Review of “We Sacrifice Everything to Baseball”

Having watched many games of the recently concluded World Baseball Classic, I realized I had a book in my recent receipts about a team from the 2023 versions of that too an unusual path to get there. Here is my review of a book on the team from the Czech Republic.

Title/Author: “We Sacrifice Everything to Baseball:  How the Czech Republic’s Amateur Underdogs Became World Baseball Classic Heroes” by Michael Clair

Rating:  4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:   The World Baseball Classic (WBC) brings together teams from across the globe every three years in March to showcase players playing for their countries and the pride that ones with it. Sometimes a country may not have many players in its country and take American players who have family lineage in that country. Many European countries have players like this - an example would be Team Italy in the 2026 WBC.

However, that was not the case for the team from the Czech Republic in 2023. Their roster was completely made up of amateur players save for one American player who joined later. The tales of these players, their coach, and how they overcame long odds to not only appear in the  WBC, but also win a game in pool play, are told in this book by Michael Clair. 

None of the native born players nor coaches make baseball their full time profession.  They are strictly amateurs and make a living in professions like teaching and firefighting. Clair does a very good job of telling the story of several of these players - most notably, catcher Martin Cervenka and pitcher Martin Schneider. Schneider caught the eye of scouts for the Minnesota Twins and offered a contract but he turned them down to remain as a firefighter in his native land and also to keep pitching.

The team stuck together despite many heartbreaks on the field that kept them from advancing further in European baseball. And speaking of fields, the conditions of some of those diamonds were poor - just one aspect of the hurdles facing the team that Clair does a good job covering. 

However, the best aspect of the is when Clair writes about the two biggest games in Czech baseball history. The first was the victory over Spain that put the Czech team in the 2023 tournament. It was especially notable since earlier in the qualifiers, Spain had a mercy-rule 21-7 victory over the Czechs. But that didn’t intimidate Schneider for the rematch and when the Czechs pulled off the 4-3 upset, Clair brings the reader right there with the team to celebrate. 

If the team and reader felt that was a big moment, then their first game in the 2023 WBC, played in the Tokyo Dome, was even bigger. They defeated China in their first ever WBC game and even held a lead after 3 innings in their next game against Japan, the eventual champion of that tourney. Clair’s account of the highlight of the game was excellent. Struggling to get his fastball above 80 miles an hour, Czech pitcher Ondrej Satoria - an electrician by trade - struck out Shohei Ohtani, causing the superstar to lose his helmet. After the game, won by Japan 10-2, the respect by both sides was mutual and the Japanese fans cheered the Czechs just as warmly as did the 200 fellow citizens who made the trip. 

Reading about this extraordinary team was a treat, even if they did not win another game. The win assured them a spot in the 2026 WBC,  where they did not fare as well, losing all 4 games in pool play. Nonetheless, their story of their adventure to get to the 2023 tourney is one that would be enjoyed by any baseball fan.  

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

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Sacrifice-Everything-Baseball-Republics-Underdogs/dp/1496242661/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0 

Review of "Metropolitans"

Having had a good deal of reading time while riding the train to and from a recent conference, I'll be posting a few reviews in the next few days. First up is this interesting book highlighting the connection between the New York Mets and the working class. 

Title/Author:

“Metropolitans: New York Baseball, Class Struggle and the People’s Team” by A.M. Gittlitz

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review: When the New York Mets started play in 1962, they were not the first New York baseball team to have the team nickname of “Metropolitans” (not the official name, but many will call them that) nor were they the first team that captured the hearts of many of those in the middle class over the “richer” teams like the Yankees.  This book by A.M. Gittlitz captures that connection between those citizens and the baseball team.

The book’s strengths are Gittlitz’s research and the passion for which he writes about the subject, whether it is baseball and the Mets or about the working class and the struggles they have with the political landscape, among many other things. I felt the writing and description of the early Metropolitans and the battles that players had to either form a union or field competing baseball leagues to go up against the National League in the late 19^th century was the best aspect of the book.

He also does an excellent job of showing how the Mets of the 1960’s, capping it off with their 1969 championship, resonated with people who may not have cared one bit about baseball but showed how those who have been down for so long can still be successful.  He goes deep into that topic as well as the other Mets teams, especially the 2000 team that lost the World Series to the Yankees.  They too had connections with the middle class according to Gittlitz.

Where the book was a bit of a downer while reading it was the addition of much political commentary.  This isn’t to say that I am one who says politics and sports don’t mix – they indeed do.  It isn’t also because I want to insert my own political opinions while reading or writing this review because it doesn’t matter – what matters is how Gittlitz writes about his views and they come across as strong, consistent and passionate.  I was only surprised at how much of the book discussed political issues without talking at all about the baseball connection.  Nearly every sports book about a particular team, player or era will at least give a few sentences to the social and political climate at the time – this one goes well beyond that.  And to the author’s credit, he does a very good job of laying out his beliefs and why he feels that way.

Overall, while I was surprised at the level of detail and how well connected the author put the Mets with the working class, it was quite an interesting book to read and one that is recommended not only for Mets and baseball fans, but also for readers who wish to read about politics and class struggles as well.

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

Link: Metropolitans: New York Baseball, Class Struggle, and the People's Team: GIttlitz, A.M.: 9781662603006: Amazon.com: Books

Review of “The Big Loosh”

After a short respite from reading sports books as I concentrated on other topics, it’s back to sports. To start this resumption, I read this interesting biography on umpire Ron Luciano. Here is my review of “The Big Loosh”.

Title/Author:

“The Big Loosh: The Unruly Life of Umpire Ron Luciano” by Jim Leeke

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:  

There is an old adage in baseball that the better umpires do their job, the less that they are noticed. That was not the case for Ron Luciano, an American League umpire in the 1970’s. His journey to become one of the most recognizable umpires of that time is captured in this book by Jim Leeke.

Most notable about Luciano’s early life is that baseball was not his first choice for sports. He was an excellent lineman on both sides of the ball for Syracuse University. He played in the 1959 College All-Star game when that game existed and was a second round draft choice of the Detroit Lions. He eventually landed with the Buffalo Bills in the AFL but appeared in only two games as his time in pro football was plagued with injuries. This was where I felt the book was excellent, with Leeke explaining in good detail how Luciano was really a football player at heart. It was also explained that it was here where Luciano was an excellent storyteller (the truth of these stories was often in question). The story of how Hall of Famer “Big Daddy” Lipscomb contributed to Luciano’s injuries is told wonderfully here.

After his football career ended, Luciano decided to enroll in umpire school and did very well, leading to his assignment in the minor leagues with an eventual call-up to MLB in 1969. Much like players, umpires that make it to The Show have an interesting adventure to get there, and Leeke describes that path for Luciano quite well.

While in the regular rotation for American League umpires, Luciano would often provide fans with a little entertainment, such as making a shooting motion to call a runner out at first base.  This drew a mixed reaction from fans, players, managers and the media. Luciano loved hearing from those who liked it, ignored the critics and also became an umpire who was generally considered one of the better umpires in the American League.

Leeke covers as much ground as he can on that topic and also on Luciano’s career as an author after his time as an umpire was done. After a brief time as a baseball broadcaster for NBC, Luciano had a best selling memoir, The Umpire Strikes Back. He also wrote a sequel to this about other umpires, Strike Two, which didn’t do as well plus two other books. Here, Leeke covers more ground on how well or not well the books did than Luciano’s life. 

Finally, the book has a short section on Luciano’s final years, ending tragically with his suicide by running his car in a locked garage at age 57. Here, there isn’t much material and it felt like the ending of this book came on too suddenly. In fairness to the author, Leeke did state that when he was attempting to learn more about the circumstances of Luciano’s suicide, friends and family did not want to discuss that. Despite this ending, if a reader either wants to learn more about this colorful umpire, it is a fairly short and quick read that is packed with good stories about him.

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

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Big-Loosh-Unruly-Umpire-Luciano/dp/1496237668/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0 

Review of "Before They Wore Dodger Blue"

As I mention in the review, I find books about the Los Angeles Dodgers to be among the best baseball books that I read.  This one by Eric Vickery, a former Casey Award finalist, to be no exception.  Here is my review of his book on the 1970 Spokane Indians, managed by Tommy Lasorda and had many future Dodger stars on its roster. 

Title/Author:

“Before They Wore Dodger Blue: Tommy Lasorda and the Greatest Draft Class in Baseball History” by Eric Vickrey

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

The Los Angeles Dodgers have long been considered one of the better baseball organizations in developing players whom they have drafted or signed into good major league players.  In 1970, their AAA farm club, the Spokane Indians, had one of the best crops of players drafted by the Dodgers. This book by Eric Vickery not only describes that season in good detail but also provides interesting stories and facts about most of these players and the manager, Tommy Lasorda.

What strikes me as one of the best aspects of this book is that Vickrey doesn’t limit the discussion to the best players on that team.  While many baseball fans know at least parts of the stories about future All-Stars like Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes and Ron Cey, the other players who may not have been stars or even play much in Major League Baseball get plenty of mentions in the book.  This includes players like pitcher Bob O’Brien, infielder Bart Shirley and pitcher John Purdin. No worries if a reader has not heard of these and other players that weren’t stars – the reader will learn about that player and get a complete picture of what part of the Indians’ success they played.

Of course, the players I mentioned that made up the long-lasting Dodger infield (along with Bill Russell) get plenty of material written about them as well.  Other stars get their fair share of text in the book as well.  The admiration Lasorda had for Bobby Valentine as an up-and-coming star is well documented and it sparked plenty of material for this book, both directly involving those two and the rest of the team’s reaction.

There is also an excellent section on Lasorda and his penchant for public speaking.  Even events that seem ho-hum, such as an injury to a player, can be fun to read.  An example of this is when Bill Buckner had a broken jaw and it was wired shut.  Teammates made many comments about his bad breath.  This was presented in a manner that made me laugh out loud.

For reasons unbeknownst to me, I find books about the Los Angeles Dodgers to be great ones to read, and this one is no exception.  One doesn’t have to be a Dodgers fan to enjoy reading about one of the greatest draft classes in the history of the game – at least since the draft started in 1965.

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

Link: Before They Wore Dodger Blue: Tommy Lasorda and the Greatest Draft Class in Baseball History: Vickrey, Eric: 9781938532948: Amazon.com: Books

Review of “Iron Will”

 This book was one I was not looking for nor was it sent to me by the author or publisher. In the waning days of Black History mont, the local library had a few biographies and memoirs on display of Black people. This one caught my eye and it was an excellent, quick read for 

Title/Author:

“Iron Will: An Amputee’s Journey to Athletic Excellence” by Roderick Sewell II

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review: 

The Ironman Triathlon in Kona, Hawaii is considered to be the most grueling triathlon and many athletes consider it a great accomplishment to just finish. In 2019, Roderick Sewell became the first double amputee to finish the event. He tells his journey to get to this point in this excellent memoir. 

Born without his tibias, Roderick’s mother Marion made the decision to amputate Roderick’s legs when he was two. This was the start of his journey of perseverance and determination as he was able to get around well on his stumps, per his words in his book. However, to truly allow Roderick to be fully functioning, Marion made the hard decision to give up her job to have this procedure covered by California Children's Services. This was one of the most powerful moments of Roderick’s story. A single Black mother sacrificing everything for her disabled son. 

Roderick discovered the Challenged Athletes Foundation in their town of San Diego and here he learned to play wheelchair basketball. That was when the sports bug hit him and despite his living situation in shelters and lacking transportation, he eventually became a very good swimmer and athlete. His training and living situations brought him from California to Alabama (many of Marion’s relatives lived there) to New York and Hawaii. Roderick always is upbeat in his description of any situation he encounters. It shows that his bond and love for his mother is strong and the sacrifices she made for him. 

There isn’t a lot of discussion by Roderick about his training or competition. There’s enough to follow his athletic journey, especially as he became a good swimmer, but the majority of the book tell of his determination to succeed, no matter what his particular situation may be. A very inspiring book that whether or not one is a sports fan, a reader will be cheering for Roderick and Marion. 

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Iron-Will-Amputees-Athletic-Excellence/dp/1538741563/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0 n