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100 Things A's Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die
With traditions, records, and team lore, this lively, detailed book explores the personalities, events, and facts every Athletics fan should know. This guide to all things A's covers the team’s history in Oakland since the franchise moved there in 1968, including the Charlie O. Finley dynasty years, the “Earthquake Series” and rivalry with the San Francisco Giants, and the team’s four World Series titles in Oakland. Author Susan Slusser has collected every essential piece of A's knowledge and trivia, including Billy Beane and Moneyball, Stomper, the “Bash Brothers,” and Josh Donaldson, as well as must-do activities, and ranks them from 1 to 100, providing an entertaining and easy-to-follow checklist for fans of all ages.
- GenresSportsBaseballNonfiction
338 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2015
11 people are currently reading
50 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 12, 2016
Just finished this book, which I read over the course of this season. I didn't go slowly because I was bored or anything like that, but I find that a positive of this book -- that it's so neatly chopped up that you can read a fun fact here or there when you have a spare moment. I need more books like this for that very situation. It's perfect for my reading habits.
I almost didn't pick it up because the title seems a bit on the trite side, marketing toward casual fans, but if those of you don't know who Susan Slusser is, she's one of the few journalists who writes so well I actually seek out her articles and thoughts. She's been covering the A's for years and does a great job both in that and on Twitter. I'd dare say there is no one more knowledgeable about the franchise.
I found the most interesting parts the bits about the Philadelphia A's or KC, or the stuff in the 70s, since I had very little prior knowledge of that era. It was really fascinating and Ms. Slusser did a great job with research, The more modern eras had pretty great detail too, given this is a light book.
My one criticism is something you'll find with most topical books like this, is that it's weighted heavily toward the last 4-5 years with players and incidents that won't stand the test of time for the literal something you should know before you die. Reading this book 10 years from now would result in people glossing over those bits. I understand that Ms. Slusser had to put those in though, as most readers probably would want more detail on the current/modern A's. I am an outlier as far as a reader goes. It didn't detract from the overall book at all, and if I knew enough about a particular player or subject, it's easy to skip over to the next point without missing a beat.
In conclusion: Lots of fun facts, personal info, depth that I didn't expect coming in. Highly recommend this book for A's fans.
I almost didn't pick it up because the title seems a bit on the trite side, marketing toward casual fans, but if those of you don't know who Susan Slusser is, she's one of the few journalists who writes so well I actually seek out her articles and thoughts. She's been covering the A's for years and does a great job both in that and on Twitter. I'd dare say there is no one more knowledgeable about the franchise.
I found the most interesting parts the bits about the Philadelphia A's or KC, or the stuff in the 70s, since I had very little prior knowledge of that era. It was really fascinating and Ms. Slusser did a great job with research, The more modern eras had pretty great detail too, given this is a light book.
My one criticism is something you'll find with most topical books like this, is that it's weighted heavily toward the last 4-5 years with players and incidents that won't stand the test of time for the literal something you should know before you die. Reading this book 10 years from now would result in people glossing over those bits. I understand that Ms. Slusser had to put those in though, as most readers probably would want more detail on the current/modern A's. I am an outlier as far as a reader goes. It didn't detract from the overall book at all, and if I knew enough about a particular player or subject, it's easy to skip over to the next point without missing a beat.
In conclusion: Lots of fun facts, personal info, depth that I didn't expect coming in. Highly recommend this book for A's fans.
November 6, 2015
A nice read for Athletics fans. Easy to read. The author is the Athletics beat reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle. It is written in the crisp style of a beat reporter. Each story is like reading a news column about my beloved Athletics
February 4, 2016
I loved the book. I'm a big A's fan. I learned a lot about the team. Susan is a good writer who knows her baseball. I recommend this book for any fan of baseball.
June 17, 2017
This book is great! Full of info about A's. Essential for all A's fans.
October 6, 2018
Susan Slusser knocked it out of the park with this. The short stories were long enough for the information to stick but also short enough to keep you fresh and craving more.
July 15, 2020
immensely interesting for an A's fan. would have liked more things to do as well as more interviews with players and coaches.
August 11, 2015
It's a must if you're an A's fan, though Slusser could have used a more competent copy-editor (call me). The ratio of people vs. occurrences vs. things to do is off, and everything is skewed pretty heavily to the recent teams (why is Brandon McCarthy one of the top 100 things you need to know as an A's fan?), but that will make millennials happier (like me). The short chapters make it conducive for reading in chunks, too.
March 26, 2016
An Excellent Book
Susan Slusser is, first and foremost, an excellent story teller. In addition, her stories are true and accurate. No conveys the story of the Oakland (and Philadelphia) A's better. Buy this book, you'll be glad you did. I'll meet you at Rickey's.
Susan Slusser is, first and foremost, an excellent story teller. In addition, her stories are true and accurate. No conveys the story of the Oakland (and Philadelphia) A's better. Buy this book, you'll be glad you did. I'll meet you at Rickey's.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews