Players Books

Sorry this isn't a review of the book, but I wanted to correct a previous reviewer that said that the trade of Munson for Bobby Bonds "backfired" since Bonds was gone after one season. But look who they got for Bonds: a 20-game winning pitcher (Ed Figeuroa) and a sparkplug leadoff hitter (Mickey Rivers). I think that trade was one big reason why they won the WS in '77 and '78. So, in effect, they got those two key players for Mercer, so I wouldn't say the trade backfired.

This is a great book for any Yankee, baseball, or sports fan...or anyone who enjoys reading about a wonderful human being who didn't take life for granted and lived every moment to the fullest. With the passing of Bobby, this book means even more. We are blessed that God kept him on Earth long enough for him to leave this treasure behind.

Having been a Bobby Murcer fan for my entire adult life, this book did nothing but reinforce that. While I was saddened to learn of his cancer and even more saddened by his recent death, this book provides insight into his fight, his attitude toward the disease, and the support he received from his family, his friends, and his faith. So, while it is not just a "sports" book, it does include numerous stories about his relationships with many greats of the game...both on the field and in the broadcast booth. It is in Bobby's down-home style..full of his sense of humor including asides to himself! On the baseball side, it is a memoir of his dedication to the team that originally signed him and the team he will be remembered most playing for...the Yankees.
Bottom line? Loved it, quick read, and a must for any Bobby Murcer fan!

Bobby Murcer begins the book with the shocking news he received on Christmas Eve 2006 that he had a brain tumor. He then tells his life story in an engaging "real-person" manner with just the right amount of detail.

There are occasional remarks reserved for his wife Kay, which adds another interesting perspective to Murcer's interesting career with the Yankees, Giants, Cubs, then Yankees again.

When Murcer goes into greater depth regarding the removal of his tumor and the extensive treatments for his brain cancer, it's as if the reader can hear him speaking. He never complains about the fatal hand he has been dealt, and closes the book on an upbeat note. A truly courageous man.

it was saturday night , i turned on the news in new york on channel 4 to hear worst news possible-BOBBY MURCER DIED OF CANCER..i was in tears..
i always admired the man..he was a true honrable yankee who loved the game, THE YANKEE, the fans and sharing his stories with us while he broadcast yankee games..i remember his terrific plays...his heroic performances as a yankee during the 70s and 80s..i can not believe he's gone..his book does him proud..to me he was a legend.. as a devoted yankee fan for 30 years i will never forget him...BOBBY YOU WILL ALWAYS BE IN MY HEART FOREVER..

CHARLES UNTERBERG
YANKEE FAN
AND GREAT FAN OF MURCER..

I just finished it and cried throughout the book. I have been to one baseball game in 63 years, and only know the names of a few baseball greats, yet I loved this story. I have searched the internet. Can't find Elgin Woodell. I even went on ebay to see if I could locate one of his baseball cards. No Elgin Woodell. You know your great at writing when you convince your readers that a character in one of your novels is real. That's right, go ahead and laugh.

The first two-thirds of this book were wonderful, but there wasn't enough conflict and suspense and as the end approached there was nothing to resolve. The book ended in a straight, predictable, and grossly sensational fashion that left me feeling cheated.

The author let me down on this one.

This was a fun book to read since it reminded me of some of the fun of being a kid playing ball. This book is about a 10-yr. old boy named Elgin and his love for baseball as well as his relationship with his parents who are divorced. His dad, who used to play ball, is in prison. Elgin has great talent and is so good at hitting that he is kicked out of little league because he's too good so he gets to play in higher leagues even though he's just a kid.

Another aspect of this book is to practice correctly and keep at it. Elgin practiced all the time! He played fastpitch in the alley or practiced with a pitching machine in the basement that he adjusted to throw really fast. Anyone interested in little league or baseball would probably like this book. I enjoyed it very much!

Karen Arlettaz Zemek, author of "My Funny Dad, Harry"

When you finish this book, you'll be searching the Internet to find out if the Youngest Hero was a real person, it's so real. The perfect book for young and old men that love the game of baseball. The author allows you to get into the thoughts of the characters and you become a part of their life. It's the best there ever was. If you like this one, check out author John R. Tunis for other real sports books you can't wait to pick up again to finish.

This book was excellent. I loved every single minute of it. Even though I am not a big sports fan, this book was engrossing with it's facinating detail to the game of baseball. It gave me a new appreciation of sports, and what it means to the people involved in it. The characters were precious, and I truly felt like I knew them. Several days later, I still remember them well. THAT's the sign of a great book!

Hats off to Talmage! Being an avid baseball fan, I have read many baseball books. I discovered many new significant factual nuggets and saw a great number of photographs that I'd not seen before. Obviously written by someone with a great passion for the game of baseball. Can not wait for his next book.

I've been a baseball fan for over 50 years and I have a library full of baseball books. I've even done some free-lance baseball writng of my own. So I don't give out praise lightly. This is a wonderful book and I would have to rank it on my list of Top 10 All-Time Favorites. It is more than just a baseball book...it covers a slice of Americana that all students of American history should find of interest.

The author has done a compelling job developing his premise that 1939 was a extremely important year in the history of baseball and in the history of the United States. The book is actually a collection of twelve essays covering pivotal events and dominant personalities from the baseball world of 1939. Other reviewers have covered these topics, which include notables such as Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Lou Gerhig, Leo Durocher, and the great broadcaster Red Barber. I found each essay to be well written and highly informative. Mr Boston has certainly done his research on the selected subjects and he writes in an engaging, highly enjoyable style that kept me turning the pages.

Even though most of the material was familiar territory to an old basball fan like me, I found that I learned something from each essay. Leo Durocher is my favorite character in baseball, and I've studied him intently. And yet I found the chapter devoted to him to be delightful and contained a lot of information that I was not familiar with. Likewise, the chapter on the Reds' great manager Bill McKechnie - one of the lesser known personalities that the author covers - was actually my favorite; and Mr.Boston has convinced me that Bill McKechnie is one of the most underrated managers in the history of the game. Other essays, such as the ones on the Negro Leagues, the founding of Cooperstown, and the advent of televison in baseball were also well done.

If you are a baseball fan as I am - or just a fan of American history - do yourself a favor and read "1939: Baseball's Tipping Point." Trust me...you won't regret it.

Assemble baseball historians over their favorite adult beverages with the topic "most important," "most pivotal," "most famous" baseball season and the conversation heatedly rolls.
Strong cases can be made for several seasons from baseball's past. In my pomposity I always insisted 1947 the most pivotal because of Branch Rickey's breaking of the game's color code with Jackie Robinson. There's no argument, 1947 was a strong and very important year for the game and for society.
My friend and Dallas-lawyer-baseball historian-writer Talmage Boston has changed my mind with his work "1939 Baseball's Tippping Point." So much import was packed that year into a six month baseball season.
Over two years before U.S. involvement in World War II, young up and coming stars outfielder Ted Williams and pitcher Bob Feller had begun showing the stuff that would lead to the Hall of Fame. That year, neither had become jaundiced due to what both thought was an excessive amount of career time lost due to the war effort. Yankees outfielder Joe DiMaggio began defining his career as elite that year.
In 1939 Brooklyn Dodgers General Manager Larry McPhail began dragging a lowly franchise out of the doldrums. By hiring fiery Leo Durocher to manage the club, McPhail served notice to his players and other clubs that wins were expected in Brooklyn. By wisely breaking a very silly, sophomoric ban on radio broadcasts, McPhail with the hiring of southerner Red Barber to call Dodgers games, took soap operas away from New York women and gave them the game. In doing so, the Dodgers created a completely new, educated genre of fan--females. That year, Barber also broadcast baseball's first televised game.
If 1947 marked the official end to appartheid in baseball, 1939 represented the time when newspaper editors both black and white began screaming for social change. Bigotry stories abounded. One of the most famous was a Daughters of American Revolution attempted ban on black singer Marion Anderson's appearance on the steps of the Lincoln Monument. Press coverage beat the ban.
While the Baseball Hall of Fame opened its doors in 1939 to its first class including Babe Ruth and Walter Johnson, in Cooperstown,New York, historians began refuting claims that native Cooperstown son Abner Doubleday invented the game.
Little League Baseball began operations in 1939, giving youngsters ages 8-12 their first shot at an organized style of play.
But perhaps the most famous historical item coming out of '39 was Yankees slugger Lou Gehrig's demise. Gehrig that year had been diagnosed with Amyotropic Lateral Sclerosis, a form of polio, now known as Lou Gehrig's disease. As Gehrig stepped out of the playing field limelight, he gave his famous, "Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth," speech to a sold out Yankee Stadium.
To me, "1939 Baseball's Tipping Point," went one step further. It is a missive that should be read and re-read by baseball fans as one more poignant reminder how this grand game became that way.

This is an excellent baseball book -- about the unique baseball happenings in 1939. Each chapter is devoted to a special story ... Ted Williams rookie season with the Bosox, the Yankee team after Gehrig retired and other interesting stories. There is a lot of great background regarding each story -- and is very well written.

This would be a great gift for Christmas or birthday

Greg Langdon

I have read this book....TWICE. You need to read it because it is different from any book on baseball you have ever read. Instead of it being about a team or a player, it identifies a YEAR, a time period that, basically, changed baseball in all areas FOREVER: the first televised game, the first games at night, the founding of Little League was in 1939, the passing of Lou Gehrig but the rookie year of Ted Williams, etc. I learned things I had never known about baseball and WHY this was such a pivotal year for the game. I've read a ton of books on baseball and donated them and gave them away. This one is mine to keep.

Hi my name is Skyler Williams and Allen Iverson is my favorite basketball player. I've liked him ever since the first time I saw him play. He plays like he's been playing all of his life every day, but he didn't start until he was ten years old. I like his cross-over alot, but my favorite move is his comercial move, the answer shoe commercial. I am hoping that he does more commercials. I like his cornrows. Someday I hope to meet him. If I ever met him I would probably faint. I think it is awsome how he is so good and yet he started playing at the age of 10. I like the way he is shorter than everybody and he is still better than everybody. I think that he is the next Michael Jordan. Every move he does, I try to do and it takes me an hour to get it good and he is the one that makes them up. That is awsome. And he is good at making poems and rap songs. He might come out with a record. He is also good at football and won the AAA MVP award in high school. I wish I could meet him. I have collected 50 of his basketball cards so far and I am hoping to collect some more. Allen Iverson is the best.

Skyler Williams

WHATZ UP TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGSTO SAY TO/ABOUT ALLEN IVERSON. I LOVE YOU AND KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.

buy this book.It is the best

I thought the book was very entertaining, mainly because of my love for the man the book was based on. I think he is great basketball player and I have never known a point guard to score like him. Although we live two different lifestyles, I admire you because you shine regardless! I love that about you. My personal advice to Allen Iverson is to keep your head up and continue ballin'. The next Director of Public Relations for a team in the league, Miss La'Keisha

I LOVE IVERSON he is an true role model. He went through alot as a child and teen and still going through pure hell as an adult. He shows me that you should never give up and forget where you come from. If you have an goal and dont understand Iverson and you only know him as an ball player and dont know why he has so many fans you should read this book. It made me think and rewind my thoughts on the game of basketball and look at him as a total different person. Hes a true role model and thats why true fans like me dont look at him and just see cornrows and tattoos we see an awesome gift from god and a pro at the game of life as well

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.

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!

Tony Salin's collection of stories in "Baseball's Forgotten Heroes" is a reminder that baseball's charm is created by more than the superstars that the media cling to when trying to get the average fan's attention. As much as I enjoy reading about Williams or DiMaggio, Baseball's Forgotten Heroes is a fresh approach that I hope will set a standard for future volumes. Throughout history, baseball has presented many men with fascinating stories that have been otherwise overlooked. Fortunately, there is at least one author with the desire and perseverance to publish some of these unsung-heroes' stories. The style of this book would appeal to anyone regardless of his or her degree of passion for baseball or knowledge of the sport, but it is a "must-have" for any baseball enthusiast's library. I hope Salin is able to produce many sequels to this wonderful model of baseball literature. HOF!

Baseball is a game rich in history and stories abound about those who have played the game. Author Tony Salin has provided us with stories of players who are known to true fans such as Chuck Connors, Billy Jurges, Frenchy Bordagaray, and Larry Jansen. A number of stories of very obscure players who have interesting tales to tell as well is also in the book. I especially enjoyed the pronounciation of names in the back of the book. I had hoped to see the name Chris Van Cuyk listed, but, alas, that one will continue to mystify me. The book is a quick read and is worth your time.

This is a book written by someone with a lot of love for the game of baseball. It will mostly benefit others with the same love: Salin has found sufficiently obscure figures that I had only heard of half of them. Where feasible, he lets them tell their own stories, thus preserving their style of speech and bringing them to life (very important as most are very elderly or since deceased).

Salin must be a persuasive fellow and is certainly a persistent one; he wangled an interview with the very reclusive Pete Gray, who played major league baseball with only one arm (true story). He has gathered a collection of amusing and interesting stories that tell a lot about the times in which his subjects played.

And as if all that weren't enough, there's a great bonus at the end: a pronunciation guide to baseball people's names. How is someone like myself, born in the early 1960s, supposed to know how to pronounce a lot of the names of the past? What a superb inclusion, and the list is both long and phonetically clear. I couldn't believe my good fortune when I got to that part, having thought that the book was over, and was so pleasantly surprised. It was like a performer coming out for a superb encore.

Well worth the money and time for enthusiasts of baseball history. I'm going to keep my eye on this author, and I hope we get more.

Are you tired of reading the same stories about the same baseball players? Pick up this great little book for a different look at the game. Instead of rehashing old stories the author delves into the careers of some little known but colorful characters. The interviews, though somewhat rough around the edges, allow the author to give you the conversational type of history, as if you were sitting across the kitchen table from these baseball nomads. It's the kind of book you find yourself saying, "I could have written this book". But hey, the author followed through on his idea, and I look forward to seeing more of the same type material from him.

This book, like Andrew Torrez's critically acclaimed _Off Base_, appears to be part of a growing trend among baseball authors to encourage their readers to think "outside the box." Salin's ideas, like Torrez's, are provocative and entertaining.

My cousin from Atlanta sent me this book for my birthday. I like to read while I'm under the hair dryer. I loved this book and I could relate to the characters. Dirty Red was my favorite. She was tough for her age and she reminds me of myself. Black Jake is now at the top of my list of favorite books, right next to Coldest Winter Ever. I e-mailed the author and told him what I thought about the book. He e-mailed me back and thanked me. He seems so cool. Check out the book. You won't be disappointed. Peace.

I am in love! B.J. is my dream man. I loved his character, so smooth, so intense, so real. My book club is reading this next week. I can't wait for everybody to read it so we can talk about it. As long as they know B.J. is mine!

What's gangsta? Black Jake is gangsta! This book has something for everybody. I don't see how anybody could not like it. BJ is the truth, a major player. But I like the way he's down to earth. Kai was my favorite girl in the book. She was down for whatever. I can't wait for part 2. I hope there is one.

Aight, at first I was skeptical about this joint but it only took one chapter to get me feeling this. i liked the way black jake handles his business. cant nobody say this nigga aint the truth. his girls are nice to. mad loyalty. thats what niggaz need from our woman. you ladies could learn something from the chicks in this book. and us brothas out here better wake up or a nigga like jake is gonna be breaking off one of our ladies. peace.

Finally! A book that kept me interested from begining to end. this cannot be Q's first book. If it is I'm impressed. the main character is cool but i really dig his brother. i used to jack people up just like he did. and i loved the ladies like BJ.

What a book! This is a great story. If you have a kid in Little League and you don't know what to say to them when they are just starting out, or when they lose a game, or any of the other stuff that goes with being a kid in sports, this book is for you.

i purchased this book for my 9 year old fanatic baseball fan of a son last Christmas. It was then, and remains still, his favorite book ever. I truly hope that Mr. Bosworth has more books just like it.

Great book not only about baseball, but also about working hard and doing the right thing. It's easy to read and once you pick it up, it's hard to put down. I recommend it to all parents and kids involved in sports. The book's price makes it affordable to everyone.

I am a college student, with an undying love for baseball. An old coach recommended it and i could not put it down. It's easy enough for any child to read, and entertaining enough for any baseball lover-no matter what age! It touches on all of the real issues of a little leaguer and how they feel. I felt like i was being transported back into my little league dugout. Then the magic of the story is an added bonus. This book is a "must read," and will be finding itself a home on every sports lovers bookshelf in the very near future. Wow what a book! Great Job Mr. Bosworth! You are a great author and a true baseball story hero!!!

Finally a sports fiction for both children and adults. The Box Seat Dream touches the heart and soul of anyone who has ever played baseball or any sport for that matter. My son is not an avid reader but loves to play ball. He couldn't put this book down. He even brought it to the dinner table. I loved it as well. Exciting baseball games, realistic life obstacles, skills learning and fantasy all wrapped up in one book. Mark my words, this story will one day become a movie. If books were honored in the Baseball Hall of Fame, The Box Seat Dream would be inducted. It is that good!

Being a Hank Aaron bibliographer, I found this work to be an excellent acknowledgment of African-American players who were able to play MLB. It is unfortunate that so many of the Negro League greats were unable to do so! Another great read! relevant to the younger generation of fan.

Even though former New York Mets outfield Vic Coleman proclaimed, "I don't know no Jackie Robinson and I don't care to," baseball fans surely know the story of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier.

All baseball fans, however, would do themselves a favor by reading this book about the other black players who integrated baseball. Integrating the game wasn't accomplished when Robinson stepped into the Dodgers' lineup in 1947. Black players suffered humiliating treatment in the minors and the major leagues for many years.

Jacobson, a sports reporter and columnist for Newsday for 44 years, brings together the experiences of 19 black players for a powerful testament to an ugly and shameful period of history and sports.

Jacobson tells the story of famous players such as Bob Gibson, Ernie Banks, Elston Howard, Frank Robinson, Hank Aaron and Lou Brock, as well as lesser known players such as Charlie Murray (Eddie's brother), Alvin Jackson and Ed Charles. No player (or person) should have endured what they did.

As a kid following baseball in the 1960s, I had no idea what black players had to endure. It didn't make any difference to us if a player was black or white. After reading this book, I have a lot more respect for their accomplishments and character.

Author Steve Jacobson has tracked down various former black players who were willing to share their experiences on what it was like to break into major league baseball following Jackie Robinson's trailblazing effort in 1947. Larry Doby, who shortly followed Robinson, asked, "Do you think it was any easier eleven weeks later?" Ball clubs would sign players to contracts and not prepare them in any way for the racist experiences they would soon be introduced to. Many understandably couldn't deal with the bigotry that was thrown at them while others asked themselves, "What would Jackie do?" The book includes the names of several individuals who assisted these young black athletes. Their small kindnesses will never be forgotten. Michael Jordan was asked why he hadn't campaigned for a Democrat to unseat Jesse Helms in the North Carolina Senate. Jordan's answer, "Republicans buy sneakers, too." Baseball and America have come a long way since Pumpsie Green integrated the last remaining all-white team, the Boston Red Sox, in 1959. However, before we get too smug in the success that has been achieved, there are still reminders that we must continue, as Lou Brock stated, to "cope with the ever-present danger." I did find one irritating mistake that was made four times on pages xix, 42, 100, and 180. The murder of Emmett Till took place in August of 1955, not 1954. Nevertheless, this book also needs to be read by present day ballplayers who, like Hank Aaron said, "don't have a clue" what conditions were like. How many players did Vince Coleman speak for when he stated, "I don't know no Jackie Robinson, and don't care to."? History lessons are in order for professional players who are presently reaping the benefits.

I love to read, but I've had trouble for a while staying focused on a book and finishing it. I
love those books that once you pick them up, you can't put them down. This was one of those books.
The title is VERY appropriate. Recently, I got in an online debate about why Larry Doby was
seemingly ignored during the 60th anniversary of Jackie Robinson's breaking the color barrier in
baseball. I think Larry Doby was a great man to his country (a WWII vet), to his family (remembered as
a good husband and father) and to the game (elected to HOF, 1998) but he was no Jackie Robinson. So many of the men in this book talk about how Jackie guided them and how they looked to him for inspiration.

I think some people today feel that racism is something you only find in a history book, that the struggles black players faced back then don't happen today. I was shocked to find out in this book that Ken Griffey Jr. was targeted by racist hecklers in Bakersfield, CA in 1988. In fact, he wasn't able to leave the park by himself that day because the racists were waiting for him in the parking lot.

I'm African-American. Reading this book did not make me bitter... it only gave me a true appreciation for these men and the crosses they bore to live out the American Dream while they played the National Pastime. And there is no rule that says blacks HAVE to play Major League baseball but I am always glad to see the legacy of Jackie Robinson continue, especially by those who do it with excellence and integrity.

"Many terrific things come to me due to this job, some by pure fortune. For example, The Post and Newsday have seats side-by-side at Yankee Stadium. So for many games, I was blessed to sit next to veteran columnist Steve Jacobson before he retired from Newsday in 2004. I received an education because Steve is a first-rate reporter and even better storyteller. Now, you can share the same experience. Steve's book, "Carrying Jackie's Torch," is in bookstores. It magnificently portrays the struggles endured by the black players who followed Jackie Robinson in integrating the major leagues."

--JOEL SHERMAN - New York Post (2/18/07)