Five Best Books About Baseball
Having got my full of NASCAR books (among which my favorite is American Zoom: Stock Car Racing-From the Dirt Tracks to Daytona), this article looks timely. Tim McCarver, a former MLB player and broadcaster on Fox, has compiled a list of his five favorite baseball books. I've excerpted his description of the first two books. The rest, for those interested, are found in the article (subscription only). Link
1. Ball Four (1970) by Jim Bouton
Jim Bouton's 'Ball Four' was a terrifically revealing book, and for writing it he was ostracized by the baseball establishment -- both by the players and by Bowie Kuhn, the baseball commissioner at the time. He'd kept a diary about his 1969 season with the Seattle Pilots and the Houston Astros -- material filled with locker-room stories and other forbidden topics. It was hilarious stuff. Now here it is 35 years later, and it all seems so tame -- so innocent! The innocence is one of the book's charms today. But back when it first appeared, and this says something about where we've come, it was like 'Peyton Place.'
2. The Summer Game (2004) by Roger Angell
This collection of essays takes you into the heart of baseball as it was in the 1960s, conveyed with humor and insight. There are in-depth looks at the major players -- Bob Gibson, Tom Seaver, Sandy Koufax, Casey Stengel and Roberto Clemente, among others -- and of classic World Series in the decade. There are views, too, of the Miracle Mets and of the Yankees, who could have used a miracle. The key here is that Roger Angell is a stunning writer. He is also in many ways a highly cerebral one and yet utterly down to earth -- a writer who can translate the nuances of the game with perfect clarity.
3. The Great American Novel (1973) by Philip Roth
4. The Boys of Summer (1972) by Roger Kahn
5. October 1964 (1994) by David Halberstam
And if gettin fancy is your thing, there is a list by Simon Doonan on the 5 best books on fashion. Link
1. Ball Four (1970) by Jim Bouton
Jim Bouton's 'Ball Four' was a terrifically revealing book, and for writing it he was ostracized by the baseball establishment -- both by the players and by Bowie Kuhn, the baseball commissioner at the time. He'd kept a diary about his 1969 season with the Seattle Pilots and the Houston Astros -- material filled with locker-room stories and other forbidden topics. It was hilarious stuff. Now here it is 35 years later, and it all seems so tame -- so innocent! The innocence is one of the book's charms today. But back when it first appeared, and this says something about where we've come, it was like 'Peyton Place.'
2. The Summer Game (2004) by Roger Angell
This collection of essays takes you into the heart of baseball as it was in the 1960s, conveyed with humor and insight. There are in-depth looks at the major players -- Bob Gibson, Tom Seaver, Sandy Koufax, Casey Stengel and Roberto Clemente, among others -- and of classic World Series in the decade. There are views, too, of the Miracle Mets and of the Yankees, who could have used a miracle. The key here is that Roger Angell is a stunning writer. He is also in many ways a highly cerebral one and yet utterly down to earth -- a writer who can translate the nuances of the game with perfect clarity.
3. The Great American Novel (1973) by Philip Roth
4. The Boys of Summer (1972) by Roger Kahn
5. October 1964 (1994) by David Halberstam
And if gettin fancy is your thing, there is a list by Simon Doonan on the 5 best books on fashion. Link
posted by david burnstein at 8:39 AM
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