Little League Books

As a mental health therapist, I have found this book helpful for both parents and children. Children find it easier to ask questions after reading or listening to this book and parents seemed comforted by this clear, calm and sensitive explanation of sexual abuse. This book tells children what they can do if they or their friend has been abused. I often use this book when a parent is afraid their child has been a victim, but they don't know where to start the process of talking to their child.

I am reordering two of these books as my last copy got borrowed and passed around between relatives in one family. I don't want to be without a copy for me or the other clinicians at my clinic.

The book Heat by Mike Lupica is about baseball. Michael is a kid and a star pitcher for his little league team. When his brother gets arrested for trying to break into Yankee Stadium and his dad dies in Florida, his family, his friends, and his baseball falls apart.

This book is really good because it gets into the details of baseball. It is also about problems like his friend Ellie losing his friendship with Michael because he was frustrated with everything that his mouth let out things that he didn't mean. Anybody who likes baseball, no matter how old, will like this book. Those who don't like baseball will still like the conflict in this book.

Heat is about a boy named Michael Arroyo he is a 12 year old boy who is living in america illegally; he left his birth certificate and he doesnt have any citizen ship papers.Michael lives in a working class neighborhood his family is very poor. He plays for the clippers in a local baseball team he is the best team he can pitch 60 mph the fastest in the league. Michaels dream was to play in the little league world series. Michaels father promised to be there to watch michael play in the game unfortuntely he dies before anything happened. Michal has a friend named cole who plays with him on the team they alwys practice at mcombs dam park a ark that is in really bad condition in a bad neghborhood. Michael is hiding from the league that he is not a citize and if the social serivices ever found out he' woill bge deported.

How do you lie about your dad's death? Michael and Carlos did. Michael is 12 while his brother Carlos is 17. With their dad dead Carlos has to try to make a living for both of them. Michael loves baseball like his friend Manny. Late in the baseball season a hot shot boy call Michael out and says he is 14 because of how tall and how fast he throws a baseball. Later he needs to get a birth certificate so he can play, but his birth certificate is back in Hispana were he used to live. Another trouble his family is facing is a child services guy wants to meet their father. Manny hires his uncle Timo to pretend he is their father (Timo is an actor). Will they fool him? I gave the book a ten out of ten for the amazing originality of the problems. This is a sports book for sports fans from the ages 11-15. The book shows how lying goes deeper and deeper until someone is bound to find out. There is but one controversial part in the book. Will Carlos and Michael get caught?

I loved "Heat" because of all the great things it had inside of it. Heat is about a 12 year old baseball player named Michael Arroyo who lives in New York City. He is a very good pitcher in the city league. The main theme of the story is that he is too good for his league. The coaches in his league wonder if he is older than the rest of the league. Once this problem comes upon Michael, he has is asked to show the league his birth certificate so they can make sure he is the same age as everyone else. But problems fall like rain on Michael and he cannot give them the certificate because he has lost both of his parents and only has his brother for his family. Michael has to get all the help he can to get past the coaches who are so curious. Michael cannot live without baseball so he will try anything and everything to get it back.

Heat is a book for ages 10 and up. Heat is a fun book that all sports fans will adore. Heat has thrills!

--Kyle Dickson

Heat is one of the most enjoyable, interesting books I've ever read. Michael, a typical boy with a great right arm is the main character. He lives with his brother Carlos. His dad is supposedly caring for a sick relitive in Florida. Michael faces hardships and problems, but keeps himself going with friends and Carlos.
Baseball helps Michael with his life problems as well. It makes him feel ike all of his problems can disappear. But things in Michael's life aren't always so picture-perfect.
One boy in Michaels baseball league thinks Michael is too old for little league baseball. He is jealous of Michael because is right arm is so powerful. He and his father(the coach of his son's little league team) demand a birth certificate for Michael's ability to play. Michael was born in Cuba so he has a very hard time trying to find his birth certificate.
Michael has a best friend named Manny. I think he is te perfect so called "side-kick" for Michael. He is funny and keeps Michael's spirit up through out the book. Over all I give Heat five stars!
Gretchen - Grade 5

This book is a must read for teachers of pre-teen boys. It captures their attention so well because it is all about their world. It is very entertaining and even your hestitant readers will love it!

This book is about a boy named Alex aka skinny-bones.He can't do anything rigth.But he aiways clean it up with jokes.He plays baseball than thats were tj comes in.Tj thinks hes all that{he is kind all that}.Untill something good happens to Alex.Read it to find what happens.

I think this book is good because T.J and Alex have a contest of who can pitch the best. But even though T.J won, they both became famous.

This is a really good book and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Also, if you like comedy books this would be a fine book to read. One part that made me laugh is when Alex lies about the kitty fritters. Alex is the main character in the book. He is known for lying. So if you like books with people lying in it, this is a good book for you.

This book is so funny it's about a boy name Alex. He wants to be the class clouwn.Alex isn't what you'd call a teacher's pet. That's where a boy name TJ comes in. He is a baseball player and he's very good. You should read this book because it is so good as you read it, you can imagine what is happening in your head.
Jasmine

Much of Mudville was cute and fun, and the author/Little League manager clearly loves his son. But I had to wonder about the kids on the team who didn't get a lot of playing time -- they didn't get much book time either. I also thought that the author got a little too hung up on winning. The whole thing made me wish that the author, instead plotting out winning lineups and agonizing over pitching rotations, just would have rotated the kids through every position and given them equal playing time. But that would have been too...fair?

Greg has done a super job of describing how I feel a father should be involved with his son's baseball team. As the founder/president of a 2 yr. old Little League program myself...I can't tell you enough of what a great job Greg did in putting youth baseball in the proper prospective, with a nice touch of humor. My 11 yr. old is now reading it and loves it too! Little League....it's just for the kids!

Greg Mitchell's "Joy In Mudville" is a fantastic book. I think that anyone who picks it up will quickly become engaged in this John Feinsteinesque memoir about a season spent by a father coaching his son's little league team. But for anyone who has ever been involved with any type of city-league baseball, this book is a must because throughout the whole book, you will be laughing about how close to home it hits. This is true for coaches/parents of little leaguers, former players (like myself), and parents (the spectating variety) of the players. With each person that Mitchell desribed, I found myself realizing that there was the exact same person in one of the leagues in which I had played over the years. I am still trying to figure out if that is comforting or worrisome. Actually, if all parents were like Mr. Mitchell, little league would be a better environment for enjoyment, learning, and competition. (I guess there would also be many more great books in stores to read). Anyway, I guess that if parents and coaches were all normal, supportive, and appropriate, this book would not be nearly as enjoyable. So, read the other reviews if you want more details about the book. But trust me, if you have ever been involved in any way in little league baseball, pick up this book. Like me, you'll find yourself doing atypical things like writing glowing reviews and sending congratulatory e-mails to the author. It's that good.

This book was a birthday gift to me from my son, former Little League pitcher and recent college graduate, who I hope sent it with positive feelings for the days that I was also a father coach, and not as an indictment of my coaching. Actually, I know it was spent in the spirit of nostalgia for those days for both of us. It was great to relive those days again, think about all of the characters involved, and recall the camraderie I shared with my son during those springs. This is a great read for any parent with a child in an organized baseball league, from tee ball to Babe Ruth on up.

Greg Mitchell's "Joy In Mudville" is a fantastic book. I think that anyone who picks it up will quickly become engaged in this John Feinsteinesque memoir about a season spent by a father coaching his son's little league team. But for anyone who has ever been involved with any type of city-league baseball, this book is a must because throughout the whole book, you will be laughing about how close to home it hits. This is true for coaches/parents of little leaguers, former players (like myself), and parents (the spectating variety) of the players. With each person that Mitchell desribed, I found myself realizing that there was the exact same person in one of the leagues in which I had played over the years. I am still trying to figure out if that is comforting or worrisome. Actually, if all parents were like Mr. Mitchell, little league would be a better environment for enjoyment, learning, and competition. (I guess there would also be many more great books in stores to read). Anyway, I guess that if parents and coaches were all normal, supportive, and appropriate, this book would not be nearly as enjoyable. So, read the other reviews if you want more details about the book. But trust me, if you have ever been involved in any way in little league baseball, pick up this book. Like me, you'll find yourself doing atypical things like writing glowing reviews and sending congratulatory e-mails to the author. It's that good.

This book's target audience is clear: the baseball coach who wants to be told what to do and when. With a few minor exceptions, it presumes that you will be able to teach the fundamentals of the game. What it does not presume is that you will know how to put together a practice. The book takes you through a nice progression of practices, introducing a variety of basic baseball drills. A coach could use this book to plan their season's practice successfully. The pointers on how to deal with your parents and players, which take up large sections of many youth coaching books, are here, sprinkled throughout written in Bartlett's engaging tone. In fact it is Bartlett's clear and interesting prose which raise this book above being merely a coach's cookbook. Recommended mostly for the coach with a good degree of baseball knowledge and some idea of how to interact with kids as a coach, who is weaker in how to use those skills to coach a successful team.

I've been coaching youth baseball for several years now. I got this book at the start of the 9-10 yr. group winter ball season. It has some great ideas on how to manage and run the practices and interact with the families. It has some really good drills that the kids like to complete. Not much on specific mechanics and skills, e.g. you won't find how to teach a kid to pitch, or what specifically to look for in a struggling batter. If you're a little nervous about moving up a level, or how to fill up your first several pracices, I recommend this book.

I had been looking for a book on how to conduct practices with 9-10 year old players. This book's title was "perfect". It outlined my first 5 practices and gave me precise instructions on how and when to conduct each drill. I consider myself a knowledgeable baseball guy but always had trouble on what drills to run for this age group. This book gives easy to understand detail of each drill with diagrams when needed.

I have just completed my fifth practice and have had parents of the players come up to me and tell me that they think my practice and drills are great. I owe it all to this book.

The twinkie eating contest at the end of the first practice was a player favorite. Also, as a graduate of Eastern Illinois University, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the author was from Charleston, IL.

There are numerous books out there for coaches that have the same goal as The Perfect Season: to arm the coach with tons of drills at his disposal to get the most out of his players. Unlike other books, these drills aren't needlessly complicated, don't require all kinds of pricey equipment that isn't standard in your bag (you probably want to purchase a tee and some simple cones, but that's all I needed), and won't confuse your children as they try to execute them.

Also, Bartlett provides solid estimates for the time to complete every drill, allowing you to mix and match to meet the needs of your team and your timeframe. I've found myself falling in love with many of the drills, and the players do enjoy them. This book doesn't eliminate time spent standing around, but it reduces it exponentially.

The drills are good for all ages, as even high school players would benefit from some. However, it's perfect for coaches in 9- and 10-year old leagues, where kids are first able to bunt and steal and coaches struggle to teach and strategize these new tools. If you coach in a league for 9- and/or 10-year olds, I would recommend you order this immediately. Everyone will benefit from it, but that demographic needs it.

This is a fine, middle-of-the road book on coaching kids. It's especially aimed at coaches of 8 to 10 year-old teams. After reading all the 5-star reviews, I was expecting a tour-d-force and this book, while valuable, simply is not that special.

It has some interesting drills for young players, but is devoid of any real baseball skills descriptions. The book focuses on the basic throwing, catching, and hitting skills. It all flows together if you're a post-Tball and pre-skilled-play coach. It does have some handy cut-out diagrams and a very good bibliography.

This book also has some good tips for dealing with parents. However Dr.Fortanasce's "Life Lessons from Little League" is a much better book on a coach's relationships with his players and their parents. Similarly, Ripkin, Bouroughs, Cluck, Kendall, Voorheis and others all have more in-depth books on baseball skills.

Check out Amazon and look at the wide range of coaching books available.

One word sums up this book, irresponsibility. Hohenstein stumbles through 200 akward pages rambling about baseball. It seems like he tries to encroach on the reader that he has learned from his mistakes- all he has learned is the proper way to malinger. At no point does he acknowledge his role in his past crimes. Rather he seems to want to sugar coat it with what a great person he really is deep down. There is no evolution of character. We do see the demise of a man, but by his own accord. He fails to at any point to admit fault for his actions or how they have effected others. Even in the role of a coach he has flaws. I wonder what he really learned from little league after all. Additionally, the stories have no flow with one another. The entire books seems to merely be a lament over a lost existence. The only purpose the book does serve is to reinforce that individuals such as this should be kept behind bars for the betterment of society.

i have given this book to all the coaches of my sons' and daughter's teams as post season presents. they have all loved the book. i have several more coaches to go and i was wondering if the author or anybody else knew where to get them.

It amazes me that Holton could review such a beautiful book so negatively... this book is about a miserable fall from grace.. due to the author's own faults, and his attempt to regain his life, and the life with his children, by accepting responsiblity, admitting fault and rebuilding a life. Baseball is the backdrop for the lessons learned, not because he plays it, but because it is the medium his own children and ballplayers will understand. This book is a lyrical, painful, and beautifully told story about failure and remorse, but more importantly, about second chances made through honest reflection. If Holton misses the point, one wonders if she has even read the book--- or if she is capable of comprehending the nature of human error and redemption. No matter.. Rules of the Game speaks for itself.. a heartfelt, wondrously written, beautifully told story every Little Leaguer and his parents should read.

I have read this book and am going to recommend it to my children and their coaches to read also. This is an Outstanding Book from an Outstanding Man whether people believe that from the mistakes he has made in his life. We all make mistakes, some pay more than others, he has paid dearly. I know Kurt from a long time back and know what is in this book is actually how he feels in his heart. He really is a WONDERFUL MAN that I take great pleasure in knowing. He has actually given me great advice and probably saved my life. He knows what I am talking about and that's enough. Thank you Kurt for everything you've ever done.

I am not partial to loving this book because it is about me and my Daddy wrote it but because it is an awsome book. I have read it some 20 times already. As a first time author I found that my Dad had an amazing ablilty that I didn't know existed in him. He is passionate about his life and doing well. As far as Holton's review....this book is not directly about his wrong doings and his apologies. If you were reading between the lines you would see that this book encompuses baseball, live, love, loss, heartache and remorse in the creativly written words that grace the pages. I think that you will enjoy this book and its stories. Just sit back and read it with an open heart and and mind and allow the players of the pages to enter your life and you will find yourself cheering for the home team......i love you daddy...and am prouder than you will every know....

Mandi Hohenstein

hottatti00@aol.com

During my first three years as a youth baseball coach this book sat on the shelf. I initially found the book lacking in detail and illustrations to be of much use. Well, my initial reaction was wrong. I am coaching an eleven year old travel team and this book has become my bible for managing. I've read it cover to cover many times and I find it an invaluable tool for a manager. Thanks Jeff.

Burroughs provides thorough coverage of youth league coaching subjects: the basics at each position, hitting, throwing, pitching, and planning practices. Burroughs' credibility comes from having been a successful Major Leaguer who later managed teams to a couple of Little League World Series titles, and he discloses a few of his managerial secrets. The main focus is on teaching baseball, however: Burroughs thinks that the secret of his success was to create fun and interesting practices while teaching good fundamentals, and he tells you how to do it. I found his insights invaluable in my first year as a Little League manager.

This was a very good book that explained the basics and the finer points of teaching baseball to children. This is a book that could be used over and over again at each level.

I tried my hardest to like this book overall, but just couldn't. I was very disappointed after having gone through the book twice.

Well Dones: Burrough's spends 44 pages on defensive game situations - who should cover what, if the ball is hit here, and there are runners here & there. The best part of this section, is that it is covered with diagrams. Burroughs also covers approximately 22 baseball drills for practices (see Opportunities for Improvement also).

Opportunities For Improvement: The biggest disappointment is Jeff's lack of use of pictures and diagrams to explain what he is trying to describe in text form. Even in the section describing the 22 drills, they are no pic's or illustrations. Pictures and diagrams are a must for this type of book. The cover of this book says, "Fully Illustrated". There is a section in the middle of the book with pictures covering different topics that, unfortunately, do not match anything nearby. Also unfortunate is the fact that this photo section leaves way too much to be desired - nothing new here. There are no other photos in the book besides this one section. Jeff spends only 1/2 page on each position and covers the rest of the defensive positions in general terms. Very disappointing. I started the chapter on "Practice" with great enthusiasm and felt great about most of it until I read two sections that, as a Little League coach for the past many years, found very hard to believe: Jeff says the team should not take batting practice during any of your practices and to only do this before each game by having the team show up 1 1/2 hours before game time. Yeah, right! (Maybe if all our games were on weekends, and there were no games beforehand.) Jeff's suggested practice schedule runs from 4 PM to 6:30 PM. Most coaches would be real lucky to have that kind of time. On the cover of the book, it states that the book is written for Coaches and Parents - but throughout most of the book, Jeff is teaching directly to the player. There's nothing new or exciting in this book. This is definitely not even a good beginning coach's book. If I had to make one point - it is the serious lack of illustrations and pictures for the amount of text that Jeff uses. I wanted desperately to like this book and was looking forward to some great drills & technique suggestions for my Little Leaguers (and besides I was a fan of his when he was with the A's), but I just didn't find it here, even after going through it twice.

I believe this book was terrific and helped me a lot in baseball. I feel all coaches and parents of baseball childeren should read this book. This book gives all pointers in how to field and bat using all kinds of techniques. I give this book a thumbs up and disagree to the people who think this book was dissapointing. I hope many people get to learn from this review and recommendation. Choose to read this book and you'll thank me.

This warm tribute comes from one of Coach Sweeney's own champion Bay City Cardinals, Richard "Ruby" Wagner. Writing from the heart, he tells how he became a ball player and caught the lessons of Odie's field for life.

Ruby earned a 30-year editorial career, and this type of success is consistent among the players Odie coached for a record 38 years in a Texas Little League. These men and women became CEOs, lawyers, scientists, and even a three-star general. Lt. General Steven R. Polk, USAF, who wrote the book's foreword. Greater than this, they took Christian principles from the ball field into their work.

This story is a scrapbook of the founding of Gulf Coast Little League, led by the tireless "Papa Bird" Sweeny. After long hours in the oil field, Odie went straight to the ball field and his young players, encouraging and cheering them on in both victory and defeat. He bestowed nicknames to make them feel special and fathered them as God showed him the way. This is the biblical extra mile, and the multitalented father figure went much further. He exemplified Christian love an joy in the rewards of hard work and clean fun to future generations, and taught the best sporting behavior in the league: no Cardinal was to burst into anger at a game and none was to gloat over the other team's loss. We need more of such character in America.

Ruby's tale made me laugh at the Cardinals' antics and Odie's adventures of owning a pool hall and raising the Matagorda County Livestock Show from his one-clown "Odie's goat-ropin' rodeo." The book's snapshots rounded out the story and left me wanting more.

Boys and girls through middle school will enjoy this stimulating look into Little League. And if they already play, it will give them an appreciation of the effort freely given by volunteers, and of the treasures they can bring away from it now and in the future.

This story would be a good selection for a family reading night, for lessons that cannot be learned from modern computer games.

Armchair Interviews says: A good-news sports story for all ages.

Pastor Randy Maynard, Methodist Church pastor in Raleigh, August 23, 2005,
Blessed Are Volunteers
One of our Saint Andrews members, Richard Wagner, has written, and just published, a delightful book entitled, Little League Heaven: The Legend of Odie Sweeny. The book chronicles the life of Odie Sweeny, who, for 38 years, managed the Cardinals Little League baseball team in Bay City, Texas. Odie was Richard's Little League coach and Odie nicknamed Richard, "Ruby" because of Richard's red hair. After Richard's Little League days ended, Odie told Richard that the main reason he dubbed him "Ruby" was because "he was a gem of a find." On one recent Saturday afternoon I sat down and read this inspiring book in about 90 minutes. As I was reading my mind drifted back to my Little League playing days from 1963-1966. Odie Sweeny so very much reminded me of my Little League baseball coach, George "Jug" Johnson. Mr. Johnson, as those on his teams called him, coached the same team, the Giants, from 1954 until his untimely cancer-related death in 1981. Let me quote from Richard's book concerning his coach. "Odie's patience had no end. Even though it was tested many times over the years, he never yelled at a player or intimidated him in any way. Odie's way was to hustle. Hustle onto the field. Hustle off the field-at practice-as well as at a game. Odie's way was for his players to chatter. `Come baby, come son,' was the favorite chorus sung in full throat around the diamond. But Odie wouldn't allow his players to razz opponents with negative, unsportsmanlike chatter. Odie's way was to never throw your glove. Odie's way was to practice good sportsmanship. Odie's way was to trust God." As I was reading those sentences, I was taken back to my childhood. It was like I was a young ballplayer, sitting in the dugout, listening intently at Mitch Stadium (the name of our Little League field) and Mr. Johnson was saying those exact same words to all of my Giant teammates, and especially to me, all over again! Richard, in part, wrote this book as a tribute to one who taught him a great deal about the game of baseball. However, the real reason that Richard put his heart and soul into this work was because he wanted to pay homage to the man who taught him so very much about life and the principles that would mold Richard as an adult. I'm thankful as well for men like Mr. Johnson, and so many others. Praise be to God for the countless individuals, who so freely gave of their time, helping to shape me into the person I am today.

When Lillie Jo Sweeny threw out the first pitch of the game at Houston's Astrodome in 1989, she joined the Astros and thousands of boys and girls in celebrating the 50th anniversary of Little League baseball. The event also saluted her deceased husband, Odie Sweeny, a Little League legend who managed a never-say-die team for 38 years, a record in Texas and one of the longest streaks in the nation. Odie managed hundreds of players during his career with his team, the longtime champion Cardinals. During his adventurous life, Odie was a rodeo clown, a bronco-buster, an artist, a cartoonist, a trainer of cutting horses, a firefighter, and a pool shark. He dubbed his players with colorful nicknames, such as "Buzzard," "Ambulance," "Ruby," "Killdee," "Squeaker," and others. All of his players, from 66- to 26-year-olds, are disciples who carry Odie's message of love, Christianity, joy, sportsmanship, and determination wherever they go. Today, many of them are leaders in society. One is a three-star general in the Air Force, who wrote the foreword to this book. Others became sports heroes in college, journalists, scientists, and baseball managers in their own right.

My husband is a little leage coach and he is enjoying the book very much.

If you are looking for a couple of new drills for the little league ages, this book give you some good ideas to add some fun to practice.

My son is in tee ball so I purchased this book as well as its predecessor for tee ball. This book was very useful and had some interesting drills for young children. I recommend this book for anyone with a child who has an interest in baseball.

I've been coaching little league baseball for about three years. When my son was old enough to move up to the pitching level, I purchased this book so I could teach the basics to those that wanted to pitch. I found the book very good for starting out new picthers.

When my son turned 9, and was going into kid-pitch for the first time, he thought he wanted to be a pitcher. What did I know about pitching? Not much. Randy Voorhees...if you read this...thank you.

This book let me turn a scrawny kid into not just a pitcher, but a closer. The drills in the book are simple to follow, and backed by intelligent explanations of WHY they work. By breaking the pitching motion down into a series of simple, understandable steps, my son and I worked together to build a delivery that focused on accuracy and control, not brute power and speed.

By the middle of his second season in kid pitch, he knew if he got the nod in the 4th inning, that it was his job to hold the lead...and he never failed. By learning to have control and accuracy, my son never worried about his ability...he simply learned to focus on each pitch, one at a time. He learned that with only modest speed and good movement on his pitches, he could beat 85% of the hitters on strikes, 10% on contact ground balls and pop-ups, and 5% of the kids were going to make good contact NO MATTER WHAT...and that's what fielders are for.

Why so much about my kid? Well, there's no better testimonial about a book than the great results achieved by following the advice therein.

Randy Voorhees...my son and I thank you for two great years in kid pitch, and two "World Series" trophies on my son's wall as proof of your program.