Baseball Books

The 1997 Complete Handbook of Baseball is the last one in the great series, which began in 1971. Winter always ended for me when I would spot the new edition of this indispensible baseball guide. In the 1991 edition I spotted an error and wrote a letter to Zander Hollander about it. Several months later a typewriiten (on a real typewriter not a word processor) letter arrived thanking me for writing. Snap 'em all up if you can.

Mr. Hollander's baseball annual is one I look forward to, having bought it every year since his first edition in 1971. Somehow, I lost my 1975 copy, if anyone has one to spare! His lively, knowledgeable and often humorous comments on the players, teams and issues of the game are a delight for me as a lifelong baseball fan. This is the one book I never want to miss, come springtime, and it's the one I'd recommend to any fan of any interest level. Whether you're just learning, or wanting to learn, the game.....or a fantatic who already thinks he knows everything - this one's a "must read" and one you'll refer to again and again throughout this season and for seasons to come.

This book is a great source for player stats in the baseball season of 1996. A must have for baseball fans.

Mr. Hearn's story is terrific! He courageously talks about the ups and downs of professional baseball playing, and ties these to the ups and downs of kidney disease. His story is one of winning, and meeting the challenges, despite being asked to "catch some real foul balls" in his struggle to overcome the limitations of chronic kidney failure and dialysis. I would recommend every professional who works with people who suffer from debilitating, chronic disease to read Mr. Hearn's book!

On the surface, Ed Hearn had a brief and undistinguished career as a catcher in the major leagues. However, there is so much below the surface that needed to be told, and Hearn tells it all, the good and bad.
Hearn had a promising career as a catcher. He gives an excellent look into his life throughout school as a star athlete. He does not hold back as he tells his story, blemishes and all.
Tragically, Hearn was stricken with kidney problems, requiring a transplant. Once again, Hearn tackles this part of the story with brutal honesty. Sometimes it is painful. Sometimes it is heart-wrenching. At all times, it is inspirational.
Hearn never made a major league All-Star team, but he is truly an All-Star in life.

As an avid K.C. Royals fan, I too jumped on the 'Why did we trade David Cone for Ed Hearn' bandwagon back in 1987. After reading Ed's book and meeting him in person, I realize how shallow I was. Ed's story is a must read for all sports enthusiasts and everyone who has overcome and is need of overcoming their own 'curves' in life. God bless Ed on touching lives through this book and his many speaking engagements. His signed copy will always be at the front of my bookcase

I love this book for several reasons, but the most important of them is the painstaking, meticulous revelation of a moral core from which sport, media, participation in government and the attention of an entire population have all digressed. It's a remarkably rewarding read that inspires an explosive rebirth of confidence in private conscience, and the power of an individual To Do The Impossible.

When I came upon this book, I nearly was entirely overwhelmed. I have been a Cubs fan for over 40 years and have studied Kabbalah with Zve ben Shimon Halevi for 20 years. I LOVE this book. I once drew the Tree of Life wherein I drew all the sephera as baseballs; calling it the "Cuballa." I am further astonished at the syncronisity of my own life. My father was from Kiev and in the Soviet Army in WW2. Alas he was a White Sox fan. It embodies my entire life in such a bittersweet rememberence of my parents and needless to say my beloved Wrigley 9. I went to every opening day and hung at the "Cubby Bear Lounge." I am really astounded that someone wrote this book ( for me). I would pay to sit in a seat in the friendly confinds, with no game going on; just to absorb the only real ballpark. It is not unlike the Kabbalah. Thank you Mr. Sherwin for such an incrutible treasure.

Rabbi Sherwin's paean to perennial also-ran, the Chicago Cubs baseball team, in his THE CUBS AND THE KABBALIST might best be summed up with the following two word: "very cute."

It's true. It really *was* cute, and I had an exceptionally grand time turning the pages of this entertaining read, adding up to one of the more *fun* fictional pieces in my collection these past couple of weeks.

Admittedly, CUBS is safely nestled in the fictional world, folks. Sherwin blends his rigorously-researched reams of Cubs and other baseball statistics alongside the esoteric practice of Jewish Mysticism, or Kabala ("kabbalah"). I fell in love early and often with the way this story unfurled.

It begins with leading rabbi, Jay Loeb (J-Lo, anyone?), and his concerns over his wife Tamara. The author describes how the shalom bayit/bayis, or "peace of the home," chez Loeb has recently been disturbed by Tamara's frequent tirades railing against the annual stream of Cubs losses. We find ourselves at the point where it's beginning to affect her performance at work -- she's a lawyer, see -- and because of all this, Tamara's been stressing. Loeb's had enough, and he resolves on the spot to do something about it.

Like any loving husband might, the good rabbi seeks to ease his wife's pain, and rustles up a solution. Loeb eventually falls back on the mainstay of his rabbinical training and investigates the possibility of using his expertise in matters concerning the ancient Jewish Kabbalistic practice to provide a cure for what's been ailing Tamara's hapless beloved Cubs.

Soon, the Cubs begin cobbling together a series of seemingly-miraculous wins at home in the "Friendly Confines" of Shy-Town's [Chicago] Wrigley Field, mostly due to some clandestine "soul work" Loeb has been conjuring up in the silence of the night. Cue "The Golem of Prague" story -- for those of you who know it -- to explore the possibilities of what might happen to the rest of this story. (I won't give it away, but do expect a little twist at the end there. One which I think you're going to enjoy.)

This book is a pure pleasure read.

Sherwin doesn't overwhelm you with complex jargon, and while his subject material -- Jewish Mysticism -- is a very serious subject indeed, not to be trifled with lightly by any stretch (a la what Madonna, her husband Guy Ritchie, Bittney and others have been doing in Hollywood) -- he doesn't lord it over you inside the pages of this book. Delivered in a sometimes-humourous, sometimes-tongue-in-cheek style, Freud would be proud of Sherwin's cigar-is-just-a-cigar read -- I mean, c'mon!, it's baseball...our National Pastime (will it always remain so?). Don't expect some heavy non-fiction here, okay?

Byron L. Sherwin's quite obviously got the skills, ladies and gentlemen.

His narrative is tightly woven, and he leaves no stones unturned in CUBS. With a typical moviemaker's flourish, he ends his book with a cute little Epilogue a la what you might see in a happy Disney movie, and that made me smile. You'll learn of what "became" of the various players in this little drama, and I'll admit that it summed things up handily for this here reviewer.

On the beach?

A long flight across the ocean?

Or perhaps you're a baseball lover who's seeking an interesting little spin on the "Field of Dreams" narrative?

Then THE CUBS AND THE KABBALIST is probably for you.

-- ADM in Prague

Such a neat book, with great stories about the Cubs on the island and other interesting tidbits about Catalina Island. I could not put it down.
most probably because my great uncle, Charlie Root ( my dad's uncle) was mentioned in there several times. I wanted to find out more things about
Charlie and even found an awesome pic of him that resembled my dad oh so much!! anyway the whole book was so interesting and great for nostalgic Cubby Fans...so full of history. Makes me want to go back to Catalina and see the old ball field and other points of interest I missed the first time. Kathy Brewer Muenz

Being a baseball enthusiast most of my life I found The Cubs on Catalina to be a wonderful book. It's filled with many pictures and interesting comments by the old players during the time they trained on the island off of California. When purchasing this book for myself I also bought an additional copy for a family member. We both loved the book and would highly recommend it to any devoted Cub fan, but also to anyone who loves the game of baseball. Living in So California for many years and visiting the Old Wrigley Field many times, I was familiar with some of the players mentioned in the book

The Cubs on Catalina is filled with great pictures of the Chicago Cubs, not to mention the treasure trove of stories the old baseball players tell. I can't find any other book, or even a documentary, where there is so much engaging information about these three exciting decades of the Cubs' history. I recommend this book to all Cub fans.

Good book. It's one of the older George stories and drawings, not one of the newer George stories and drawings.

This book is a good addition to the Curious George collection. It is great to see an entirely new book for this series

Published in 2006, this 24-page book tells the story of Curious George going to a baseball game. The Man With the Yellow Hat happens to be friends with the head coach of the Mudville Miners and arranged for them to watch the game from the dug out.

George sees the coach sending hand signals to the runner on second base--and thinks this is a new way to cheer on the Miners. So he begans to wave his arms--but his gestures distract the runner and he gets tagged out. Needless to say, those in the dugout are angry at George!

So George and TMWTYH watch the rest of the game in the stands. George notices a camerawoman roving through the crowds--and was excited to see people around him appear on the large screen in the stadium! So he tries to climb on the camera and ends up angering the camerawoman. But the good news is that his antics help reunite a lost boy with his father!

This past weekend we visited a bookstore and my son wanted not one, but SEVEN Curious George books to add to his collection (he already had several at home). Written by Laura Driscoll and illustrated in the style of H.A. Rey by Anna Grossnickle Hines, Curious George at the Baseball Game was one of the books we bought at the store.

This engaging tale--one of the best in the CG series--is geared towards ages 4-8, so it's a good book for beginner/intermediate readers. It's also makes a great bedtime story!

In addition, Curious George at the Baseball Game contains two Bonus Activities: The inside of the back cover has two black and white illustrations for a Spot the Difference activity (I loved those as a kid!). There is also a circular maze on the back cover; George must get through the maze to find his baseball cap and ball.

This is my new favorite book. Myron Uhlberg's beautiful picture book connects the plight of suffering racial discrimination with being subjected to prejudice for having a disability. It connects the famous with the common. It will tear at your heart, and hopefully open it to know that change is possible; although often slow and painful. The inside cover is filled with primary resource news clippings from Jackie Robinson's career, making the historical piece all the more tangible to grasp. The author's note at the back of the book pulls it all together, and reveals why this was a book that had to be written. I recommend it for ages 8 to 108.

Myron Uhlberg is a prolific author, having published 7 books after his 65th birthday. He has many others in the works. He choses his words carefully and meaningfully. Most of the storyline is based on some aspect of his life, having been raised by 2 deaf parents. He builds a sense of deep, caring for the characters which will connect you to them. The illustrator has done an excellent job of capturing the essence of the storyline.

"Dad, Jackie, and Me" is a fabulous story about a father and a son, about prejudice and triumph. Myron Uhlberg subtly creates a parallel between the unfair discrimination against his father for being deaf and Jackie Robinson for being African-American. This is a touching book with lovely illustrations...not to mention so many dimensions for a classroom teacher to explore with students! Plus, I met Myron today, and he is one of THE most warm, friendly, wonderful authors I have ever met. I give him and his works my most glowing praise!

the techniques in the book really help my son with his acuracy
in pitching and in his ability to have a delivery that is consistent.For kids who struggle with their control the techniques can do wonders. I have seen the results not only in my son but also other pitchers in his league.i would say that
even for those few pitchers who have good control that reading
the book could help them understand more about what it is that they do naturaly.thus helping them should they struggle on the mound

This is a fantastic book! What a wonderful "how-to" guide for the beginning pitcher, or anyone wanting to improve their pitching performance. The book is easily understood by the young reader and can be translated into usable skills on the field. Using this method of pitching, we have watched our son take the mound with a new level of confidence and continue to improve his pitching performance all season. I recommend this guide to any coach or parent wanting to prepare their pitcher with the basic fundamentals necessary to be successful on the mound.

As parents, reading The Dead Eye Pitching Technique was one of the best things we've done for our son's baseball future!

The technique taught in this book is great for anyone wanting to be a pitcher or improve their pitching performance. Parents and coaches can use the technique taught in this book to train and produce GREAT pitchers. The Dead Eye Pitching technique is a start-to-finish systematic approach that teaches kids to throw strikes consistently. The dead eye technique gives pitchers a system of basic skills to learn from and always be able to come back to. The kids learn not only the physical motions of pitching but the theory behind the motions. The book also addresses the mental preparation needed to be a great pitcher.

We have watched, with enthusiasm, major improvements in our son's pitching as he applies the fundamentals taught through the dead-eye technique. In just a couple of months he has gone from being an unpredictable "ball-thrower" to becoming an accurate "strike-thrower." He has also gained speed on his pitch by applying the technique. He is truly becoming a pitcher. The techniques and mental preparation he has learned from this book have made a world of difference in his pitching performance.

I recommend this book to coaches, parents and those hoping to become great pitchers. Developing a great pitcher begins with this book!

Some great insights to long ago baseball stars and the stories behind the stats. I have totally enjoyed this book.

Both books are instantly a must read for all fans of this era..Fantastic to see these teams and players given such loving and endearing attention.

The Society for American Baseball Research has outdone itself again, with a companion book to "Deadball Stars of the National League;" appropriately enough called "Deadball Stars of the American League." Following the same manner as the N.L. book, it has short biographies of the major stars for each of the franchises active between 1901 and 1919, complete with many photos. This excellent book again utilized a huge amount of people on the "Deadball" Committee of the organization taking part in the writing, editing and fact checking. It's a wonderful book for those wanting a feel of the game in the first decades of the 20th century, and of the players of that time, and I highly recommend it.

This was an enjoyable read with a lot of very enlightening and useful information. I came away with great pointers on how I can encourage and support my baseball player. I also learned a lot about the game I didn't know. This book kept me engaged throughout; the writing style is easy to read. I found myself laughing, learning, and enjoying cover to cover. I would highly recomend this book for anyone with a baseball player in the family!

If you have a child who is or wants to be a baseball player, then this book is for you. Beautifully written by a devoted baseball Mom in an informative, understanding, supportive, loving way. Reading this book brought back fond and painful memories of my grown son when he was a little boy with a leather glove and big dreams to be special...and he is! I love this book, and give it as gifts to my friends with basball kids.

Invaluable information for the parents of daughters & sons in competitive sports, especially baseball. This book is clearly written from personal experience and reveals the human element, and not just the stats.

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

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

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