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Three Nights In August: Strategy, Heartbreak, and Joy Inside the Mind of a Manager
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Friday Nights Lights chronicles a three-game series between baseball rivals Cardinals and Cubs, focusing particular attention on the stars of the game, Albert Pujols, Sammy Sosa, Mark Prior, and Scott Rolen. 100,000 first printing.
280 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2005
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February 10, 2024
كمدير تنفيذي دائما ما كنت أتساءل عن التوازن بين البيانات الموثوقة والحس الداخلي في عملية اتخاذ القرارت، وأزعم أني أعتمد بشكل أكبر على البيانات، ولكن في لحظات أثق في قدرتي على فهم الطبيعة البشرية، بينما أقرأ عن تركيز (مدرب البيسبول الشهير على الإحصائيات في لعبته؛ ليفهم منافسيه، ولاعبيه، فكان من الواضح أن البيانات وحدها لا تكفي؛ فالقائد الذي يفهم الأرقام سوف يتخذ قرارا أفضل مبنيا على فهمه وحدسه.
September 18, 2011
I like sports but have never been a follower of baseball. It has seemed boring to me. In my one year as a 9 year old little leaguer I would sit down in the outfield because nothing was happening. Baseball lovers have contradicted me on this opinion and this book settles the question once and for all not in my favor. I had no idea how complex, complicated, subtle the game was. 3 Nights in August chronicles a 3 game series between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs sometimes pitch by pitch from the view point of the Cardinals manager Tony La Russa. The amount of knowledge, thinking, planning, foretelling, analysis of accumulated data of previous performances and tendencies, consideration of current emotional states, etc., etc., etc. was eye opening to me.
I learned what a hit and run is, who Albert Pujos is, that La Russa is fluent in Spanish, has a law degree, is vegetarian ("I don't eat anything that had a face")and funds animal rescue efforts. I learned that what pitch is thrown is determined by the inning, the count, the score, the outs and even who might be coming to bat two batters later; that the batters know all of this too and try to predict what is coming their way(I had thought they just got up there and tried to hit whatever showed up); and that even when the managers tell the pitchers or batters to do something specific they just don't follow instructions. I learned that many well paid players don't give it their all because it's just too much trouble and the extra $2M they would earn is unneeded after the $5M base pay. One star player even complained of why his team always "had to play in the playoffs" when he would rather have the season finished.
So now I will have to read "Money Ball" and go to a baseball game with my friend Jon Klein and have him explain the intricacies of what is going on. So much to do, so little time.
I learned what a hit and run is, who Albert Pujos is, that La Russa is fluent in Spanish, has a law degree, is vegetarian ("I don't eat anything that had a face")and funds animal rescue efforts. I learned that what pitch is thrown is determined by the inning, the count, the score, the outs and even who might be coming to bat two batters later; that the batters know all of this too and try to predict what is coming their way(I had thought they just got up there and tried to hit whatever showed up); and that even when the managers tell the pitchers or batters to do something specific they just don't follow instructions. I learned that many well paid players don't give it their all because it's just too much trouble and the extra $2M they would earn is unneeded after the $5M base pay. One star player even complained of why his team always "had to play in the playoffs" when he would rather have the season finished.
So now I will have to read "Money Ball" and go to a baseball game with my friend Jon Klein and have him explain the intricacies of what is going on. So much to do, so little time.
March 16, 2016
Rating is more 3 1/2 as while it was great insight into the traditional three-game series, I felt is was a little too rah-rah and that readers who are not Cardinals fans would get a little tired of it. While listening to it, it seemed like even when the Cubs won a game, manager Tony LaRussa and pitching coach Dave Duncan could do no wrong. If anything did go wrong, it was the player's fault. But for hardcore baseball strategy and action, this book is very good.
September 18, 2013
Bissinger takes sports writing up a notch. Yes, you can see the typical sports metaphors mixed in here, but there are more erudite ones as well. I enjoyed the stories, but was a bit surprised at how Bissinger jumped around. Some at bats are described in incredible detail over the three game series, while sometimes whole innings are mentioned in a sentence. And a lot of the text is about events that happened prior to the games in focus. While I understand writing some background stories, my only complaint with the book is that the tangential anecdotes often have little or no tie to the story. Bissinger covers steriods usage and the death of Cardinal pitcher Kyle earlier in the season, but it really doesn't impact these games. While well written, it could have included some more relatable stories.
I grew up in rural Illinois on the dividing line between Cubs and Cardinals territory. And I've only lived in two other places, Chicago and St. Louis. This book really plays to my personal interests and memories.
I remember the "historic" matchup of Sandberg versus Sutter, which is mentioned here, and Bissinger adds another alliterative matchup during this series -- Pujols versus Prior. Harry Carry would have pointed out that alliteration, Buzz doesn't take the bait, which is like holding off on a wicked curve.
On audio, the narrator sounds a bit like the deep voice of the guy who narrates those NFL films. It gets you in the sports mood, expecting a battle of titans. This was a good choice for this book.
I grew up in rural Illinois on the dividing line between Cubs and Cardinals territory. And I've only lived in two other places, Chicago and St. Louis. This book really plays to my personal interests and memories.
I remember the "historic" matchup of Sandberg versus Sutter, which is mentioned here, and Bissinger adds another alliterative matchup during this series -- Pujols versus Prior. Harry Carry would have pointed out that alliteration, Buzz doesn't take the bait, which is like holding off on a wicked curve.
On audio, the narrator sounds a bit like the deep voice of the guy who narrates those NFL films. It gets you in the sports mood, expecting a battle of titans. This was a good choice for this book.
May 14, 2022
With the full cooperation of Tony LaRussa, who was also a business partner on the book, Buzz Bissinger follows the drama of a 2004 three-game series between the Cardinals and Cubs, with frequent and interesting tangents and side notes. LaRussa's insight and Bissinger's flowing prose make for a superior baseball book, one that should be on more lists of all-time greats.
You get a look at a young Albert Pujols, already understood to be the greatest player in the game. The Cardinals play against Mark Prior and Kerry Wood, two dominant starting pitchers that had disappointing careers. We also get insight into Rick Ankiel, a phenom that got into his own head and could no longer pitch. We learn of Darryl Kile, a teammate of great integrity that died of a heart attack during the 2003 season at the age of 32.
This was all before LaRussa won a World Series with the Cardinals and made the Hall of Fame. Quite worthwhile.
You get a look at a young Albert Pujols, already understood to be the greatest player in the game. The Cardinals play against Mark Prior and Kerry Wood, two dominant starting pitchers that had disappointing careers. We also get insight into Rick Ankiel, a phenom that got into his own head and could no longer pitch. We learn of Darryl Kile, a teammate of great integrity that died of a heart attack during the 2003 season at the age of 32.
This was all before LaRussa won a World Series with the Cardinals and made the Hall of Fame. Quite worthwhile.
September 28, 2025
I think my window to be a baseball team manager has closed but it's a shame because I would've been great at it I think. anyway I loved this book
May 23, 2017
I write for a blog on the Chicago Cubs sometimes. The blog is owned by a fine writer named Joe Aiello. He recommended H.G. Bissinger's Three Nights in August, a widely admired account of a three games series between the Cardinals and Cubs in August of the 2003 season. It is very worthwhile. There are many reasons why. One is that Bissinger wrote it, in part, as a response to Michael Lewis’ fantastically successful Money Ball. In that vein, Bissinger wrote in his preface:
“In [the aftermath of Moneyball], managers are less managers than middle managers, functionaries whose strategic options during a game require muzzlement, they are only to effect the marching orders coldly calculated and passed down by upper management. It is wrong to say that the new breed doesn’t care about baseball. But it’s not wrong to say that there is no way they could possibly love it, and so much of baseball is about love. * * * Just as they have no interest in the human ingredients that make a player a player and make a game a game: heart, desire, passion, reactions to pressure. After all, these are emotions and what point are emotions if they can’t be quantified?”
One of Bissinger's themes is that baseball is about human beings, including things that go on inside a player's heart and mind that cannot be quantified by sabermetrics. He argues this point by recounting many examples of how Tony LaRussa, the Cardinals manager at that time, had to wrestle with the human side of his players' characters in order to get them to perform at their best. Bissinger's account is compelling, but to be sure, that is no refutation of saber metrics. Modern analytics do not ignore human psychiatry. Indeed, all of the player is baked into the analytics, or so the saber metricians would be quick to argue.
Three Nights is so good that I cannot believe that it took me this long to read it. There are many other fascinating interwoven story lines. LaRussa’s take on JD Drew is interesting and seems on the money. The juxtaposition of Rich Ankiel's pitching troubles with Mark Prior's fate-tempting arrogance is eerie. LaRussa's terrible family life is an eye opener. For the first time, I feel a little sorry for the guy. There is a vignette about pitchers throwing at batters and the manager's role. That discussion is terrific too.
I have only one complaint about this fine book. The ending is weak. For some reason, Bissinger jumps to the Cardinals loss in the 2004 World Series for his epilogue, instead of wrapping up the 2003 season. This was illogical and did not work for me. But there are many more good things about the book than bad. Any baseball fan will love it and I recommend it highly.
“In [the aftermath of Moneyball], managers are less managers than middle managers, functionaries whose strategic options during a game require muzzlement, they are only to effect the marching orders coldly calculated and passed down by upper management. It is wrong to say that the new breed doesn’t care about baseball. But it’s not wrong to say that there is no way they could possibly love it, and so much of baseball is about love. * * * Just as they have no interest in the human ingredients that make a player a player and make a game a game: heart, desire, passion, reactions to pressure. After all, these are emotions and what point are emotions if they can’t be quantified?”
One of Bissinger's themes is that baseball is about human beings, including things that go on inside a player's heart and mind that cannot be quantified by sabermetrics. He argues this point by recounting many examples of how Tony LaRussa, the Cardinals manager at that time, had to wrestle with the human side of his players' characters in order to get them to perform at their best. Bissinger's account is compelling, but to be sure, that is no refutation of saber metrics. Modern analytics do not ignore human psychiatry. Indeed, all of the player is baked into the analytics, or so the saber metricians would be quick to argue.
Three Nights is so good that I cannot believe that it took me this long to read it. There are many other fascinating interwoven story lines. LaRussa’s take on JD Drew is interesting and seems on the money. The juxtaposition of Rich Ankiel's pitching troubles with Mark Prior's fate-tempting arrogance is eerie. LaRussa's terrible family life is an eye opener. For the first time, I feel a little sorry for the guy. There is a vignette about pitchers throwing at batters and the manager's role. That discussion is terrific too.
I have only one complaint about this fine book. The ending is weak. For some reason, Bissinger jumps to the Cardinals loss in the 2004 World Series for his epilogue, instead of wrapping up the 2003 season. This was illogical and did not work for me. But there are many more good things about the book than bad. Any baseball fan will love it and I recommend it highly.
July 30, 2018
This was a warmup read before digging into Tony La Russa's 2012 book on the '11 World Series team. Three Nights in October, meanwhile, was a frustrating read. The book examines three games between the Cardinals and Cubs in the midst of a NL Central race. Its purpose was to get inside the mind of La Russa as he made managerial moves, but we mostly get play-by-play on the events throughout the three games. When La Russa makes a good decision, he's praised. But when something goes wrong, the blame is put on the players. One of which is buried by La Russa.
Surprisingly, the bright spots of the book are random stories that have nothing to do with the three nights. We get in-depth accounts of the likes of Darryl Kile, Rick Ankiel and JD Drew, which helped give this book some enjoyment. But overall, this doesn't feel like a story that needed to be told.
Also, you'll get tired of hearing the phrase "crooked number" as it is noticeably repeated.
Surprisingly, the bright spots of the book are random stories that have nothing to do with the three nights. We get in-depth accounts of the likes of Darryl Kile, Rick Ankiel and JD Drew, which helped give this book some enjoyment. But overall, this doesn't feel like a story that needed to be told.
Also, you'll get tired of hearing the phrase "crooked number" as it is noticeably repeated.
August 24, 2012
If you are (as I am) a Cubs fan, this book won't be much fun to read. And yet, although I'm sure part of my dissatisfaction with this book stems from the fact that it's an unabashed shrine to Tony La Russa and all things Cardinal, I think we what really bugged me about it was how blatantly biased it is. Certainly, La Russa is a great manager. Any Cubs fan will agree. The problem here, though, is that the author is so genuinely in the tank for La Russa that every move described in the book frames La Russa as a genius and everyone else (except for his pitching coach, Dave Duncan) as incompetent. Even when a play goes awry, the story is that La Russa told the player the "right" thing to do and the player was too pig-headed to listen or just failed to execute. If he had just done what Oracle La Russa had said, the Cardinals would have won the game and every game that season.
Maybe there was a truth-in-advertising problem here that I didn't pick up on until about 2 pages before the end of the book. I thought this book was going to be a unique look at the game of baseball through the eyes of a manager, using La Russa as a case study of a mindset in which all managers more or less engage. But in fact, I realized that this was actually a biography of La Russa. And because the author was commissioned *by* La Russa to write it, it's not surprising that all you end up with is filter-less praise for the guy. The book worked best when the author was giving profiles of individual players, such as J.D. Drew. Less compelling was the endless play by play and the odd, corny similes sprinkled throughout.
The most frustrating thing was to see La Russa get a pass for his involvement and at least tacit support for the steroids era. He had McGwire on his team and eventually made him his batting coach, but all this warrants in the book is a couple paragraphs implying that unlike Canseco, McGwire was clean. No mention is made of his cowardly testimony in front of Congress.
Maybe if you're a Cardinals fan you love this book, but for me it was a mildly insightful wasted opportunity.
Maybe there was a truth-in-advertising problem here that I didn't pick up on until about 2 pages before the end of the book. I thought this book was going to be a unique look at the game of baseball through the eyes of a manager, using La Russa as a case study of a mindset in which all managers more or less engage. But in fact, I realized that this was actually a biography of La Russa. And because the author was commissioned *by* La Russa to write it, it's not surprising that all you end up with is filter-less praise for the guy. The book worked best when the author was giving profiles of individual players, such as J.D. Drew. Less compelling was the endless play by play and the odd, corny similes sprinkled throughout.
The most frustrating thing was to see La Russa get a pass for his involvement and at least tacit support for the steroids era. He had McGwire on his team and eventually made him his batting coach, but all this warrants in the book is a couple paragraphs implying that unlike Canseco, McGwire was clean. No mention is made of his cowardly testimony in front of Congress.
Maybe if you're a Cardinals fan you love this book, but for me it was a mildly insightful wasted opportunity.
January 14, 2013
Before the glossing over of Tony La Russa's reputation inevitably takes place when he is enshrined in Cooperstown, it is important to note that he was perhaps the most polarizing manager in baseball during his career (with Dusty Baker also being a strong candidate in my mind).
3 Nights in August chronicles a 2003 Cardinals-Cubs series near the end of the season. However, the book does not solely focus on those three games, as it also chronicles La Russa's career with the Carlton Fisk and Tom Seaver White Sox and the Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire (along with Rickey Henderson) Oakland A's. The book also focuses on La Russa's previous seasons with the Cardinals, most notably the 2002 season that was marred by the death of star pitcher, and popular teammate, Darryl Kile mid-season. It chronicles the unexpected rise of Albert Pujols and the fearsome trio he formed with Jim Edmonds and Scott Rolen in the mid-2000s.
While this book will be most appreciated by Cardinals fans, any fans who enjoy baseball, or even Bissinger's previous works such as Friday Night Lights, would probably find some merit in this book. If there are any downsides Three Nights in August, it is that Bissinger sometimes paints La Russa in too much of a saintly light, when the real truth is that La Russa is more similar to Bill Belichick in his demeanor, with probably more negatives that are more apt to get exposed over a 162-game season.
Also, it forces Cardinals fans to live the disappointing 2003 season over again, where mediocre pitching befell the team to 85 wins and a third-place finish (Esteban Yan and Pedro Borbon Jr. are still epynomous with the word "suck" when it comes to relievers). On the positive side, there is an epilogue devoted to the 105-win 2004 season, where the Cardinals advanced all the way to the World Series (it is a shame that they cancelled it that year).
3 Nights in August chronicles a 2003 Cardinals-Cubs series near the end of the season. However, the book does not solely focus on those three games, as it also chronicles La Russa's career with the Carlton Fisk and Tom Seaver White Sox and the Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire (along with Rickey Henderson) Oakland A's. The book also focuses on La Russa's previous seasons with the Cardinals, most notably the 2002 season that was marred by the death of star pitcher, and popular teammate, Darryl Kile mid-season. It chronicles the unexpected rise of Albert Pujols and the fearsome trio he formed with Jim Edmonds and Scott Rolen in the mid-2000s.
While this book will be most appreciated by Cardinals fans, any fans who enjoy baseball, or even Bissinger's previous works such as Friday Night Lights, would probably find some merit in this book. If there are any downsides Three Nights in August, it is that Bissinger sometimes paints La Russa in too much of a saintly light, when the real truth is that La Russa is more similar to Bill Belichick in his demeanor, with probably more negatives that are more apt to get exposed over a 162-game season.
Also, it forces Cardinals fans to live the disappointing 2003 season over again, where mediocre pitching befell the team to 85 wins and a third-place finish (Esteban Yan and Pedro Borbon Jr. are still epynomous with the word "suck" when it comes to relievers). On the positive side, there is an epilogue devoted to the 105-win 2004 season, where the Cardinals advanced all the way to the World Series (it is a shame that they cancelled it that year).
February 10, 2013
You should buy this book for what it is, and not for what many of these reviews say it is. It is not anti-Moneyball, it is an insiders look at a baseball game in the context of the baseball world and the career of one man, Tony LaRussa. Sabermaniacs have brought a deeper understanding of baseball to the layperson, and have challenged conventional thinking about our great game. This book does not set out to refute ther tenets of sabermetrics, in fact, Moneyball is mentioned only three times in 279 (paperback) pages. Any anti-sabermetric review is probably motivated by an almost zealous subscription to the central teachings of Moneyball.
Take the book for what it is: an intelligent, thought-provoking, entertaining, insiders look at the baseball world broken down into three games. There is a great deal of context given here for what is happening on the field and in the mind of the manager. As Mr. LaRussa points out in his Foreward, the book is not about three games, and that most of what you will read "should really be about baseball in general."
As far as recent books, the excellent Moneyball's contribution to the avid baseball fan is thinking differently about the assumptions you make about the game, and that different business models can be adopted that offer advantages that can be observed as teams take the field. The contribution of this book is an insiders look at how the game is tactically executed and how the eyes, ears, and experiences of a quarter century affect the minute decisions that affect the whole.
Entertainingly written, any baseball fan will enjoy this book.
Take the book for what it is: an intelligent, thought-provoking, entertaining, insiders look at the baseball world broken down into three games. There is a great deal of context given here for what is happening on the field and in the mind of the manager. As Mr. LaRussa points out in his Foreward, the book is not about three games, and that most of what you will read "should really be about baseball in general."
As far as recent books, the excellent Moneyball's contribution to the avid baseball fan is thinking differently about the assumptions you make about the game, and that different business models can be adopted that offer advantages that can be observed as teams take the field. The contribution of this book is an insiders look at how the game is tactically executed and how the eyes, ears, and experiences of a quarter century affect the minute decisions that affect the whole.
Entertainingly written, any baseball fan will enjoy this book.
May 12, 2010
I give this 4 stars because the stars are about subjective reaction and I enjoyed reading it. On the other hand, I can definitely see you getting less mileage out of this book if aren't a fan of LaRussa, the Cardinals, or baseball, or even if you know a lot about the game. I also don't see this as having much staying power over time.
That being said, I think I would describe this book as "effectively wild" a term he uses to describe Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood. There are plenty of overwritten sentences, and even unintelligible metaphors, but overall I still found the book interesting and even exciting. Of course, I am a LaRussa, Cardinals, baseball fan.
I'm also a fan that is ignorant enough to learn something from this book. I found there to be plenty of good explanation in it, although I can imagine for some people I know the explanations might seem boring.
The last point I want to bring up is its relationship to "Moneyball". "3 Nights..." argues against the sabermetric revolution to some degree. I found the argument subtle in the sense that although does make the point explicitly at times he never let's it distract from the main story line of the book. So I found this angle added something to my appreciation to the book. Despite evidence that personally Bissinger is a douche, his point of view in this book is well presented.
That being said, I think I would describe this book as "effectively wild" a term he uses to describe Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood. There are plenty of overwritten sentences, and even unintelligible metaphors, but overall I still found the book interesting and even exciting. Of course, I am a LaRussa, Cardinals, baseball fan.
I'm also a fan that is ignorant enough to learn something from this book. I found there to be plenty of good explanation in it, although I can imagine for some people I know the explanations might seem boring.
The last point I want to bring up is its relationship to "Moneyball". "3 Nights..." argues against the sabermetric revolution to some degree. I found the argument subtle in the sense that although does make the point explicitly at times he never let's it distract from the main story line of the book. So I found this angle added something to my appreciation to the book. Despite evidence that personally Bissinger is a douche, his point of view in this book is well presented.
September 2, 2009
Tony LaRussa is one of the greatest managers in the history of Major League Baseball. This book offers a unique glimpse into the mind of a baseball genius.
"Buzz" Bissinger, the author of the football classic turned box office hit "Friday Night Lights", follows TLR and my favorite team, the St. Louis Cardinals, around during a series against the much-maligned Chicago Cubs towards the end of the Cardinals extremely disappointing 2003 season.
I admit that I am totally biased in giving this book five stars. Saying I am a fan of the Cardinals is quite an understatement (as I type this, I am staring at an Albert Pujols bobblehead on my desk, and sitting next to a Cardinals' trash can I've had since my eighth birthday). However, I believe anyone who loves the game of baseball will enjoy the view of the game presented by an exceptional author, Mr. Bissinger, and, possibly baseball's biggest fan, Mr. LaRussa.
"Buzz" Bissinger, the author of the football classic turned box office hit "Friday Night Lights", follows TLR and my favorite team, the St. Louis Cardinals, around during a series against the much-maligned Chicago Cubs towards the end of the Cardinals extremely disappointing 2003 season.
I admit that I am totally biased in giving this book five stars. Saying I am a fan of the Cardinals is quite an understatement (as I type this, I am staring at an Albert Pujols bobblehead on my desk, and sitting next to a Cardinals' trash can I've had since my eighth birthday). However, I believe anyone who loves the game of baseball will enjoy the view of the game presented by an exceptional author, Mr. Bissinger, and, possibly baseball's biggest fan, Mr. LaRussa.
November 19, 2015
To me, baseball has always been a beautiful game, but I always thought that teams could be managed by Phil in accounting or anybody else who knows even a little bit about baseball, and still be the same.
I was incredibly wrong.
The amount of work that LaRussa put into a Pre-season, a season, and even single games is incredible. It was always reassuring to me, as a Cardinal's fan, that he was never going to be out prepared by the other team's manager. For anybody who thinks they could easily coach an MLB team, check this book out. It's well written, aside from being very informative about a side of baseball we don't often get to see.
I was incredibly wrong.
The amount of work that LaRussa put into a Pre-season, a season, and even single games is incredible. It was always reassuring to me, as a Cardinal's fan, that he was never going to be out prepared by the other team's manager. For anybody who thinks they could easily coach an MLB team, check this book out. It's well written, aside from being very informative about a side of baseball we don't often get to see.
October 13, 2022
This book didn't have the same sort of fierce gravitational pull into the story that Mr. Bissinger crafted in writing "Friday Night Lights". Yet I couldn't help but thoroughly enjoy it. I’m not oblivious to the fact that I grew up a Cardinals fan rooting for the players I read about in these pages certainly helps. However, walking away from this one, I'm fairly certain you can simply be a student of the game and appreciate what the author has done here. The depth of insight and research that went into this very real story is impressive. I believe most baseball fans can enjoy this book.
November 12, 2015
I thought that this novel was very interesting. It lets you become the Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa. By including you in his thoughts, and the decisions that he has to make at a certain time in the game, you will see what it would be like to be in a day of the life of Tony La Russa. I thought that the author doing this was very cool. Since I love baseball this was a great experience. The only downside of the book was that it could be a little boring, in my opinion, at times.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2008
This is a great book for anyone who is interested in baseball. As a Cardinals fan I loved it. I really understand much better what the role of a manager is. I don't think that someone who doesn't care for baseball would enjoy it, but I think that even a casual fan would get a lot out of it. Buzz Bissinger's style is easy to follow and entertaining to read.
February 6, 2013
This was a fantastic read. It was made even more fantastic because I started reading it within minutes of putting down "Moneyball." This is a great contrast to "Moneyball" in that it focuses much more on the beautity and historic love of baseball. It's about players and managers and how they go about their daily lives in the game. Just a great read about classic baseball.
August 16, 2013
Beautiful. Just beautiful baseball.
April 11, 2019
Growing up baseball was never my favorite sport, i was never truly engaged in the game as I was focused on other things. One would say I never truly learned the game of baseball. I had no idea how complex, complicated, subtle the game was. 3 Nights in August chronicles a 3 game series between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs sometimes pitch by pitch from the view point of the Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa. The amount of knowledge, thinking, planning, foretelling, analysis of accumulated data of previous performances and tendencies, consideration of current emotional states, etc. was eye opening to me. One of Bissinger's themes is that baseball is about human beings, including things that go on inside a player's heart and mind that cannot be quantified by saber metrics. He argues this point by recounting many examples of how Tony LaRussa, the Cardinals manager at that time, had to wrestle with the human side of his players' characters in order to get them to perform at their best. Bissinger's account is compelling, but to be sure, that is no refutation of saber metrics. Modern analytics do not ignore human psychiatry. Indeed, all of the player is baked into the analytics, or so the saber metricians would be quick to argue. Three Nights is so good that I cannot believe that it took me this long to read it. There are many other fascinating interwoven story lines. LaRussa’s take on JD Drew is interesting and seems on the money. The contrast of Rich Ankiel's pitching troubles with Mark Prior's fate-tempting arrogance is eerie. LaRussa's terrible family life is an eye opener. For the first time, I feel a little sorry for the guy. There is a vignette about pitchers throwing at batters and the manager's role. That discussion is terrific too. I think 3 Nights in August is a very good read if you are into baseball and want to learn more about the game and how complicated baseball actually is. This book really taught me more about the game of baseball and how the manager deals with the team on and off the field.
May 1, 2020
i miss baseball and love the cardinals. so i wanted to love this book. however, i couldn’t get over the problematic descriptions buzz bissinger uses throughout, including bi-polar pitcher or a pitcher with “multiple personalities” (and many variations) to describe inconsistent performance, calling someone “profoundly crazy” for attending the university of west virginia, a batter who catalogues every pitch ever thrown to him “like an anal-compulsive librarian.” i liked the structure of this: profiling a team through the lens of a high stakes 3 game series with a rival. and i liked learning about this era of the cardinals. but really couldn’t get past the authorial voice. which is honestly a shame because i’ve been meaning to read friday night lights forever. but i don’t know if i will now.
December 31, 2018
My #nonficpick for August. I had been meaning to read this for a while now, and was excited to find it on Hoopla. You have to *really* like baseball to enjoy this book. I learned a lot! Baseball is so incredibly intricate and complicated. I am fascinated by it. This took place in '03 and I became a Cardinals fan in '04, so it was like visiting old friends. ❤ ⚾️
#hoopla #baseball #cardinals #nonfiction #gocards
#hoopla #baseball #cardinals #nonfiction #gocards
July 3, 2018
I love the Cardinals. I love Tony LaRussa.
I hated when they lost the World Series in a 4 game sweep in 2004.
Learned a lot but oh, so technical.
Perfect for a baseball addict but not so much for me.
I'll stick with peanuts & cracker jacks.
I hated when they lost the World Series in a 4 game sweep in 2004.
Learned a lot but oh, so technical.
Perfect for a baseball addict but not so much for me.
I'll stick with peanuts & cracker jacks.
February 4, 2021
This was a very good book about the insight of how Tony LaRussa approaches 3 games in August against the NL central rival Chicago Cubs. The book also goes in depth about the passing of Daryl Kyle, Rich Ankiels dissappearing how to throw a strike act and much more funny stories and relationships LaRussa had or didn't really care for as the manager of the St Louis Cardinals.
November 19, 2017
A beautifully written book about a beautiful game. A must read for baseball fans. To quote a line from the book: It was as American as America ever gets.
March 15, 2022
I am a White Sox, and I now know how Tony LaRussa thinks.
November 25, 2022
2.5 stars. The author never met a metaphor he didn’t like. There are some nuggets about baseball that are interesting but the pace is glacial.
June 24, 2017
I have been known to wax poetic about baseball but he takes it to a whole new level in this book. I still liked the insider stories and insight into La Russa's approach to the game though.
December 6, 2011
***Beautiful. Just beautiful baseball.***
Growing up in Texas I didn’t pay much attention to baseball. In Texas football is the only sport that matters, see Friday Night Lights by Buzz Bissinger. Once a year my grandmother would take me to an Astros game at the Astrodome, and that was the extent of my exposure to baseball as a young girl. Until I met B. When I first met B and he told me his favorite thing to do was to watch baseball I groaned. Watch baseball? Wasn’t that about as exciting as watching paint dry. Nothing ever happened in baseball. Boring! But during the years that I dated B he taught me the game. He taught me slowly. We started with the basic rules, then moved on to different batting stances, then defensive positions, then various pitches, etc. He would always quiz me about the game. After a few years he would make up scenarios and then ask me how the play should unfold. When I finally broke off the relationship the only positive thing I knew I took away from it was an understanding and respect for baseball.
In 1996 I moved to St. Louis. The same year that La Russa arrived in St. Louis. I quickly learned that they don’t call St. Louis Baseball Heaven for nothing. As football is to Texas, baseball is to St. Louis. It was not long before I considered myself a part of Cardinal Nation. I spent many a car trip listening to Jack Buck call games on KMOX. I was at many the games during the season McGwire sent home runs to Planet Maris. I was at the NLCS game 4 against the Mets where Ankiel threw the wild pitches. I was the NLCS game 7 when the Cards beat the Astros to advance to the 2004 World Series. I was the final game of the 2006 World Series to see the Cardinals win it all. I was in Busch Stadium after the World Series victory parade in 2011 to see what would be La Russa’s last public appearance as the Cardinals skipper. (Wouldn’t B be jealous?)
Since its publication I always knew I would read Three Nights in August. When La Russa retired I decided I should read it sooner rather than later. La Russa has been, after all, the only Cardinals manager I’ve ever known. Reading this book was a beautiful experience. Bissinger captures all the drama of each pitch, each inning, for three games against the Cubbies in August 2003. Before I met B I didn’t understand that every pitch was a mini drama playing out. I didn’t understand that a baseball was full of strategy, a thinking man’s game. Bissinger gives you all that more. The behind the scenes look at this series only heightened my already high regard for La Russa. It gave me hope for Mike Matheny’s future as the new manager. Baseball is about more than statistics. It’s about more than wins and losses. It’s about more than pitching and home runs. It’s about more than big contracts and big money. Bissinger gets to the beautiful Gestalt heart of the game.
Reading this book was also an emotional experience. I’ll admit to cyring like a baby while reading the chapter D.K. A day or two after Buck died I took flowers and added them to the only memorial that compares Princess Di’s outside Busch Stadium before boarding a plane to Alaska. In Alaska I met up with a girlfriend from Texas and her teenage son. On our third day there I went back to the hotel room where the son had been sleeping in all morning. He told me that one of the Cardinals had died. Yes, I said, Jack Buck died. No, he told me, it was Darryl Kile. That was how I heard about Kile dying in his sleep. My friend’s son grew up and after two tours in Afghanistan died in his sleep in 2008. Yes, that chapter had me sobbing.
I only have two very minor complaints about the book: Bissinger used the word bipolar frequently to describe players. Bipolar isn’t cute or funny or inconsequential. Bipolar is more than simple moodiness or unpredictable behavior. It’s a serious disease and when the word is used casually it always rankles me. And I wish he had given Jack Buck more than passing nod. I understand the focus of the book wasn’t about the fans but Jack Buck was an important part of the Cardinals’ mystique. Jack Buck was the Voice of the Cardinals – and always will be.
To make a long review short, if you love baseball, beautiful baseball treat yourself and read this book.
Growing up in Texas I didn’t pay much attention to baseball. In Texas football is the only sport that matters, see Friday Night Lights by Buzz Bissinger. Once a year my grandmother would take me to an Astros game at the Astrodome, and that was the extent of my exposure to baseball as a young girl. Until I met B. When I first met B and he told me his favorite thing to do was to watch baseball I groaned. Watch baseball? Wasn’t that about as exciting as watching paint dry. Nothing ever happened in baseball. Boring! But during the years that I dated B he taught me the game. He taught me slowly. We started with the basic rules, then moved on to different batting stances, then defensive positions, then various pitches, etc. He would always quiz me about the game. After a few years he would make up scenarios and then ask me how the play should unfold. When I finally broke off the relationship the only positive thing I knew I took away from it was an understanding and respect for baseball.
In 1996 I moved to St. Louis. The same year that La Russa arrived in St. Louis. I quickly learned that they don’t call St. Louis Baseball Heaven for nothing. As football is to Texas, baseball is to St. Louis. It was not long before I considered myself a part of Cardinal Nation. I spent many a car trip listening to Jack Buck call games on KMOX. I was at many the games during the season McGwire sent home runs to Planet Maris. I was at the NLCS game 4 against the Mets where Ankiel threw the wild pitches. I was the NLCS game 7 when the Cards beat the Astros to advance to the 2004 World Series. I was the final game of the 2006 World Series to see the Cardinals win it all. I was in Busch Stadium after the World Series victory parade in 2011 to see what would be La Russa’s last public appearance as the Cardinals skipper. (Wouldn’t B be jealous?)
Since its publication I always knew I would read Three Nights in August. When La Russa retired I decided I should read it sooner rather than later. La Russa has been, after all, the only Cardinals manager I’ve ever known. Reading this book was a beautiful experience. Bissinger captures all the drama of each pitch, each inning, for three games against the Cubbies in August 2003. Before I met B I didn’t understand that every pitch was a mini drama playing out. I didn’t understand that a baseball was full of strategy, a thinking man’s game. Bissinger gives you all that more. The behind the scenes look at this series only heightened my already high regard for La Russa. It gave me hope for Mike Matheny’s future as the new manager. Baseball is about more than statistics. It’s about more than wins and losses. It’s about more than pitching and home runs. It’s about more than big contracts and big money. Bissinger gets to the beautiful Gestalt heart of the game.
Reading this book was also an emotional experience. I’ll admit to cyring like a baby while reading the chapter D.K. A day or two after Buck died I took flowers and added them to the only memorial that compares Princess Di’s outside Busch Stadium before boarding a plane to Alaska. In Alaska I met up with a girlfriend from Texas and her teenage son. On our third day there I went back to the hotel room where the son had been sleeping in all morning. He told me that one of the Cardinals had died. Yes, I said, Jack Buck died. No, he told me, it was Darryl Kile. That was how I heard about Kile dying in his sleep. My friend’s son grew up and after two tours in Afghanistan died in his sleep in 2008. Yes, that chapter had me sobbing.
I only have two very minor complaints about the book: Bissinger used the word bipolar frequently to describe players. Bipolar isn’t cute or funny or inconsequential. Bipolar is more than simple moodiness or unpredictable behavior. It’s a serious disease and when the word is used casually it always rankles me. And I wish he had given Jack Buck more than passing nod. I understand the focus of the book wasn’t about the fans but Jack Buck was an important part of the Cardinals’ mystique. Jack Buck was the Voice of the Cardinals – and always will be.
To make a long review short, if you love baseball, beautiful baseball treat yourself and read this book.
January 25, 2013
I found the book 3 Nights in August, by Buzz Bissinger to be very good. Buzz Bissinger was the perfect person to write this book about the manager of the St. Louis, Tony La Russa. He has written books about different people and La Russa called Bissinger because he wanted him to write the book. They based the book on a three game series in August, but also had a lot more background. Bissinger had permission to go in the club house and talk with all the players during this three game series. He got to see everything for himself, so he got a good feeling about how it is to be in the clubhouse for the game. It gave him a great perspective to write the book.
The book is based on a three game series against the St. Louis Cardinals division rivals, the Chicago Cubs. It is meant to be based around La Russa and all the crazy decisions he has to make. It starts out by talking about La Russa’s background, “No one else had won the Manager of the Year Award five times… The White Sox in 1983 when he was still in his Wonder Boy thirties, twice with the Oakland A’s in 1988 and 1992 in his forties, and then with the Cardinals in 1996 and 2002” (3). He was one of the best coaches of all time and he was one of the greatest at strategizing. La Russa prepared for every series the same way, “He is managing out of fear, preparing as if he had never managed before, striving to prove to the world that he possesses the combination of skills and essentials to the trade: part tactician, part psychologist, and part riverboat gambler” (17). He was scared going into every series and had to prepare for ever series like it was his last. He never wanted to lose and would make bold moves to help his team win. La Russa had a ton of strategic moves to make like when to bunt, when to hit and run, things like that. La Russa also had to decide when a pitcher intentionally hit one of his guys, “And then he told him to throw what is standard in situation like this, throw a breaking ball away so it looks like he’s having a little control problem, then hit Gonzalez in the ribs with the next pitch” (119). La Russa always stood up for his players. So if one of his players got hit, he would determine if the pitcher was trying to do it on purpose and if he thought he was, La Russa would hit one of their players back. This was not a bad thing; he was just standing up for his players. La Russa has a lot of things to overcome when managing a team, “And then came a different sound altogether, the sound of ball against bone” (217). The Cardinals best pitcher, who was scheduled to make the most important starts of the year got hit in the hand will pitching. He had a slight fracture in his hand and was out for four weeks. La Russa thought this was going to be hard to get through, but with La Russa making some bold decisions in his pitching rotation, he managed to keep his team winning even though his ace was hurt. La Russa did some great things as a coach and was one of the best coaches of all time.
I really liked the book because I love baseball and I am a fan of Tony La Russa. The way the book was written made in very interesting. They based the book around a three game series, but went back in time to give the reader background knowledge. I found this confusing at sometimes, but for the most part I really liked this part. It gave you a ton of details behind everything and made me really connect to the book. The book really drew me in and since I really like baseball, I connected to the book really well. I really liked seeing how hard it can be managing a major league baseball team and how hard it is being a player. All the tuff decisions coaches have to make and all the time they have to dedicate to the game, really made me appreciate the game even more. I really like the book and would recommend it to other baseball lovers.
The book is based on a three game series against the St. Louis Cardinals division rivals, the Chicago Cubs. It is meant to be based around La Russa and all the crazy decisions he has to make. It starts out by talking about La Russa’s background, “No one else had won the Manager of the Year Award five times… The White Sox in 1983 when he was still in his Wonder Boy thirties, twice with the Oakland A’s in 1988 and 1992 in his forties, and then with the Cardinals in 1996 and 2002” (3). He was one of the best coaches of all time and he was one of the greatest at strategizing. La Russa prepared for every series the same way, “He is managing out of fear, preparing as if he had never managed before, striving to prove to the world that he possesses the combination of skills and essentials to the trade: part tactician, part psychologist, and part riverboat gambler” (17). He was scared going into every series and had to prepare for ever series like it was his last. He never wanted to lose and would make bold moves to help his team win. La Russa had a ton of strategic moves to make like when to bunt, when to hit and run, things like that. La Russa also had to decide when a pitcher intentionally hit one of his guys, “And then he told him to throw what is standard in situation like this, throw a breaking ball away so it looks like he’s having a little control problem, then hit Gonzalez in the ribs with the next pitch” (119). La Russa always stood up for his players. So if one of his players got hit, he would determine if the pitcher was trying to do it on purpose and if he thought he was, La Russa would hit one of their players back. This was not a bad thing; he was just standing up for his players. La Russa has a lot of things to overcome when managing a team, “And then came a different sound altogether, the sound of ball against bone” (217). The Cardinals best pitcher, who was scheduled to make the most important starts of the year got hit in the hand will pitching. He had a slight fracture in his hand and was out for four weeks. La Russa thought this was going to be hard to get through, but with La Russa making some bold decisions in his pitching rotation, he managed to keep his team winning even though his ace was hurt. La Russa did some great things as a coach and was one of the best coaches of all time.
I really liked the book because I love baseball and I am a fan of Tony La Russa. The way the book was written made in very interesting. They based the book around a three game series, but went back in time to give the reader background knowledge. I found this confusing at sometimes, but for the most part I really liked this part. It gave you a ton of details behind everything and made me really connect to the book. The book really drew me in and since I really like baseball, I connected to the book really well. I really liked seeing how hard it can be managing a major league baseball team and how hard it is being a player. All the tuff decisions coaches have to make and all the time they have to dedicate to the game, really made me appreciate the game even more. I really like the book and would recommend it to other baseball lovers.
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