5 comments about Searching for Bobby Orr.

1. Being brought up in Detroit I knew of Hockey but that was it. I went to a few games as a child with Grandpa but everyone jumped up and I couldn't see anything. Now retired and with a wife that was a hockey fan I decided a few years ago to try watching the game. Low and behold a instant fan. This book did more for me that anything else in explaining the game and the names I had heard but really did not know. The sad side is like so many sports and jobs the management or agents or lawyers use and abuse their help. I enjoyed the book and it has certainly brought my knowledge of the sport and the game up. Go Red Wings.



2. If you like Hockey and grew up during the time of the legend Bobby Orr playing against the Canadians, the Maple Leafs, the Blackhawks and others this book is well worth the read. I enjoyed the book and will pass it on to others to enjoy as well.



3. I purchased and read this book only after receiving a recommendation from a hockey buddy. I originally passed on it based on the few reviews on Amazon.com; however, I was pleasantly surprised. Despite the "up and down" reviews, I thought this book was interesting and well written. One reviewer wrote, "In the course of researching this book, author Stephen Brunt was not able to talk to Orr or any of his close knit circle of friends and family. As a result, Brunt's account is superficial and, ultimately, disappointing and unsatisfying." I disagree. Because Orr was, in the reviewer's own words, a "secretive, introverted man", I do not believe that he is inclined to reveal any more of his private life than was shared in this book. The book provides an objective account of the best and most exciting hockey player ever to lace a pair of skates. Included are Bobby's battle with knee problems that robbed him (and all hockey fans) of a lengthy career and his financial difficulties linked to his association with Alan Eagleson.



4. Just how good was Bobby Orr? Harry Howell said it best during the National Hockey League awards ceremony, where he was presented with the Norris Trophy as the League's top defenseman: "I've been around for fifteen years, and thank God I finally won the trophy. I've got the feeling that for the next twenty years it will be known as the Bobby Orr Trophy." High praise indeed, but consider this: Orr had just completed his rookie season, earning respect almost unheard of at that stage of a career, and he wasn't even the runner-up for the award.
   
   Bobby Orr was regarded as a savior for the Boston Bruins from the very moment he was first seen on the ice by members of the Bruins management, playing in a junior game with children three and four years older than him, dominating the game and controlling the puck better than anyone. He was just an average kid from an average town --- not well off financially and not the greatest of students, though he tried hard --- but on the ice he became a legend.
   
   Stephen Brunt likens Orr to the Greek hero Achilles. The National Hockey League was Troy, and Orr was the most powerful and dynamic hero of the game. And yet, like Achilles, Orr had a flaw. While he had the heart, the determination and the will, it was his knees that ultimately would cut short an exciting and record-setting career. He was the flash of light, the great fire that burned too bright for too short a time. He would win the Norris Trophy the next eight consecutive seasons and lead the League in scoring twice.
   
   As popular and as masterful as he was on the ice, Orr was savagely private about his personal life. He was quiet and reserved, and Brunt shows us that even though he would join his teammates at a party, he often was the first to quietly slip away unnoticed. In putting together this book, Brunt approached Orr about being involved, but he declined and also made a stipulation: Brunt would not be allowed to approach his family.
   
   In some ways that is a loss. Hearing about the storied career from the man who wrote it with his play would have been enlightening and lent a sense of charm and closeness, a way for those who worshiped him to get closer to their hero. Perhaps, however, it was more of a boon that Orr did not wish to be involved. It freed Brunt to seek his own answers and create his own path. The story he chose to pursue could not be shaped and molded, and things he discovered may never have come to light in speaking with the man himself.
   
   One of the fabulous aspects of this book is that Brunt seems to know that a hero, no matter how grand or powerful, is not self-made. Along the way Orr has people who shape his world-view and his life. Those figures are given definition here, particularly Wren Blair, who saw the young boy play in Canada and tried to secure a contract for Boston. "Bucko" McDonald, his junior coach, recognized that Orr was exceptional: a rushing defenseman who was small. McDonald let Orr be who he was and didn't attempt to turn him into something he wasn't. Alan Eagleson was the lawyer who worked with Orr in drafting up a healthy contract in his first season and paved the way for the creation of player agents and sports management groups. However, Eagleson, who would also be the ruin of many a good man by pilfering their retirement funds, ultimately was brought down by Orr and fellow player Carl Brewer. And then there were Orr's parents, who were both encouraging and very protective.
   
   As quickly and beautifully as he came, Orr would be gone. Brunt does an excellent job at revealing him, yet, when all is said and done, there is still so much unknown. The title, SEARCHING FOR BOBBY ORR, is very accurate. Brunt had to search, and could probably keep searching for years. What the author has done, however, is give us an exceptional biography of the greatest hockey player ever to lace up a pair of skates.
   
   --- Reviewed by Stephen Hubbard



5. In the course of researching this book, author Stephen Brunt was not able to talk to Orr or any of his close knit circle of friends and family. As a result, Brunt's account is superficial and, ultimately, disappointing and unsatisfying. Orr has hinted that he might tell his story himself some day but I won't hold my breath. I suspect he will remain a secretive, introverted man, someone who plied his trade for too short a time, then bowed out with dignity. There's really nothing new in SEARCHING FOR BOBBY ORR and, as much as I like and respect Mr. Brunt, he has done little to disspell the mystery surrounding Number 4...and perhaps that's for the best.

2 comments about Big Papi (Spanish edition): La Historia de Mis Anhelos y Mis Grandes Batazos.

1. I bought the book for my cousin, he and myself love it. Is very easy to read and funny



2. Is baseball good? Truly a thought to siphen, nor weary and lasting is the prime thought. I'll concede Senor David Ortiz is great, but only if you stop waiving that violin in my face.

5 comments about To the Edge : A Man, Death Valley, and the Mystery of Endurance.

1. I picked up this book when researching the badwater and for the most part I enjoyed it, although I did get the feeling that Johnson was writing this book more for himself and his family, and not the general reader (especially not the running community). I especially enjoyed the detailed accounts of his interactions with fellow runners, his experience on the road training and during the race, but could have done without all the diatribes about his personal spiritual journey. The more I read the more I realized that the book was less about the running and more about Johnson's life, struggles, and how he used this situation to reconcile with family. His description of his insecurities were frank and honest, but became annoying. I just wanted to scream "get over it"! If you are a runner and not looking for a technical manual on how to do an ultra, but enjoy books about overcoming adversity this might be the book for you.



2. This is very well written and amazing story. It actually talked me out of wanting to do Badwater (since I wanted to do it after seeing the movie made the same year) but did spark a further interest in doing more Ultras. Highly recommended- an inspiring sort of book about running and life.



3. This is the book I have been wanting to write for myself, relating to how cycling (a similar endurance sport) has elevated my life spiritually. Well written, directly on point, and should be expounded upon by a sequel.



4. I read a great review of this book, so after finishing it I lent it to a friend. Ended up missing it enough when it wasn't returned to buy another copy. Very inspiring book describes a little-known Ultra Marathon, the Badwater Ultramarathon, which is a 135-mile footrace from the lowest, hottest spot in the west, to the highest point in the US. Well-written, non-running audiences will appreciate it for its focus on pushing oneself past your perceived limits, following through on a goal or dream, or overcoming loss and fear. Also really makes you appreciate your own less-strenuous workout, and the levels some people will go to in preparing for a grueling race, the equivalent of 5 back-to-back marathons in 120-degree heat. Interesting sub-culture of over-the-top endurance races, helps you understand the appeal, and may give some insight in how to prepare if you are planning to do it yourself. Provides details on what went wrong, what he did right, what to expect, and how to avoid the author's mistakes, how he got through it, and perhaps whether the race is really for you or not. Read it just to learn something about ultra-endurance road training, or to get ready to do the race yourself. Also explores the suicide of a sibling, spirituality, and emotional healing.



5. I was not going to write a review of this book because it has been several months since I read it. Here is what happened. I found the book at a used book store. I am a retired so to speak runner (also an aspiring future marathoner). I took it home and could not put it down. I loved every part of it. I passed it to my sister in law who also loved it. She passed it on to her runner son. Yesterday he returned it to me. I had forgotten about the loan--but I will never forget the book.
   Johnson had a good story and told it in a great way. No, it is not a manual on how to prepare for this race (as if there could be such a book). Instead it is the story of a human struggle--possibly it is the story of THE human struggle.
   As I said, I was not going to write a review because of the time since I read it. However, before I put it away on my shelf, I thought that I would see how the reviews have gone. I was very surprised to see any reviews less than 5 stars so I decided to add these few words.
   I think that the folks who were looking for more specifics on training etc. are missing the point. For those people in particular this is a great book. It can appeal to and be enjoyed by countless people who never have and likely never will step up to a starting line or even onto a track or treadmill. At the same time it will probably motivate more than a few to get off the coach and take a few laps and maybe even inspire a few to change their lives and build some miles!
   Sorry that I am light on specifics, but you get the idea that I (and my nephew and sister in law) loved the book.

5 comments about The Greatest: The Haile Gebrselassie Story.

1. This book is great tribute to Haile Gebreselassie. I thought that this book was well pieced together and it gives a good introduction to who he is and what he stands for. It would be nice if Haile could have been the author himself. Honestly, this book inspired me through a summer of great training and once you start reading you don't want to put the book down.



2. Excellent story of a successfull runner from an under privilage country. The story of his rising to fame is heart warming and all youngsters in the USA should read it to understand how young people in other countries must often battle great odds to be able to climb out of their invironments and meet success in spite of and not because of. Very interesting story.



3. For those who are unfamiliar with Gebrselassie, they will find this book incredibly boring. I, an avid runner, found this book to be a pretty horrible tribute to the greatest distance runner in the last 25 years. Most running books describe races in quite detail and focus on each of the tiring laps that a runner endures. This book on the otherhand basically skips over that saying "Haile won this, got the world record...or Haile lost this, and all of Ethiopia was angry at him." It doesn't go into any detail though. Rather than Haile the runner, this book focuses on Haile the businessman which is not what he is known for nor is it was most people even care much about.



4. Geb is one of my five favorite runners of all time, but this book is a little sappy even for me. By all accounts, a phenomenal athlete and a great guy; but the author could have been a bit more objective. The writing is a bit uneven as well.



5. I enjoyed this book but did not find it to be a compelling read. I found the writing somewhat choppy as if Mr. Dennison had strung together a number of individual pieces. Gebrselassie can certainly take his place among the greatest runners of all time and this book is a fine tribute.

5 comments about Payne Stewart: The Authorized Biography.

1. Hat's off to Tracey for her work in getting this together. Though lacking in specific details of his past behaivors enough is said to allow the reader to understand the change in his character once he accepted Christ. This book is not another Christian testimony. It contains the elements of a what makes a good man. We are all sinners and a perfect picture is not painted here. Payne was a great golfer and a great man that many could learn from. Then again, just act like you think Jesus would have and you will be close to the mark of Payne. Thank you for a great book Tracey.



2. I have recently finished the biography of payne stewart. It was one of the best books I have ever read. From start to finish of the book I was always interested.The best parts of the book is when it talks about all the tournaments he has been in and winning the U.S. open in 1999.



3. What an inspirational book based on the life of Payne Stewart. You could literally feel the love that Tracey had for Payne. No, I am sure that Payne wasn't a saint. Who of us is? But, he was a great man, a great father, and a great golfer who is sadly missed by thousands of his fans and followers.

   Payne was a devout Christian who was coming into his own. The scope of what his personal witnessing ministry could have become will now be tested in his death rather than his life. I know that it has served to strengthen my testimony and for that I will forever be indebted to Payne Stewart.

   Thanks Tracey and kids for sharing Payne with us!




4. This book is a must have book about the life and times of one of Golfs most flamboyunt golfer (the knickers) and the way Payne spoke his mind. I bought this book because Payne was one of my favorite golfers. This book was very intresting talked about the ups and downs of life on the PGA tour. I am glad that Payne relized that there is more to life than just golf. Family and relationship with God. This is a must have book.



5. this book was amazing. granted it could have been written a lot better, but it's understandable from the view thata his wife is writing this book shortly after his tragic death. tracey wrote well, but got a little boring here and there. other than that, this was great. i never knew the story of payne and his career untill i read this. it was truley a proof to me that he was a great father, husband, golfer, friend, and man. enjoy it!

5 comments about The Devil and Sonny Liston.

1. If you rolled your eyes when you read the title of this review, then you'll want to steer clear of Nick Tosches overwrought, insipidly pretentious prose. Here's a snapshot:
   
   "Truman Gibson told me a story, in that way he has of delicately spinning out a web that can be plainly seen only from a distance, the gossamer of a tale that seems to have no meaning in itself, but which, when the moon of understanding waxes, shines softly with the light of meaning that was there all along."
   
   The writing is comical, but the source from which it springs is Tosches meglomania, which is what truly ruins the book, unless you want to read it as comedy, with Tosches as the unintended punchline. Because to Tosches, he is as historically significant as his subject, and for this reason his own ego keeps bumping into everything he tries to write about. Try this:
   
   "Lowell was not in the best of shape. Like Frankie Carbo, like me, like a lot of people, he had diabetes, and the complications were getting the better of him."
   
   There's Nick again, inserting himself into the story. I'm sorry he has diabetes, but he's not asking for sympathy. Oh no. You see, Nick's talkin 'bout diabetes. The big D. Lots of tough guys have it. Guys like Frankie Carbo, lord of the underworld. And guys like him. You know how it is.
   
   And just in case you've come to the end of the book and you still haven't figured out that Nick Tosches is every bit as big and bad as Sonny Liston, don't worry, cuz he's not gonna hold back on you no more. He's just gonna come right out and say it. Try this one on for size:
   
   "I write this on a cold night as one millenium, a dead wisp in that supernal breeze that we call time, becomes another. It is black outside, a little after half past four, when the joints too are dead. In the background--f*** the neighbors--the melancholy violin and viola, the mean self-threnody of Iggy Pop's "No S***," from his brutal, beautiful and courageous "Avenue B." I remember a night a few months back, at Manitoba's, a joint on Avenue B. I was there to read poetry, and Chuck Wepner, one of the last of the stand-up guys--a guy who fought not only both Sonny Liston and Muhammad Ali, but also, for charity, a Kodiak bear--had come in to introduce me. 'This guy,' he said, 'writes like Sonny Liston hit.'"
   
   By the end of it all, I realized that I'd just consumed far too many supernal gossamers, filigrees of wisdom, and wispy moons of understanding. More than anything, though, I realized that I'd had enough of Nick Tosches to last me until the Great Self-Threnody in the Sky. Come to think of it, though, Wepner may have been right. Reading Nick Tosches might be just about as pleasant as being hit by Sonny Liston. And you know how hard he hit.



2. I remember, as a mere slip of a lad, tape-recording the Liston-Clay fight on my Wollensak reel-to-reel tape recorder. (I think it weighed more than I did.) I played that tape over and over. ...
   
   "SONNY LISTON'S NOT COMING OUT!" excalimed Howard Cosell. "SONNY LISTON'S NOT COMING OUT! HE'S OUT! I'M NOW GOING UP INTO THE RING!"
   
   Actually, I congratulate Nick Tosches on writing a book about Sonny Liston and not once mentioning Howard Cosell, who I simply *loooooooathe(d).*
   
   As for Nick's book, you have to give him credit for the research he's done, he is thorough. But as a previous reviewer noted, he's a Jimmy Breslin/Damon Runyon wannabe. Of course that's not an unambitious wannabe gene to have, is it? So I can't really criticize Nick for aspiring to such obvious greatness.
   
   The thing is, though, Nick manifests his hipness in an all too obvious way. Alas, there's nothing sadder than a hipster who tries too hard to be too hip.
   
   Still, Nick was raised in Newark, New Jersey, as I was, he's about my age, and he's clearly a good, solid, interesting writer, so whaddya want? fugetaboutit -- da bum's okay!
   
   In Hemingway's short story "A Clean Well-Lighted Place," the old man in the cafe is asked: "What are you thinking about?" To which he replies: "Nothing." Meaning: nothingness.
   
   Indeed, this is the key that unlocks the mystery of Sonny Liston. In considering Sonny Liston, one inevitably looks into the abyss -- comes face-to-face with the personification of nothingness. ("Nada y nada y pues nada.")
   
   Easily the most feared and ferocious of heavyweights, when he wasn't (probably) throwing both Ali fights, Charles Sonny Liston was nihilism to the 12th power. As such, I wish Nick had written a bit more about Liston from an existential point of view. His writing style is perfectly suited to such an approach. Put another way: I don't imagine it's a coincidence that Nick has also written biographies of Dean Martin and Jerry Lee Lewis, both of whom, each in his own unique way, has danced on the precipice of existential dread.
   
   If you don't know Sonny Liston from Adam, or if you consider the only accceptable biography to be that of a famous, notable or "respected" individual (as opposed to a thug like Liston), then you're a square, daddy-o, and you should pass on this book, ex Post Toasties.
   
   (Did you see what I did there? Huh? A little cereael humor -- "ex Post Toasties." ... I gotta million of 'em.)
   
   If, on the other hand, you're consider Sonny Liston to be an important part of our cultural past and therefore worth paying attention to ("Attention, attention must be paid this man!"), then give my paisano Nick Tosches' bio of Sonny Liston a shot.
   
   Meanwhile, there's no question Liston threw the second Ali fight. But what about the first one? Did he throw that one, too? If he did, one has to wonder what would have happened to Ali had he faced the full, "unfixed" fury of Liston.
   
   Before the first, at the weigh-in, Ali went nuts, with most commentators (in hindsight of course) maintaining that this was meant to psyche out Liston. I don't believe it. I think Ali was scared witless of Liston; maybe not necessarily at the weigh-in but in his general psychological preparation for the fight. In fact, he was probably as surprised/shocked ed as anyone that he emerged from the fight victorious -- let alone survived it!
   
   It's interesting how Nick points out that after the Mob's influence over boxing waned, many of the people involved in boxing, including the boxers themselves, longed for the days when they dealt with the Mob, as opposed to the real thieves, the compleat crooks, namely, the lawyers, corporatists and other buttoned-down nouveau riche hustlers we civilians are all now plagued with.
   
   The Mob may have been rough, but as Mario Puzo once put it: at least back in the day you could get a decent bowl of spaghetti & meatballs in Las Vegas. Today? Fugetabout it!



3. All this negativity, wow. I thought this book was fantastic. It made me buy other books by this guy and I liked them as well. He's not my favorite author of all time, but this book was great. 5 stars.



4. It's refreshing to read that so many others here can see through Tosches as the "literary" equivalent of a snakeoil salesman.
   
   I've worked in the industry so I know that copywriters at least attempt to come up with the jacket- or cover-copy that will entice readers into buying the book. But a writer with Tosches' clout usually gets to write his own copy. So, with that in mind--DINO, while allegedly a depiction of how down-and-dirty Dean Martin really was (yes, the man was flawed and he did some bad things--but Frankie Sinatra did a LOT of MUCH worse things) is actually a book about an entertainer, Martin, who was a genuinely, physically and mentally tough man (the type who Sinatra pretended to be--Dino didn't need bodyguards to do his fighting) who was beloved by his female costars, who found him to be genuinely funny, charming, and a true gentleman. One alleged insult to a call girl quoted on the mass market cover--who flattered herself that she could take Dino for a ride--does not contradict this. He was streetwise and when he told Jerry Lewis "you can talk about love all you want, you're just a f**king dollar sign to me," it was in the context of having played second bananna to a narcissitic, juvenile cretin, for year. For example, Lewis was so obnoxious that, in an episode of the old Colgate Comedy Hour, he kept interrupting Martin to upstage Dino was he attempted to seen what was his hit song. Who wouldn't to throttle the little punk?
   
   I see that Tosches' "biography" of Arnold Rothstein--the famous gambler who fixed the 1919 World Series--is subtitled to call this a story that's never been told before. Do an Amazon search. Do a Google search. Okay, Rothstein is not a household name but anyone who has read a few books on American gangsters has heard of Rothstein. "A.R.," as he was known, is NOT an overlooked figure in histories of the era.
   
   Tosches is a "wannabe," as another post stated, and yet another post(s) commented on his faulty research skills, irrelevant digressions, and affected prose.
   
   But you know what really got me pissed about this Liston book? Tosches states--as though it were an indisputable fact--that the last fight Rocky Marciano had, against the great Archie Moore, was fixed. Archie took a dive to preserve the Great White Champ's record.
   
   Just like that. This is a historically significant allegation and one that has not been made before (at least not in any serious reportage). Does Toshces cite a source for this bombshell? God forbid. He makes this statement without batting an eye or even addressing why this charge has never been revealed by any of the truly great boxing writers who have preceded Tosches. I'm sure Bert Randolph Sugar, for one, would have touched on this years ago, if it had even a grain of truth.
   
   In truth, Archie Moore's gripe was that the ref--after Moore had hit Marciano with a shot so hard it's said to have lifted the Rock several inches off his feet before he hit the canvas--gave the Rock the equivalent of a "long count," allowing the younger and stronger Marciano precious seconds to recover and knock out Moore.
   
   Other boxing writers (Sugar, for one, I believe), some who were present at the fight, others who have seen the B&W film footage, respectfully disagree. Moore was a great champ, a great fighter, and a proud man. NO doubt about that. And he gave the Rock one hell of a fight. He came thisclose to winning the heavyweight title. So did Billy Conn against Joe Lewis. (Was that a fix, too?) It must be difficult to deck an opponent with a punch that would ended the fight against virtually any other opponent in that weight class and then see him, in true Marciano fashion, rise from the canvas, shake off the punch, and come back at you like a wrecking machine.
   
   But Toshces' version? Hell, he just makes a statement out of "punchyland" that suits his biases. Were it true, it would be a helluva revelation, a story that would capture the attention of boxing aficionados--if it were only true.
   
   Toshes is, indeed, a con artist. He tries to dazzle you with his footwork but has little to back it up.
   
   Sonny Liston deserves a better biographer, one that keeps the spotlight on his subject and not on himself.



5. While the negative reviews here hold a certain amount of water, it must be understood that this is certainly not a "traditional" biography, if a biography at all. I came upon this book from the opposite direction as previous commentators, as an fan of literature with a passing interest in boxing. Tosches' entire ouevre reads much the same way as this text: pop cultural riffing, hyperbolic spiritual send-ups, flourishes of bizarrely germane quotes. But it all works.
   
   I can safely admit that this won't serve as an effective biography for anyone hoping for detailed accounts of Liston's fights, but it is a wonderfuly tempered, passionate work. In terms of boxing studies, if you care at all for the style of Oates' "On Boxing," this is certainly worth a paltry $0.19.

5 comments about The Ride of My Life.

1. Great book , but it has some bad language in it . I recomend it for people sixteen to thirty , not much of a kids book . I haven't finished it yet , on chapter 12 . Great for someone into extreme sports , like skateboarding , snowboarding , surfing , or BMX .



2. Wow, what else needs to be said about Mat Hoffman? He's the godfather of pretty much everything bmx freestyle. Whether it be street, ramp, vert, big ramp whatever. Mat was busting out all the biggest and gnarliest tricks and creating this big book of tricks almost the size of your typical yellow pages book. Alot of the stuff Mat did back in the 80s and early 90s-- well it would be rare not to see any rider from today not pulling the same tricks. And he invented most of those tricks. Hell, I do alot of the tricks Mat invented haha. Let's not forget he was also the first person in the world to ever pull a 900 on a vert ramp. Even rollerbladers and skaters weren't doing 900s and their rotations are easier since they don't have the weight of a 30 lb bike between their legs.
   
   Mat did pretty much everything on his bike. He's one of the few vert riders in the world who can probably say there's nothing left to do on his bike anymore, but that's not gonna stop him from riding.
   
   In this book you'll read about his life on and off his bike. I don't want to get into detail here since it covers alot, but even if you don't ride bmx and are looking for something to read about somebody who pushed the limits of gravity and inspired many riders today, then add Mat Hoffman's autobiography to your list.
   
   Let's not forget he was also the first person to pull off the flair and will probably be the only person on the entire planet to pull a no handed 900 on vert... and I'm serious about that. And I'm pretty sure no one else is gonna huck themselves 50 feet in the air being pulled from a motorcycle.



3. One word to describe the sky flying superman of BMX.....DARING! This man has broken enough bones to have the hospitals on speed dial! Hes amazing in every way a rider living his dreams just like the others. Mat is not just a rider though hes an artist in the sky. His bike is the brush and the ramp is his canvas. He is the creater and godfather of biking today. He is like tupac, always remebered. Mat you have taught me more of how to have fun and get out their. Now i know to never get knocked down without a fight!



4. ok this book is awsome the only book i have ever enjoyed reading i have read this book 3 times and still doesent get old its cool to see how someone so great go to were he is todaybuy this book as soon as possible i recommend it



5. My brother, an avid BMX'er, loved this book! He's not much of a reader but I think he liked the short tidbids about Mat Hoffman. A great gift idea for the cyclist in your life.

5 comments about Branch Rickey: Baseball's Ferocious Gentleman.

1. An excellent biography of Branch Rickey and his accomplishments during the first 65 years of the 20th century.
   It is a fascinating story of his life,life in America,a history of baseball and the social mores of the era.
   Fascinating reporting on the recruitment and emergence of Jackie Robinson.



2. Lee Lowenfish has written a fabulously researched book that is an entry point into the history of baseball since the start of the 20th century. Yes, I knew that Branch Rickey ran the Dodgers and hired Jackie Robinson, breaking the color barrier in major league baseball. I didn't know, however, that he started his career in St. Louis and as I read this easy to like book, I began sending copies to people I thought would be interested.
   
   I'm 65 (born in 1943) and started listening to New York baseball games in the car with my Dad starting in about 1948. As we drove, we'd hear the Yankees and the Giants and the Dodgers. Did I know that I was listening to history as Jackie Robinson ran the bases?
   
   Many of my friends are 20 years older than I am. I thought that this book would bring back wonderful memories for them and I was right.
   
   Imagine, to date I've sent 18 books as gifts to people from New York, St. Louis, Los Angeles. Everyone has been reading and loving Lowenfish's book.........each for a different reason.
   
   SO BUY THE BOOK ALREADY.



3. If you consider yourself a baseball fan you need to read this book, because Branch Rickey was an integral part of the game's history. The book is 600 pages long, but the reading style flowed easily for me, and held my interest throughout the book. The legal profession's loss was baseball's gain as he devoted practically his entire life to serving the game while serving others at the same time. He spoke his mind and rubbed some people the wrong way, but this conservative Republican knew a wrong when he saw it, and opened up the game of baseball to the Negro race when other owners dared not disrupt the status quo. After a stint at coaching at the University of Michigan where he encountered who he deemed one of his two favorite players, George Sisler, he moved on to St. Louis to cover the lowly Browns where he worked under his favorite superior, Robert Hedges. From there it was to the Cardinals where he placed his stamp on the Redbirds successful teams of the mid-1930s Gashouse Gang, and early 1940's which were under the ownership of Sam Breadon. From there it was on to Brooklyn where he made history by signing Jackie Robinson along with others who would become stars of Roger Kahn's book "The Boys of Summer" during the 1950s. Following the 1950 season he left the Dodgers following a power struggle with "The Big O", Walter O'Malley. The Pittsburgh Pirates came calling, and once again Rickey built a cellar-dwelling franchise into a championship 1960 team with players such as Dick Groat and stealing an unprotected Roberto Clemente from the Dodgers' minor league system. Rickey's last stop was back in St. Louis when Cardinals' owner "Gussie" Busch hired Rickey as a consultant. This proved an unwise move on the part of both Busch and Rickey. Rickey clashed with Redbird general manager "Bing" Devine who was in the process of building a winner in St. Louis. Rickey wanted Stan Musial to retire, certainly an unpopular suggestion where The Man reigned supreme. Rickey died in November of 1965 while making a speech in Columbia, Missouri. I remember listening to it on St. Louis radio station KMOX. This book is filled with legendary baseball characters such as Larry MacPhail, Red Barber, Leo Durocher, "Pepper" Martin (Rickey's other favorite player), Clyde Sukeforth, Rogers Hornsby, Frankie Frisch, Connie Mack, and numerous others. Incidentally, I was disappointed to learn that Mack was the only owner who protested to Rickey personally regarding the signing of Robinson. Mack is quoted, "I used to have respect for Rickey. I don't have any more." Mack added that his Athletics would not play the Dodgers in Florida if Robinson came with them. Don't be intimidated by the length of the book. To adequately cover Rickey's life it needs to be a lengthy book. If you enjoy baseball history this book will be a breeze. Treat yourself! You will also enjoy Rickey's quotations which are still appropriate today.



4. Let me touch on that last first.
   
   Branch Rickey may have used the term "ferocious gentlemen" about various people he appreciated. It certainly was NOT used regularly of others about him, definitely not to the point where it became a moniker.
   
   But, Lowenfish tags Rickey with it, and uses it of him about every 10-15 pages. It's grating, it's off-putting, and does nothing to move the story line forward. Nor does it do anything for me in a good sense of establishing Lowenfish as a special author.
   
   There's a few small errors of fact in the book. Most notably, the 1948 Chicago Tribune headline was "Dewey DEFEATS Truman" and not "Dewey BEATS Truman."
   
   Other than that, while not leaden, the style of the book is not crisp, either.
   
   As far as content, the book could either have been written a bit tighter and be 50 pages shorter, or else have been longer and more jam-packed. Rickey's Brooklyn years and especially his relationship with Walter O'Malley come immediately to mind. What first set them off against one another? Did Rickey have any quotable comments about O'Malley? Ditto for O'Malley about Rickey.
   
   In other words, this book isn't bad as a Rickey bio -- if you can get past Lowenfish's writing tics. But, there's surely a more compelling -- and better written -- book available.



5. While every major league team is required to retire Jackie Robinson's #42, the Lords of Baseball might also consider having every team display a pair of rimless glasses, an unlit cigar and a bow tie in memory of Branch Rickey. Until that happens, Lee Lowenfish's book stands as an excellent and precise memorial.
   
   Robinson's contribution to baseball and American history is undeniable, but he was acting, to some extent, in his best self-interest. Rickey's self-interest, as normally defined, however, would have been to continue to bar the door to African American participation in the big leagues, while denying the door was even shut. This was the path of his fellow baseball decision-makers, for decades.
   
   Rickey defined his self-interest in broader, even spiritual terms. He was several kinds of paradox: a muscular Christian, a country gentleman who lived and worked in the biggest cities, a tee-totaler who constantly supported and even loved rascals like Leo Durocher, Dizzy Dean and Pepper Martin.
   
   Mr. Lowenfish, in addition to being a fine baseball maven and historian, is also a professorial-grade expert on American History. He combines these areas of expertise smoothly, giving depth and meaning to the various events and decisions in Rickey's life. He weaves details from inside baseball and culture into a deeply textured whole.
   
   He also does not see the world in terms of cardboard heroes and villains, a particularly rare and useful point of view when it comes to this story, which has so much genuine and well documented heroism. Lowenfish reports on Happy Chandler, Lee Mac Phail, Ben Chapman, even that original baseball Satan, Walter O'Malley, by treating them as real people with complex motives, instead of mere evil-doers put in the world specifically for Robinson and Rickey to overcome.
   
   Give Robinson, who walked through the door, all the credit in the world. But also credit he who opened the door. Lee Lowenfish does so in the way that Rickey himself would have most admired: by showing the human beings behind the myths.

4 comments about Out of Their League.

1. In the late 1960's and early 1970's there were two revolutions in professional sports. The first was the rapid growth in the salary levels. This was due to the growing power of the players relative to the owners as they finally were able to overcome the legal and institutionalized restrictions that kept them in a degree of servitude. The second was the stripping of the facade of the players as mighty and pure men, where they were revealed as much less than the supposed ideals. This change was largely due to the appearance of tell-all books that described what really went on in the sports.
   In major league baseball, the initial book was "Ball Four" by Jim Bouton and in the National Football League (NFL) it was this book. When both first came out, the authors were severely chastised for their statements, yet subsequent revelations have all supported their claims. Shortly before he died, Mickey Mantle spoke out about how his consumption of alcohol damaged his career and his body, something Bouton wrote about.
   Meggyesy talks about the tremendous racism in the NFL in the sixties, the brutality and the rampant use of performance enhancing drugs. He also describes the tremendous hypocrisy of college football, where rules violations were routine and also common knowledge. Every subsequent statement by ex-players has upheld his statements, with many arguing that it was even worse that what Meggyesy claimed.
   As you read the book, you clearly see that Meggyesy is an intelligent man in an area where acting intelligently was discouraged. Football players were to be seen on the football field and heard only through the violence of their on-field actions. Expressing an intelligent political opinion was considered "action detrimental to the sport and the team." The only flaw in the discourse is that Meggyesy's political views sometimes taint his discussions about football. It would have better if he had avoided going in that direction.



2. David Meggyesy is one of America's true unsung heroes. Working as a pro athlete at a time when the pay was less that of a trash hauler, with no benefits or job security, and the only guarantee a lifetime of pain and disability, Meggyesy exposed deep hypocrisy in America's hero worship at a time when the nation was at war, and the rich were getting richer at everyone else's expense, and to speak out was to be condemned as a pariah. In other words, things haven't changed one iota except for the salaries of the players, and this, ironically and significantly, is also Mr. Meggyesy's doing, in large part. As founder of Athletes Against the War back then he took on the establishment. As co-founder and Western Director of the NFL Players Association he continues to take it on to this day. A great book by a great man, for all its rough edges.



3. I just finished reading this book and found it to be quite insightful about the exploitation of professional football players. As a pro-football player, Dave Meggyesy is one of the rare players who not only finishes college but constantly questions everything that's going on around him. ... Dave is pretty articulate and has a lot of character substance. Against the backdrop of the 60s, Dave traces his intellectual and political development which is cool. This is the 6th sports autobiography that I've read for my professor at UH and it's so far my favorite. When is the last time you heard a white football player make a political statement about racism in the 60s?
   The book left me wondering what Dave Meggyesy is doing today.



4. I was certainly suprised by this sometimes mindless writing excercise called "Out of Their League". Although I did find the behind the scenes football world interesting. The self study of what makes him continue with a brutal and often times soul destroying game, also made me think. Even at times wondering why I love this game the way I do. However, the polital statements bare no explanation. Bold statements get no follow up, such as "Nixon administration being the most repressive in U.S. History", keep in mind this book was written years before the Watergate scandal. Pure emotionalism is my only deduction to his political alignment and at the time, his demontrations against the status quo.

No comments about Tiger Woods (Biography (a & E)).