Players Books

This book is a must have for Baseball historians like myself, chronicling the careers of players who played before the "long ball" was fashionable and at a time when the game was "becoming" the National Pastime! SABR writers have given us a valuable insight into the lives of these players of yesteryear. We cannot appreciate what it must've been like to play baseball back then, when salaries were extremely low and players had to take off-season jobs to augment them. One bad injury could cost you a career and if you strayed off the straight and narrow and put your lot in with the gambling element, banishment was always a possibility, as was the lure of alcohol. The stories of these gentleman are told with affection and with such clarity that we might just as well be reading about a long deceased family member than a ballplyer from the distant past. After reading this wonderful book you will find yourself re-evaluating your thoughts on today's star players, who want for nothing and are able to dictate in what direction their careers take. Such was not the case in the years between 1895-1920. It is sad to relate that we never got a chance to see these fine players in their heyday but thanks to magnificent books like this one, we can at least read about their exploits, some happy and mostly sad but always interesting and entertaining. A glorious book, I can't wait to recieve the American League edition.

I bought this along with the American League version. I like to pick it up and read about an older player or two each week. Interesting stuff. My friends who like baseball like to browse through it as well.

The Society for American Baseball Research rarely turns out a bad book, and "Deadball Stars of the National League" continues that trend. It is an excellent book, with short biographies of the major stars for each of the franchises active between 1901 and 1919, complete with photos rare and common. The book was an enormous undertaking, with a huge amount of people on the "Deadball" Committee of the organization taking part in the writing, editing and fact checking. It's a wonderful book for those wanting a feel of the game in the first decades of the 20th century, and of the players of that time, and I highly recommend it.

Fantastic book chronicling stars of the most misunderstood era of baseball. I really enjoyed learning of some of the lesser known stars like Orvie Overall and Mike Donlin. Great work by the SABR members. I can't wait to get the companion book for the American League.

I've been a member of SABR (The Society for American Baseball Research) for eight years, and I have always enjoyed the publications that they put out and send to their members. Many of the members of SABR work very hard on the projects that interest them, and the books that get put out reflect a lot of love, if not always a ton of quality.

This book is an exception. This is the best book I've ever received from SABR, and it's the sort of thing that makes me proud to be a member. Meticulously researched, beautifully laid out, and compulsively readable, this book offers profiles of over 100 players, managers, and executives from the Deadball Era of Major League Baseball (1900-1920). A few of these guys are still well-known today (Christy Mathewson, Honus Wagner, Rogers Hornsby) but the majority are players who, despite long, successful careers, have been forgotten by all but the most die-hard fan. I've been a baseball fan all my life, and I couldn't tell you the first thing about Armando Marsans, Howie Camnitz, or Homer Smoot until I read this book.

Thanks to the work of the members of the Deadball Committee, though, now I feel like I know these guys. I applaud the members of the committee for putting together such a well-written book, and I eagerly anticipate the AL edition!

I really like Derek Jeter, so I got the book to find out more information. I got all the info I wanted plus more!

I love this book. I am Derek's #1 fan. It is great. I have my room cover with pictures of him. I read the whole thing in like a day. Once you start reading it, you can't stop.

I am Derek's number 1 fan. My friend has the book too and we always read it. My room is filled with Derek pictures, and posters, and newspaper clippings. I love him to death and this book shows just how great he is! Go Derek! Take the Yanks to the series baby!

A compelling read, filled with rare insight and info on a great athlete and person. Don't pass this one up!

I'm a new Derek fan, and i was impressed about his look. I bought this book to know more about him. After reading it, i admire him. Really. I felt guilty by treated him like an object, when he is a great person.

The edition of Edward II I read was the New Mermaid Series one, which had a very good and informative introduction, and has the spelling modernized. The spelling modernization extends to place names as well as general terms. I am not sure how I feel about spelling modernization, as it is nice to see how the work was originally spelled, but it made the work very easy to read. The play itself is amazing, very engaging even though it is a history, and is mostly based on things that actually happened. The language is not as flowery as Shakespeare, but is lovely nonetheless. Some of the characters of the play are very fickle, and seem to suddenly change as you read the text of the play. (Queen Isabella goes from devoted and self-sacrificing wife to cunning adulteress.) It makes more sense on stage, and after seeing this play, it was easier to see how good it is.

Marlowe's final play is also his masterpiece. To be sure, the dramatic events in this play really did happen, but Marlowe shows himself at his best when he paints the picture. At first, Marlowe masterfully allows us to detest Edward for undoing all the fine work of his father Edward Longshanks. We also are able to feel sorry for Mortimer and Isabella. (the eventual villains). Isabella feels neglected and Mortimer can not stand to see the fine work of Edward Longshanks undone. Later, we come to have some respect for Edward II when he shows himself to have some of his father's fine qualities and he crushes the first rebellion against him with courage and intelligence. When the second uprising successful, we no longer are lead into any feelings of admiration for Mortimer and Isabella. Once they have power they are more vile and disgusting than Edward II ever was. By Act 5.1, Marlowe gives Edward II moving soliloquies and does not allow our new won pity to slack for a moment. The final scene of this play when Edward II's 17 year old son Edward III flips the tables, crushes his corrupt mother, has Mortimer put to death, and offers prayers to his murdered father is a scene that is almost unsurpassed in literature. To be sure, this did actually happen, but Marlowe not only tells us what happened, but colors it with his superb mastery of the language.

Edward the second, or to give it its full title, 'The troublesome reign and Lamentable death of Edward, the second king of England, with the tragical fall of proud Mortimer', is famous for being an Elizabethan 'Gay play', but this is only one of the subjects contained within the play. Politics, cruelty and the Feudal System are all important themes in this, one of the great masterstrokes of Elizabethan literature. The play itself is a history play, set in the 14th century featuring Edward and his previously basished lover, Gaveston, who returns after the death of Edward's father. This return enrages the barons, who were sworn to Edward's father that Gaveston would never return. This is the catalyst for a plot that races around like a cheetah on speed, culminating in one of the most excruciating deaths ever portrayed on stage. "Shakespeare? Who? Marlowe was far better!"

Christopher "Kit" Marlowe (1564¯1593) has faded into the background over the centuries, little remembered by the common man, unlike his contemporary William Shakespeare. But, in his own time, Marlowe was known as one of the greatest of playwrights.

This play tells the story of King Edward II, who ruled England from 1307 to 1327. Edward shocked medieval England with his openly bi-sexual relationship with Piers Gaveston, and his barons rose up against him in a series of wars, finally culminating in Edward's death. (Rumor having it that he was horribly murdered by having a red-hot iron thrust up through his rectum!)

Now, this play is not entirely historically accurate. The theatre of the day did not specialize in accurate historical portrayal, but strove to entertain. However, that said, this play does do an excellent job of telling the story of Edward and his reign, in an entertaining and informative manner in a mere 25 scenes.

Overall, I found this to be a very interesting read, and I couldn't help but wonder why I have not heard of it being played today. It is still very entertaining, and you would think that modern play producers would want to put it on. This is an interesting play, one that I do not hesitate to recommend.

(By the way, just in case you didn't realize, this Edward was the effeminate son of Edward I, Longshanks, in Mel Gibson's movie Braveheart. That portrayal of Edward was well done by actor Peter Hanly, but was even less accurate than this play. I suspect that the character Phillip was based on Piers Gaveston. Longshanks did indeed hate Gaveston, but certainly never threw him out of a window!)

+++++

(Note that this review is for Dover Classics "Edward II" published by Theatre Communications Group in 1999.)

This play in five acts or twenty-five scenes, written by Christopher Marlowe (1564 to 1593, born the same year as Shakespeare) is a history play that chronicles the reign of Edward the Second. The actual name that Marlowe gave his play was "The troublesome reign and lamentable death of Edward, the second King of England, with the tragical fall of Mortimer." (Mortimer is Edward's nemesis in the play.)

The precise date of this play is not accurately known, but it is generally thought to have been written circa 1590.

Marlowe condenses, omits, elaborates, and rearranges actual historical events in order to gain dramatic effectiveness, and to bring out Edward's character and the results of his weakness. So the action in the play covers a historical period of just over twenty years (near the end of the fourteenth century) even though such a period of time is not suggested by the play itself.

Marlowe effectively succeeds in giving a true, as well as a powerful picture of the character and fate of Edward the Second. This play masterfully shows the delineation of character, the construction of plot, and the freedom and variety of the mostly blank verse.

Readers of Shakespeare's plays (especially "Henry the Eighth" and "Richard the Second") should find it quite easy to read this relatively succinct play. Even those not familiar with Shakespeare's plays or even Elizabethan drama should have little difficulty with this play. Footnotes are minimal.

Unfortunately, this play has been labeled a "Gay Play." This is not quite accurate. Edward was bisexual because he had a queen who he had a son with (the future Edward the Third) and, as well, had a male partner (named Piers Gaveston). Gaveston too was bisexual since he was not only attracted to Edward but also to Edward's niece! Edward's queen is heterosexual because she is later attracted to Mortimer after Edward starts ignoring her.

Sexual orientation is actually a small part of this play. The play is about a king who loses control of his kingdom. Edward's brother says this early on to Edward: "My Lord, I see your love to Gaveston / Will be the ruin of the realm and you."

Finally, the last scene of the play is truly magnificent as Edward's son, now King, gets revenge for his father's murder.

In conclusion, this is a great play that can be enjoyed by those who are heterosexual (like myself), bisexual, or homosexual. Also, in my opinion, this history play closely rivals Shakespeare's history plays.

(this book first published 1999; play written circa 1590; 95 pages)

+++++

I am a professional vocal coach and singer for the entertainment industry. This resource manual has proven to be the best of all the ones I've seen on the market. It cannot be compared to any others. First of all, the price is unbelievable for what you are getting. Most industry resource manuals only cover one or two areas of the industry. EPP3 covers FILM, SPORTS, MUSIC AND TELEVISION! Everyone else is charging three to four times more than the price of EPP and definitely not providing as much information. On a scale of 1 through 5, I give EPP-3 a "5". Don't sleep on this opportunity! Get your copy today! You will be extremely glad you did!

This is a much needed resource that opens the door of the seemingly insular entertainment and sports industry to anyone with the interest or inclination. The comprehensive nature of the information provided in this book is incredible. Contact information, internship opportunities, industry events and more. Absolutely phenomenal!

This guide doesn't just give you contact information. It also has interviews with the power players themselves that could stand on their own as an excellent tool. If you buy it, don't set it aside for when you need a phone number; read it cover-to-cover first.

This book is necessary for anybody who seriously wants to break into the entertainment industry. It well done and packed full of great info!!!

WOW! As a writer/producer, I wish I had this book when I first moved to LA six years ago. What a difference it could have made, but thank God I have it now! It is a wonderful resource guide and an absolute must have for anyone who is an aspiring actor, writer, producer, director, executie, music artist, pro athlete, etc!

Fire on Ice was a fascinating look behind the superstar. Great insight on his life and family.More people should read this book and find out what makes Lindros tick.It was great to hear his side of story.Have recommended this book before to friends, now would like recommend this book to everyone.Fascinating read,what a life.Check it out.You willn't be disappointed.

Great book, easy to read, could not put it down. Anyone who wants to know the OTHER side of the Eric Lindros saga.... READ this book. A must for any hockey fan.

This book is a great book, I recommend it to any fan of Eric's. It takes you through his whole childhood and shares some funny moments. Its a great book. And it is not just because I am a fan of the Flyers, it's just a really good book and anyone who likes hockey should read about the struggles to become a great hockey player like he is.

This book gave Eric Lindros a chance to explain his side of the story. Anyone who questions his past decisions regarding his career will gain a better understanding of the motivation behind them. It is also interesting to read about his life before he became a superstar and the determination and hard work it took to become one.

reading this book gave me amazing insight into his life; his successes; his failures; his life. If only everyone could read this book, they'd understand his views on his refusal to play for the Quebec Nordiques to why his younger brother Brett had to retire from HIS hockey career and the tender age of 21. Great book and has been highly recommended to all of my friends!

Y

Barry Sparks brings Frank "Home Run" Baker back into baseball's limelight in this biography of the Hall-of-Famer. Barry managed to unearth much about Baker's personal life despite the fact Frank has been deceased since 1963 at age 76, and few folks still were living who knew Baker during the author's years of research. This book is more about Baker's life and baseball career than about baseball in his era---the preferred mix of information in a biography. Too many biographies of players from baseball's deadball era emphasize the game as played then, its stars and the winning teams, but provide too little about the player himself. Not so, with Sparks' biography on Baker. Baker's work ethic helped him become a star player, but his personal life interrupted his playing career several times. Find out more about Baker's World Series heroics, the reason for his nickname, and the reasons he had to stop playing in the major leagues on more than one occasion. Read Barry's detailed and informative biography about baseball's first home run hitting hero in the World Series.

Barry Sparks's book about Frank "Home Run" Baker is an insightful story of the Major League Baseball home run leader from the early 20th century. Tracing Baker's life from his hometown of Trappe, MD, to the Major Leagues and into retirement, Mr. Sparks tells of Baker's career with the Philadelphia A's and New York Yankees, and of the two seasons during which he stepped away from the majors to play with a semi-pro team.

This book does a superb job of taking the reader back to the days of daytime-only baseball. Particular attention is paid to the World Series games in which Baker played, where he earned his sobriquet "Home Run" Baker for blasting two homers in a single World Series game in 1911.

Extensive chapter notes and bibliography supplement the story and reveal the amount of research done to create the book. Yet, the book is not written to read like a college term paper. Mr. Sparks's writing style is quite enjoyable and makes this book a pleasurable experience for baseball fans of all ages.

This book is more than an intimate biography of a baseball legend. It is also a look back at a nascent sport as it was just beginning to capture a nation's heart. This was an era when entire towns emptied out to watch the local boys play at the ballfield, and when people relied on newspapers to bring them glorious tales of big-league action. It was a time when the highest-paid player made $12,000, and performance-enhancing drugs did not yet exist. In short, it was a time when baseball was still a sport, and not yet an industry.

Author Barry Sparks does an excellent job of placing the reader inside the Deadball Era (1900-1920) as he tells the tale of Frank "Home Run" Baker. According to the preface, Sparks hails from Baker's home region of eastern Maryland, and as a boy he had an opportunity to meet the aging baseball legend. The book's lively prose suggests that the thrill of that encounter still remains with Sparks today. He reveals Baker as a polite, hard-working man who eschewed the limelight and, above all, loved playing baseball. The research is impeccable and well documented, with detailed notes, indexing, and bibliography.

"Frank 'Home Run' Baker: Hall of Famer and World Series Hero" is ideal for the avid baseball fan, and for anyone interested in the origins of America's pastime.

Mr. Sparks has fulfilled a life long ambition with this work. It is an easy read and for a sports enthusiast, opens a window into a closed chapter of our nation's pastime. In following the life, career and character of a player few know much about but who is very highly rated by Bill James (the father of sabremetrics), Mr. Sparks shows the career of the dead ball era's "Babe" in a good but honest light. The sparing with Connie Mack to be paid is an interesting sidelight, as is seeing Baker in his final years with the Yankees playing along side the real "Babe". This a very worthwhile book to own and read in depth. My copy is autographed and I do cherish it.

Barry Sparks book was interesting and informative. I couldn't put it down. My knowledge of the dead ball era was limited to tidbits about some of the players, ( Christy Mathewson ,Collins, Bender, etc). Barry's book, not only gave me a good appreciation of Frank Baker, but the whole era from 1909-1922. The effects of WW1 on baseball and the players refreshed similar memories of my childhood and WWII . It also refreshed many childhood memories of Shibe Park ,scene of seeing my first Major League Baseball Game in 1946 and numerous games when I attended Temple University in the early 1950's This Nostalgic trip expanded my knowledge and appreciation of the A's , the game of baseball, and Hall of Famers in the early 1900's. I remember my Dad and Uncle talking about these players but Barry's Book captured an intimate snapshot of early baseball and the deadball era, and has inspired me to make another trip to Cooperstown to spend more time focusing on the Hall of Famers, balls, bats, and memorabilia of this era.

The Game Breaker is and exciting read. The author uses simple descriptions for glamourous locales and events, making the reader feel like he is there with the characters whether they be in the Himalayas, London, or just the living room.

The plot has more twists and turns than a roller coaster, but the characters seem so real that the reader wants to hang on and find out what happens to them.

Kurt Bryan has dreamed up some great plots, situations that could really happen, and twists them together. I almost felt like I was reading a newspaper day to day to see what happens to these guys when seemingly unrelated worlds collide.

Overall, the book combines a great imagination with sports and politics with a dose reality, making for a great story.

I read this for my English, and it was pretty good.

It's hard to believe that this is the author's first publication!

The Game Breaker takes you on a roller coaster ride of suspense, anticipation, and climax. The real genius behind the novel is the way Mr. Bryan cunningly and methodically develops several different storylines, and then brilliantly intertwines them into a gripping and relentless ride that thrills you to the very end. He does a superb job developing the characters as they are introduced into the story design. Ferguson Marshall could not have been more perfectly portrayed as the corruptive politician, and Kenny, the most improbable victim, turned hero.

The plot is action packed and delivered without skipping a beat. The tempo is fast and the turns keep coming. The Game Breaker grabs hold of you with its page turning twists, and fiercely built suspense.

I experienced a full spectrum of emotions, and was continually surprised with all the new shrewd developments as the plot continued to thicken. The further I read, the more difficult it became to put this book down.

The Game Breaker is pure entertainment. What an impressive read from a first time author. This is a great book for anyone who would enjoy escaping to a world that combines political corruption, collegiate football, sex, murder, and a very unlikely hero. Quite simply, this book takes you to the edge and leaves you wanting more...

A phenomenal read! Can't wait for #2.

CJ

I belong to several book clubs, and by far The Game Breaker is one of the BEST new books of the past few years. It is such a great book that I read it TWO times - I loved it that much! The opening chapter hooks you and never lets you go...the story keeps getting better and better. Three particular things come to mind when describing this gripping book. 1) Author - Kurt Bryan has one of the most unique writing styles I have come across in years...vivid, intense, colorful, and so descriptive I felt like I was in the book with these fantastic characters. 2)The hero is so modern, tough and yet a caring kind of man that I couldn't get enough of him, and finally, 3)The evil villain is so perfectly written that I was screaming at the pages for him to get what was coming to him at the end. The Game Breaker has spoiled me and I am really excited to read Kurt Bryan's next book.

My girlfriend gave me a copy of The Game Breaker for my birthday and I really was not too excited because I had never heard of Kurt Bryan before. But I was totally stunned when I read the book. The Game Breaker is super fantastic, it's packed with wild suspense, murder, sex, politics and it is also laced with sports.

I loved The Game Breaker and can't wait for Bryan's next book!

Jake P.

I gave this book to my Father-in-law (a long time Red Wing fan) for a Father's Day gift. It was great timing since the Wings clinched the Stanley Cup just weeks before! He loved it, reading it in only two days! He mentioned how interesting it was for weeks!

Before I gave it to him, I'll admit I glaced through some of the pages. It was an interesting concept-having the different players talk about their teammates. All the comments about one player were put into a chapter. So you had three or four pages of stories and anecdotes about one player all grouped together.

You also heard stories about their private lives and some behind the scenes moments of one of the greatest eras in hockey!

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a long time hockey fan!

THE GODS OF OLYMPIA STADIUM IS A MUST READ FOR ALL NOSTALGIA AND LOVERS OF OLD RED WING HOCKEY. THERE ARE MANY GREAT PHOTOS AND SOME GREAT INTERVIEWS WITH RED WING LEGENDS TED LINDSAY AND GORDIE HOWE (GREAT THOU ART). THE INTERVIEWS ARE DETAILED, HONEST AND ENLIGHTENING. I HAVE READ MANY BOOKS ABOUT THE RED WINGS AND THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST. THE FRONT AND BACK COVER HAVE EXCELLENT AND NOSTALGIC PHOTOS OF MANY OF THESE GREAT PLAYERS FROM YEARS AGO. I AM GOING TO USE THIS BOOK AS A DECORATION BECAUSE I LOVE THE COVER SOME MUCH. WELL WORTH YOUR TIME AND MONEY.

The Book is wonderful and a great read--finished it off in one night--left me awestruck and wondering when the next one will be available.

The cover is fantastic! Looking at it kind of makes you feel like you've been checked by Gordie Howe himself. That is if being checked by Gordie were a good thing! This is one book you can tell by its cover! Of course what's most impressive is on the inside.
Shakespeare wrote in one the sonnets "so long as eyes can see, so long lives this. And this gives life to thee." Richard Kincaide has done his part to keep the legacy of these great gentlemen of hockey alive to inspire and entertain for, well, forever now. The rest is up to the fans. This book should be on the shelf of anyone who loves sports.

Meet the greatest hockey players of all time. Rich Kincaide has caught the excitement, spirit, frenzy, and love for the game in these interviews of players on some of the best teams in the history of the Detroit Red Wings.

He may be interviewing men who played the game 50 years ago but you don't feel like you're reading history-- you are right there and enjoying the conversation with him.

Rich Kincaide's "The Gods of Olympia Stadium" is a great book for anyone with a passing interest in hockey and a must have for those who love it. Everyone: This book is a great holiday gift idea for the sports fan in your life!

Dick Dobbins does the job right in "The Grand Minor League", a retrospective of the old Pacific Coast League (PCL).

The PCL still exists today as a AAA league - one step below the majors - but it is purely an adjunct minor league system to the two major leagues.

However, this book is about the PCL's glory days, largely originating during the Depression and spanning the second world war and the first twelve years of the post-war era until the New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers moved to the West Coast.

The PCL financed operations by charging admission for its own games and by selling contracts of its more promising stars to the established major league teams. But some visionaries had dreams of attaining major league status for the PCL, and it could have happened. A disproportionate amount of major-league level talent could be found on the West Coast, and PCL scouts were busy signing it up.

While one PCL owner was dryly reputed to have the reputation of throwing dollars around as though they were manhole covers, the pay could be more generous (the players whose contracts were sold to the majors even received a percentage of the sales price) and the opportunities for stardom could be GREATER than that which was available in the majors; moreover, the Pacific Coast was "home" to many of its players. Hence, some major leaguers sought to return there.

And when the majors reluctantly granted the PCL "open classification" status, players drafted by the majors were accorded the option of waiving the draft and remaining with their respective PCL teams and were often rewarded with bonuses for doing so. The PCL could have evolved into a third major league, but the opposition from the established major league owners, who saw the potential for expansion or relocation to the West Coast long before moving the Giants and Dodgers there, was too great to overcome. The moves themselves sounded the death knell for the traditional conception of the league.

Its legacy includes the players who became stars or near-stars in the big leagues, such as Lefty O'Doul, Dolph Camilli, Maury Wills (amazingly enough, he was only an adequate shortstop and a sometime base-stealer during his PCL days, who didn`t reach stardom until he went to the Dodgers), and of course, Joe DiMaggio.

Startlingly, Dobbins fails to remind his readers that years before he electrified the country with his 56-game hitting streak, DiMaggio was thrilling West Coast fans with a 61 game hitting streak in the PCL. Both records are among the few that have withstood the test of time.

One can observe other ironies. Long before Tommy Lasorda and Sparky Anderson did battle, in their respective roles as managers of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cincinnati's "Big Red Machine", for Western Division supremacy during the 1970's, they were teammates on the Los Angeles Angels, working together to establish geographical supremacy against the arch-rival Hollywood Stars.

And speaking of managers, debate rages among baseball historians about Casey Stengel's managerial acumen. Was he an adept, if incomprehensible, managerial genius or a bum who failed miserably in Boston and who only attained success by piggy-backing on the vast talent of some super Yankee teams? The story of Stengel's stewardship of the 1948 PCL Champion Oakland Oaks is a huge point in his favor.

Dobbins draws some of his history from the records but most of it from the recollections of the old-time players who consented to be interviewed. My only real criticism is that it took someone too long to undertake this project. The passage of time limits the sources from which Dobbins could draw.

And how trustworthy is human memory? There is a reference in one of the narratives supplied to Dobbins about a player named Johnny Lindell who alternated between pitcher and outfielder and who "would have been in the big leagues" if he could have only hit more consistently.

Who would dare observe, in response, that the record book shows that during the 1940's, an outfielder-pitcher named Johnny Lindell played in the majors, chiefly for the Yankees (this included several World Series appearances), on a part-time basis for 12 years and that he retired in 1954 with a respectable lifetime batting average of .273, having twice led the league in triples?

He couldn't hit well enough for the major leagues. Or could he? Were there two Johnny Lindells answering to the same description?

My favorite chapter was about the old ballparks. If you are a displaced and discouraged Giant fan who lives in the Los Angeles area, you can carry the book and its pictures of the ballparks to the corners of Beverly, Fairfax and Genessee and try to envision the Hollywood Stars' Gilmore Field having once stood there. The intersections now are home to a little company known as CBS - Television City, and there isn't even a marker anywhere to show that Gilmore Field ever existed.

And you can drive to 42nd and Avalon and marvel at the human and urban sprawl that has overtaken the area. Wrigley Field, home to the ORIGINAL Los Angeles Angels and named and constructed after its more famous Chicago namesake, has been torn down, and a community center named after a politician has been erected in its place. Again, no marker commemorates Wrigley Field. Soccer, not baseball, is the recreation of choice for the locals, and the excited cries of the players and spectators are not being delivered in English.

Is there any marker on the corner of 16th and Bryant in San Francisco to memorialize Seals Stadium?

"The Grand Minor League" is a fitting tribute to the REAL baseball giants of the West Coast and to a time when baseball was a "melting pot" language, when the game was played, not by overpaid egotistical prima donnas, but by men with working-class ethics, and when teams were managed by men and not "Dustys". Where have you gone, Rugger Ardizoia?

Dick Dobbins again captures the essence of the old Pacific Coast League. By using an "oral history" format, he is able to capture the true nature of this "major" minor league. The best section in the book consist of short interviews with former players and managers regarding some of the great and notorious players in the league. The same is also done for the managers, stadiums and teams. My favorite aspect of the book is the numerous historical photographs from Mr. Dobbins collection. This book is a must buy for baseball fans!

If you are a fan of the old Pacific Coast League, this book is a must. Great photos, interesting interviews with former players. If you own Nuggets on the Diamond also by Dick Dobbins, this is a great companion piece. Just to see pictures of the old coast league ball parks is worth the price of admission.

This ia an absolute must for anyone who enjoyed the old PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE.The photographs of the old P.C.L.ballparks are worth the price of admission.This is an excellent companion piece to Dobbins other book on the P.C.L. Nuggets on the Diamond.

In this book, Dick Dobbins took a cue from the book, "The Glory of Their Times," interviewing numerous ex-PCL players and umpires about the league. This oral history of the league is an excellent look back. Reading this book takes you back to a different era of baseball and shows why the PCL deserved to be called the "Grand Minor League."

The book has chapters on the league's various ballparks over the years, the league's great teams and rivalries. There are numerous pictures of various players, managers, umpires and team owners throughout the book. There are also pictures of various teams' uniforms, hats and other assorted memorabilia.

Dick Dobbins put a lot of hard work and dedication into this book and it shows. Any baseball history fan will love this book.

High and Tight is a tried and true page-turner, an excellent sociological study of two rising urban stars who found that life in the big apple was too much for them to handle. The book also reveals some interesting stories concerning the other members of the 1986 Mets, a team divided in two camps-bible beaters and party animals.

dis is very goods book. me recomend to people who enjoy thrilly baseball parties

HIGH AND TIGHT could have been one of those works that is closer to an overblown magazine article than a full-fledged book. But author Bob Klapisch keeps the pages turning, and it's over quicker than a 1985 at-bat against Dwight Gooden and, unlike that at-bat, leaves you wanting more. The new book HEAT by Gooden and Klapisch serves as a part two for Doc. With Darryl Strawberry's Yankees comeback and subsequent health challenges, can yet another entry be far off?

Having grown up and watching Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden shine for the Big Apple's "other team," I was initially afraid to read this book. I was afraid of the brutal honesty that I would encounter and about tarnishing the images of my two childhood heroes. I was right, the book is brutaly honest, yet so captivating, I really couldn't put it down. The book follows the careers of the two men from thier days growing up to their darkest hours. I really enjoyed watching both players before I read the book, but after reading it, I feel as though I know them personally and was right there with them during all of the incidents that took place. I respect these two men so much for having conqured their demons. Nothing they acomplish on the field could ever equal the magnitude of the personal victories that they have attained. Kudos to author Bob Klapisch for capturing the reader's attention with his captive descriptions of the players' individual situations.

Very sad, but honest story. There were things in the book I never knew. I recommend it to any baseball fan