way for readers of all ages to get to know the Philadelphia Phillies' rising superstar Ryan Howard. Filled with numberous interviews, historical research and witty anectdotes, it's an enjoyable read which gets the reader up close and personal with the Phillies' engaging slugger.

5 comments about Derek Jeter : A Yankee for the New Millennium.

1. I purchased this book for my daughter several years ago. She got the Jeter bug! I was impressed by this book and impressed by Derek Jeter, the man. He seems to be a genuinely good person on and off the field. His personal life and approach to the game is an example for what all ball players should strive for. He brings the finest qualities out in the game of baseball by his approach to the game. He is not flashy and does not draw attention to himself other than through his fine play on the field. I was impressed.



2. This book has great photos that are large and detailed (not a waste of space like some other books). They show a wide variety of situations, so if you are looking for particular things like I was (e.g., bat grip), it is very handy.

   The text is gathered from Derek's peers and provides a great glimpse of what being around him must be like. Great book, especially for kids or older fanatics!




3. I think that Derek Jeter is very good for little kids to look up to becuase he is a base ball player and that is one great job.You get to build your body more and more when your playing base ball its just great.

   I think that Derek Jeter is very good to look up to and a great roll motle and if i were a guy i would want to be just like him. he is a very interesting to know about someone famouse and someone great!




4. This is a great book if you love Derek Jeter. It was written by people who truely know the game of baseball, and has a lot of great pictures. I highly recommend it.



5. As the author of four books on young adolescents (including The Roller-Coaster Years and Parenting 911), I am thrilled to have a positive role model for children. Derek Jeter's behavior on and off the field can inspire young people, even those who are not Yankee fans. He is always respectful. (I understand he still calls Joe Torre, "Mr." Torre). When the rest of the team brawled with the Seattle Mariners, Jeter and his friend, Seattle shortstop, Alex Rodriquez, wisely stood aside. Jeter never blames others for his mistakes. His response is to work harder to improve. He is supportive of fellow players, even when they are struggling with their game. He has made a genuine commitment to children with his Turn 2 Foundation, donating both his time and resources. This book would make a wonderful gift for any young adolescent who dares to dream about the future.

No comments about I Never Had It Made.