The Baseball Book Club discussion

Hi everyone, my name is Thomas and I read a lot of baseball/sports books. I am also a sports writer in Vallejo. Thought this group looked pretty cool. I live in San Francisco, but grew up in L.A. so I'm a Dodger/Angel fan in enemy territory. That being said, I respect the game and I'm a fan in some way of all teams and like reading about anything baseball.
That being said, I am starting to read a book called "Kiss It Good-Bye" by John Moody on the 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates. It's been on my to-read list for years, finally getting around to it. Anyways, anyone read it? Also, what are the best books on a team from one year. I liked Miracle Men on the 1988 Los Angeles Dodgers, The Bad Guys Won on the 1986 Mets, The Bronx Zoo on the 1978 Yankees, Eight Men Out on the 1919 White Sox, Opening Day by Jonathan Eig on the 1947 Dodgers and Jackie Robinson, just to name a few. Any top choices? The book called Bushville wins on the 1957 Braves is one I have to read still that I can think of off the top of my head.

My friends who are Phillies fans won't like me for suggesting this but I enjoyed 1964: The Year the Phillies Blew the Pennant. If it can be over a five year period, not just one season, I also recommend The Best They Could Be: How the Cleveland Indians became the Kings of Baseball, 1916-1920.

Welcome to the group. I also read a lot of sports books on all sports, but baseball books are the best of them.

Tom wrote: "Hi everyone, my name is Thomas and I read a lot of baseball/sports books. I am also a sports writer in Vallejo. Thought this group looked pretty cool. I live in San Francisco, but grew up in L.A. s..."

Welcome Tom, Bushville Wins is great & anything by John Klima is too.
Mike Linn

Thanks for the recommendations Lance and Michael. I'll have to check those out.

I enjoyed Kiss it Good-Bye Thomas.

Before the Machine, the story of the 61 Reds and The 37 Newark Bears, which is the story of possibly the greatest minor league team ever assembled.

The Echoing Green has a different slant on the 1951 pennant race, i.e., that the Giants were being tipped off on pitches late in the season, which helped them in their run to the pennant. Ball Four is Jim Bouton's take on the 1969 pennant races from his perspective in the bullpen. Crazy '08 by Cait Murphy is a richly detailed look at the 1908 pennant races -- both leagues. Plus the other books that have been mentioned. The Summer of 68 by Tim Wendel is a great read, too. The Summer of Beer and Whiskey by Edward Achorn is a great read about the 1883 season.

The Echoing Greens is one of my favorites. It really tells the story of the Giants/Dodgers in a very exciting way. He argues both sides as to whether the signals really made the difference.(The Giants hit better on the road and some guys refused to knwow in advance what the signals were.

When Chicago Ruled Baseball: The Cubs-White Sox World Series of 1906 is a very book on both Chicago teams that season

There is a new book coming out later this month or the first of April called Split Season, which is about the 1981 strike season. Written by Jeff Katz.

Already ordered my copy

I remember discussing Split Season awhile back. There seems to be like a half dozen books on my list that are pre-ordered, the new Cobb book is one
Mike Linn

I finished Split Season already and got the advance copy of the Cobb book, it is on my list to read real soon. Got Gil Hodges and Tony Oliva to finish, and just finished the bio on Joe Black.

That sounds like the Evelyn Wood speed reading course works! Even I can`t quite read like that, good for you
Mike Linn
How were the Cobb & Hodges books?

LOL. Hodges book is good so far. Have not started Cobb yet but plan to in the next week or two.

It seems we here are awaiting Cobb to see what`s new after all these years that we don`t know. I have a 2012 book written by Tom Clavin &Danny Peary on Gil, that I thought covered everything , and since he died like 42 years ago, you wouldn`t expect much more.
Mike Linn

Yes, the 2012 book was quite thorough, I remember reviewing it. I am not far into the book to see what is or isn't totally new. My guess is this book will eventually try to make a case for Hodges' enshrinement into the Hall of Fame, just like the Oliva book attempts to do.

You`re fairly new, I grew up in Brooklyn in the 1950`s, so my head aches from banging said head against said wall
Mike Linn

LOL. I grew up in Brooklyn in the 1960s and our Cub Scouts bowled at Gil Hodges Lanes. Also, my grandparents lived near Gil Hodges Field, located just west of the El on McDonald Avenue, like around Avenue X.

Holy crap! I was born off Church Avenue and Dahill Road, a block from McDonald where the El first comes out of the ground heading towards Coney Island. But I was born in 1947, suffered through the Yankee dominance, won one, and then freakin` moved away! We wound up moving to the other end of Church near 96th street, and I went to Tilden High School. By 1965, we were on the lower East side of Manhattan. I do remember going to that bowling alley. I was saddened at his death in `73. Let me know if you feel, after all I know about him, the new Hodges book is worth my while. Thanks.
Mike Linn

Will do. Small world; I was born in 1957. My final years in Brooklyn, I lived on Tehama Street, which was a few blocks away from Church Avenue and Dahill Road. My first school was P.S. 230, on the corner of McDonald Avenue and Albermarle Road (which flowed into Tehama Streer).

I went there for 1 year, when I was 5, my uncle lived in an apartment on Dahill facing the school, and my dr. was doctor Berkstein, who lived around the corner and had his office there. Small world? Make that microscopic!
Mike Linn

Thanks for all the recommendations. I really want to read the Tom Clavin Gil Hodges book and Summer of 68 by Wendell along with Bushville wins. I have already read Echoing Green and Crazy 08. Both great, great reads. Crazy 08 one of my favorites.

Also being a Dodger fan from LA was wondering if there are still any Brooklyn fans of the Dodgers.

Norm Schimmel, who lives down Harold's way in Sarasota, is still a huge Brooklyn Dodgers fan. His childhood friend in his Brooklyn apartment? Barbra Streisand.

Tom, if you read the previous half dozen posts, I am guilty of being born and raised in Brooklyn in 1947. I bled the original Dodger blue
Mike Linn
But I`m not alone, Bob, 10 years my junior, comes from the borough of Kings too

Bob wrote: "Norm Schimmel, who lives down Harold's way in Sarasota, is still a huge Brooklyn Dodgers fan. His childhood friend in his Brooklyn apartment? Barbra Streisand."

Name dropper !
Mike Linn

Who, me? Or Norm LOL. He showed me his high school yearbook, and she signed it for him. Norm played a minor role in the book (and documentary) "Miracle Ball."

I know Norm pretty well. He showed everyone the yearbook but he claimed he took Barbara to the prom. He also showed the documentary Miracle ball" to me and some others. Allegedly a nun had the ball that Bobby Thomson hit in the 51 shot heard around the world.
Norm volunteers as a photogarpher at spring training for the orioles and claims he was prominently involved in bringing the O's to Sarasota. Me? I'm not so sure

That was the deal with the ball, a nun who was not supposed to be at the game (she took off from her upstate NY convent to go to the Polo Grounds), caught the ball. Now, that sucker would be in a Sotheby's Auction and command thousands and thousands. She probably just put it in a shoebox. The author tracked the nun to a convent in New Mexico, but her sister disposed of all her possessions; including, presumably, the baseball. "Miracle Ball" was a great detective story, and I loved the way they used forensics to determine who actually caught the ball.

As I recall Bob, as a lawyer, I was far from convinced that she actually was the one who caught it. She had died when the producer tracked her down. As I recall, the guy who did the documentary was the son of a man who claimed for decades that he had caught the original ball. He went to his death bed still claiming it. It was an interesting story. I can still see Andy Pafko looking forlorn as the bail cleared the fence. Going to bed-boating tomorrow. Good night guys and Lisa if you still follow

I`M GOING SHOVELING AGAIN! Sorry, didn`t mean to yell.
Mike Linn

In that video, the father stole the show. He could not be convinced. He was convinced he had found the ball in some thrift shop on Long Island. That would have been a better story.

Oh sorry. Lol. I guess I should clarify. Is there parts of the city that still have large followings for the Dodgers, like for example, a Dodgers bar there, statues, etc.

Also, anyone from Pittsburgh here? Anyone that went to Forbes Field? I went to Three Rivers back in 1993 but never To PNC. Was just wondering because I'm reading a book on the 1960 Pirates.

Tom wrote: "Oh sorry. Lol. I guess I should clarify. Is there parts of the city that still have large followings for the Dodgers, like for example, a Dodgers bar there, statues, etc."

Whatever following the Dodgers had, went west with them. And since the loyal would NEVER go to the dark side and root for the Evil Empire, they adopted the Mets starting in 1962. The thing about moving away from Brooklyn, is that outside of some curiosity, you never really go back.
I am an ardent believer in mini road trips, and have had a partner in crime for decades, so I`ve ventured to far off lands just to see their ballparks. I`ve seen all 3 in Pittsburg. Forbes was a factory, 3 Rivers was a football field, and PNC, is heaven.
Mike Linn

I went to Wrigley with my son several years ago and fell in love with the place and the neighborhood. What a great place to watch a game. Haven't seen a game at Fenway yet but have driven past it. Been to old Yankee Stadium and the Astrodome (when it was much newer and the Astros drew crowds). Also want to go to Camden Yards. You can bet that if there is a bar in Brooklyn for the Dodgers, it is not called O'Malley's :P

Go to as many as you can, before they go away. I once sat down and figured that over 60 years, I had been to approximately half of ALL ballparks past & present. You know, 3 in Pittsburg,6 in New York, 3 in Chicago, and so on. The ones you mentioned above, & PNC & AT&T are wonderful. There are more, but that`s a great start
Mike Linn
P.S. By the way, there are 2 other threads where we hang out-current topics & book suggestions, just different conversations

The Machine about the '75 Reds was a pretty good trip down memory lane.

I agree with Harold about Echoing Green. I thought it was incredibly well-researched--leaving no doubt about kind Uncle Leo's skullduggery.

There is a new Leo Durocher bio in the making. Someone here may have told me but I am very excited to read it

I hadn't heard about that, but it should be good. I always thought Leo was one of the great characters in history.

A real scoundrel but his best asset was being patient with a young and insecure Mays in his first full year

Doug wrote: "The Machine about the '75 Reds was a pretty good trip down memory lane.

I agree with Harold about Echoing Green. I thought it was incredibly well-researched--leaving no doubt about kind Uncle Leo'..."

Read The Machine about the 75 Reds. That was a good book as was Mark Frost's Game 7 about that team and the Red Sox.

Harold,
I imagine there was just a little something about Mays that encouraged Leo to be patient with him.
I am reminded of the quote Leo had after Mays' first homerun: "I never saw a f****** ball leave a f****** park so f****** fast in my f****** life." I think they sanitized it somewhat for the paper the next day.

Just watched a season 1 episode of The Beverley Hillbillys, with Leo Durocher in a guest spot, Jed and Jethro are to meet Durocher at the golf course for a round, and when the do, the hilarity begins. A classic...

Doug wrote: "Harold,
I imagine there was just a little something about Mays that encouraged Leo to be patient with him.
I am reminded of the quote Leo had after Mays' first homerun: "I never saw a f****** ball..."
Do you have a photographic memory Doug? Your knowledge is amazing.

I make most of it up.

LOL!

Doubledf99.9,

Thanks for the tip on the Beverly Hillbillys. That was a classic.

Another good book on one team one season I remembered was John Heidenry's 'Gashouse Gang' on Cardinals of 1934.