Baseball Books

I never gave any thought about what Sweden's role in WWII was. I certainly had no idea that so many of our bomber crews ended up interned there during the war. In Robert Skole's book "Jumpin Jimminy - A World War II Baseball Saga: American Flyboys And Japanese Submariners Battle It Out In A Swedish World Series" you will get a look, however improbable, at the life of a crew of American B-17 that ends up in Sweden.

In the book's Prologue, the author gives the reader some interesting facts and a look about what happened to those American and British bombers that could not make it back to England and who headed north to neutral Sweden. According to the book, just in 1944 alone, a total of 119 American bombers showed up in Sweden because of fuel shortages, battle damages or just mechanical problems. The crews were not exactly POWS and some were even housed in hotels, private homes and boarding houses. They were given money to buy civilian clothing and a little extra allotment for their personal needs. They could even wander around and visit friends and tour the country or work if they wanted. Not exactly a life of a captured POW. It is from this understanding that the reader accepts the premise of this delightful WWII tale about baseball and war.

The crew of the Jumin Jimminy who happened to crash land their B-17, are welcomed with open arms in Sweden, not just because they are Americans; but because they also happen to be the best baseball team in the Eighth Air Force. However, they are not the only crew of that has great ball players in Sweden. There is this Japanese submariner crew that has been kicking the butt of the local Swedish teams. The Swedish Major in charge of the internees thinks the addition of these new American's is truly God sent and he has plans for them that does not involve the outcome of war--but baseball!

The American's take advantage of their situation and hook up with the OSS and carry on some covert activities. However, the real flavor of this story rests with the very fertile imagination of the writer. He builds his characters around this plot and gives them all substance and life. The dialogs work very well and the combination of plot and character development brings all these literary ingredients together for one very entertaining book. You are not going to read another book like this one in your lifetime. It is irreverent and humorous and it is a nice way to spend a couple of leisure hours forgetting about all the stresses of the real world.

I just finished reading Jumpin' Jimminy and enjoyed immensely. It is a great, old-fashioned American yarn populated with larger than life characters. Skole tells a great story and this book promises a rollicking and relaxing evening or two between its covers. I dare anyone to read Jumpin' Jimminy and not conclude, as I did, that this would make a great, very funny movie.

Robert Skole's latest book shows serious potential to become a sports and World War II cult classic. 'Chick Lit' may be the current rage, but Skole's 'Guy Lit' has to be even more delicious and entertaining. The author's take on little-known Swedish-American-Japanese trivia and culture comes through loud and clear. Above all, this book is well-crafted and thoroughly researched. Its words describing Swedish towns and forests are worth a thousand pictures. In short, Jumpin' Jiminy should be required reading for all sports and World War II fans. I chortled gleefully from Chapter One up to the touching and unexpected epilogue. When it comes to telling 'The Greatest Generation' story, Robert Skole makes a most entertaining Greek Chorus. He sings his song well.

This is about a whole lot more than baseball or growing up a military brat. This is about a generation that inherited a sense of duty and obligation from an earlier time that led them on a path of disillusionment, and in many cases, destruction. This beauty, a work of wonderous art, asks the unanswered questions of millions, and in its' own round about way, answers them. I love this book. I really love this book

We were the original baby boomers. We loved the air raid drills that broke up a school day's monotony, and we chased the milkman on our bikes, hoping for a chunk of ice on hot summer days. A nickel in our pocket as we awaited the tinkling bell of the Popsicle man was all that we needed to make our day, unless we were fortunate enough to have a dime for a Nutty Buddy. Born in the mid 1940's we entered the post war world with the exploits of our fathers as shining beacons of duty and courage to light our way. Many of us were in military families who traveled the world and caught what glimpses we could of normal hometown childhood. For some this was a good experience, for others it was not. Although our memories of childhood may vary with geography and family culture, boys of my generation seem to have some things in common that were universal, regardless of social status, or where one grew up. Those things were sports in general, baseball in particular, and we all played army. Boys and girls who were born after the Korean War, as a general rule, do not have those sepia toned snapshots burned into that special part of their brains that retains the black and white memories of an era that made us different. They entered a Technicolor world that had outgrown radio in favor of TV, a brand new world that was beginning to share America's baseball monopoly with other sports, right there in full color for the asking without the need or necessity to play outdoors all day long in the fresh air and sun. They also found themselves on T Ball teams in full uniform at age five, and played and even practiced in front of cheering white collar parents who had lifestyles more relaxed than our own hard working parents had, and that afforded them this new found leisure time to spend with their children. Nope, an era died when kids my age grew up, and few since have known the sweet satisfaction of sitting on a dark porch on a soft summer evening with their dad, often their whole family, and listening to the lost art of live action radio sports broadcasting. Without the visual aids of television, commentators, many of whom were as popular as the players, painted a picture for us with their colorful descriptive banter as clear and beautiful as if we were there in person. In fact, I knew exactly what to expect when I attended my first major league game. The scene before me at ten years old was a duplicate of what I had been watching on the radio for many years. In this case it was an exhibition game in El Paso, Texas between the Giants and the Indians in March of 1958. Little did I know that I was witnessing the beginning of the great betrayal, as this was the first game ever where a major league team had made a move and was representing a new town, a new city, and new fans. The lure of big money had given California two storied east coast teams at a cost to the game that would not be felt for several more years, but would forever change the flavor of our favorite past time. Many of you will remember when I tell you that Willie Mays was young and in his prime and Herb Score was trying to stage a come back after being almost killed by a Gil McDougal line drive into his face the year before. What else could you expect from a damn Yankee, whom we loved to hate, despite having a line-up in the late `50's that every single boy in the USA could name whether he liked them or not. Skowron, Kubek, Mantle, Maris.... Gods, all of them. I was absolutely speechless at the speed of Score's fastball. Flabbergasted. Scared that I would ever in my life have to face something like that, I began to doubt my future in the game, but reveled in the atmosphere and just being a part of the crowd where people yelled "Hey, Willie, can you come over here and sign my boy's ball?" And he did, with a smile that challenged the blinding desert sun in that local ball park. I had a hot dog that day, of course, and carried my glove with me the entire time. I was to realize later that also in that ball park were Bob Feller, Early Winn and Bob Lemon. Curiously, as I watched that game in person, live, for my first time, I was listening to a voice on the radio describe every move on the diamond. I can hear myself to this day. There are ten million memories, no, a hundred million, in the heads of men who grew up with me and before I was born. Even if you were not good enough to play when you got older, the field was pretty level before you were eleven or twelve, and you were out there with the boys, in the sun, every day, playing baseball. These accounts are the memories of men, and one remarkable woman, who were kids in the `50's, and would come of age in the tumultuous `60's, witnessing assassinations of our country's leaders, a nation ripped apart by racial strife, and a decade of war in which so many would participate, willingly, shadowing the feats of our fathers, not to mention John Wayne. And although the magic of our youth came to a sudden halt all too soon, baseball, and a sense of duty, since obscured by the noise of a new landscape, ran in our blood when we were young.

A nostalgic pause in middle aged baby boomer's lives, "Just a Little Rain" is a collection of reflections of men, and a remarkable woman, who played on the sandlots of the 1950's and early 1960's, travelled the world in the face of the Cold War, many of them as military brats, and got down to the grim task of the Vietnam War before they realized that their childhoods had ended. Chronicled by a first person narration that speaks for a generation, these old friends consider the quick ride that they were on and its' impact on who they are now, both pragmatically and spiritually, and how different their children's lives are from their own. Regardless of your age or station in life, you will find a little bit of yourself in these pages, as these participants, older now, revisit their childhood dreams, and a few nightmares, with the magic of that big hit that they all got at least once in their lives, still sweet in their minds.

Grandparents, home towns, childhood and military friends, gone or gone their own way, but, never forgotten, like the crack of a bat and the smack of a mitt which were the piper's call to a game for generations of boys who were caught up in the siren's song of baseball. We have been trying to recapture the definitive moments in our past ever since it became the past and we began looking back wistfully, wondering where it went. Was it Fitzgerald who told us that we do not look back, searching for events, we merely search for our youth? If you didn't cry, or at least get choked up when a son and his dead father played catch in "Field of Dreams", then you have lost the magic. But, I bet you had it once, just like all the rest of us did. We may have filed the unpleasant things in our lives off in some corner of our mind, but not baseball. We are still waiting for that perfect pitch. And just when the curtain is falling, we'll be wanting one more at bat, one more race down the base path, one more real game.

This book provides a wonderful way for kids who like baseball to get even more into the game. My nine-year-old son and I read the book together, picked out a few of the excellent exercises, and then went to the park with one of his teammates to try them out. We had a blast.

The book is chock-full of good information told in a humorous, friendly fashion. I've ordered a copy to give to my son's coach so he can share the tips with the rest of the team.

I didn't think that the words "kids," "workout" and "fun" could ever be used together, but this book does it! That it has to do with baseball helps a lot. It's really a smart exercise-type book wrapped inside a fun baseball book. My son isn't the best player, but he loves baseball. He's also not the best player because he's not in such good shape. This book helps explain (so I don't have to, endlessly) why exercising, stretching, and general conditioning are important. Because it's about baseball, he listens!

The book gives a few dozen solid stretches to do before and after a general workout. The author makes them seems fun by giving the stretches fun names. The cute illustrations that go with a lot of the exercises help -- they are somuch more inviting than those scrawny schematic drawings in adult books. By the way: Adults could learn a lot from this book, too. It explains the whys and hows of exercising in terms anyone can understand and appreciate.

But enough about exercising. Let's talk baseball. That's the real reason to get this book. It makes practicing fun. And you can learn tings. I never knew that hitting and throwing and running after a white ball could be so complicated. The book discusses why you need to exercise specific parts of the body to get better and how they all work together when playing. In that manner, it is sport-specific. But it's also a great general workout that will motivate kids who like to play, but not sweat a lot, to go out there and, as the author says, "Go for it!."

Where was this great book when I was a kid! It's jam-packed with fun information I (or the 10-year-old still inside me) could use to not only become a better baseball player, but a stronger, faster, and smarter one, too. I loved that kids don't need to be on a team or even a ballfield directed by a coach to have fun doing semi-advanced skill-building drills (such as soft toss). But I also liked that I (and the 10-year-old still inside me) could use this book with my own kid(s) in our own backyard! Not only that, it makes general exercising (ugh!) and conditioning fun AND important because it breaks down activities and why you should do them into baseball-related functions: throwing, running, hitting for average, hitting for power, and fielding.

I think this book is a good addition to the serious (and serious about fun) baseball-player's library. It's got good tips for coachs and kids and it's a blessing-in-disguise for parents of serios players who are not such serious students of the game.

My 10-year old son is not the first one to run to the books every night to read! However, when we picked this book up he looked forward to picking up the story where he had left off and seemed to really enjoy the characters.

Danny's life is baseball. Though when his divorced mother starts to go out with someone, Danny is worried she will get remarried. Since his dad can't come to his games anymore because he's travelling too much with his new wife nobody will come and see him play. Also, Passover is coming up and his mom won't let him go to any games on Passover because of a seder he has to go to. With all this going on he is afraid to tell his coach he can't play in a game against their biggest rivalry. Will Danny stop worrying about everything and continue to concentrate on baseball? Read the story to find out.

I enjoyed this book. It is about the importance of observing one's holidays and preserving one's traditions. But not at all costs and not without compromise, flexibility and change. When his mother insists that Danny miss the Little League opening game in order to attend a Passover seder. Danny is miffed. But eventually he does realize that loyalty to his family and faith can be achieved without disloyalty to his team. Along the way Danny also comes to terms with his parents' divorce, learns alot about the fallibility of adults and matures in general. I particularly appreciated the fact that the way in which the Passover seder is observed is non-traditonal and thus very realistic for a large segment of the Jewish population. Attendance at a Passover seder is something that 90% of Jews do, most of them in a not strictly traditional way. Well done with lovely illustrations

After Pete had asked a friend & I to join his Bangor team for the Kalamazoo tourney in the summer of 1991, I really got to understand & appreciate the love that he had for Carter & youth sports. His book was truly touching, especially after he asked me to be a small part of one of those summers. I will always cherish the opportunity he gave me, as well as the autographed copy of this book. A must read for all baseball fans & parents.

I cannot believe this book is out of print. I gave my copy to my brother several years ago, and went looking for a new copy today after the hated New York Yankees swept my beloved Boston Red Sox by scoring a whopping 6 runs in three games.
Why? Because Peter Gent's book - which is a wonderful tale about a father and his son getting to know one another - is also a prequel to the very public and successful career of Derek Jeter. You see, Derek Jeter starred on the Connie Mack team that Gent's son Carter played against for the Michigan state championship, and even back then, he was being viewed as a big-time up-and-coming baseball phenom.
And while some of the scenes between Gent and his son will tear your heart out, Jeter is front-and-center in the best sports scene in the book. That occurs when Mike Wyshowski(sp?), the farm-boy pitcher for Carter's team, whiffs Derek Jeter swinging with runners in scoring position late in the very close Championship Game, thereby sealing the win for the underdogs (and permanently endearing himself to me).
This is a wonderful novel. I read North Dallas Forty when I was just a kid, and thought it was a great, funny book. I thought this book, which I read after I'd gotten old enough to get married and have kids of my own, was much, much better. I'm assuming the fact that it's out of print means it didn't sell well. That's a shame, because it's every bit the story NDF was, and then some.

Although the divorce is pivotal in this story, it is not necessarily the key to the book's essence. Any parent who has reached the point of letting go can relate to the emotions the author so wonderfully describes. If a reader is an avid baseball fan, especially Little League, Pony League, Babe Ruth, etc., the story jumps out at you and transports you to that "magic" only summer youth baseball can take you. As the mother of three children, two who are finished with youth baseball and softball, and one still keeping me in the "magic" at the age of 13, I loved the book. Mr. Gent deals with emotions like unconditional love, fear, apprehension,regret and wins during that Last Magic Summer.

This is a gem of a book and one to be savored. I recommend you read a story and put the book down for a day or two before you read the next story. Every one of these players is worth reflecting on for a while before you dig into the next one.

John Nogowski knows and loves baseball, and has created a keeper for any sports library.

Ned Foster

As a life long baseball fan who is relegated to watch major league baseball in a poorly constructed football stadium, where you lose sight of the ball the second the ball goes higher than the short stops head at the laughing stock of MLB, the Metrodome. I am naturally drawn towards reading baseball books reminiscing about a game where baseball was played outdoors on grass. The problem is there are just so many on the shelf it's hard to pick one to read. I came about finding this book by listening to the radio. One night, AM1500 talk show host TD Mischke conducted as usual another fantastic interview with that nights guest John Nogowski where he discussed this book. His knowledge, passion and insight about the game sparked my interest and I went out and picked this book up. It really is a fantastic book about the greats of the game, most of which I never got to see play.

It's really an interesting and unique look at the great players of the past where Nogowski focuses on their final games. Having always had an interest in Joe DiMaggio, because of his desire to have a perfect image, which made his final games difficult since he was not up to his usual standards of perfection. Also growing up watching Cal Ripken achieve so many accomplishments in the Metrodome when he came into town it really made a great read and interesting read. I can't recommend this book highly enough for fans of every age.

"Last Time Out" is a unique baseball book in that it captures some long forgotten moments in the magnificent career of baseball giants like Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Willie Mays and Ted Williams. Using newspaper accounts from the day, author John Nogowski finds a magical way to bring you back to those days of yesterday, so it seems as if you're sitting in a first base box seat as Joe DiMaggio rips a double off Larry Jansen or as Ty Cobb pinch-hits and pops out before a raucous Yankee Stadium crowd. Crammed with career statistics as well as the very last box score that carried the great players' name, "Last Time Out" offers 25 of baseball's greatest on the way out. Their very last time - out.

Coach Sutter has turned our hockey club around. We can be proud of our team and we can look forward to each and every game because no matter what our record is and no matter how we fared the game before, we know coach Sutter is going to get the Sharks up for the next contest. I never really knew what kind of a person he was until I read this book. His quick-wit has a unique blend of honesty, puncuality and humor in it that is hard to find elsewhere in pro sports. It's a great read for hockey fans and sports fans alike. I only have one suggestion: E.C.McEnery needs to continue his book writing ways with a new book on Sharks Fans and how we're the best in the league. And don't you forget it!

This book is a "must read" for hockey fans, as well as fans of a fascinating human interest story. E.C. McEnery does an outstanding job of profiling San Jose Sharks head coach Darryl Sutter, not only as a player and a coach, but more importantly as a husband and a father. Darryl's life as a player and coach are remarkable and McEnery did a great job of recapping his professional history. But what makes this book truly unique is how he was able to show a side of Darryl that most people are not familiar with - Darryl as a family man. Darryl's quotes over the years have been witty and meaningful. However, the most important thing that you'll pick-up from this book is that what you're gonna get from Darryl is the truth.

While not as full of exciting hockey action as Six Shooters, this is a very well-presented story of the man behind the coach - what are the driving forces behind the way he thinks and acts? I wasn't aware that he has a son with Down's Syndrome, and it was very interesting the way Darryl relates the experience of watching his son struggle to conquer skills we-all take for granted to not tolerating players who aren't using their God-given talents to the best of their ability. The emphasis on strong work-ethic is very refreshing in this era of convenience where somehow we have come away from giving all we have to everything we attempt and instead settle for taking the easy way out. There are powerful lessons in this story that non-hockey players can apply to their personal lives and use to steer their attitudes and intentions regarding whatever they are doing in a more positive and productive manner. The quotes and Darryl-isms were probably my favorite part of the book!

Deftly compiled and edited by baseball enthusiast H. Clark Wajabayashi, The Little Big Book Of Baseball is a portable 352-page compendium of baseball and its timeless history. Providing readers with an expansive collection of literary excerpts, essays, recipes, poems, songs, leagues and lore, and facts of America's favorite sport, The Little Big Book Of Baseball's content ranges from The Interior Stadium by Roger Angell, The Front Lines To The Ballpark by Tom Brokaw, Baseball And Football by George Carlin, A Connecticut Yankee by Mark Twain and many more writings and fun teachings. The Little Big Book Of Baseball is very highly recommended for fans who consider the sport among their most favored pastimes, as well as those searching for a more expert grasp on the history and collective vision of baseball as a highly detailed and greatly accurate understanding of the ever-popular sport and its impact upon American popular culture.

Deftly compiled and edited by baseball enthusiast H. Clark Wajabayashi, The Little Big Book Of Baseball is a portable 352-page compendium of baseball and its timeless history. Providing readers with an expansive collection of literary excerpts, essays, recipes, poems, songs, leagues and lore, and facts of America's favorite sport, The Little Big Book Of Baseball's content ranges from The Interior Stadium by Roger Angell, The Front Lines To The Ballpark by Tom Brokaw, Baseball And Football by George Carlin, A Connecticut Yankee by Mark Twain and many more writings and fun teachings. The Little Big Book Of Baseball is very highly recommended for fans who consider the sport among their most favored pastimes, as well as those searching for a more expert grasp on the history and collective vision of baseball as a highly detailed and greatly accurate understanding of the ever-popular sport and its impact upon American popular culture.

Deftly compiled and edited by baseball enthusiast H. Clark Wajabayashi, The Little Big Book Of Baseball is a portable 352-page compendium of baseball and its timeless history. Providing readers with an expansive collection of literary excerpts, essays, recipes, poems, songs, leagues and lore, and facts of America's favorite sport, The Little Big Book Of Baseball's content ranges from The Interior Stadium by Roger Angell, The Front Lines To The Ballpark by Tom Brokaw, Baseball And Football by George Carlin, A Connecticut Yankee by Mark Twain and many more writings and fun teachings. The Little Big Book Of Baseball is very highly recommended for fans who consider the sport among their most favored pastimes, as well as those searching for a more expert grasp on the history and collective vision of baseball as a highly detailed and greatly accurate understanding of the ever-popular sport and its impact upon American popular culture.

As an Early Childhood Educator, I would like to add my praise to Mitchell Axelrod and his exceptional book "Little Billy and Baseball Bob." this is an enlightening story that is so touching
for adults as well as children. I am particulary aware of the sensitivity and universality of the story involving the tender relationship between a father and son.

This book will make a perfect holiday gift for all ages.

I originally bought this book for my 7 year old son but after HE read it, my 4 year old daughter wanted to read it too! The story is so sweet and the pictures are bright and colorful. It has become the book that my kids need to read before going to bed! A really great find.

As a typical young boy during the great era of baseball superheroes, one of my biggest wishes was always to meet Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, or one of my other baseball idols.

Today, my 6 year old son shares the same fantasy. He is too young to understand the complications in the lives of today's sports stars, so to him, the Yankees and the Mets are all golden.

I was beginning to miss that innocent childhood world view until I came across "Little Billy & Baseball Bob" at our local library. From the liner notes alone, I knew this was my childhood fantasy, finally in a book I could share with my son!

I highly recommend this simple, but heartwarming story to any mother or father with a young child who is into sports. Little Billy writes a letter to his favorite baseball hero, Baseball Bob, asking for an autographed picture. Meanwhile, Billy's dad goes a step further and arranges for Little Billy to actually meet Baseball Bob so they can take a picture together. In the end, Billy realizes that the REAL hero is his Dad.

Charming. The best $... you'll spend this year!

I first read this book back in the 1950's, early 1960's and it has stuck with me ever since. I am thrilled to see that I can still get a copy of it. Believe me, if you can remember one book from your childhood 45 years later, it was some kind of GOOD!!

"Little Lefty" changed my life back in the 1992-93 school year (fifth grade for me), and for that alone the book deserves a 5-Star rating. This was the book, written by the late Matt Christopher (an early childhood favorite of mine), that inspired me to begin a writing career.

This is a story about a little kid named Bill who wanted to play baseball. He is the smallest member on his team, yet he can throw harder than any of the other players, including the regular pitcher. After hearing the story about "Little Lefty," a pint-sized pitcher who made the big leagues, he is determined to work his way up to some playing time. But just when he is about to get his big break, a horse-riding accident sidelines him. Two different worlds come to a head because of this - will he ever get to prove himself on the mound, or will one of his friends (who doesn't play baseball) convince him to just give it all up?

This was the first Matt Christopher book I had ever read, and I was totally enthralled. Shortly after, I said to myself, "I know what I want to do when I grow up. I want to be just like Matt Christopher. I want to write baseball stories." And so began my writing career.

While I have moved onto writing about other subject matters beyond baseball, I still thank my lucky stars that I was lucky enough to stumble upon this book. Matt Christopher's baseball stories became an important part of my life both personally and professionally at a young age, and "Little Lefty" is the one that started it all.

Thank you, Matt Christopher. God bless you, my friend.

This is the best book ever Author Matt Christopher If you like baseball you'll like this book. It is about a boy that is small for his age and left-handed, but he loves baseball so much that he won't quit. He was a very good pitcher, but he only played two to three inninga each game. Because he was so small, the coach didn't play him a lot. He broke his arm riding a horse. He couldn't wait to get the cast offso he could get back to playing baseball. By the end of the season he was well and he ended up winning a big game for his team as the last pitcher. It was my favorite sports book ever!