Baseball Books

* Throwing Heat: The Autobiography of Nolan Ryan Nolan Ryan and Harvey Frommer -- A home run by the greatest strikeout artist ever

This story of a talented pitcher's rise to stardom contains plenty of charm at its beginning. From throwing rocks at water moccasins in Mustang Bayou to lying ''in bed on those hot summer nights listening to [ baseball on ] the radio,'' the young Nolan Ryan was part of the natural world of Alvin, Tex., his hometown, with its simple pleasures and clear truths. Traded from the Mets to the California Angels in 1971 while still relatively unknown, Mr. Ryan has since become a legend with a lightning fastball that has struck out over 4,500 batters, more than any other pitcher in history. With the Houston Astros last year, at the age of 40, he had the most strikeouts and enjoyed the lowest earned run average in the major leagues. But his success dissolves his charm as his account degenerates into a list of record-breaking statistics. Further, he is too eager to blame his teammates for his unimpressive lifetime record of victories and defeats, glossing over the fact that in eight of 21 years in the majors he walked more batters than anyone else in his league. Passages by people such as Whitey Herzog, Tom Seaver and Reggie Jackson occasionally give ''Throwing Heat'' the narrative quality of a novel. The co-author, Harvey Frommer, who wrote ''New York City Baseball,'' deserves credit for retaining Mr. Ryan's country boy style and self-absorbed perspective, allowing us to see both the pitcher and the person.

This book shows the front side of every Topps baseball card that was created from their inception in 1951 through 1990, when the book was published. It also includes the "Traded Series" for those players drafted or traded during said year. Each year has a section of what happened in the season during said year, and has a quiz. The quiz asks a question, and the answer is told in the form of a number, which correlates to a specific players card number for that year. This book is a joy to have, especially at looking into the past and seeing the players of yesteryear. The book is heavy, as it is almost 11 pounds, but it is well worth it!

Excellent View of all Topps Baseball Cards Presented Yearly of each cards front face reduced to approx. 20% of the actual size on nice premium glosy thick paper. Hoping that someday maybe the size (larger) and back side of each card can be made in the same format. For now the next best thing to actually owning the entire collection which (Depending of course on condtion) could cost approx. half million dollars. An excellent gift for any baseball card fan of years gone by to re-live there child-hood memories in this massive volume weighting more than 10-lbs.

The who, what, when, where and why story of baseball. This book features fact, folklore and fantasy surrounding the history of baseball. Strategically organized into nine chapters with an index and appednix to help young readers find specific people or items. The illustrations and pictures enhance the overall quality of the book.

This book will help you understand the simple rules and history of the game, and yet Mackay doesn't hide some of the ugly incidents of the game(scandals, gambling and racism are explored).

Youngsters are introduced to the boxscore and how to read the boxscore. Positions are explained as well as the role of umpires and managers/coaches...and there are enough facts to keep you on your toes for the barage of trivia questions you'll hear for weeks afterward.

This book should help foster the love of the game and is a great introduction to the game for boys and girls. A great gift for the young baseball players in your family!

This is best baseball facts book I have every read. Its fun and entertaining. My son, who is an avid baseball fan checked it out from the library and was rarely seen without it until he had read the entire book. He read it in the car, on the school bus, on the way to his little league games, before bed, after bed, and even during church services. He kept on telling me such amazing and fun facts about baseball that when he finished it I read it too

As the illustrator of Tough Calls I want to say how much fun it was to work with Zach on this book. Many time's Zach and I would be at a resturant going over what he wanted me to illustrate and then he would jump up and act out the whole play in front of me and the rest of the people eating their lunch. Then he would give me about a week to knock out 5 or 6 pen & ink drawings while at the same time I was working 9 to 5 at my regular job. This book was very enjoyable and would be a nice item for any baseball collector to have, if you can find a copy. I still have one around the house some place.

As a son of Zach he wrote one book but this one is still its a great one. You should really read this book if you want to know the rules real good for baseball.

The inserts are the most amazing thing. There is one for each story that relates to the historic event being profiled. We're quite certain that these letters, ticket stubs, pictures, drawings. etc., are, in fact reproduced from the Hall archives. If you love baseball and baseball history you must add this book to your collection. We got one as a gift and have since ordered others for our baseball friends and family.

I was given this by my son for Father's Day. A wonderful history book of the game hardbond as a collector's item. Has many insert pockets with copies of old game tickets, contracts and scorecards. Unlike anything I have ever seen or owned.

Since Mr. Harwell was/is "tuned to baseball," I was tuned into listening to Mr. Harwell broadcsting the Tigers and sharing these wonderful stories! When I was a child and now as a man, Ernie Harwell is my hero! I am so fortunate to have an autographed copy of this great book by the great announcer/great person!

Ernie Harwell is not only one of baseball's great announcers, but also one of its great men. This memoir chronicles his beginnings as an announcer back in the 30s all the way to the contemporary Detroit Tiger teams he now covers. Tiger fans wil get the most out of it, but the book is filled with "stuff you didn't know" about the great NY and Brooklyn teams in the 50s, as well as stories about many of baseball's notable figures over the last half-century. Written in a warm, home-spun style, this is one volume "purist" baseball fans will want to go out and get.

If you're interested in the history of baseball, I think you will enjoy this book no matter what your level of expertise on the subject. I agree with the previous reviewer's comment about it being the best of its breed. They say Ken Burns called this "the Cadillac of baseball books," and you can certainly see the influence it must've had on his Baseball film-series. It's a nice fat book, at over 400 pages, and there are plenty of historical photos and illustrations included on practically every page, making it truly a browser's delight. With the expansive scope, covering 1876-1999, those who range from really serious to fanatical about baseball history may be left wanting more in terms of depth and description of many topics. Nevertheless, I found the level of detail impressive and I believe that almost anyone with an interest in the game will really enjoy this excellent book.

I read the first edition of this book, I guess more than 20 years ago now. I was dazzled immediately, in the very first inning, by both the prose and the great photos. The most amazing thing (to me anyway)is Nemec's historical report. Somehow even though he's writing the more recent chapters more than 10 years apart you'd never know it. You'd think of him as a 19th century guy from what else he's written, but his 1990's chapter flows with the same spark and flavor as his first chapter on the early years written way back when. Most of the other pieces hold up very well too, especially the one on DiMaggio and Richter's look at Montreal baseball before the Expos. Let's all hope this crew is still around in another decade to do another update.

I found many interesting facts about Micky I never knew before.
I hear he is writing books on Pete (Come on put me in the Hall of Fame already) Rose, Micheal Jorden,Mickey Mantle 2 and others are in the works.
Looking forward to reading them all.

I hear Tom Burkard is a member of the Knights of Columbus South Amboy Council #426 and at certain book signings he donates some money to the childrens Christmas party.

A FINE WRITER AND FINE PERSON.

I received my copy of The Ultimate Mickey Mantle Trivia Book by Tom Burkard today and havent been able to put it down...this is an outstanding work, and is incredible in its in depth and detail. I look forward to seeing more books by this great author, and I hope considers writing another about "The Mick"

When nature calls, it's wise to bring some entertainment along. "Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Takes a Swing At Baseball" says the entertainment should be educational as well. With nearly three hundred pages of intriguing and enthralling trivia, it covers the history of baseball with facts that many people don't normally know about America's pastime such as promotional gimmicks used by stadiums. "Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Takes a Swing At Baseball" is a must for any baseball fan who wants to make their time on home base go a little easier.

The introduction states; "We've wanted to do one of these for years" and already another is planned, this "swing" at Baseball offers a fantastic journey through the life, times and rules of the game that without the reader knowing it, paints a glorious historical narrative that can be absorbed at a truly comfortable pace.

A wonderful purchase or gift for the everyday fan with a plethora of minutiae even for the hardiest die hard.

A very well-earned mention too, for one of the sturdiest soft covers found. Yes! Definitely created with the bathroom in mind but something every Baseball library should comprise amidst the ranks of other facts and figures tomes.

This title is just one fun read. At the same time written with a highly respectful tone in honor of all those who have come to make up this great game, be they the worst error makers to the greatest stars seen.

The satirical beckon of the cover art to take America's Pastime into the hallowed environs of the bathroom (where we know, all serious reading occurs) grabbed me. The well-written narrative and spectrum of content won me over.

A hard to pass up purchase at a great price. If you've ever asked: How'd it? Where'd it? Why'd it?... with regard to Baseball, it's practically all there. Taking a resplendent stroll with no particular direction in mind, is exactly what this book aims for.

Read about the 1908 season from the perspective of a newpaper reader in the early 20th century. A facinating book, of interest to the historian as well as the baseball fan. The newspaper accounts of Merkle's disasterous decision that cost the NY Giants the pennent are priceless.

Could there have been such a time? The Chicago Cubs were the defending National League and World Champions of Baseball and were fighting to win their third straight pennant in 1908. The Cubs faced determined opposition from both the New York Giants and the Pittsburgh Pirates in a horse race that was going to be decided at the wire. What makes this account fascinating is that G. H. Fleming carefully edited actual newspaper accounts from a variety of contemporary sources to give the reader a feeling of what it was like to follow baseball in 1908. The grandstands were wooden, if you could not afford a ticket, you could climb a tree or find a knothole in the fence from which to watch. Ham sandwiches were as likely to be sold at games as hot dogs. The Cubs played their games on the West Side of Chicago and their uniforms and baggage were delivered to train stations by horse drawn wagons. The marquee players on all of the teams in the book have been immortalized in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, with the sole exception of Turkey Mike Donlin and Harry Steinfeldt. This story has more than its share of excitement, including near riots on the playing field and a suicide of a top baseball official. It has been a full century since the Chicago Cubs celebrated a World Series Championship. Read this book and you will be transported back to the time of their last title.