Teams Books

Teenagers who love the game (and older folks as well) will enjoy this book. Lots of information and makes interesting reading.

As a fan of both history and baseball, a book like this appeals to me in two ways. The history of the game as told through the histories of every team, as well as the events of baseball told as how they affected the teams involved. This book lists the histories of every major league professional team. Now there are those who would argue that a league like the Union Association or even the Players League of the late 1800s weren't really "major" leagues, but I'll leave that argument to others. The teams are listed in alphabetical order from the "infamous" Altoona Mountain Citys (who played for a city with the lowest population of any major league team) through the Worcester Brown Stockings of the 1890s NL (who also had a low population).

Each teams' history is given in complete and concise detail, along with any other names the team may have had during their existence, all the stadiums they played at, their all-time won-loss record, a list of their year by year record, and also certain anecdotes (designated by small "boxes") about team historical events. There are also stories and pictures about each team's famous and "infamous" players. There's also histories of the "other" major leagues, like the Union Association, Federal League, Players' League, and the American Association. It's intriguing to see how the movers and shakers of each era operated. One thing also becomes clear: each era of baseball always had its rich and poor teams, this isn't something that just recently started. Another interesting item I noticed was how many MidWest and Eastern cities had a number of different teams in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

At times humorous, at times sad, at times just plain weird, the history of baseball teams reflects society at its best and its worst. This is a book any baseball fan should have.

But where else will you find info on every major league club since 1876? (But not since 1871; the National Association is not included.) Top players' season stats are usually given for each team, and say, Hoss Radbourne's 1884 season is discussed in detail, but to me the primary focus seemed on the owners and their machinations. And purposely or not, the owners generally come off as a bunch of money grubbers who seldom had the good of the game at heart. Or maybe that type of owner is just more interesting to write about. One noticeable thing is that because of the many franchise shifts in the 19th century, there are roughly as many 19th century clubs to write about as 20th century. Of course, since many of the 19th century clubs were short-lived, they take up less space on average. Each team's record, where it placed in the league standings, and its managers are given for each year in a table at the end of that team's entry. However, there are no tables of league standings showing all teams at once; nor are there any tables of player performances included anywhere. Some interesting note about players and others are in brief sidebars and footbars.

I debated about rating the book four stars, since it spends so much time on the business end of baseball, but decided to go with five stars, as where else will you find narrative histories of all the major league baseball clubs in one inexpensive book?

This is an excellent book that will inform even the most diehard fan about the history of every MLB Ballclub. It seems to be extremely comprehensive in its coverage, but that only includes "white" teams. Unless I have overlooked them (which is possible), I couldn't find any coverage of the Negro Leagues. I can't imagine it would have been that hard to include them.

The articles contained within the book vary based on how long the team has been/was in existence. For instance, the Cubs, Cardinals, Yankees and Red Sox have longer writeups than the Mariners, Expos and Orioles.

It gives histories based on the actual team in a certain city and then gives a new history that starts after the team moved (ie Philadelphia A's, Kansas A's and Oakland A's each have their own sections). It also gives separate histories for when a team changes cities and franchises completely (ie the St. Louis Browns to the Baltimore Orioles, or the Washington Senators to the Minnesota Twins and the Texas Rangers). There are also separate histories for the two Washington Senators franchises, as well as tons of short writeups about previous teams in certain cities (ie the Baltimore Orioles - they were a successful team in the late 1890's and then dropped the name for many years until the Browns relocated there).

I have a hard time believing that you will be able to find a more comprehensive book about the franchises that have existed since baseball began. There is more information here for the price than anywhere else that I have seen. I gave it four stars instead of five due to the lack of Negro League teams (even though I admit I could have missed them). All in all, this is one heck of a great buy!!

I read this when it came out. It's a fascinating look at one of the most enjoyable seasons I've ever witnessed. Michael left them hanging and they still came back and won over 50 games. Were it not for Hue Hollins BS call they may have 4-peated.

Although it covers just the frayed transition between Michael Jordan's first retirement and the Bulls' rebuilding, this book offers the reader much insight into the key personalities that comprised the greatest team in modern professional basketball. No Bulls library would be complete without it.Roland Lazenby

Although it covers just the frayed transition between Michael Jordan's first retirement and the Bulls' rebuilding, this book offers the reader much insight into the key personalities that comprised the greatest team in modern professional basketball. No Bulls library would be complete without it.Roland Lazenby

Although it covers just the frayed transition between Michael Jordan's first retirement and the Bulls' rebuilding, this book offers the reader much insight into the key personalities that comprised the greatest team in modern professional basketball. No Bulls library would be complete without it.Roland Lazenby

This is an amazing collection of Gator history. I highly recommend it as a gift to any Gator. We bought it for our son-in-law and are having a hard time giving it up! Enjoy!

This is a fabulous compilation of all things Gator. I bought copies for my parents and all my siblings for Christmas, and they have all raved about how awesome the book is. Packed full of history spanning the decades since the very beginning of UF and the Gators, this book will be a welcome addition to any faithful Gator fan's collection.

This is s must have for all Gator Fans. I bought this as a gift for a friend, and now I am going to get one for myself. I cannot even begin to tell you everything that is in this book. It is so well organized, displayed, and truly a treasured item. I read it from front to back and learned things that I have never heard before. It is truly remarkable!

The picture here does not even begin to do this volume justice. This is a beautiful book that comes in a sturdy and attractive box. It's as much scrapbook as it is history book. Inside the book, in addition to the wonderful photographs and narrative account of the history of Gator football, there are many, many artifacts that come in little pockets on almost every page. There is a replica of the ticket to the national championship game, a copy of Steve Spurrier's handwritten resignation announcement, a copy of the actual stats sheet from the 1966 Auburn game that secured the Heisman for Spurrier, a felt pennant from the 1950s, a copy of the card that Urban Meyer had each player carry with him during the days leading up to the 2006 championship game....the list goes on and on. Each page has a new surprise. Norm Carlson, longtime SID and Gator historian, has done every Gator fan a huge favor by putting together this remarkable "vault" of Gator memorabilia.

It was a gift and while it was attractive, I hope the recipient enjoys it!

This book is very well written and contains replicas of UT memoribilia that would be hard to find anywhere else. I bought one for each of my brothers as Christmas presents and they loved it! It is well worth buying and I would recommend it to any die hard Tennessee fan.

WONDERFUL BOOK FOR THE TRUE TENNESSEE FAN. REPRODUCED MEMORABILIA FROM YEARS GONE BY UP UNTIL THE RECENT. A REAL TREASURE!!

Great gift for a UT lover, but product was over-priced at Amazon. I saw the exact same product for 10.00 less at my local grocery store.

This is an excellent book on the ins and outs of Division I college basketball. Dane Bradshaw is an tremendous role model, and I would recommend any young athlete to read this book.

Dane has become an icon of how to do it right. He came along at a point in time when things were not going too well at UT. His notes and observations about being an collegiate athlete are well done. It is always interesting to find out some of the little things that usually go un-noticed in the overall scheme of a season. This book is well organized, straight-forward and a very easy read..

Entertaining read about UT Men's Basketball program and all of the hard work players go through before and during a season.

I loved this book. I even bought a copy for another friend who is a UT fan. If you admire Coach Pearl and/or Dane Bradshaw; then you need this book.

I'm buying the book and I know it will be excellent because I lived this time period as a kid (6-9 years old). My mother was coach Moser's personal secretary and head of ticket sales at the gym ticket office from 1954 through 1960. I went to most of the pep rallies with her and to every game in town or out. Coach Moser even let me come out to some of the practices to watch and occassionally fetch water with the waterboys. Remember the movie "Rudy" when he goes into the Notra Dame locker room for the first time? That was the way I was the first time I went into the Eagle locker room. Even got to hold Freddie Martinez helmet, Wow!! Even before fans wore team jerseys I had my own "33" black and gold jersey that I wore all the time. Thank you for this book and a chance to go back to a magical time period in my life. Larry Dobbs

Even though I am not a football fan, this book has been a real pleasure for me. It brings back such a flood of memories of an earlier time when a lot was expected from young people. I sometimes think I have just imagined that teenagers were once expected to work hard, respect their elders, and show "good moral character." Thank you, Michael, for confirming that my memories are correct. Thank you for reminding me that I did grow up in a special time and place. Thank you for giving the Warbirds back to me. Terry O'Neal, Class of '61

enjoyed the book very much. some one should made a movie about the book, its just so good that it should be shared with every body. chuck

To say I am a fan of Michael Grant's way with words is an understatement. I came to his work by way of the column he wrote for many years for the newspaper here in San Diego. His writing has greatly influenced my own.

Written with a reporter's eye for the telling detail, a novelist's sense of narrative, and an essayist's grasp of the larger meaning, Warbirds is pure Michael Grant. On the last page, Grant reflects on the team's incredible winning streak and what it meant to those who made it happen: "They saw for almost four years - almost the length of an entire high school education - what can happen when you live by the rules, know all the plays, and run till the whistle blows."

Like the book itself, those words are more than a masterful summation of a memorable streak. They have the power to speak to our lives and these times, as well. Reading Warbirds today, you don't even have to be a football fan to appreciate how Coach Moser's Eagles played the game.

Great book for any baseball coach. An written by a great baseball manager

Weaver on Strategy is a mindful look into managing a baseball game. Weaver's opinions on getting on base and preserving outs (by not giving them away via the sacrifice bunt, for example) have been brought back into vogue by the current generation of baseball sabermetricians. I recommend this book to all thoughtful baseball coaches and managers looking for a different look at negotiating your team through a baseball game.

Years of statistical research and number-crunching have proven one thing: Earl Weaver was a pretty smart guy. Weaver, who didn't frown on using numbers himself, was a living hybrid of old-fashioned baseball wisdom and a forward-thinking organizational mind that helped turn the Baltimore Orioles into a dynasty.
For the fan, you can read about how Weaver achieved such great success in the majors with methods not out of line with modern, or "sabermetric" analysis.
For a manager or coach, Weaver offers a lot of practical advice about managing a ballclub. This won't teach you how to hit a curveball, but it will tell you what lineup to use against a curveball pitcher, how to handle players both young and old, and how to run an effective spring training regimen.
Weaver's advice is pertinent and insightful even now, 20 years after he managed his last game.

Earl Weaver reveals some of the reasons he was such a successful manager. Baseball fans can use this book to get a better understanding of the strategy behind the managerial decisions. Some of Earl Weaver's advice is admittedly questionable for the current game, so he added a 2002 epilogue to comment on his past advice. Earl Weaver was not as hot headed as was the impression from his arguments with umpires. His additude is that it was better for the manager to be thrown out of a game than to have one of his valuable players thrown out. He explains how he looked upon each decision as a type of gamble, basing the odds of success largely on past performace when a player was in a similar situation. That is why he kept and used lots of player statistics.

Great book well written arrived on time in new condition

I bought the book for my boyfriend, he is a Penn State alum. So far he has really enjoyed the book. It was a great purchase.

There has perhaps never been a college football coach more associated with a single university than Joe Paterno is with Penn State. Of course, it only makes sense since JoePa has been coaching at the University for over 50 years including 40 years as the team's head coach. "What it Means to be a Nittany Lion" is a player's and coach's retrospective on playing and coaching at the school. It traces Penn State's rich history of national championships and All-American players, decade-by-decade, sharing fond recollections and stories by some of their greatest players ever.

As a Michigan fan, I have always had tremendous respect for Paterno and Penn State. They do things the right way with class and integrity, just like Michigan. You never hear about scandals there like you do at so many other universities where winning is placed above everything else. Each decade presents some of its most notable players such as Rosey Grier, sharing their stories in their own words. Grier, perhaps best known as a member of the Los Angeles Rams "Fearsome Foursome" actually went to Penn State to compete in Track and Field and was an All-American Shot-putter in 1954.

It was in the 190's when Penn State started to develop its reputation as Linebacker U with players like Jack Ham, Greg Buttle, and Matt Millen but they also produced great offensive talent such as RB Lydell Mitchell. While we all see the loveable, affable, old gentlemen, it's quite evident in reading these players stories that playing for Paterno was no picnic. Former receiver O.J. McDuffie even relates going home in tears once as a freshman because the coaches had been so tough on him. McDuffie persevered and became only the second Penn State receiver to earn first team All-American status in 1992.

I especially enjoyed reading all the players talking about how they were recruited and ended up at Penn State. So many of them talk about the values and integrity that Paterno had and how academics were stressed as much, if not more than athletics. One of the most uplifting stories is that of Adam Taliaferro. Taliaferro, a defensive back, broke a vertebrae in his neck making a tackle in 2000. Doctors gave him slim chance of ever walking again, yet a year later, Adam was cheered by over a 100,000 fans as he jogged onto the field.

Whether you are a Penn State fan or not, after reading this book, you will definitely know what it means to be a Nittany Lion.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

This is great book on Penn State's greatest players. Each player tells a story of what means to be a Nittany Lion. I love this book! It is for die-hard Nittany Lions fans or any college football fans! We Are...Penn State!

I bought this book for my father who is a huge wings fan. It details in order historically the careers of key players and coaches and was the perfect father's day gift.

My daughter started into hockey while going to Northern Michigan University. She then got hooked on the Wings. I was hoping that Art's book would introduce her to the culture of the Red Wings. She loves it. Thanks Art, miss you on the radio and hope you land on your feet soon.
Mike from St Clair

I mulled over this book for a long time thinking it was some fanboy "history" lesson, but I broke down and bought it anyway. I was so thrilled after I started reading it to see that it was all from the players' words! I loved reading about the guys from the 40s all the way to now. It is a inspirational book and it makes me proud to be a fan even though I was not born into hockey. No I was not a recent convert or riding their tails when they won, I started with the in the 80's (yes when they were not at their all time best). Anyway, the only thing about the book I was disappointed with is it did not have Gordie Howe's words (even though he wrote his own book, he could have something in it), Larionov, Federov, Vernon, and many others who did not contribute. Of course, it could have been the authors choice to not include them so I hope there will be a volume two!!! Still, this is a fabulous book to have if you really are a fan of the Red Wings and a fan of hockey.

What a great read! As the youngest daughter growing up in Detroit, I grew up in a family that loved professional hockey and college football . . . I watched from the fringes. Hockey did intrigue me, but I never really got hooked into the sport. As I went through the bookstore recently I spotted this book on the Redwings. I saw that it was individual stories and I thought that might be a great way to get a taste for what I may have missed, since my family goes on and on about the Wings. So glad I made the purchase. What a wonderful read. A few stories each night before bed, what a great way to retire. Each one is insightful and I was really drawn in. Guess what, I think I'm hooked . . . I will now be attending some live games. Go wings!!!

The book was everything I expected and more. It is great to know that I can count on my purchase to be what I anticipated.

This book is for anybody who loves football. It doesn't matter if you're not an University of Alabama fan. You'll still love this book. You can't stop reading it just because you think it's "boring". You'll love it by the time you're done. Reason being it doesn't just talk about football it talks about the people playing the football.Trust me you'll love this book.

The title of the book, "What It Means To Be Crimson Tide"...says it all. The book describes in true, "Crimson" the "Bama Tradition", of what it means to be a player on the University of Alabama Football team. Each chapter describes in detail a former great player, and what it meant to him to play football at Alabama. The book is never old; read it this year, then pick it up next year and it is still a great book to read. If you recognize names such as Starr, Jordan, Namath, Stabler, Newsome and Gilmer, then you will love this book.
Kirk McNair (editor of Bama Magazine) knows Alabama Football and understands "What It Means To Be Crimson Tide". Every true Crimson Tide fan should have this book in their library.

Kirk McNair not only knows about Alabama football. He can write about it too. In this book he shows how a good interviewer engages his subject, draws the best from him, and finds the angle that will captivate the reader. Then he uses his considerable writing skills to tell the story so that both the players and the readers will be pleased with the outcome. This book is a must for Crimson Tide fans. But it is also an opportunity for would-be sports writers to learn the craft from a master. Yes - he is my brother. I am proud to be his sister.