Baseball Books

Former feature writer for "Mirror" magazine Carlo DeVito presents Yogi: The Life & Times of an American Original, a solid biography of one of America's most successful sportsmen. the celebrated Yankee baseball team member Lawrence Peter Berra, a.k.a. "Yogi". The son of Italian immigrants, Yogi overcame his short height and taunting from his teammates, opponents, and the media to earn a phenomenal three MVP awards, ten World Series championships, and an assortment of catching records. Yogi's career in baseball didn't end with his retirement; he went on to manage a team from league of the World Series. He encountered famous people ranging from DiMaggio to Hemingway and Sinatra, inspired an enduringly popular cartoon character (Yogi Bear), and even enriched the American lexicon with an assortment of malapropisms. A handful of black-and-white photographs enrich this down-to-earth chronicle of one of baseball's most beloved celebrities.

There is, and always will be, only one Yogi. And thank heavens that he's still with us. The Hall of Fame Yankee catcher and everyman philosopher is brillently covered in this wonderful book. If you are a fan of baseball, the Yankees, or just love Yogi, you gotta have this one.

I have to admit some bias first. Yogi has been one of my favorite Yankees forever, I love baseball books and I know some of the people involved in this book. Nonetheless, this is a wonderful read, a trip from a St. Louis neighborhood to the big leagues, the Big Apple and a look at one of the biggest hearts in sportsdom. Though I've gotten the Yogi story in bits and pieces before, I still enjoyed reading it. As the man himself would say, "It's like deja vu all over again." If you love baseball, read this book!

I only knew Yogi as the cuddly master of the malaprop who had played some ball years ago. What I learned is that he's one of the most accomplished athletes in the history of sports - and a pretty shrwed businessman, too. A well written and ubiased bio that's must read for any baseball fan and recommended for anyone who wants to read the story of a guy who came from nothing to become an American legend.

** BASEBALL HALL OF FAME ** 3 MVP AWARDS ** 21 WORLD SERIES (14 AS A PLAYER - 2 AS A MANAGER - 5 AS A COACH) ** 10 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS AS A PLAYER - 3 AS A COACH ** 15 ALL STAR GAMES ** 285 LIFETIME AVERAGE ** 358 HOMERUNS ** 1,430 RUNS BATTED IN **

That is YOGI BERRA!

** "NOBODY GOES THERE ANYMORE; IT'S TOO CROWDED!" ** "IT AIN'T OVER TILL IT'S OVER." ** "ALWAYS GO TO OTHER PEOPLE'S FUNERALS; OTHERWISE THEY WON'T COME TO YOURS." ** "BASEBALL IS 90 PERCENT MENTAL THE OTHER HALF IS PHYSICAL."

This also is YOGI BERRA!

I am not a Yankee fan, but I am an "old-school" baseball fanatic. And any true "die-in-the-wool" baseball fan will enjoy this detailed recollection of when baseball truly was the "National Pastime". This biography covers Yogi and his family's life from the time his Italian parents landed on Ellis Island. It chronicles his growing up in a mostly Italian American neighborhood up on "The Hill" in St. Louis, where one of his best friends was a mediocre future Major Leaguer, who would hit it big in radio and TV Joe Garagiola. Joe's future success was neatly packaged around stories of his youthful days with Yogi on "The Hill". Yogi's Father Pietro was hard working, loving and a stern disciplinarian in the house. He thought playing baseball was a waste of time, and of course no way to make a living. Yogi's three older brothers, Anthony, Mike, and John, were all good baseball players and had been offered tryouts and contracts with professional teams. But Pietro would not hear of it and did not allow it. When Yogi was in the eighth grade he had no use for school and wanted to quit school and go after his dream of playing Major League baseball. Though Yogi feared his Father's wrath he confronted him with his desire and dream. It became a family war that eventually even included the family's priest. Pietro finally relented as long as Yogi got a regular job to contribute to the family's livelihood while he tried to get a baseball contract. Yogi sold newspapers, where his favorite customer was his baseball idol (And my mother's favorite player.) Joe "Ducky" Medwick. He also had a few factory jobs. Then he was signed by the New York Yankees, and the rest as they say is history. When he reached the big leagues, Joe DiMaggio was the undisputed leader of the team but within a few years as Joe's career came to an end the Yankee torch was passed from Joe to Yogi. A lot of baseball revisionists say it went from DiMaggio to Mantle but that isn't so. The history of uncrowned Yankee leadership actually went from Ruth to Gehrig to DiMaggio to Berra to Mantle. Yogi not only became known as one of the greatest clutch hitters in history, but he was also one of the greatest "bad ball" hitters in history, so it was extremely tough to pitch to him in crucial situations. His ten world championship rings as a player is unmatched in the annals of baseball history. One extremely sad part of this story is all the abuse Yogi took because of his looks and "supposed" lack of intellect. Yet he is probably the most successful Yankee in history after his playing days. This story also conjures up many of the old fan rivalries of the 40's and 50's between the Yankees and Brooklyn Dodgers. Since the Dodgers and Yankees played each other seven times in the World Series during this period there is a lot of information about Yogi's competition with Roy Campanella, another catcher with 3 MVP's right across town in Brooklyn, and some wonderful quotes by Jackie Robinson as to Yogi's greatness. This story covers it all from Casey Stengel to Yogi's refusing to return to Yankee stadium for fourteen years after his firing by George Steinbrenner. Yogi was one hell of a ballplayer and reading about it was "LIKE DÉJÀ VU ALL OVER AGAIN!"

The Bill James 2003 Handbook goes above and beyond previous publications which were devised in conjunction with baseball guru Bill James. This book provides readers not only with normal baseball statistics, but much much more as well. Just a few of these extra sections include: 1) rating scales and statistics of all Major League Baseball stadiums, 2) statistics of every Major League hitter broken down into at bats against left-handed and right-handed pitchers, 3) statistics of every Major League pitcher against left-handed and right-handed batters, 4) enough leader boards to cover just about every possible pitching and hitting statistic (for example: best batting average against fastballs; # of pitches seen per plate appearance; best % of throwing out baserunners by catchers; batting average with bases loaded, best average in 1st and 2nd half of season, FOR PITCHERS: highest # of batters faced, run support per 9 IP, homeruns allowed, % of pitches in the strike zone, 'quality starts', K/BB ratio, # of double plays induced, fastest average fastball speed in MPH, etc.) The leader boards go on and on. In all, there are 18 pages of all kinds of statistical leaders like these. One of my favorite sections of the book is the page dedicated to career assessments. This section gives a % rate of the chances certain players will reach different milestones at some point in their careers. Did you know there is a 24% chance that Barry Bonds will hit 800 homeruns in his career? These are a few of the many extensive parts of this book. Bill James and the staff at Baseball Info Solutions (the company that provided all of the statisical data) have certainly outdone themselves this time. I look forward to reading this book for many years to come.

This book is a 'must have' for any baseball fanatic or fantasy baseball coach. It includes up-to-date individual statistics for every single MLB player, and insightful articles explaining the statistics.

I especially enjoyed Ryan Galla's contribution to the book explaining Career Assessments - his article sheds a lot of light on the overall perfomances of one player vs. another over their careers.

A glossary in the back defines many of the more obscure statistics used in baseball, including the actual formulas used to compute them.

I keep my copy handy for every baseball game I watch.

As a fantasy sports aficionado, I have found this book to be a MUST HAVE for anyone considering entering a competitive league. The insightful analysis of players' chances of breaking career marks (by Ryan Galla) is thought provoking, and takes into account many factors that I would probably have never thought of otherwise. Galla is clearly the heart and soul of the company that put together this wonderful book, and has a very bright future in the field of baseball analysis. A must have for any baseball fan. Bravo!

The Bill James 2003 Handbook goes above and beyond previous publications which were devised in conjunction with baseball guru Bill James. This book provides readers not only with normal baseball statistics, but much much more as well. Just a few of these extra sections include: 1) rating scales and statistics of all Major League Baseball stadiums, 2) statistics of every Major League hitter broken down into at bats against left-handed and right-handed pitchers, 3) statistics of every Major League pitcher against left-handed and right-handed batters, 4) enough leader boards to cover just about every possible pitching and hitting statistic (for example: best batting average against fastballs; # of pitches seen per plate appearance; best % of throwing out baserunners by catchers; batting average with bases loaded, best average in 1st and 2nd half of season, FOR PITCHERS: highest # of batters faced, run support per 9 IP, homeruns allowed, % of pitches in the strike zone, 'quality starts', K/BB ratio, # of double plays induced, fastest average fastball speed in MPH, etc.) The leader boards go on and on. In all, there are 18 pages of all kinds of statistical leaders like these. One of my favorite sections of the book is the page dedicated to career assessments. This section gives a % rate of the chances certain players will reach different milestones at some point in their careers. Did you know there is a 24% chance that Barry Bonds will hit 800 homeruns in his career? These are a few of the many extensive parts of this book. Bill James and the staff at Baseball Info Solutions (the company that provided all of the statisical data) have certainly outdone themselves this time. I look forward to reading this book for many years to come.

Jose Canseco. Barry Bonds. Jason Giambi. Human growth hormone. The cream and the clear. Steroids. The saddest part about baseball today is that these are the words we think of. However, the past is not free from scandal, and I'm not just talking about the introduction and proliferation of "greenies."

When the 1919 World Series was fixed by eight (arguably seven) members of the Chicago White Sox, the face of baseball changed forever. While it remained America's pastime, an inherent skepticism took hold. This was epitomized by the famous "say it ain't so, Joe" confrontation between "Shoeless" Joe Jackson (the arguably innocent of the eight) and not just any fan, but a child.

Eliot Asinof has done a wonderful job of reminding us that baseball is not a sport newly tainted by strikes and drugs. All the major players are documented. The owner, Charles Comiskey, whose tight pocket book can be partially blamed for the scandal and who tried to cover it up. Baseball's first commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis prosecuted the guilty the best way he knew how and set a precedent that baseball followed into the late '80s with the lifetime ban of Pete Rose (eight years after Eight Men Out was published in 1981). "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, to his deathbed, recanted his confession, calling it something contrived, and professed his innocence. And then there were the gamblers: Joe Sullivan, the contact man; Abe Attell, the man who manipulated the whole thing as a middleman without the money; and Arnold Rothstein, the money behind the debacle. Asinof, despite a lack of modern "forensic" evidence, such as phone taps, followed the information back to the guilty parties. As Asinof relays, this is one of the shames, one of the great failures of the American judicial system following the Black Sox scandal.

What Asinof has accomplished with this story, this true epic, is to remind us that todays era is not that only tainted one in baseball's illustrious history. It reminds us that as long as men have been paid to play a childrens' game they have wanted more and owners have wanted to give them less. In the end, Asinof reminds us that we make it possible for players to make $25 million a year. And we also make it possible for someone like Mark McGwire or Barry Bonds or Jason Giambi to become a "hero." While Asinof does not make me feel guilty, he makes me take pause and wonder how much of baseball's dramatic fall has been a product of the absolute corruption of American culture as opposed to the absolute corruption of a select few individuals.

The year 1919. The city is Chicago. Eight men enter the room of "Sleepy" Bill Burns and conspire to fix the World Series. The money was coming from Arnold Rothstein or "AR" to his friends. Eight men were about to rock the foundations of baseball for greed and the hatred of Charles Comiskey - or was there another story?

Asinoff recounts the months leading to, the days during and the years after the 1919 World Series with amazing detail and clarity. His story is told and as you listen you'll think you are actually there. This audio book is by far much better than the movie.

What you get is 8; count them 8, how ironic, tapes that weave a story of deceit, corruption, and conspiracy on both sides of the law. From Joe Jackson and Eddie Cicotte to Lefty Williams, Chick Ghandl, Buck Weaver, Happy Felsch and Swede Risberg the tragedy is unraveled.

The recording was a true pleasure and the actual use of transcripts, reports and other material adds major credibility to the exposing of baseball worst nightmare. Asinoff is to be commended on this first rate work and baseball needs more men like him. A real standout performance!

This review refers to the audio book version.

A great book that shows what led to this infamous scandel with the 8 White Sox ballplayers. Not only will baseball fans want to read this book but anyone who likes to read. It also makes you wonder if throwing games is still going on today.

The scandal of the 1919 Black Sox is probably the most disilluisioning chapter in the history of baseball. Asinof captured the feeling of America and its reaction to the scandal on and off field. The story is told accurately and with great insight. "Shoeless" Joe was a wonderful player who made bad decisions. He can be both admired and loathed by fans who now know that he wasn't completely innocent as the Sox threw the Worl d Series. It shows how baseball perserviered throught the gambling. Baseball tradition has kept the game alive through many adverse situtations and when gathered together make the history of baseball very rich. A must read for ALL baseball historians and fans.

I received the book quickly and enjoyed reading it. I even had an opportunity to email the author. It was a hard book to find, other than through Amazon, and I love having it, as this baseball player, though rather unknown, is a favorite of mine.
I'm very appreciative.
Paul Francis

I hadn't heard of Addie Joss when I first picked up this book. It's a small, thin book. It looked to be a pleasant way to spend an evening.

In fact, it was more than pleasant. I found myself riveted to the book. A well told story about a fascinating man of the early 1900s. I liked this man I had never before heard of.

I met and admired one of the great sports stars of his day, well loved and talented, easily matching the talent and skill of the greats of yesteryear I knew well.

Why, then did I not know him previously? Tragedy took him early from baseball, from his family and from the American consciousness.

The game is what we come to see. The players are people we hope to meet. And when we meet, we hope not to be disappointed. Addie Joss did not disappoint.

Scott Longert skillfully gets out of the way and lets the story tell itself.

A very solid and nice effort by Scott Longert. Having myself researched Addie Joss in past, I find Longert's effort even that much more impressive. There honestly is really not much information available on Addie Joss. For the collection of research materials alone, this becomes a solid effort.

Now to the gristle of the book's content...I found that seasons moved along very fast, too fast. I never really got a good feel for Addie Joss the person, but certainly Addie Joss the player was defined reasonably well. Addie's teammates were mentioned but not really made to be a part of the overall storyline (cast of characters, almost faceless). Before I knew it, the book had ended. Addie's death was truly as fast as anything else in the book, blunt and final.

I'm not sure if the speed of the book had more to do with what little information actually existed, or whether it was Scott Longert the SABR-Metrician who, although statistically as sound as they come, just could not piece it all together with a sustained storyline. In the end, something honestly was amiss, and I can't quite place it.

To see a book on Addie Joss rates a four star alone. Scott Longert should be commended on a spirited effort of bringing back one of the games classiest and greatest players. Joss in time!

Following the premature death of Cleveland pitching sensation Addie Joss, Hugh Keough of the Chicago Tribune wrote "He pitched good ball..."

On October 2nd, 1908, precious few games remained on the schedule. The American League pennant was on the line. Confident Chicago spitballer Ed Walsh dueled Cleveland sidearmer Addie Joss in a baseball tilt for the ages. Befuddled by Walsh's sopping wet deliveries, Cleveland scored but one unearned run. The lanky Joss, pitching in front of the delirious hometown faithful at League Park, allowed nary a loud foul ball. Result: a 1-0 Cleveland victory and a perfect game for Joss. All the more remarkable is Longert's poignant description of Walsh and Joss sitting on a wooden bench, chatting before the game. (Cleveland and Chicago narrowly lost out in the race to Ty Cobb's Detroit Tigers).

Baseball historian and Cleveland native Scott Longert faithful recreates this masterpiece and other remarkable pitching feats in the brief life of Adrian Joss. The versatile pitcher was also was one of the very few baseball players to have regularly penned a sports column. Felled by tuburcular meningitis at the age of 31, Joss eventually made the National Baseball Hall of Fame. So loved was Joss that a special benefit "All Star" game was staged to support Joss' widow and family.

However, Hugh Keough's assessment doesn't stand the test of time. Joss pitched "great" ball.

I picked up a copy because I heard Pat on a radio interview and felt I could use a book on "finding your passion and pursuing it". Boy! I never thought I would enjoy the book so much...I couldn't put it down. Thanks Pat for sharing so much of your life with us! I am a Latin girl who really doesn't get much into American sports, I admit I read it for the "success" part, but I learned so much about sports and the front office operations that now I enjoy keeping up with the trades, drafts, etc. My husband has been impressed! I recently re-read it!

Pat Williams has done it again! This autobiography gives the reader a courtside seat to Williams wonderful life. He takes us from his boyhood, to his days playing with a Miami farm club (baseball), all the way to his current position with the Orlando Magic. He has many great stories, and lessons to share upon the way. He also gives a detailed account of how becoming a Christian has fullfilled all that was missing in his life. Pat Williams is the master motivator, and once again encourages the reader to reach for the stars, and go for it! A must read for everyone.

This is my third Pat WIlliams book and unlike the others which are "teaching books," this book tells the story of the story behind the stories! Pat Williams is a person with goals, dreams and objectives and without stepping on others, he sets out to achieve them. But like most people who have gained a degree of success in their life, the road has not always been smooth and paved with gold. This is a book that mirrors the "teaching books" in that it shows that Pat Williams actually has practiced what he preaches. Although filled with sports related stories, this book is also for those in businesses and careers that have nothing to do with the world of sports. Warning: Once you pick the pick the book up, you will have a hard time putting it down.

This is a well-written and enjoyable book to read. Contains interesting stories that make you really feel like you know Mr. Williams by the end. Great reading for a sports enthusiast. You sense the enthusiasm in which Mr. Williams lives his life. However, you also sense that this enthusiasm stems from his ego, which literally oozes off the pages. This leaves the reader questioning whether Mr. Williams, despite all of his religious speaking engagements, is a humble Christian or an ego-driven people pleaser.

He frequently mentions his ex-wife and 18 children (14 foster children). I would like to read his biography from their perspective.

Love 'em or hate 'em, the New York Yankees are an integral slice of Americana. The superstars seem to shine brighter there than in other markets. They transcend sports and become a part of American life. From Ruth and Gehrig's dominance of the Roaring 20s to Joltin' Joe Dimaggio's hitting clinics of the 30s, 40s, and 50s, to Mantle and Maris in the 60s, and finally the resurgance of recent days, the baseball world hangs in the balance of what the Yanks ultimate destiny is on a yearly basis.

With the exception of Ruth, it is entirely possible that no one figure captured the baseball world's imagination to the same degree as Mickey Mantle. From his humble beginnings to his majestic homeruns, "The Mick" had something for every baseball fan and he displayed it all while wearing the famed pinstripes in a total of 12 World Series.

Not every World Series was won and Mickey certainly illustrates that he was far from perfect, both on and off the field. It's a wonderful look back to the Golden Era of baseball and an inside perspective of an age of sports that will never be seen again.

Fully recommended!

I was a Big Mickey Mantle fan back when he first came up to the Yankees as a 19 year old.
He immediately had an impact on me. As a young boy he was my idol.

I just began reading the book, and am already impressed with all the won- derful memories of the great Mickey Mantle.

The book is great!, and I expect no less, as I continue to read on.

All My Octobers is a great book, full of great moments and great players in Major League Baseball's greatest classic, The World Series. Told in the first person by the late baseball legend and New York Yankees powerhouse centerfielder Mickey Mantle, these stories of the World Series are natural and authentic. It's up close and personal, right from the dugout at Yankee Stadium. From his first series in 1951, playing with The Yankee Clipper, Joe Dimaggio, right through to his last in 1964 against the St. Louis Cardinals, where Mantle hit three home runs to set a career World Series record at 18. Mantle still holds that record, along with runs scored (42), and runs batted in (40). Of course, he writes about the excitement on the field during the games, but he also gives us some personal tid-bits and his thoughts on the games and players. He tells us that some mistakenly thought he was giving Joe Dimaggio the cold shoulder, but in truth, he just didn't feel it was his place as a young player to be so forward with a legend like Joltin' Joe. He recalls conversations with Casey Stengal and Yogi Berra, the all-night drinking sessions with Whitey Ford and Billy Martin, and how he watched Roger Maris hit his record breaking 61st home run on television from a hospital bed, while sidelined with a hip infection. Each chapter is devoted to a different World Series, and every one is remembered fondly and precisely by Mantle. These were the glorious New York Yankees' dynasty years, back when The Bronx Bombers ruled Major League Baseball, and the world was a different place. All My Octobers is a very interesting and intimate look at the best of baseball during that magical time.

An interviewer asked Yogi Berra to do word association. The interviewer's first words were Mickey Mantle. Yogi's association was - What about him?

Mickey takes us through his World Series appearances - 1951 when he permanently injured his knee, 1952 when Jackie Robinson told the press that Mantle beat the Dodgers and that the Yankees didn't miss DiMaggio, 1953 with Mickey's tape measure homeruns, 1955 when the long suffering Brooklyn Dodgers won their only World Series, 1956 when the umpire gave Don Larsen that final strike, 1957 when Yankee reject Lew Burdette beat the Yanks, 1958 when Bob Turley returned the favor by beating the Braves, 1960 when Casey failed to use Ford 3 times against the Pirates, causing the most heartbreaking disappointment in Mantle's baseball career, 1961 when Maris outpaced Mantle and substitutes won the World Series, 1962 when McCovey lined out to Richardson, 1963 when they ran into Koufax-Podres-Drysdale-Koufax, and 1964 when Whitey had a sore arm and couldn't pitch to St Louis.

Mickey blamed himself for failing to do rehab on his legs. He endured constant pain, and it was a miracle that he had a baseball career at all. He rated himself as equal to Mays in fielding, faster than Mays on the bases, but without the longevity.

If you look at the incredible Yankee dynasty of the 1950s you see a team that wasn't great on paper. The Cleveland Indians were at times as good or better. The Brooklyn Dodgers had much better hitting. It wasn't like the awesome Yankee teams of 1998 and 1999. The Yankees of Mickey's day had no business winning so many pennants and world championships. What they had was Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Gil McDougald, and above all Mickey Mantle.

Did you ever see him swing a bat? He hit the ball harder than Babe Ruth. He had the best swing in history, combining the grace of Ken Griffey Jr. with the power of ...... of nobody but Mickey Mantle. McGwire is a deep popup artist like Babe Ruth was. Mantle would drive the ball through a brick wall. He was the most powerful hitter who ever lived, and had the Olympic class speed of Rickey Henderson.

This book will be enjoyable to any baseball fan. It was realistic and fun to read. I stayed up past 11 pm finishing it.

An Almost Perfect Game is by Stephen Manes. This book is great! It is about two boys and their grandparents at a minor league baseball game. It is the last game of the season and is for Appreciation night. My favorite character is Jake because he really likes baseball. Someone has a magic scorecard that can make a big difference in the game. If you like baseball and excitement, you should definitely read this book.

I think any one who enjoys baseball will love this book. It is funny and suspensefull

A boy, his brother, and their grandparents go to a baseball game. When the older brother gets to the game, a vendor says, "Scorecard! Scorecard! Guaranteed lucky!" He buys one and discovers he can control the other team's batters with it. The whole action of the book is in the span of ten innings. I liked it and I'd recommend it to other people.

The last time I ever visited with Ross we were at Shea, in 2005. This was the first time I saw his book. It is an excellent trivia book (even a Yankee fan enjoyed this one!). You know he spent massive amount of time compiling the book!

I would like to give my dad and ross a round of applause. Great book dad! And ross will be in memory forever.

This book represents a lifetime of work by the authors. Ross and Ken live and breathe Mets trivia and these are questions you will not find anywhere else. A Mets fan should not be without this book.

I also want to use this space, to remember my friend Ross Adell, who passed away in June 2006. Ross loved trivia, Seinfeld, the Mets, and his friends- not necessarily in that order. Ross and I attended a number of games at Shea and Fenway over the past decade. I miss him, and I can't believe he's gone.

This is a great trivia book! Co-authors Adell and Samelson draw together hundreds of great trivia questions covering the 40+ year history of Mets history. There are chapters on individuals from Agee to (Mookie) Wilson, plus sections on managers, postseason teams, and miscellaneous chapters including Met trades, uniform numbers, team records, and announcers. I recommend this to Mets fan as well as baseball historians and casual fans.

This was such a fun read. i used it for a devotional and the group I presented it to loved it. Now, obviously, you need to have a love for baseball or the Bible to really enjoy this quick read. I have sent a copy to all of my baseball and God buddies for Christmas. The parallels are excellent in each chapter, or inning. You certainly don't need to be a Biblical scholar to enjoy this book. Now, when is the football edition coming out?

I'll be honest. I've always been a, shall I say, "more frequent" fan of baseball than of religion. This book will have an impact on that. That it was an interesting baseball read was not the surprising part. The fact that it wove baseball and the Bible seamlessly (like a two-seam fastball) together was the surprise. It was a very entertaining read. It made the stories of the Bible come to life in ways that I hadn't previously experienced. I think anyone with even the slightest interest in baseball would find it fun. And if you have a strong religious background I bet it would be equally rewarding. Bringing together these two elements of life that people believe in so passionately was a natural. I think this would be a great gift for a lot of people. I know I have several people who will be receiving it for Father's Day.

You have to love baseball and scriptures to thoroughly enjoy this book. Being a fan of both and having a son and three grandsons into both, this filled the bill. I originally bought the book for my son, however I read it first and I so enjoyed how Gary Graf weaved the game of baseball into God's game plan for all of us.

Loved it.

Just finished this book and it was FABULOUS! Haven't seen anything like it before. Who would have thought baseball and the Bible would have that much in common??

I'd recommend this book. It's thought-provoking and a quick read, too.

I remember reading H. Allen Smith's "Three Men On Third" years and years ago, and Salisbury's product is in the same vein. I enjoyed it tremendously: great choices, fun trivia, and the constant reminders that sports heroes are, after all, inestimably mortal. It is really too bad that Salisbury's stuff (see other titles on Amazon.com under his name) don't get a wider appreciation.

With dry wit and solid research, Luke Salisbury tackles that American creature known as baseball. He looks at why stats make the game so special, and how people get fascinated with quirks such as hitting streaks. Famous figures abound--Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, Ty Cobb, and of course, the Babe. There are lesser-known ones as well, such as Louis Sockalexis, baseball's first Indian, whose hot career fizzled due to alcoholism. Salisbury answers questions you'd never thought of before: who was baseball's first Polish player and how did "Dummy" Hoy get his nickname?

"The Answer Is Baseball" is packed with interesting facts for baseball fans of all ages!

This is a great book about baseball. The author does not ask stupid questions that anyone could look up for themselves. He doesn't treat baseball trivia like it is an answer to be found in an encyclopedia. Why is this book not in print?

If you have any interest in baseball--or if you were ever a devotee of H. Allen Smith's THREE MEN ON THIRD--you'll have trouble putting this one down. Yes, you will add tremedously to your factoid collection and probably never again pay for another glass of whatever you drink at your local watering hole. But that's only half the story of this book. Salisbury loves his subject and that sympathy for facts is contagious, reminding us that "fan" does come from "fanatic." Yes, some of the collection tells stories that are not very happy, and Boston fans are going to struggle reliving the part on Conigliaro, but Salisbury does an excellent job throughout. I finally forced myself to a chapter a night just to prolong things.