Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Review of "A Team of Their Own"

When I ride the train to a sporting event, I like to read a book about the sport that I will be seeing. I picked this book up to read on the train to a hockey playoff game between the Islanders and Hurricanes, and while the game was excellent, this book was even better.  Here is my review of "A Team of Their Own."




Title/Author:
“A Team of Their Own: How an International Sisterhood Made Olympic History” by Seth Berkman
 
Tags:
Ice Hockey, Winter Olympics, politics, women’s sports

Publish date:
October 1, 2019
 
Length:
352 pages

Rating: 
5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:
During the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, some of the most memorable moments were made by a hockey team that didn’t win a medal or even a single game, but made the most powerful statement of unity that could be made.  The Unified women’s hockey team of North and South Korea, together for just over two weeks, showed the world what a unified Korea can look like. The story of this team and many of the inspirational women playing on this team is told in this excellent book by Seth Berkman.
 
The women’s hockey team of South Korea had been struggling to compete in international competitions.  After years of losing by scores that were more common in American football instead of hockey, South Korean sports leaders decided to open up spots on the team to players who are of Korean decent but live elsewhere. Players such as Randi Griffin, Danelle Im and Marissa Brandt, who were American citizens through either emigration or adoption but of Korean descent, were added to the team. Sarah Murphy, a Canadian woman, who was the daughter of a legendary NHL and Team Canada coach, had the formidable task of integrating these players with the veteran players of the team such as goalie Shin So-Jung, who was in net for many of those blowout losses but was clearly the most talented player on the team.
 
Berkman does a wonderful job of portraying these players, the coach and others as the team prepares for the 2018 Winter Olympics, in which they had to prove they would be competitive in order to receive the spot in the tournament that is given to the host nation. This included games in the United States against high school and college teams in which the team grew closer, both in terms of chemistry and scores on the ice.
 
Then, two weeks before the start of the Olympics, with a berth in the tourney secured, the government of both North and South Korea along with the International Olympic Committee, announced that players from North Korea would also be joining the women’s hockey team and they would play as a Unified Korea team.  This led to even more confusion and frustration for the players who have already trained and played together.  For veterans like Shin, this meant they would now have to acclimate to new players twice, having already accepted the “imports” like Griffin, Im and Brandt.  They somehow made it work and even though the team did not win a match during the Games, they were the main story of the Olympics with the support they drew from all Koreans and the emotions they left both on the ice and through their interactions with the fans.  Berkman shines in this portion of the book, making the reader feel like he or she is right there with the team, not only on the ice during the games, but also when they are receiving all the support and adulation from the Korean fans.  At times, it may make readers get emotional themselves.
 
This book was just as good as was the story of the Unified team.  Any reader who likes hockey, especially Olympic hockey, will need to read this book.  One will feel quite inspired after reading the adventures of these young women.
 
I wish to thank Hanover Square 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/Team-Their-Own-Sisterhood-Sacrifice/dp/1335005536/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
 
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-team-of-their-own-seth-berkman/1130040649?ean=9781335005533

Sunday, April 28, 2019

Review of “Life Is a Marathon”

This review will be a little different for two reasons.  One, it is the first memoir I have read about running.  Second, I am trying out a new tablet with a keyboard so (hopefully) I will be able to post without having to wait for when I am at a computer.  This was a very good memoir - here is my review of  “Life Is a Marathon.”




Title/Author:
“Life Is a Marathon: A Memoir of Love and Endurance” by Mark Fitzgerald

Tags:
Running, memoir, amateur

Publish:
March 26, 2019

Length:
288 pages

Rating:
4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:
Becoming a world-class marathon runner takes a lot of sacrifice, dedication and love for the sport. The same qualities are present in people who support family members with mental health issues.  Mark Fitzgerald, who has written several running books, shares his life experiences in both of these topics in this compelling memoir.

The most striking feature about the book is the ending of each chapter.  Fitzgerald will make a personal discovery on how the experiences he shared in the chapter help him realize a new realization about what that meant to him in the bigger picture of life.  Whether it was him assisting a woman in the last few miles of a marathon to help her finish at the sacrifice of his own time or how he feels when he has to call authorities after his wife Nataka attacks him yet again due to her bipolar condition, his realization of what he has discovered is always touching and will make a reader pause to consider.

Each chapter is filled with good detail about what Fitzgerald is experiencing and what is most telling and sets this one apart from many sports memoirs is the emotion that will be felt by the reader.  Whether it is the terrifying moments when his wife is attacking him with a knife, the sadness he feels when she is yet again involuntarily hospitalized, the agony of an injury during a race or the elation at winning or beating personal bests, this book is one that tugs at the heart in every imaginable way.

Runners and non-runners alike will want to read this one as it covers a wide range of topics and emotions.  Many of the stories will be ones that readers can relate to, and even if not, they will be enjoyed.

I wish to thank Da Capo Lifelong Books for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book format read:
E-book (Kindle)

Buying Links:
Amazon.com: Life Is a Marathon: A Memoir of Love and Endurance eBook: Matt Fitzgerald: Kindle Store

Life Is a Marathon: A Memoir of Love and Endurance by Matt Fitzgerald, Hardcover | Barnes & Noble®





Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Guest post - Review of "One Shot at Forever" by Sports Book Lady

This book is one that the Sports Book Lady and I have discussed along with another reader on Goodreads.  Published in 2012, it paints a good picture of not only high school baseball, but small town America in the 1970's.  The Sports Book Lady's review of "One Shot at Forever."




Rating:
4 of 5 stars

Review:
As the weather starts to warm up and baseball season is finally in full swing, I could be a commercial for Major League Baseball's AtBat app as a person who is either watching, listening to, reading about, or pondering the game of baseball. From the first pitch of the season to its last, America's pastime dominates how I formulate my day as I base it on when my team plays. Recently, a GoodReads friend alerted me to a baseball book that was not yet on my radar, one that takes readers back nearly fifty years to small town Illinois and shows kids who play the game simply because it is fun. Taking place before teenagers specializing in one sport year round and mentioning both my home town and high school, I knew that One Shot at Forever by Chris Ballard was a book that I had to read early in this 2019 baseball season.

It is 1971 and the United States is fractured from race riots and the Vietnam war. Yet in tiny Macon, Illinois, a small town closer to St. Louis than Chicago, the residents appear stuck in the past. The Greatest Generation who fought in World War II still dominates the fabric of the town, and the majority of residents work as farmers, at longtime companies like Caterpillar, or at the small businesses or community services dotting the town. With a population of under 1000 comprised of large families who have lived in Macon or neighboring Elwin for generations, everyone either is related to or knows everyone else. Macon High School consisted of 250 students and could barely field teams in any sport, and when they did, the school rarely gave coaches any economic support. No matter how high school athletes did on the field, the boys were considered role models for the younger kids in town, as Macon High athletics were a bigger deal than minor league or professional sports. To play as a Macon High Ironman was an honor, and townspeople talked about key games on the schedule for years to come.

As the town remained rooted in the past, residents were in for the ride of their lives when English teacher named Lynn Sweet came to town in 1968. An army brat turned hippie who did things to the beat of a different drummer, Sweet was hired by principal Roger Britton on the spot for a job with no other candidates. Assigned sophomore and senior English, Sweet immediately threw away the curriculum, asked students to write their own obituaries, had farm kids never interested in opening a book reading MacBeth and enjoying it, and irking the members of the Greatest Generation who still controlled the town. In 1970 Macon High needed a new baseball coach. Principal Britton knew that Sweet had played semipro ball, organized staff trips to Cubs versus Cardinals games, and that the students loved his idiosyncratic style of teaching. Inheriting a team of nine with no bench, Sweet saw potential and agreed to coach the team in the only way he knew how: by throwing the rules of coaching out the window and letting kids who had grown up together coach themselves.

Today the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) divides schools into classifications based on size. Depending on the sport, there are four to eight divisions of schools, allowing schools the size of Macon High School to only face other small schools on the way to the state playoffs. These divisions did not exist in 1971 as schools like Macon had to face juggernauts from Chicago and its suburbs in route to a state title, making the season about to occur even more improbable. Lynn Sweet knew that his 1971 team was good. The players, consisting of mainly juniors and seniors knew that this was their last hurrah as kids before going off to college or being drafted to fight in Vietnam. Lead by alternate pitchers and third basemen John Hanneberry and Steve Shartzer, the Macon High team knew that they had the entire town following their every move, and the boys knew that they were good. Buying into Sweet's coaching philosophy, the team wore mismatched jerseys, had peace signs ironed onto their caps, warmed up to Jesus Christ, Superstar, and chilled by going on fishing trips or playing cards with their coach. And then the impossible happened: Macon made it to the mythical state playoffs in Peoria, and all small towns in central Illinois jumped on the Ironmen bandwagon.

Part Hoosiers and part One Championship Season, Ballard tells of a simpler time in a small town stuck in the past. In a feel good story, even someone like myself who grew up in one of these suburban juggernauts that has won multiple state titles in a myriad of sports can not help but root for small town Macon High School. The story has that feel good element to it, and Ballard follows up by interviewing the players and coach to see where they are in life forty years later. One member of the team, Brian Snitker is today the manager of the Atlanta Braves and even he is Macon through and through, playing the team's theme song on his way to spring training each year. The rest of the guys live near or around Macon, and the 1971 baseball team is still talked about as though it was yesterday although some of the team has grandchildren competing for Macon, now known as Meridian High School. Chris Ballard has exposed his readers to a slice of Americana that is becoming a relic of the past and a joy to read about.

*4+ stars*

Introduction - Sports Book Lady

In addition to posting book reviews here, I am active in Goodreads, a social media site dedicated to books.  There, I am a co-moderator of the baseball book club with Brina Gonzalez and we talk baseball, baseball books and other baseball-related topics.  She is also an avid reader and reviewer.  I have decided to dedicate my reviews only to books that are sent to me for review by authors and publishers.  For reviews of other books that are a little older, Brina will occasionally post reviews here so that followers can get reviews and information on even more sports books.  Please join me in welcoming Brina to the blog - below is a short bio she submitted to introduce herself.

Brief Bio- Chicagoan living in Cincinnati, mother of four kids and seven cats. Cubs fan since birth and avid reader since teaching herself by reading box scores in the Chicago Tribune. Favorite saying is “a day without day baseball is a day without sunshine.” Besides sports, enjoys cooking, volunteering at kids’ school, and a day at the beach, preferably Lake Michigan in summer.

Tuesday, April 23, 2019

Review of "Son of Havana"

I remembered watching Luis Tiant as a child when he pitched one season for my favorite team, the Minnesota Twins.  He had a good year, but was hurt and later went to the Boston Red Sox where achieved his best seasons.  His life in and out of baseball is captured in his memoir.  Here is my review of "Son of Havana". 


Title/Author:

“Son of Havana: A Baseball Journey from Cuba to the Big Leagues and Back” by Luis Tiant with Saul Wisnia



Tags:
Baseball, memoir, professional, Indians, Twins, Red Sox, Yankees



Publish date:

May 14, 2019


Length:

300 pages


Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)


Review:

One of the most charismatic players to ever don a big league uniform, Luis Tiant was best known for his unusual pitching motion while compiling very good statistics for four teams in the 1960’s and 1970’s.  His story, from the rock-strewn fields in his native Cuba to his glory days in Major League Baseball are captured in his memoir written with Saul Wisnia.



As sports memoirs go, there isn’t anything different in the format of the book as Tiant talks about his childhood, his family, his career in both the minor and major leagues and how he has enjoyed his life after baseball.  He tells many stories about teammates, the camaraderie on the teams, and the most exciting games in which he participated.  The biggest of these games, the two games he started for the Boston Red Sox in 1975, were the best parts of his baseball memoires as it is clear that he enjoyed performing on the big stage.  While he shares mostly positive memoires of his time with the Cleveland Indians (he was always grateful to their general manager, Gabe Paul, for giving him a chance), Minnesota Twins and New York Yankees, it is clear that he relishes his time with the Red Sox best.



This was also evident in his stories about non-baseball events in Boston during that time. Being a dark-skinned Cuban, he was always subject to the prejudice and racism that was prevalent during his playing days, but he never let that make him angry or seek revenge. Instead, he always wanted to prove the racists wrong by being the best pitcher he could be. Tiant was also a beloved figure to people of all races in Boston – this was especially noticed during the unrest the city experienced when desegregation of schools by busing was done in the mid 1970’s. He was a voice of calm during this time that people of all races heard.



What I liked best about the book is how Tiant wrote with his heart on his sleeve about every topic.  The passages about his family, whether about his wife Maria and their four children or his parents, were clearly written with genuine love and affection.  When two United States Senators worked on his behalf to have Fidel Castro allow his parents to visit Luis in the United States, it was a huge relief for Tiant to be able to see his parents again.  When he left Cuba in 1961, he feared he would never see them again.  Reading about the joy he felt when he was able to share his biggest moment in his career, winning a World Series game with his parents present, will make any reader feel the joy.



Baseball fans and readers who followed the game during the period in which Tiant played will enjoy this book as he shares much of his life with readers, including why he had that famous delivery.  No spoilers here – read the book to find out.   



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


Book Format Read:
E-book (Kindle)


Buying Links:



Friday, April 19, 2019

Review of "No Place I Would Rather Be"

Followers of this blog know that one of my favorite authors is Roger Angell.  When I saw this book in the University of Nebraska Press catalog, I was very excited to read it and it is just as good as I had hoped.  Here is my review of "No Place I Would Rather Be"


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Title/Author:
“No Place I Would Rather Be: Roger Angell and a Life in Baseball Writing” by Joe Bonomo
 
Tags:
Baseball, biography, writing
 
Publish date:
May 1, 2019

Length:
232 pages

Rating: 
5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:
One of the most acclaimed writers of baseball literature and essays is Roger Angell, who had a long writing career with the magazine The New Yorker.  When he began to write about baseball for the magazine, it launched a career filled with personal satisfaction, much praise and a litany of baseball writing for readers to devour. Angell’s career and life are portrayed in this excellent book by Joe Bonomo.
 
From the beginning, Bonomo emphasizes that this is NOT a biography. This is correct – while the book starts with a description of Angell’s childhood, early adult life and how he got his job at the magazine, the book is more of a sharing of Angell’s work and his thoughts about the game and his career.
 
Bonomo does a thorough job of covering all the major topics in baseball about which Angell wrote. Readers of this book will learn (if they doesn’t already know) about Angell’s love for both the Boston Red Sox AND the New York Mets.  It makes sense – the Red Sox because he grew up in New England and the Mets as he wrote about them since the franchise began in 1962. 
 
They will also see that Angell may have to adapt to some of the changes that the sport has undergone but he still holds the same opinions today, at age 99, that he did in his youth.  These cover a wide range of topics from televised games to expansion teams to expanded playoffs. However, just as Angell always does with his essays, Bonomo makes sure that the reader understands that at the heart of if all, baseball is still described as the best game in a manner only Angell can communicate.
 
Whether or not one has read any of Angell’s work, this book is one that every baseball fan will want to pick up to learn more about this man who brings to life in words the feelings and memories that fans of the game cherish forever.
 
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:
 
https://www.amazon.com/No-Place-Would-Rather-Be/dp/1496213254/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=    

Wednesday, April 17, 2019

Review of "The Pittsburgh Cocaine Seven"

Every now and then, it is good to pick up an older book to read about some part of sports history that may not be remembered so well.  The cocaine scandals in baseball of the 1980's are one such incident, and this book from 2010 is a excellent account of it.




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Title/Author:

“The Pittsburgh Cocaine Seven: How a Ragtag Group of Fans Took the Fall for Major League Baseball” by Aaron Skirboll
 
Tags:
Baseball, Pirates, history, drugs, legal

Publish date:
July 27, 2010

Length:
296 pages

Rating: 
5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

While baseball’s most notable controversy over drugs was about performance enhancement drugs, there was one in the 1980’s over the rampant use of cocaine by major league players.  Many star players from that era, such as Keith Hernandez, Lonnie Smith and Dave Parker, were called to testify at the trials of seven citizens on felony charges stemming from their interactions with many of these players.  This book on the “hero worship” by some of these men as well as a vivid description of the trial of Curtis Strong (where the players testified) is an excellent account of that period.
 
The author, Aaron Skirbol, does his homework and his legwork in capturing the stories of many of these men, such as Kevin Koch and Dale Shiffman.  Koch was able to get close to the players as the mascot of the Pittsburgh Pirates and as a result he was able to invite others to the inner world of drugs, parties, women and fantastic nightlife.  Something that Skirbol does well is illustrate that these men, who eventually were all given prison sentences, didn’t make much money off of these deals. The interviews with them and several others paint the players as cheap and not paying the men the agreed upon price time and time again. 
 
Something else Skirbol does with some skillful writing is to connect the cocaine scandal of the 1980’s to the use of “greenies” in the 1960’s and 1970’s as well as the steroid use of the 1990’s.  One overriding theme made during the book – the player’s union resistance to allowing drug testing made these scandals possible. 
 
The best part of the book, however, is the trial of Strong.  His attorney stated that he would show that he was going to put Major League baseball on trial and show that his client was not the one who should be ashamed.  While Strong was eventually found guilty, Skirbol’s account of the trial illustrated that it was exactly as the defense intended – baseball itself was the true loser of this trial as the shine on many of its stars became very tarnished.  Readers interested in this slice of baseball history should read this book.
 
Book Format Read:
E-book (Kindle) 

Buying Links:
 
https://www.amazon.com/Pittsburgh-Cocaine-Seven-Ragtag-Baseball-ebook/dp/B005AK6MAC/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
 
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pittsburgh-cocaine-seven-aaron-skirboll/1100260919?ean=9781569762882

Sunday, April 14, 2019

Review of "Chumps to Champs"

While younger fans may not be able to believe this, the New York Yankees were actually a bad team at one time.  Their rise back to baseball royalty is captured in this excellent book by Bill Pennington.  Here is my review of "Chumps to Champs"


Title/Author:
“Chumps to Champs: How the Worst Yankee Teams in History Became the Torre-era Dynasty” by Bill Pennington

Tags:
Baseball, professional, history, championship, Yankees

Publish date:
May 7, 2019

Length:
288 pages

Rating: 
5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:
Believe it or not, there was a time – the early 1990’s to be precise – when the New York Yankees were among the worst teams in baseball.  Star players who became free agents, such as Greg Maddux and Barry Bonds, turned down more money from the Yankees to sign with other teams.  Attendance was plummeting.  The owner and a star player were engaged in a conflict that led to the expulsion from baseball (rescinded after two years) of owner George Steinbrenner.  How the team rose from those depths to become the best team in the game later that decade is captured in this informative but fun book by veteran sportswriter Bill Pennington.

More known for his golf writing, Pennington covered the Yankees for a northern New Jersey newspaper in the early 1990’s and therefore had inside information about those woeful Yankee teams and players. The book starts with one of the most infamous games in the team’s history, a 4-0 loss to the Chicago White Sox in which the starting pitcher, Andy Hawkins, did not give up a hit.  The no-hitter was removed from the official records the next year, but the writing about that game and the subsequent information on those Yankee teams was some of the best reading in the entire book.

Pennington then goes on to write about the banishment of Steinbrenner and the circumstances with him and Dave Winfield that led to that suspension. Many believe, including Pennington, that the lack of Steinbrenner’s meddling with the general manager, field manager, scouts and other personnel, turned to be the best thing to happen to the team.  I enjoyed reading about Steinbrenner’s interference, especially when Pennington notes that the press called him “Mr. Tunes”  This came about because, like a jukebox that will play music when you put in a quarter, Steinbrenner was sure to “sing” when a press member would call him.

There are stories about the general manager of the team during this time when Steinbrenner was away, Gene “Stick” Michael.  Not only did Michael put the team together, especially with the “Core Four” of Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettite and Mariano Rivera, Michael was also the one person who could argue against one of the owner’s orders and not only keep his job, but also have his idea put into effect.  This is important because even after Steinbrenner’s return to the team in 1993, Michael still ran the show and Pennington’s writing reflects that. 

There are plenty of stories about the Core Four and also Bernie Williams, who also played a key role in the Yankees’ success in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s.  Readers who have read other sources on these players will not learn much new information on them, but for readers who want to learn more about how Jeter, Posada, Pettite and Rivera rose through the minor league system of the Yankees to become the dominant players they became, this book is a very good source for that.

There are many “what if” situations that came close to fruition that seem very implausible to think about now. Steinbrenner threatened to move the Yankees without a new stadium (that became a reality in 2009). There were several times where the team was going to trade either Jeter or Rivera. This is especially true for Rivera when he was a middling starting pitcher and hadn’t yet become the dominant closer he would become.  Also, the transformation of Posada from a second baseman to a catcher is something that seems hard to believe now – Posada turning the double play ball at second. These passages were also excellent parts to read, as was the thrilling 1995 Divisional Series playoff against the Seattle Mariners.  While the Yankees ultimately lost that series, it was compelling reading.  Nearly 24 years after those games, I was getting goose bumps while reading about game five, even though I knew the outcome.

Yankee fans will especially want to read this excellent account about the team.  It is complete in every way – from the action on the field to the maneuvering in the front office, this is an outstanding account of restoring the luster of the most successful franchise in the four major sports.

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 (Kindle)

Buying Links:



Friday, April 12, 2019

Review of "The National Team"

It's hard to believe that it has already been 20 years since the US Women's National Team captured the hearts of the nation with a stunning victory in the Women's World Cup.  Since then, they have been one of the most successful soccer teams in the world, men or women.  This is a great book on that team - here is my review.




­

Title/Author:
“The National Team: The Inside Story of the Women who Changed Soccer” by Caitlin Murray
 
Tags:
Soccer, history, women, championship

Publish date:
April 2, 2019

Length:
352 pages

Rating: 
5 of 5 stars (outstanding)


Review:
In 1999, a revolution occurred in not only women’s soccer, but for women’s sports in general.  The United States women’s national team captured the World Cup in front of packed stadiums across the country, capped off by a thrilling win on penalty kicks in the Rose Bowl against China.  While this was the first tourney in which many people saw the team, this was not the beginning of the women’s national team, nor would the team rest on its laurels.  The entire history of the team, from the humble beginnings in 1985 to the team looking to defend its title in the 2019 World Cup, is captured in this excellent book by Caitlin Murray.
 
While Murray starts the book with the 1999 team and its watershed victory, her research goes back further to the beginnings of the team 14 years earlier.  However, more than the early history of the team, the best research and writing is about what the team endured after 1999, when it was struggling to earn equal pay, equipment and facilities to that of the US men’s national team.  It should be noted that the men have not come close to matching the success of the women on the field, having never won a World Cup and failing to quality for the tourney in 2018.  In this context, it is often asked why the men’s team is being paid more for less success.
 
Interviews with scores of players, coaches and team officials make the book a complete accounting of the teams.  Controversy is not shied away from – the legal and on-field struggles of goalie Hope Solo is just one example of how the not-so-good times are covered as well as the success.  On them, there is plenty to cover there as well, even when the team was losing veteran players and getting younger, having coaching changes which would mean different styles of play and also tense contract negotiations.  Whatever information a reader wants to find on this team, it will be found in this book.
 
The other theme of the book is to illustrate the struggles of organizing a professional women’s soccer league.  Currently, the US Soccer Federation is making its third attempt at fielding a league, this time with much assistance from the men’s professional league in the United States, Major League Soccer.  Again, like with the other topics, Murray writes about this from a position of knowledge and the reader will learn a great deal about women’s professional soccer in the United States.

Given all of this information, the book is also an easy, fast read.  The pages will be turning quickly as the reader absorbs as much as he or she can about the history of the most successful soccer team in the United States. 

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

Book Format Read:
E-book (PDF)

Buying Links:
https://www.amazon.com/National-Team-Inside-Changed-Soccer/dp/1419734490/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

 

Sunday, April 7, 2019

Review of "The Legendary Harry Caray"

Even though I was never a big fan of Harry Caray, I was interested in reading his upcoming biography as like him or not, no one can deny his status as one of the legends of baseball broadcasting.  Here is my review of "The Legendary Harry Caray."



Title/Author:
“The Legendary Harry Caray: Baseball’s Greatest Salesman” by Don Zminda

Tags:
Baseball, broadcasting, biography, Cardinals, White Sox, Cubs 

Publish date:
April 12, 2019

Length:
352 pages 

Rating: 
5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:
Harry Caray is one of the most famous broadcasters in baseball history.  His lengthy career includes significant time as the lead announcer for three franchises – the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs.  While Caray is best known and most popular for his time with the Cubs, this biography of the broadcasting legend covers his entire career thoroughly for each team as well as his early life.

Born Harry Christopher Carabina, Caray was raised in a modest manner in St. Louis with his siblings by his mother Daisy until she died of pneumonia when Harry was 14. He was also a good baseball player, which is covered in this book as well as his broadcasting ability. When he couldn’t accept a spot on the baseball team at the University of Alabama, he tried to enlist in the armed forces to serve in World War II. Due to poor eyesight, he was rejected but this led to his turning to baseball broadcasting.

Once Caray turned to broadcasting, both his life and the book were much more interesting.  His break came when he was hired to do the games for the St. Louis Cardinals. He was already broadcasting in St. Louis as he was covering minor league hockey games, but his love of baseball and skill at keeping the attention of listeners made the Cardinals want to keep him for many years.  The radio network for the Cardinals, led by 50,000 watt station KMOX, grew exponentially during Caray’s time in St. Louis and the author, Don Zminda, writes that a lot of credit was given to Caray for this growth.

Most of his years in St. Louis, which also included two years of broadcasting the St. Louis Browns, he worked with former catcher Gabby Street.  While he rarely had a negative thought about Street, the same cannot be said for many of Caray’s future broadcasting partners. The book covers many of these strained working relationships which included other legendary baseball broadcasters such as Jack Buck, Milo Hamilton and later with the White Sox, Jimmy Piersall. Most of these relationships were later repaired to the point where everyone but Hamilton had much praise for Caray.

In a dispute that never was fully explained nor understood, including in the book, Caray left the Cardinals in 1970.  He did radio work for the Oakland Athletics for one year before joining the Chicago White Sox, a gig he held for 11 years.  His time with the White Sox was marked by growing popularity with the fans and in turn, the White Sox, who were on the verge of moving, became more popular with the city’s South Side residents.  Like in St. Louis, much of this popularity is given to Caray and the author again gives a complete and balanced account of this opinion. The book also discusses in great detail his harsh criticism of White Sox players such as Bill Melton.  This is another aspect of Caray’s career in which I believed Zminda handled fairly and in a balanced manner.

However, Caray’s legendary status was cemented when he joined the Cubs in 1982, leaving the White Sox and their pay television venture to continue broadcasting on “free” over-the-air TV with the Cubs and WGN.  He was doing games in the bleachers at Wrigley Field and enjoying beers with the fans. He led fans in singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the seventh inning stretch, which became bigger than the Cubs game at times. It is fair to say, and Zminda does so in several ways, that Caray was the reason the Cubs became so popular even when they were not performing well on the field.

His drinking and late-night lifestyle was as legendary as his work. Many people in the book, including his third wife and many broadcast partners, comment that they could not keep up with Harry. After a stroke in 1987 and other medical scares in later years, this was toned down, but Harry still kept up an active nightlife until very late in his life.

There is one more aspect of Caray’s career that Zminda handled very fairly and that was his many mistakes and malapropos late in his career.  While that endeared him even more to many Cubs fans, it was drawing much criticism from other fans and also other baseball journalists, both in print and on the air.  While many of these critics acknowledged his greatness, they simply believed it was time for Harry to retire.  However, that never really happened as he stayed on the air with the Cubs through the 1997 season and he died before the 1998 season. That was hard on his family, not only for his loss, but he was scheduled to broadcast with his grandson Chip beginning that season.  It was the one thing he wanted to do that didn’t happen.  Otherwise, he led an amazing life that any reader who has heard of the man, whether that reader was a fan of Caray or a critic, will want to read about in this excellent book.  

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

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