Review of "Make Me Commissioner"

When I saw this book available for review prior to its release in September, I was intrigued.  While I can't say I enjoyed all of Jane Leavy's books I previously read, I knew that she was very knowledgeable about the game, so this had to be good.  It was - glad I picked it up.  Here is my review of "Make Me Commissioner."

Title/Author: “Make Me Commissioner: I Know What’s Wrong With Baseball and How to Fix It” by Jane Leavy

Rating: 4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:  “Baseball is too slow.”  “Analytics are ruining the game.”  “Kids don’t want to play the game.”  “Television ratings for baseball are terrible.”  These and other complaints about the current state of Major League Baseball have been spoken, printed, shouted and communicated in nearly every manner for several years now. Jane Leavy, an accomplished baseball writer and fan, decided to use her experience and interview many people to come up with ways to fix the game. She tells readers about this experience and her ideas in this very good book.

Something that makes the book very interesting is that Leavy talks with many people with various viewpoints on many different issues. Leaving out names because 1) there are so many in the book that it would make this review longer than an 18-inning marathon game and 2) it would not be right to put labels on people such as “traditionalist” or “stat geek” so this review will not do so.  It is just worth noting that the conclusions Leavy makes come after weighing all opinions.

Just about every aspect of the current game is covered and either addressed or left alone by Leavy in her final suggestions (which will not be revealed in this review). I thought her best work was on the lack of Black players from the United States as her interviews were very interesting. I will note that there is a triggering sentence in that section that she at least acknowledges that was very unprofessional on a possible solution to this problem.  But the overall topic is covered well.

As is the other example I will note her, her writing on the current state of traveling baseball and how it not only will exclude kids from playing the game but also limits the opportunities for players to advance to either college baseball or possibly being drafted by MLB teams.  I also enjoyed her stories of the Cape Cod league that are interspersed in the book between writing about these issues.  They tie in nicely with the topics being discussed.  One excellent example is near the end when kids can interact with the actual play on the field using some of the advanced analytical statistics.  If that sounds improbable, it did happen and the story is great.

Improbable is the most likely outcome for either Leavy to become the actual commissioner or for many of her ideas to become reality.  But even if they don’t, this book is a very good look at the current state of the game and some possible ways of addressing them without altering the beauty of the game itself.

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

Link:  Amazon.com: Make Me Commissioner: I Know What's Wrong with Baseball and How to Fix It: 9780306834660: Leavy, Jane: Books

Review of “A Big Mess in Texas”

Looking at upcoming books makes it easy to se that fall is approaching, meaning football season is getting close. This book, about a failed NFL team in the 1950’s, is informative and entertaining. Here is my review of A Big Mess in Texas.

Title/Author: “A Big Mess in Texas” by David Fleming

Rating: 5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review: Before the Dallas Cowboys became “America’s Team”, there were two professional teams that tried to be successful in that city. The story of one of those teams that didn’t succeed is known to many football fans- the Kansas City Chiefs started out as the Dallas Texans in the same year as the Cowboys, 1960 and lasted three seasons there with a championship in 1962 before moving to Kansas City.

However, there was an earlier team in Dallas called the Texans. They lasted one season, 1952, and sported a woeful 1-11 record. The short but wacky and eventually sad state of this team is the subject of this book by David Fleming.

The 1952 Texans were previously the New York Yankees (not to be confused with the legendary baseball team) and were sold to Giles Miller, the son of the owner of a successful textile company.Fleming does a very good job of portraying Giles and his many failed attempts at business using his father’s money. Figuring it would be different to own a pro football team in a football-crazy state, Giles goes ahead and purchases the Yankees, moves them to Dallas, and then realizes there’s more than what he bargained for.

The stories about Miller, the team’s struggles, and the carousing of the Texan players are the best parts of the book and it is here that Fleming does his best work. One player readers will recognize right away is Hall of Famer Art Donovan, whose eating, drinking and carousing in the book is amazing. Just as amazing as the poor play of the Texans and the mishandling of the team's finances which led them to lose their home stadium before the season ended. But their temporary home of the Rubber Bowl in Akron, Ohio was the site of the Texans’ best moment, their upset of the Chicago Bears. 

If a reader wants to read an entertaining book on what pro football was like before the NFL became so successful, this is a good choice. Also, a it should be noted that after that one season, the franchise was on the move again. In 1953, new owners moved the team to Baltimore where they became the Baltimore Colts. That turned out to be a bit more successful that their time in Dallas.  

I wish to thank St. Martin’s 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/Big-Mess-Texas-Miraculous-Disastrous/dp/1250374308/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0 

Review of “Iron in the Blood”

With the calendar turning to August, that means college football season will soon be upon us. To get ready for this season, I picked up a book that is about a game played at the end of the season, the Iron Bowl between Alabama and Auburn. Excellent book on one of the sport’s fiercest rivalries. 

Title/Author: “Iron in the Blood: How the Alabama vs Auburn Rivalry Shaped the Soul of the South” by Jay Busbee

Rating: 5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review: College football has many legendary rivalries, some of which are quite fierce and quite old - Michigan-Ohio State, California-Stanford, Minnesota-Wisconsin and Oklahoma-Texas to name a few. One of the best is an intrastate rivalry in the Southeast Conference, Alabama vs Auburn. This book by Jay Busbee takes a deep dive into the history of these two schools in the Yellowhammer State.  

Both schools get equal amounts of coverage in the book, something that is refreshing when one considers the storied history of Alabama Crimson Tide football and their overall success which is much greater than Auburn. Coaches for both the Tide and the Auburn Tigers are portrayed here. Especially the legendary names at both schools - Shug Jordan for Auburn, Paul “Bear” Bryant and Nick Sabin for Alabama are the most notable names among the coaches. Players such as Bo Jackson (Auburn) and Joe Namath (Alabama) also have much text dedicated in the book. Busbee does a great job of telling how the contributions of these men, plus others, have helped shape this rivalry into one of the best in college football. 

His accounts of some of the more memorable games in this series, such as the 2013 “Kick Six” game, the 1972 “Punt, Bama, Punt” game and the 2023 Gravedigger game. Each one of those chapters allowed the reader to relive those extraordinary games with enough details and storylines to give a complete picture of the intensity of the rivalry. 

But what makes this book so good are the stories away from the football field and how anyone living in Alabama will be chanting either “Roll Tide” or “War Eagles” depending on their loyalty. One of the best stories in the book was already known by many football fans even if they don’t have a rooting interest in this rivalry. An Alabama fan named Harvey Updyke poisoned two oak trees at Toomer’s Corner in Auburn. Those trees were covered in toilet paper when Auburn would win the Iron Bowl and Updyke wanted that to end after the Tigers won in 2010. He eventually pled guilty to the crime. While there have been other publications and stories about this, Busbee’s detailed and complete account of this is great reading and just one example of how he brings the deep seated passion of these rivals to life. 

Even if a reader doesn’t take sides in Iron Bowl matchups, they will be informed and entertained by reading this book. Any college football fan of any team will want to add this one to their bookshelf.

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

Link:https://www.amazon.com/Iron-Blood-Alabama-Auburn-Rivalry-ebook/dp/B0DL7D7ZP6/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0 

Review of “The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty”

Keeping up with my theme of reading a book about the team or sport I am attending, I read this book on the New York Yankees on a bus trip to Yankee Stadium. Even though it’s been out for a long time, I have had it on my TBR pile for a long time and now it’s finally on the “previously read” file. 

Title/Author: “The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty” by Buster Olney

Rating: 4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review: In the six year period from 1996 to 2001, the New York Yankees played in the World Series 5 times, winning 4 of them in 1996 and in 1998-2000. This book by ESPN baseball expert Buster Olney examines the only one they lost in that time frame and specifically game 7 in which they lost when Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera allowed two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Arizona Diamondbacks their first, and so far only, championship.

The book digs deeply into the Yankee organization, from owner George Steinbrenner and his micromanagement of the club to players who were important to the success of the team. This included the superstars like Derek Jeter, other key players like Tino Martinez and David Cone (even though Cone was not on the team in 2001) and Chad Curtis. Even if a reader has read other books or material on the Yankees during that time frame, this is still a very interesting look at the team and one might find new information on those Yankee teams. 

This type of information is inserted between chapters that describe an inning of game 7 on the 2001 World Series. If there is anything that makes the book less than enjoyable for a reader, it could be this back and forth between game 7 and the sections on the Yankee organization. I thought that structuring the book in this manner worked well, especially when the chapter on game 7 ended with a Yankee player making a hit or out and the next chapter would lead with something about that player. 

It’s a different look at that time frame of the storied Yankee history. It also isn’t too critical of the team but doesn’t sugar coat the problems that were building up beneath all the winning. It’s a fair and balanced book that baseball readers should enjoy.  

Link:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001BM2ZM2/ref=ku_mi_rw_edp_ku

Review of "Talking Baseball with Major League Stars"

Fairly short book resulting in a fairly short review - but packed with good information.  It did have a little (very little) "Glory of Their Times" feel, but it was less about the stories of these men and more about the game of baseball itself. 

Title/Author:

“Talking Baseball with Major League Stars” by Wayne Stewart

Rating: 

3 of 5 stars (good)

Review:

If one wants to learn about any aspect of baseball, whether it be pitching, hitting, fielding, strategy, or any other topic related to the game, it only makes sense to talk to those who do it best.  That is the concept behind this book by Wayne Stewart, where a reader will learn about these topics and more from interviews with many Major League baseball players and managers.

Through these numerous interviews, Stewart was able to craft a decent narrative on so many different approaches to the game. This is not only due to the sheer number of people who provided quotes and information, but just because of the many nuances of the game. A great example of this is the section on pitching, which was my favorite chapter of the book. Just about any type of pitch that a reader can think of, whether it is in current use (split-finger fastball, cutter) or one that is not used as often as it used to be (forkball, knuckleball), there will be several people giving their opinions or knowledge about that topic. 

While this makes for very interesting reading and even hardcore fans can learn something new, it can get overwhelming at times to read the book.  Not so much because of the information, but because of the sheer number of players and managers interviewed.  I had a hard time keeping track of which person said which quote when many would talk about the same detail.  It was still good to read, just hard to follow who said what.

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

Link: Talking Baseball with Major League Stars: Stewart, Wayne: 9781538185285: Amazon.com: Books

Review of "This is Panther Country"

It isn't often that when I read a book involving sports, the stories that are not about the game but that are about other parts of life are what I enjoy.  This book falls into that category and it made for a very good book.  

Title/Author:

“This is Panther Country: A Memoir of Youth, Underdog Spirit and Basketball Glory” by Tom McKeown

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Some people will look back on their days in junior and senior high school with fond memories.  Some are glad they are far away in the rear-view mirror.  Tom McKeown is part of that first group, especially during his year in 8^th grade (1974-75) when his local high school, the Babylon Panthers, overcame long odds to win the Long Island basketball championship.

McKeown was a player for his junior high team but was injured for most of the season. That didn’t dampen his enthusiasm for the game as he wrote about his experience at every game the Panthers varsity team played and the action he describes is as good as any professional game. One of the playoff games went into triple overtime and the reader will be sweating out every word as much as the fans at the gym were sweating out every possession.

More than basketball, what makes this book a joy to read is just seeing the world through the eyes of an 8^th grader and for a grown adult to write in this manner nearly 50 years after experiencing it was quite a change from most memoirs.  It got to the point that more than the Panthers basketball team, I was rooting for McKeown to win over the girl he was crushing on, Virgina. Sadly, unlike the Panthers, Virginia started going out with another boy. The way McKeown wrote this side story, along with others such as after game parties, was excellent and was a great portrayal of his entire school year, with the basketball championship an extra bonus. 

If a reader enjoys reading stories like this, whether as YA fiction or memoirs like this, then pick up this book and enjoy the life of a huge basketball fan in junior high and what it was like to root for a championship team.

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

Link: Amazon.com: This Is Panther Country: A Memoir of Youth, Underdog Spirit, and Basketball Glory eBook : McKeown, Tom: Kindle Store

Review of “The Last Hockey Game”

It isn’t often I’ll find a good hockey book in the summer, but my local library had an e-version of this one. Between the title, the fact this was the last game of hockey’s Original Six era AND the winner of this game has not won a championship since the, I had to try it.

Title/Author: “The Last Hockey Game” by Bruce McDougal

Rating: 4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review: On May 2,1967, the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Montreal Canadiens 3-1 to win the Stanley Cup 4 games to 2. It marked the last game of the “Original Six” era of the NHL as six expansion teams were set to begin play the following fall. This book by Bruce McDougal not only tells the story of that game but also gives the reader a great look at the players, coaches, owners and others who made that period of hockey very interesting . 

Every player on the two teams, from Hall of Famers (17 in total, 10 for Toronto, 7 for Montreal) to the fourth line players, everyone gets at leas a passing mention in this book. The description of the game action is so detailed that a fan who was alive at that time can close their eyes and imagine Foster Hewitt (another person who got a great portrayal in the book) calling the action.

The reader will also feel a sense of what the business of NHL hockey was like at that time. With no union or free agency and only six teams, players had accepted whatever was offered by the owners, who were mostly not viewed in a favorable light in these sections. Whether they truly were villains or just trying to maximize their wealth and power (oh,wait, maybe that DOES make them villains), a reader will learn much about the business side of the game at that time as well as what it was like on the ice when McDougal writes about the players. They are portrayed as regular men just trying to eke out a living playing a rough game.

I thought the book was dragging at first, but once I got into the game itself, it turned out to be a very good read. I’d recommend this for any reader interested in that era of hockey. Also, as of the writing of this review, it should be noted that this was the last time the Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup - the longest current drought of any hockey team.

Link:  https://www.amazon.com/Last-Hockey-Game-Bruce-McDougall-ebook/dp/B00LUSEOA8/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0