Baseball Books

[daa84]

Men at Work by George Will is absolutely excellent

 

Veeck as in Wreck is one of the most entertaining baseball books ive read

 

I've also read the Clemente, Koufax, and Gehrig biographies, but can't recall their authors

 

New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract (from 2000) is an awesome book and reference as well

 

to be completely honest...Moneyball is a bit overrated...if you are somewhat familiar with it, you probably know a great deal of what is in there already, and some of it is already outdated (some of the stats/approaches to finding undervalued players)

[2nd_city_saint787]

has anyone read or heard anything good about the Josh Hamilton book?? dont remember what its called but i know he came out with one.

[knightni]

has anyone read or heard anything good about the Josh Hamilton book?? dont remember what its called but i know he came out with one.

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3651364

[Friend of Nordhagen]

I saw a couple people here mention Ball Four. To me, that's one of the great books, let alone baseball books. In fact, I think it made that New York Public Library Top 100 20th century American books list. That's a hell of an accomplishment for a baseball diary -- and well-deserved. It's some kind of perceptive and absolutely hilarious. I read it every spring training, just to get fired up for the season.

 

I'd also recommend anything by Roger Angell, who used to be (and still is occasionally) a baseball writer for The New Yorker. There are a few compilations of his stuff, the best of which, I think, is Five Seasons -- fun little articles about players, teams and the game from the 1970's. Very cool and enjoyable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Texsox]

For light reading

 

Baseball's Most Wanted (I or II)

by Floyd Connor

 

mostly lists and such. Great bathroom read.

[YASNY]

Veeck As In Wreck was mentioned as very entertaining. I second that. That is probably my favorite baseball book. I have read it several times over the years.

[NorthSideSox72]

Well, I will probably get ripped for this one, due to the author and the time period covered, but...

 

Beyond the Sixth Game, by Peter Gammons

 

[scenario]

to be completely honest...Moneyball is a bit overrated...if you are somewhat familiar with it, you probably know a great deal of what is in there already, and some of it is already outdated (some of the stats/approaches to finding undervalued players)

 

Hmmm... I really enjoyed it. (My daughter bought me a new copy last Christmas and I thoroughly enjoyed re-reading it.)

 

It's not only an excellent baseball book... it's an excellent book. Extremely well written... great stories... both funny and touching.

 

I also consider it one of the best business books of the last 10 years. (And I read alot of business books.)

 

IMO, there are easily 100X more people who say they've read it than actually have... because it's absolutely amazing how often it is misquoted.

 

It's not the final word in Sabermetrics, but it's a great start... and must reading in my book.

Edited December 21, 2008 by scenario

[knightni]

I got Moneyball and tried to read it, but was bored by the second chapter.

[scenario]

I got Moneyball and tried to read it, but was bored by the second chapter.

 

Then you missed the best parts of the book. The first two chapters are simply an introduction.

 

Michael Lewis is a great writer.

 

If you read the entire book and still think it's boring, send me your email and I'll buy the book from you.

 

 

Edited December 21, 2008 by scenario

[Sox It To Em]

I got Moneyball and tried to read it, but was bored by the second chapter.

 

It starts off rather slow. Stick with it.

[SoIL]

"The Glory of Their Times" is considered by many to be the best. A sports writer in the late 50s early 60s saw that an old ballplayer had died and realized a whole generation was about to pass into obscurity, so he set out across the country with a recorder and interviewed some real characters, old farts who were playing when the leagues first got started at the turn of the century. The stories are absolutely incredible, like the HOF catcher who refused to wear pads or a face mask, eventually wound up coaching for the Pirates in the 1920s. It's all first-person narratives, each chapter a different player. You won't be sorry.

 

link

 

 

This is probably my favorite baseball book. Great stories from old timers. I highly recommend it also.

[JoeBatterz]

I'm currently reading "The Boys of Summer" by Roger Kahn and have really enjoyed it thus far. It's about a writer's experience covering the 1950s Dodgers, focusing on some of the key players like Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, Roy Campanella, etc. The second half is about their lives after baseball.

 

I know it is past Christmas, but I read this book back in high school. It really was a good book at is about life, but gets you into it with the baseball aspect first.