5 comments about Perfect I'm Not: Boomer on Beer, Brawls, Backaches, and Baseball.

1. This is probably one of the all time top 10 baseball Bio's in my book. David does a remarkable job of giving you a complete look into his life and incredible career. I would really like to party with this dude he seems pretty cool. He is one of the smartest ballplayers out there today.Finally someone who can appreciate the Babe without putting him down. I promise you a good time if you check this book out.



2. I had the pleasure of meeting David Wells at the dealership I worked. We stored his motorcycles and he always had a smile. There's a lot of things in his past that no one would expect and some that definitely surprised me.



3. At times he comes off as a long, lost best friend and at others he is a self-inflated, self-absorbed ass. He is a colorful character providing illuminating stories from the earliest days of playing rookie ball and Venezualan winter ball with beer guzzling, tail chasing future MLB players including Pat Borders, Cecil Fielder, Rob Duecy, and Todd Stottlemyre to the later days as a member of the Yankees. Wells is a good pitcher with a booming personality who pitched for some great teams and of course will always be remembered for his May 17, 1998 perfect game. His career numbers do not support his own assessed value (4.04 ERA, 1 year with at least 20 wins) but his book will stay on the top shelf of my collection of baseball books.
   
   I found myself laughing out loud over and over again. Steroid and cortisone stories aside, Wells adds candid insight into the managerial and GM activities from every team he played for (up to the end of the 2002 season). Inside observations are made on notable managers (Cito Gaston, Sparky Ansderson, Davy Johnson, Joe Torre, and Jim Fregosi) and GMs ("stand" Pat Gillick, Gord Ash, Jim Bowden, Ken Williams, and Brian Cashman). Wells also includes colorful stories of two of the most notoriously hated and loved baseball owners of the last 50 eyars -- Marge Schott and George Steinbrenner.
   
   It was odd to read the momentum praise and glory of the '98 Yankees who won 114 games without any mention of the record-tying 116 wins by the '01 Seattle Mariners . By failing to mention this incredible milestone, he appeared to be protecting the legacy of the 114 win NY team. He should have mentioned the 116 win Seattle team and emphasized the fact that the NY team went on to finish like champions by winning the world series. Wells also slights some players by limiting praise to his favorite teamates. For example, the contribution of Alfonso Soriano and Roger Clemens in NY is clearly understated. Huge character, raging hair band air guitar junkie, and pure attitude live in the pages of this book, making it a worthy read for any baseball fan.



4. Great baseball (auto)biography. Fun to read and not just about the game but about life around the game. There are moments when you cannot help but laugh out loud. Read this book. It explains why Boomer is Boomer.
   
   Recommend: The Last Commissioner - Fay Vincent, Catcher in the Wry - Bob Uecker, Zim - Don Zimmer, anything by Yogi, Moneyball



5. I was interested in David Wells' life. This book satisfied that. To my astonishment, it is incredibly well-written, funny and insightful. The stories and revellations are great. Best baseball player's book I've read in years. Superior on all accounts to the recent David Cone book.

No comments about Miracle in Chavez Ravine: The Los Angeles Dodgers in 1988.

5 comments about Harvey Penick's Little Red Book: Lessons and Teachings from a Lifetime in Golf.

1. Harvey Penick's Little Red Book: Lessons and Teachings from a Lifetime in Golf first came to my attention in the comic strip Judge Parker. After that, I looked it up at Amazon.com and decided to order copies for my two sons who enjoy golf. They were pleasantly surprised when Amazon delivered a copy to each of them. Both of them have read and enjoyed Harvey Penick's advice which comes in short, but meaningful anecdotes.



2. A must have. Great tips on how to improve your golf game. Unlike the ad naseum wave of golf instruction that one can get bogged down in in Golf Magazines and instructional videos, this is simple straight forward approaches to improve your game.



3. If I could compare this book to a golf swing, I would say the set-up and approach looked good, but the writing fell apart through the impact zone and follow through.
   
   There is a lot of praise out there for Harvey Penick, and based upon the numerous comments in the book's forward by the well-known golfers he mentored, I have no doubts that the praise is well warranted. Unfortunately, while Penick himself in the book's introduction sets up his "Little Red Book" as a lifetime's masterful compilation of golf wisdom and best kept secrets finally made public, the book fails to live up to the author's own advertising and is a bit disappointing.
   
   A fair amount of down-to-earth tips, techniques, and golfing philosophy that Harvey had applied to his students are shared in the book. And if just one of those tips can improve one's golf game, then I would say the book is worth the price. But too often, the "Little Red Book" comes off as an exercise in name-dropping and rambling golf anecdotes, many of which are not all that interesting nor amusing. It pains me to say that, knowing what a revered figure Harvey Penick has been to some in the golfing community, but that is just my honest assessment.
   
   What also disappointed me about this book was that although Harvey Penick gives a couple of concessions to the virtue of humility, there appears to be a somewhat bragadocious quality to the narrative. That would be more excusable if the "Little Red Book" was in fact packed from cover to cover with the invaluable tips Penick promises in this introductory chapter, but that is not the case. Here is a short example of what I am talking about:
   
   In the chapter titled "First Things First," Harvey writes about a man who came to his country club seeking out "this famous teacher, this Penick fellow." The man says if Harvey is "such a great teacher" perhaps he can give some advice on how to get out of sand traps. Harvey 's response - which abruptly ends the brief chapter - is something to the effect that it is better not to get into sand traps to begin with...a response that is not only rather obvious but neither practically helpful nor particularly clever.
   
   That exemplifies too much of the tone of this book, which is unfortunate, because there are some good down-to-earth visualization techniques and other bits of instruction, which, if solely focused upon, would have made this a far better and more useful read.



4. An interesting mix of story, sayings, memoir and instruction..only the most ardent golfer or golf instructor could get much out of the instruction, but the story, sayings and memoirs are good, many outstandng.
   
   The concept of the Little Red Boook is interesing and alluring to the reader. An interesting mix of information. Well worth the read, but it leaves the reader--at least this reader--wishing it was two books, one of instruction, one on the other interesting and insightful informaton in the book.



5. This book contains many entertaining anecdotes gathered over the course of may decades. Harvey Penick chose to become a teaching golf professional rather than barnstorm the country during those early years of golf tournaments when many professionals were simply glorified hustlers. Eventually Penick became widely respected and many notable players and duffers stopped over to visit him at the practice tee. Over time, the wooden shafted golf clubs gave way to titanium steel.
   
   I certainly enjoyed the historical perspective that the book provided. Although some golf instruction is included in the book, it is more of a nostalgic look backwards to days spent in the Texas sun mowing the lawns and watering the greens. Reading a book like this is not a bad way to spend an afternoon. Harvey Penick had a good life.
   
   If you are searching for a serious golf instruction manual, however, you may want to choose another book.

2 comments about Chuck Taylor, All Star: The True Story of the Man Behind the Most Famous Athletic Shoe in History.

1. I thought this was a great read! Here is an article I found about the book from the August Gannetteer:
   
   "Indy staffer bares basketball player's 'sole'"
   
   Probably the only thing you know about Chuck Taylor is that his name appears on a shoe. Abe Aamidor wants you to know why.
   
   The Indianapolis Star reporter has penned "Chuck Taylor, All Star"(Indiana University Press), a biography of the man whose name became synonymous with the Converse basketball shoe that bears his signature.
   
   "I learned that Chuck Taylor was the most famous name in sports no one knew anything about," Aamidor says. "There had been no biographies written about him, and some people thought the name was fake, like Betty Crocker or Juan Valdez. I felt there had to be a story to tell."
   
   Aamidor was granted access to Converse's corporate archives and Taylor's stepson gave him permission to visit the Port Charlotte, Fla., home and estate of Taylor's second wife to collect materials. He discovered correspondence between Taylor and legendary University of North Carolina coach Dean Smith, as well as UCLA's John Wooden. Smith wrote the foreword for Aamidor's book and Wooden "was by far my best living source."
   
   The three-year project also took Aamidor to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio - Taylor was coach of the Wright Field Army Air Force "Air-Tecs" basketball team during World War II - and the National Archives in Washington, D.C.
   
   The book, Aamidor's third, has brought him national attention, with interviews on ESPN2's "Cold Pizza" and syndicated radio shows "Sports Byline USA" and "The Bob and Tom Show." Aamidor has also penned two college-level journalism texts, "Real Feature Writing" and "Real Sports Reporting."



2. by Ryan Corazza
   Indiana Daily Student
   Published Wednesday, March 22, 2006
   
   
   His signature resides on the ankle patch of perhaps the most popular shoe in American history. He's a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame and mingled with such basketball legends as John Wooden, Red Auerbach and Dean Smith. But up until now, nobody knew the true story of Chuck Taylor.
   
   Enter Abe Aamidor.
   
   The former IU adjunct professor and current feature writer at The Indianapolis Star spent three years digging up the facts and filtering out the myth of Chuck Taylor's life to write the first-ever biography on the Columbus, Ind., native.
   
   "I was excited to learn there was never a book written about him," Aamidor said. "It was kind of like finding a gold coin in the street and nobody's around -- you just pick it up."
   
   Because Taylor played in the pre-modern era of basketball that newspapers did not cover much and Converse misled the public about which pro teams Taylor played for, there was a lot for Aamidor to discover.
   
   "Part of the mission was to debunk the mythology," Aamidor said. "There was a lot of junk in the standard brief stuff on Chuck's life, but there was also a lot that wasn't talked about."
   
   Taylor was born in 1901 and spent most of his early years in Azalia, Ind., and Columbus, Ind.
   
   He never played college basketball, which before World War II was the most watched and publicized level of the game. Instead, Taylor became involved with industrial league hoops, more prominent during the 1920s than professional basketball.
   
   Taylor was also a great basketball coach -- a part of his life that is often overlooked, Aamidor said. He coached the Wright Field (Ohio) Army Air Force "Air-Tecs" of the U.S. Army's Special Service Division. The team toured the country playing college and other military teams and is regarded by some as the best service basketball team in history, winning more than 90 percent of its contests during the 1944-45 season.
   
   "All the good players from colleges that were already playing pro ball were drafted (for military service)," Aamidor said. "In those days, you didn't get a deferment from the draft because you were a great ball player."
   
   Instead of being well-known for his coaching abilities, Taylor became most famous for his relationship with Converse and its "All-Star" shoe. Although stories range on just how Chuck became involved with the company, he most likely became a salesman for Converse in 1921 and after proving to be a valuable asset to the company, his name was added to the All-Star patch in 1932.
   
   One way Taylor marketed the shoe was through the "Fundamentals of Basketball" clinics he put on throughout the country. These clinics were put on at high schools and small colleges and on average drew about 300 to 400 guests.
   
   "Before World War II, football and baseball were the big sports," Aamidor said. "So, in the clinics, he explained the game to a lot of people who weren't familiar with it."
   
   Taylor promoted the shoe in a variety of other ways, ranging from traveling with the Converse All-Stars basketball squad to personally contacting and visiting owners of small-town sporting goods stores.
   
   "In a way, his dealings were a bit shady, but he was ultimately honest and likeable," Aamidor said. "Nowadays, every photograph is airbrushed and any statement made is through a spokesman and interviews have to be granted. While Chuck's ways weren't perfect, they were much more honest."
   
   Ryan Corazza
   Published Wednesday, March 22, 2006

No comments about John Terry: Captain Marvel: The Biography.

3 comments about I Remember Dale Earnhardt: Personal Memories of and Testimonials to Stock Car Racing's Most Beloved Driver, As Told by the People Who Knew Him Best (I Remember).

1. I started watching NASCAR in the late 80's and instantly became a Dale Earnhardt fan. I followed his career and road the roller coaster of good years and bad years. I learned everything I could possibly learn about the man. When I read this book, I learned so much more!
   
   It's one thing to be a fan and to read about or hear about your driver. But to hear personal stories from the people who were closest to him and knew him best is just a whole other world. With stories from Ken Shcrader, Jeff Gordon, Bud Moore, Junior Johnson, Humpy Wheeler and many more NASCAR personalities that knew him intimately, this is definitely THE essential Dale Earnhardt book. At the risk of sounding like an advertisement, if you only read one book about Dale Earnhardt, make it this one!



2. Just by reading this book. You can tell that Dales memories will always live on forever. If you a HUGE Dale Earnhardt fan like myself, then this book is for you.

   *We love you Dale. Your memories will always live in my heart til I see you in Heaven, racing on the tracks of gold. God bless.*




3. In the book, I expected a lot more stories and anecdotes from racers; I could barely find any. But that's a minor detail. I am a hard-core Dale Earnhardt fan, and this book was very heart-warming. I love all the personal stories of Dale! I haven't gotten a chance to look at it all yet, but it's a wonderful book. I was not a huge racing fan (like I am now) when most of Dale Earnhardt's terrific achievements took place, and this book took me to that land. I'd like to thank whoever's book this is, because all I wanted was a book of tidbits like this, and now I have it. I completely treasure this book. If you are only looking for stories from racers like Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton (some of my personal faves) this may not be right for you, but if you luv the Earnhardts as much as I do, don't hesitate.

5 comments about Against the Odds: Riding for My Life.

1. I have to admit I was disappointed in this book. I was a fan of Jerry Bailey and always had great respect for him as a rider. He seemed to be a good guy, too, when I would see him interviewed after a race. I still think he is, but he has a problem: a big ego.
   
   This book is an ego trip for him, sad to say. Too much of it is Jerry telling how great he is as a professional jockey or just plain human being. Jerry, you don't need to tell us: your record speaks for itself. Another large chuck of the memoir is about his comeback from alcoholism. Well, I would never knock that achievement but it goes on a little long and not to sound cold, but I would have preferred more stories, the inside stuff, on the great sport of horse racing.
   
   I still enjoy his excellent analysis on ABC/ESPN and can't help but like the guy. I guess I just expected more out of his book, especially in the modesty department.



2. Jerry Bailey and Tom Pedulla, Against the Odds: Riding for My Life (Berkley, 2005)
   
   I started this at the same time I started Annie Duke's memoir, and reading the two in tandem (briefly; this one took a great deal longer) highlighted the deficiencies in Bailey's volume. Well, either that or he just chose an inferior co-writer.
   
   No one who is even remotely involved with Thoroughbred racing could possibly be unfamiliar with Jerry Bailey, one of the most successful jockeys by money earned in history. This is the story of Jerry Bailey's rise to power and the rocky road he encountered on the way. This, interestingly, is one of the book's failings; the rocky road disappears, seemingly, the second Bailey joins AA, and from there on it's clear sailing and a recounting of top-quality races in which Bailey rode. I'm all for that-- one can never have enough descriptions from various points of view of the 1995 Breeders' Cup Classic, for example-- but it makes for a dichotomy in the book, and it seems oversimplified. Now, I've never been an alcoholic and have never gone through recovery, so maybe I'm wrong. Maybe it really is night and day, but it's hard to believe that there were no good times when alcohol was involved and no bad times afterwards. (After all, Bailey did get mounts before 1989; there has to have been something there. One doesn't survive in such a cutthroat world without both talent and results. Ask the thousands of ex-jockeys who never managed to win a stakes race.)
   
   But more to the point, since I'm still thinking about Annie Duke's book, is the dichotomy between the alcohol and the racing. It's as if Part One of this book is about the alcohol, with a little racing involved, and Part Two is about the racing, with interjections about how getting off the bottle made Bailey into the great rider he was until his retirement. A little more mixing up of those things, instead of just giving the story chronologically, might have helped spice things up a bit. It probably wouldn't have done anything to help Bailey's writing style, however, which suffers from what seems an almost pathological lack of embellishment much of the time; the "just the facts, ma'am" approach makes the book drier than one would think a book like this would normally be.
   
   Must reading for Bailey fans; others might want to check it out of the library first and see if they cotton to the style in which the book is written. ***



3. Book is mainly about his personal battle with alcohol and his resulting "wondeful" family life.
   Would like to have seen more racing industry insights and information!



4. Bailey tells the story of his sometimes rocky rise through the ranks of the jockey colony to become the premier rider in the world. He doesn't hold back any in discussing his battle with alcoholism and how it nearly ruined him and his family. It's an honest self appraisal by a man with an enormous talent for his craft, yet glaring weaknesses that almost denied racing fans the opportunity to watch his genius at work.



5. ....but he does so much of it himself. I've always admired Bailey for his professionalism as a jockey and applaud his having overcome addiction, but was put off by his repeated blowing of his own bugle, so to speak. I cringed at times. It might have been better left to a biographer, with quotes from Bailey relative to his recovery from alcoholism.
   
   On another front, I do think that Jerry Bailey does a nice job as a television commentator.
   
   P.S. Still not buying the excuse for his Belmont tactics with Eddington.

3 comments about Foggy: The Explosive Autobiography.

1. If you are a motorcycle race fan, I highly suggest you read Foggy, the biography of Carl Fogarty. This book will teach you so much about the tale behind the motorcycle races. Foggy tells of many different things that he went through to make it on top, which he held for many years. I highly recommend reading this book.



2. I think Neil Bramwell made few changes to what Carl wrote. The writing is not great but that is what makes this book good. Nobody is spared and Foggy tells it all (even details of his wedding night). Foggy also tells many embarassing stories on himself. It is a delightful read. The only reason I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 is that he is constantly making excuses about the times he was beaten and bragging about how easy it was when he won. But, on the other hand, what do you expect from Carl? I am not a fan of his but I really loved this book. If you are a fan of world superbike racing, I think you should definitely buy this book.



3. For all those fans of Carl Fogerty and for any fan of racing, this book is worth the price. It lets you in on the hardships and the triumphs of professional racing. Foggy's candor makes for an entertaining read. You'll expand your vocabulary with great Blackburn colloquialisms as well. Even if you are not a fan, you'll grow to like him for what he is, a racing legend.

5 comments about Goon: The True Story of an Unlikely Journey into Minor League Hockey.

1. There are some great stories, I was shocked coming from Johnstown,Pa how many references and quotes there were from former Chiefs and guys whose names I hadn't heard in years..truly could not put it down!



2. I bought this book for my dad who is also the father of a Junior A hockey player in Montana. He LOVES this book- quotes from it and laughs so hard he can barely talk. Highly recommend this one!



3. Excellent book. Well written, first-person account of life in the minors. Really enjoyed it. This is the first book I've ever read start to finish in one sitting. It ain't Shakesphere--and that's a good thing. I hate Shakesphere. This is an easy read, fun and enjoyable.
   
   Roger Snow
   Las Vegas



4. Doug and Adam do a wonderful job of bringing you into the world of minor league hockey thuggery. If you're a lover of the sport, regardless of whether you are a fan of the boys that drop the gloves, it's a must for your library.



5. I just finshed the book and wished Doug had played for more teams over the years so the story could continue. Doug comes across as a very likeable guy who happens to get his thrills by dropping the gloves with anyone who wants to go. Great insight into the workings of minor league hockey. The book's not expensive, it's easy to read, and very entertaining. Thanks for your memories, Doug!

No comments about In BOD We Trust: Brian O'Driscoll: The Biography of Ireland's Greatest Rugby Hero.