Review of "Astroball"

As the baseball season heads into the All-Star break, the best way to get my baseball fix is to read baseball books. I started with this highly-rated book on the Houston Astros and their system that took them from three straight 100 loss seasons to world champions.  Here is my review of "Astroball"

Title/Author:

“Astroball: The New Way to Win it All” by Ben Reiter

Tags:

Baseball, professional, championship, Astros, statistics

Publish date:

July 10, 2018

Length:

272 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

Baseball is well into a new era in which statistical data is analyzed and used for nearly every decision a team makes, from which players to draft to where to place those players on the diamond when a batter steps into the box.  While the concept began in the early 2000’s with “Moneyball”, the groundbreaking book by Michael Lewis about the Oakland Athletics using this strategy, the Houston Astros dug even deeper into statistical analysis and their work paid off with a World Series championship in 2017. How they got there is the storyline of this excellent book by Sports Illustrated writer Ben Reiter.

It is important to note that Reiter is a Sports Illustrated writer because he wrote a cover story for the magazine in 2014 predicting that the Astros would be the 2017 champions.  It seemed outlandish at the time as the Astros were suffering through their third consecutive season of more than 100 losses.  However, the brain trust of general manager Scott Luhnow and rocket-scientist-turned-baseball-analyst Sig Mejdal saw that their plan implemented beginning in 2011 was already starting to take shape.

The book focuses more on these two men, as well as several of the prospects brought to Houston by them, more than the baseball or a recap of the Astros championship season. Although for good baseball writing, the book has plenty in the write-up of the 2017 World Series in which the Astros defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games.  One key part of that victory was that the Astros hit star Dodger pitcher Yu Darvish hard, and that was because Carlos Beltran gave information to his teammates about Darvish’s pitching.

Why this review brings up Beltran is that the system that is used in Houston by Luhnow and Mejdal includes the human factors of scouting and team chemistry, something that is lacking, indeed even chided, in “Moneyball.”  Luhnow felt something else was needed for his team in 2017 despite the success they were having using the advanced data available to everyone.  That something was team chemistry and signing the 40 year old Beltran (who had a spectacular three months and postseason for the club in 2004) was just the person who could provide it.  There are other great stories about the 2017 season such as the rush to beat the trading deadline in order to obtain pitcher Justin Verlander from the Detroit Tigers. Mejdal informed Luhnow that another quality starting pitcher was needed in order for the Astros to make that final push and Luhnow went out and got his man.

These two examples are just a small sample of how the book combines excellent storytelling with hard statistical data in a manner that is not only fun to read, it is explained in a manner that even non-baseball fans can enjoy this book. There is even some humor sprinkled in for good measure. The best was a tweet by Verlander’s then-fiancée, model Kate Upton. Due to language, I won’t quote it here, but  just note that it was one of several injections of text that makes for a good laugh.

The balance of good storytelling with hardcore baseball writing makes this book one to add to the book shelf of any baseball fan, no matter what level.  It is fun to read and will provide the reader with the inside story of why the Houston Astros were the 2017 champions of baseball and should remain a top contender for several years.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)                                                                                                                                 

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Astroball-New-Way-Win-All-ebook/dp/B078LNK35F/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/astroball-ben-reiter/1128007968?ean=9780525576662#/

Review of "When It Mattered Most"

Having a heat wave here in the Northeast United States heading into the Independence Day celebration and here is a review on ice hockey.  But not just any hockey book - it is about the 1917 Seattle Metropolitans, the first team from the United States to win the Stanley Cup. Here is my review of a great book on that team, "When It Mattered Most"  Also, want to wish a belated Canada Day to the good people in the nation where hockey is their sport.

Title/Author:

“When It Mattered Most: The Forgotten Story of America’s First Stanley Cup Champions and the War To End All Wars” by Kevin Ticen

Tags:

Ice Hockey, professional, championship, history

Publish date:

April 2, 2019

Length:

217 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

Before the NHL was established as the single professional hockey league in which the championship team would be awarded the Stanley Cup, the trophy was given to the team who won a series that matched the winner of the two different professional leagues in the early 20^th century, the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) and the National Hockey Association (NHA), consisting of teams from the East such as the Montreal Canadiens. That team faced the Seattle Metropolitans in the 1917 series to determine the Stanley Cup winner.  This excellent book by Kevin Ticen

Because the “Mets”, as they were also known as, won this championship more than 100 years ago, Ticen relied heavily on newspaper accounts, league records, and other similar sources of information for the book.  He does a wonderful job with these sources as the book reads like a great recap of the entire 1916-17 PCHA season with excellent information on not only the Metropolitans, but the other three teams in the league – the Portland Rosebuds, Spokane Canaries and Vancouver Millionaires. There are also brief snippets on other star players from that era of hockey such as Newsy Malone.

Detailed game accounts are common throughout the book and stories about the key players for Seattle, such as forward Bernie Morris and goaltender Hap Holmes are included as well.  Again, keeping in mind that there were no direct interviews with any of these people makes the inclusion more impressive. The person who is mentioned most throughout the book, however, is the Seattle Coach, Pete Muldoon.  Indeed, he became a very popular figure in Seattle after the Metropolitans won the Cup and his legendary status continued long after his death. 

The book, like most other sports books that cover a particular time period, had much about World War I as the Metropolitans were enjoying their success on the ice while the United States was being pulled into the Great War.  Large segments of text are included in the description of the Mets’ season as this was by far the most important issue on the minds of many Americans and Canadians. 

With the NHL awarding Seattle an expansion team to begin play in 2021, this is a very timely book that hockey fans and historians should read to learn about the history of Seattle hockey and learn even more about the first American team to win the Stanley Cup.  

Book Format Read:

Ebook

(Kindle)                                                                                                                                

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/When-Mattered-Most-Forgotten-Americas/dp/1798208490/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Review of "March 1939"

One personal reading goal I have every year is to read some books that I have had on my to-be-read list for years and this one is one of them.  Since it was first published in 2014, I have wanted to read about the first NCAA basketball championship tournament and this book is a good one on that topic.  Here is my review of "March 1939"

Title/Author:

“March 1939: Before the Madness – The Story of the First NCAA Basketball Champions” by Terry Frei

Tags:

Basketball, college, championship, history

Publish date:

February 6, 2014

Length:

264 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

The championship tournament to crown the collegiate national champions in men’s basketball had very humble beginnings. When it started in 1939, it was nothing close to the “March Madness” that is the tourney today.  This book by Terry Frei not only informs the reader about that first championship journey but also is a good source of information on the winners of that first tourney, the Oregon Webfoots (the name “Ducks” would come later).

Much of the book is dedicated to the players on that Webfoots team, although because none of the players nor close relatives are still alive, Frei could not do research for the book through first hand accounts via interview.  He states this in the introduction, which was a good thing as it becomes clear that this material is presented in a different manner than other books of this genre in which there are more quotes and stories from the people involved.

That doesn’t mean the information isn’t good. The reader will learn much about the young men representing the University of Oregon at a time when the center of the college basketball universe revolved around New York City and Madison Square Garden. While the Webfoots’ season is the primary focus, there is also a good deal of information on the NIT (it started the year before the first NCAA tourney), the myths surrounding the NIT and the champions of that tourney in 1939, the Long Island University Blackbirds and their legendary coach Claire Bee. 

It did seem a bit puzzling to include them in this book, but that did help to create a good picture of the state of the game in 1939 and how the East Coast dominated in not only the play and the press, but their feeling that schools in the West weren’t equals to the Eastern teams. Oregon took a trip cross country via train and while the results on the court were mixed, the New York press got a look at the future champions.

For writing about the sport itself, the sections on the Webfoots’ games in the Western championship and the championship game itself against Ohio State was the best section in the book for that information. The game was certainly played differently at that time, with scores in the 50’s considered high, and the reader will learn much about how the Webfoots executed their plays, passes and shots.

For a good look at the first NCAA tournament champion Oregon Webfoots and the status of the game and the world, as every chapter has several blurbs about the war in Europe, this book is recommended for readers interested in those topics.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)                                                                                                                                

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/March-1939-Madness-Basketball-Tournament-ebook/dp/B00IEZU422/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/march-1939-terry-frei/1116088364?ean=9781589799257

Review of "The Last Stand of Payne Stewart"

While this review comes two weeks after my favorite golf tournament of the year, the US Open, I still felt that this was a good time to review an advance copy of an upcoming book on Payne Stewart, the popular golfer who was killed in a plane crash nearly 20 years ago.  Here is my review of "The Last Stand of Payne Stewart"

Title/Author:

“The Last Stand of Payne Stewart: The Year Golf Changed Forever” by Kevin Robbins

Tags:

Golf, professional, biography, history

Publish date:

October 8, 2019

Length:

227 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

Payne Stewart was one of the most popular and most interesting people on the professional golf tour in the 1990’s. His tragic death in a plane crash in 1999, just weeks after being a member of the famous American Ryder Cup team that made an incredible comeback on the last day of matches to regain that award from the European team. Payne’s golf career and life are chronicled in this excellent book by Kevin Robbins.

While the format of the biography does follow Stewart’s life without much jumping around, what set this biography apart from others was partly Stewart’s very interesting career with its ups and downs and Robbins’ delicate manner in which he handles telling the story. Stewart was not an ordinary professional golfer. The most known aspect of his golf career was the headwear and plus four pants he wore on the course.  It is not as well known why he wore these and this book tells the tale of Stewart’s father stating that in order to become famous, one must stand out. Payne took that advice to heart and his father was never far from his thoughts, something Robbins illustrates in a touching manner several times in the book.

As for Payne’s golf career (Robbins always calls him “Payne” in the book, never “Stewart”), its ups and downs are covered thoroughly in the book as well. Early on, even when Payne started achieving some success and eventually winning his first major tournament in 1991, he often came across as brash and even uncaring at times. It did lead to bouts of depression that he was able to overcome with the help of his wife Tracey. She is portrayed as the rock of their family as she was able to help Payne both on and off the course. I especially enjoyed reading about the putting drill she made Payne go through to work on that aspect of his game, as it is mentioned several times, including Payne’s most memorable and satisfying win, the 1999 US Open at Pinehurst #2.

Of course, the plane crash that took Payne’s life was covered in great detail as well. The book starts and ends with that event and no matter what aspect of that tragedy is discussed, it is told in the same manner as the rest of the important events in the life of Payne Stewart. They are told in a way that a reader will not only feel close to Payne and Tracey, but also that he or she is reading about a person who is truly HUMAN with all the highs and lows that all people experience but is also one that who is loved and whose loss is still being felt nearly 20 years after his death.

I wish to thank Hachette Books 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/Last-Stand-Payne-Stewart-Changed-ebook/dp/B07NCXNT3S/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3S3U5JOSU26HK&keywords=payne+stewart&qid=1561853273&s=digital-text&sprefix=payne+stew%2Cdigital-text%2C150&sr=1-2

Review of "Reclaiming 42"

This book is very different than anything else I have read about Jackie Robinson - and it was very enlightening.  Instead of illustrating the often-told stories about his legacy for baseball integration, this book takes a look at more controversial actions taken by the man. Here is my review of "Reclaiming 42"

Title/Author:

“Reclaiming 42: Public Memory and the Reframing of Jackie Robinson’s Radical Legacy” by David Naze

Tags:

Baseball, politics, race, history

Publish date:

June 1, 2019

Length:

234 pages

Rating: 

4 ½  of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

While the story of how and when Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball (MLB) is well-known to many people, including non-baseball fans, that story that is considered the “official” one by MLB, this scholarly book by David Naze explores the lesser known aspects of Robinson in his life away from the diamond and opines that there is much more to the man than what MLB, the Hall of Fame, and others portray him to be.

Naze states his intentions early on and repeats the theme frequently throughout the book that Robinson’s complete contribution to racial relations and politics is omitted for various reasons.  The examples of the omissions that are rarely published or discussed are Robinson’s letters to Congressman Adam Clayton Powell and to Malcolm X. In both letters, Robinson is critical of the manner in which these civil rights activists are addressing this issue and because of this, Naze contends, Robinson’s true contribution to the issue of race relations is lacking. The same is said for the lack of widespread work that examines Robinson’s remarks to the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) when that committee was investigating entertainer Paul Robeson. 

Why this is the case is explained in Chapter 4 of the book when Naze discusses the celebration of Jackie Robinson Day at Shea Stadium in 2004 by then-Commissioner Bud Selig.  Naze makes a compelling case about MLB portraying Robinson in a sanitized manner that is acceptable to the mostly white executives of MLB. Naze illustrates the dual message being sent in describing Robinson’s “heroic” actions to desegregate the game and have MLB congratulate itself for this while still having no executives or owners who are black.  Reading about this “sanitizing” of the complete Robinson story was fascinating and also fairly easy for a scholarly work.

This chapter, however, wasn’t the best of the book.  In chapter 3, to illustrate another point Naze makes that the integration of MLB wasn’t all good as it lead to the demise of the Negro Leagues, he takes readers on a guided tour of two baseball museums.  In great detail, the reader will be lead through the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York and also the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri.  (Note: it is emphasize to NOT call the latter a “Hall of Fame.”)  These are done to illustrate the difference in the two museums’ interpretation of Robinson’s legacy.  Naze points out the Cooperstown museum concentrates on Robinson’s individual contribution, as it does for others who are enshrined there. This is the individualism that it illustrates and contrasts with the Negro League’s museum which has a much smaller display of Robinson and includes him in the collective history of black baseball.  That collective theme is in line with the rest of that museum and these two different styles reflects how Robinson is remembered in the annals of history in MLB and in the history of black baseball. 

By profiling Robinson in a very different manner, Naze does a very good job of not only presenting these little-known actions by Robinson but also presenting his argument of how MLB is not presenting the true story of integration.  As mentioned earlier, this is a fairly easy and quick read which is not common for a book of this style. Because of this, the book is highly recommended for readers who want to learn more about Jackie Robinson.

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

Book Format Read:

Hardcover

Buying Links:

https://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/university-of-nebraska-press/9780803290822/

https://www.amazon.com/Reclaiming-42-Reframing-Robinsons-Radical/dp/0803290829/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Review of "Hardball Retroactive"

Count this book as one that I was frequently overlooking, mainly because of the sheer size of the book. That would usually scare me off from taking a look at it and I went off to read others.  However, the persistence of the author in asking about the status of a review paid off, as I finally opened this for more than a few minutes and am able to say that it is a very good book for the information it is telling.  Here is my review of "Hardball Retroactive." 

Title/Author:

“Hardball Retroactive” by Derek Bain

 

Tags:

Baseball, statistics, history

Publish date:

June 22, 2018

Length:

1287 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

If you ever wanted to know how your favorite team has fared over the years when it comes to the outcomes of trades they have made or the success of their farm system and the players drafted by the team to stock the system, then this book by Derek Bain is for you. 

Using extensive statistical analysis from his computer along with articles he has written on various blogs such as Seamheads.com and his own, Bain breaks down the performance of scores of general managers who have run major league teams throughout the years. The results and rankings, based on statistics like win shares, may surprise some readers. For those who have seen Bain’s earlier book, “Hardball Retrospective”, this book is in the same format and design. It just is now concentrating on trades and farm systems, along with some other fun concepts such as getting extra bases by hustle from singles.

The research is extensive and the charts can be overwhelming at times so it is best to be used as a reference book and to study in depth the teams or statistics in which the reader is most interested.  That is how I approached this book, looking at each section in depth for only my favorite team, the Minnesota Twins.  As a note, if the team has relocated at any time in the history of the franchise, like the Twins did in 1961 when they arrived from Washington, all relevant information from those teams will be used as well. 

While it was hard to locate specific tables and graphs in the PDF format at the page numbers on the file did not match those in the table of contents, it was nonetheless a fun look at how the Twins’ GMs and trades stacked up over the years.  I was pleasantly surprised at how high the former GM, Terry Ryan, ranked in the list of GMs and other readers are sure to find just as many surprises in this wealth of information.   

I wish to thank Mr. Bain for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:

E-book (PDF)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Hardball-Retroactive-Derek-Bain-ebook/dp/B07DZ1LBHX/ref=sr_1_1?crid=23IUDGVX6L2PP&keywords=hardball+retroactive&qid=1560959655&s=gateway&sprefix=hardball+retroactive%2Caps%2C606&sr=8-1

Review of "Mantle" The Best There Ever Was"

I might be considered an unusual baseball book consumer because until I read this book, I had never read a book on Mickey Mantle from cover to cover.  I had tried a couple others but didn't finish them.  However, I really enjoyed this one.  Here is my review of "Mantle: The Best There Ever Was."  

Title/Author:

“Mantle: The Best There Ever Was” by Tony Castro

Tags:

Baseball, biography, Yankees

Publish date:

April 12, 2019

Length:

272 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Not much needs to be said to introduce readers to Mickey Mantle. No matter the age of a reader or how much of a baseball fan that reader happens to be, Mantle is one of those personalities who have become larger than life, long after death and even when all of his shortcomings have been revealed.  However, there may still be readers who have not read much on the man and if you fall into that category, as I did before obtaining this book, then “Mantle: The Best There Ever Was” is a good place to start to understand why he became such a legend – oh, and a pretty good ball player as well.

The book starts with excerpts from interviews with Meryl Mantle, Mickey’s widow, that the author, Tony Castro, promised not to publish until after her death.  Her answers revealed a belief that she had for a long time – that her husband, despite all the issues they had in their marriage, was a good man and also the best baseball player in the history of the game. Having whetted the appetite of the reader with this revelation, Castro makes the pitch why he believes this to be true. 

However, that doesn’t come until the last chapter of the book. In between, the reader will be treated to many stories about Mantle told by Mantle himself (from interviews before Mickey’s death in 1995), teammates and his long-time love, Holly Bright.  Through these stories, many of the beliefs that have been passed down are either confirmed or shown to be false. One example of the latter is the belief that Mantle and Joe DiMaggio couldn’t stand each other as there are examples of them helping each other.  Another is that Bright was not close to Mantle after his marriage – the popular belief is that she was his girlfriend in his rookie year of 1951 but then they went separate ways after he married Merlyn.  According to Bright, they were always close and that he really wanted to marry her, not Merlyn.  He only did so because he was afraid to go against his father’s wishes.

That last point is important as that is always a theme in any narrative about Mickey Mantle – that he was loyal to his father and was always aiming to please him (or didn’t want to disappoint him), even long after Mutt’s 1952 death. Putting this pressure on himself to go with the terrible injury Mickey suffered in the 1951 World Series (another chink in the legend of DiMaggio and Mantle disliking each other) made Mantle a tragic hero even with his extraordinary accomplishments on the field.  Castro also points out that this image of Mantle was further enhanced by the growing popularity of television as it brought Mantle to the homes of millions of boys and their fathers who ended up worshipping Mantle as their hero.

Finally, the book goes back to the point made in the title – why the author and Mantle’s widow believe he is the greatest baseball player to every step onto the diamond. Castro uses sabermetrics to make this point – at least that Mantle was superior to Babe Ruth. However, that is only part of the story why he states this. Castro also points out that so many of Mantle’s peers also made this claim and that Mickey’s championship pedigree should also be considered when making this statement.  The reader will then be able to judge whether he or she agrees with Castro or not.

Because this reviewer had not previously read a complete book on Mantle or any of Castro’s previous work on Mantle, the material felt fresh and was very entertaining and easy to read. Readers who have read other books on Mantle may not gain new information and even feel that because these stories are just that – stories – they may not pass as completely factual.  While that is a fair point, readers who just enjoy reading about this legendary New York Yankee will want to read this one, no matter how much they think they know about him.

I wish to thank Roman and Littlefield for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:

Paperback

Buying Links:

https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538122228/Mantle-The-Best-There-Ever-Was

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mantle-tony-castro/1129321118?ean=9781538122211#/

https://www.amazon.com/Mantle-Best-There-Ever-Was/dp/1538122219/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1560796654&sr=1-1