No comments about Jackie Robinson: An Intimate Portrait.

1 comments about Baseball's Iron Man: Cal Ripken JR. a Tribute.

1. Written by seasoned sports journalist Jeff Seidel, Baseball's Iron Man: Cal Ripken Jr., A Tribute is about star Orioles player and Baltimore baseball legend Cal Ripken Jr. Baseball's Iron Man is not a biography per se, but rather a close examination of Ripken's genius on the field, how he earned his renowned status, and his passion for the game itself. A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this excellent celebration by a baseball fan, for baseball fans, and it is entirely fitting that a portion of the proceeds for Baseball's Iron Man will be donated to the Cal Ripken Sr. foundation.

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.

3 comments about After the Black Sox: The Swede Risberg Story.

1. After the Black Sox: The Swede Risberg StoryI HAVE READ AND RE-READ THE SWEDE RISBERG STORY. I AM VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE AMOUNT AND THE THOROUGHNESS OF THE INFORMATION THE AUTHOR WAS ABLE TO FIND. UPON READING THE BOOK I WAS ENGULFED IN THE NOSTALGIA OF THE TIME. BASEBALL WAS INDEED A PART OF THIS NATIONS GROWTH, ESPECIALLY IN RURAL AMERICA. MY FAMILY WAS A PART OF THAT TIME AND INTEREST IN THE GAME STILL PERSISTS. THIS BOOK WAS JUST EXACTLY THE KIND OF INFORMATION I NEED.



2. This book surprised me, and greatly disappointed me. Having read the online provided "Book Description", which also matches the back of the book verbatim, one would never anticipate that the book itself could not deliver as promised. To call this a book would be reasonably unfair; rather it might be viewed as an essay or series of articles comprising a paper. The preface of writing a book based on partial to missing information, as was identified by the author, would lend itself to some author entitlement to fill in some of the blanks. Alan Muchlinski chose not to do so and the result is an effort that is, in my opinion, incomplete and devoid of character and substance. An interesting subject that should be Swede Risberg is often reduced to only a name in this book. Anyone that has even a passing interest in the after-life of the Black Sox Eight should look to find it elsewhere as there honestly is very little of value to be found inside the pages that represent this piece. Moreso, simply mentioning that you found boxscores with the names "Risberg" and "Felsch" on them is not reason enough to write a book, let alone an article in a magazine or journal...You need so much more than is presented here.
   
   Expect nothing and you will never be disappointed. According to the "Book Description" editorial we should have indeed expected something. To that end, nothing was and is delivered. I wanted to really like this book, but in the end I have felt cheated on two fronts; There is little to no historical value presented, and I am out the cost of the book. It does not get much more disappointing than this for me. I am at a loss as to how a publisher could even consider it?



3. This book is of interest to those true baseball fans who understand that the interest in baseball in the 20's was so much different than it is today. Men played for the love of the game, even in sand lot leagues. Towns fielded their own teams, and locals went to see the games. This is a book that will show that deep interest that towns had for these teams.
   
   It doesn't dwell on the scandal, but more on the itinerant life of a ball player of that time.My personal interest comes from living in the town where Swede passed away, although i never knew him. I did visit another town where he lived and talked to oldtimers who knew him well -- what an amazing history to be able to revisit. One of the greatest sports books ever written is " The Glory of Their Times" by Lawrence (sp.?) Ritter- I read this when I was about 12 years old - I loved the spirit of the oldtime ball players. This book is a great history of the early days of baseball !

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.

5 comments about Shoeless: The Life and Times of Joe Jackson.

1. Fleitz does a fine job of describing the atmosphere of the early days of baseball and is usually objective in his treatment of Jackson as a player and as a person. I recommend the book for anyone who is a Jackson affectionado and/or enjoys human drama in a sports context. However, I was very disappointed in the final pages where Fleitz offers his opinion that Jackson wouldn't have cared about the Hall of Fame anyway because he was basically a Southern, good old boy from a poor background who cared only about hanging out with friends and family near the old homeplace. My great uncle worked in those same Greenville, SC cotton mills as a 9-yr old boy for almost no wages but ambition did not die there among the textile looms.



2. There has been a lot said and written about Joe Jackson by a variety of people - baseball people, baseball historians, scholars of the 1919 World Series, residents of the South (particularly South Carolina), and others. There's also been a variety of books produced about Jackson, most with his point of view or the "point of view he would have had," whatever that might have been at any point in time. It was with some skepticism that I picked up Fleitz's book and started to read, half expecting to see the same arguments that I've read before - Jackson as a victim, as the greatest player not in the Hall of Fame but for one mistake, and how he went back to South Carolina and scratched out a living (or was very successful, depending on which book you read).

   Fleitz's book was a most pleasant surprise - it offers information that I haven't found anywhere else, and gives more "flesh" and substance to the person that was Joe Jackson than any previous account of his life that I had read. One point is the relationship that he had with his wife: always shown as the doting couple, Fleitz writes that this wasn't always the case. In baseball, he shows that Jackson wasn't the near-mythological player that he had been portrayed, and that he did fail at any number of clutch situations. By the same token, Jackson is also frequently mentioned as a batting role model to any number of famous players. The reactions of contemporaries thoughtout the book is also delightful feature.

   A primary focus of the book is in the 1919 World Series and Jackson's role in that. Through the years Jackson has garnered significant numbers of supporters claiming that he was innocent; Fleitz offers evidence and opinions that he may not have been that innocent at all. There is also the issue of his initial acceptance of the gamblers' money. As with many people, I have my opinions of the World Series fix and Jackson's involvement. Prior to Fleitz's book, the opinion was a little fuzzier; after reading the book, it's become a little clearer. Was he innocent or guilty? Read the book and make your decision - it's well worth your time.




3. Great book. Separates the myth and the legend of Shoeless Joe Jackson from the "average Joe" and looks at his banishment from baseball in an honest, objective light. Author does an outstanding job of dissecting Jackson's behavior and possible motives throughout the scandal of the 1919 Black Sox.
   But more importantly, more personal information about Joe is available on Joe throughout the pages of this text than any I have ever seen. This is a fantastic accomplishment as there is a lot of sappy, sentimental fluff out there about Joe Jackson and this book really made me feel as though I knew Joe, in addition to understanding what he was about.
   This book is by far and away the best baseball book of the year (along with Reed Browning's Cy Young) and is amongst the best and most important baseball books ever written. If you're a serious baseball fan, you will enjoy SHOELESS!!



4. Baseball biographies come in all types, from boring descriptions of the player's performance in games, to tantalizing disconnected details of the player's life outside the lines, to full-fledged development of the player's life history and personality. This new book by David Fleitz falls more toward the latter. I recommend it to all baseball fans, especially ones (like me) who are fascinated by the lesser-known stars of the pre-Ruthian world.

   Much of the book is devoted to Jackson's role in the Black Sox scandal, putting it into historical context and digging into the actions and motives of some of the key figures. The passages involving Charles Comiskey are especially revealing.

   The road between city life and country life was much longer back then. Early baseball has many stories of the difficulties rural men faced when thrust into MLB's urban landscape. Because of his great physical skills, the illiterate Jackson is a highly compelling example of these stories. I now feel like I've met Jackson. Among the best baseball biographies I've read.




5. As a thirteen year resident of Greenville, South Carolina, I have finally found a biography about "Shoeless" Joe Jackson that captures his life story rather than the many myths surrounding the man. As any baseball player or fan knows, the likes of Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb and other baseball greats have been immortalized in a plethora of biographies, but Joe has been little more than a footnote. Perhaps, this is due to his involvement in the 1919 Black Sox Scandal, perhaps not. This book, however, finally captures the life and many facets of Joe Jackson. Though I do not subscribe to one theory or another in regard to his involvement in throwing the 1919 World Series, I am pleased to have finally found a book that addresses this issue without glamour, intrigue, or writer's license. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in baseball, the history of our National Past Time, or the life of one of baseball's greatest hitters, Joe Jackson.

2 comments about Streak: Joe DiMaggio and the Summer of '41.

1. Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak in 1941 has long been one of sports most hallowed accomplishments, and one which it seems may never be equalled. Author Michael Seidel examines the streak game-by-game, detailing not just the exploits of DiMaggio, but also the events of the world at that time, especially the escalation of World War II. From the news of the sinking of the Egyptian steamer Zamzam with 138 Americans aboard to violinist Fritz Kriesler walking for the first time since being hit by a car to numerous other news stories of the time, the stories that go along with the chronicling of the streak make this book a unique and totally enjoyable read. To make the book all the more desireable for baseball fans and statisticians, the appendix of the book has complete box scores for each of the games. A great book that would fit nicely in the collection of any baseball trivia buff or fan of Joe DiMaggio and the New York Yankees.



2. THIS IS ABOUT THE LONGEST HITTING STREAK IN MAJOR LEAGUE BASBALL HISTORY AND SOME OF THE EVENTS DURING 1941. THE AUTHOR GIVES US A GOOD LOOK AT EACH GAME DURING THE STREAK AND A GREAT DEAL OF DETAIL CONCERNING THE EVENTS LEADING TO WORLD WAR II. HE DOES A VERY GOOD JOB AND KEEPS MY INTERST WHEN HE STICKS TO THE STREAK AND WHAT DIMAG DID DURING EACH AT BAT. BUT HE ALSO INCLUDES TOO MUCH DETAIL ABOUT WORLD EVENTS WHICH BECOME TEDIOUS AND REPETITITVE. I RECOMMEND THIS FOR HISTORY BUFFS OF BASEBALL.

1 comments about Pepper Martin: A Baseball Biography.

1. This is an excellent biography of one of baseball's truly remarkable characters. Although names like Dizzy Dean, Frankie Frisch and Leo Durocher are more reknowned, Pepper Martin was the true heart and soul of the legendary "Gashouse Gang" Cardinals team of the 1930's and Barthel leaves no stone unturned in detailing the life of this unique and talented ballplayer from yesteryear. News article references chronicling his World Series exploits are included and serve as a glimpse back to a time when a signing bonus consisted of a couple of hunting dogs and a Winchester rifle.

   Also included are numerous AP and never before seen photographs and illustrations.

   Pepper Martin was truly one of a kind and this book captures the essence of his life and character.

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 Planet of the Umps: A Baseball Life from Behind the Plate.

1. I found this to be a very dull book, very surprising because the subject matter is inherently interesting. Umpires must have all sorts of great stories, right?
   
   Very early in the book, Kaiser portrays himself as a big ignorant lunk, who stumbled into umpiring and finding his calling.
   
   Other reviewers have talked about his whining over being fired, absolutely right. He is also quite a hypocrite, trashing ballplayers and managers left and right, then using autographed baseballs to duck traffic tickets. He brags openly about making the rules, despite what management says. And while he makes a point about positioning, he neglects to point out the arrogance and stubbornness of many umpires were a detriment to the game.
   
   Lousy book.



2. I enjoyed this book very much. Many funny and insightful stories. You really get a feel for what the life of an umpire is like...the good, the bad, and the ugly.



3. I was given this book to read while I was sick in bed. I love baseball, but I probably would not have picked up this book on my own. I was not, however, at all disappointed. Ken Kaiser's book made for a wonderful read. He (or his co-author) correctly understood that this type of autobiography is only of interest as it pertains to the world of baseball, so there is very little about Kaiser's personal life away from the job.

   Kaiser's anecdotes are often funny and very revealing of the umpire's job. He dispels many ideas of how an umpire makes certain calls. Much of these myths are voiced by sportscasters/writers who like to sound as if they know the inside scoop of the game including the mind of the umps.

   I knew of Kaiser's name when he umpired, but I was mostly neutral about him, unlike my positive thoughts about the delightful Ron Luciano, or the less happy thoughts of someone like Rich Garcia. His stories also make clear that what some believe as the self importance of the current umpires is nothing new to the game, but their working conditions have certainly improved.

   The book ends sadly, though, with Kaiser an apparent victim of the Richie Phillips led union. Don't get me wrong, Kaiser is a big fellow and capable of making up his own mind, but the former union's advise was equaled in absurdity by the former air traffic controllers union. The result was predictable and the game is not better off. Kaiser deserves much credit for providing a well articulated defense of the umpire's job, his tributes to Ron Luciano, the Ripkens and his blasts at Earl Weaver, sports journalists, and the baseball hierarchy.




4. The best parts of this book are the stories about what it was like to be a minor league and major league umpire. The worst parts, from my perspective, are in Kaiser's biased views about the umpires' labor problems and the quality of umpiring in the majors. Kaiser goes on at length about how every umpire has his own strike zone, and complains about the attempts to standardize it. While it's true that calling balls and strikes is very difficult and that absolute standardization is probably impossible, it's also true that several umpires' strike zones had gotten completely ridiculous (Eric Gregg would regularly call strikes on pitches several inches outside, for example).

   Kaiser says he trusted union head Richie Phillips too much when he agreed to resign along with most other major league umps. The problem wasn't just one of trust - it was one of arrogance. The umpires thought they were bigger than the game, that a mass resignation would force the owners to come crawling. They also failed to consider whom they were dealing with. Sandy Alderson accepted the mass resignation. This is the one time in labor history that a union broke itself. Major League Baseball owners have historically been poor labor negotiators, but they finally ran into a group of people who were worse. Kaiser doesn't face up to any of this, in my opinion. He admits it was a mistake to sign his resignation letter, but apart from that he seems to see himself as a victim.

   I think the book is worth reading, as long as one takes some of Kaiser's views with a grain of salt.




5. I loved this book. It literally made me laugh until I cried. I couldn't put it down. I loved reading about behind the scenes in baseball and I especially enjoyed walking down memory lane picturing Ken Kaiser on the field. A great read, highly recommended, and a note to Mr. Kaiser..........I hope you win your battle with MLB, you deserve it. You were a great umpire, hang in there. As a great lover of baseball, I still can appreciate the job you did, even if I didn't always agree. Good Luck! Everyone else.........buy the book and give it as gifts. It makes a wonderful reading experience.