Review of "Blue Lines, Goal Lines & Bottom Lines"

While checking out the latest titles on NetGalley, I saw that this one that was previously approved was soon to be archived in their files, so I figured I better move it up to the top of the huge mountain of books to read.  It didn't take long (finished in less than a day - today) and it was terrific.  It's just too bad we have to wait until September for it to be released. Here is my review of "Blue Lines, Goal Lines and Bottom Lines"

Title/Author:

“Blue Lines Goal Lines and Bottom Lines: Hockey Contracts and Historical Documents from the Collection of Allan Stitt” by Greg Oliver

Tags:

Ice Hockey, professional, history, documents

Publish date:

September 13, 2016

Length:

200 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

Having received letters from sports figures in the past, I know that those can bring joy and can also be something that is kept for a long time.  Now imagine getting hundreds of these documents – not just letters, but signed contracts of players, correspondence between management and players and other such documents.

Collector Allan Stitt was gracious enough to share some of his most treasured hockey documents with hockey writer Greg Oliver. The result is a terrific work that no matter what era of the sport the reader enjoyed the most, there will be some documents that will be a treat to not only look at in the book but also read the accompanying story.

The first document illustrated is one that any collector would love to obtain – the first professional contract signed by Wayne Gretzky with the Indianapolis Racers of the World Hockey Association in 1978. Not only was it a treat to see this contract, the accompanying story of the contract signing and subsequent move by Gretzky to Edmonton when Indianapolis was struggling financially was an excellent write-up to go with the illustration of the document.

There is a wide variety of teams, eras and types of documents illustrated and written about in the book. As mentioned earlier, no matter one’s preference, there is certain to be something that will make the reader happy.  As an example, my favorite hockey team of all time is the Minnesota North Stars. There are many letters to players and other team executives from Wren Blair, a longtime general manager. There is documentation on defenseman Fred Barret and his injury problems. However, my favorite document in the book is the one where Lou Nanne signs his own retirement papers in 1978 when the team wanted him to retire as a player so he could assume the coaching and general manager responsibilities.  While these are from the expansion era, there are also plenty of documents and stories on the Original Six era and those teams as well, so hockey historians will enjoy reading about some of the greats on those teams as well.

It should be noted that there were some problems with the advance review copy of the electronic book in the images of some of the documents. I was able to piece them together when the images were broken up into smaller segments to fit the e-reader screen. For that reason, it is recommended that interested readers purchase the hardcover version when it is published as the full pictures of the documents will be visible. This review was written with that in mind and the documents and writing were reviewed based on the information available in the copy provided.

Every hockey fan should seriously consider adding this book to his or her library. The documents are wonderful, the accompanying stories interesting and full of information, and it is one that can be shared with all hockey fans. 

I wish to thank ECW Press 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/Blue-Lines-Goal-Bottom-Historical/dp/1770412514/ref=sr_1_sc_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1464650346&sr=1-2-spell&keywords=blue+lines+goal+lines

http://ecwpress.com/products/blue-lines-goal-lines-and-bottom-lines

Review of "Home Game"

Happy Memorial Day to all who are observing the holiday weekend in the United States. Don't forget to take some time to remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice so that we could enjoy this holiday weekend.

I picked up this book in the hopes of learning more about baseball's first family, the Boones. They were the first family to have three generations of big league players and while the book was mostly about the third generation, it was still a good read.  Here is my review of "Home Game."

Title/Author:

“Home Game: Big-League Stories from My Life in Baseball’s First Family” by Bret Boone and Kevin Cook

Tags:

Baseball, memoir, Mariners, Reds, Braves

Publish date:

May 10, 2016

Length:

272 pages

Rating: 

3 of 5 stars (okay)

Review:

Bret Boone made history when he was called up to the Major Leagues by the Seattle Mariners in the 1992 season.  His grandfather Ray Boone and his father Bob Boone also played in the Major Leagues, so his call-up made the Boones the first family to have three generations of players in the Major Leagues.  Bret shares his stories of his trip through the major leagues, some family memories and his life after playing baseball in this memoir.

It reads much like a typical sports memoir with early childhood memories, the adventures of high school, college and minor league baseball on the way to the majors, insight into the life of a major league player and what he has done after he had to make the painful decision that he could no longer play the game.  That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but if a reader is looking to find out more information on this family that has produced three generations of big leaguers, it doesn’t contain a lot of stories on Ray or Bob Boone. There are a few, mainly what was passed down to Bret, but from the title, one might expect more about father and grandfather.

Instead, there is a lot of information about Bret that he shares. The style of writing is also typical of a sports memoir, complete with jock talk, some locker room hijinks and a lot of the confidence that Bret had in his quest to make it to the major leagues.  This isn’t to say that there is not much information on the family – in fact, one of my favorite lines comes when his younger brother Aaron is also called up to the majors, saying that in June 1997, “…the Reds promoted a skinny punk of a backup infielder, Aaron Boone, from Triple A to the majors.”  Sounds like some loving brotherly talk.

The book also sheds some insight from Bret Boone’s point of view about the rising use of statistical analysis in the game, performance enhancing drugs, the 1994 strike that wiped out that year’s World Series (Bret was very active in the player’s union) and some other historical moments.  One of the better baseball chapters was when he recalled the 2001 season for the Seattle Mariners.  He was a member of that team who set the current record for most wins during the regular season at 116.

Overall, this is a fun book to read and I admit I did try to find a reason not to enjoy it when I realized that it would be mostly about Bret and not very much about his father and grandfather.  Nonetheless, I did finish it and I am glad I did.  Recommended for readers who enjoy sports memoirs.

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

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying links:

https://www.amazon.com/Home-Game-Big-League-Stories-Baseballs-ebook/dp/B013ZNNX9I?ie=UTF8&keywords=home%20game&qid=1464452615&ref_=sr_1_2&sr=8-2

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/home-game-bret-boone/1123309258?ean=9781101904909

Review of "50 Moments That Defined Major League Baseball"

This was a book that was certainly not on my radar and I would not have even heard of it without an email from a social media coordinator working on behalf of the author. While I expected the typical list of great moments, I was pleasantly surprised that it was not.  Here is my review of "50 Moments That Defined Major League Baseball"

Title/Author:

“50 Moments That Defined Major League Baseball” by Rocco Constantino

Tags:

Baseball, professional, list

Publish date:

May 20, 2016

Length:

218 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Through the myriad of books that contain lists of the top events or moments of any sport, this book was a refreshing change in that many of the moments listed were not ones that one would expect. This compilation of great moments in baseball history by Rocco Constantino has a bit of everything, but also some unexpected candidates that made it into the book as well.

The first chapter, which lists the first games played by some of the greatest players, lets the reader know that this list will be a little different. Those players included Hank Aaron, Ken Griffey, Jr. and Derek Jeter. There are also moments and games listed for the immortal players in the game such as Ted Williams, tragic incidents such as J. R. Richard of the Houston Astros suffering a stroke while pitching. This variation makes the book a very interesting one to read. 

The reader does have to read the book carefully in order to get the complete picture of the event or moment that is described. Each one, with the exception of chapter 6 when several greats of the game describe who or what was their inspiration to excel in the game (the best chapter in my opinion), will have a date at the beginning of the passage. However, there may be a lot of other information about the player before or after the date listed.  Without reading the passage carefully, the reader may get confused about when the true moment took place, as happened to me while reading.  This was easily overcome as the book progressed.

This book is recommended for any baseball fan who wishes to learn more about important events in the sport.  The short passages make it a good choice for readers who prefer to read the book in bits and pieces.  The unusual choices and reasoning behind them will make those who like to debate about such things discuss them even further. It is one of those books that one can keep after reading for later reference. It is one that would be a good addition to one’s baseball book library.  

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

Book Format Read:

Paperback

Buying links:

http://www.amazon.com/Moments-Defined-Major-League-Baseball/dp/1442260548/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464053715&sr=8-1&keywords=50+moments+that+defined

Review of "Dodgerland"

My favorite era of baseball was during the 1970's and 1980's so when I can find reading material on baseball during that time frame, I usually grab it as soon as I can. That was the case when I saw that the University of Nebraska Press offered me an advance review copy of this book on the 1977-78 Los Angeles Dodgers. A terrific read that any baseball fan will enjoy.  Here is my review of "Dodgerland." 

Title/Author:

“Dodgerland: Decadent Los Angeles and the 1977-78 Dodgers” by Michael Fallon

Tags:

Baseball, professional, Dodgers, society

Publish date:

June 1, 2016

Length:

472 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

The Los Angeles Dodgers of the late 1970’s came close to winning two championships but fell in consecutive years to the New York Yankees in the World Series. They were a team that was comprised of mostly homegrown players who stuck together through some tough seasons before finding success in 1977 and 1978.  They also epitomized the culture of their home city with many people looking for a carefree, easier life on the beach in the land of Hollywood. This connection between the city and its baseball team is illustrated in this terrific book by Michael Fallon.

While the bulk of the material is about the two seasons in which the Dodgers won the National League pennant, it does not read like a typical book about a team’s adventures during a season. The personal accounts of several players (Bob Welch, Glenn Burke, Steve Garvey and Rick Monday just to name a few) as well as the new manager of the team, Tommy Lasorda, give the reader an inside look at the team.

The writing about the baseball itself is very entertaining. There are many comparisons between the baseball and some of the events that were going on in the city at that time. One example that I thought was particularly entertaining was Fallon’s description of the match-up for the 1977 World Series. Most of the buzz that year from Hollywood was for the movie “Star Wars.” Fallon compared the World Series participants to characters from the movie with the Dodgers playing the part of Obi Wan Kenobi (good) and the Yankees as Darth Vader (evil). That single line was just perfect for describing the mood of the time in both baseball and pop culture.

Other issues affecting Los Angeles such as Mayor Bradley bidding for the 1984 Summer Olympics, the passage of tax-cutting Proposition 13 and the murders of the Hillside Strangler are also included as well as the culture of the times, such as the rise of the adult entertainment industry in the region. Interspersing these items into the writing about the Dodgers’ travails on and off the field makes for fascinating reading that illustrates that the team was a true reflection of its city. 

This book is recommended not only for baseball fans but also for readers who are interested in social history or who want to learn more about the culture of Los Angeles during that time. With excellent writing, interesting stories and terrific coverage of the 1977 and 1978 seasons for the Dodgers, the book is one that should be added to many readers’ libraries.

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 (pre-order at time of posting):

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dodgerland-michael-fallon/1122966039?ean=9780803249400

http://www.amazon.com/Dodgerland-Decadent-Angeles-1977%C2%9678-Dodgers/dp/0803249403/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1463617763&sr=8-1&keywords=dodgerland

Review of "The Only Rule Is It Has to Work"

Having heard a lot of buzz about this book well before the advance copies were available, I decided to try this out when it became available.  I was a little unsure about it as I am far from a baseball stat geek and the authors are editors of Baseball Prospectus.  But boy, am I glad I did decide to read it.  It was a terrific, entertaining story.  Here is my review of "The Only Rule Is It Has to Work." 

Title/Author:

“The Only Rule Is It Has to Work: Our Wild Experiment Building a New Kind of Baseball Team” by Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller

Tags:

Baseball, professional, owners

Publish date:

May 3, 2016

Length:

368 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

Building his or her own real baseball team is a dream for many fantasy baseball players.  For two editors of Baseball Prospectus (the current and former editors), that dream becomes a reality when they were allowed to run the baseball operations of the Sonoma Stompers of an independent league in California. The adventures of Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller running this team during the 2015 season are captured in this excellent book.

Given their occupations and obsession with statistical analysis, the duo tries to assemble the roster completely through their spreadsheets (even calling some of their prospects “spreadsheet guys”) but soon come to realize that some old-fashioned scouting and legwork will work as well.  The comparisons to Moneyball are inevitable and they actually provide some of the more entertaining passages from the book. For example, one of the funniest lines of the book states that “if the A’s were a ‘collection of misfit toys,’ as Micheal Lewis wrote, then we’ll be building a team out of toys that got recalled because they were choke hazards.”  I was in tears after reading that line.

Some of the passages are also more serious or even poignant such as some of the exchanges between Sam and/or Ben and the players or the manager. When trying hard to sell a strategy such as a defensive shift or using a closer for more than just the ninth inning, the guys realize that there has to be some trust in the instincts and knowledge of baseball men like the manager and scouts. There is a lot of compromise on these types of conflicts throughout the Stompers’ season.

This format is a winner for the book as it is one that anyone who is a baseball fan, whether a stat geek or an old-school believer; casual fan or addicted seamhead, young or old, should add to his or her baseball library. It will entertain, inform and delight all readers of baseball books.

I wish to thank Henry Holt and Company Publishing 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/Only-Rule-Has-Work-Experiment/dp/1627795642?ie=UTF8&keywords=the%20only%20rule%20is%20that%20it%20has%20to%20work&qid=1463257994&ref_=sr_1_1&s=books&sr=1-1

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-only-rule-is-it-has-to-work-ben-lindbergh/1122889143?ean=9781627795647

Review of "Leather Compass"

When deciding which books to download for the reading time during our recent cruise, I pulled out this in which the author and publisher sent awhile ago, but got lost in the shuffle. I am glad I picked it up as it was an entertaining story of a college football quarterback who exposed a major scandal. Here is my review of "Leather Compass"

Title/Author:

“Leather Compass” by Brian Siguenza

Tags:

Football (American), college, fiction, young adult

Publish date:

October 23, 2015

Length:

312 pages

Rating: 

3 1/2 of 5 stars (good)

Review:

It isn’t often that a hunch by an athlete that an opponent is cheating will turn out to not only be true, but also part of a bigger project that involves the government and mass media. But that is exactly what happens in this entertaining novel written by Brian Siguenza.

A star quarterback in college football, Adan McDonough of the Cedar Harriers, suspects that another quarterback with extraordinary talent and skills, Howard Anderson of Central Indiana Tech, has been doing something unethical or illegal to do such amazing feats on the field. Adam, his girlfriend Emily, Adam’s teammates and others at Cedar help to expose a project called “Leather Compass” in which a person through genetic alterations can become even bigger, stronger and faster. The federal government saw the potential benefits to the military and the owner of the largest network saw how this could bring even more money to his media conglomerate.  

The story is fast-paced, easy to read and at times is not truly believable.  For example, after Emily is arrested by federal agents on the Saturday morning of the big game between Cedar and Central Indiana Tech, she obtains a lawyer, gets a hearing and all the charges are dismissed all in time so that she can reach the stadium by halftime. Even fictional arrests and acquittals rarely happen this quickly. Other turns in the plot happen at such a furious pace and so quickly that while reading this, I was wondering if there were other subjects besides Anderson in the Leather Compass projects. 

That didn’t take away from the entertainment that this story provides, nor does it dismiss the character development of Adam and Emily, two characters that the reader will soon be rooting for to succeed – not only in on the football field and journalistic investigation but also for their relationship, which also faces a test during this ordeal.

The football scenes were well written and realistic for the game. They were, however, secondary to the story of the pursuit of Adam and Emily by federal agents and the owner of the cable network, whose grandiose plans have now been scuttled with the exposure of this project. The story as a whole is a fun read and shows good football knowledge.  Just be sure to read this to be entertained and not expect an entirely realistic situation for this story.  I do believe this story will appeal to younger readers that are the approximate age of the main characters of the story as they will relate to many of the issues Adam and Emily face.

I wish to thank Mr. Siguenza and Black Rose Writing for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:

E-book (PDF)

Buying links:

http://www.amazon.com/Leather-Compass-Brian-Siguenza/dp/1612966055/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1463014141&sr=1-1&keywords=leather+compass

Review of "The Field Guide of Sports Metaphors"

For my second post-cruise review of books read during the vacation, I chose this one that made for a good choice while relaxing on the balcony of our stateroom.  It was a quick read that took me less than two hours - not bad for a 224 page selection.  Entertaining and informative, here is my review of "The Field Guide of Sports Metaphors"

Title/Author:

“The Field Guide to Sports Metaphors” by Josh Chetwynd

Tags:

Baseball, football (American), basketball, ice hockey, golf, horse racing

Publish date:

May 10, 2016

Length:

224 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Sports metaphors have become an integral part of everyday language. Everything from “making the big leagues” to “lucky break” (from billiards) is covered in this short, entertaining book by Josh Chetwynd.  Just about everything you wanted to know – or didn’t realize you wanted to know – is covered in just about every sport imaginable. 

From American football to baseball to horse racing, nearly every phrase or metaphor that is used in communications by many people is covered. The origins of the phrase, whether it truly came from that sport or was merely a legend that has been passed down through generations, are also explained by Chetwynd.

These are all written in a manner that is easy to read and comprehend and will entertain the reader at the same time.  Sports fans will enjoy reading about how phrases from their favorite games worked their way into the mainstream lexicon, but even those who do not follow sports would also enjoy reading about these common phrases and their unusual paths into our everyday language.

I wish to thank Ten Speed Press 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/Field-Guide-Sports-Metaphors-Competitive/dp/1607748118/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1462726948&sr=1-1&keywords=sports+metaphors

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-field-guide-to-sports-metaphors-josh-chetwynd/1122491579?ean=9781607748113

Review of "Soccer Without Borders"

Having just returned from a seven-day cruise, I am doing the same thing as when I started this blog three years ago this week - I am posting reviews on consecutive days on books that I read on the cruise.  I have found cruising not only a relaxing vacation, but also a time when I can do a lot of reading.  The first post-cruise review is on a book coming out Tuesday on the coach of the United States men's soccer team.  An outstanding book on a man who has a grand vision and plan for US soccer, it is one that I highly recommend.  Here is my review of "Soccer Without Borders."

Title/Author:

“Soccer Without Borders” by Eric Kirschbaum

Tags:

Football (European), soccer, biography, coaching

Publish date:

May 10, 2016

Length:

400 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

Jurgen Klinsmann took the 2014 United States Men’s World Cup team to an unexpected run to the round of 16 and in the process became a well-known name in soccer circles in the country. However, he was well-known previously for his career as both a player and a coach in Germany, Italy and England and was noted for his non-conventional views for coaching. His career and his vision is wonderfully captured in this book by journalist Eric Kirschbaum.

The book reads as part biography, part coaching manual and part soccer history lesson. Kirschbaum does an excellent job of covering each part of Klinsmann’s career.  He also tells of Klinsmann’s desire to not just live a comfortable life in the United States and adapt to its norms for the sport.  Klinsmann’s vision and hopes for making the United States a powerful team in the sport is portrayed as well, if not better, than any previous publications I have read on his coaching of the team.

Fans of international soccer will replay some of his greatest moments such as his overhead bicycle kick for Stuttgart in 1987 and his excellent play in the 1990 World Cup final, leading his West Germany team to the victory over the Netherlands. His coaching overseas is well-documented as well, making the reader possibly believe he or she is reading a biography.

However, the book is much more than that, and Klinsmann’s work with the United States team is the best reading in the book.  His unpopular decision to leave Landon Donovan off the 2014 World Cup is one example of this type of work – Klinsmann’s non-conventional and well-written explanation was very good; as was the vision he has for soccer in the United States. 

Here there are more unconventional thoughts, such as the biggest professional league in the country, Major League Soccer, have relegation for the worst teams to lower leagues.  This is done in Europe, but not in the United States because of the sports culture here.  Again, the explanation why this should be done, as well as his other ideas, is thought-provoking and will make the reader ask why it is not already in effect or taking place.

Soccer fans of all levels, from casual to hard-core, will enjoy this book about the coach who hopes to bring the United State to success in a sport where it has been lagging behind the rest of the world for a long time.  It is one that is highly recommended to be part of a reader’s library.

I wish to thank Picador Publishing 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/Soccer-Without-Borders-Klinsmann-Coaching/dp/1250098319/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1462724492&sr=1-1&keywords=soccer+without+borders

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/soccer-without-borders-erik-kirschbaum/1122537850?ean=9781250098313