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Why I Love Baseball
The popular television journalist and talk-show host shares his love for the great American pastime, from growing up in 1940s New York to the present day as he captures all the great sights, sounds, smells, and moments of American sports.
Audio CD
First published February 1, 2004
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About the author
Larry King
130 books129 followersLarry King was an American television host, radio host, and paid spokesman, whose work was recognized with awards including two Peabodys, an Emmy award, and 10 Cable ACE Awards.
From 1985 to 2010, King hosted a nightly interview program on CNN called Larry King Live. From 2012 to 2020, he hosted Larry King Now.
From 1985 to 2010, King hosted a nightly interview program on CNN called Larry King Live. From 2012 to 2020, he hosted Larry King Now.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 17, 2018
"[Former Dodgers manager] Tommy Lasorda told me that the biggest thrill of his life was to manage a winning team at a major league game. His second greatest thrill was to manage a losing game. Now that, dear friends, is love." - Larry King, author and Brooklyn Dodgers fan
King 's own love of the game is evident in this book as well. Although a bit dated now (it's from 2003) it includes some good stories / anecdotes, history and observations from other famous fans.
King 's own love of the game is evident in this book as well. Although a bit dated now (it's from 2003) it includes some good stories / anecdotes, history and observations from other famous fans.
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August 7, 2018I loved his 99 reasons why baseball is better than football.
October 2, 2023
A fun book of Larry King’s feelings, opinions and his overall love of baseball.
I remember the era he loved and much of the slang he uses. I really enjoyed the book.
I remember the era he loved and much of the slang he uses. I really enjoyed the book.
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July 11, 2025trying to get into it
September 27, 2019
title says it all; short and sweet
July 23, 2021
I could’ve listened to a lot more of this. Larry’s section on why baseball > football cracked me up. It’s always been rather mysterious to me given how many games there are and all of the mythologies of baseball but I thought this was a helpful introduction.
February 25, 2018
A great book. If you like baseball, you will like this book. King has wriiten a love letter to the sport.
October 11, 2013
Larry King's book "Why I love baseball" is a very well written out auto biography about his childhood and how he became to love baseball so much.
Larry's writing style is nothing fancy, which is why I like this book and his writing style. He is just straight forward with his writing and telling us his story how he became into loving baseball as a child. There was no characters you gotta worry about because it's an auto biography. There was Not really any plots in this fantastic book other then the events that happened to him threw out his life time. The theme that Larry tries to give out, is work hard for what you want because he was just a little boy who parents had died and he turn to baseball to be as his family, so he became a sports writer to be even closer to the game. The setting this book takes place is at Brooklyn when he was a child, then when he grows up changes to Los Angeles. I would connect this book to other well famous auto biography. I would connect to this book to me because if I don't make it far in baseball I would probably be like Larry King and be a sports writer just to be close to the game.
I would differently recommend this book to other baseball lovers out there or even Larry king fans or even just book lovers who want a good auto biography to read. This book seems like a middle school level book by just looking at the size of it, but it is very well written for all ages.
Larry's writing style is nothing fancy, which is why I like this book and his writing style. He is just straight forward with his writing and telling us his story how he became into loving baseball as a child. There was no characters you gotta worry about because it's an auto biography. There was Not really any plots in this fantastic book other then the events that happened to him threw out his life time. The theme that Larry tries to give out, is work hard for what you want because he was just a little boy who parents had died and he turn to baseball to be as his family, so he became a sports writer to be even closer to the game. The setting this book takes place is at Brooklyn when he was a child, then when he grows up changes to Los Angeles. I would connect this book to other well famous auto biography. I would connect to this book to me because if I don't make it far in baseball I would probably be like Larry King and be a sports writer just to be close to the game.
I would differently recommend this book to other baseball lovers out there or even Larry king fans or even just book lovers who want a good auto biography to read. This book seems like a middle school level book by just looking at the size of it, but it is very well written for all ages.
January 6, 2014
Why I Love Baseball is a hodge-podge of King's observations and stories/quotes/articles from third-party sources on the topic of baseball.
While there are a few solid gems in the book, its organization is random and comes off reading like a rough draft where not much editing has taken place to give it a semblance of logic or organization. One chapter may contain lyrics to King's favorite baseball songs coupled with quotes or observations from various managers and players. Another may include articles or excerpts from other baseball books by authors such as George Will and Bob Costas; followed by stories from King's youth. There is never a theme tying the chapters together, much less giving cohesion to the entire book, save that they are all about baseball.
The stories from King's youth are among the gems. They remind the reader of their own indoctrination into the world of baseball and are quite humorous, but this material is sparse. Instead, much of the book seems culled from other sources, rather than from the author himself. King also tends to name drop. Everyone named is seemingly famous and the author can never mention someone without adding that he interviewed him several times or got to spend time with him over the years or that they are a good friend.
While there are a few solid gems in the book, its organization is random and comes off reading like a rough draft where not much editing has taken place to give it a semblance of logic or organization. One chapter may contain lyrics to King's favorite baseball songs coupled with quotes or observations from various managers and players. Another may include articles or excerpts from other baseball books by authors such as George Will and Bob Costas; followed by stories from King's youth. There is never a theme tying the chapters together, much less giving cohesion to the entire book, save that they are all about baseball.
The stories from King's youth are among the gems. They remind the reader of their own indoctrination into the world of baseball and are quite humorous, but this material is sparse. Instead, much of the book seems culled from other sources, rather than from the author himself. King also tends to name drop. Everyone named is seemingly famous and the author can never mention someone without adding that he interviewed him several times or got to spend time with him over the years or that they are a good friend.
June 23, 2014
On the first pitch Larry King swings hard enough and strikes his heel with the fat part of his bat, and, penultimately, it's a failed lead-off bunt attempt and subsequent strikeout. Like a mock/rough draft of a minor league player who does not make it to the big leagues, who does not pan out. Not even that close to the historic ballpark and the classic walk-off home run as one would have hoped for the talk show host. Love of baseball without writing up and down and out baseball's loveliness. Passion for the game without particularity and penmanship and purpose.
March 28, 2009
Yes! He described so many of the reasons why I love baseball, and even elaborated on a few I hadn't thought of but could appreciate. I loved this book so much, I gave it to my father because he loves baseball too.
April 21, 2011
Larry does a LOT of name dropping and this book seems to be more about who he knows in baseball, rather than why we would love the game. Granted, he does touch on the "crack of the bat" and other common baseball cliches, but this is really a book about Larry.
April 5, 2020
Ghostwritten piece of nonsense. 160 pages which are spread out from what may have been a 3 hour conversation, about how much he loves the Brooklyn dodgers and not really much else. A pure money making exercise with zero literary value or indeed value of any kind.
December 11, 2010
A masterpiece!
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November 16, 2022Brisk little read about Larry King's love of baseball. Had some cool old school stories about back in the day when New York hosted everyone important.
July 26, 2016
(Read by Larry King)
December 20, 2008
made me really like larry king more. he is an informed and passionate baseball fan
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews