An book suggestions

by Satchmo22 on Dec 20, 2004 5:33 AM PST

Hey, Happy Holiday's everybody.
I'm not sure how everyone else's family treats them this time of year but mine simply freak out when trying to get me a Christmas gift. Since I am a baseball nut my family pretty much thinks I'm a flake. They are so confused as to what to get a baseball fan and since they can't buy me a new glove, or even one of those huge foam hand things that say "we're number one" (which I wish I had one by the way), they all do the safe thing and buy me gift certificates to book stores.
I believe they do this in an attempt to get me interested in other topics or hobbies. However, I will not let them break me. So, in honor of the first gift cert that arrived in my email this weekend I am calling on all of you for help.
Can you suggest some good baseball books? New or old, I really don't care just anything to get me through until spring.

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without a doubt!!!

The Glory of Their Times

by PhillyAs on Dec 20, 2004 5:37 AM PST reply actions

A's books

If you are looking for book that are about the A's or have parts on the A's here are a few but there are more.

Mustache Gang by Ron Bergman
Champagne and Baloney: The Rise and Fall of Finley's A's by Tom Clark
No More Mr. Nice Guy by Dick Williams and Bill Plaschke
Away Games by Marcos Breton and Jose Villegas
Baseball's Last Dynasty by Bruce Markusen

I got more but that is a start. Hope this helps.

by dougald1 on Dec 20, 2004 6:50 AM PST reply actions

The books

they don't have to be about the A's but thanks I will look into them too. Away Games was a very good book indeed

"What I'm trying to do is set our pitching up for five years," said Beane

by Satchmo22 on Dec 20, 2004 7:42 AM PST up reply actions

two

'Ball Four' is still one of the best ever.
And of course, 'Moneyball' is so well written that it's worth it whether you agree with his premise or not. I think Lewis' rendering in the speed chapter of Wash and Bosley watching Ray Durham take batting practice is just pure genius = the best of anything I've read since parts of Toole's 'Confederacy of Dunces.'

by steve g on Dec 20, 2004 7:40 AM PST reply actions

My favorite recently

is Bill James's Baseball Historical Abstract. I happen to love reading James, and this is some of his best work. The book introduces his Win Shares analysis of player value, lists and describes the top 100 players in baseball history at each position, and the descriptions are often fascinating. And it summarizes the state of the game decade-by-decade since the 1870s. It's great to read through cover to cover, and also great to dip into if you want to check something about a player or suddenly get curious about who the best fielding 2B in the 1940s was.

This is absolutely one of my favorite baseball books -- you will not regret asking for it!

by Nick on Dec 20, 2004 7:44 AM PST reply actions

Books Books Books

Ahh baseball books...the thing that gets me through the winter every year.

First of all, I have to mention that THE BOOK, "Moneyball," came out in a paperback edition a few months ago that has a new epilogue.

My absolute favorite is "Baseball: A Literary Anthology" compiled by Nicholas Dawidoff. Not only does it have wonderful bits of every kind of baseball writing (including the funniest short story I've ever read, "You Could Look It Up" by James Thurber), but it's also an awesome source for finding other baseball books.

If you need a laugh, these are great:
Veeck -- as in Wreck by Bill Veeck and Ed Linn
Ball Four by Jim Bouton
Nice Guys Finish Last by Leo Duroscher and Ed Linn

If you like "The Glory of their Times," which is absolutely terrific, these are similar, both by Donal Honig:
Baseball When the Grass Was Real
Baseball Between the Lines

A couple more A's books:
The Athletics of Philiadelphia: Connie Mack's White Elephants, 1901-1954 by David M. Jordan
Connie Mack's '29 Triumph by Bill Kashatus
Champions by Glenn Dickey

Here are a couple on the Negro Leagues:
I Was Right on Time by Buck O'Neil [Buck is my all-time favorite ballplayer -- if you're watched Ken Burn's "Baseball" series, you've seen him.]
Only the Ball Was White by Robert Peterson

And some on the minor leagues/independent leagues/college ball:
Minor Miracles: The Legend & Lure of Minor League Baseball by David Pietrusaza
Stolen Season: A Journey Through America and Baseball's Minor Leagues by David Lamb [Besides being a wonderful book, I love this one because Wash makes an appearance in it.]
Slouching Toward Fargo: A Two-Year Saga of Sinners and St Paul Saints at the Bottom of the Bush Leagues with Bill Murray, Darryl Strawberry, Dakota Sadie, and Me by Neal Karlen
The Last Best League: One Summer, One Season, One Dream by Jim Collins

by sarajune13 on Dec 20, 2004 7:54 AM PST reply actions

Champions is pure fluff ...

not really worth the time/money ...

Relax alright don't try to strike everyone out. Strikeouts are boring besides that they're fascist. Throw some ground balls it's more democratic.

by devo on Dec 20, 2004 9:18 AM PST up reply actions

Baseball Prospectus 2005

You'll have to order it because the 2005 version isn't out yet. But anyone interested in the sabermetric way of doing things- which is what our favorite team happens to live by- needs to read the book. It's awesome, and you can go back to it all season long and look up all the no-names on our team!

by Tony on Dec 20, 2004 10:10 AM PST reply actions

If you're interested in a novel...

Check out "The Brothers K" on Amazon. It's one of my favorite books, and it's got a ton of baseball stuff in it.

by jmoney on Dec 20, 2004 10:22 AM PST reply actions

yes

reading it right now. Already becoming a favorite 100 pages in.

by AlwaysSweatin on Dec 20, 2004 10:46 AM PST up reply actions

my faves

anything by roger angell
the armchair book of baseball (great bathroom/airplane read)

the bronx zoo by sparky lyle (you'll hate the yankees even more)

boys of summer

by brothersky on Dec 20, 2004 10:28 AM PST reply actions

Here's some links ...

Relax alright don't try to strike everyone out. Strikeouts are boring besides that they're fascist. Throw some ground balls it's more democratic.

by devo on Dec 20, 2004 11:12 AM PST reply actions

crap ...

Relax alright don't try to strike everyone out. Strikeouts are boring besides that they're fascist. Throw some ground balls it's more democratic.

by devo on Dec 20, 2004 11:13 AM PST up reply actions

Well, anyway ....

See the same list here:

http://asball.blogspot.com

Relax alright don't try to strike everyone out. Strikeouts are boring besides that they're fascist. Throw some ground balls it's more democratic.

by devo on Dec 20, 2004 11:14 AM PST up reply actions

Baseball Prospectus 2005

I strongly recommend this book, even if it won't come for a couple of months. If you can't wait, you can get the '04 BP Book and see what they said then.

by Roscoe Parrish on Dec 20, 2004 11:19 AM PST reply actions