Baseball Books

THis was a gift for my son, but he really liked it. Very useful for his coaching.

THERE'S A PLAY FOR EVERYTHING IN THIS BOOK. REGARDLESS OF THE SKILL SET OF YOUR TEAM, YOU CAN FIND PLAYS THAT WILL WORK.

I was looking for new plays and ideas..Got a lot of great ideas

Whether you are a coach (at any level) or a casual fan, this book has something for you. Page after page of plays guarantee you'll find something that works for you.

From the basics to the complex, from inbounds plays to 5-man motion, this is a great way to build your knowledge base of how basketball is and should be played.

Pretty soon you'll even start recognizing the same plays run by your favorite team the next time you watch a game on TV. Hey, how can you go wrong for $15?

Play hard, have fun.

Excellent concise book with plenty of ideas to suit any type of team you coach. Great ideas and easy to read and understand.

First let me tell you about myself, like Brooks Robinson I am a third baseman. This book has inspired me to try my best. On page 35 in the book it says, "He was once again sent down to the minors-this time to Vancouver." He spent about four years in the minor leagues, but he kept trying and later became the greatest defensive third baseman who ever played the game. This book also inspired to work on my defense. Brooks Robinson was never that great of a hitter but he made his mark by his defensive plays on the field.

First let me tell you about myself, like Brooks Robinson I am a third baseman. This book has inspired me to always try my best. On page 35 in the book it says ,"He was once again being shipped to the minor leagues-this time to Vancouver." He spent about four years in the minor leagues, but he kept trying and later became the greatest defensive third baseman who ever played the game. This book also inspired me to work hard on my defense. Brooks Robinson was never that great at hitting ,but he made his mark by his defensive play.

First let me tell you about myself, like Brooks Robinson I am a third baseman. I am fifteen years old and I play baseball for my high school baseball team. I have twelve brothers and sisters. This book has inspired me to try my best. He spent about four years in the minor leagues, but he kept trying and later became the greatest defensive third baseman who ever played the game. This book also inspired to work on my defense. Brooks Robinson was never that great at hitter but he made his mark by his defensive plays on the field.

First let me tell you about myself, like Brooks Robinson I am a third baseman. I am fifteen years old and I play baseball for my high school baseball team. I have twelve brothers and sisters. This book has inspired me to try my best. He spent about four years in the minor leagues, but he kept trying and later became the greatest defensive third baseman who ever played the game. This book also inspired to work on my defense. Brooks Robinson was never that great at hitter but he made his mark by his defensive plays on the field.

First let me tell you about myself, like Brooks Robinson I am a third baseman. I am fifteen years old and I play baseball for my highschool baseball team. I have twelve brothers and sisters. This book has inspired me to try my best. He spent about four years in the minor leagues, but he kept trying and later became the greatest defensive third baseman who ever played the game. This book also inspired to work on my defense. Brooks Robinson was never that great at hitter but he made his mark by his defensive plays on the field.

The poem is an old favorite. The illustrations fit the time of the work. My 5- and 3- year olds enjoyed it as well.

Casey at the Bat tells about mighty Casey and his missing 2 strikes - like messing up in life.

This is by far the best rendition/publication of this poem that I've ever seen. The combination of the real-life looking people, but have their legs look like pencils, is quite humerous. Our particular favorite is the smoke coming from Casey's ears when he has struck out twice. The pictures in this book greatly enhance the story. Especially when Casey is standing there examining his fingernails on the first strike. Pretty cute and funny stuff.

Grab this book for all the young ball players you know - it really tells a nice tale of always doing your best, no matter how good you get at whatever you do. It made my little guy pretty sad to read this book/poem, but it definitely opens the door to emphasizing the importance of always doing your best. Highly recommend!

Thayer's classic ballad, `Casey at the Bat,' is greatly enhanced by Patricia Polacco's brilliantly achieved, big-hearted illustrations. Ms. Polacco captures emotion, action, and character through wittily exaggerated, slightly loopy pictures, and through lots of uncrowded background shenanigans. It's very cinematic: She effectively isolates action through extreme close-ups, and extends time through a montage of events occurring within a single picture. Like the auteur she is, she even adds some opening and closing story elements (while leaving the poem intact) that augment the poem's appeal to the younger reader.

This book is simply great fun to read aloud; you'll find yourself wanting to memorize its evocative imagery and epic aspirations:

"Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt; Five thousand tongue applauded when he wiped them on his shirt. Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip, Defiance flashed in Casey's eye, a sneer curled Casey's lip."

You and your youngsters will love the humor and the drama in this a classic rendition of Thayer's beloved poem. Infants and toddlers will enjoy the bright pictures, and all readers will appreciate the perfect teaming of Thayer and Polacco.

I thought this was a wonderful book. I enjoyed Thayers use of poetry to exrpress the emotion in the story. The language used in the text is of very high quality and when read by an adult to a child, the child is able to thourghly understand. The illustrations play an important role with the text. They not only enrich the text, but they tell a story in itself. We can feel the emotion of the players and the crowd through Polacco's work. Overall I thought this was a wonderful book and reccomend it to a child of any age.

This book was given to me as a gift - a very special gift. At 42 years of age - I found this story to be inspirational and beautiful. I read this story aloud to myself and caught the magic! Ms. Hubbard catches the essence of a traditional African Ancestry family and Marcenia's dream of playing baseball. Children teach us all the time - if we take a moment and accept the lesson. Marcenia did not let any obstacles such as gender, economics or a dress deter her from her dream. Faith, perseverance and a spiritual connection are all wrapped up in this beautiful story that is enhanced by stunning artwork done by Mr. Randy DuBurke. No matter what age - we all have dreams - how we make them a reality is another story. "Catching The Moon" is truly a keepsake in any personal library!

This is one children's book that adults will learn from too.

This is the story of Marcenia "Toni Stone" Lyle, who grew up to be the first woman to play on a professional men's baseball team.

Even now women are banned from the Majors, so it's fascinating to read a story about a young girl who achieved her dream of playing in a major league ballclub.

Catching The Moon is an inspiration to anyone, child or adult, who's had a dream that seemed impossible.

The text is lively and colorful, and the illustrations match it perfectly. I enjoyed this book as much as my children did.

In the early 1930s, Marcenia Lyle was a young girl who loved baseball and could hit, field, and run better than the best of the boys. When Gabby Street (the baseball manager of the St. Louis Cardinals) came to recruit children for his baseball camp, Marcenia realized that his camp could be her first step from the sand lot to playing baseball with the pros. But Mr. Street didn't allow girls at his camp and Marcenia's parents want her to give up her baseball dreams and act like other girls her age. Dramatically told by Crystal Hubbard and superbly illustrated by Randy DuBurke, Catching The Moon: The Story Of A Young Girl's Baseball Dream is a picturebook for young readers based on the true story of the determination and passion of a young girl who would one day become the first woman to play professional baseball in the Negro league. Highly recommended -- especially for school and community libraries of the inner cities.

Catching The Moon: The Story of a Young Girl's Baseball Dream is the story of a little girl named Marcenia, who dreams of being a professional baseball player. This ambition is most unlikely since Marcenia is a female black child growing up in America in the 1930s. Catching The Moon is a fantastic example of how determination and hard work can make any dream no matter how improbably it seems to come true. This true story of Marcenia Lyle, who really did grow up to be the first woman to play baseball in the Negro Leagues, is inspiring not just to children but to anyone who thinks it may be too late to pursue a dream. This book serves as an example to all that anything is possible. It is truly a remarkable story brilliantly told by Crystal Hubbard and wonderfully illustrated by Randy DuBurke.

Tomboy Marcenia wants to play baseball but knows the options for an African-American girl in the 1920's are limited. That doesn't stop her and in the Author's Afterward the reader finds Marcenia's persistence and love of the game prevails over adversity. Children will enjoy the acrylic
illustrations which convey the action of the game.

Mr. Macht has done a scholarly job. This biography is thoroughly researched and presented in a style that is organized and interesting. Mr. Macht probes not only the business and baseball facets of Connie Mack, but includes the portions of Mack's personal and private life that contribute to a greater understanding of the man and the time. For those who enjoy baseball within a cultural and historical context, this is a delight.

After researching Connie Mack for more than 20 years, author Norman Macht definitely knows his subject. Macht masterfully weaves the story of Mack and the early years of baseball in this 675-page biography, which covers the time from Mack's birth in 1862 through 1914.

Mack is the ideal subject to use to tell about baseball's early years because he was involved, in one way or another, in virtually every development. Macht chronicles Mack's childhood, his family, his days as a player and manager.

Macht spends much of the first part of the book dispelling myths about baseball's early years and Mack.

As a catcher, Mack was underrated. Writer Hugh Fullerton described him as a "better hitter than credited and dangerous in the pinch. He was a perfect backstop; cool, unhurried, deadly in throwing."

Wilbert Robinson called him "a little tin god behind the plate."

Macht writes that "It's difficult to reconcile the later image of Mack the public remembers--dignified, kind and soft-spoken--with the sharp-tongued, hot-headed manager of the 1890s, which he was."

Macht does an excellent job of capturing what the times were like, both on and off the field. A reader will learn a lot about the issues of the times and how the rules changed during baseball's early years.

Macht is extremely knowledgeable about the personalities of the players associated with Mack. He has a habit of adding little details, insight and color that bring the players to life. He does the same with Mack's family life. You truly feel you are in Mack's shoes.

While Macht is a noted baseball historian, he is also an excellent writer. He avoids the pitfall of getting bogged down in too many details, and he tells the story in an easy-to-read manner.

Although Macht explains why his book doesn't have a bibliography or footnotes, their absence is disappointing, particularly since Macht is a baseball historian.

Macht plans a second volume which will cover 1915 through Mack's death.

This reviewer gives Mr. Macht's book on Connie Mack five stars. . .not for
the author but to honor the subject of this book. In all the years that
this legend of baseball was part of my family's life, I never heard him
utter an unkind word or anything approaching profanity. The A's had
their ups and downs and, in the down times, Uncle Con had no choice but
to trade some of his stars so that the club itself might survive. Uncle
Con was a loving and generous gentleman, adored by his children, grand-
children, great-grandchildren, and now another Connie Mack, the FIFTH, has joined the family. The Philadelphia A's are memorable for their
nine pennants and five world series championships. Readers: Kindly note
that the five stars are for Connie Mack, not for Norman L. Macht.

This book brings to light of the early struggles of Baseball and maybe the basis for the future establishment of the current players union. In the early days the owners had all the control. Billy Beane of the Oakland A's is not the original trader of A's players, Connie Mack long ago started that tradition. The problem with this exhaustive book on the early years of this Baseball legend is that it begs for more. What interesting stories are there for those bad teams in his final years when he had very little talent and no superstars. This is a great book but remember it doesn't tell the whole story of the legend Connie Mack.

This trove of valuable information and entertaining stories is must-read material for those who want to know about the old Philadelphia Athletics and Connie Mack's pre-eminent role in baseball history. A salient and exhaustive examination of the teams he built and the dynasty he started, this book was written with an authority only Norman Macht could have brought to the task.

Can't say enough good things. We didn't want to put it down.
Just try it. There's never a dull moment.

Just a quick note: Homocide books and baseball aren't my thing-- I've never even seen a baseball game-- but this book is compelling! Check it out!

The enjoyment of Lewin's first historical novel should not be reserved for adolescents. Within his two-continent, three-generational panorama, the intermingled tales of Jacky and her grandmother make compelling reading for adults. In plot and setting, the novel gives us Lewin the storyteller at his most expansive. To control such a large canvas, he limits the point of view to that of his naïve protagonists. For that reason, the cast of characters may lack depth, but the breadth is impressive. In a world of harsh cruelty and unexpected kindness, Jacky's success based on fortitude and personal integrity contrasts effectively with her grandmother's darker story. Cutting Loose reveals Lewin's versatility and scope. You don't need to be young to find it fascinating.

The action-packed thriller is a master-peice! It combines history, baseball, and murder into a melting pot of profound and insightful literature. It follows the life of a young woman, Jaqueline, or Jacky. She dresses up as a boy so that the other kids let her play baseball. But when her famous baseball playing father is murdered in cold blood by a fellow team mate she sts out to avente her faqthers death, and of course, play baseball. However, at ten is not about to let her wander around the country unattended. So she is shipped off to a farm in the midwest. There, she meets her best freind, Mattie. Tired of the opressive farm life the two escape to Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. Happiness is short lived, however. Mattie is murdered by the knife act. Now Jacky must avenge two murders: Mattie's and her father's. From the Pruple Mountain's Majesty of the Rockey Mountains, to the sweeping Great Plains, to the gothic streets of New York, to the dark, dank sewers of London, where in the shadows, a killer waits. And at every possible place, baseball. This books is a roller-coaster ride of excitement! I loved it, and I guarentee that you will, too!

This book is fast-paced and extremely interesting. It is well written and the characters are very well developed. Jackie, the main character is a professional baseball player who dresses as a man so she can play. She is on the search for her best and only friend's murderer, however a professional detective is sure that Jackie is the murderer and sets off in pursuit of her. There is another story woven into the story as well. I would reccomend this book to mature middle school students.

It's all up to Fuji. Michael "Fuji" Powers, the youngest son in a fairly large family, is the last hope for the Powers family. His father had always dreamed of making it to the major leagues, to actually play at Great American Ball Park. When that didn't happen, the task was passed onto his sons. In turn, each of his brothers tried to fulfill that ambition without success. Now, it's Fuji's turn.

In The Day I Hit a Home Run at Great American Ball Park, Fuji gets to live the dream. Not only does he get the call to play for the Withamsville-Tobasco Cardinals but he plays at Great American Ball Park. It's a game (and a story) that you won't want miss.

The Day I Hit a Home Run at Great American Ball Park is a classic story that warms the heart and keeps the dream machine going. Fuji is a great guy. He's just an average American boy who is always overlooked that is suddenly trust into the limelight.

Talk about déjà vu in stereo! On the one hand I'm reading The Day I Hit a Home Run at Great American Ball Park and on the other I am reliving memories of my sandlot baseball days in junior high on the heavily-treed school yard lot. I had intended to scan the book to see if my nephew would enjoy Paul Mullen's book but got so enthralled with my own days on the diamond that I finished the book before reaching for my now-cold coffee.

I love the special sandlot rules - into the woods in left field is an out, over Stover's fence a home run, into Stover's pool a two-run homer. On my school yard ball field there was a large oak tree immediately foul of first-base. If the ball bounced off the tree in fair it was playable; otherwise foul. If the ball was hit high into the tree and started ricocheting from left to right on the way down you could make a last minute leap for an out. And we didn't play barefoot because stomping down on an acorn could be painful.

Mullen's colorful descriptive language produced other instant memories - like when he describes his father's Old Spice cologne as smelling like "vanilla cream coffee." And in this day of wild-eyed hockey moms and fanatic Little League parents it was refreshing to hear Dad whispers to Michael, "Don't worry son. Whatever happens, you're still my boy."

What a wonderful story and delightful read. This is a story not only about baseball and youthful dreams but about character and how to live life without regrets. And, oh yes, my nephew enjoyed The Day I hit a Home Run almost as much as I did.

The world of a 12-year old sixth grade youngster is very often filled with many challenges and is not always a smooth sail, as we learn from Paul Mullen's debut young adult novel, The Day I Hit a Home Run at Great American Ball Park.

Mullen's story takes us into the life of young Michael "Fuji" Powers, who is the youngest of his family consisting of three brothers, two sisters and parents, living fifteen miles east of Cincinnati. He was nicknamed "Fuji" because his brothers taunted him, claiming that he was adopted from Japanese royalty, as he didn't bear a resemblance to anyone else in their family being small, short and around five-foot-three.

As the story gradually unfolds, we notice that what appears to be meaningless events eventually build up to an moving climax.
We immediately discover that all Michael ever wanted to do was play baseball and his ultimate goal was to one- day play at his dream baseball park, Great American Ball Park, the official base ball-stadium of the Cincinnati Reds. And he would be the last of his brothers to have a shot at playing in this great baseball park.

Michael's big opening to realize his dreams arrives when he tries out and makes the Withamsville-Tobasco "WT" Cardinals, a class "C" ball club that for fifteen years had been perennial Clermont County champs. This was most likely the first big challenge he ever faced in his young life for he had to prove to his overbearing father as well as his sometimes annoying brothers and friends that even the smallest kid who has the will and love for baseball can live out his dream. Michael was also love-struck with thirteen-year old Cathy Stuckman who could hold in her own as a ballplayer with any of her male classmates. Cathy was a little older and a head taller than Michael, however this did not deter him from chasing after her. However, unfortunately, Michael had to compete with his fifteen-year-old brother Dave, or as he was nicknamed "Salty," for Cathy's affection.

Sadly, Michael's first game with the Withamsville-Tobasco "WT" Cardinals was not exactly his finest. To add insult to injury not only was he ridiculed by some of his team mates for his pitiable performance but he was also subjected to some verbal and physical abuse from his father who reminded him that if it were not for him pulling a few strings, Michael would never had made the team.

Michael is also reprimanded for not being serious in understanding that this was his one shot to play on a major league field. Deeply upset and angry, Michael decides that he had enough, and possibly for the first time in his life, stands up to his father and shouts "It's your dream, not mine, maybe I don't want to live in this family anymore." Upon hearing these words, Michael's father, who is fuming, stops their van and shoves Michael out on the street. However, Michael's mother's maternal instincts take control and she hollers at her other son Billy to take Michael home on his brother's Davey's bicycle.

Notwithstanding the unrelenting bullying by one of Michael's team -mates as well as the embarrassment he feels when his coach hauls him over the coals in front of his girlfriend Cathy, Michael does manage to improve his baseball skills during the course of the season.
His big break crops up when a ball squad from a higher league drafts the team's superstar just prior to the final championship game.
The team's coach now turns to Michael and calls upon him to replace their star player. You can well imagine the pressure placed on a twelve-year old when he is asked to fill the shoes of the team's hero!

Mullen proves that he is quite adept at working a few threads with writing that is poignant, captivating and a pleasure to read.
The characterization of Michael is appealing to young as well as adult readers as we follow his quest in fulfilling his mission of not only playing at his dream baseball park but also becoming a hero to his team -mates, family, friends, and his girlfriend Cathy. In addition, the story succeeds where so many similar books fail as Mullen educates his readers in depicting the realities of life with its ups and downs thus managing to make it not only a good yarn but also thought provoking in a way that kids will be able to relate on at least some level.

As a footnote, I would like to mention according to the publicity material I received, that Paul Mullen is on a mission to combat the illiteracy that exists among 6 million middle and high school students who are unable to read at basic reading levels. It is a problem, as he states, "that we as a society can't afford to ignore." The Day I Hit a Home Run at Great American Ball Park was crafted specifically to address illiteracy among these children. Apparently, the Archdiocese of Cincinnati has expressed a need for 30, 000 copies of the book, if funding can be found. Mullen is actively searching for donations and corporate sponsors to help make this and other placements of the book a reality.

Norm Goldman, Publisher & Editor Bookpleasures

I really enjoyed reading this book. It reminded me of my childhood. Friends and family are great features to everyones life.

Reviewed by Karma Barry (age 13) for Reader Views (11/07)


"The Day I Hit a Home Run at Great American Ball Park" is an inspirational read that tells the story of a young boy who is trying to reach his goals and commands you to never give up. A magnificent author, Paul Mullen can give an everyday pass time flavor in a story by using genius comedy and the life of being the youngest in a line of brothers. "Everybody line up, and Bill and I will choose sides." "Did I hear an echo?" Lovers of baseball and coming-of-age stories will reread this book, no matter what the age, and will keep an eye open for more of Paul Mullen's works, though I am not sure if there are anymore.

I have never played baseball on an official team but I have played for a volleyball team, and the pressure of some of the games was brought back as I continued to read and was intensified the further I was through the book. I also relearned some things I already knew from another perspective: Never give up on your dreams, Nothing is impossible, and Never stop believing.

I will be looking for more of Paul Mullen's works in search of more inspirational stories. The story in "The Day I Hit a Home Run at Great American Ball Park" is one that I will be keeping in my heart for a long time and I hope that others who read it will feel the same way.

E Dee Merriken is my younger sister. I had many memories of Granddad Walter Settle. He even taught me how to hold a baseball for my little league days in Norwalk, California. E Dee signed and wrote in my copy of Dream Season, "Remember Granddad fondly". Her book helped me to do just that. Kenny

Ms Merriken brings the past alive in this beautifully written story of her family. I loved the way she depicted the innocence of the characters, the challenges and trajedies they faced and, the life and times at the eve of the 20th century. You don't have to be a baseball fan or a local of the area to enjoy this 5 star book.

The late nineteenth century springs to life once more in E Dee Merriken's tale of a young man of humble background whose closest contact with the game of his dreams is copying down the next week's baseball schedule from borrowed newspapers, or being invited to pitch in pick-up games by the local Mexicans because he can speak Spanish.

This is more than a sports novel. It is a splendid piece of period fiction, in which the reader can hear the strike of boot heels on hardwood of porches and storefronts of Norwalk, and taste dust on dry lips on its arid streets. Dream Season takes place in a century before time-saving luxuries such as cars and telephones, but which allowed the luxury of taking all morning to pick up the mail. It is in this simple time and place that one glimpses the athletic potential of young Walter Settle--a potential better appreciated from our modern perspective than by the young man himself, who has never seen an actual professional baseball game until his eccentric aunt hatches a plan to take him to Los Angeles for just this purpose.

Walter is so un-worldly, in fact, that he must ask the adopted uncle with whom he shares a bedroom the meaning of the word "Negro." And Uncle Frank is a black man.

Norwalk is populated by pioneers, a preacher, Mexican ballplayers, a Jewish tailor, Walter's drunken father and cultured aunt, and a husband-wife team of thief and con artist, all wrapped up in a story line that is truly a gift. Give it to someone you know who appreciates a good read. Better yet, treat yourself. The baseball angle makes it tempting to call Dream Season a homerun, but this fine book reminds us that even a walk can be gratifying. Enjoy it.

James D. Chlovechok, M.D., author of Game Face.

Dee Merriken sure knows her baseball! I'll admit it; I never was much of a baseball fan before Dream Season, but just like I learned to appreciate a Mozart opera by digging into its construction and evolution, I grew to appreciate the intricacies of baseball by watching (so it seemed) Walter Settle perfect his pitching form. I have to thank Ms. Merriken for whisking me, with the ease of a master storyteller, into this by-gone world of fast pitching games and slow Southern California life; wheeling & dealing owners and dedicated preachers; and exciting minor league and nail biting small-town baseball.

Dream Season is a must-read for baseball aficionados, history buffs, and people like me who can't seem resist a well-told story.

Dream Season is one of those books that lets us peek into a little corner of American history and savor what we see. A 14-yr-old son of a pioneer family dominated by a Bible-strict father happens to be a pitching whiz. Add to that a theft, a fire, some social prejudice, and a weathered-board look at the early days of Los Angeles County--and, oh yes, an eye-opening take on the infant days of Natonal League Baseball. Put it all together and the result is an instant remembrance of what we are, and how we got here. I recommend it highly.

The Ducksnorts 2008 Baseball Annual is a must-have for any San Diego Padres fan. Author Geoff Young, proprietor of the excellent blogs ducksnorts.com and knucklecurve.com and also a contributor at The Hardball Times, has hit a home run with this second version of the Annual. Building off of last year's stellar freshman effort, Geoff added player dashboards and a brand new chapter on the Padres minor leagues. The latter is the best new addition to the Annual giving Padre fans a nice synopsis of the Padres' minor league system by position. It makes it easier to follow the minors for us prospect watchers.

But perhaps the most enjoyable part of this year's Annual was Geoff's account of his trip to Cooperstown for Tony Gwynn's induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. A 12-day trip of almost constant driving, Geoff traveled the length of the country watching minor league baseball and visiting old friends while dodging state troopers and rogue semi-trucks.

Be sure to check out the expanded Padres' Best By Position and the Kevin Towers Trade register. From the looks of this season, the Padres will need more of Towers' trading acumen.

You won't go wrong with the 2008 Baseball Annual.

An excellent overview from a fan about the Padres' 2007 season.
Not into baseball, no problem. There is a chapter about his roadtrip to Cooperstown to attend Tony Gwynn's induction into the Hall of Fame.
Like baseball but not into sabermetrics, this is the perfect book. It uses only the easiest one to look into how the team performed in 2007. The players' stats are graphically displayed using 'dashboards' so one can easily look at them and compare how each player did. It's quite clever. There are also graphic comparisons between each player's performance compared to the league's for each position. Quite neat and informative.
Curious about the minor league players, they are in there too. To top it off, there is an interesting look about how the home/road performance of the team are affected by the Petco Park. Quite an eye-opener.
There are also chapters dealing with overlooked players from the Padres' past and the balance of Kevin Towers' history in his tradings. Yup, quite a lot of information goes into this book. It's well written and honestly thought out. So, what's missing? Well, a few pictures of Tony Gwynn's induction would have been nice even in black and white. Ah, now I'm just nitpicking. That's how good this book is. Go get it. You'll not regret it.

This book is a "must have" for any Padres fan, and is excellent reading for the Sabermatricians among us.

Geoff reviews the Pads' 2007 season, profiles each player with unique "dashboard" graphics, gives a detailed review of the team's farm system, and analyzes each of GM Kevin Tower's trades. Plus, he gives an amusing "blow-by-blow" account of his adventurous trip to Cooperstown to see Tony Gwynn inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Geoff's day-by-day immersion in the Padres allows him a unique perspective into the team and its players. He is brutally honest about their successes and failures, yet entertaining and insightful throughout his book. I learned a lot about the Pads, and loved every minute of it!

My only wish is that similar publications were available for other major league teams...

Highly Recommended!!

If you are a Padres fan and believe that you spend too much time following the team, well Geoff has you beat. Geoff Young is the host of a long running blog where diehard Padres fans review every game. No tidbit of information is too small, no trend or even potential trend isn't worth a rigorous statistical examination and discussion.

In his second Ducksnorts Annual Review Geoff doesn't only breakdown the team, he breaksdown the organization. The book contains a review of the 2007 season, player commentaries, minor league reports, selected pieces of obscure team history and a very funny diary of his trip to Cooperstown for the Tony Gwynn Hall of Fame induction.

In his book, as in his blog, Geoff demonstrates that one can be keen observer of the game as well as a passionate fan. Ducksnorts already is a must-stop destination for any Padres fan on the World Wide Web and the Ducksnorts 2008 Baseball Annual should be by everyone's favorite chair for every game.

If you're a Padres fan, fanatic, or committed junkie, you need Geoff Young's Ducksnorts Annual. Geoff does a fantastic job debunking the common misperceptions about the San Diego's under-covered Padres.

If you need to know about that random reliever in AA, The Annual's got you covered. If you want to know how Khalil fared on the road in 2007, The Annual's got you covered. If you want to know the Padres REAL strengths and weaknesses, yes, The Annual's got you covered.

Geoff is articulate, intelligent, and (as seems to be a prerequisite for baseball writers these days) has an esoteric interests in rock music. Get The Annual, you won't be disappointed.

The End of Baseball is a wonderful baseball novel, one that combines a rich history of the game with an intriguing look at one of the more controversial periods in our nation's favorite past-time. The author does a great job of bringing to life these characters and their very intriguing circumstances.

I am not a baseball fan or what you would call a sports fan by any stretch of the imagination, but Peter Schilling's "The End of Baseball" is one of the most enjoyable pieces of fiction I have read in many years.

Mr. Schilling knows how to engage his reader with detailed characterizations that enable his characters to escape their paper home and emerge from the pages as human beings that make you both laugh and cry -- and that's just what I found myself doing.

Mr. Schilling does not talk down to his audience and his plot advances with subtlety and suspense. The story unfolds with many surprises, heartbreaks, and hurrahs.

There are no gimmicks or mechanical gods to save the day in "The End of Baseball". Only genuine people trying to live through extraordinary circumstances.

I give it my highest recommendation.

Peter Schilling brings back the game of baseball complete with the personalities, the idiosyncrasies, the after hours stories and all of the fun that this sport once had. This is an amazing novel that just sucks you in and doesn't let go. I couldn't wait to find time every day to continue my reading. It is somewhat unique in its use of historic information and mixing of baseball story fiction. In it, Schilling has captured an era in the sport just as African Americans are beginning to be "allowed" into the game. But in this story, not just one Black ballplayer is in the Majors, an entire team is being moved up.

Schilling has written an enjoyable and moving story that shows many of the great Negro League players coming together and playing in the Major Leagues on the same team: Josh Gibson and Satchel Paige among them. The antics of Bill Veech Jr. contribute to the main storyline and how the difficulties from the all White league and their overbearing Commissioner continually throw up barriers to the entry of this special team on the hallowed Fields.

In addition to the game of baseball, the societal ills of the general population and the mind games of J Edgar Hoover, himself, are all part of the plot. This is a slice of Americana; America going through the pain of WWII with their boys of summer as their only distraction. Only this summer has the potential of bringing out real change for the sport. Bill Veech, Jr., is the man trying against all odds, fictitious and historic, to keep the team together against the powers of baseball and others desperately trying to keep the status quo. This is a baseball story for the ages. A terrifically different novel for anyone tired of the same old stuff.

I was amazed at how perfectly interwoven truth and fiction were done by Schilling. The character studies are on target and made a part of the story blurring the lines of fact and fiction like nothing I'd ever read in the world of baseball writing. The ending is beautiful and fulfilling. I am giving it my hearty recommendation of 5 stars. There just isn't much not to like.

This book has it all: the high drama of a "what if?" season of baseball, historical cameos, and real social commentary. If you're looking for an always-entertaining page turner, look no further. The End of Baseball simulates what it's like to be swept up in a particularly thrilling baseball season in 1943, and reading it is like having a spot in the bleachers to watch the team that almost was. It has subtle character studies, and closely observed details that summon up that time and place: America as a country in the midst of WWII, the African American baseball community prior to Civil Rights. It will keep you up nights reading!

Peter Schilling, Jr.'s inventive novel "The End of Baseball" describes a mesmerizing 1944 baseball season that might have been - if Bill Veeck had been able to purchase a major league team and recruit an entire team of Negro Leaguer stars.

Veeck loses a leg at Guadalcanal. Before enlisting in the Marines, he had been a successful minor league baseball team owner whose innovative promotions lured fans to the ballpark and whose competitive teams kept them coming back for more.

In "The End of Baseball," Veeck returns to civilian life and purchases the Philadelphia Athletics. He turns the ball club into an instant contender by secretly signing Josh Gibson, Satchel Paige, Oscar Charleston, Buck Leonard, Cool Papa Bell, Willie Wells, Roy Campanella, and other Negro League stars.

The book contains many poignant moments on and off the field. To his credit - and to our good fortune! -- Schilling provides the historical and social perspective the story demands. He captures the essence of the men and the game they play for life and, perhaps, death.

In real life, Veeck owned the Cleveland Indians and signed the American League's first black player, Larry Doby, and also Satchel Paige. He had less talent to work with on his St. Louis Browns ball club, so he grabbed the spotlight by sending a midget to the plate. When he owned the Chicago White Sox, Veeck put player names on the backs of uniforms and introduced the exploding scoreboard. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989.