Review of "Kings of Queens"

Happy Leap Day!  Given an extra day for the year, I took advantage and read a book on one of the most beloved teams in New York, the 1986 New York Mets. While several of the players on that team have written books or had books written about them, this one is a little different in that many players (and the widow of the late Gary Carter) were very open with the author to share their current adventures and memories of that season. It came together in an excellent book.  Here is my review of "Kings of Queens." 

Title/Author:

“Kings of Queens: Life Beyond Baseball with the ’86 Mets” by Erik Sherman

Tags:

Baseball, history, Mets

Publish date:

March 22, 2016

Length:

352 pages

Rating: 

4 ½ of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

The 1986 season was a magical one for the New York Mets. The team not only won the World Series that season, they also captured the heart of New York and many fans still have fond memories of the players on that team. Erik Sherman interviewed fourteen of the players on that team and also the widow of catcher Gary Carter, took the information and put it all together in this entertaining book on the lives of these players since that special year.

These are not the typical “where are they now” accounts of these players as they share with Sherman not only what they are doing now, but also memories of the season and the team. For example, a reader will learn not only that Kevin Mitchell believed he was traded from the Mets because he was allegedly a bad influence on the star players but also that the team doesn’t invite him back for any special events or celebrations.

These players were very open in their stories and opinions with Sherman and he wrote these in a breezy and conversational manner that readers will enjoy. It feels like the reader is sitting in on the conversation – whether it is Darryl Strawberry talking about his ministry, Lenny Dykstra telling the reader about being the most hated player in baseball in his entertaining style or Danny Heep quietly becoming a very successful college baseball coach.

Whether the reader wants to find out if the players from that team are succeeding now, what their favorite memories are of the 1986 season or just enjoy an easy and entertaining book, this is one that baseball fans - especially Mets fans – will want to add to the library.   

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

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

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

http://www.amazon.com/Kings-Queens-Life-Beyond-Baseball/dp/0425281973/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1456795916&sr=1-1&keywords=kings+of+queens

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/kings-of-queens-erik-sherman/1122682821?ean=9780425281970

Review of "Stars in the Ring"

Since I consider books on boxing some of the best sports books written, I wanted to find one about a boxer, event or time with which I was not familiar since the sport has such a rich history.  When I saw this one available to request for review, I was happy to request and even happier to have the request approved.  Here is my review of "Stars in the Ring"

Title/Author:

“Stars in the Ring: Jewish Champions in the Golden Age of Boxing: A Photographic History” by Mike Silver

Tags:

Boxing, history

Publish date:

March 4, 2016

Length:

344 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

The Golden Age of Boxing, which ran roughly from the 1890’s to the 1950’s, produced many memorable fights and boxers. It was a time when boxing was the most popular sport in America, even more popular than baseball or horse racing. Jewish boxers were very prominent during that period, and their stories are captured in this book by boxing historian Mike Silver.

The book is an excellent source of information for readers who are not familiar with that era in the sport’s history. There are passages that speak of nearly every part of the sport during that time, such as the popularity, the media coverage, the venues and the rules. Of the latter, there is an excellent section on how the current Marquess of Queensbury rules came to be the standard rules governing the sport.  It was also interesting to learn facts about the sport such as how breaks in the sport were demanded to break up the fights into the rounds as we know them now and how there used to be an unlimited number of rounds – just keep fighting until a winner is declared. It would be hard to imagine some of the rules being able to exist in today’s version of the sport.

Each boxer discussed by Silver in the book has Jewish heritage, even if he may not have been practicing the religion. Records for each boxer are included and some of them have very extensive histories.  Greats such as Benny Leonard and Ted “Kid” Lewis are well documented, but what was truly impressive about the book is the extensive research that Silver did to be able to include at least a few paragraphs about more obscure Jewish fighters and their records.

Of course, there are plenty of pictures of the boxers to go along with their stories and these combined with the good writing and exhaustive research make this a pleasurable book for boxing fans to read.  It is one that is recommended to add to one’s boxing book library.

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

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying links:

http://www.amazon.com/Stars-Ring-Champions-Photographic-History/dp/1630761397/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1456597208&sr=1-1&keywords=stars+in+the+ring

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stars-in-the-ring-mike-silver/1122643299?ean=9781630761394

Review of "Perfectly Awful"

There are times when I like to pay attention to teams that are having poor seasons because they can generate stories that are just as interesting as winning teams. Trying to find books about losing teams can be a challenge, so when I was provided a copy of this one on one of the worst basketball teams of all time, I was interested.  Unfortunately, it fell a little short of my expectations.  Here is my review of "Perfectly Awful." 

Title/Author:

“Perfectly Awful: The Philadelphia 76ers’ Horrendous and Hilarious 1972-73 Season” by Charlie Rosen

Tags:

Basketball, professional, 76ers

Publish date:

October 1, 2014

Length:

202 pages

Rating: 

2 of 5 stars (not so good)

Review:

It isn’t often that one can find a book on losing teams or seasons so when I saw that a book was written on one of the worst teams in professional sports history, I was happy to obtain a copy for review. From the description, I was hoping to be entertained while reading the book and to learn a few things about the team.

That hope was partially fulfilled in Charlie Rosen’s recap of the 1972-73 season of the Philadelphia 76ers, a season in which they only won 9 of 82 games and held the record for the worst season in the NBA until the Charlotte Bobcats had a worse season in the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season. The hope to be entertained while reading the book was met, while the information in the book was not newly published or insightful. This despite the interviews Rosen conducted with several players.

The stories of what some of the players would say about coach Roy Rubin were funny as well as some of the antics of both coach Rubin and some players. Those anecdotes made good reading between game recaps. Those were short and read much like the box scores in the daily newspapers.  While these allowed the reader to keep up with the progress of how poorly the team was performing, it did make the book feel more like a long newspaper article instead of a book.

The other disappointing aspect of the book for me was the errors that were in the book that didn’t require research or fact checking to point out. The most glaring of these was on the inside cover flap, where the coach of the team for the first 51 games of the season, Roy Rubin, was printed as “Lou Rubin.” There were two others I caught right away that were not about the 76ers, but still ones that even casual fans might catch. One was the name of Hall of Fame player Rick Barry, who was called “Rich” and the name of the team the 76ers defeated in the 1967 NBA Finals.  That team was called the “Golden State” Warriors in the book, but they were known as the “San Francisco” Warriors at that time. These type of errors are the type that good editing would catch.

Between the errors and the style of writing in the book, this proved to be a disappointment to me as it was one I was eager to read. It does merit two stars for the entertainment aspect of the book. This book would be recommended only for a reader just wants to read it for entertainment and not for research or history.

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

Book Format Read:

Hardcover

Buying links:

http://www.amazon.com/Perfectly-Awful-Philadelphia-Horrendous-Hilarious/product-reviews/0803248628/ref=cm_cr_dp_see_all_btm?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1&sortBy=recent

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/perfectly-awful-charley-rosen/1119277685?ean=9780803248625

Review of "Greatness in the Shadows"

When I was learning about Jackie Robinson and what he did for baseball, the name Larry Doby never came up in the literature I read as a kid.  In fact, I never heard of him until he was named manager of the White Sox in the 1970's, long after he played an important role in the integration of baseball.  Therefore, I was very interested in this book on Larry Doby when I saw it was going to be published this spring.  There is a lot of good information in this book about the man.  Here is my review of "Greatness in the Shadows." 

Title/Author:

“Greatness in the Shadows: Larry Doby and the Integration of the American League” by Douglas Branson

Tags:

Baseball, race, history, Indians, White Sox

Publish date:

April 1, 2016

Length:

336 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

The story of Larry Doby is one that not many people remember because even though he was the first black baseball player in the American League, he wasn’t the first one to play Major League Baseball.  While Jackie Robinson’s story is quite well known, author Douglas Branson tells the story of Doby as well, which isn’t much different than Robinson’s for what he had to endure, but under a different set of ballparks and with a different integration pioneer.

Branson makes the case that Doby is just as important a figure as Robinson in the integration of baseball along several fronts. He does take away some of the luster of Robinson’s baseball prowess – not by dismissing what he accomplished – but by comparing the statistics of both men and showing that Doby was Robinson’s equal on the field.  Also, he calls into question the motives of Branch Rickey (while again respecting the work Rickey did) by noting how many of Rickey’s transactions resulted in a net profit to him. Branson gives a lot of credit to Bill Veeck, the owner of the Cleveland Indians, for integrating baseball as well by bringing Doby to the Indians just weeks after Robinson made his debut with the Dodgers.

It is here where Branson starts to question if the reason that Doby and Veeck were not given enough credit for integration because of several factors.  Veeck was not popular with his fellow owners, Doby did not play in New York, which was going through its “golden age” of baseball and therefore did not get the same recognition as a great player as Robinson, Willie Mays, or Mickey Mantle. Of the latter, Branson wrote much about he seemed to be made larger than life by an adoring press and fans.  Like with Robinson, Branson never diminishes what Mays or Mantle accomplished, but did question why they received a lot of fanfare while Doby did not.

Branson also notes that the National League became integrated as a whole and with more teams employing more black players faster than the American League and as a result of that, Doby may not get the attention for what he did as much as Robinson.  He also describes the racial hatred and taunting that Doby received as well. He wants the reader to realize that while Robinson had to endure a lot, so did Doby and he did not have the advantage of preparing for it the previous season in the minor leagues like Robinson did.  Doby was given a baptism by fire.

If this review sounds like it keeps hitting on the same points over and over, this book did the same thing and that made it a difficult read at times. It seemed that Branson was repeating points he was trying to make or certain facts and events over and over. He would repeatedly refer back to an earlier reference by noting the chapter or stating that the point he was making would also be explained in an upcoming chapter. That was a shame because it kept the book from having a good flow and making Doby’s story even more compelling.

Nonetheless, I felt it was a very good source of information for learning more about the first black player in the American League and the case he makes that Doby is underappreciated for what he did for the game of baseball is strong. It just didn’t read as easily as I hoped.  I give the book five stars for the information and three for the writing to make it a four-star book.  I do recommend this book for readers who are interested in learning more about Doby or the integration of Major League Baseball.

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

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

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

http://www.amazon.com/Greatness-Shadows-Integration-American-League/dp/0803285523/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1456008122&sr=1-1&keywords=greatness+in+the+shadows

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/greatness-in-the-shadows-douglas-branson/1122887954?ean=9780803285521

Review of "I'd Know That Voice Anywhere"

While having to recover from a minor medical procedure isn't fun, when it has to be done during a long weekend and the weather is crummy, it does mean one can catch up on some reading. As my pile of ARC's was growing, I decided to tackle some of those and this one by Frank Deford is certainly one that I am glad that I read.  A quick and fun read, it covers some of his best commentaries on National Public Radio.  Here is my review of "I'd Know That Voice Anywhere"

Title/Author:

“I’d Know That Voice Anywhere: My Favorite NPR Commentaries” by Frank Deford

Tags:

Sports, broadcasting, collection, short stories

Publish date:

May 3, 2016

Length:

240 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

As a reader who likes to read collections of short anecdotes or stories, whether fiction or non-fiction, I was happy to see this collection of NPR broadcasts from Frank Deford available for review prior to the publication. The fact that the author is one of most beloved and respected sports journalists is icing on the cake. Deford has pleased and informed many readers, listeners and viewers over the years with his reporting and commentary and this book is sure to do the same for readers.

Every sport from American football (several times he ensures that he makes that distinction so that no one mistakes it for soccer) to golf the Olympic games is covered in his unique style.  He mixes politics, social issues, steroids and questions about the place in society and entertainment for sports as just a few of the topics addressed in his commentaries.

His opinions on whichever topic can be viewed as whimsical, such as if golf were a country it would be Cuba; strongly worded, such as the lack of stipends for college athletes; or hilarious, such as his take on luxury boxes in stadiums - sung to the tune of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.”

The writing is light and easy to read, and since it is broken up into small passages, the reader can stop and pick it back up very easily. Many readers may do the same as I did when reading it and imagine Deford talking on the radio with his smooth delivery.  This is a book that is highly recommended for not only fans of sports and Deford, but even for those who are not sports fans but enjoy reading about topics of social interest.

I wish to thank Grove Atlantic/Atlantic Monthly Press for providing an advance review copy of the book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

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

http://www.amazon.com/Know-That-Voice-Anywhere-Commentaries/dp/0802125247/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1455655503&sr=8-1&keywords=i%27d+know+that+voice+anywhere

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/id-know-that-voice-anywhere-frank-deford/1122845934?ean=9780802125248

Review of "The Cardinals Way"

With today being President's Day, that means only one thing - the three magic words all baseball fans love to hear during this week - "pitchers and catchers."  Since baseball will soon be on many people's minds, I am catching up on baseball reading.  I received this ARC a while ago, but waited until it was closer to the publication date of February 23 to read it.  It was worth the wait - here is my review of "The Cardinals Way."

Title/Author:

“The Cardinals Way: How One Team Embraced Tradition and Moneyball at the Same Time” by Howard Megdal

Tags:

Baseball, Cardinals, history, scouting, statistics

Publish date:

February 23, 2016

Length:

304 pages

Rating: 

4 ½ of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

The St. Louis Cardinals have been one of the most successful franchises in Major League Baseball. With 12 World Series titles, only the New York Yankees have had more success on the field. How the Cardinals have been able to maintain this continued success over the decades is the subject of Howard Megdal’s fine book on the innovations and methods of the team’s player development.  

From the development of a minor league system by Branch Rickey to the scouting methods of George Kissell and the use of statistical analysis by Jeff Luhnow, the book covers all aspects of the “Cardinals Way” of scouting, developing and drafting players. One very interesting aspect of this is that the Cardinals don’t always look just for the best players. If a player does not appear to be one who will have major league level talent as a player but has the proper knowledge and thinking for being a coach, then the club will groom that man to be successful in that field.

Megdal writes with a passion for this subject and it shows with the depth of his information. Using extensive interviews with men who have held various positions with the team, he is able to paint a picture through his words of the marriage between traditional scouting methods and advanced statistical analysis that is used extensively today. Leaving no stone unturned, the reader will learn why a player is drafted because a field scout trusted his gut feeling as well as one who was drafted after the computer crunching.

The team’s draft in 2014 makes up a significant portion of the last chapter before the epilogue and at times, it felt that it dragged out for a long time. That same feeling can be felt when watching the draft on television so it is at least a realistic picture of what is going on. But the reader does feel the drama play out while reading this section, and the following chapter when the main part of the book concludes with how those players are faring. 

This is an excellent book that every Cardinals fan will want to add to his or her bookshelf. Other readers who are interested in how players are evaluated and developed will also appreciate this book.

I wish to thank St. Martin’s Press for providing an advance review copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:

Hardcover

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

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1250058317/ref=s9_simh_gw_g14_i1_r?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=desktop-1&pf_rd_r=0V4T4NGNF912N56AR1AY&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=2079475242&pf_rd_i=desktop

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-cardinals-way-howard-megdal/1121780556?ean=9781250058317

Review of "Coaching Youth Basketball"

Happy Valentine's Day to all who are celebrating!  While love is in the air, and of course we all love our sports, I have kept on reading while celebrating with my Valentine.  I was offered a short book on coaching youth basketball by the author and I accepted.  It was a short book but it was complete with the information that it wanted to communicate to coaches. Here is my review of "Coaching Youth Basketball: Offensive Strategies."

Title/Author:

“Coaching Youth Basketball: Offensive Strategies” by Jordan Lyons

Tags:

Basketball, coaching, youth sports

Publish date:

January 26, 2016

Length:

59 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

Coaching, in any sport, is one of the most insecure jobs around. At every level, from youth teams to the professionals, there is a lot of work behind the scenes that must be done, including practices. This short book by Jordan Lyons helps youth basketball coaches with that part of the job by introducing the basic terms, some drills and basic plays.

The goal of the book is to give youth basketball coaches a starting point for developing their players so that they may become better offensive players and work together as a unit on the offensive end of the court.  The book is broken down into three main sections: terms and positions of the players, drills such as passing and dribbling, and offensive plays.

What most impressed me with this book is the easy language for coaches to follow when working on the plays that are diagrammed. There isn’t too much basketball lingo or jargon in the book – just straightforward descriptions of the drills and the plays. The plays are also flexible so that coaches can modify them once the basic plays have been mastered.

In my opinion, this makes the book perfect for both players and coaches at this level of basketball as they are learning the basics of the game and learning how to play as a team.  I do recommend this book for youth coaches who are trying to determine which offensive plays to teach their players.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying links:

http://www.amazon.com/Coaching-Youth-Basketball-Offensive-Strategies-ebook/dp/B01B3Z3T9Y/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1455484289&sr=1-7&keywords=coaching+youth+basketball  

Review of "The Joy of Golf"

Having read many longer and detailed books recently, I decided to pick this one up when I saw it offered on NetGalley for a change of pace.  I was hoping for a quick read with many facts but not a lot of heavy material.  This book did the trick.  Here is my review of "The Joy of Golf."

Title/Author:

“The Joy of Golf” by Ray Hamilton

Tags:

Golf, humor, history

Publish date:

March 1, 2016

Length:

160 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Seeing that the book description stated this was pocket-sized, had many stories, quotes and facts, I figured this would be a quick and fun read about the game. Ray Hamilton delivered on that expectation that is the perfect description for this book.

The stories and facts cover the history of the game and its equipment, etiquette, famous players and important golf events like the majors and the Ryder Cup.  Therefore, a reader will most likely find a story or some facts on whichever part of the game desired. All eras are covered here so one can learn a new fact or two about Bobby Jones as well as Tiger Woods. The ladies are also included and I was happy to read about Patty Berg, Kathy Whitworth, Annika Sorenstam, and Laura Davies.

The information is often presented in a humorous manner, especially the sections on the history, equipment and etiquette. This made those sections especially fun to read. My favorite quote in the book came from the etiquette section.  After describing the usual rules of etiquette on a golf course (no talking or moving around when another player is taking his or her shot, do not walk across the putting line, etc) the author asked that since these are being violated more often, he has written to inquire “…on whether hanging might be brought back for inconsiderate golfers.” 

While certainly not an extensive book with detailed research or writing, this little book on golf is one that will certainly entertain readers and can be put down and picked up frequently for quick bursts of reading as all of the information is in lists or very short sets. Good for golf fans and players.

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

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying links:

http://www.amazon.com/Joy-Golf-Ray-Hamilton/dp/1849535981/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1455414049&sr=1-2&keywords=joy+of+golf

https://www.bookdepository.com/Joy-Golf-Ray-Hamilton/9781849535984