Baseball Books

I liked this book, although I think I liked the secondary story of Taylor's sister Eve and baseball player Sloan better than the main story. This author has done this before and I wish each story had their own book. I would have loved a separate book of Eve and Sloan's story. As usual this author has great dialogue and the book just zips along and before you know it you've read the whole thing. Also, I prefer it when the hero/heroine have never met and meet for the first time in the book. In this book the heroine left the hero at the altar. It still works but I think these type of books lose something when the 2 people already have a past. I love that moment in a book when the couple first meet. All in all this was a good read and I look forward to more books by Kate Angell. Love those baseball players!!

This is my first book by Ms. Angell. It was a fun, breezy bit of fluff. And if you take it at that - it's wonderful. It's a great book when you don't want anything too deep.

However, the reasons for only 3 stars are: it was totally predicatable (as are all romaces, I suppose, but this really had no surprises.) Some of the baseball stuff was silly (5 Cy Youngs and I forget how many golden gloves for Brek -come on!) And, last but not least, the cutesy names. Sorry, but this drives me nuts. A pitcher named Stryker???

To keep with the baseball theme, this story is a homerun (as are Squeeze Play and Curveball). The character are fun and there interactions will make you laugh out loud.

Brek Stryker is having the year of his life. He is in position to break all of his father's pitching records, and he is engaged to marry the mayor of the town. Not only is he engaged, but his fiancée is nothing like his last one (Taylor) and he thinks that this is just what he needs.

Taylor is stunned when her sister Eve lets her know Brek is getting married. She has always thought she would be able to talk with him about why she left him at the alter all those years ago. Now she might not get the chance. So she actually bangs up her knee while skiing and comes back to Richmond to make amends. The problem is that instead of making amends, she ends up making things worse. She realizes she is still in love with Brek who wants nothing to do with her. Additionally, Brek's relief pitcher (Sloan) seems to be hitting on her when he really is attracted to her sister Eve. Will Sloan and Eve get together? Or will he live up to his love`em and leave`em reputation.

Suddenly things don't seem to be as good in Brek's life as in the past. He is still drawn to Taylor, his fiancée is trying to keep a distance that he doesn't like, and there is a rumor that his batting nemesis might be traded to his team. When Taylor ends up in the hospital from her knee injury, he decides that he will be the friend she needs to get better. Will the rest of his life straighten out? Will they acknowledge the flames that are still between them?

Taylor and Brek were the main characters of Strike Zone, but I almost liked the secondary story between Eve and Sloan better. But then again, that is like choosing between chocolate and oh, chocolate, as all four characters are written so well that it was easy to become involved in their lives. Strike Zone is the latest in the Boys of Summer series and Ms. Angell just might convert me to baseball after all. I enjoy reading about the lives and times of characters we have met in the past and their interactions with the new ones. I also want to point out that you do not need to read the series in order, though if you start with Strike Zone, you will find yourself hunting for the others. I have to say that if there is any complaint I have with Strike Zone, it is that I will have to wait another year to read the next in the series. It is with great pleasure that I am Joyfully Recommending Strike Zone.

Tanya
reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Strike Zone by Kate Angell is another winner in her Richmond Rogues series.

Thrill seeker Taylor Hannah has come back to Richmond after finding out that her ex-fiancé Rogues star pitcher Brek Stryker is engaged to another woman. Three years ago Taylor left Brek standing at the altar and she has not stopped thinking about how she has wronged him ever since. Taylor had just gone through a major tragedy right before the I do's and she ran away instead of facing it head on. She has come back to Richmond to find some closure with Brek. What she found was that this man still is in her system.

Brek Stryker can not believe his eyes, Taylor Hannah is back in town. She tore his heart out and ripped it to shreds when she left him. Now she is home and messing with the quiet orderly life he has strived to maintain. The woman he is set to marry is quiet, unassuming just what he needs after adventurous Taylor. But in his heart of hearts he knows that Taylor is really the woman who owns him body and soul.

Brek and Taylor come to an understanding about co-existing in Richmond. Even though they are still attracted to each other they ignore it. Then Brek finds out the truth about the woman he was supposed to marry and once he is a free man all bets are off.

Brek and Taylor will worm their way into your heart. Everyone has been scared of life one time or another and these two have had their fair share of heartbreak. Their sexual banter and allure leaps off every encounter that they have. The secondary romance between Taylor's sister Eve and the relief pitcher Sloan is an extra special treat in this wonderful book.

I have immensely enjoyed every book in this series. This series is one every romance reader needs to get their hands on. I am waiting patiently for the next slugger to get his story.

I don't know that anyone can do this type of thing better short of dedicating 5-6 pages per prospect. The profiles are concise but detailed and full of easily understood stats and reports. One of the most interesting things about this book is if you have the one from the year before, you can track how far a particular prospect has risen or fallen based on his performance over the last year.
Since I live in Hawaii, I also take this book to the Hawaii Winter League Games to I can get an idea of who I am watching (makes the whole experience 75 times more enjoyable). I feel it also helps with my fantasy baseball team, though if you took a look at my rankings, you wouldn't even notice it. But I was on to Hunter Pence before everyone else because of this book.
Mets in 2007!

The most in-depth Minor League baseball publication out there. A must have for people trying to build Fantasy Baseball dynasties.

This book brings a ton of excellent information to the reader about the minor league talent within each organization. With fantastic analysis of players' weaknesses and strengths, the information puts scouting quality information into the hands of the average fan.

My biggest beef is that the book seems to have been rushed through the editing process. While the information is definitely top quality, the writing that presents the information certainly is not. The grammar utilized throughout the book is spotty in numerous places and can somewhat detract from the information presented. My recommendation to Baseball America would be to obtain a higher quality editing process for the 2008 edition of this wonderful tome of information.

This is the seventh year I have bought this item from Baseball America. The quality of their evaluations is always refreshing. It was nice that I was able not pay full retail by using Amazon and plan to use it in the future.

If you like to follow minor league baseball, this book is a must. Where the players came from, & where you can expect to find them playing in '07, is only a small part of all the info on over 900 major league hopefuls. Have fun reading about & if you have the time, going to see some of them in person.

As great as the photos are the text is almost as good.

Very refreshing; especially in the winter and in light of $250 million player contracts.

This is a fantastic book for anyone historically inclined. It focuses on an era- in the context of baseball. The descriptions with each amazing photo show how America viewed baseball as a microcosm of the country. A great discussion book. Highly recommended. An added bonus is the classic, unretouched photo of Ty Cobb sliding into third, knocking the third baseman off his feet.

I have been a reader of baseball history for most of my 45 years, and I never heard of George S. Conlon. I know him now. This book is nothing less than fascinating. The photos are marvelous, but every printed word is interesting, starting with the preface. I could not put it down.

This marvellous collection of the greatest baseball photographs ever taken qualify as one of the very best contributions to both baseball literature and serious photography. The consummate images of rough-hewn blue-collar stock named Wagner or McGraw or Overall silhouetted against rickety hardwood bleachers, rusty wire screens, and smoke-baptised brick houses; unmown grass and pock-marked infields beneath them; the smell of pancake mitts and hickory bats and unwashen wool uniforms in their nostrils; coal-dust and farm soil and blistering summer sun etching character into their faces. These, I say, seem to me the very breath and blood of the grand ol' game of baseball, all gloriously frozen in time in its purest splendor by the sensitive eye of Charles M. Conlon. These indelible images from the tool of a genius ARE NOT JUST BASEBALL PHOTOGRAPHS! Who can shake the documentary immediacy, mental peace, or aesthetic excitement aroused by the breath-taking images of Bob Rhoads warming-up his soupbone, shadowed by the hand-operated scoreboard at the wood-and-spit Hilltop Park? Or a flailing Tommy Leach squinting a pop-up into the merciless Brooklyn sun? Or Ty Cobb, his jaw curled into a fist, ruthlessly showering dirt and hellfire into a helpless third-sacker? Or muscular Tim Jordan gracefully balancing a heavy-weight stroke of his massive war-club? As the authors state, Conlon deserves to be ranked with Ansel Adams and Walker Evans, and compared with Eugene Atget. His undying images provide a unique look at a time and way of life gone by. P.S.: What I want to know is, WHERE IS THE SEQUEL? Conlon left 8000 negatives; and many of his most extraordinary--such as Russ Ford warming up by the Hilltop's trumpet-clutching "p.a. announcer"; or Hank Gowdy burnishing in the sunlight, warming-up on a Polo Grounds sideline in 1917--have been reproduced in a baseball card set, the discontinued "Conlon Collection," issued by the Sporting News. But the reproduction of these wonderful photographs in the set are inferior to Constance McCabe's sensitive care; and are much smaller, besides. Neal, if you're reading this, PLEASE put together another volume of Conlon's brilliant images!

Were Charles Conlon still alive, I would track him down and kiss his feet for capturing in such vivid detail the historic giants of baseball. The book features remarkable photos of the greatest baseball players of most of the first half of this century. Suitable for framing, the photos typically depict individual players and small groups, often in game action. The well preserved photographs provide an important window on a truly beautiful game and its players in an era when outfield fences were optional, and a "baseball club" was just that. My favorite of Conlon's gems shows Hall of Fame shortstop Honus Wagner gripping his bat. Under his fingernails is Pennsylvania coal dust. His chipped, oversized piece of lumber looks unwieldy by today's standards. And his sinuous forearms are testament to the power that we remember him by. Other photos are paired to show the dramatic impact of age and the outfield sun on players of yesterday. Picture Wes Chandler spunky at 25 and then battle weary at about 50 and you'll understand why so many players strive so hard for a moment in the sun: they want to enjoy it before it's all gone.

Great Book! Gave mine to a friend and am ordering another. If you love your Coach, buy him or her this book.

The book is a little more advanced than what I needed right now coaching 8 & U coach pitch softball, but it does a great job of showing you the direction your coaching should be going as the kids get older. That in turn has influenced how I teach these young girls. Many of the fine drills in this book are too advancd for my age group, but I was able to simplify them a little to make them easier for 7-8 year olds. If your coaching 6-10 year old kids and can only buy one book, this may not be the one. But it is a great book to have in your coaching library. The best I have seen, my kids just are not quite ready for it yet.

I have coached for over ten years now and have found this book to be the most comprehensive, theoretically sound, user friendly coaching handbook on the market. Veroni has organized the information most effectively using charts and diagrams in addition to her commentary. This is THE book to purchase for both the beginning or experienced high school coach.

This book is comprehensive and is aimed at the coach of a team consisting of younger or much younger players. Kathy Veroni sounds like a tough, fair, and thorough coach. Imagine driving a group of late-arriving players 10 miles out of town and telling then to jog back to practice. No wonder West Illinois U has a great softball team.
However, as a captain of a mens' fastpitch softball team, with players who play once a week, this book did not help me much. The drills were just too involved and required a much higher commitment and lower physical strength than I have from the guys on my team. It's like using a college-level calculus text when all you want to learn is high school algebra.
Having said that, the big plus of this book is the VERY EXTENSIVE list of both defensive and offensive drills. This section of the book makes the purchase price worthwhile.

This is a very well laid out book and easy to follow. I would highly recommend this book for coaching high school or college age girls. Might be a little deep for younger athetes but could be adapted. Many drills are included in this book, and I found the philosophies especially interesting. Brought out a lot of simple points I had never thought of before.

Read this for school. It was funny, sad, interesting. I would tell a friend to read it.

This is one of the most touching and interesting books I've read....I have this book at the top of my list! It contains the action of baseball (from the point of view of a young boy) with the struggles of Cuban life. I would recommend this book to young teens, and/or those interested in baseball.

Free Baseball By: Sue Corbett

Free Baseball was I warm story about I Cuba boy who escaped. Felix, the boy, was the main character in this great story. Felix was a boy whose dad was a Cuba baseball star, and dreamed about nothing but baseball. Sue Corbett wrote this story well, and I really treasured it.
One part I liked was the part where Felix had just escaped on the bus. He ran away from his "evil" babysitter and was named the new ball boy of the opposing team. Felix slides in a small compartment and hides till the bus stops. Felix realizes it was foolish to do it because it got hot and un-cozy.
The next part I really liked is when he met the team mascot who was a dog named Miracle. Miracle was really important to the team because he was the only reason fans came to the games. He would run around the bases when one of the players hit a homerun. He also lived right in the stadium and could catch fly balls.
The last part was when Felix met a Cuban named Diaz. Diaz didn't speak much English but understood what people were talking about. Felix and Diaz became kind of best friends while Felix was a run away. Diaz was known as the team slugger and was one of the newer players. Diaz also said he met Felix's dad.
In conclusion Free Baseball was an about a boy named Felix who ran away from home during a baseball game. Felix was soon known to be the ball boy while he traveled with the team. He met a man named Diaz and met a "miracle" of a dog on his journey. Free Baseball was one of the best books I ever read.

D. Williams

She read it to us at school, and it was really great. It made our teacher cry. I loved it.

Sue Corbett's middle-grade book Free Baseball is the story of Felix, an eleven-year-old Cuban-American who stows away on a minor league team bus and steps in for the new bat boy who never showed up for work. It's sort of a Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler-kids-hiding-overnight-in-the-museum for the sports set. Typically, I have a hard time swallowing such fantasies as realistic, and thus my enjoyment of these kind of stories is always muted. But as charming or as impossible as the idea of living in a ballpark and working behind the scenes at a professional baseball game might be, there is so much more to this story that such issues are quickly left behind.

At the heart of this story are the diplomatic issues between America and Cuba, and the social turmoil those politics leave in their wake. Felix and his mother were "boat-people," Cuban immigrants who took a secret, overcrowded, and ultimately perilous boat ride to seek refuge in America. They left behind Felix's father, a star outfielder on the Cuban National Team, thinking he would be able to defect and join them during the team's travels. But it's been years now - Felix was an infant during the night-crossing - and he despairs that his father will never be able to join them.

The book then becomes something of a father quest - always a good pairing with baseball (see Field of Dreams, et al.) - as well as an exploration of Felix's strained relationship with his mother and his world. Yet despite settling into these well-worn spots in the outfield, Free Baseball stays on its toes and keeps the reader there too, managing to be pleasingly predictable and surprising at the same time. It's an atypical baseball book for this age group - it's not about winning a big game with a clutch hit, but instead about finding one's home in the dugout, and one's family in the stands. A story about that oddly redemptive power of a simple yet multi-faceted game, and the many ways in which it can touch all those who come into contact with it.

Highly recommended for all readers, but particularly those who have already tasted the magic of baseball.

After reading this book you come away with a feeling of being uplifted and transcended into a life you wish you were part of. It made my love of baseball have a deeper meaning, one that will I will carry with me forever. These "baseball buddies" are as real to me as any friend or family member. A very memorable read.

Richard Callori

This is a great story! Just buy it and read it. You'll be happy that you did!

Since I am not a sports enthusiast, this was the first book I've read that had baseball as a theme, or any sport. Something about it intrigued me greatly so I purchased it. I am a bit of a history buff so I thoroughly enjoyed all of the history that was interwoven throughout. But this was also the first book I've ever read in one day! It was that engrossing. The story, the layout of it, the twists and turns, and everything about it was ingenious. And as I read from a previous review, the ending cannot be described accurately. One has to read it to believe it. GREAT BOOK! GREAT READ! WOULD MAKE A GREAT MOVIE! 5 Stars aren't enough!

This book is incredible. I loved, loved, loved it. I read it cover to cover without putting it down. I couldn't; I was captivated after the first few pages. Mr. Valenti does a wonderful job, with so many twists and turns, you'll never figure out the ending. Don't think twice about reading this one......you most definitely won't regret it. This would make a wonderful movie.

A great read! I normally like fiction I was pleasantly surprised and engulfed by Innings Though Time. It kept me interested from beginning though end! Read it, you won't regret it.

Book was nicely put together and contains some great pictures as well as reproductions of his first contract, a letter from Richard Nixon, a love letter to his wife, etc. I'm sure there are better books out there in terms of the amount of information about Mantle. Buy the book only if you want to own reproductions of Mantle memorabilia but skip it otherwise.

The book was given to my husband as a gift and he enjoyed it so much that we bought one for a friend. Our friend was equally impressed with the book from the different memorabilia to the overall presentation. It's a book you want to look over again and again.

This book contains many seldom to never seen photographs from the Mantle family archives that make the book priceless. The inserted reproductions of Mantle memorabilia are a perfect supplement that give the reader an insight to Mickey that you can't get anywhere else. Top that off with great stories from Mickey Herskowitz, David Mantle and Danny Mantle and you have a real winner.

Mantle was a one-of-a-kind ballplayer that the sport has not seen since his retirement. Almost 40 years later, Mickey still holds many baseball records including the fastest time from home plate to first base (3.1 seconds), the longest measured home run (565' even though he hit a few in excess of 600' that could not be measured) and most World Series home runs (18).

The legend of #7 will live forever.

My favorite player (my nickname is 'Mickey'). Well done different presentation. I really enjoyed

I got this wonderful book for my father for Christmas and he loves it! It's his favorite book on Mickey Mantle. As a Yankee fan myself I also love the book-it's very touching how Danny and David Mantle talk about their Father.The photos are beautiful and all the little extras are really neat to look at. I recommend this book to Mantle and Yankee fans everywhere.

Rec'd book on time; cheaper than area bookstores. This is not the first time I purchased items from Amazon and I plan to continue. Great job! Thanks!

This is a book that you'll love. There's a lot of things to learn in it and some terms you probably can't listen anymore. A perfect book for a really baseball fan !

This is a book that you'll love. There's a lot of things to learn in it and some terms you probably can't listen anymore. A perfect book for a really baseball fan !

This baseball dictionary is clear, concise and helpful, particularly for people like me. I love baseball, but when I was growing up, girls weren't raised on sports, so I became a fan with sketchy knowledge of the rules and nuances of the game. Since I bought this book, I've learned a lot about pitching maneuvers, stats, history of the sport, slang terms and dozens of other things that make baseball more and more interesting to watch. I'm very glad I own it.

In baseball, what is a crackerjack? A cradle? A drawing Card? Feel the apple means what? What happens when you go to the pump? Who made up Murderers' Row? Open the New Dickson Baseball Dictionary and you'll find out.

This A to Z complete listing of baseball term is about the best book on the subject there is. Paul Dickson has put together over 570 pages of facts, terms, definitions and trivia that are sure to please every baseball fan.

Filled with over 100 photos and illustrations you are sure to find just about every baseball word you can think of. Also included are a thesaurus, a section of abbreviations and a fully annotated bibliography.

The baseball purest is sure to love this book as a gift, and it is priced to meet most budgets. Overall this book is great reading and makes the perfect handy reference book!

Terry Pluto has written an excellent book and as an Indians fan for 70 years I can easily relate to his personal story and to the history given of the Cleveland Indians. It is an excellent history for the most part, written as only a sports writer can, though he contradicts a couple other writers a few times. I espeically like the emphasis on the heroes of my childhood, Lou Boudreau, Bob Feller, Larry Doby and others on the famous 1948 team. I disagree with his contention that the l948 championship team was not one of the greatest championship teams ever and this is disproved in the detailed book An Epic Season by David Kaiser. Also for a really complete history of the Indians before and leading to 1948, Franklin Lewis wrote a book titled Clevland Indians published in 1949. Sadly, I don't know if that one can still be found or not, even through Amazon. It is more a history. Nonetheless, Our Tribe: A Baseball Memoir is a very good read and brings back the agony of the countless opportunities that former owners of the Indians let get by them. And the new owners may be doing that again today. :( As a personal story it is superb.

Absolutely wonderful weaving of an at times diffcult father-son relationship (congrats for telling it like it was!) and the history of the Cleveland Indians. Never gets bogged down in year-to-year stats and his way of comparing Shoeless Joe and Manny Ramirez's careers was brilliant. The stories about Manny are priceless.

Like all his other sports books, Terry Pluto is easily the best sportswriter on the planet.

This is a superb book because it goes beyond being a great sports book. Terry Pluto's weaving of his relationship with his father into his lifetime love of the Cleveland Indians makes it a book that readers will think about long after they've finished reading it. It's not necessary to be a Tribe fan to enjoy this book. I'd even go as far to say that a reader need not be a baseball fan to feel empathy and self-reflection on his or her parent-child relationship, regardless of whether the person is the parent or the child. I've also read the author's "Loose Balls", a wonderful look back at the American Basketball Association, and recommend that to those who remember the ABA (go Oakland Oaks!) and to those who weren't around to enjoy those years.

This is a fantastic book for any Indians fan who grew up watching games at the old Stadium. It's for all of us who grew up rooting for a sad team who had never won anything before and was never likely to do so in the future. It helps us to remember those days when the important thing wasn't how good the team was or if they had a chance at the Series, but rather spending time with our fathers watching the game. Maybe, just maybe, this book will help us to remember what is really important once again.

This book is as much a story about a son and his relationship with his father as it is about baseball, and tells each of those stories wonderfully. For basball fans it is an entertaining history of the Cleveland Indians and is full of colorful players, managers, and even owners. From the perspective of this one baseball team, the reader has a ring side seat on how much our country, society, and professional sports have changed and grown over the last 75 plus years. Just from the standpoint of the baseball Terry Puto is as good as Ken Burns or George Will.

But the story within the story is really about the author and his father. That relationship is one that is full of joy and sadness, wonderful memories and yet regrets. The author comes to better understand and appreciate his father after a stroke makes it impossible to talk to his father. In a cruel irony, when the time came that the author was ready and wanted to share stories and talk to his father, he was not able to.
All fathers and sons should read this book.

A final comment on Terry Pluto's writing style. I have read three of Mr Pluto's books and appreciate the way he writes in a clean, no non-sense style and yet fills his books with so much detail and color.

EXCELLENT book. A Coach or parent must read . Easy to understand with a vast amount of effective baseball knowledge with great illustrations . I especially like section that covers understanding kids emotions and psychological effects of ups and downs on players . Most parents and coaches do not realize how they can have a long term negative effect on a player. This book brings a whole new light on to the subject.

Very well written, very informative down to earth explanations and philosophy.

Gives insight that can be used for any age player. Breaks down to a fundamental level. Recommend for any youth coach.

This book isn't bad. I have not finished reading it, but it does give quite a bit of useful information. However, Cal seems to repeat himself several times in the book. There are many books out there that offer adequate, if not better, knowledge of how to play the game. Louisville Slugger's book is good as well as Coaching Pitchers. I would suggest only buying this book if you are a die hard baseball fan and plan on collecting many books. One good thing about the book is that Cal does give that sense of how to be a good teammate and maybe even a great family member.

I picked up this book at the local sporting goods store while I was buying gloves, bats, socks, pants, and etc. for my two sons who were starting little league baseball.

Just a few weeks earlier, I had declined a spot as an assistant coach due to not being "athletic", and I saw Ripken's book as an opportunity to learn some of the things that other dads had learned as kids.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I have not read it cover-to-cover, but have browsed and spot-read it throughout the season.

As a result, I now understand more of the things other dads are yelling out. For example, for those in the field, "keep your eye on the ball" means watch the ball from the beginning of the pitch, all the way to the bat, as it connects with and leaves the bat, then all the way to the glove.

Chapters are given for each of the aspects of the game, pitching, fielding, hitting, catching, running, and so forth. Text narratives are easily understood, avoiding or explaining the sports "jargon" that confuses many beginning players (e.g. "choke up on the bat", "take two"). Pictures explicitly illustrate concepts such as batting and fielding stances.

Ripken's narrative also provides fun training excercises used by coaches (both major and little leagues) to develop baseball skills.

I have kept this book within an arm's reach in my office all summer long. Ripken's baseball insights have enabled me to help my sons develop their own throwing and batting skills.

Maybe next year, I might take that assistant coach position!