Sports and Recreation Books

I purchased this book because of my great interest in birds (not hunting) and I particularly have an interest in the other birds of his menagerie. Frederick seems to me to be a truly Renaissance man before his time who had indoor plumbing, an extensive traveling library and who was a very creative architect of many of his palaces and lodges (which were more extensive than those of others). I am still searching for more information about how the many parrots and other exotic birds were housed and cared for, though I see that (in this book) that he had a large preserve for the large wild animals (elephants, lions tigers etc) and another just for hunting birds - no mention is made of the lovely gentle creatures and their care. My especial interest is in the Umbrella Cockatoo -so well described on page 59 of this book as "white parrot" but with details and it is apparent that there were at least numerous green parrots as well. I will keep searching and if anyone knows of a book showing his care of parrots please email vldazzle at Cox.net.

This is the perfect book for whoever wants to learn about what falconry was like a long time ago. However, I would not reccommend it to anyone who wants to learn about present day falconry. After you get your license, I would reccommend it. The reason I say this is because it can confuse the apprentice. It confused me. It does teach a lot though, and can give insight to diff. ways of training hawks. Belongs in every falconers library!

Frederick II was one of the very few brilliant minds of the Middle Ages who opossed the Pope and the teachings of the Church, even, it is said, declaring Jesus, Moses and Muhammad [...]. Patron of arts and Science, warrior and writer, it is also said that he spoke nine toungues (in an era when most members of the highest nobility were unable even to read). He was known as Stupor Mundi (Astonishment of the World), a Pope declared him the Antichrist, was twice excommunicated, and Dante sent him to the fires of Hell in the Divine Comedy. This book, about one of his passions, hunting, should therefore be in the shelves of every learned reader of the world. It is a fantastic source of information for falconers, historians (both of the Middle Ages and of Science) and for everyone interested in the history or the life of this great King, who, when crowned, wore a robe with this inscription wrote in Arabic: "May the Emperor be received well, may he enjoy vast prosperity, great generosity and high splendor, fame and magnificent endowments, and the fulfillment of his wishes and hopes. May his days and nights go in pleasure without end or change". So be it.

Beisdes being an incredible tract on falconry (modern ornithology has yet to surpass it, really. Doubly impressive, considering Frederick was writing some three centuries before the scientific revolution). This book is a cross-section of one of the most profound minds in all of Western history. Frederick the Second was the most magnificient of all the latter day emperors. From nothing he raised the throne of the Roman Empire to transcendant limits, defied both God and the Church, and brought in the fabled "third age" for the superstitious people of medieval Europe, who believed that he was either the bringer of Peace before the apocalypse or the Anti-Christ himself. His memorable utterance "...I am tired of being the anvil. Now I shall be the hammer!" was the inspiration behind Nietszche's work 600 years later. The Empire died with the next brilliant generation of the Hohenstaufen.

In light of all this, his book of falconry is indespensible. It shows us Frederick the Renaissance man, engaging in Scientific method in an era of revealed truths, and it shows us Frederick the hunter: shrewd, catching every detail, and always for the love of the chase. This book will amaze you to no ends!

As a practical guide to modern falconry, I don't believe this book would be as helpful as some on the market, but as a primary source from the middle ages it is first rate. The intricacies and details of the hunt, the housing, the care given to the birds, hounds, etc. . . . for this, the book is priceless. If you are looking for summaries of the hunting practices in the middle ages, Marcelle Thiebeaux and Anne Rooney are among the best authors to seek. If you want the actual details of the way it was by someone living at the time it was practiced, there is no better source than Frederick II's book (and few even close).

This is the 'source' information from which all useable functional,and common sense hitting instruction comes from.It's still just as relevant in '08 as it was back when the White Sox had those horrible uniforms.(and haircuts)
This book De-bunks a lot of the 'Red Herrings' of Hitting folklore. I am constantly amazed as a player and coach how much out and out, wrong information is out there.
Lau wrote this book right at the advent of the use of video. He was the first person to analyze a swing in all it's entirety. He not only came up with the '10 absolutes' but he points out what is NOT important...(stance,elbows up,staying back...whatever that means?)

No more 'squashing butterflies and squishing bugs'....
He speaks of the importance of:
Rhythm,weight shift
You Hit off of your FRONT foot.
You go back to get forward!
You do not keep your eye on the ball....Your head goes down when you swing.
and all importantly...tough as nails Charlie LAU talking about what most guys don't want to...fear and tension in hitting.

etc,etc,etc.

I was struggling at the plate when I bought this book. I was a power hitting .200 pull hitter. I retired from adult ball,hitting twice that. More importantly I taught everything I learned in this book to my son who has won a few league batting titles,though he still gets the occasional snide remark about how his swing 'looks' (LOL!)

I have taught many sub .150 hitting kids how to hit .400...it always lights up a kids face to find out I don't give a darn where his elbow is (or how many bugs he squashes)

I recently stepped into a cage after not having touched a bat in over a year. I drilled 10 consecutive line drives into the L-screen. I thought of Charlie's ghost smiling down as I imagined 'hitting the pitcher in the forehead' and driving it 'back through the box'

Charlie lives forever!!

I know this book isn't cheap because it's so hard to find (they need to reprint it!!)

BUT... It'll be worth every penny !!

-solpig

I read the first edition of this book when I was 14 years old. I followed all the advice to the letter. Subsequently, I led my baseball league in hitting with a .625 batting average. What a ringing endorsement, huh.

I was a scrawny little kid to whom baseball was everything. To my parent's dismay, I judged myself by how I played baseball. But I was scared of the baseball and lost as to how to go about hitting it. My coaches gave me harmful, misguided instructions like, "make sure it's a stike, then swing at it" and "snap those wrists". I was a wreck. Then one winter my Dad (like me, a George Brett/Wade Boggs fan) bought me this book. My Dad had never been able to hit either, but he and I dissected it over the course of a summer.

It was a lot of work, more work than any 12-year-old could could have undertaken without the guidance of an equally determined adult. But my Dad and I realized that hitting was a process, a method that could be learned. Lau taught that everything I had been told -with horrible results- was in fact wrong. You don't judge whether a pitch is a strike and then swing; you start your swing and let your reflexes hold you back. You don't swing hard with your arms; you swing easy and get your power from your whole body.

All spring we worked on it, practicing in the garage, spending literally hundreds of dollars at batting cages working on mechanics. That very next season, I was hitting the ball better, and I only improved from there. By the end of that season, I was a certified leadoff terror. My team won its league title thanks to a game-winning single by yours truly. I even hit a few home runs (by not trying to, as Lau teaches). I was deliriously happy.

Even since then I've been a good hitter. Not a power hitter (I'm much too small), but a solid doubles guy with surprising pop. What I learned from this book kept me in organized baseball through Babe Ruth and high school (simultaneously), college, and semi-professional leagues. I am a hideously slow runner who soon after puberty had to give up dreams of playing professionally, but to this day I can step in front of a pitcher or pitching machine -cold- and drive the ball. This book taught me how. If you really want to hit a baseball, buy it, read it, internalize it, and put your faith in it. It will serve you well.

I recommend this book for anyone wants to learn (or teach) advanced hitting techniques. Pictures and descriptions clearly explain common hitting problems and show correct swing mechanics. My 15-year old struggled through his first slump before we applied Lau's hitting fundamentals. He added fifty points to his batting average over the next month and hit 0.638 in a national tournament. I believe this book had a lot to do with his improvement.

If you want to learn to hit the right way, this might be the best investment you will ever make. Like another reviewer wrote, though, you must be willing to do the work to learn the lessons the book teaches. Also, if you just want to be a home run hitter, this book is not for you; a home run is only a pleasant mistake in the Charlie Lau/George Brett school, which teaches solid line-drive hitting. After studying this book, I became a Top 10 hitter in a highly-competitive Texas league. The Art of Hitting .300 is a baseball treasure.

Many players played for the Pied Piper(Holcombe Rucker).No one was has great as him though.He was a great man and founder of the Rucker Tournament.Most people who ended up playing in the Rucker Tournamet was better then most players in the NBA.They first started playing just in Harlem,New York then went to playing more teams in New York then more and more teams.They played as far as Mississippi.

this book talks about problems the players and coaches had with racism.Most players got started in the Rucker Park Tournament.After the park tournament they went on to college ball even some went to the NBA!
Asphalt Gods by Vincet M. Mallozziwas a great book about players before professional ball games.This book is a excellent book to pick up and read.

An excellent book. Well worth the read. Great read on the history of the fabled blacktop and the man who dedicated himself to making a difference in people lives. Great read on some of the characters to grace the early days of the tournament. you won't be dissapointed getting this book

Asphalt Gods is the best book on the planet.If you love basketball you should read this book.It is a true story which took place at Rucker Park.Rucker Park is named after the brother named Holcombe Rucker.Who was born in Harlem on March 2,1926.He was raised by his grandmother.It is interesting because Mr.Rucker brought some of the best players ever to play there.

I've read Heaven is a Playground, City Game, and seen On Hallowed Ground, for anyone that is a "real" basketball fan this is by far the "BEST" story of the best streetball.

Great subject, great storytelling. By the way, I played with Rucker legend Billy Rieser (aka White Jesus) and he was hands down the most incredible basketball talent and the most compelling personality I have ever been around. His story is worthy of a volume in itself.

Bride to be says these will make a wonderful addition to their camping experience. They are advid campers and had wanted these items, so I imagine they will make great use out of them.

Honestly, this is my backpacking bible. I love backpacking how-to books and books on the trail, and Mr. Townsend brings the both of those together in a manual that covers everything from specific components of boot construction to the five different kinds of ways to sew a sleeping bag. This book goes into EXTREME detail about what kind of gear he would recommend and why, so it's hard to read straight-through (I did anyway). He manages to insert his own stories and experiences to give you sort of a context as to why he thinks the way he does, and it lends the book the air of wisdom, like you're talking to a veteran scoutmaster or an experienced thru-hiker (which he is).

I wish he was a little more knowledgable about newer backpacking equipment, but other than that the entire book is priceless. Definitely a must-own for any backpacker, from day- to thru-hiker.

This is a detailed book on backpacking and backpacking equipment. Chris Townsend is the TGO Magazine (The Great Outdoors Magazine) gear editor. He receives all the new equipment, before it hits the shops, to test and write revues on. He has been hiking for over 25years and has walked over 20,000 miles so he has a good idea of what he is talking about. Unlike Ray Jardine's book, beyond backpacking, which advocates making your own gear Chris explains, in a lot of detail, all the different types of gear you can buy for backpacking. He gives his worldly advice on equipment and hiking techniques. If you want to listen to Chris talk about gear try going to backpackinglight.co.uk and click on podcast and you should be able to find some interviews with Chris.

There is a lot of detail in this book. I cannot strongly recommend it though because there isn't that much that is unique. It isn't bad. It just isn't great. In part, the author suffers from being knowledgeable of the past but not the present gear, clothing, or technology. The author researched enough to find out about what is now available, but it often appears as though he has only read about it on the Internet or in product literature. A quick example is the utility of a GPS. He mentions his own heavy weight relic and also the lightweight Garmin Geko. He considers a GPS an interesting gadget but he doesn't know how to really take advantage of a GPS combined with topographic mapping software for pre-trip planning and route finding. The old heavyweight relic of a GPS that the author has, gets the most coverage in the text and he simply mentions he might use a GPS more, if he had a Geko.

The Backpackers Handbook is more informative and easier to read than the other two books I bought recently (Hiking Light Handbook, and Everyday Wisdom). Save your time and read this one alone.

This is the first time I've used BA's Prospect book, and I'm quite happy with it. I've used Baseball Prospectus' Annual often, and suspect that, if used in conjunction, I should get a leg up on other "general managers" in my fantasy league. BP looks at prospects from a sabermetric view, and is not 100% accurate. BA looks at prospects from a scout's perspective, which, of course, is not always 100% accurate either.

If you are a baseball junkie, this book is a must have. It lists the top 30 prospects for each team and provides a nice overview of each organization's recent draft history. For fantasy baseball players, this is a great way to get ahead of the competition. Last year, I knew about guys like Lincecum, Braun, Tulowitzski, Gallardo, etc, before they were called up. This year, when the Orioles traded Miguel Tejada to the Astros and Erik Bedard to the Mariners, it was great seeing the in-depth scouting reports on all the young prospects coming over. Highly recommended.

Baseball America covers prospects like nobody else. And the annual prospect guide is a can't miss title, especially for those of us who live in minor league towns and visit the Arizona Fall League every year.

The book features detailed writeups on the top 30 prospects from every organization, in addition to great depth chart features. My favorite is the "Future Starting Lineups" feature for every team; it's an easy way to identify the likely major leaguers of the future.

This is the quintessential resource for Prospects in Major League Baseball. This year's edition is no exception. I liked the fact that Baseball America included the top ten prospect from each minor league

The Baseball America Prospect book is the very best prospect book written.
Its a real shame that Baseball America does not write a Major League book like it.
The book goes into detail of the ball player. It is a book I use all summer long. At the trading dead line in MLB I often refer to it.

A great collection of information, but I'm struggling to keep up on all these publications and which one is the best. Too many baseball books giving you the same thing for about the same price. And this one doesn't really stand-out.

As a veteran fantasy leaguer and two-time defending league champion, I have been looking to broaden my horizons when it comes to projecting player stats. This was my first year buying Shandler's book, and I am amazed at the wealth of valuable information he includes.

In his projections, Shandler includes a host of statistical measures that you won't find anywhere else, and they have led me to a lot of insights I wouldn't have had without the book. The highlight for me was the PQS pitching log, which turns a subjective look at starting pitcher performance into a valuable quantitative tool. I also enjoyed the essays that he and his staff put together, looking into the minutia of baseball performance.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone who wants to gain an edge in fantasy baseball or to anyone with an unsatisfied curiosity about predicting baseball players' stats.

I started participating in fantasy baseball last year. It was a great time, but I became inundated with magazines and endless articles on what to do. It was too overwhelming that in retro I choked when it came to picks from rounds 5-10.
This book puts the mind at ease and also is a great read if you're getting into baseball and wanna understand the natural progression of talent and skill. Yes, it does come with an oh-so-handy spreadsheet and chart, but it does give you the tools needed to make educated choices and sleeper choices that are above "sleeper" quality.
Definitely a great tool to use and parlay come draft day. If anything you'll appreciate the number 26!

I just got the 2005 Baseball Forecaster. The tech analysis is great and it broken down very well.

It wiil be a great addition to your fantasty baseball draft overall.

Have subscribed to Shandler's Forecaster since 1997. Believe me, I've been through all the other mags and publications, both by noted fantasy gurus such as Bill James, John Benson, etc in addition to Spoting News, Fantasy Sports and so on. I still read and buy the others, as I consider them interesting and enjoyable reads. Yet, when I want the crucial info that will lead me to league titles, I refer to Baseball HQ. The Forecaster has guided my preseason and in season ship for 6 yrs now. The best, no questions asked. Projections based on empirical data, trends and base skill indicators. I could go on and on..... Play Ball!!!!!!!

This book is a must for the baseball enthusiast. Dave Gilbertson paints a vivid picture of Bad Land baseball. A very detailed description is given for each player as well as town they visited. While reading this book, you can't help but think about the many metaphors baseball is to these minor leaguers.

David Gilbertson had what most men stop dreaming of at age 8: a chance to play in a professional ballgame. His unique experience and masterful storytelling combine for a vivid and oftentimes humorous look at baseball in its purest form.

As a Red Sox fan it is hard not to be somewhat traditional. Gilbertson helps us remember players who ride on cramped buses, live day to day, and play the game for ore reason and one reason alone: a shot a the majors.

Truly a timely and enjoyable book. A wonderful debut, and I look forward to future offerings.

This book is part baseball adventure, part biography, and part exploration of small town America and it is always entertaining. The author does a fine job of telling the life story of many people he has encountered while working in the Dakota Rattlers front office (and any other office the team needed him in). In many instances, I rooted for the individual players as much as for the team itself. The book also does a running commentary of what life in the Prarie Leagues is like, not just for the players but for the fans as well. One can not tell of a doubleheader on the 4th of July without mentioning the pre-game parade, and one can easily see how American life and baseball are intermixed throughout this novel. Although one can describe the author's view of baseball as one of childlike wonder and amazement, one can also argue that the author examines baseball in the minor leagues with well-reasoned observation. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and I recommend it to anyone who is a fan of baseball.

This book is a classic on baseball. I loved it. Dave is the MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

An original storyteller, Mr. Gilbertson weaves a spellbinding tale of hot afternoons, smalltown life, and one of America's greatest passions--baseball. For the sports aficionado it is a unique look at the most under-appreciated aspect of baseball--the minor leagues. The author captures the essence of these players and what it is that binds them, and their fans, to this sport. He also transports the reader to the midwestern setting that reminds everyone--be they from North Dakota or New York--of the long-gone but not so far away America of Mom, apple pie, and, of course, baseball. A pleasure to read. I highly recommend it--A great FATHER'S DAY GIFT!

If every general manager in baseball (Ed Lynch, are you reading this! ) was forced to study this book, entire paradigms of baseball lore would suddenly be pushed aside in favor or fresh, rational, and rigorous principles of management. All of the statistics provided in the prospectus are, of course, second to none, but Michael Wolverton's relief ratings (ARP, ARA, etc.) are truly something special. I have always been amazed at how even the most "knowledgable" baseball minds accept simplistic statistics like ERA and saves as valuable appraisals of a relief pitcher's talents. It's as if the baseball gurus have failed to adjust to post-1950 baseball with its growing reliance on bullpens and decreasing reliance on starting pitchers, and the completely different conditions in which relief pitchers work in comparison to their starting compatriots. Yet these same "experts" have accepted without question the notion that a team must have a real "closer" in order to be a contender. Wolverton blasts these assumptions to smithereens with his analyses, and his elaborate calculations, yet pristine conclusions should revolutionize how the later innings of games are viewed. Throw in the authors' passionate defense of wise treatment of young pitchers, their funny yet consistently incisive comments about hundreds of players, their willingness to challenge age-old fallacies like "veteran leadership" and the genuinely historical perspective they bring to the table of baseball debate, and you have one of the most informative and entertaining baseball books I've ever read.

Where once there was only Bill James, now it seems there are oodles of annuals offering scientific analysis of baseball, and a zillion more offering fantasy advice. What makes Prospectus far and away the best? Yes, its analysis is spot on, and contrary to the review above, they have nothing against the Colorado Rockies. Yes, its comments would be helpful at a fantasy draft, although this book is much more about "Real" baseball. No, what makes the Prospectus the best book is the humor. You'll laugh out loud more often than reading any comedian's book on the NYT best sellers list, that's for sure.

BP debunks myths, explodes fallacies, and takes sabermetrics to a new height. It has an excellent method for evaluating and projecting performance, but many other credible methods can found elsewhere. BP's riches are found in the essays and player commentaries. Its insights will reshape the baseball debate in the coming years. Roster management, pitcher abuse, big markets v. small markets, tools v. skills -- the debates defining our age and the age to come are all discussed fully and insightfully here.

BP readers will in short time find themselves looking at baseball in a much more complex and accurate way. They will find themselves at greater and greater distance from the newsstand knowledge of those who rely on magazines and Baseball Weekly. They'll be better fans for having read BP. No other book provides so much. BP2K is the best value on the market.

Baseball Prospectus is a must-have for any hard-core baseball fan. These guys do a fantastic job of stripping away the nonsense and the myths and really analyzing the facts to come up with some really useful observations. Also, the manner in which they do it is fun, funny and engrossing; never just a cold statistical survey. All fantasy league players should buy this book immediately, but it will be a great read to any fan of the game.

All of the reviews of Baseball Prospectus above are spot-on -- it's easily one of the most insightful and ENTERTAINING baseball publications (are you listening, John Benson?) and a must-read for those who take the game seriously.

But be warned -- if you think that baseball analysts "look at stats too much" or still believe that batting average is a pretty good way of assessing a hitter's performance, then you will be way out of your league. Even after 2+ years of studying the Prospectus' methodology, I'm still occasionally befuddled by the statistical measurements used.

Let's just put it this way: there are NO REAL STATS in Baseball Prospectus -- all stats are adjusted (based on park factors, team factors, etc.) or projections for the upcoming year. It's the ultimate in "fantasy" baseball -- yet it tells you more about the "real" game than any non-STATS book out there. And -- to repeat -- it's extremely well-written, provocative and hilarious.

I would just like to confirm what a previous reviewer stated for Mr. Wirkmaa's book. I took the reviewer's advice, bought the book on Amazon, and also went ahead and bought "The Scorekeeper's Friend" available at Mr. Glasco's website. The two taken together offer a winning combination for those aspiring to become competent baseball/softball scorekeepers. The former comprehensively explains the reasoning behind the scoring rules of baseball, while the latter shows you how to do it on a scorecard. Two thumbs up!

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn the basics of score keeping. It is about as simple as it can get as the offensive numbers goes.

If you're an official scorer at any level you need this book. I'm an official scorer for a minor league baseball team, and I keep mine handy during the games. Every now and then I'll need to pull it out to check a rule when something odd happens. Without it I would have been able to find answers in the official rule book, but not nearly as quickly or definitively.

I hope the author is working on an updated edition to reflect the scoring rule changes put into place in 2007! I'll buy this book again if he does!

This book does a very solid job of clarifying some of the finer points of scorekeeping that are somewhat vague and difficult to comprehend in the baseball rule book. I highly recommend it for anyone who is truly serious about improving the accuracy of their scorekeeping skills. Even novice baseball fans that like to score a game just for kicks while sitting at the ballpark can benefit from reading it.

Mr. Wirkmaa patterns his book directly on the Rules of Baseball, therefore making it simple to go from the Rules to his interpretation of how the scoring would be handled for that particular situation. This type of editing lays out what is still a complicated subject in at least a methodical fashion.

My only disappointment on receiving the book was that he includes no diagrams on the scorekeeping itself. I wanted to see the actual scribblings when someone "runs the book." Not in there. I purchased another excellent book (not available through Amazon) entitled "The Scorekeeper's Friend" by Bill Glasco that has the level of diagramming (and explanations) that I was initially seeking.

All in all, any person serious about their scorekeeping should own Mr. Wirkmaa's book. I hope he follows it up with another.

This has been a remarkable year for books about Louis Sockalexis, the long-forgotten nineteenth century Penobscot outfielder. When he was signed with the Cleveland national team, he became the first Indian to play in the major leagues.

This book by Maine author Ed Rice tells Sock's story from a local point of view as well as extensively covering his outstanding career at Holy Cross and games with Cleveland, before drink and injury destroyed his career. Sockalexis broke the color barrier fifty years before Jackie Robinson, but his love of the high life and the overwhelming pressures of racism led him astray.

Mr. Rice's book is lavishly illustrated and vividly recreates the rough-and-tumble world of nineteenth-century baseball. The author also describes Sock's career in the minors, where he played better than people think, and his final years on Indian Island as a well-respected baseball coach and umpire.
This is a great piece of Americana and a must-read for baseball fans everywhere!

For years, Louis Sockalexis wasn't much more than a trivia question: who were the Cleveland Indians named for? Now there are THREE new books about him.

"Sock" was an outstanding athlete in his time and showed great promise. If drink hadn't ruined his major league career, he could have ranked as one of the all-time greats. Still, he deserves to be remembered as a baseball pioneer, the first Native American player not long after the Wild West was still killing off Indians. He had to put up with rough treatment from the crowds, but it didn't seem to bother him. In fact, he was well-liked by nearly everyone--too much, sad to say. Everyone wanted to buy him a round, and he loved to party. Finally, a foot injury wrecked his playing for good.

Ed Rice, a Maine author, includes a nice local view of Sockalexis's later life and interviews with people who knew him. There are fond memories and funny anecdotes about Sock, who never lost his ability to throw like a cannon or hit the ball out of the park. He coached a Penobscot team and sent five players to the New England leagues. He was such a good umpire you didn't dare argue with him. His last years were quiet but he always kept up with the latest news on baseball. They say when he died, he had clippings from his magical rookie year in his pocket. He's buried on Indian Island near Bangor, Maine, where fellow Mainers and visitors from all over can pay their respects to "Baseball's First Indian."

This is an outstanding book--I give it two thumbs up!

For part of one magical season in 1897, Louis Sockalexis, "Baseball's First Indian," had wings on his feet in the outfield. The fastest runner in the country, he ran down line drives and made spectacular diving catches followed by bullet-like throws to the plate. He went on a hot hitting streak that seemed unstoppable. Though he was showered with racial abuse at first, he soon won over the crowds with his calm demeanor and easy smile. It helped that he was rugged and handsome. If only the magic had lasted!

Louis had an alcohol addiction that soon made itself known. It wrecked his career when he injured himself and lost his lightning-quick speed and reflexes. The Cleveland Spiders (now Indians) gave him several chances to shape up, but he couldn't stop drinking. Finally they let him go in 1899. He drank himself off several minor league teams as well but occasionally showed flashes of his former brilliance. He played one complete season with the Lowell Tigers, posting a .288 average. In 1902 he went home to Indian Island for good. He quit drinking and won respect as an umpire and coach for Penobscot youths who were proud to learn from the best.

Of the three new books on Sockalexis, this one by Ed Rice is the most complete, covering each game of "Sock's" career and giving us a close look at his last years among his tribesmen, who honor his memory to this day. Mr. Rice grew up in Maine with the legend of Sockalexis close by, and decided many years ago his story was worth telling. This book is a remarkable portrait of a gifted ballplayer who's finally getting the attention he deserves.

This is the story of Louis Sockalexis, the first Indian ballplayer who had a great college career but fizzled out in the majors. Maine author Ed Rice tells us all about this player who became a national sensation in one short season. This exciting bio is crammed with baseball lore and play-by plays of Sockalexis's games with Holy Cross and the early Cleveland Indians. Without TV or radio, the fans had to imagine Sock's sizzling throws to the plate from deep right field and hot line drives. He was so fast he could steal bases at will. He had to face war whoops and taunting crowds, but like Jackie Robinson, he just quietly played the game. Sadly, drinking cut his career short but he holds a special place in baseball history as a pioneer and great player who could have become a champion if he'd lasted long enough. This book makes great reading during baseball season!

This new book by Ed Rice has everything--stats, rare photos of Louis Sockalexis and Hall-of-Famers such as "Cy" Young and Jesse Burkett, and game-by-game summaries. We learn about "Sock's" short, brilliant career as an outfielder with an arm like a rifle and the fastest feet in the league. But too much drinking and an ankle injury ruined Louis's speed and fielding. He was let go after 3 seasons and drifted around the minor leagues. Occasionally he played well but he never regained his former brilliance.

Sockalexis went home to Maine and worked as a logger and ferry operator. He also stopped drinking, and earned respect as an umpire for the rough Maine leagues. "Coach Sockalexis" taught young Penobscots the game and proudly sent five of them to the New England League.

Ed Rice gives us a nice glimpse into "Sock's" later years when he was much admired by friends and colleagues. His fellow tribesmen honor him to this day as a great athlete. Enjoy this interesting bio as you count the days to spring training!