Baseball Books

I enjoyed this book immensely! Shari MacDonald is a wonderful author with an equally wonderful sense of humor. Her writing style was NOT stilted or awkward (thank goodness!). Her understanding of human characteristics and everyday occurances made me feel as though I could relate to the people in the book. You can be sure I will be reading more of her books in the near future. Keep up the good work, Shari!

Loved the book. Couldn't put it down. Even a man like me can enjoy a romantic story when it is mixed with sports.

I absolutely loved this book! Not only is it based around baseball (which is my favorite sport), but it included real life situations. Stubborness, pride, and other responses natural for humans. The humor and romance is clean and pure. It was impossible to put down, and once I finished it I sang for the rest of the day! Shari MacDonald has done an excellent job. This is the first book of hers that I've read, and I can't wait to read more!

This is by far the best book I have read about the Yankee teams of the mid 60's to early 70's.
These were the teams I grew up with. At the age of 54 now and growing up in the Northeast Bronx, and also going to high school two blocks from the stadium, the names and events that were in this book was a mind trip back to the good old days.
The Yankee player names that were written about was a mind trip back to the days of my childhood. Bill Burbach, Hal Reniff, Fred Talbot, Celerino Sanchez, Johnny Ellis, Rich Beck to name a few bought a smile and a knowing nod every time these names were mentioned.
Some of the games that were written about were games I had attended with my neighborhood friends.
So if you are a true Yankee fan over the age of 50 this is a must read. Even if your not this is a glance back at what it really means to be a Yankee fan !

If you were a fan during the Yankee declineasty from 1965-1975 you will love this book. The author did a great job describing the cause and effect of the period. The book features some great interviews from an amazing number of Yankee players from the era. The book really brought the era alive for me!

THE AUTHOR DOES A GREAT JOB OF DETAILING THE CRUMBLE OF THE YANKEE DYNASTY. THE OVER CONFIDENCE, BARREN FARM SYSTEM, BAD TRADES, AND AGE ARE WELL DEFINED BY MR. BASHE. ANOTHER INTERESTING REACTION BY THE YANKEES DURING THE EARLY PART OF THE NOSE DIVE IS BEING IN DENIAL ABOUT THE THING FOR A FEW YEARS. THEY JUST DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO REACT TO BEING AN ALSO RAN. ALSO OF NOTE IS THE COLD HEARTED FRONT OFFICE SELLING THE TEAM TO CBS AND THE BUMBLING YEARS OF OWNERSHIP DURING THE CBS OWNERSHIP. THEN THE RESURGENCE DURING THE STEINBRENNER YEARS AND THE DOWN YEARS DURING HIS DICTATORSHIP. ALL THIS MAKES FOR A VERY INTERESTING AND WELL DONE NOVEL. A MUST FOR ALL YANKEE FANS AND ALL FANS WHO TOTALLY ENJOYED (ME) THE PIN STRIPES BEING JUST ANOTHER TEAM.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

I thought this book was written for baseball experts, for those who know bios, stats, names and numbers. Was I wrong! I do enjoy baseball, but I am far from an expert on names, numbers or stats. Actually, the book had a lot of that kind of information, but it is tucked inside such interesting stories that you don't feel like you are being smothered in dry facts and numbers. Every chapter, a story unto itself, gives you a look into the team owners - a little about their personal life, but mostly how they acquired their teams, how they related to their teams, and the relationships with the other team owners. Also, every one of the owners in the book has made some special contribution to the game, and I kept finding myself saying, "Wow! I didn't know that!" I would recommend the book to any baseball fan and to anyone who has an interest in baseball and would just enjoy a good read.

The collaborative effort of Burton and Benita Boxerman, Ebbets To Veeck To Busch: Eight Owners Who Shaped Baseball is a grand survey of eight remarkable individuals whose time, fortunes, and effort invested in the baseball teams they owned helped shape the course of this great American sport throughout the 20th Century. Especially focusing on the contributions that each one made to their respective teams, as well as to the sport as a whole (rather than centering upon their financial or personal lives), Ebbets To Veeck To Busch is a remarkable and highly commended study of influence and the fruits of hard labors at the highest level of athletic team management and baseball club ownership.

I've been a baseball fan for years, and have always enjoyed stories that provided insight into the players, coaches and managers in the game. However, I didn't realize how little I knew about baseball owners until I read this book. I found a wealth of knowledge about eight of the most influential baseball owners, with enough information and anecdotes to give me a feel for their personalities. This is a great book for fans that want a better perspective on the history of the game of baseball.

I may not be a Yanks fan (actually I'm sick of the Yanks) but Hernandez went on along path to freedom from communism. That's something all of us take for granted. You have read this book!

Being a die-hard Yanks fan living on the west coast, reading this book made me feel the pulse of the city where baseball is king (after Rudy G, of course). Mr. Lafreniere has done it again! Kudos Kenneth!

This is one of the best books I have read. As a die-hard Yankee fan, I love El Duque, and was excited to read his biography. I highly recommend this book to baseball fans everywhere!!!

There is a little bit about everything in "Eyewitness: Baseball." Ultimately, James Kelley's book focuses as much on how the game is played as its history. So while there are chapters on Babe Ruth, World Series Heroes and the Baseball hall of Fame, young readers will also learn about bats and balls, baserunning, baseball cards and statistics. There are sections on Little League, Women in Baseball, the Negro Leagues, and International Baseball. Like I said, young readers will learn a little bit about many different facets of the game. There are dozens of photographs, not only of great players but various types of equipment and memorabilia. One of the nice touches are the little notational details which are used to explain the mechanics of Raul Mondesi throwing the ball in from right field, that Jackie Robinson never played the outfield despite what it says on his 1954 Topps baseball card, and points out the Carlton Fisk's bat in a photo of him urging his home run fair in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series. While it is true that the more you already know about baseball the more you will enjoy this illustrated extravaganza, it will also serve to let younger fans know all the rich history of the game that is out there for them to explore because for every photograph of a contemporary superstar like Mark McGwire and Derek Jeter there are pictures of Grover Cleveland Alexander and Yogi Berra. I was surprised that a single book would try to both educate youngsters about the history fo the game and instruct them on how to improve their play, but "Eyewitness: Baseball" actually succeeds in doing a bit of both.

My 4 year old loves for us to read this to him before bed. He loves the pictures and we find the writing interesting. A great find.

I'd been trying to teach my six-year old son about the game when I came across this book. It really helped explain how everything works and the pictures were a perfect way to keep him engaged. It even taught me some stuff I didn't know!

I used to attend almost every Cubs home game for a span of a few years back in the 80s. I have recently been attending again, and thought I would see what this book could enlighten me to. Pleasantly surprised, I now make the absolute most of my trips to Wrigley thanks to Mr. Canampa. What he says is true, and works to save you money & time, and allows for a fantastic time. I thought, "What wouldn't you know about going to a ballpark?" Well, a lot as it turns out. Don't get me wrong, anybody that attands Wrigley will have a good time, but for less than $10, you could have an awesomely great super-duper time! Buy it.

This book was great! I have been a Cubs fan my entire life, and have been to Wrigley Field numerous times throughout my years. This book enlightened me to things that even I did not know about the greatest ballpark ever. Less than $10?!?! You're kidding me.... what a steal. Great gift idea for any Cubs fan or even any baseball fan, for anybody period! Does anybody know if Dan Campana has any other titles available? I've yet to locate any, but I will be on the lookout! He was able to capture the magic and scanlon of the Cubs and of a one-of-a-kind landmark!

Being new to the Chicago area I wanted to see some of the great sites in the city including Wrigley Field. This guide was given to me as a gift and it allowed my children and I to have an experience greater than we ever expected. The book gave us great insight to some things we would have never thought of doing. A wonderful book for anyone new to Wrigley. The people in the stands with us also found it very interesting and useful so even experienced Cub fans would appreciate it!!!

The photography, a careful mixture of historical, documentary and portraiture, makes this book a pleasure for even the casual baseball fan. When this photography is combined with the story of Latino players in the major leagues, it creates a book for anyone interested in a modern story of struggle and success.

The beautiful photos and insightful text are a real tribute to the players from Latin America who have so enhanced Major League Baseball.

Incredible photographs. Precise narrative. This book will be a hit for baseball fans of all ages. I especially liked the timeline in the back.

A nice synopsis of the history of the San Francisco Giants.
Quick and easy read....I enjoy it...A book to reference.

I love this book! If you are an SF Giants fan, or just a baseball fan in general, you'll enjoy Fifty Years by the Bay. Author Chuck Nan has really capsulized the SF Giants and their half-century in SF with great stories, stats and facts. I totally recommend this book!

Although the 1958 Giants were a little ahead of my time, author Steve Bitker really brought the Giants to life with his narrative of this historic team entering a new city. The real gem of this book, however, was Bitker's interviews with the members of the team. I really enjoyed reading first-hand accounts of players like Mike McCormick, Willie Kirkland, Leon Wagner, Stu Miller and yes, Willie Mays, etc. -- all players that I followed in the 1960s. Each player had his own unique insights on the team, the sport and his own life that really made me feel like I knew these guys. A must-have book not only for just Giants fans, but for baseball fans.

This is a good supplemental handbook for the pitching coach who works with older, high-school and college pitchers. It has good drills and theory for younger pitchers, but the scheduling/daily menus toward the back are a little much for a little-leaguer.

The book profiles workouts and exercises for players ages 13 and beyond. The book goes into extreme detail on muscle regeneration verse pitching and workouts between pitching dates. This is a must if you want to stay healthy and get the most out of your body.

To really appreciate the programs outlined in this book, you must be committed to them, as they can become quite time consuming. It makes the most sense for pitchers already competing at some level, so they can complement their pitching with the exercise routine, which will allow them to last longer and perform better. The in depth workouts really allow the player to appreciate all of the important factors that influence pitching ability. Altogether, the exercises promote good mechanics, isolate important muscles, and allow the pitcher to think about the pitching motion while working out. By dedicating oneself to such a nuanced program, a pitcher can gain not only physically but also mentally, as this book promotes smart pitching.

The book tells Al Burrows' story--the same story for many of the Negro League players--playing black baseball, while ultimately being denied the opportunity to join a white Major League organization, because of the color line drawn by segregation. Al Burrows' baseball career included playing a short time for the New York Black Yankees and several years playing for the Indianapolis Clowns.

The many in-depth interviews with the Negro League baseball players and fans tells a story often unheard in African American history. The mere fact that Negro League teams played white teams and won more games than they lost began to be a threat to white baseball players. They felt that their positions were in jeopardy if blacks were allowed to play with them. White players and fans often yelled racial epithets at any "colored" player within listening range. This was a time of heated emotions and white players were often extremely hostile towards black players.

Then, there is the dispute of whether black baseball players during the late 1940's and early 1950's are actual Negro League players or barnstorming players. The book tells about the missed opportunities, and the many trials and tribulations of the players, but also provides Negro League history, baseball trivia, black baseball facts, myths and rumors, as well as providing 26 black and white photographs, most unseen. It took me a year and a half to research most of the information. I wanted to provide educational and invaluable information about black baseball. The book includes a list of Negro League Teams by state, a list of surviving Negro League players and many black baseball facts that are not so well known. This book is loaded with historical facts about black baseball and is an easy read for adults as well as children.

I enjoyed writing the book and I'm an avid New York Yankees fan!

This book is an insightful, thoughtful and occasionally touching account of the career of Al Burrows, one of the many long-overlooked stars of the old Negro Leagues. An extremely well-written book, A FORGOTTEN NEGRO LEAGUE STAR describes the struggles and triumphs of a man who played baseball for the love of the game. Historically, it certainly gives a perspective on a way of life which is almost incomprehensible to those of us who can only imagine what life must have been like in America--and in sports, particularly--in the pre-Jackie Robinson days of baseball.

I truly enjoyed reading CHERYL ROBINSON's "A Forgotten Negro League Star." My favorite spectator sports are Karate, Boxing, and Basketball. Some of the last sports books I read were about Ali and Bruce Lee. But this book was by far the best book I've read about a sports star like Al Burrows since those two. I applaude Ms Robinson on making it easy to read and interesting to this man (who's not really a big baseball fan). But I found it exciting to read about Al and the others who made American History playing a game they truly loved tho the LOVE, FAME, AND FINANCES weren't always returned to negroes like whites. It made me wish he'd gotten his major league chance. I look forward to reading more from CHERYL ROBINSON.