recommended baseball books?

[patrickgpe]

i want to pick up a baseball book to bring on a camping trip next week, but would love a suggestion from you guys out there. I really would like to stay focused on either books about old time baseball or statistical analysis books. Has anyone read a really good one to recommend that i can pick up at the bookstore this weekend?

[dadofandrew]

Neither one fits your request, but Stolen Season and The Rookie would be my picks.

[JimH5]

The David Maraniss book on Roberto Clemente is the best baseball book I've read in 20 years.

 

I also liked Crazy '08 by Cait Murphy

 

The Big Bam by Leigh Montville (Babe Ruth biography) is excellent.

 

The Glory of Their Times by Lawrence Ritter is a classic, and a great look at early baseball.

 

I just started the biography of Ed Barrow, and so far it's good, though I'm only a few pages into it.

[brewcrew00]

Baseball Between the Numbers - Why Everything You Thought You Knew About Baseball Was Wrong

 

By Baseball Prospectus.

 

 

Hands down the best!

[patrickgpe]

thanks guys for the suggestions, if the david maraniss book is at barnes and noble i'll have to pick it up based on jim's suggestions. I did ready baseball between the numbers and its really good.

[sgtcluels]

Moneyball is always a safe pick.

[hawing]

I'll second the Maraniss book on Clemente. It made me like Pittsburgh fans, at least those from like 40 years ago.

 

I've also really enjoyed Eddie Mathews and the National Pastime, a biography Mathews did with the help of Bob Buege in 1994. That might be harder to find, though.

One of the stories told in that book is of a time Eddie ran the stop light at 76th and Blue Mound and got in a bit of legal trouble for it. I think of that most every time we drive past Gilles Frozen Custard.

[patrickgpe]

read moneyball, loved it. Thanks for the maraniss book. if they have it, i'm getting it.

[T B0NE 10]

You could read Jose Conseco's book or that one by that ESPN reporter about A-Rod!

[Oldcity]

Ball Four is a must.

[SeriesFinale]

Ball Four and Moneyball are the only two here I've read...the rest sound great and I'm glad patrickgpe asked the question.

 

I've got a couple great collections of baseball-related short stories but I know that's not your bag. Jim Shepard's "Batting Against Castro" is probably my all-time favorite baseball story, even if baseball isn't necessarily at its core:

 

http://therumpus.net/2009/03/a-fans-notes-battling-against-castro/

[jjkoestler]

The Brothers K by David James Duncan. Fantastic fiction.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Brothers_K

[BrewCrewForever]

It's not real old time baseball but "Where Have You Gone 82' Brewers?" is pretty good. Interviews and stories on all the members of the 82' team.

[hawing]

It's not real old time baseball but "Where Have You Gone 82' Brewers?" is pretty good. Interviews and stories on all the members of the 82' team.

Yes, find out what condiment Mike Caldwell always carried on the road with him.

[MJLiverock]

I always remember liking two Roger Kahn baseball books. The Boys of Summer is about the old Brooklyn Dodgers and would satisfy your old time baseball itch, kinda of a nostalgic look at a season. Another of his book, Good Enough to Dream, chronicles his year spent as a part owner of a Class A minor league team in upstate NY. Gives sort of a behind the scenes of the difficulties of the the low minors. IIRC, it takes places in the early 80's and is a true story of his time as owner.

 

For a funny collection of stories check out Jay Johnstone's Temporary Insanity. I think he has since put out a few other books but I haven't read them. Temporary Insanity is a memoir of his career but the stories are hilarious. I doubt players would ever do things like that again from dressing as grounds crew during a game, locking Lasorda in a hotel room and piping in the smell of fresh lasagna, trying to get Steve Garvey to swear, etc.

[MadisonBrewerBlue]

I Had a Hammer....The Hank Aaron story is pretty good. Uke's Catcher in the Wry is also entertaining.

[stalton]

Ball Four is a must.

Ball Four & Ball Five...Its actually pretty brash and uncensored but really showed what was going on in baseball albiet 40ish years ago.

[WV Brew]

The Long Season by Jim Brosnan about the '59 Cardinals/Reds. First of the expose type book. The Natural by Bernard Malamud if you want a more literary type.

[UeckerAddict]

Ball Four is the greatest baseball book ever written in my opinion. I still crack up every time I read it and, heck, it's about the Seattle Pilots. Jim Bouton was way ahead of his time- he was the Henry Rollins of the baseball world. Moneyball is also great, but it takes a back seat to Bouton's humanism. I've never looked at a knuckle baller the same way since.

[DocLuna7]

I personally loved Dick Williams's book, "No More Mr. Nice Guy" Provided some humorous moments.

[BrewCrewForever]

It's not real old time baseball but "Where Have You Gone 82' Brewers?" is pretty good. Interviews and stories on all the members of the 82' team.

Yes, find out what condiment Mike Caldwell always carried on the road with him.

I just got the book, and it's funny you bring up Caldwell. My book mark is at his chapter in the book. I look forward to the condiment.

[pitchleague]

It's not real old time baseball but "Where Have You Gone 82' Brewers?" is pretty good. Interviews and stories on all the members of the 82' team.

Wow, I've got to find a copy of that. Never heard of it until now. I'm sure it'll be a good read.

[hawing]

It's not real old time baseball but "Where Have You Gone 82' Brewers?" is pretty good. Interviews and stories on all the members of the 82' team.

Wow, I've got to find a copy of that. Never heard of it until now. I'm sure it'll be a good read.

Well, it is written by Haudricourt. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif Still, I learned things I hadn't known...like Iron Mike's condiment habit.

[pitchleague]

aw, darn it all. You mentioned Hardicourt and then the memory was jogged to the reunion two years ago. Yeah, I've heard of it. I just have not have the avenues that others have had to find said book.

 

I probably need to "borrow" a copy from one of my Brewerfan.net brothers/sisters.

[BrewCrewForever]

I bought mine off ebay. I know they have it at amazon.com as well.