Review of "Seinsoth"

If you have ever picked up a book that seemed mildly interesting to you, but you tried it because of a request or recommendation then were blown away because it was so good, then you know the feeling I had after I finished this book. The author sent me a request and while I was interested, I was in no way prepared to read a book that was as good as this one was. Here is my review of a great book on a baseball prospect who died far too young.

Title/Author:

“Seinsoth: The Rough and Tumble Life of a Dodger” by Steven K. Wagner

Tags:

Baseball, high school, college, professional, biography, USC, Dodgers

Publish date:

November 30, 2016

Length:

214 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

The story of Bill Seinsoth is one that sadly is not uncommon: a talented, handsome athlete who dies far too young.  Like many others who met this fate, his story is not well known outside of his hometown area and where he starred in his sport. In Bill’s case, this was baseball and he was a big star for his high school in Arcadia, California and also for the University of Southern California (USC).  At USC, he was named an All-American in 1968 and played all three years he was eligible for the varsity team under legendary coach Rod Dedeaux. 

He immediately signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers after graduation and played one season for their Bakersfield farm club. After Bakersfield’s season ended, Seinsoth was killed in a car accident.  It came as a shock to everyone as Seinsoth was thought to be the next Dodgers first baseman.  In fact, it is believed that even a player as great as Steve Garvey would not have played that position for the Dodgers had it not been for the tragic death of Seinsoth.

Wishing to “capture the essence of Bill Seinsoth”, author Steven K. Wagner has pulled together notes and old newspaper clippings along with correspondence and interviews with people who knew Seinsoth to put together a wonderful book about the short life of this young man. While it has been almost fifty years since his death, the story of Bill Seinsoth still resonates in southern California to this day and readers who pick up this book will be touched as well.

The writing of this book as well as the content is what makes it a truly special read. Admittedly, when I was reading the introduction I was thinking that this will be a typical account of a young life from someone who knew him and would not dare say one negative word.  On that last comment – there was not ANYONE mentioned in the book who could say that – even when the comments or quotes were taken from the time Seinsoth was alive, not just sharing fond memories.

The manner in which Wagner put this story together was amazing considering the difficulty he had in trying to obtain some information.  One very nice touch and a great example of how well the writing is in this book was the chapter on Seinsoth’s season in Bakersfield. He was able to cobble together a good picture of what life was like for him in the low minors through letters that Seinsoth sent to his girlfriend Gaye Gannon. Given that was the main source of information and the fact that Wagner was able to write about that season in a way that the reader will be able to fully understand what Seinsoth went through that season was truly amazing. 

This is a book that once a reader gets going, he or she will not be able to put it down. That was the case for me as Wagner had me at the time of Bill’s Little League adventures – Seinsoth was so good in Little League that some people wanted him off the team because he was TOO good. That is a good way to describe how I felt about this book – it is almost TOO good to simply be called a biography. Even if one has never heard of Bill Seinsoth, this is a book that is highly recommended to add to one’s baseball book shelf.

I wish to thank Sunbury Press for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying links:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1620067161/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1620067161&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/seinsoth-steven-k-wagner/1125268183?ean=9781620067161

Review of "Suicide Squeeze"

It's hard to believe it was nearly 12 years ago that several major league baseball players were called before Congress to testify about the use of steroids and none of them (Mark McGuire, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmiero and Jose Canseco) had much to say that was helpful.  However, parents of two young men who committed suicide after abusing steroids chasing their baseball dreams did present powerful testimony.  The stories of those two young men whose lives ended far too soon are the subject of this book.  Here is my review of "Suicide Squeeze."

Title/Author:

“Suicide Squeeze: Taylor Hooton, Rob Garibaldi and the Fight Against Teenage Steroid Abuse” by William C. Kashatus

Tags:

Baseball, high school, college, youth sports, USC, performance enhancing drugs

Publish date:

January 23, 2017

Length:

256 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (Very good)

Review:

Much has been written and said about the use of steroids, or performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) in Major League Baseball.  However, the use of PEDs is not limited to the big leaguers – there are also players who have used them in high school, college and amateur baseball in order to gain a competitive advantage. The stories of two players who used them and ultimately committed suicide are the central tales of this book written by William C. Kashatus.

The two players involved are Taylor Hooton (cousin of former major league pitcher Burt Hooton) and Rob Garibaldi. Both players started using steroids in high school with the hopes of improving their performance in order to attract the attention of professional scouts or obtain college scholarships. The latter did happen for Garibaldi, as he was awarded a scholarship to the University of Southern California, one of the more prestigious college baseball programs. However, both of them ultimately committed suicide as the side effects of the drugs took effect.

The book starts out with the testimony of a parent of each player, Don Hooton and Denise Garibaldi, presented to Congress during the 2005 hearings on PED use in baseball.  That was the most powerful section of the book as both parents gave moving accounts of what their sons went through and the responsibility that major league baseball has in letting everyone know about the danger of these substances.

From there, the reader will learn much about the two young men, their dreams and what they would do in order to achieve them.  More than just success on the diamond, Kashatus also explains other reasons that young men would want to use these drugs, such as physical enhancement to be more attractive to the opposite sex.  Kashatus conducted interviews with family members and also did extensive research on the drugs. Some of those passages are very technical in nature. If the reader is not familiar with this topic, they will have to be carefully read in order to fully appreciate what the drugs to one’s body and mind.

Written with the goal of hoping to prevent additional suicides by young athletes, this book is one that should be read by anyone who is involved in youth sports in order to fully learn about the dangers of abusing these drugs. It will make the reader stop and think about PEDs and whether the risk of taking these is worth it.

I wish to thank Temple University Press for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying links (pre-order at time of review):

http://www.temple.edu/tempress/titles/2434_reg.html

https://www.amazon.com/Suicide-Squeeze-Garibaldi-against-Teenage/dp/1439914389/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1480990586&sr=1-3&keywords=suicide+squeeze

Review of "Cardinal and Gold"

With the college football season about to start, I thought it would be a good idea to review this book on one of the most decorated college football programs. As soon as I saw it offered on NetGalley, I picked it up and it was well worth the time to read, even though I am not a Trojans fan.  Here is my review of "Cardinal and Gold."

Title/Author:

“Cardinal and Gold: The Oral History of USC Football” by Steve Delsohn

Tags:

Football (American), college, history, USC

Publish date:

August 16, 2016

Length:

288 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

As one of college football’s more glamorous programs, the University of Southern California (USC) Trojans have had a storied history, especially in the last 40 years.  That era of USC football is captured through the stories of many men who coached and played for the Trojans in this book by journalist Steve Delsohn.

Through many interviews and thorough research, Delsohn captures the spirt of the USC program in which the Trojans rose to prominence under coach John McKay in the 1970’s and was able to maintain that standard of excellence for the most part over the next 40 years. Of course there were some down seasons and a few coaches such as Lane Kiffin and Larry Smith were fired.

The interviews are interspersed in each chapter that covers one or two seasons of football that are not just game recaps but also recollections of the stories behind the games as well.  No matter which season or decade is being discussed, the stories from the players make the book very entertaining and worth the time to read.  It is also interesting to see some of the interviewees dispute some of the stories that were reported by the press and widely believed to be the truth. 

One example of a good story from a player being interviewed came in the discussion about quarterback Matt Leinert returning to USC for the 2005 season. It was widely thought that Leinert would declare for the NFL draft, but he decided to play his senior year at USC. The common belief was that Leinert just wanted to show his loyalty to USC but teammate Petros Papadakis disputed that, stating that Leinert was coming off two surgeries. I felt the animation in Papadakis’ account just reading that interview – one can only imagine what it was like to actually sit in that room.

This is just one example of the many stories and interviews that make the book a fun read for USC fans. However, since the program has always been one that has a large national following and because of this, Delsohn’s book is one that many college football fans will enjoy, even if they don’t follow the USC program closely.

I wish to thank Crown Publishing for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying links:

https://www.amazon.com/Cardinal-Gold-History-Trojans-Football/dp/0307888401/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1471914141&sr=1-1&keywords=cardinal+and+gold

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cardinal-and-gold-steve-delsohn/1123015172?ean=9780307888402