Final review of 2017 - "Present at the Creation"

For the last review of 2017, I went to a memoir of a former NFL scout and general manager with some famous genes.  I didn't know too much about Upton Bell's career in the NFL but I did know that he was the son of former commissioner Bert Bell.  His memoir is one of the best football books I have read.  Here is my review of "Present at the Creation."

Title/Author:

“Present at the Creation: My Life in the NFL and the Rise of America’s Game” by Upton Bell with Ron Borges

Tags:

Football (American), professional, memoir, Colts, Patriots

Publish date:

November 1, 2017

Length:

416 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

To say that Upton Bell is a football lifer would be an understatement.  He is the son of former NFL commissioner Bert Bell, the man many consider to be the one who ushered professional football into the modern age.  He saw his father die in the stands at a football game. From that heartbreaking moment, he became a scout and general manager in the league.  His stories about those times and more are captured in this wonderful memoir co-written with Ron Borges.

Upton Bell was one to let his opinions be known when he was a scout for the Baltimore Colts and he pulls no punches in this book either.  The chapters on who he believes are the greatest coaches and greatest quarterbacks in the history of the NFL were fantastic. He is fair and bases his opinions on the eras that the men played or coached the game.  He took into account how much different the game is today than it was in the 1960’s when he was scouting for the Colts or in the early 1970’s when he was the general manager of the New England Patriots. I won’t give any spoilers away for his top ten in either category, but they won’t come as a surprise and both cover a wide time frame.

The stories he shares about his scouting days are excellent as well. They not only entertain the reader, but also illustrate how different the profession was back then compared to today. There were no combines, televised college drafts or social media at the time, so scouts had to rely on their eyes and ears to find talent. Bell was considered one of the best in the game. The reader will learn much about scouting and also about running a football team.  This is both as a general manager and also as an owner, as Bell was also the owner of the Charlotte Hornets of the ill-fated World Football League in 1974-75.

Of course, Bell’s life outside of football, including his post-football media career, are told in the book as well.  But the knowledge of the game, his connections to so many people inside the game and his experience all make for a book that every football fan will want to read.  It doesn’t matter if the reader prefers the more physical football of the 1960’s or the sport today which encourages the passing game. This book is certain to be enjoyed by fans of all stripes.

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:

http://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/university-of-nebraska-press/9781496200396/

https://www.amazon.com/Present-Creation-Life-Rise-Americas-ebook/dp/B075YBG7CD/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Review of "The Toronto Maple Leafs"

First, let me wish everyone who is celebrating a very merry Christmas and I hope that your holiday season, no matter which holidays you celebrate, are all joyous.  In the spirit of the season, I thought a hockey book would be appropriate for a review this time of year (at least for those of us in the Northern hemisphere).  This is a terrific account of the history of one of the NHL's legendary teams, the Toronto Maple Leafs.  Eric Zweig leaves nothing out in his oral history.  If you received a gift card for books, this is one that would certainly be worth obtaining with that card.  Here is my review of the book:

Title/Author:

“The Toronto Maple Leafs: The Complete Oral History” by Eric Zweig

Tags:

Ice Hockey, Maple Leafs, history

Publish date:

October 28, 2017

Length:

456 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

The Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the most iconic franchises in all of sports and they recently celebrated their 100^th anniversary. The team has changed its name twice and its home arena twice to go along with 13 Stanley Cup championships. That makes for a very colorful history – that history is told in a unique manner by this wonderful book by Eric Zweig.

What makes this book unique is that instead of writing the story as a narrative after doing the research, he takes quotes and snippets from his sources and simply puts them together with very small doses of narrative between topics.  The reader will still get the complete story of the player discussed, the playoff series being contested (I thought this format worked especially well for the years when the Leafs won the Stanley Cup) or the general manager’s vision for the team – whether rebuilding, re-tooling or just starting out in 1917. It does make for a slower read, as a reader will have to carefully read each article or quote, but it does teach the reader a lot about the team.

The reader will also learn a lot about the men behind the history of the Maple Leafs – from King Clancy and Conn Smythe to Austen Matthews and Mike Babcock, the personal stories are just as engrossing as those of the games.  The reader will know that these quotes and excerpts from newspapers, books and other sources will tell how important the subjects are to the history of the team. 

Every important and memorable event in team history is covered.  From the historic comeback in 1942 to win the Stanley Cup (the Leafs became the first team to rally from a 3 games to none deficit in that year’s finals) to the devastating 4-1 lead that was blown to the Bruins in game 7 in the 2013 playoffs, the same style that worked for the team and the people tells the story of the emotions, both highs and lows, that were felt by all.

This book is a complete and comprehensive history of the team that is rich in detail, exhaustive in its research and will be loved by any hockey fan, even if the Leafs are not the reader’s favorite team.

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

Book Format Read:

Paperback

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Toronto-Maple-Leafs-Complete-History/dp/1459736192/ref=ed_oe_p

Review of "Opening Day"

While this an older book, it drew my attention when I saw it in the audiobook section of my local library because of the author.  Jonathan Eig has written two of the best sports biographies I have read.  They were about Lou Gehrig and Muhammad Ali.  So, hoping his book on Jackie Robinson would be just as good, I checked it out - and was not disappointed.  Here is my review of "Opening Day."

Title/Author:

“Opening Day: The Story of Jackie Robinson’s First Season” by Jonathan Eig, narrated by Richard Allen

Tags:

Baseball, Dodgers, history, race, audio book

Publish date:

March 20, 2007

Length:

336 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review: 

When Jackie Robinson made his debut for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947 it marked a seismic shift in the culture of baseball and America.  How Robinson and his Dodgers fared during that season is the subject of this wonderfully written book by Jonathan Eig. It not only talks about Robinson, but also about how his teammates and opponents reacted to the first African-American player in the major leagues.

In his typical style, Eig not only writes about the season, but also includes much background information that is pertinent to the story.  The reader will learn about Robinson’s childhood, his meeting with Branch Rickey and the discussion they had when Rickey decided that Robinson would be the best man to break the color barrier, and also about some of the mythical stories that have been passed down through the generations.

There are two stories in particular that Eig questions the authenticity of the myths. One is the hug that Robinson supposedly received from teammate Pee Wee Resse.  There are conflicting stories about whether this actually took place and Eig cites many sources that question this event.  The other story that Eig addresses fairly is about Dodger Dixie Walker, who was a Southern man who allegedly was so upset about Robinson’s presence that he was calling for the other Dodgers to boycott the team and would not accept Robinson as a teammate.  That myth is questioned as well and Eig comes to the conclusion that Walker and Robinson at least co-existed peacefully. 

Those are just two examples of the complete, balanced and well-researched writing Eig displays throughout the book.  There are also sections on other related topics, such as the opponents for the Dodgers in the 1947 World Series, the New York Yankees.  Even their superstar, Joe DiMaggio, is covered in the book.  There is even a humorous line about DiMaggio’s health issues that season, stating that DiMaggio “was a lot like many European nations at that time – frail and vulnerable.”  Lines like this are occasionally placed in the book and keep it as a fun read as well.

A wonderful book on baseball and society in the 1940’s, “Opening Day” is recommended for all readers who are interested in Jackie Robinson, racial integration or baseball history.   

Book Format Read:

Audiobook

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Opening-Day-Jackie-Robinsons-Season/dp/0743294602/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/opening-day-jonathan-eig/1100333585?ean=9781416554103

Review of "Sometimes You Have to Cross When It Says 'Don't Walk' "

 

Having heard Lesley Visser broadcast sports for nearly my entire life, I was happy to see that she has written her memoir. While I knew that her first husband was another broadcaster, Dick Stockton, I didn't realize just how much groundbreaking work she did for women in sports broadcasting.  Here is my review of her memoir with a great title, "Sometimes You Have to Cross When It Says 'Don't Walk' "

 

 

 

Title/Author:

“Sometimes You Have to Cross When It Says 'Don't Walk': A Memoir of Breaking Barriers " by Lesley Visser

Tags:

Football (American), baseball, basketball, broadcasting, women, memoir

Publish date:

December 26, 2017

 

Length:

200 pages

 

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

 

Sometimes it is refreshing to read about a person who not only was a pioneer in his or her field, but also genuinely enjoys the work and fame that comes with it.  That is the impression a reader will get while reading this memoir by Lesley Visser, a pioneer in women's sports writing and broadcasting.

 

Born and raised in Massachusettes, Visser knew early in her life that she was going to have a career in sports.  She was a big fan as a child, kept on following teams while in college when she majored in journalism and landed a job with the Boston Globe covering high school sports.  From there, her career blossomed into one where no matter what sport a fan enjoys, chances are that fan has seen Visser cover it at some point.

She shares many stories about many fellow journalists in both print and television. One of the best is one that is well-known.  She was provided a press pass for one of the most exciting baseball games in the history of the game - game 6 of the 1975 World Series.  It was there that the young writer met Dick Stockton, who was broadcasting the game that night for NBC and he asked her to dinner.  From that start, they became husband and wife.

But that is far from the only great story Visser shares about her career.  Whether she talks about her times with coaches (her favorites are all college basketball coaches - Jim Valvano, Rick Majerus and Rick Pitino), with other players or the many big events she has covered, she tells them with the enthusiasm of a fan but also with the professional demeanor of the award winning broadcaster that she is.

Visser also talks with pride about the many firsts she accomplished as a woman in sports broadcasting, the most notable being the first woman to be enshrine into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.  Though all of this, she refers back to the talks she had with her mother.  Visser credits her mother with giving her the resolve to pursue a career in a male-dominated industry, with the quote that is the title of the book serving as one Visser remembers for her entire life.

This is a fun and easy reading memoir that sports fans of all ages, genders and sports preferences will enjoy.  Visser's story is a remarkable one of breaking many glass ceilings and one that young women will especially want to read in order to be inspired to continue pursuing their own goals and dreams.

 

I wish to thank BenBella Books 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/Sometimes-Have-Cross-When-Says-ebook/dp/B06Y36ZPMX/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1513369000&sr=8-1 

Review of "The Killdeer Connection"

Breaking my own rule of only posting reviews of fictional books with a strong connection to a sport, this wonderful legal thriller by Tom Swyers has only a little bit of baseball in the story.  But a baseball scoring play provided an important clue in the story and therefore I decided to publish the review here as well.  This is my review of "The Killdeer Connection"

Title/Author:

“The Killdeer Connection” by Tom Swyers

Tags:

Baseball, fiction, legal, thriller

Publish date:

August 8, 2017

Length:

318 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

A youth baseball coach learns that one of fellow coaches is dead.  However, not only is the deceased a coach, he is also the key expert in the case that coach/attorney David Thompson is brining on behalf of an injured worker against an oil company.  What happens to David as learns more about Harold’s death makes for a taut legal thriller in “The Killdeer Connection”

That single death leads David along a path connecting railroad, hydrofracking, and Bakken oil production (which produces an explosive gas as well as the oil) that brings him to the oil wells of North Dakota, a long way from his home in upstate New York.  The reader will not only learn about these aspects of the petroleum industry, but will also learn a great deal about David, his family (wife Annie and son Christy, who plays on the team) and Ben, David’s client.  Other characters that play an important role in the story are the town police chief and an FBI investigator, as the story takes unexpected turns when tanker cars explode at every stop David makes, leading to a terrorism investigation as well as the legal case.

The story is very fast paced, is easy to read and does not contain graphic language, sexual references or violence.  I found that aspect refreshing to read in a novel geared for adults as the actions and emotions of the characters were enough to keep the reader engaged.  I found myself hanging on every twist and turn, especially on David’s trip to North Dakota and his discovery of the connection to the killdeer bird to a legal case against an oil company.

There is not much baseball but for a few passages that do connect the sport to the story.  The most fascinating baseball connection is in the letter written by Harold to David using baseball positions.  A play in the scorebook had the odd sequence of 1-2-6-7 – pitcher to catcher to shortstop to left field.  That ended up being an important clue to the investigation into the explosions of the tanker cars.

This book is part of a series that will continue as the ending leaves no doubt that there is more to come in the adventures of David Thompson.  After reading this book, this is a series that I will be following.  

Book Format Read:

E-Book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Killdeer-Connection-Lawyer-Thompson-Thriller-ebook/dp/B071NLZBJD/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1512938611&sr=8-1-spell

Review of "Do You Want to Work in Baseball"?

If one doesn't have the skill and talent to make it to the Major Leagues as a player, that person can still be part of the sport by working as a scout or player development staff member.  This terrific book provides the knowledge and advice needed to be successful in that endeavor.  Here is my review of "Do You Want to Work in Baseball?"

Title/Author:

“Do You Want to Work in Baseball?” by Bill Geivett

Tags:

Baseball, management, employment, business

Publish date:

February 4, 2017

Length:

354 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

Like most professions, getting that first job with Major League Baseball can be a daunting task.  Not only does a person need to have all the skills, contacts and education necessary to stand out, a candidate needs to have a clear expectation of where his or her career in the game will go.  This excellent book by Bill Geivett will give the reader advice and guidance in order to pursue a career in the game.

Drawing off his extensive experience as a scout and director for nearly every level of the game, Geivett doesn’t just tell the reader what he or she needs to get that first interview or to land an entry level position.  He also provides inside information how what major league clubs evaluate and develop players so that the team will eventually become a championship club.  By providing the details of how teams break down players during their development, Geivett shares valuable information and lessons he learned to people who have aspirations to work for a club.

There are three main sections to the book.  In the first, Geivett provides many tips and requirements a person needs to secure and be successful in an interview.  He explains how that first job is just that – a first job toward the eventual career goals that candidates must determine for themselves. He then provides the details of the two major areas of employment opportunities – scouting and player development.

In both of these areas, Geivett mixes analysis of the tools used by these areas, detailed analysis of how players are graded in all areas (both pitchers and position players) and how weaknesses of players can be overcome with strength in other areas.  In the end, it will be up to the scout or player development staff member to determine how he or she will use all this data and information to grade out a player.  While he also shares many stories about his work with players such as Shane Victornio and Vinny Castilla, he does end each of these sections with a challenge to the reader to use these pages in his or her own way to grade each player.

This book is a must-read for any person who is interested in a career in baseball without becoming a player.  In fact, some of the advice in the first section is valuable for anyone who is seeking employment in any field. The only thing that is close to negative that I can say about this book is that I wish it had been published about 35 years earlier – if that had happened, my career path would have certainly taken a different turn!

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

Book Format Read:

Paperback

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/You-Want-Work-Baseball-Development-ebook/dp/B01N4LEHRA/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/do-you-want-to-work-in-baseball-bill-geivett/1125442775?ean=9781483586922

Review of "The United States Tennis Association"

While most books I read about a sport off the field have to do with baseball, I found this one on the history of the United States Tennis Association very interesting.  If nothing else, after reading this, one will understand why the sport was considered to be only for the elite.  Here is my review of "The United States Tennis Association"

Title/Author:

“The United States Tennis Association: Raising the Game” by Warren F. Kimball

Tags:

Tennis, history, business

Publish date:

December 1, 2017

Length:

448 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Starting out as a group of elite white men from the northeastern part of the United States to help promote the game of “lawn tennis”, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) has become the largest tennis association in the world. The organization boasts women in many leadership roles, revenues that total well into nine figures and is mostly run by volunteers.  The story of how this organization grew into a unique governing body is told in this book by Warren F. Kimball.

The UST(L)A – L for Lawn as that was the complete name for many years – had its humble beginnings in the Northeast and was composed of tennis clubs instead of individual memberships.  Indeed, the USTA did not begin soliciting individual members until the 1960’s, preferring instead to keep the organization as one of a collection of clubs.  The organization did grow from the Northeast all the way to California and spots in between but for most of its early years, it reflected the culture of the Northeast.  Kimball’s research and attention to detail bear this out well.

A major theme throughout the book is that the USTA would try to keep its championship tournament (which is today’s US Open) and the organization as a whole open to amateur players only.  Professionals who were collecting money for playing the game, in any fashion (prize money as we know it today was not won in those days), such as Suzanne Lenglen and Bill Tilden, were considered rogues.  In Tilden’s case, his rebellious ways against the USTA style did not help win him any fans in the organization.  However, this gradually changed as more people were willing to pay to watch these outstanding player and in 1968, professionals were allowed in the USTA and the US Open was truly an “open” tourney for both amateurs and professionals. 

The organization’s history after that point is also covered in the book as the game’s revenues and popularity grew out of being the reputation of being an elitist sport to one that can be enjoyed by all, both as a player and a spectator. Through the book’s entire description of USTA history, Kimball writes with meticulous detail that has to be read carefully.  This is not a book for the reader who wants a quick history lesson.  Instead, the reader who wants to learn everything he or she can about this extraordinary organization will want to pick up a copy of this one.  

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

Book Format Read:

E-book (PDF)

Buying Links:

http://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/university-of-nebraska-press/9780803296930/

https://www.amazon.com/United-States-Tennis-Association-Raising-ebook/dp/B076PYBY3L/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr