Friday, September 28, 2018

Review of "Carew"

While my recent trip to Minnesota was for a sad occurrence with the passing of my mother, I did want to pick up a book for the trip home on a topic related to the Minnesota Twins because she and I would often watch Twins games during my younger childhood days.  When I saw that Rod Carew's memoir was available in an updated edition, that was my choice as Carew was and will always be my favorite player of all time.  Here is my review of the book.




Title/Author:
Carew” by Rod Carew with Ira Berkow

Tags:
Baseball, memoir, Twins, Angels

Publish date:
March 29, 2010 (paperback – original publication May 22, 1979)

Length:
268 pages

Rating: 
4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:
Rod Carew is considered one of the best pure hitters in baseball history. With seven batting titles, more than 3,000 hits and 18 All-Star selections, he was a first-ballot Hall of Fame player elected in 1991. When he was still a player, he penned a memoir of his life and baseball career to that point with sportswriter Ira Berkow. Additional information, especially on his life after baseball, and a foreword by Torii Hunter was published in 2010. This review covers the latter publication.

What struck me most about the entire book, whether it was discussing his childhood, his time in the minor leagues or his stellar Major League career, was his candidness.  If something bothered him or he felt it was wrong, he didn’t mince words in this book. Whether he was talking about his father, the frugality of the owner of the Minnesota Twins at that time, Calvin Griffith, or the perceived mistreatment he received from others, the reader will certainly know how Carew felt. The reader may not always agree and may even close the book with the perception that he was a moody or even arrogant person.  I believe that is a positive for reading the book as the reader will learn who the real Rod Carew is.

His discussions about hitting are just as good as when he would step into the batter’s box as much can be learned about his methods and theories on hitting.  Something that was well known during his career is that he employed many different batting stances depending on the pitcher or situation.  He explains why he would use certain stances as well as describe the unique construction of his bats and the way he held the bat which appeared to be very loose. These were fascinating revelations, even if Carew fans like me know this information already.

He was raised in Panama in a family that didn’t have much money and his father was not always present (something that the reader is reminded of throughout the book even during Rod’s adulthood) but his love for baseball is reflected on what he did to ensure he had a ball and glove to play the game.  When he and his family were brought to the United States, he was quickly discovered by baseball scouts.  His story about how the Twins wanted to make sure he was signed before anyone else knew about his talent was entertaining.

Carew spent the first 12 years of his career with the Twins where he won all seven of his batting titles. In 1979, just before writing this book, he was traded to the California Angels as the cash-poor Twins couldn’t afford to sign him to a new contract and traded him for four players rather than lose him to free agency.  His time with the Angels and his life after baseball is covered in the new material.  He experienced tragedy during this time, with the death of his daughter Michelle and subsequent divorce, as well as good times. He fondly writes about meeting and marrying his second wife Rhonda and his time spent back with the Twins as a roving coach.


Overall, this is a very good memoir first written at the peak of his career. Some readers might be turned off by the tone of his words on events and people that he did not like but as stated earlier, he comes across as honest in these passages.  Readers who are Twins or Carew fans will enjoy this book.

Book Format Read:
Paperback

 
Buying Links:

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Review of "The Legacy of Maggie Dixon"

Living in the Hudson Valley region of New York, I follow Army sports fairly closely and I remember the magical 2005-06 season for the Army women's basketball team and their excellent first year coach Maggie Dixon. The entire area was saddened by her sudden passing in 2006, so when I saw that a book was written about her, I immediately requested a copy.  It turned out to be just as good as I had hoped.  Here is my review of "The Legacy of Maggie Dixon"


Title/Author:
The Legacy of Maggie Dixon: A Leader on the Court and in Life” by Jack Grubbs
Tags:
Basketball, college, biography, coaching, women, Army
Publish date:
November 15, 2018
Length:
238 pages
Rating: 
5 of 5 stars (outstanding)
Review:
Few coaches have ever left as big an impression in only one season as the one left at the United States Military Acadamy by Maggie Dixon. She was the head coach when the Army Black Knight’s made their first ever appearance in the NCAA women’s basketball championship tournament in 2006. The 28-year-old coach brought a wealth of basketball smarts and communication skills to a downtrodden program and made the team THE talk of the campus. Her life, which ended far too soon the following summer, is captured in this wonderful book by Jack Grubbs.
Not only does the reader learn much about Dixon but also about the life of cadets at West Point and many of the traditions. This information and setting is important as it illustrates even more vividly how Dixon made an impression on her players, the student body and the officers in charge of the athletic program. Even though she never served in the military and was not raised in a military family, Dixon adapted quickly to the regimented lifestyle and guided her players to be at their best in academics and military duties as well as basketball.
Dixon’s family was a basketball family as her brother Jamie was a successful men’s coach, most notably at the University of Pittsburgh. When reading about Maggie Dixon the person, the reader will immediately see a smart, charming and witty young woman who impressed everyone who knew her.  Her sudden death from cardiomyopathy left West Point in shock.  Very rarely will a civilian be buried on the grounds of the academy, but because Dixon left such a mark on the campus, the officials made the decision to do so.
The writing about basketball is also very good, especially when covering important games such as those against Navy, the championship game of the Partriot League against Holy Cross and the defeat at the hands of the powerful Connecticut Huskies in the NCAA tournament. Much is also written about the players that Dixon coached.  Not only are their basketball skills discussed, but also their academic and military ups and downs as well. 
This is more than just an excellent basketball book about an excellent basketball coach. It is a book that captures the human spirit of a driven and successful woman who was taken away from her team and her livelihood far too soon.  
I wish to thank Rowman & Littlefield for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Book Format Read:
E-book (Kindle)
Buying Links:


Tuesday, September 25, 2018

Review of "Collision of Wills"

After a death in my family that took me away from reading and reviewing, it is time to get back into the swing of things with books. I read this book on the plane trip to be with family members and now am writing the review.  It was a decent read on two legendary figures in professional football.  Here is my review of "Collision of Wills"



Title/Author:
Collision of Wills: Johnny Unitas, Don Shula and the Rise of the Modern NFL” by Jack Gilden

Tags:
Football (American), biography, history, Colts

Publish date:
October 1, 2018

Length:
352 pages

Rating: 
4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:
Johnny Unitas and Don Shula are two legendary figures in the history of professional football.  The former is a Hall of Fame quarterback who played most of his career with the Baltimore Colts.  The latter played as a defensive back for multiple teams, including the Colts where he was a teammate of Unitas.  Shula became a coach when his playing days were over, leading the Colts and Miami Dolphins to titles and becoming a Hall of Fame coach.

The relationship between the two men ranged from tolerable to frosty whether they were teammates or Shula was the head coach and Unitas was his quarterback.  The relationship between these two men is explored in this book by Jack Gilden. This is the best aspect of the book as Gilden uses interviews from many different people with different connections to the two men. These vary from Colts teammates to Joe Namath, the Jets quarterback who led his team to an upset victory over the Colts in Super Bowl III.  The Colts were coached by Shula and Unitas played in that game in relief of starting quarterback Earl Morral. 

Like many books about sports in the 1960’s, which is when most of the events took place, it mingles the sport with the culture of the time. These include the Vietnam war, the sexual revolution and the civil rights movement.  There is a lot of text devoted to these subjects and while interesting; I felt that at times these took the focus away from the main subjects of Unitas and Shula.

However, when concentrating on them or on the history of the Colts, this is an excellent source of information.  In addition so learning more about Unitas and Shula, a reader will learn more about the eccentric owner of the Colts at that time, Carroll Rosenbloom (who later traded the ownership of the team to Robert Irsay in exchange for ownership of the Los Angeles Rams).  Weeb Ewbank, the man whom Shula replaced as head coach of the Colts, is also portrayed, and he comes across as sympathetic figure – until he coaches the Jets to the win over the Colts in the Super Bowl.

Overall, this is a very interesting and informative book on the Colts and the two legends who played an important role in making the Colts one of the best teams during the 1960’s.  Their role in changing the landscape of professional football cannot be overlooked and this book informs the reader of their importance.

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 (Kindle)

Buying Links:


Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Review of "Speed Girl"

Racing fans who are old enough to remember Janet Guthrie's historic career in which she became the first woman to race in the Indianapolis 500 will enjoy this book on the struggles she endured to reach that pinnacle.  Here is my review of the audio version of "Speed Girl."



Title/Author:
Speed Girl” by Stephan Talty, narrated by Christina Traister

Tags:
Auto Racing, biography, history, women, audio book

Publish date:
May 16, 2017

Length:
129 pages

Rating: 
3 ½ of 5 stars (good)

Review:
Women were gaining more acceptance in sports during the decade of the 1970’s. Tennis had the most notable accomplishments for women’s rights, including equal prize money for men and women and Billie Jean King’s victory over Bobby Riggs.  In auto racing, Janet Guthrie became the first female driver to race in the Indianapolis 500, qualifying in 1977 and again in 1978 with a top ten finish.  Guthrie’s passion for racing and her career are chronicled in this biography by Stephan Talty.

The story of Guthrie’s desire to become a driver is interesting as she was on a track to become an accomplished scientist.  But from the time she was a little girl, she was fascinated with speed and adventure.  The struggles she endured with not only sexism from drivers in both the Indy Car circuit and NASCAR but also from fans and potential sponsors wore on her.  Never giving up, she eventually found a team who would hire her as a driver. The lack of sponsorship also made her struggle financially but eventually she not only drove in the most prestigious race in the sport, but had a major sponsor (Texaco) back her in 1978 when she placed ninth. Then, inexplicably, she could never get another team or sponsor for future racing, effectively ending her racing career.

The narration by Traister is sound during not only the racing sections, but also when talking about Guthrie’s life and the scenes in the garage.  Guthrie was not above grabbing a wrench and helping the mechanics in the shop with repairing her car, which was happening too frequently.  The writing is okay with some portions that seem to be unnecessarily repeated, such as her infrequent dating or the frustrations in overcoming the sexism. While there were plenty of examples of the latter, the addition of how that made her feel wasn’t really needed. It was clear that she was a victim of the sexism that existed in the sport during that era.

Readers who want to know more about Guthrie’s racing career will learn that from this book and it is a good source for information on the culture of the sport in the 1970’s. There isn’t a lot about her after she left racing not on her terms, so it falls short there but is certainly a good look at a female sports pioneer.

Book Format Read:
Audio book

Buying Links:

Thursday, September 6, 2018

Review of "Shadow Games"

Point shaving scandals have been in college basketball for a long time, and this book is a fictional story about one in the 1990's. The characters are all likeable, the story is good and the book is a very quick read - all ingredients for an enjoyable novel. Here is my review of "Shadow Games"



Title/Author:
Shadow Games” by Jim Lester
Tags:
Basketball, college, fiction, gambling, young adult
Publish date:
June 20, 2018
Length:
236 pages
Rating: 
4 of 5 stars (very good)
Review:
Danny McCall could be considered a basketball junkie. His hard work at the game paid off in a basketball scholarship to St. Patrick’s College in New Wexford, New Jersey. However, he and a teammate, Ronnie Knox, risk everything to aid gamblers in a point shaving scheme. The story of Danny, Ronnie and the sports editor of the college paper, K.C. Donovan is told in this quick-reading, fast moving novel by Jim Lester.
Set in the early 1990’s, the story is mostly about Danny and his love for the game. His parents have the mindset of the hippie culture of the 1960’s and their home and finances show their disdain for capitalism. Therefore, he is careful to ensure that he stays on a straight path to keep his scholarship despite little playing time at point guard  his freshman year and the prospect of little more in his sophomore year when St. Patrick’s recruits a prized point guard. His teammate Knox is a high-scoring ultra-talented player who gets involved in gambling in order to get paid plenty of money and talks Danny into joining the scheme.
This puts Danny into a pickle as he and K.C. are not only both basketball junkies, they become a couple. However, Danny grows distant from her as he gets more involved into the gambling.  It affects his game as well as his scholarship. The ups and downs of all three of these main characters are told from their viewpoints alternately throughout the book, making the story balanced. This is one of the few novels I have read from multiple points of view that not only was easy to follow but also balanced in how much each character contributed to the story.
The basketball scenes and descriptions are excellent as any hoops fan will enjoy reading about either Knox’s cocky attitude while scoring almost at will or McCall’s tenacity and behind the back passes that seem to get crisper with each game. The reader will feel like they are on the court with these two and the rest of the St. Patrick’s team during game passages. 
While the ending did complete the story of these three characters, it left me wanting to know more about some of the other lesser characters fared.  That said, it didn’t keep me from enjoying the book from beginning to end.  It is one that readers who enjoy basketball, young adult or college life stories or just a good coming of age story should consider adding to their libraries.
I wish to thank the author for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Book Format Read:
E-book (Kindle)
Buying Links:




Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Review of "Waterman"

It is always great to read a book about a team, event or athlete about which I had little or no previous knowledge.  I had heard about Duke Kahanamoku during an Olympics broadcast and the announcers would talk about past American swimming champions. Beyond that, I knew nothing.  Thanks to this book, I know a lot more about this man and his story is one that should be read by all.  Here is my review of "Waterman"



 
Title/Author:
Waterman: The Life and Times of Duke Kahanamoku” by David Davis

Tags:
Swimming, surfing, biography, Summer Olympics, politics, race

Publish date:
May 1, 2018 (paperback) – first published October 1, 2015

Length:
354 pages

Rating: 
4 ½ of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:
Swimming is a sport that usually has the attention of the sporting world only once every four years during the Summer Olympics. Thanks to the television coverage of the Olympics, many fans are familiar with names like Mark Spitz, Janet Evans and Michael Phelps.  However, long before these swimmers gained fame there was a man who started in the backwaters in Hawaii when it was still an American territory to become the first true American superstar in the sport. Duke Kahanamoku’s story is told in this well-written, well-researched book by David Davis.

Duke’s life is covered from beginning to end, starting with his childhood in Hawaii when the Queen is overthrown and the islands become an American territory. His love of the water began at an early age, and he was determined to represent the United States in the Summer Olympics. This was despite poor treatment by many white Americans on the mainland as he endured the same racism as black Americans because of his darker complexion.  Nevertheless, Duke represented the country in three Summer Olympics, with his best showing coming in 1920 (the second of his three Olympics) by setting many records that lasted more than a decade. Especially interesting in Duke’s swimming career was the passing of the mantle of the best American swimmer from Duke to Johnny Weissmuller.  Instead of a rivalry, it started a long-time friendship between the two competitors.

While Duke didn’t surf competitively, he not only brought the sport popularity in his native Hawaii, he also brought surfing to the California Pacific coast, where his work on promoting and exhibiting surfing was very well received.  He considered California a second home and did pique his interest in acting.  He didn’t have the success in that career that other swimmers such as Weissmuller and Buster Crabbe had, but it is noted that he still enjoyed the experience.

While the passages about Duke’s swimming, surfing and Olympic feats were excellent, so were the pages about other aspects of his life. His many jobs in acting, politics (his best-known accomplishment was being elected as a local sheriff) and other business ventures helped the reader learn the complete man, who was always considered kind and thoughtful, even when political opponents would criticize him.  He married later in life and enjoyed that lifestyle in his later years.  These parts of the book are also well researched and are filled with many details that fully paint the picture of the Hawaiian legend.  This is a book that people interested in water sports or Hawaiian culture will want to add to their 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:
Paperback

Buying Links:
http://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/university-of-nebraska-press/9780803254770/

https://www.amazon.com/Waterman-Life-Times-Duke-Kahanamoku/dp/0803254776/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr

Sunday, September 2, 2018

Review of "Blue Monday"

Even though this post is written during an American holiday weekend, this book about a significant day in Canadian baseball history was one that caught my eye. I always followed the Montreal Expos during their existence and this book about the most heartbreaking game in their 36 year history was a decent read.  Here is my review of "Blue Monday,"


Title/Author:
Blue Monday: The Expos, the Dodgers and the Home Run That Changed Everything” by Danny Gallagher
Tags:
Baseball, professional, championship, Expos, Dodgers
Publish date:
October 13, 2018
Length:
256 pages
Rating: 
4 of 5 stars (very good)
Review:
In October 1981, Major League Baseball was in the midst of a postseason that went longer thanks to a players’ strike in the middle of the regular season. The National League Championship Series (NLCS) between the Montreal Expos and the Los Angeles Dodgers was a tense 5 game affair (the series was a best of 5 format at that time) that the Dodgers won on the strength of a home run by outfielder Rick Monday. Because the home run denied the Expos a chance to go to their first World Series and the fact that the game was on Monday, October 19, that day has been known as “Blue Monday” in Canada. The significance and sadness of the game in Canada only grew over time as the Expos never got that close to the World Series again before leaving Montreal in 2004. That game, the main men involved and how the Expos got that that point is chronicled in this book by sportswriter Danny Gallagher.
Blue Monday actually had its beginnings at the end of the 1976 season when the Expos, coming off a season in which they lost 107 games, fired manager Karl Kuehl and hired Dick Williams. Williams was a proven winner, having won pennants and World Series titles previously in Boston and Oakland.  Between good drafts and trades by general manager John McHale and Williams changing the culture of the franchise, the team had come very close to making the postseason in 1979 and 1980, finally breaking through in 1981 thanks to the split season format enacted after the player’s strike. By winning the National League East Division in the second half, the playoff format that year had the Expos facing the first half winner, the Philadelphia Phillies. After winning that series, the Expos met the Dodgers, with the teams splitting the first four games, setting up the epic showdown for the National League pennant.
The book leads the reader up to this moment completely, from the hiring of Williams to the rise of many key Expos players such as Rogers, Andre Dawson, Warren Cromartie (more in him a little later) and Gary Carter. There were surprises along the way, such as the shocking firing of Williams as manager in September 1981 and replacing him with Jim Fanning. This was not a completely popular move and it led to the biggest question asked in the history of the Expos – why did Fanning send Rogers out to pitch in the eighth inning of game 5 of the NLCS?
Gallagher asks the question and gets many responses from many people, including the main three – Fanning, Rogers and Monday.  Without giving away any spoilers, it is safe to say that the reader will have plenty of information to determine whether that decision was justified or not. There is also similar analysis with other questions, such as if the Expo starter in game 5, Ray Burris, could have stayed in the game and why Williams was fired. These not only are analyzed with serious information, there is also a bit of humor in each one. The humor may come from other sources or from Gallagher himself. For the former, try this quote from legendary Los Angeles sports writer Jim Murray, writing about Burris who played with several teams before the Expos: “…Ray Burris, one of those pitchers who has been through more towns than a steamboat trunk.”  For some humor from the author, try this for a reason that Dick Williams was fired: “ Youppi! didn’t want to be manager.”  (Note: Youppi! was the Expos’ orange furry mascot)
While the book overall is a decent read, those who were Expos fans or followed the team during its existence will want to pick this up to learn a little more about the man who broke Canada’s heart, Rick Monday. Gallagher’s interviews and writing about Monday since that home run give the reader an inside glimpse into the man that many baseball fans have never seen. For that reason alone, it is a worthy addition to any baseball library.

I wish to thank Dundurn Publishing for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Book Format Read:
E-book (Kindle)
Buying Links: