I know there are several scattered throughout here but I'm going through my annual spring training phase where I read every baseball book I can get my hands on and wondered what I've missed.
I've obviously read Moneyball, really enjoyed The Cubs Way, The Arm by Jeff Passan, and Ball Four is one of my all time favorite books, period. Others I've read of varied quality are Kaplan's Cubs book The Plan, Big Data Baseball, and the Bill James Historical Abstract.
Any great ones I'm missing?
Veeck As In Wreck (and related: The Hustler's Handbook).
The Kid - Ben Bradlee Jr's amazing book on Ted Williams.
Only The Ball Was White - best book to start with the Negro Leagues.
The Glory Of Their Times.
The Boys of Summer.
Have you read A Season for the Ages, by Voice of Cubs Fandom Al Yellon? Well, don't.
Cubs by the Numbers, by Al Yellon
"Oops, They Did It Again: The 2003 Cubs" by Andy Dolan
Quote from: Quality Start Machine on March 07, 2018, 09:58:59 AM
"Oops, They Did It Again: The 2003 Cubs" by Andy Dolan
I actually have enjoyed re-reading some of Fearless Leaders 2003 Cubs stuff in the past:
QuoteBut if anybody left me with a more favorable impression of them than before I got there, it was none other than Johnnie B. Baker, Jr. himself.
You can't listen to Dusty talk without getting the very real impression that if anybody can actually win with the Cubs, it's him. And that's what scares me, because if he can't do it. We're so screwed. Unbelievably screwed. Screwed like anybody on the cast of that CBS Queens Supreme show.
And I would put the chances of Dusty actually winning a pennant in Chicago at 30-70.
These were the knocks on Dusty when he came in:
– Doesn't like to play young players.
– Has a red ass the size of Tom Coughlin's.
– Could very well end up trying to stab out his eyes with a toothpick while watching Kyle Farnsworth pitch.
– Has unhealthy obsession with useless utility guys like Ramon Martinez and Tom Goodwin.
– Got his nickname because he "loved" Dusty Springfield. (wink, wink)
But I sat through four different seminars in which Dusty took part. And skeptical as I was going in. I like him a lot, now.
other great hits from 2003 Desipio:
QuoteCT on October 15, 2003 at 10:37 am
Well, I feel pretty good about tonight too. It seems like there have been a number of key starts this year that have fallen to Kerry Wood, and he has willed the Cubs to win every one of them. Also, someone I work with was at The Lodge last night, and the Marlins were partying hard, acting as though they had won the World Series. Interestingly enough, one of worst off was Josh Beckett who was absolutely hammered. She asked him if he was going to pitch at all today, and he said "do I look like I'm in any shape to pitch tomorrow?" As long as the Cubs come to play today, they will be fine.
I love WP Kinsella books. Shoeless Joe is different enough from the movie to be worth reading, and the Iowa Baseball Confederacy is a good read, too. Later on, Kinsella wrote Magic Time, which was generally worth reading and had a few moments that gave me chills.
But probably my two favourite baseball books are Summer of '49 and October 1964 by David Halberstam. Two really amazing books about the beginning, and ending, of the great Yankees Dynasty.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Summer:_America,_1927
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Summer:_America,_1927)
"One Summer" by Bill Bryson
While not specifically a baseball book it covers Babe Ruth extensively.
And of course it's Bill Bryson.
Quote from: SKO on March 07, 2018, 10:10:16 AM
other great hits from 2003 Desipio:
QuoteCT on October 15, 2003 at 10:37 am
Well, I feel pretty good about tonight too. It seems like there have been a number of key starts this year that have fallen to Kerry Wood, and he has willed the Cubs to win every one of them. Also, someone I work with was at The Lodge last night, and the Marlins were partying hard, acting as though they had won the World Series. Interestingly enough, one of worst off was Josh Beckett who was absolutely hammered. She asked him if he was going to pitch at all today, and he said "do I look like I'm in any shape to pitch tomorrow?" As long as the Cubs come to play today, they will be fine.
What're you doing, SKO?
Quote from: Huey Potatohead on March 07, 2018, 01:52:11 PM
Quote from: SKO on March 07, 2018, 10:10:16 AM
other great hits from 2003 Desipio:
QuoteCT on October 15, 2003 at 10:37 am
Well, I feel pretty good about tonight too. It seems like there have been a number of key starts this year that have fallen to Kerry Wood, and he has willed the Cubs to win every one of them. Also, someone I work with was at The Lodge last night, and the Marlins were partying hard, acting as though they had won the World Series. Interestingly enough, one of worst off was Josh Beckett who was absolutely hammered. She asked him if he was going to pitch at all today, and he said "do I look like I'm in any shape to pitch tomorrow?" As long as the Cubs come to play today, they will be fine.
What're you doing, SKO?
Oh I was bored one day not that long ago and started reading Andy's 20th year anniversary stuff, which led me down a rabbit hole to see how Desipio responded to certain major Chicago sports events that were before I found this hell site, and that comment stuck with me as one of the most hilarious comments of all time in retrospect. Now that 2016 has removed the sting of 2003, I don't know if there's anything funnier than CT saying on the morning of game 7 "guys, my friend said Josh Beckett (4 IP, 1 ER in game 7 on just 2 days of rest after a CG SHO) is far too hungover to actually pitch, we're fine!"
If you can find it buy, rent, borrow, or steal "The Unforgettable Season 1908-The Most Exciting and Calamitous Pennant Race of All Time" by G. H Fleming. It is the story of what many of us thought would be the last World Championship that the Cubs would win. It is the day to day story of the season told entirely in newspaper articles published in Chicago, New York and Pittsburg newspapers. Although we know how the season ended it is still edge of your chair stuff written in the florid style of turn of the century sportswriters. The stories are accompanied by the box scores of the games. Now I am going to reread it.
Quote from: CBStew on March 07, 2018, 08:25:55 PM
If you can find it buy, rent, borrow, or steal "The Unforgettable Season 1908-The Most Exciting and Calamitous Pennant Race of All Time" by G. H Fleming. It is the story of what many of us thought would be the last World Championship that the Cubs would win. It is the day to day story of the season told entirely in newspaper articles published in Chicago, New York and Pittsburg newspapers. Although we know how the season ended it is still edge of your chair stuff written in the florid style of turn of the century sportswriters. The stories are accompanied by the box scores of the games. Now I am going to reread it.
I just checked. You can find it on EBAY.
Quote from: CBStew on March 07, 2018, 08:28:45 PM
Quote from: CBStew on March 07, 2018, 08:25:55 PM
If you can find it buy, rent, borrow, or steal "The Unforgettable Season 1908-The Most Exciting and Calamitous Pennant Race of All Time" by G. H Fleming. It is the story of what many of us thought would be the last World Championship that the Cubs would win. It is the day to day story of the season told entirely in newspaper articles published in Chicago, New York and Pittsburg newspapers. Although we know how the season ended it is still edge of your chair stuff written in the florid style of turn of the century sportswriters. The stories are accompanied by the box scores of the games. Now I am going to reread it.
I just checked. You can find it on EBAY.
Ooh I like this recommendation, must have been something reliving your college days, eh Stew?
Quote from: SKO on March 07, 2018, 08:41:28 PM
Quote from: CBStew on March 07, 2018, 08:28:45 PM
Quote from: CBStew on March 07, 2018, 08:25:55 PM
If you can find it buy, rent, borrow, or steal "The Unforgettable Season 1908-The Most Exciting and Calamitous Pennant Race of All Time" by G. H Fleming. It is the story of what many of us thought would be the last World Championship that the Cubs would win. It is the day to day story of the season told entirely in newspaper articles published in Chicago, New York and Pittsburg newspapers. Although we know how the season ended it is still edge of your chair stuff written in the florid style of turn of the century sportswriters. The stories are accompanied by the box scores of the games. Now I am going to reread it.
I just checked. You can find it on EBAY.
Ooh I like this recommendation, must have been something reliving your college days, eh Stew?
You exaggerate. I was still in high school
Quote from: SKO on March 06, 2018, 01:04:32 PM
I know there are several scattered throughout here but I'm going through my annual spring training phase where I read every baseball book I can get my hands on and wondered what I've missed.
I've obviously read Moneyball, really enjoyed The Cubs Way, The Arm by Jeff Passan, and Ball Four is one of my all time favorite books, period. Others I've read of varied quality are Kaplan's Cubs book The Plan, Big Data Baseball, and the Bill James Historical Abstract.
Any great ones I'm missing?
In my world, you can't read 'The Cubs Way' enough times.
Was pretty disappointed in 'Teammate'. Seemed he beat the same horse about 50 times. Hey, Rossy? How about a little spice from back in the day, when you weren't exactly regarded as a beloved mentor?
Once this thread began, I realized that...
- I hadn't read "Ball Four" in years.
- I've probably bought 4 or 5 different editions of this book in my life.
- I loaned them all out.
- and never got any of them back.*
I went to Abebooks.com and got myself a signed copy for a Jackson. It is not available for borrowing.
*This is also true of "Veeck As In Wreck".
I quite enjoyed "The Only Rule Is It Has To Work" by Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller. They play fantasy baseball, except with a real team.
I will also admit to owning, and having read several times, Keith Hernandez' "Pure Baseball". It helped me out enormously back in the day when I was still trying to get to grips with the nitty gritty of an at bat.
The Lodge can go straight to hell.
Also, in the same vein as Stew let me recommend "Crazy '08" by Cait Murphy. A very fun book with an epilogue that immediately brings you down by reminding you that the entire cast of characters is long dead.
I (finally) just read "The Arm" by Jeff Passan. It's poorly written, but the information is pretty interesting.
Quote from: Quality Start Machine on March 18, 2019, 09:27:34 AM
I (finally) just read "The Arm" by Jeff Passan. It's poorly written, but the information is pretty interesting.
"Poorly written" is pretty kind. Plus, it bored the tits off me. Conclusion: everybody throws too much; or throwing too much makes no difference. It's how you throw! Or maybe not!