Review of "Welcome to the Show"

This book is the third one of a series about a young autistic man whose talent of throwing apples into a barrel led to a major league pitching career.  While this book should be read after the first two, if one has read them, be sure to pick up this one as well as Mickey's adventures take a wonderful turn in this one.  Here is my review of "Welcome to the Show."

Title/Author:

“Welcome to the Show” by Frank Nappi

Tags:

Baseball, fiction, Braves, family, Young adult

Publish date:

April 19, 2016

Length:

288 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

In this third book of the Mickey Tussler series, Mickey now finds himself pitching in the major leagues for the Boston Braves.  His manager (who is also now his stepfather) Arthur Murphy and catcher Lester are also employed by the 1950 Braves and the story of their adventures in the National League is the best of the three stories about the young autistic pitcher.

Nappi writes with flowing grace no matter which particular topic is being addressed.  Whether it’s Mickey throwing his fastball with pinpoint accuracy, his budding romance with Jolene, the sister of a Braves teammate, or some of the poignant exchanges between Murphy and Molly, his wife and Mickey’s mother, the reader will be gripped in the emotions of the moment. 

The reader will also feel a strong connection with the characters in this story.  Of course, those who have read the previous two stories already have had that attachment with Mickey, Molly, Murphy and Lester, but it continues with the introduction of Jolene.  Having suffered rejection by a parent during her childhood like Mickey, her character is the perfect match for Mickey and their conversations and budding relationship made for the best passages of the book.

Which isn’t to say that the baseball writing is bad – these parts are just as good as they are in the first two segments. Using real players from the 1950 season but taking liberties with actual baseball history, it was fun to read about the ups and downs of the Braves as they progress through the season.  No spoilers to tell how the season ends, but how the young pitcher, his grizzled manager and level-headed catcher handle the adventures of the campaign will enthrall any baseball fan.

With great storytelling, a tender romantic story and some life lessons along the way, “Welcome to the Show” is a terrific read while following Mickey’s baseball career. His story is one of the best literary series of books I have read.

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

Book Format Read:

E-book (Nook)

Buying links:

http://www.amazon.com/Welcome-Show-Mickey-Tussler-Novel-ebook/dp/B01DIF4YT6/ref=dp_kinw_strp_1

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/welcome-to-the-show-frank-nappi/1122378351?ean=9781634508292

Review of "The Lost Boys"

This book is not one for the faint of heart - this story of human trafficking and slavery of young men aspiring to play professional football in Europe is one that is shocking, but it needs to be told. Here is my review of "The Lost Boys." 

Title/Author:

“The Lost Boys: Inside Football’s Slave Trade” by Ed Hawkins

Tags:

Football (European), soccer, politics, abuse

Publish date:

May 10, 2016

Length:

288 pages

Rating: 

4 1/2 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

There have been many negative headlines about the sport of football (soccer) in recent months, especially about its governing body, but something that never makes headlines is the story of trafficking and slavery of boys who have dreams of playing the sport professionally. This book by Ed Hawkins exposes this tragedy and shows the extent to which this controversy extends – from the poorest of African countries to Qatar and its successful bid for the 2022 World Cup to cities with premier clubs such as Barcelona.

Hawkins tells the stories of several young men, mainly from Africa, who have paid money to bogus “agents” or to travel for tryouts for professional clubs in Europe only to have their dreams shattered because of various reasons.  Whether visa issues, laws about not allowing people under 18 to travel abroad (regularly ignored by these scams) or just not enough talent, these young boys are thrust into a strange place alone and with little money.

The book starts off with the tale of “Jay-Jay” who has suffered nearly every type of abuse that can suffered along the way to try to live out his dream of playing professional football. Hawkins goes from there to follow a charitable organization who attempts to help these boys, but questions are raised about their true motives. His work then shifts to how other organizations, including the Aspire Academy and Aspire Dreams, are really part of this trade.  That latter organization is even implicated by the author into assisting in Qatar’s bid for the World Cup to help naturalize young talent in Qatar. This type of investigative work and writing makes this book both mesmerizing and haunting because it illustrates the far-reaching affect this “trade” affects the sport of football.

Reading the book takes some time, as the topics do shift quickly from the boys to the organizations to the “agents” and back to the boys so it may be difficult to follow. This is not a book to pick up with one’s afternoon tea, but instead one that should be read to learn more about the true suffering some young people endure when chasing their dream.

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

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying links:

http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Boys-Inside-Footballs-Slave/dp/1472914937/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1461509352&sr=1-1&keywords=the+lost+boys+football

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-lost-boys-ed-hawkins/1122502018?ean=9781472914958

Review of "Players: The Story of Sports and Money"

While the topic of this book may not sound sexy and it certainly doesn't seem to match the image that the cover portrays, the book is one that I enjoy immensely.  It certainly illustrates the reality that money plays a huge role in just about every sport.  Here is my review of "Players"

Title/Author:

“Players: The Story of Sports and Money and the Visionaries Who Fought to Create a Revolution” by Matthew Futterman

Tags:

Baseball, Football (American), basketball, golf, tennis, business

Publish date:

April 26, 2016

Length:

336 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Sports are more than a form of entertainment, competition or games – they are also big business. While owners and other entrepreneurs have always understood this, the players and athletes have not always reaped the benefits of the revenue generated by their endeavors. How this changed and the role that money plays in sports is the topic of this entertaining book by Matthew Futterman.

Arnold Palmer could be considered the pioneer of this revolution when he hired an agent named Mark McCormack to assist in negotiating a better endorsement contract with Wilson Sporting Goods. It was a shock to Wilson as they thought they had given Palmer a fair offer. However, given the amount of money that Wilson was making off of the clubs endorsed by Palmer, that wasn’t the case according to McCormack. That lead to a new contract and a new era for player leverage in not only golf, but many other American sports as well.

Just about any type of business action that a sports fan can think of is covered in the book. Player free agency?  The saga of Catfish Hunter leaving Oakland for New York is covered.  Television money? A chapter is devoted to the proliferation of regional sports cable networks.  Licensed merchandise?  How the NFL marketed the growing popularity of quarterbacks into profits from selling jerseys is covered in detail. Professional tennis players and the struggles they had until they were offered larger purses in the major tournaments was the subject of the best chapter. The variety of sports and topics made this a very interesting book for me.

While some sports fans may be disillusioned because the role money plays in their favorite games, this well-researched book is one that any fan of any sport will want to read as it does a good job of illustrating the various ways that big money plays an important role in all professional sports. 

I wish to thank Simon and Schuster for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying links:

http://www.amazon.com/Players-Sports-Visionaries-Fought-Revolution/dp/1476716951/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1461198714&sr=1-1&keywords=players+money+and+sports

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/players-matthew-futterman/1122597806

Review of "Impact Player"

I went to my first baseball game of the season today and when take the train to a game, I like to also take a book on the sport I am going to see. Since it was a Yankees game I went to, I decided to pull this one out of the bag of book I bought at our library's book sale last year and read it on the train trip.  Finished it just before pulling into the station, so it was just the right length for today.  Here is my review of Bobby Richardson's memoir, "Impact Player."

Title/Author:

“Impact Player” by Bobby Richardson

Tags:

Baseball, memoir, autobiography, Yankees

Publish date:

September 1, 2012

Length:

304 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

The great New York Yankee teams of the late 1950’s and early 1960’s had many legendary players such as Whitey Ford, Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris. While his statistics may not be quite as impressive as these Hall of Fame player, Bobby Richardson was an important member of these teams as well as the second baseman for several years before he retired after the 1966 season. He writes about his life on the Yankees and also about his Christian faith in this breezy memoir.

The book is an easy read and Richardson concentrates on his years with the Yankees in the bulk of the text.  While his faith is important for all aspects of his life, he never writes too much about it until the end when his teammate Mickey Mantle made the decision to become a Christian just before his death in 1995. That is the closest the book comes to being more about faith than baseball.  Otherwise, Richardson writes in the same way he spoke about his faith while a Yankee. He “…shared my faith in simplicity as a friend. That’s exactly what I always hoped to do.”  Without him overtly stating it, the reader will realize how much Richardson’s faith affected his family life and his baseball career.

I felt that his stories about his teammates and his experiences with the Yankees were very good. There isn’t a lot of great detail in any particular teammate or season, but enough to be informative and entertaining.  I enjoyed his account of his famous catch of Willie McCovey’s line drive to end game 7 of the 1962 World Series. It has gone through many different versions over the years, but in Richardson’s mind, it was a simple catch of a sharply hit line drive. That is just one of the many great Yankee stories in the book that fans of baseball in that era, especially Yankee fans, will enjoy in this book.  It can easily be read in one sitting and will leave the reader smiling when he or she closes the cover. 

Book Format Read:

Hardcover

Buying links:

http://www.amazon.com/Impact-Player-Leaving-Lasting-Legacy/dp/1414372736/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1460855466&sr=8-1&keywords=impact+player

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/impact-player-bobby-richardson/1111318083?ean=9781414383194

Review of "Hairs vs. Squares"

This is a baseball book that I had been eagerly anticipating since I had noticed that it was listed in the University of Nebraska Press catalog.  When it came in the mail, I couldn't tear it out of the box fast enough.  Then when I started reading, it wasn't going as well as I liked - but in the end, it was as good as I had hoped.  Here is my review of "Hairs vs. Squares."

Title/Author:

“Hairs Vs. Squares: The Mustache Gang, the Big Red Machine and the Tumultuous Summer of ‘72” by Ed Gruver

Tags:

Baseball, history, Athletics, Reds, Pirates, Tigers

Publish date:

May 1, 2016

Length:

408 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

1972 was a year filled with many newsworthy events in sports, politics, culture and music. The baseball season that year mirrored the rest of the world with its unusual course. From the first player’s strike that wiped out the first two weeks of the season to an exciting postseason that was capped off by the closest World Series in history, the 1972 baseball season is captured in this book by Ed Gruver

The best analogy for the book is that reading this book is like watching a ball game that looks like it will be a good one because of the starting pitchers, it starts out to not live up to expectations, but gets better in the late innings, capped off by a great finish.

When I saw this book offered for review, the subject really excited me as this was the start of the dynasty of one of the best teams outside of New York in baseball history.  This was the year that the Oakland Athletics won the second of their five consecutive division titles and first of three consecutive World Series.

After a great opening chapter, the writing in the book felt choppy and hard to follow. For example, when the author was writing about the strike that delayed the start of the 1972 season, the topics jumped all over the place. At one point, there was more talk about the near-walkout by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1946 than there was about the 1972 strike issues. Still, I kept reading as the research was good (although there was one notable error about Dick Allen and the Phillies) and there was still a lot of material to cover.  

As the season wore on, the baseball and the reading got better. Gruver’s account of that year’s all-star game was excellent. The excerpts from the broadcast of the game added to his text.  This was something Gruver did regularly throughout the book – a nice touch. Of course, most of the material covered the teams that ended up winning their respective divisions – Oakland, Detroit, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.  However, unlike many other books on baseball seasons that I have read, Gruver covered notable achievements by players on other teams that did not win the divisions. He mentions Nolan Ryan’s strikeouts for the Angels, Rod Carew winning the batting title without hitting a home run for the Twins, Steve Carlton winning 27 games for a last-place Phillies team, and even the Montreal Expos giving their fans some excitement when Bill Stoneman threw a no-hitter.

But the best writing of the book and best baseball of 1972 was the postseason. Both of the League Championship Series had great games and Gruver covered those in good detail, including the bat throwing incident of game two between the Athletics and Tigers. This part of the book and the season is capped off by a thrilling seven game World Series between the Athletics and Reds. That series featured six games decided by one run, including game seven. The stories of these games were just as exciting to read about 44 years later as they were to watch as an 11-year-old kid on TV that fall.  If there was any doubt about this book’s quality, that chapter alone made it worth the time to read. If a reader enjoys books that recap a season, this one on the 1972 season is one that comes recommended to add to the library.

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

Book Format Read:

Hardcover

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

http://www.amazon.com/Hairs-vs-Squares-Mustache-Tumultuous/dp/0803285582/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1460597786&sr=1-1&keywords=hairs+vs+squares

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hairs-vs-squares-ed-gruver/1122764953?ean=9780803285583

Interview with Nancy Finley

I had the pleasure to speak via email to Nancy Finley, the author of "Finley Ball" and the niece of former Oakland Athletics owner Charlie O. Finley.  Her father Carl Finley was also an important member of the front office and she talks about the book, the team and some of her memories growing up in a baseball family.

Charlie O, the Oakland Athletics mule mascot

1.   Why did you write this book?

I wrote my book to bring attention to our 'Finley Dynasty' of the 1970's, and remind fans of our many contributions to MLB.

2) What are some of the biggest misconceptions about the Finley era?

Where do I begin?

Misconceptions-

 False- we wanted to leave Kansas City.  True- we had to flee Kansas City because of an unexpected stadium lease increase (annual lease amount).

We expected to be awarded the annual $1.00 the Chiefs enjoyed.  We ran to the only place with a 'ready to move into' stadium-Oakland. 

 False- we forced players to use nicknames.  True- we thought up nicknames for some players, for marketing.  If a player was an awesome athlete, and he would not use a nickname, this was fine.  We would choose a great athlete over any nickname.

 False-  we were cheap.  True- we were frugal.  I believe there is a difference.  If we were 'cheap', we wouldn't have poured $500k into the Kansas City Stadium, when we didn't own that stadium.  

If we were 'cheap', we wouldn't have awarded player’s bonuses after our 1972 World Series.  The MLB Commissioner, Bowie Kuhn, forced the players to return these bonuses.  

If we were 'cheap', we wouldn't have gone overboard on spending $$$ for our World Series rings.  These rings appeared so ostentatious, articles appeared criticizing our 'over the top' spending.   This does not sound 'cheap' to me.

There is a difference between 'cheap' and frugal.  I wish others would put this in the right context.   I am proud to say I am frugal.

3)  What is the REAL reason the A's left Kansas City?

I provide the main reason in my answer to #2 with Misconceptions.

We truly expected a 1967 city vote to renew annual sports stadium leases would bring us down to $1.00, just as the KC Chiefs had enjoyed since moving to KC.

Instead, we learned our lease was being raised to an annual $1.1 million.  I could sense rage whenever dad and Charlie told this story.  I know they were shocked. They couldn't afford this lease amount.  This amount would begin with Jan. 1, 1967, even though this vote was later in 1967.

I have to admit, I'm glad I was in Dallas with mom when this happened.  It sounded like a terrible situation.   

When Charlie bought the team, it was his dream.  This was not purchased as an investment.  Charlie subsidized the A's for several years.  He didn't announce this, because of Finley pride.  This was not something a Finley man did.  They are private. I personally believe he should have said something. Maybe he would be appreciated more.

It boils down to what occurred in August 1961.  Frank Lane's firing started the domino effect. I often refer readers to the June 1961 LIFE magazine article, with the words "Bugs Bunny" in the title.  This article reflects pre-August 1961, and what it was like. This article reflects Frank Lane's personality, and Lane's overall attitude.   This article has comments anyone would never expect to read about us.  This is how things should have stayed.

Then August 1961 happened.

4)  How is Finley Ball different from Moneyball?  

For starters, we won three (3) consecutive World Series, 1972, 1973 & 1974, in addition to reaching the 1971, 1975 and 1981 Play-offs.

We remained in second (2nd) place during the 1976 season.  This is surprising, considering all the distractions in 1976.

We won World Series, three in a row.  This hasn't been achieved since (the Yankees achieved this in the 1950s).  I am still waiting. 

I have heard excuses that it is difficult to win against a monied team like the Yankees.  We won in the 1970's.  In the 1970's, the Yankees had more $$ than us.  

Another excuse for not winning was "it is hard to win games in this coliseum (meaning Oakland)". I was surprised anyone would use this as an excuse.  Our achievement speaks for itself.

Moneyball talks about having a shoe-string front office payroll and staff. I can speak with certainty our front office was smaller in staff and payroll than the Moneyball 'Era'.  No one should make excuses about not winning.  

I could not understand the 'hype' around Moneyball.  I asked others to explain this story to me.  As the story was explained, I could see the person thought the same as me.

I have heard how Moneyball developed.  I'm not able to disclose this now.  I need to be certain of the source.

The title says a lot: Money Ball.  The story about using stats to acquire and trade players in MLB.  If the title was 'Wallstreet Ball', would it be any different?  No.  The writer, Michael Lewis is a great writer for all things 'Economy'.  My husband, Morgan D. King, Esq., has several books by Lewis  about the National Debt and  2008 Recession.   M. Lewis isn't known to write about sports.

In explaining Moneyball, another compared Moneyball to wheeling and dealing on Wall Street.  I finally got it.  Moneyball isn't about cultivating players to create a winning team.  Moneyball seems more like acquiring and trading players like one would with an investment.  I wondered if the income produced from this 'activity' is as good, or better, than having a championship team.

Moneyball's year, 2002, is the same as our 1971, 1975 and 1981 years when we made the AL Play-offs, and lost.   I include the 1981 Play-off, because this was a result of our rebuilding that started in 1977.   I have our late 1970's team rosters.  I enjoy seeing the names that appear on the 1981 roster.    

I can see our rebuilding took us by surprise.  The late 1970's was a low point for us.  The Coliseum Board still hadn't fulfilled its promise to finish our front office.  We refused to pay for this ourselves, after what happened in Kansas City.  

Our late 1970's up to 1981 shows we could rebuild a winning team when we focused.  Sadly, without Charlie, we didn't have a chance to repeat our 1970's.  Dad and Charlie worked as a team.  Charlie couldn't develop the new hockey and basketball teams without dad.  Charlie learned this quickly when dad quit in early 1972.

5) Share a story that wasn’t in the book that you believe the readers would like to hear

One funny incident I've always heard about (I was an infant at the time) is how neighbors of our Kansas City Muni Stadium thought the city was on fire, or a bomb happened, when Charlie started the bus fire to show "no more trades to the Yankee".

We seemed to have bad luck at bridge toll booths in the bay area.

One of the many times dad picked Charlie up from the airport, dad was using a rental car.  

When dad drove up to the Bay Bridge toll booth, the dollar bill dad handed the toll booth operator blew out of his hand.  A storm was on its way to the area. I remember how windy it was that evening.

When dad went to pay again, the money flew out of dad's hand-again.  Dad was not happy.  Charlie was not happy. Charlie opened the passenger side, where he was sitting.  Charlie walked around the front of the car to pay the operator.  Charlie's suit jacket was blowing up around his waist.  

Charlie went to hand the operator a dollar bill, and it started to fly away.  Charlie noticed the dollar bill hit the ground.  Charlie ran over and used his foot to stop this dollar blowing off. By this time, the toll booth operator was in stitches with laughter.  I don't think this operator had any idea who Charlie or dad were.  I was in the back seat laughing too. Charlie picked up the dollar, and slammed it on the counter, until the operator had a firm grasp on it.  Finally, we drove onto the bridge.

Review of "XL7: The Story of Xavier Lysten"

Today is the first full day of the new baseball season, hockey is gearing up for the playoffs, the Golden State Warriors are flirting with history in the NBA and college basketball is crowning a new champion tonight.  So naturally, I have just read a book about a fictional football player. But between all the games of the other sports, this story is one that is a recommended read as it is a good football story as well as one about the dangers of alcoholism.  Here is my review of "XL7."

Title/Author:

“XL7: The Story of Xavier Lysten” by Luther Guin

Tags:

Football (American), fiction, character, Chiefs

Publish date:

July 15, 2014

Length:

296 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

It isn’t often that a superstar athlete who has made some poor decisions in his life will be able to be a sympathetic figure, whether in a fictional story or in real life. However, this novel about a fictional football quarterback named Xavier Lysten manages to make the reader experience many highs and lows a football player can experience, both on and off the field.

Xavier is and isn’t a typical superstar athlete. On one hand, he takes in all the adulation he receives in high school while not only becoming the team’s quarterback but also dabbles with alcohol. On the other hand, he forgoes a national powerhouse college football program and commits to a local college that plays one level below, something not expected for highly recruited quarterbacks. The same give and take occurs during his college and professional career – he is talented enough to earn many chances, despite the fact that his drinking has cost him a suspension from his college team and even landed him in prison during his professional career.

While reading the story, told from Xavier’s point of view, the reader will experience every emotion that Xavier goes through, from the locker room to the field to his struggles with family members – including two marriages.  Everything happens so fast in this story and he gets so many chances that the reader may have a difficult time keeping up with all the events in his life.  However, the reader may at times forget that Xavier is a fictional character because it feels very real.

This includes the action on the field as well. The author writes these scenes with authority, whether it is during practice, in the locker room or during the games. Whether it is during his career in high school, college football at the University of Central Arkansas or his professional career with the San Diego Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs, the reader will be taken through the seasons with a feel of authenticity.  The only aspect that feels truly fictional is how many times Xavier gets in trouble because of his drinking and yet when he is done with his punishment, he is welcomed back to the game with open arms. 

This is a book that is recommended not only for football fans, but also for readers who enjoy stories of a second chance (or in Xavier’s case, third and fourth as well).  It is a fast, enjoyable read that is a very good debut novel for Luther Guin.

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

Book Format Read:

Paperback

Buying links:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/xl7-the-story-of-xavier-lysten-luther-guin/1119894036?ean=9781632682963

http://www.amazon.com/XL7--Story-Xavier-Lysten-Luther/dp/1632682966/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1459818121&sr=1-1&keywords=Xavier+lysten