This is a collection of 22 classic stories, essays, and poems about baseball. These date from the 1860s up until 1920 and include such authors as RingThis is a collection of 22 classic stories, essays, and poems about baseball. These date from the 1860s up until 1920 and include such authors as Ring Lardner, Damon Runyon, Zane Grey, and P.G. Wodehouse. The collection also includes articles by baseball greats Christy Mathewson and Grover Cleveland Alexander.
This was kind of a mixed bag for me but I did enjoy much of it especially the stories by Ring Lardner, Zane Grey, and Charles Van Loan which included a lot of humor. The story by Lardner, "My Roomy," is about a ball player who can hit the ball out of the park but is lousy at fielding. He also is a very quirky person who runs the bathtub and shaves in the middle of the night along with some awful singing. "His Own Stuff" by Charles Van Loan is about a practical joker who gets his comeuppance. And the Zane Grey story is about a ball player who gets married and spends his honeymoon on the road with the team.
There is also the classic poem "Casey at the Bat" and its sequel that I had never heard of "Casey's Revenge." There are also some good nonfictional pieces including "Why Baseball Has Become Our National Game" by Albert Spaulding and "The Color Line" by Sol White that argues for inclusion of black players in baseball going back to the 1880s. There is also a discussion of jinxes by Christy Mathewson and one of my favorite pieces, "A Whale of a Pastime" by Brig. General Frederick Funston about baseball being played on the ice in the Arctic among a group of whalers. Overall, I would recommend this to any baseball fan....more
The 2023 baseball World Series started yesterday with the Arizona Diamondbacks vs. the Texas Rangers. This is kind of an underdog series where both teThe 2023 baseball World Series started yesterday with the Arizona Diamondbacks vs. the Texas Rangers. This is kind of an underdog series where both teams were not expected to make it this far. The team I usually root for, the Atlanta Braves, had the best record in baseball this year but were eliminated in the playoffs by the Philadelphia Phillies who then lost to the Diamondbacks. I often root for the underdog in the series if one of my favorites is not playing but this year both are underdog teams and so I really don't have a preference. Oh well, maybe next year.
Anyway, this time of year, I try to read something related to baseball. In years past I have read two of Kinsella's other novels, SHOELESS JOE and THE IOWA BASEBALL CONFEDERACY. Both of these were great baseball stories (Shoeless Joe was made into the movie Field of Dreams) that I enjoyed very much. So this year I decided to read another one by Kinsella, BOX SOCIALS, which I thought would be another great tale of baseball mythology. I was a little disappointed, however, because baseball is very tangential to the main story of life in the small rural towns of Alberta, Canada in the 1940s. Kinsella actually grew up in this area about 60 miles west of Edmonton so he knew of the location and people which were all very colorful. The novel starts out talking about Truckbox Al McClintock who had managed to hit 5 home runs across the Pembina River and as a result got put on the Alberta All Stars in an exhibition game against some major leaguers including Bob Feller and Joe DiMaggio. The locals think Truckbox has a shot at making the major leagues. This is during the war and thus Major leaguers are brought into local parks including Edmonton mainly to keep the troops happy who are busy building the Alaska highway.
But then the novel strays from Truckbox's story to tell of the eccentric people populating the area called six towns where most are illiterate and considered hillbillies. The story includes tales of weddings and box socials, and includes various ethnic groups who populated this area including Ukrainians, Scandinavians, and native Indians. Box socials are where young men bid for lunches packed by the mothers of eligible young women and then eat with the young lady as a means to socialize and get acquainted.
A lot of this was quite amusing but where is the baseball story? Eventually at the end of the novel we get back to Truckbox and what happened when he faced Bob Feller. Well, it was somewhat anticlimactic. I would mildly recommend this for its humor and its look at rural Alberta during the 40s but it really wasn't what I would consider a baseball novel....more
I read a review of this book when it first came out a few years ago and immediately put it on my wishlist. I finally got a copy of it from an online bI read a review of this book when it first came out a few years ago and immediately put it on my wishlist. I finally got a copy of it from an online book trading site and have now read this really powerful and superb novel. The novel reads like a Shakespearean tragedy with a very heart-wrenching conclusion.
The novel has two main characters: Horace Hopper, a 21-year-old half-Paiute, half-Irish who works for 72-year-old Eldon Reese on a sheep ranch near Tonopah, Nevada. Horace was abandoned by his mother when he was 12, and was then raised by Reese and his wife, Louise. Horace has grown up in a loving family with a good life on the sheep ranch but he strives to better himself and become more. He admires Mexican boxers and his dream is to become a champion "Mexican" boxer even though he is not Mexican. To achieve his goal, he moves to Tucson, Arizona where he gets trained by a less than reputable former boxer. He's good enough to participate in a Golden Gloves competition and decides to go pro after winning some fights in Salt Lake City, El Paso, and Tijuana. However, these fights took a lot out of him. Meanwhile, Reese wants him to return to the ranch and hopes to have Horace run it as Reese's health is on the decline. The narrative switches between Reese and Horace in what becomes a very tragic story.
This was overall a very engaging story. It wasn't happy and it was full of melancholy but the characters were very well-written as it shows their hardships and struggles. I would give this one a very high recommendation. As a side note, the author of this book, Willy Vlautin, is also a singer and songwriter for the band Richmond Fontaine and they actually made an album for the book of seventeen instrumental songs called Don't Skip Out on Me. I found it on Spotify and enjoyed listening....more
The Braves have been my favorite baseball team since I was about 10 years old in 1960. Me and my neighborhood friends idolized them, especially Hank AThe Braves have been my favorite baseball team since I was about 10 years old in 1960. Me and my neighborhood friends idolized them, especially Hank Aaron and Eddie Mathews after they won the 1957 World Series against the Yankees and made another appearance in the series in 1958 only to lose to the dreaded Yanks. But we were always loyal to the Braves even when they moved to Atlanta in 1966. And what do you know? The Braves are in the World Series again this year (2021) after beating the Dodgers in the NLCS. The series starts next Tuesday and I'll definitely be watching and rooting for the Braves!
Back in the about 1963 when I was in Junior High School, I read this YP biography of Aaron by Shapiro. I finished reading Aaron's autobiography a couple of days ago which I really enjoyed so thought it would be fun to revisit this old biography. This is one of a series of sports biographies published by Julian Messner for young readers. Many of these were written by Shapiro and include bios of Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Mel Ott, Jackie Robinson, Warren Spahn, Eddie Mathews, and many others. Messner also published many biographies of historical figures back in the 50s and 60s. I mention this because Messner was actually sued by Warren Spahn who contended that the biography of him by Shapiro "violated all four of the tenants of privacy: invasion, false light, private facts, and appropriation. The author of the book admitted that his research consisted of looking at a few magazine stories and clippings, and that he had made no effort to speak with Spahn himself, his family, his teammates, or any of his friends or acquaintances. Spahn won an injunction against future distribution of the book and $10,000 in damages."
This biography of Aaron seemed to agree pretty much with Aaron's own autobiography but it did include dialog that was probably made up by the author. Of course, this is common in juvenile biographies and it makes them easier to read by young people. And overall, I thought Shapiro did a good job of telling Aaron's story up till 1961 when this was published. It includes his younger days in Mobile, Alabama, his play on sandlot teams and then for the Indianapolis Clowns in the old Negro Leagues, and then his signing by the Braves and his excellent play leading to the 1957 and 58 world series. It did, however, include a lot of detail of specific games (including play by play) and details of players and their positions on the Braves as well as other teams which became somewhat tedious. But for what it is, I mildly enjoyed it. I also have a few other of these old Messner biographies (including the one of Warren Spahn) that I have collected over the years and may revisit at some point....more
Hank Aaron, the immortal home run hitter for the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves, died earlier this year (on January 22, 2021) of natural causes. Aaron was oHank Aaron, the immortal home run hitter for the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves, died earlier this year (on January 22, 2021) of natural causes. Aaron was one of my boyhood idols mainly because he was one of the stars of the Braves in 1957 who defeated the dreaded New York Yankees in the World Series. When I was about 10 years old, I and my neighborhood friends were fans of the only sport that mattered back in the late 50s and early 60s: Baseball. And the Braves were our favorite team with Aaron and Eddie Mathews being our favorite players. We collected baseball cards and I wish I still had Aaron's card from 1960 but unfortunately, I must have traded it away at some point. [image] Every year during October and the Major League Baseball playoffs and World Series, I have tried to read something about baseball. This year, given the sad news of Aaron's death plus the fact that the Atlanta Braves are in the playoffs (they currently lead the Dodgers 3-2 and need only one more win to get into the World Series against the Houston Astros), I decided to read Aaron's autobiography that I have had in my collection for several years.
This book was published in 1991 and gives a great accounting of Aaron's long career in baseball as well as his work and activities since he retired in 1976. I remember reading a juvenile biography of Aaron (The Hank Aaron Story by Milton Shapiro) back in junior high school in the 60s. About the only thing I remember from this bio was that Aaron worked on an ice wagon when he was young which helped develop and strengthen his wrists. (I also have a copy of this old biography which I plan on rereading). Indeed, Aaron does mention working on an ice wagon in his autobiography so I guess my memory isn't totally shot! Aaron's story includes his growing up in Mobile, Alabama, and always wanting to play baseball. He eventually gets his chance by playing for the Indianapolis Clowns of the old Negro Leagues. Jackie Robinson was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 which paved the way for Aaron and others into the big leagues. He was eventually signed by the Braves and played in their farm leagues, debuting in Milwaukee in 1954. He joined some great players on the Braves including Eddie Mathews, Del Crandall, Warren Spahn, and others. In 1957, Aaron hit a home run that put the Braves into the world series which they won against the Yankees. They returned to the series in 1958 but unfortunately could not repeat as champions. Aaron was never in another series. But he continued with his great play and of course in 1974, he exceeded Babe Ruth's all time record for home runs with his 715th. He eventually hit 755 of them setting the records until it was bested by Barry Bonds. The Braves had moved to Atlanta when Aaron was in pursuit of Ruth and surprisingly he received loads of hate mail with racist comments wanting him to retire and give up his quest for the record. This did not deter Aaron, even when his life was sometimes threatened. He went on to finish his career with some of the best stats ever including a batting average of .305, 3,771 hits, 2,297 RBIs, and 6,856 total bases which is still the major league record.
Throughout Aaron's career, although he was a reserved and quiet individual, he pursued equal rights for blacks and other minorities in the game of baseball. When he was a player back in the 50s and early 60s, Jim Crow laws were still in effect. Aaron and other blacks could not eat at the same restaurants or stay at the same hotels as the white players. This was an incentive for him to be active in the civil rights movement and trying to help blacks in baseball. He was disappointed that blacks were not made managers or put in positions within team organizations. Frank Robinson eventually was made manager of the Cleveland Indians but up until the writing of his biography, Aaron was still fighting for minority positions in baseball. Aaron himself was put into a high position within the Atlanta organization after Ted Turner bought the team but it was a long time coming.
I really enjoyed this biography of Aaron and I'm hoping the Braves make it to the World Series this year (they have a history of choking in recent years). I'll probably be reading some other baseball bios in the meantime. Go Braves!!...more
It's World Series time again! This year (2020) because of COVID-19, the baseball season was shortened, games were played without fans, and there was aIt's World Series time again! This year (2020) because of COVID-19, the baseball season was shortened, games were played without fans, and there was a different playoff system at the end of the season. The Los Angeles Dodgers are playing the Tampa Bay Rays in the series and as of this date, 10/23/20, the series is tied 1-1. Honestly, because of the shortened season and COVID, I really didn't follow baseball much this year, however, I have been making it a tradition to read something about baseball during the series every year. This year I decided to read this biography of one of my boyhood heroes, Mickey Mantle.
When I was growing up in the late 50s and early 60s, baseball was really the only game that mattered as far as pro sports. I remember some of my best friends in the neighborhood started collecting baseball cards so of course I did as well. This was in 1960 and I still have some of the cards from that year. So was I a Yankee fan? Hell no! The Yankees dominated the sport during the 50s winning seven world championships from 1949 to 1958. And the star of the Yankees during that period was Mickey Mantle who won MVPs in 1956 and 1957 and again in 1962. He also won the Triple Crown (most home runs, best batting average, and most RBIs) in 1956. And so yes, I did admire Mantle with his boyish manners and good looks even though he played for the dreaded Yankees. At that time I was a fan of the Milwaukee Braves who defeated the Yankees in the World Series of 1957. And then the Pittsburgh Pirates beat them in 1960 so I switched allegiances to the Pirates. But deep down, I always admired Mickey Mantle I think more than my favorite Braves players, Hank Aaron and Eddie Matthews and one of my prized possessions was Mantle's 1960 baseball card (unfortunately I must have traded this away). [image] I also remember watching "Home Run Derby" back in 1960. This was a weekly show that pitted two home run sluggers against each other. I discovered that these episodes are currently on YouTube and watched the first episode that had Mantle against Willie Mays. Mantle came from behind to beat Mays in the last inning. Very nostalgic!
As far as THE LAST HERO, I really enjoyed this in-depth look at the life of Mickey Mantle. Mantle was born in 1931 in rural Oklahoma. His father along with his grandfather and uncles worked in the zinc mines there and had little hope of a good life or future. But his father, Mutt, and grandfather were also baseball fans. Mickey was actually named after Mickey Cochrane, a Hall of Fame catcher who played for the Athletics and Tigers. Mutt dreamed of a better life for Mickey that would keep him out of the mines. Luckily, Mickey had the build and desire to be a ballplayer and signed with the Yankees in 1951 eventually taking over for Joe DiMaggio in center field. Mickey worked hard at his profession and when he retired his home run total was third of all time. He also held the all-time World Series home run mark. But his career was plagued by injury and he was known for his after hours drinking and womanizing. Many thought that this was because his father and his uncles did not live past age 41 and Mickey thought he would not make it past his 40s. However, he did make it into his 60s but his career was cut short by his many injuries and the abuse he heaped on his body from drinking. He died in 1995 at age 63 of liver cancer.
This book really hit home for me. Even though Mantle was envied by many, he had a very hard life. He played through injuries and was often in pain. His best friends on the team were Billy Martin and Whitey Ford who often went out drinking with him. He later went to the Betty Ford clinic to get sober but by that time it was too late. He often wasn't a nice guy and could be very vulgar and abusive to fans. Joe DiMaggio didn't really like Mantle and had nothing good to say about him. But in the end, he is still considered one of the all-time greats!...more
I really enjoyed this marvelous book that uses college baseball as a backdrop. It's a story about friendship and coming of age written with a deep senI really enjoyed this marvelous book that uses college baseball as a backdrop. It's a story about friendship and coming of age written with a deep sense of emotion and is full of characters who are vulnerable, quirky and very unforgettable. The main protagonist of the story is Henry Skrimshander, a very promising shortstop who is recruited to play on the Westish College team in rural Wisconsin. Henry's Bible is The Art of Fielding, a baseball manual written by the fictional Aparicio Rodriguez, a Hall of Fame shortstop for Henry’s beloved St. Louis Cardinals. (Aparicio was based on the fictional combination of Luis Aparicio and Ozzie Smith). Henry seems destined for greatness and actually ties Rodriguez's NCAA record of 51 consecutive games without an error which leads to scouts from the Big Leagues looking seriously at him. But then an errant throw makes Henry doubt himself and his game suffers drastically.
But Henry is not alone in this very satisfying story. Henry was recruited to Westish by another student, Mike Schwartz, a strapping catcher who acts as his trainer and mentor. Then there is Owen Dunne, Henry's roommate who describes himself as a gay mulatto. The college president, Guert Affenlight, is also a Herman Melville scholar and has a special interest in Owen that he is trying to keep secret. And then there is his daughter, Pella, who moves in with him when her marriage falls apart.
The baseball sequences in this novel are very well written and provide a great overall background for the story. Henry's meltdown as he struggles to get his game together and the other characters reactions to it really provides the drive to the novel but the other sub-plots involving Affenlight and Owen, and Pella and Schwartz add even more substance to this powerful tale....more
It's baseball playoff time again (October) and the Washington Nationals are in the NLCS against the St. Louis Cardinals. I used to live in Maryland soIt's baseball playoff time again (October) and the Washington Nationals are in the NLCS against the St. Louis Cardinals. I used to live in Maryland so of course I'm rooting for the Nationals to go to the World Series. This time of year, I try to read something baseball related. A few years ago, I read Shoeless Joe, the excellent novel by Kinsella that was made into the movie "Field of Dreams." Iowa Baseball Confederacy is another Kinsella fantasy novel that uses magic realism to blend events and individuals past and present with the author's love of the game.
Gideon Clark has a passion for baseball and is on a quest to prove to the world that the Chicago Cubs traveled to Onamata, Iowa, in the summer of 1908 to play an exhibition game with the all stars of the Iowa Baseball Confederacy, an amateur league. However, this game which lasted over 2000 innings is not on the record books and there is no one who remembers it. His father had a detailed memory of the game after he was struck by lightning but no one believed him and Gideon is carrying on in his father's footsteps by trying to prove that the game took place. Then Gideion and his friend Stan, an ageing minor league ballplayer, follow an old railroad spur which opens a crack in time and they are transported to 1908 and take part in the mythical game. They participate against the world champion Cubs of 1908 including Tinker, Evers, Chance, and Three Finger Brown. Gideon also finds love and Stan finds happiness playing for the Confederacy. But why did this crack in time open for them and how does the mammoth 10-foot-tall Indian, Drifting Away, hold the key to everyone's fate?
I really enjoyed this novel with its descriptions of the game as well as taking the reader to a past that no longer exists. Gideon reminisces about what his father told him about baseball: "There's a lot more to watching a baseball game than keeping your eye on the ball. You don't need base runners to enjoy the game. Notice how the infielders rise on their toes as the ball is delivered. When it looks like nothing is going on, choose a player and watch him react to every pitch, rising like water, receding like water. Watch a different player every inning. The true beauty of the game is the ebb and flow of the players in response to a foul ball, an extra-base hit, or an attempted stolen base." This description of watching players during a game makes me want to see more games in person since you can't really watch individual players on a televised game. Anyway, go Nats!...more
This is the first book I have read by James Grippando and I really enjoyed this fast moving thriller. I think I was drawn to reading this because the This is the first book I have read by James Grippando and I really enjoyed this fast moving thriller. I think I was drawn to reading this because the main character in the book, Ryan James, was a minor league baseball player whose career was derailed after his wife is killed in an automobile accident. This left him alone with his young daughter and no answers to how or who was involved in the accident. It appears that his wife was run off the road by a drunk hit-and-run driver but is that what really happened? His wife's brother has Asperger's syndrome and he may have some answers but can they be relied on. On the 3-year anniversary of the accident, someone is providing some tips that the accident may not have been as it seems and that there was a witness to it. So who is this tipster and what does he know? Ryan, along with Emma Carlisle, the prosecutor on this cold case want to get to the bottom of what happened but getting there does not bode well for them as someone is trying to stop them and the story.
This was really a good page-turner and as I said, I enjoyed it even more because of the tie to baseball which I generally enjoy reading about. I hadn't really heard of this author before but I will probably be reading more of him....more
I really enjoyed this fast-paced humorous novel about baseball. I usually enjoy sports-related novels and this one was no exception. I've read some ofI really enjoyed this fast-paced humorous novel about baseball. I usually enjoy sports-related novels and this one was no exception. I've read some of the classics like The Natural and Shoeless Joe which was the basis for the movie Field of Dreams and California Rush was on a par with these.
The story centers on a group of baseball players who played together on a minor league team in Monmouth, Indiana. The narrator of the story is Charlie Tyke who plays with Jay Bates, a hard-playing foul-mouthed player in the vein of Ty Cobb, and Davy Tremayne, who is an instant star who seems to walk on air. Tremayne gets called up to the big leagues first, playing for St. Louis. Tyke and Bates follow a couple of years later and play for Chicago. Then comes an incident that makes Bates a lifelong enemy of Tremayne--while playing a game against each other, Bates slides into second base trying to spike Tremayne and ends up breaking his knee. Well Bates doesn't forget and this injury leads to his exit from the majors. But down the line he becomes the manager of a new expansion team in Southern California called the California Rush. Tyke is also past his prime at this point and agrees to coach the team with Bates. But before the end of the season, Tyke is on Bates bad side and leaves only to be hired by Tremayne who is now the manager/player at St. Louis. All of this is leading to an epic showdown between the Rush and St. Louis to decide who wins the division. This game is one of the wildest epic games in baseball literature!
The characters in the book were really well written including the owner of the Rush who was a former movie cowboy (he was most likely modeled after Gene Autry who owned the California Angels) and the pitcher in the final game, Fabian Koonce, who had control but no speed to the plate. This sometimes reminded me of the hilarious movie Major League with Charlie Sheen which I also enjoyed. I read this book in a couple of sittings. It was really a quick and enjoyable read. Kiraly has written some other novels that I may try to find which also sound enjoyable. I would highly recommend this one to any baseball fan. ...more
Originally read this back in 1973. I remember at the time, back when I was in the military, I thought this book was hilarious. Well, on rereading, I gOriginally read this back in 1973. I remember at the time, back when I was in the military, I thought this book was hilarious. Well, on rereading, I guess my tastes have changed. The book was filled with racist and sexist language and remarks that now seems embarrassing. The book is told by Billy Clyde Puckett, who plays for the New York Giants, and who tells of his exploits before, during, and after meeting the New York Jets in the Superbowl. One of the reasons I reread this was because of the recent Superbowl comeback by the Patriots over the Falcons and indeed, a similar comeback occurs in this book. But the book really is not about the game but about the various shenanigans of the players and their cohorts. I guess it is still funny in many aspects but I would only mildly recommend this. ...more
Who would have thought...the CUBS and the INDIANS in the World Series! Today is game 3 of the series with it tied one game apiece. The Cubs haven't woWho would have thought...the CUBS and the INDIANS in the World Series! Today is game 3 of the series with it tied one game apiece. The Cubs haven't won a World Series since 1908 and the Indians haven't won since 1948. This great matchup made me want to read a baseball novel and what better than SHOELESS JOE, the basis of the movie "Field of Dreams" starring Kevin Costner. I saw Dreams when it first came out in 1989 but I didn't really remember much about it other than the Costner character building a baseball diamond in his cornfield in Iowa where a ghostly team of Chicago White Sox end up playing. I have recorded the movie on my DVR and will be watching it again soon to see how it compares to the book.
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I've had the book on my shelf for several years, along with a few others by Kinsella, and I'm glad I finally got around to reading it. The main character, Ray Kinsella, does build a ball field outside his corn field on his Iowa farm because he heard a ballgame announcer tell him..."build it and he will come." And sure enough, once he is finished with left field, Shoeless Joe Jackson of the infamous 1919 Chicago Black Sox does appear and lets him know that the entire team will come when the ball field is complete. Then Ray hears the voice again advising him to seek out the Catcher in the Rye author, J.D. Salinger, and take him to a ballgame in Fenway Park. (In the movie, Salinger is changed to the fictional Terence Mann.) Salinger reluctantly agrees to go with him and winds up going back to Iowa to the ball field along with a young Moonlight Graham, who played only one inning for the New York Giants back in 1905.
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The novel is full of baseball trivia including details about the early Chicago Cubs (who last won the World series in 1908) and their players. One of the characters in the story, Eddie Scissons, claimed to be the oldest living Chicago Cub. Overall, I really enjoyed this fantasy about the love of the game and would recommend it to any baseball fan....more
A really enjoyable baseball yarn about a young rookie phenom, Calico Joe Castle, whose career with the Chicago Cubs in 1973 was cut short by an unfortA really enjoyable baseball yarn about a young rookie phenom, Calico Joe Castle, whose career with the Chicago Cubs in 1973 was cut short by an unfortunate event. The story is told from the perspective of a young fan of Joe's whose father, Warren Tracey, was the pitcher for the New York Mets who threw the intentional beanball that ended Joe's career. The story is much more than a baseball story, delving into the family life of the Traceys, the abuses of the father, Warren, and how they led to a life full of misgivings for him. It also tells the story of Joe Castle and his amazing short rookie season, as well as the story of him and his brothers as they try for careers in baseball. It is evident that Grisham is a fan of baseball and I would highly recommend this one to any baseball or sports fan. ...more
I really enjoyed this novel about a washed-up NFL quarterback playing in Italy for the Parma Panthers. Rick was really a "fish out of water" when he aI really enjoyed this novel about a washed-up NFL quarterback playing in Italy for the Parma Panthers. Rick was really a "fish out of water" when he arrived in Italy but he came to love the country including the food, the opera, and his Italian teammates. Of course, the story was very predictable but it was a nice change-of-pace from Grisham. I actually hadn't read one of his best-sellers in years - I kind of got bored with the courtroom thrillers, but I would definitely recommend this book especially if you like sports and travel. ...more
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