Review of "The Chicago Cubs: Story of a Curse"

It is common to find many books about a popular team in any sport after it wins a championship.  The 2016 Chicago Cubs are no different, and this book not only looks back at that team, but also the entire history of the franchise through the eyes of a lifetime fan trying to figure out how the recently-broken "curse" started.  Here is my review of Rich Cohen's book on the Cubs.

Title/Author:

“The Chicago Cubs: Story of a Curse” by Rich Cohen

Tags:

Baseball, professional, Cubs, championship, memoir

Publish date:

October 3, 2017

Length:

288 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Nearly every person, baseball fan or not, knows about the Chicago Cubs ending their 108-year “curse” by winning the 2016 World Series.  Much has been written and said about the curse, the team and their magical season. Now comes a book that not only talks about 2016, but the author’s odyssey into discovering why there was such a curse and why he, as a Cubs fan, was so engrossed in finding the cause.

Rich Cohen’s fandom for the Cubs began when he was eight years old and continued strong. In this book that is part memoir, part storytelling and part reporter, he tells of his times at Wrigley Field, about the history of the Cubs from their very successful early years to the various experiences that proved the franchise was cursed (the billy goat in 1945, the black cat at Shea Stadium in 1969, the ground ball through Leon Durham’s legs in 1984, Steve Bartman in 2003 and so on…) and just what it is like to be a Cubs fan.

The book is chock full of humorous lines and passages.  He compares the current general manager, Theo Epstein, to a mountain climber.  After Epstein led the Cubs to the championship after leading the Boston Red Sox to end their own curse in 2004, Cohen said that Epstein moved to Chicago “as a climber will move from Everest to K2.” Also, the new video boards at Wrigley Field that tamed the famous swirling winds are “Thorazine for Wrigley’s schizophrenia.” Lines like these kept me chuckling through the book.

As for fandom, he states that being a Cubs fan makes one “different, special, better” and that other teams’ fans were “shallow.”  He also doesn’t believe a Cubs fan will only talk about 1908 or 2016.  He states that the typical Cubs’ fan experience is illustrated in a game during the 1979 season in which the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Cubs 23-22 on a windy May afternoon.  There was a throw that hit a batboy, who was knocked out, or so the legend states.  Whether or not it was true, Cohen uses that game and story to illustrate what it is like to be a fan.

Of course, the book’s high point for the reader is the 2016 World Series and this section is written much like how an excited fan (albeit a fan with a press pass and who is writing a separate article on the actor Chris Pratt) would write.  The reader who wants just the facts and highlights of the games will come away less than satisfied, but the reader who wants to “feel” the experience will enjoy this portion the best.  Especially if that reader is a Cubs fan.

This is an entertaining book that any Cubs fan will want to add to his or her library.  Even if the reader is a fan of one of the other 29 teams, or even not a baseball fan, it is worth the time to read for entertainment purposes as the book will do that as well.

I wish to thank Farrar, Straus and Giraux 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/Chicago-Cubs-Story-Curse-ebook/dp/B06Y16RBDJ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1506788661&sr=8-1&keywords=story+of+a+curse

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-chicago-cubs-rich-cohen/1125461029?ean=9780374120924#/

Review of "Sad Riddance"

I was in the mood for a baseball book, and realizing that I have not read a non-fiction baseball book in awhile, I picked this one out of the TBR, even though it hasn't been there too long.  It was a long, detailed read about the last season of the Milwaukee Braves. It is well worth the time to invest in reading. Here is my review of "Sad Riddance." 

Title/Author:

“Sad Riddance: The Milwaukee Braves’ 1965 Season Amid a Sport and World in Turmoil” by Chuck Hildebrand

Tags:

Baseball, professional, Braves, politics, race

Publish date:

November 27, 2016

Length:

468 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

After moving to Milwaukee from Boston after the 1952 season, the Braves franchise saw instant success on both the field and at the box office. It felt like the perfect marriage between a struggling baseball franchise and a city looking to achieve “major league” status.  However, that initial euphoria didn’t last as by 1965, the team announced they planned to move to Atlanta, but the city of Milwaukee would not let the team out of its stadium lease. If the marriage between team and city was perfect at the start, it ended in an acrimonious divorce. The last season saw small crowds, court actions and no less than three attempts by the team to leave for the Deep South in the middle of the season.  All of this and more is captured in this well-researched and thoroughly written book by Chuck Hildebrand.

The team won the World Series in 1957 and nearly duplicated that feat in 1958. They shattered attendance records in those years and while the fans didn’t continue to turn out in those record numbers as the 1960’s evolved, the team continued to perform well on the field. Then the team was sold to a group based out of Chicago, led by Bill Bartholomay, repeatedly assured Milwaukee that the team would stay put – only to do an about face and apply for the team to move to Atlanta in 1965. The city would not allow the team out of its lease, so the team had to play a “lame duck” season in 1965.

Hildebrand weaves stories from Braves players on that team with anecdotes from fans, team officials and city officials to paint a complete picture of what took place on and off the field during that 1965 season.   For the on-field exploits, he covers each game and notes the attendance at each home game, most of which drew less than 10,000 fans – a precipitous decline from the previous 12 seasons.  While these sections are not all detailed play-by-play for each game, the reader will get a good sense of how the team performed, which was admirably given the circumstances – they were contenders for the National League pennant until the last week of the season and did finish fourth with a winning record.

As for the off-the-field accounts of the struggle between the ownership group and the city, these are well documented as well.  Not only does Hildebrand explain about the city’s insistence that the team honor its County Stadium lease, he delves into the politics of baseball at the time regarding franchise moves and Milwaukee’s challenge to baseball’s exemption from anti-trust laws.  Each of these topics were addressed in enough detail that readers will understand exactly what was happening. 

There are also plenty of passages about non-baseball events of the time, not only on a national level but also local as well.  The struggles for civil rights in Milwaukee, city council politics and the push for public funding for sports arenas are covered as well as national topics like the Vietnam War and the Watts riots in Los Angeles.  Connecting these with the baseball team was tricky, but Hildebrand pulled it off.  Readers will have to read these sections carefully if they were not familiar with the local politics of Milwaukee.

Nonetheless, this book is a wonderful account of the last season of the Milwaukee Braves.  No matter what a reader looks for in his or her baseball books, there will be something for everyone in this one.  It is a long, detailed read so be prepared to spend a significant amount of time with this one.  It will be worth the investment.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Sad-Riddance-Milwaukee-Braves-turmoil-ebook/dp/B01MTU3A7V/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1506458648&sr=1-1&keywords=sad+riddance

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sad-riddance-chuck-hildebrand/1125183492?ean=9781539475712

Review of "Ice Capades"

I will never be mistaken for being a fan of either Sean Avery or the New York Rangers.  However, when I saw that advance review copies were available of his new memoir, I had to read it for curiosity.  After reading it, I am still not a fan - but it was a good book.  Here is my review of "Ice Capades."

Title/Author:

“Ice Capades: A Memoir of Fast Living and Tough Hockey” by Sean Avery and Michael McKinley

Tags:

Ice hockey, professional, memoir, Rangers, Kings, Red Wings, Stars

Publish date:

October 24, 2017

Length:

356 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Sean Avery was a very polarizing figure when he was playing in the NHL. Fans would love him (especially if he was playing for their favorite team) or hate him.  He had a few controversial moments.  He loved living the high life, whether it was parties, women or fashion.  He covers his hockey career both on and off the ice in this memoir written with Michael McKinley.

This memoir is different than the typical sports memoir for several reasons.  The biggest difference is that nearly the entire book is dedicated to his professional hockey career.  There is very little space devoted to his childhood or teenage years and aside from his wedding to supermodel Hilary Rhoda, there is very little post-hockey life covered as well.  So, if it is hockey the reader wants, the reader will get it as Avery writes about his ups and downs with the Detroit Red Wings, his experiences on and off the ice in Los Angeles playing for the Kings, his absolutely miserable brief stint with the Dallas Stars and finally his favorite part of his career – the time he played for the New York Rangers.

Avery was known for a few controversial incidents and he talks about them with candor. He does defend himself for not only the well-publicized ones, such as the vulgar remark made in Dallas when trying to trash talk to another player, but for others not as well known, such as selling his complementary tickets to a ticket broker who in turn put them out on the market.  He also talks about the “Avery Rule”, laughing about the fact how a non-superstar player like him can rattle a legendary goalie (Martin Brodeur) so much that a rule was made with his name prohibiting facing the goalie in order to screen him. 

If reading about the party life that Avery had that the reader wants, he or she will be in for a treat, as there is plenty of material on that as well.  He especially writes about that during his stint in Los Angeles, where he describes many of his experiences with clarity. It was there where he first mingled with the famous and even his first serious relationship was with a celebrity – actress Rachel Hunter, who was married to Rod Stewart before dating Avery.  Through the book, especially in Los Angeles and New York, he does some serious name dropping of celebrities he has encountered.

Reading about a lot of these parties started to get boring, but once he got to New York, the book is a much better reading experience.  While I have never been a fan of Avery or the Rangers, it is clear how much Rangers fans love Avery and in turn he loves them and the city back.  He got serious about wanting to put roots down in New York and made serious plans for running a business and getting into the fashion industry once he was through with hockey.  This is something many professional athletes neglect and wind up struggling with finances.  Avery instead made sure this would not happen and at the same time, he settled down with a woman who he truly loved and loved him.  It isn’t right to say that he matured as the book progressed, but by the end it was clear Avery was a different man than the hard playing, hard partying person he was in Detroit and Los Angeles.

The aforementioned fans who love Avery will want to pick this book up as will Rangers fans.  For those like me who are not big fans of him, the book is still one that is worth the time as it is entertaining, gives an inside look at life both on and off the ice.

I wish to thank Blue Rider Press 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/Ice-Capades-Memoir-Living-Hockey-ebook/dp/B01NCU2W38/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/ice+capades?_requestid=112296

Review of "Play Big"

Even if the name Dr. Jen Welter doesn't sound familiar, her accomplishment in football and the NFL is something even non-fans of football may know.  In 2016 she became the first woman to coach in the league and her methods became the talk of the town. She decided to help others, especially young women, learn from her experience and empower themselves to accomplish whatever they want.  Here is my review of her book "Play Big." 

Title/Author:

“Play Big: Lessons From the First Woman to Coach in the NFL” by Dr. Jen Welter

Tags:

Football (American), memoir, women, coaching, Cardinals

Publish date:

October 3, 2017

Length:

256 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Football has been an important part of Jen Walters’ life since she was a child.  She played tackle football in school, had a long and successful career in women’s professional football as a linebacker, became the first woman to play in a men’s professional league (as a running back), and then became the first woman to coach in the NFL when she was the linebacker coach for the Arizona Cardinals during the 2016 training camp and preseason.  Being so good at breaking glass ceilings, she decided to help other women accomplish the same thing in their fields with this fast-paced book that is a quick and enjoyable read.

While women are the targeted audience of this book, it is very useful for everyone. Advice on such traits maintaining a positive attitude, keeping lines of communication open and facing adversity is given out liberally between stories and accounts of her football career and some information on her personal life and education as well. An example of this type of advice that she learned during her football career came when she was studying the Cardinals’ playbook and she came across the term “salt and pepper.”  She was trying to figure out what it meant in football – as it turned out, it was a minor detail in the team’s own language.  It was a lesson to not get too lost in minor details and she uses that to provide advice to readers.

Even though Dr. Welter was a coach, don’t expect to read about playbooks, how a linebacker will fill the gap before a running back gains yardage or the drills she made her players run.  Instead, the coaching she did in both the men’s indoor football league (the same league in which she was a player) and for the Cardinals was about attitude and confidence. Her notes left for each of her players became the talk of not only the Cardinals’ training camp, but of the entire league.  While her time with the Cardinals may have been short (she was considered an intern and no interns were kept by the team after the preseason ended), her legacy for women in a game that has been an exclusive male club will last for a long time. 

I wish to thank Da Capo Press 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/Play-Big-Lessons-Being-Limitless-ebook/dp/B072NY6SDF/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1505782485&sr=8-1&keywords=play+big+lessons

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/play-big-jen-welter/1126255715?ean=9781580056830#/

Review of "Battling the Oceans in a Rowboat"

The first thought I had when seeing this title is that the author had to be crazy to try to row across the ocean in a rowboat.  After reading this, I can't say I completely erased that thought, but I came away with a lot of respect for this man.  Here is my review of "Battling the Oceans in a Rowboat."

Title/Author:

“Battling the Oceans in a Rowboat” by Mick Dawson

Tags:

Rowing, adventure, memoir

Publish date:

August 22, 2017

Length:

288 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Seeing this title may make the reader wonder how in the world can any person row across the entire ocean in a rowboat. This book by former Royal Marine Mick Dawson explains just how – and he has done it more than once.  It should be noted that early in the book, Dawson explains that this is a specially designed rowboat – it is not the type that one typically sees on a lake or pond.

Encountering practically every type of peril that one can encounter in the open sea, Dawson writes about his adventures in a specially designed rowboat with equal parts humor and melancholy.  It is especially poignant when he writes about family, especially when his father passed away. 

However, that is not the main emotion will take away from the book as Dawson’s courage and endurance in his expeditions.  The first attempt that Dawson attempted at rowing across the Pacific Ocean in 2004 is described in the beginning of the book and the reader will instantly be sucked into the adventure.  Then future attempts, until he is finally successful in this quest, are covered in as exquisite detail as the first.  There are some slow sections of the book when Dawson writes about things such as the repairs made to the boat before a race from San Juan or about his time in the Royal Marines, but they don’t detract from the adventure the reader will take along with Dawson.

This book is a decent read and recommended for readers who like to read about adventure in the high seas. I wish to thank Center Street 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/Battling-Oceans-Rowboat-Crossing-Atlantic-ebook/dp/B01LZP26IS/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/battling-the-oceans-in-a-rowboat-mick-dawson/1126840693?ean=9781478947516#/

Review of "Ali:A Life"

Upon hearing that a new biography on Muhammad Ali was going to be published this fall, my first thought was "What can be written about him that hasn't already been said?" This book answered that question by digging deeper into many aspects of Ali's life.  Having read an outstanding book by this author on Lou Gehrig, I was even more intrigued and was very happy to obtain an advance review copy.  Here is my review of "Ali: A Life."

Title/Author:

“Ali: A Life” by Jonathan Eig

Tags:

Biography, boxing, professional

Publish date:

October 3, 2017

Length:

626 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

Not much needs to be said about the impact Muhammad Ali made on the sport of boxing, civil rights in the United States or the Muslim faith. There have been many books and articles written about the man on all of these topics and more.  Now there is one source for inside information on Ali the man, Ali the boxer and Ali the spiritual figure – this outstanding biography written by Jonathan Eig.

Covering Ali’s entire life, from the childhood of Cassius Clay in Louisville, Kentucky to his death in 2016, Eig uncovers stories behind Ali’s transformation from being one of the most despised men in America (at least by white Americans) to one of the most beloved figures.  Information on just about every aspect of Ali’s life – his association with the Nation of Islam, his training methods, his marriages and eventually the neurological issues that plagued him even before his boxing career ended – are all addressed in the masterful storytelling that has won Eig widespread praise.

Nearly anything that has been said about Ali, even if just in mythological or legendary status, is mentioned in the book.  Stories such as the one about a stolen bicycle leading to his interest in boxing, the real source for his famous quote about “no quarrel with the Viet Cong” and the atmosphere of his famous first fight with Joe Frazier in 1971 at Madison Square Garden are written in a flowing style that makes them, and the rest of the book, a joy to read.

This is the case even with controversial or unpleasant topics. The reader will gain a better understanding of the importance of the Nation of Islam in Ali’s transition from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali and the roles that Elijah Muhammad, his son Herbert and Malcom X played in that part of Ali’s life.  Ali’s conviction on draft evasion, his subsequent association with Don King and his generosity with his money that led to financial problems.  Through all of these, however, Eig never fails to remind readers that often Ali was simply being kind to everyone whom he would encounter.

Ali’s boxing career is just as well chronicled as his life. Good coverage of nearly every fight in his career can be found in the book and the bigger fights such as the first and third fights against Frazier, his two knockouts of Sonny Liston and the “Rumble in the Jungle” against George Foreman have substantial pages written. While many of these fights have been covered in other books (some of which were references for Eig’s research as well as over 500 interviews), these accounts of those great matches will leave the reader reliving those fights or give some new information.

Just like his biography on Lou Gehrig, Eig’s biography on “The Greatest” paints a comprehensive picture on a beloved icon in American sports in an enjoyable, entertaining book that readers will want to add to their libraries.  One doesn’t have to be a boxing or sports fan to enjoy this, especially since Muhammad Ali transcended sports to become an iconic figure.  It is a biography that comes close to that status in the world of books.

I wish to thank Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:

E-book (PDF)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Ali-Life-Jonathan-Eig/dp/0544435249/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1504951919&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=Jonanathan+Eig

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ali-jonathan-eig/1125338448?ean=9780544435247#/

Review of "The Journey Home"

Since I went on a bus trip with some co-workers this Labor Day weekend to Yankee Stadium, I decided to dig through my large pile of books that I received from an author or publisher but did not read yet.  I found this memoir of one of the Yankees' "Core Four" players, Jorge Posada.  Appropriate for reading on this type of trip, I took it along and it was a decent read.  Here is my review of "The Journey Home."

Title/Author:

“The Journey Home: My Life In Pinstripes” by Jorge Posada with Gary Brozek

Tags:

Baseball, memoir, professional, Yankees

Publish date:

May 31, 2016

Length:

344 pages

Rating: 

3 1/2 of 5 stars (good)

Review:

Jorge Posada was a key member of the recent New York Yankees success that resulted in five World Series championships and two additional American League pennants between 1996 and 2009.  He recalls not only his baseball career with the Yankees but also his upbringing and journey to the major leagues in this memoir written with Gary Brozek.

His relationship with his father is the most interesting aspect of the book, as he recalls the lessons taught by his father Jorge Sr. that Jorge Jr. could not understand at first.  A good example of this type of lesson does not deal with baseball, but instead the chore of painting a wrought iron fence.  Instead of easily spray painting the iron bars without any other work, the father insisted his son sand off all rust and old paint before applying the new coats – by hand.  Jorge Jr. talks about how that chore that he hated taught him how important it is to prepare properly and complete a job the right way. 

This type of work ethic also applied to his baseball skills and development, both from his father and in the organized baseball he played in his native Puerto Rico and at an Alabama junior college.  This led to his being drafted and signed by the Yankees, with his father providing assistance and advice along the way – but not enough to interfere with any coaches.

After that, Posada talks about his time in the Yankee system, during which he became a full-time catcher and what it meant for him to be a Yankee.  The chronology of his time with the Yankees is written with fondness for the memories and gratefulness for the chances he was given.  The seasons in which the Yankees won the World Series are covered in the greatest detail, while other seasons are skimmed over, which makes reading these passage feel choppy and disjointed.  The story ends when Posada announced his retirement in early 2012, which was a surprise as this is not a common point to end this type of book.

It should also be noted that his son, Jorge III, was born with a rare condition affecting his skull and the reader will feel the heartbreak and relief that Jorge and his wife Laura feel while their young son undergoes multiple surgeries.  The support and love shown by his Yankee teammates is illustrated as well and it makes for one of better parts of the story.

Overall, this reads like a typical sports memoir with a little less on the actual game playing and more on the athlete’s life before his professional career.  Yankee fans will enjoy this book, especially if they enjoyed the “Core Four.”

I wish to thank Dey Street Books for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:

Paperback

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Journey-Home-My-Life-Pinstripes/dp/0062379631/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-journey-home-jorge-posada/1120656719

Review of "The Call"

This request for a review came as a surprise - the author found my profile on Facebook and then we talked about this book.  It certainly sounded interesting and it did not disappoint. The subject matter was as interesting as I hoped it would be.  Here is my review of the fictional baseball novel "The Call."

Title/Author:

“The Call: A Baseball Novel” by Laurie Boris

Tags:

Baseball, fiction, drama, umpires, women

Publish date:

August  21, 2017

Length:

300 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Margie Oblonsky has dreams of following her father and twin brother into a baseball career.  However, she is going in a different direction and goes to umpire school.  She graduates second in her class and works in the minor leagues.  What she encounters in these games and the situations she faces are told in this entertaining novel by Laurie Boris.

Margie and her twin brother Tim, a pitcher in the Cincinnati Reds organization, both begin their trek toward the majors around the same time, but Tim, as a third round draft choice, gets called to the show much quicker than Margie. She had encountered hostile umpiring partners; including one who helped instigate a brawl in a game that they worked.  The brawl was part of a cover-up for something even darker, in which Margie and a reporter who was writing about her had to look out for their safety.

Set in the early 1980’s, the novel read a bit choppy for me, but the stories of Margie, Tim and his best friend Dan are easy to follow and engrossing.  There is a love interest in the book as after Margie ejects Dan from a game, he asks her to dinner afterward and from there they start a slow but steady romance.  Unlike some romances in otherwise “straight” sports fiction, this one becomes a key part of the story instead of a distraction. 

The baseball scenes are well-written and realistic – everything from Margie’s experience in school to Tim’s pitching in the major leagues.  The reader will feel like he or she is either behind the plate or working with Margie on the bases with the details.  The less glamorous parts of the job, such as the long travel, “crappy motels”, and monotonous paperwork when players are ejected, are covered as well.  In the acknowledgments, Boris thanks Perry Barber, one of the first female umpires in professional baseball, for her assistance. That kind of information proved to be very valuable for this book as it made the story much more realistic.

Many topics about the sport of baseball are covered – the drug abuse that was prevalent in that time period, the use of performance-enhancing drugs, the atmosphere in the locker rooms of both players and umpires and bureaucracy that both players and umpires face in order to advance are all illustrated throughout the story.  The evaluations that umpires must have in order to move up to higher leagues is very well covered and makes the reader relate to Margie’s struggles to advance.  Even scenes with fans are written well, such as the cute scene when two little girls ask Margie for her autograph because they recognize her as an umpire.  It is made even better when she tells the girls to keep the thumb inside the fist when making an “out” call, one of Margie’s early lessons.  This is an entertaining novel in which all of the main characters are realistic and easy to cheer for and is recommended reading for all baseball fans.

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

Book Format Read:

E-book (EPUB)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074KS2BZ8/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B074KS2BZ8&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2