No comments about Willie Mays: Art in the Outfield.

2 comments about Sweet William: The Life of Billy Conn (Sport and Society).

1. My name is Ray McCormack, and I am a boxing historian. I have been following boxing for almost 50 years. This book is one of the most informative and objective books I have ever read about a boxer.
   
   The book gives you a very accurate and exciting glimpse of the life of Billy Conn, and of the 1930's and 1940's in boxing and the USA.
   
   I rarely recommend books about boxing. The reason being the books are usually full of mistakes and unsubstantiated rumors which soemhow become accepted as facts as the years go on. This book is 100% legitmate. I strongly recommend giving it a read



2. Well written and easy reading...enjoying the local references...brings the fight scene during the 30's and 40's alive and vivid...lots of facts..anyone living in the Western PA area will appreciate the narrative

No comments about Lord Stanley: The Man Behind the Cup.

No comments about Grantland Rice and His Heroes: The Sportswriter as Mythmaker in the 1920s.

5 comments about Real Men Work in the Pits: A Life in NASCAR Racing.

1. Real Men Work In The Pits by Jeff Hammond could have been a lot better.
   
   The 2005 effort by Fox Sports personality and longtime NASCAR crew chief Jeff Hammond has no ghostwriter listed which means Hammond made all the name misspellings himself. From Felix "Sabatas" Sabates to Jim "Tommy VanDiver" Vandiver, Hammond cannot seem to get it right.
   
   Getting past that, my other big complaint would be that 2/3 of this book deals with 1976-1986. True, those were his big years with Junior Johnson but the way he skimmed over 1993-2000 was humorous. Obviously, he had little success but the book is more an autobiography of Junior Johnson and Darrell Waltrip than it is Hammond's life in NASCAR racing.
   
   One interesting thing that could have been added onto more was in 1996 when he hooked back up with DW for the final part of the season, only to be fired after the team's Christmas party.
   
   I enjoyed the honesty, though, including the strained relationship with Dale Earnhardt that Hammond touched on after The Intimidator wrecked Waltrip at Richmond in 1986.
   
   Hammond offered an inside look at the Junior Johnson operation and it now has me wanting to read about ol' JJ.
   
   In reality, the book was something of an anti-love letter to Darrell Waltrip. The banter they share on Fox leads you to believe they had nothing but fun together but according to Hammond in the book, DW was a money-hungry egomaniac. Here I thought he was just an egomaniac!
   
   Still, for a crew chief autobiography this was pretty interesting. It needed a better editor.



2. Jeff Hammond has written a fantastic book. He's captured the racing action, development of the sport and most importantly some of the people that have made the sport what it is.
   
   `Real men work in the pits' is written in an easy reading, conversational manner that never seems forced, making it a hard book to put down once you've started reading.
   
   NASCAR very rarely screens on TV in Australia, and when it does it's often a five minute highlights package so you never get to see a whole race. But even for someone with low exposure to the sport it's still a great book to read.
   
   If you're a fan of any sort of motor sport, then you'll enjoy this book for the spirit of competition. Even if you're not into racing, this book would still make an enjoyable read for the colourful way in which the likes of Darrell Waltrip, Cale Yarborough, and Junior Johnson are described and one man's career in racing is told. Well worth adding to your bookshelf.



3. I started reading this book when I went to bed and couldn't put it down until it was finished. Jeff writes about his father racing dirt tracks and how he worked with his uncle on his dad's race car at the age of 12. From those days, he and his brother went on to build cars on their own and get drivers to drive for them. This led to Jeff putting aside his dream for playing college football and become involved with Junior Johnson's team working his way up the ranks to Crew Chief.
   I found it interesting to read about the relationship Junior had with his workers and the respect that was held for him.
   There are many neat personal stories about Cal Yarbrough, Junior Johnson and many pages about the relationship Darrell Waltrip had with Jeff before and after becoming his crew chief.
   The underlying thread in this book from my perspective was the loyalty Jeff had for his family, Junior, teammates and friends. I really enjoyed the book and hope someday to meet Jeff in person.



4. Some people really know how to market themselves. During the last few years, Jeff Hammond has went from being a succesful NASCAR crew chief to TV anlayst, pitchman, professional wrestler, rodeo competitor and now book author. This man has quite an agent!
   
   As for the new book, there's not a lot of new ground. Although Hammond claims that he is willing to speak out and criticize NASCAR when necessary, there is very little commentary in the book about anything.
   
   Along the way he provides a number of interesting stories regarding his relationships and experiences with people such as Junior Johnson and Darrell Waltrip but it is merely a recounting of his career with little detail and insight. What I found somewhat surprising is that Hammond spent his last year as a crew chief working with Kurt Busch and for Jack Roush. That was Busch's rookie season and he is now Nextel Cup Champ, but you won't get to learn a single thing about what the new champ is like from reading this book and very little about car owner Roush who has now won two championships in a row.
   
   It's written well and an easy read but not a great literary work. The good news is that Hammond is likable, the stories are interesting and it's probably worth the three hours or so that it will take to read this book. That being said, Waltrip's recent book is much more detailed and more worthy of your attention. The even better news is that Hammond will remain on Fox covering NASCAR where he is one of the best in broadcast analysis of the sport.



5. If there is any sport that is team oriented but where the team gets almost no recognition it's NASCAR racing. The driver gets all the glory, the kisses of the pretty girls, the photographs holding the trophy.
   
   This book is a story of almost thirty years of being in the crew, a lot of years as the jack man. I've always thoought that the jack man had just about the hardest job of them all -- those jacks are heavy, they've got to be positioned right, and they've got to be moved fast. I guess that's a good place to start, because from there he went on to become one of the more successful crew chiefs in the business.
   
   The book is one that will delight NASCAR fans. It's the inside story of what goes on behind the scenes, it's what you have to do to win races, it's the people who were there during the time when NASCAR was moving from the small unknown side aspect of racing to the big time national sport that it is today.
   
   It is the stories of the people that make this such an enjoyable book.

No comments about The Rocket: Baseball Legend Roger Clemens.

5 comments about Stranger to the Game: The Autobiography of Bob Gibson.

1. ...covering breaking into the big leagues black in the 1950s
   and highlights of the 1960s MLB. Competitive force of Gibson
   comes through in his slightly biased and semi-confessional
   bio.



2. During elementary school, 1972-1976, baseball was myth to me. The players were larger than life. Baseball cards were treasured. The World Series was something I looked forward to every year. I loved my Dodgers. I read Baseball Digest.
   I studied those baseball cards and Digests, and I got the impression that this Bob Gibson guy was pretty good.
   A few years later, I noted he was in the Hall of Fame.
   Years passed, I did the whole medical school thing, yadda yadda yadda and baseball got away from me. The strike didn't help.
   Then, whether it was the McGwire/Sosa chase, or I was just ready to come back, my interest in baseball expanded. Now I was reading every book I could on the subject.
   A grateful patient gave me an autographed baseball. I've never owned an autographed baseball, but I must admit, holding it felt like I was holding something with a strange energy. It was charmed. Almost magical.
   It was signed by "Bob Gibson". (He gave me another signed by Lou Brock too...)
   I went back and found my old baseball cards, and then sought out older Gibson cards.
   Then I found this book.
   This is a highly opinionated, often bitter, tell-it-like-it-is autobiography from a pitcher so good, they changed the game. They actually physically changed baseball because Bob Gibson was too good.
   I simplify, but only a bit.
   I smiled reading the account of his childhood, in Omaha, Nebraska.
   That's where I went to medical school...at Creighton, which is where Mr. Gibson went.
   He was a player who only wanted to win. To compete. To dominate.
   AND he played for The Harlem Globetrotters. Seriously. Right before he joined up with the Cardinals.
   He spent his entire career with the Cardinals. I wish people stayed with their teams more nowadays. You'll read about his fight against racism and bigotry; he followed bravely in Jackie Robinson's footsteps. They're cut from similar cloth.
   He became the most feared pitcher in baseball.
   Not because he was unafraid to use the brushback, which he did and did well. It was because batters often felt beat as they stepped into the batter's box. He would routinely strike out the side on ten or eleven pitches. He pitched complete games, even when they went into extra innings. He won twenty games a year, regularly.
   Then came 1968. He was, as it is said, the Pitcher of The Year in the Year of the Pitcher. Only five players hit over .300 that year. Gibson's league-leading ERA was 1.12. That's almost not fair.
   He mentions how proud he was of the fact that he could hit; he's the last pitcher to win 20 games and hit over .300 as well. One year, he hit more home runs than any other Cardinal but two. Yes, a sad comment on the lack of power amongst the rest of the team, but still.
   He is sometimes profane, controversial, thorny, uncompromising but somehow still admirable.
   I think his prickly personality may have overshadowed his amazing career. He defends himself (as if he needs defending) but remains unapologetic.
   I couldn't stop reading this book.
   He is an essential character in the story of baseball. He is the link from old style, confrontational, rough and tumble baseball of the 40's and 50's and the power pitchers of today. I'm talking specifically Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson and perhaps Eric Gagne.
   He was overpowering. His legend deserves better.
   Read this book.



3. I am Bob's eldest offspring, Renee Gibson. I'm writing this review for 2 reasons. One is about the book itself; second is to comment about a review by DBW in Oakland, CA. Being it that I experienced most parts of this book, I was moved across the spectrum of emotions, which makes it good. Many things I knew, some I learned for the first time. The single thing that made me not rate this book a 4 or 5 was solely because the offspring who was there at the time has never been asked for their comments or opinions, maybe because we are females? My brother, Chris who I love dearly, was all over the book; I was in California. I was a natural athlete who understood the game as well as anybody, played softball for many years, and had funny inside information about my father. DBW was correct about something, and I'm risking much to say that my father is as mean off the field as he was on the field. He hated to lose ... anything! When I find a ghost-writer for my autobiography, you'll get to know more details. Of course he may not see himself this way, and I understand why. But, it's true. Otherwise, I enjoyed reading his second book from a non-fan's point of view (smile).



4. I am Bob's eldest offspring, Renee Gibson. I'm writing this review for 2 reasons. One is about the book itself; second is to comment about a review by DBW in Oakland, CA. Being it that I experienced most parts of this book, I was moved across the spectrum of emotions, which makes it good. Many things I knew, some I learned for the first time. The single thing that made me not rate this book a 4 or 5 was solely because the offspring who was there at the time has never been asked for their comments or opinions, maybe because we are females? My brother, Chris who I love dearly, was all over the book; I was in California. I was a natural athlete who understood the game as well as anybody, played softball for many years, and had funny inside information about my father. DBW was correct about something, and I'm risking much to say that my father is as mean off the field as he was on the field. He hated to lose ... anything! When I find a ghost-writer for my autobiography, you'll get to know more details. Of course he may not see himself this way, and I understand why. But, it's true. Otherwise, I enjoyed reading his second book from a non-fan's point of view (smile).



5. "Stranger to the Game" can be enjoyed on at least two different levels. On one level, fans get all the details they need about Gibson and his journey with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1959-1975: the early struggles with racist manager Solly Hemus; Gibson's relationship with catcher Tim McCarver; lessons learned by the Cards in their strong run at the pennant in 1963, and the fruits of those lessons in '64; the frustrating seasons of 1965 and '66; the powerhouse Cards of '67 and '68, punctuated by what might have been the greatest pitching performance of all time in 1968, by the author; and the gradual decline of both Gibson's skills and the Cards. The early years of Gibson's life in Omaha, Neb. are interesting, too -- the influence of his older brother; the things he learned from playing basketball, etc.

   But the book also offers some fascinating insights on what it means to be as fierce a competitor as Gibson was. On the field, especially when combined with great talent and intellect, it's a very powerful positive. But in so many other areas -- dealing with the press, trying to get and maintain other jobs in baseball after retirement, coping with the foolish things people do in everyday life, and perhaps even marriage -- it has been a detriment to Gibson. Several times in the book, he is appalled that people see him as "the meanest man to play baseball" (in the words of one fan who approached him in public). It doesn't make sense to him that people would fail to see that his angry demeanor on the mound, and when dealing with most opposing players off it, were designed for a very specific effect, one that made absolute sense in the context of his profession. Even within the limits of the diamond, people sometimes forget that while Gibson hit 90 batters with pitches, Don Drysdale hit 154, and Jim Bunning hit 160.

   The racial element of course serves to underscore this misunderstanding, in Gibson's view. Those determined to see a black man as threatening are that much more likely to be unable to separate job-specific toughness with a person's normal everyday persona. This, as much or more than anything else, has kept Gibson on the periphery of baseball since his retirement.

   Throughout sports, one of the key issues confronting any athlete is how, and when, to turn off the mindset he or she must cultivate for the playing field. In some ways, a competitve approach to life in general is certainly desirable, as so many of our daily struggles are battles, to one degree or another. Gibson portrays himself as being able to flip this switch on or off, depending on the situation. Others disagree.

   Several years after "Stranger to the Game" was published, Gibson, at 66, had a physical altercation with a motorist (can there be any doubt who won?) who cut him off in traffic. The incident suggests that Gibson's competitive fires, perhaps combined with the machismo so intertwined with competition for most male athletes, still rage as intensely as ever.

   What haunted me about "Stranger to the Game" is that I think there should be more room, both in baseball and outside of it, for someone who takes Gibson's approach to things.

No comments about Walter Gretzky: On Family, Hockey and Healing.

2 comments about Centered by a Miracle: A True Story of Friendship, Football and Life.

1. Steve Rom is a 30-something sports writer who has survived cancer twice. Today he lives and works in Miami but his heart is still in Anne Arbor where he befriended Rod Payne, the gentle giant who made him a winner against cancer. Payne was an all-american center on some very good Wolverine football teams whose body broke down in his very short NFL career. When the two met, both were dealing with becoming adults. Payne had been the golden boy in Miami and Michigan but after retiring at age 23, he was struggling to find his way. Rom was a lazy sportswriter who was living off the one scoop he had inadvertently gotten years earlier.
   
   Payne teaches Rom the value of discipline, team work, focus, and leadership. Rom applies this to his medical treatments and maybe more important his life. Payne continues to struggle with his post-football identity, first trying to start a small car business and then becoming a teacher. NFL signing bonuses dont last forever and today Payne is back in Miami, a successful high school football head coach.
   
   Rom struggles to come to terms with his family problems. His parents divorced when he was very young, mother and father live thousands of miles apart, and father remains aloof. Rom also finds direction in Jesus Christ, becoming an energizing speaker for Christians and Jews like himself who believe in the Messiah.
   
   Not a bad book, short beach read. It is not well written, Rom likes flashbacks and it is never clear when or where the story is set. He will do better with features than novels. At times the boys are a bit sophomoric but they mean well, even though their apartment reminds me of Animal House.



2. This is a wery interesting and inspirational story. It truly exemplifies teamwork. The story is fasinating because these two guys are so different yet they are able to come together in the spirit of encouragement. I would recommend this reading to anyone going through a difficult time whom needs their spirit lifted.
   
   Wali Waiters

5 comments about Jordan: The Man, His Words, His Life (Jordan).

1. From Michael Jordan's humble beginnings to his NBA superstardom, Jordan: the man, his words, his life by Mitchell Krugel is a brilliant account of the life of Michael Jordan on and off the court. At first, the book hooked me instantly because it told you what to expect and the information was presented very well. The author's introduction was phenomenal. What really interests the reader is how the author includes his own opinions about the events of Michael's life. For example, the author expresses his emotions in such an intense way about the tragic murder of Michael's father, James Jordan, in downtown Chicago. After the halfway point of the book, I concluded that this biography goes into a lot of depth as far as his spectacular college and professional basketball career. Overall, this book is an excellent account of Michael's public as well as his personal life.



2. The Man, His Life, His Words, by Mitchell Krugel. This book showed the many ways Michael Jordan became the great player he did. This shows his most memorable moments and his worst ones. One of his worst was when he didn't make the basketball team in his sophomore year in high school. After he was cut, he got every morning at 6a.m. to work with the varsity basketball coach and worked on all his areas he was lacking in. He ended up being an all-american at Laney High School. One of his most memorable moments was when he won 3 straight national championships with a team that did not even have a winning record the year before he came. This book also shows his struggle with trying to balance super-stardom with fatherhood. It also shows his struggles he had with him being too impatient with his teammates. I recommend this book to anyone into basketball because this book is inspiring and fun to read.



3. I like to read biographies of athletes but so many times they do not explain the athlete's life, game, how he gets ready for a game or how he deals with all the critism. This biography is just the oposite and I feel they explain every thing about what Michael Jordan does and who he really is. Another reason why I give this book 4-stars is because it is not often that you get to hear what the athlete really thinks about the critism or how they handle it, or any thing to deal with there life outside the game.



4. I have mixed feelings about Michael Jordan. On the one hand, he is a great athlete. I respect his work ethic. He has turned in a number of great performances and is no doubt one of the greatest to have ever played the game of basketball.

   There is a flipside. Michael Jordan got all kinds of special treatment while he was in the NBA. He was the first player I noticed who was granted all kinds of trips to the charity stripe because of unbelievably, ticky tack calls. He scored at least ten points a game at the free throw line from bogus calls. It was great when there was a picture session for 'greats of the game' with Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Michael Jordan. Magic told Larry not to stand too close to Michael or they might call a foul. In front of reporters and television viewers, that was a classic comment by Magic. I believe Mike got 99% of all calls in his favor because he was such a cash cow for the NBA. Dominique Wilkins was robbed of a slam dunk championship when Mike scored a perfect 50 doing the same dunk Dr. J did years before. I doubt Dr. J ever received a perfect 50 for it. Dominique's dunk was much more impressive, and he received a 49.5. Please. Mike got in a fight with Reggie Miller, and only Miller got suspended at first. Only after there was an outcry did Mike get suspended. How are Mike's punches different? Mike elbowed Kevin Johnson to the ground for all to see, and Kevin was called for blocking!

   I am not too impressed that the bulls beat the lakers in the NBA finals. Magic was double teamed every game every minute he was in. On top of that, James Worthy and Byron Scott were injured. Magic and Larry never won three championships in a row because the competition, teams, and players in the 80s were much better than the nineties. Luc Longley, Will Perdue, Bill Cartwright, or Bill Wennington stopping Kareem? Ha!

   Sport Magazine recently had a piece on the ten greatest moments and ten greatest players ever in the NBA. Mike was ranked number one all time player. Kudos to Mike for mentioning in 'For the love of the game' that to pick a "greatest ever" is impossible because of all the different eras and evolutions of basketball. The nineties bulls were given three of the ten greatest moments in NBA history. This is just more Mike bias. Give me a break. There are hundreds of classic and amazing moments in NBA history. One of the moments picked was Mike beating the Jazz in the final minutes of his last game. He put his hand on Bryon Russel's backside and shoved him out of the way. Then Mike made the game winnig shot. All eyes were on Mike, but the ref did not make the obvious call.

   There is also Mike's arrogance. According to him, Wilt Chamberlain was a fluke eventhough Wilt was a great all around player. He made a comment about Magic and Larry reaching a 'certain level of greatness' and that the two were not good on defense. What? Are we talking about the same Larry Bird? Shaquille Oneal is also much better and much improved than Mike gives him credit for. Shaq has turned into a solid defender, passer, and he works hard at both ends of the floor.

   Mike's corporate poster boy behavior is laughable. He did ads for AT&T and then MCI. The Wayans family is also split between the two companies. Mike talked about the enviroment in Rayovac ads and then pitches hot dogs? Mike is not the only athlete who will pitch anything and everything to make millions. I wonder if Mike has checked into Nike's labor practices.

   Players like Mike and Charles Barkley soured me on the NBA. Charles played like a thug and got away with it because he was a star. Plus, Charles insisted on wearing number 34 at Philadelphia eventhough it was retired for NBA great Billy Cunningham. The star treatment and inflated egos has grown old, and that has turned a lot of people off to sports. I miss the Lakers and Celtics match ups of the 1980s.




5. If amazon.com had a "NO STARS" category, that would've been my selection. But as it is, 1 Star will have to do. I have no idea how this Krugle guy thinks he was tight with MJ. From reading this book, there's just no way he was! Half the quotes sound like they were made up, and the rest sound like they were taken directly off of a freakin' press release! Who does this guy think he is? I was at least glad to see that Krugle has another instant classic...this one on Patrick Swayze! Maybe that one has some quotes that actually came directly from the book's subject. To me, this poorly-written book is merely a means for Krugle to capitalize on the success of someone other than himself, and it doesn't look like he's had much of it. Hey, I could be wrong. But I don't think so. What a disappointment this book was. How the other reviewer gave it 5 stars, I have no clue. But that reader obviously must be Krugle himself, looking to tout this not-so-fine piece of work further. I wonder what Jordan had to say about this book...funny how I never heard MJ mention anything about his good buddy Mitchell Krugle. I smell a lawsuit.