Review ovf”Yes, It’s Hot in Here”

While I very rarely will buy hardcover books now, when I saw this one at a second-hand bookstore with Mr. Met on the cover, I was intrigued. I’m glad I made the small investment as I enjoyed this look at sports mascots. 

Title/Author:

“Yes, It’s Hot In Here: Adventures in the Weird, Wooly World of Sports Mascots” by A. J. Mass

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review: Mascots are as much a part of sports as are the players and coaches. They interact with fans, perform various acts on the field of play during breaks in the game and will make many appearances outside of sports on behalf of the school or team. A former Mr. Met, A. J. Mass writes about life as a mascot and shares some interesting stories about life as a mascot.

Not all of those stories are about himself, though. Whie the star of the book describes how Mr. Met came into existence and his time as the mascot at Shea Stadium, Moss writes about others who have lived the life of a mascot. There are good stories on famous mascots such as the San Diego Chicken (Ted Giannonulas), the Phillies Phanatic (Dave Raymond) and the Phoenix Gorilla (Henry Rojas). 

The stories on other less prominent mascots and the people who wore those costumes are even better. There are many names - at times it’s hard to keep track of who was which mascot - but nonetheless they are all entertaining and for the most part uplifting, such as stories of two young women who were glass ceiling breakers when they became mascots for the Syracuse University Orange and MLB’s Oakland Athletics. There are also stories of some mascots, especially in Pittsburgh, where the men in the costume of the Parrot ran afoul of the law. 

Moss did try to get back in costume one last time just before writing this book (published in 2014) but was rebuffed by the Mets. It’s clear in his writing about the team that while he enjoyed being Mr. Met, he had no love lost for the team’s front office, especially those in marketing and communication, the areas that primarily hire and fire mascots. It’s not a very stable job and like athletes, age can cut short the time one can perform. But like the job, this book can be fun and if one likes to see the mascots as well as the players then read this book. 

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Yes-Its-Hot-Here-Adventures-ebook/dp/B00DVF14D8/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.1h1-Gi6-pW1HfhhxhvOaBRGqdKzmx8f7hExtoPeiXQj5BKY5Fy5FITV80NAjatd6VKvIfxTUl9blX4H-dTFJEGt3gmavzlnDzROIG-dFr0TO9DrT9rLCBVLcKcvuMfHTcb7V_stBy80n0uUyQJ7OlaVrGnHR0Bv9on8Zy6rsnGIX9mucD3zRemQOCau4A1tvMPa29J4wTGnWRrpX8YGXpi2OubKFYdXK1xbF1--h-rV17Dq2N3pTP6OpoYk2EeBkUnmiNdxaolTJYTgyFSeQfuV0gf6n42YonPuhwZJDns4.MzLFpQ4kwsqWMgg_5TMAuOwMXsYqpd-Ni7uXC2YFHh8&qid=1725049863&sr=8-1 

Review of "Narcoball"

Not being a big soccer fan, I was still interested in this book as I remembered how Columbia lost to the US in the 1994 World Cup and the subsequent murder of one of its players.  This book is an excellent read on this era of Columbia football.  Here is my review of "Narcoball." 

 

Title/Author:

“Narcoball: Love Death and Football in Escobar’s Columbia” by David Arrowsmith

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, football (soccer for American sports fans, but this review will call it football) in Columbia was ruled, just like the country, by the powerful drug cartels.  One man personified this era for both the sport and the political landscape – Pablo Escobar.  His story of ruthlessness, riches and eventual death is told in this excellent book by David Arrowsmith.

The book centers on Escobar’s main two loves – power and football.  For the former, the reader will read about Escobar’s rise through the organized crime network that supplied many nations, especially the United States, with cocaine.  It didn’t matter who may have stood in his way, Escobar would find a way to either take them over or have them eliminated.  This sadly led to much violence and crime in the country and especially in Escobar’s hometown of Medellin.

As for the football, Escobar and other drug lords and cartels were the financial backing for most of the Columbian teams.  This grew out of Escobar’s love for the game early on and grew until he controlled several clubs and had an extended influence on the Columbian national team.  They improved each year and played in the two World Cups during the time frame of the book, 1990 and 1994.  In 1990, Columbia did advance out of group play but lost their first game in the knockout round to eventual champion West Germany. Thanks to even more financing (and the crime and threats that go with it), the 1994 was even stronger and expected to go far in the tourney.

By now, Arrowsmith has painted a complete picture of not only Escobar’s crimes, power and downfall.  This led to his death in 1993, before the 1994 World Cup.  However, many cartels and leaders still were influencing the sport, but they would soon decline and by the late 1990’s their influence was practically nil.  However, there was one more tragic event that came about due to this combination of crime, power and football.  The 1994 Columbia team didn’t advance out of group play, with the most stunning loss coming at the hands of the host USA team 2-1.  The first USA goal was an own goal by the excellent Columbian defender Andres Escobar (no relation to Pablo).  After the tournament was over and the Columbian team returned home, Andres Escobar was murdered after going to a nightclub with friends. The reason was never confirmed and there are a few theories behind the death as Arrowsmith points out, but it did show the power of “narcoball” – the term used for this era of Columbian football.  

I wish to thank the publisher for providing a review copy of the book via NetGalley.  The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.

Link: amazon.com/Narcoball-Death-Football-Escobars-Colombia-ebook/dp/B0CMHM228J/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Review of “1901: The War of the Baseball Magnates”

As a fan of a team that was one of the original American League franchises, the book intrigued me and was available on Kindle Unlimited so I grabbed it. Here is my review.  

Title/Author:

“1901: The War of the Baseball Magnates” by Timothy Zarley

Rating: 

3 of 5 stars (good)

Review: 

As any baseball fan knows, the American League started play in 1901 - 25 years after the establishment of the National League. This book by Timothy Zarley tells the story of how the “Junior Circuit” got its star and the first season won by the Chicago White Sox.

The White Sox owner, Charles Comiskey, played a prominent role in establishing the league along with its first President Ban Johnson. Their roles are explained in great detail in the early chapters in the book. This is in addition to the many deals that were made and broken between magnates, the magnates and the players and also with cities. At times this was a dizzying read with so many people involved and the intense detail with which Zarley wrote his part. It was interesting and well researched but I had a hard time getting through this.

Once I did, however, I was glad I powered through because once the games started I enjoyed reading how the games played out for the American League (and even some for the National League as well) was better reading. Even more than the games, the writing about the treatment of umpires that season was very interesting. They had a very difficult time, to say the least, and Johnson did his best to stop this behavior. His goal was clean baseball and while often it was, this is one aspect where it was clear that this was a problem. All of this is illustrated and explained in detail by Zarley.  If you’re a reader who likes this level of detail in your books, this is the one for you. 

Link: https://www.amazon.com/1901-Baseball-Magnates-baseball-supremacy-ebook/dp/B0CW19146H/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.OBX1c_TGNkXS4JpbWOLpBLzkrb8d0lEge7ki3CthShP7mZDHjiCPzj-oo4l79vWa.77JGvgJdURO9h1WcRtnooNYs2y5Gve_tri0j_n79r24&qid=1724285953&sr=8-1 

Review of "What Is the Goal?"

Given all the news about bad behavior by parents in youth sports, I figured this book was going to be about that topic. While it touched on it, it was really about so much more. 

 

Title/Author:

“What is the Goal? The Truth About the Youth Sports Industry” by Jean Linscott and Kenneth Ruoff

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

Even if one does not have children who play sports, nearly everyone is aware that there are bad behaving parents at games where youth are the players, and it has put a damper on the enthusiasm of some.  Expecting this book to be about that topic, it was eye-opening.  While parental behavior is explained, the real wealth a reader will take away from this book is how the Youth Sports Industry (YSI, as abbreviated by the authors liberally) is truly for the well-off, plays off fears of parents and has extraordinary costs for items such as tournaments that should make parents think twice before committing to a pay-to-play league or club.

The main reason for parents wanting to place their athletic children into these programs is the lure of obtaining a college scholarship for athletics, especially at a prestigious university.  The programs can be everything from elite traveling teams to tournaments and ID camps when supposedly a coach or coaches from “major” universities will be present to see the athlete in action and can evaluate these athletes.  While stopping short of calling these programs fraudulent, the book does a very good job of explaining how the return on investment for these parents – the chances of obtaining that scholarship against the amount spent on this endeavor – is usually not good.

Using their own experience as the parents of three youth soccer players, the authors do a fantastic job of explaining the true motive of these programs – money.  While because of their experience, the book is soccer-centric, the authors do explain that their information on the YSI is applicable to any sport in which universities offer scholarships to athletes.  Chapters are dedicated to the different aspects of the YSI – coaches, clubs, tournaments, and ID camps are just a few of the aspects covered in the book.

There will be some discussion about the actual games, mainly in tournaments, but that is very limited.  The closest to any in-depth discussion about the actual sport (soccer) is in the chapter on coaches and how some of them can be good in developing younger players, such as in the U-12 leagues and how some are looking to win at all costs in order to gain better paying coaching jobs.  There will also be some eye-opening accounts that parents should read closely.  The best example of this is the true cost of tournaments – these were broken down into the cost per hour of actual playing time for each player and the cost was staggering.

This is just a preview of all the excellent information and advice given to parents who are considering enrolling their young athletes into one of these programs.  It is highly recommended for these parents or anyone else interested in the workings of the YSI.

I wish to thank the publisher for providing a review copy of the book.  The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.

Link: Amazon.com: What is the Goal?: The Truth About the Youth Sports Industry: 9798990114302: Linscott, Jean, Ruoff, Kenneth: Books

Review of “The Golden Age of Red”

I am glad to be finding more sports-themed fiction stories that are high quality reads. This novel on Red Grange certainly qualifies as one of them.  

Title/Author:

“The Golden Age of Red:  A Novel of Red Grange, The Galloping Ghost” by Doug Villhard

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review: 

In the 1920’s, college football was much more popular than the professional game and one of the most prolific stars of that time was Harold “Red” Grange, also nicknamed “The Galloping Ghost.”  This novel about Grange by Doug Villhard, based on actual events and people, is a story that is exciting, heartwarming, maddening and most of all, realistic. All at the same time, no less.

What makes the novel so realistic is that every character and nearly every event that takes place are based on real events and people. Not only Grange himself and his family members, but EVERYONE in the novel. That is made clear at the end when Villhard provides a listing of the characters and the highlights of their real lives. While I enjoyed the story a lot while reading it, seeing this at the end made me appreciate Villard's work even more. 

This is especially true as he kept the story close to Grange’s actual life. From the famous game against Michigan in which he scored four touchdowns in 12 minutes to turning pro immediately after his final college game to the barnstorming games and injuries, Grange’s football career is covered well in the story.

His personal life and desires are also explained expertly in the novel and it is this part of the story that I believe makes this great novel. Grange’s desire to leave all the fame and attention behind a live something of a more “normal” life after college is a recurring theme through the story and while that never seems to come to fruition, how Grange addresses his fame and talent makes for great reading. As does his blossoming desire for Helen and his realization that football is his best talent.

Finally, as is explained in the synopsis of the book, there are events in this story that have far-reaching effects on football today, such as compensation for players in addition to tuition, room and board. One doesn’t have to be a football fan to enjoy this novel about the Galloping Ghost.

 

I wish to thank the publisher for providing a review copy of the book via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own. 

Link:https://www.amazon.com/Golden-Age-Red-Grange-Galloping-ebook/dp/B0CXHLZ4HS/ref=sr_1_3?crid=IWHQJVBO9OU5&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Eqi-gKDTYteGq9Z_DV_KxlxYV2uO3uBKgiRnyX7Gp-1wzLtRBk2xTgkhyzEjWD-KirqmNicPdTMozO8Y9edfYXIyGGbCIwwoTgudPdvwD32bhTDJ0aBM2vzQksEP9dXevIv_aFr-T1SQoXp35m-vVD_g-gbbYwOLLCRWiCgaIWYH9o16C1llbAS04Pu0mewWrt-XuC4HNI7jo-Yp6q4eLw.9M7_-laX2LhCwtjhhU8ALJ2_sKfWcRmaiazzgJgfflY&dib_tag=se&keywords=Red+grange&qid=1723396625&s=digital-text&sprefix=red+grange%2Cdigital-text%2C168&sr=1-3 

Review of “The Yankee Way”

Train or bus rides to baseball games are often spent by me reading a baseball book. On my rides to and from a recent Twins-Mets game, I read a book on…the Yankees! Here is my review of “The Yankee Way” 

Title/Author:

“The Yankee Way: The Untold Inside Story of the Brian Cashman Era” by Andy Martino

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review: 

Given the frequency with which the late George Steinbrenner hired and fired field managers and general managers through much of his tenure as the owner of the New York Yankees, it seems hard to believe that the current general manager (and now senior Vice President), Brian Cashman, is in his 27th year at the position. His tenure is the subject of this excellent book by New York baseball journalist Andy Martino.

The book, despite words to the contrary by both Martino and Cashman, could be considered a biography of sorts on Cashman. His upbringing, college years and how he became interested in the business side of baseball are all mentioned. His break came in 1986 when while still attending  the Catholic University of America (on a baseball scholarship) he worked as an intern for the Yankees. He got his first paid gig for the team as a baseball operations assistant. He gradually worked his way up in various positions until being named Yankee GM in 1998.

No one, including Cashman himself, will say that his rise in the front office as well as the immediate success the Yankee had under him as GM with three consecutive World Series championships and five American League pennants in his first 6 years, was all due to him. The core of that team was recruited, signed and developed under Gene “Stick” Michael, who ran the club when Steinbrenner was banished from baseball between 1990 and 1992. Micheal and his work is covered quite extensively in the book as well as that of Bill Livesey, the scouting director who had his own system of grading and developing players.

Cashma’s handling of the team never truly wavered during his tenure, during the early championships and the advent of analytics. The Yankees were the forefront of the use of this data along with a few other teams, most notably the Houston Astros. Other issues affecting the Yankees and Cashman’s handling of the drama are included. Most notably, these include the tense relationship between Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez and the free agency winter of 2022-23 when Aaron Judge became a free agent and ended up re-signing with the Yankees.

It helps if the reader is at least somewhat knowledgeable about baseball in the 21st century as if they are not, they may get lost in all the analytics. However, if the reader does have at least a rudimentary understanding of the sport this is a great read, even if one is not a Yankee fan. 

I wish to thank the publisher for providing a review copy of the book via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own. 

Link:https://www.amazon.com/Yankee-Way-Untold-Inside-Cashman/dp/0385549997/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=