Saturday, May 30, 2020

Review of "As Good As It Got"

To end a very busy month for this blog, we are going back to 1944 to celebrate the only American League pennant won by the St. Louis Browns before their move to Baltimore in 1954.  It is a complete recap of that special season in which there was a cross-town World Series played in St. Louis.  Here is my review of "As Good As It Got."




Title/Author:
“As Good As It Got: The 1944 St. Louis Browns" by David Allan Heller

Tags:
Baseball, professional, history, championship, Browns

Publish date:
September 28, 2012

Length:
128 pages

Rating: to
4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:
For most of their existence between 1902 and 1953, the St. Louis Browns were one of the poorest teams in the American League, both on the field and at the box office. Usually mired near the bottom of the standings, there was one glorious season for the team during World War II, 1944.  This book by David Allan Heller captures that season in a quick and fun read.

The book is more of a history book than one that will provide great prose and stories as the Browns' 1944 season is told with many game recaps and side stories that affect the team and other contenders for the American League pennant such as the New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers, the two teams that made serious runs for the title along with the Browns. St. Louis started the season with nine consecutive victories, setting a new record for starting a season.

From there the season was a roller coaster ride for the Browns as they fell out of first place, regained the position for the better part of two months, fell out again and finally clinched the pennant on the last day of the season by defeating the Yankees.  Every important play and game are described in good detail, including the six games of the 1944 World Series that was won by the Browns' cross-town rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals.

There are many player stories in the book, from the All-Stars George McQueen and Vern Stephens to lesser known players like Sig Jakucki and Denny Galehouse.  The latter was the surprise starter for game 1 of the World Series and the write up of his victory is done in the same manner as his story – not too long, but just enough to let the reader get a good picture of the game and a brief glimpse into the life and career of the player.

There are also frequent references to the draft status of the Browns players.  Because many other teams' best players were drafted into military service during this time of World War II, the level of the Browns' competition was not as strong as it typically was.  It is noted in the book that many of the Browns' best players were categorized for the draft as 4-F, ineligible for service.  The book does mention that their infield was called the "4-F infield" because all four players in the starting infield had this draft status.

This book is recommended for readers who want to learn more about the only pennant-winning season for the Browns.  While there is good detail to the game accounts and the pennant race, it is not an in-depth book that would capture the interest of baseball historians – instead it is better suited for more casual fans and at 128 pages, is a very quick but satisfying read for that purpose.
                                    
Book Format Read:
E-book (Kindle)

Buying Links:







Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Review of "Kooks and Degenerates on Ice"

1970 was a very iconic year for sports and one of those iconic moments was the photo of Bobby Orr celebrating his goal that won the Stanley Cup midair.  That photo is on the cover of this book that celebrates that Boston Bruins team and is a quick, easy read for hockey fans.  Here is my review of "Kooks and Degenerates on Ice"

Title/Author:
“Kooks and Degenerates on Ice: Bobby Orr, the Big Bad Bruins and the Stanley Cup Championship That Transformed Hockey” by Thomas J. Whalen

Tags:
Ice Hockey, professional, championship, history, Bruins

Publish date:
May 13, 2020

Length:
240 pages

Rating:
4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:
On May 10, 1970 Bobby Orr scored the game winning goal in game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals, giving his Boston Bruins a series sweep over the St. Louis Blues and the Stanley Cup championship.  Immediately after he shot the puck, he was tripped by a Blues defender, sending him airborne and creating one of the most famous photographs in sport history. The story of Orr, that team and the road to their championship is remembered in this book by Thomas J. Whalen.

This book has all the elements that are typical for a book about a championship team or season: there are game recaps, especially for the playoffs and all four games of the Finals. There are plenty of stories about players for the team featured.  In this case, among the prominent Bruins from that club discussed are Orr, Phil Esposito, Derek Sanderson and Gerry Cheevers.  Something that isn’t usually included in this type of book is player profiles from other teams. Whalen included profiles of such personalities as Glenn Hall and Bobby Hull, goaltender for the Blues and forward for the Chicago Blackhawks respectively.  There is also a final look at the Bruins and the key players after that championship season.

All of these sections make for easy, entertaining reading. It does feel a bit choppy when describing the actual 1969-70 season as that is where many of the player profiles are placed in a random manner.  Before this, there was much text about the social and political situation of 1970 along with a brief history of the Boston Bruins.  This was good information that took about 25% of the book, but reading through this was worth the time, especially the Bruins history.  That sets the tone for the wild season in which, in the words of Eddie Johnston, “a bunch of kooks and degenerates who get along” won the Stanley Cup.

Hockey fans will enjoy this book, especially Bruins fans, as a colorful team won one of the most prized trophies in sports with an iconic photo to capture the championship moment.  The 50th anniversary of this team is remembered well in this book. 

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

Buying Links:

Monday, May 25, 2020

Review of "One Tough Out"

As noted at the end of this review, I have been a fan of Rod Carew ever since I learned about baseball as a young boy.  So naturally I wanted to read his new memoir and it was as inspiring as I hoped it would be.  Here is my review of "One Tough Out"





Title/Author:
“One Tough Out: Fighting Off Life’s Curveballs” by Rod Carew and Jaime Aron

Tags:
Baseball, professional, memoir, Twins, Angels, faith

Publish date:
May 12, 2020

Length:
336 pages

Rating:
5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:
Rod Carew’s baseball career was one of excellence.  In 19 seasons with Minnesota Twins and California Angels, Carew won seven batting titles, one Most Valuable Player award (1977 with the Twins), was an All-Star in 18 of his 19 seasons and amassed 3053 hits.  He was elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame on his first year of eligibility in 1991.  But just five years later, he went through what no parent should experience – the loss of a child as his youngest daughter Michelle died of complications from leukemia at 18 years old.  His grief and subsequent healing from this tragedy and his own life-threatening heart condition, as well as his baseball career, are captured in this poignant memoir written with Jaime Aron.

The book starts with Carew beginning to play a round of golf in September 2015 when he suffers a heart attack in the first tee box and is rushed to the hospital.  He states that he saw a guardian angel – just what his daughter told him when she was brought back to life during her battle with leukemia.  That sets the tone for the second half of the book as Carew shares his pain at losing his youngest daughter to her death and his other two daughters afterward as they left with their mother when she and Carew divorced soon after Michelle’s passing.  Carew stated that “the demise and death of a teenage daughter either brings a husband and wife closer together or tears them apart.  Michelle’s death tore us apart.”

Enter Rhonda Fedden. After meeting after a game in which Carew gave Rhonda and a friend jackets from the dugout when he was the hitting coach for the Milwaukee Brewers he got her phone number – “Her last four digits were 3053.  That’s the number of hits I had in my career.” They married in 2001 and both of them place their faith as very important in their life and it is clear in the writing that this faith not only carried them through Carew’s heart attack and subsequent heart and kidney transplants, but also when meeting the family of the 29 year old donor and having them become part of the family.  Carew notes that the donor’s age matched his jersey number for both the Twins and Angels – another sign that God was watching over Carew.

Speaking of faith, Carew makes it known that while he did practice Judaism when he was married to his first wife (whose name is never mentioned, but was Marilyn) he never converted as was a popular myth made famous by Adam Sandler’s “Chanukah Song.”  When Carew met with Sandler and told him this, it made for one of the lighter moments in the second half of the book.

The first half is dedicated to Carew’s childhood and baseball career, which had plenty of interesting stories. Born in Panama and raised in an abusive environment in which he and his mother suffered at the hands of his father, they eventually found their way to New York City, where a Twins scout conducted a tryout for Carew and after seeing him hit, hid him in the clubhouse so that the Yankees wouldn’t also see Carew perform.  The Twins signed him and after some time in the minor leagues, he became the 1967 American League Rookie of the Year and his career took off from there.

Carew shares stories of both his bond with teammates and his moodiness (he called it his “fight or flight”, in which he wanted to use the flight) that nearly caused him to quit the game several times.  The teammates he remembered most fondly are Tony Oliva and Harmon Killebrew from the Twins and Don Baylor with the Angels.  Oliva and Carew are still close friends to this date and he remained in touch with “Charlie” (Killebrew) and “Groove” (Baylor) until their deaths in 2011 and 2017 respectively. 

There are three other people who are often mentioned in the baseball section as being important to his career – Billy Martin, Calvin Griffith and Gene Autry.  Carew credits Martin with not only helping him stay with the Twins (Martin was a coach with the Twins at the time) but also to help him become a better base stealer and bunter, two parts of the game in which he excelled.  While Carew left the Twins because of some actions and a racist rant by Griffith, they eventually mended their relationship to the point that Griffith was one of the first people Carew called after he learned he was elected to the Hall of Fame.  Of note, both Martin and Griffith were prominently mentioned in his induction speech.  Carew also heaped praise for Gene Autry, “Groove” and Reggie Jackson as important people during his time in Anaheim.

Reading about Carew’s career, his grief over losing his daughter, his faith and strength during his near-death experience and his love for his wife and her children (he adopted them soon after marrying Rhonda) as well as the family of his donor will leave the reader inspired and joyful.  The manner in which he fought off “curveballs”, whether in the batter’s box or for bigger issues in his life, is an inspiring story that any reader will enjoy, especially if the reader is a fan of Rod Carew the player as this reviewer has been since learning the game.
                       
Book Format Read:
E-book (Nook)                                                                                                                                 

Buying Links:

Sunday, May 24, 2020

Review of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR"

As a fan of NASCAR for many years now, I was thrilled when live racing recently returned.  I watched both Cup series races and one Xfinity race with a crazy ending and remembered why I love this sport.  So, it is only appropriate that on the weekend of the longest race of the season I review a book on the sport - it is a book that comes highly recommended to new NASCAR fans as it covers the many ways one can enjoy the race experience.  Here is my review of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR"



Title/Author:
“The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers’ Guide to Big Time Stock Car Racing” by Greg Engle

Tags:
Auto Racing, NASCAR, history

Publish date:
June 6, 2017

Length:
242 pages

Rating:
4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:
The history of NASCAR is one that is very colorful and the rise of the sport’s popularity, especially during the 1990’s, also makes for good reading. This history makes up about half of this very informative book on the sport by Greg Engle.  The second half of the book talks about the subtitle of the book – namely how fans can enjoy the race experience, whether at the track, watching on television or online.

The book is geared mostly toward new or casual fans of stock car racing, as there are many definitions of the terms commonly used in both broadcasts of the races and by the drivers and crew members.  Illustrations help with these definitions, such as describing the aerodynamics of air flowing around the cars when explaining the difference between “clean air” and “dirty air.”  Some basic mechanical parts of the car are also explained in terms of how they affect the speed and handling.  A reader does not have to have much knowledge or experience with car mechanics to understand these explanations which helps explain these concepts to the new fan.

The section on the history of the sport is informative and while it takes up a good chunk of the book, it is complete up to the time of publication and paints a good picture of the different eras of NASCAR without getting too bogged down in detail or omitting important events and drivers.  It was fun to read about the early days of moonshine bootlegging, the crazy ending to the 1979 Daytona 500 and the rivalry of the 1990’s between Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Jeff Gordon.  A new or casual fan will certainly learn a lot about NASCAR in this portion and even long-time fans might pick up some new information.

However, the best part of this book is saved for the second half and that is Engle’s guide for how to enjoy the sport, no matter how one is watching.  The section on the many ways that NASCAR can connect with fans online was new to this reviewer, who has followed the sport for many years, mainly by watching on television and attending a few races.  Those experiences are covered quite extensively as well, so no matter how a person wants to enjoy the thrill of a NASCAR race, this book will be a handy guide on what to expect and how to get the most out of the event. 

                       
Book Format Read:
E-book (PDF)                                                                                                                                   

Buying Links:



Saturday, May 23, 2020

Review of "Gotham Baseball"

While I cannot call myself a big fan of New York baseball except for the Mets, I nonetheless was intrigued by the subject of this book when making up an all-New York baseball team.  It was a terrific, quick read that baseball readers would enjoy, whether or not they are New York fans.  Here is my review of "Gotham Baseball"



Title/Author:
“Gotham Baseball: New York’s All Time Team” by Mark C Healey

Tags:
Baseball, professional, history, Yankees, Giants, Mets, Dodgers

Publish date:
April 6, 2020

Length:
208 pages

Rating:
5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:
One of the best aspects of sports is that it leaves room for spirited debates, especially when trying to determine who was the best at whatever position, sport, or topic being discussed.  This book will certainly ignite one of those debates, as sports journalist Mark Healey lists his all-time New York baseball team from all four major league teams that have called the city their home.

It should be noted right away that Healey is a Mets fan and wears that on his sleeve (or on the pages) throughout the book.  However, that doesn’t take away his objectivity in selecting this team as all four teams are well represented and he makes solid arguments for each one. This includes selections that on the surface seem impossible to believe, such as Joan Payson as the best owner over George Steinbrenner or Jacob Ruppert and Mike Piazza as the best catcher over Yogi Berra, Bill Dickey or Roy Campanella.  

These really are not bad choices once he writes his explanation and he also includes praise for others who deserve consideration for the honor.  This includes chapter on other positions where the choice was very easy, such as Lou Gehrig at first base, Babe Ruth in right field and Derek Jeter at shortstop.  Each honoree on Healey’s team is given the praise he or she rightfully deserves.

Healey’s experience covering New York baseball is evident throughout the book as he weaves many personal observations in the text.  At first, this reviewer thought it was going to be very self-serving, but while reading the book, it is clear that is not the case – these observations are simply used as evidence on why he chose the players he did for this team.  It should also be noted that Healey does a lot of “book-dropping” (like name dropping) for sources of information on the chapter subject and that is proof of his extensive research for the book as well.  There are so many good baseball books referenced in this one that any reader who loves to read on the sport will have his or her to-be-read list grow while reading this one.

Any reader interested in New York baseball, whether past or current, will enjoy reading about this all-New York team and the debates that are sure to follow when discussing who were the best players in New York baseball history.
                       
Book Format Read:
E-book (Kindle)                                                                                                                               

Buying Links:


Thursday, May 21, 2020

Review of "Revolutions"

This book was another one that once I started reading it, I realized it was about a completely different topic than what I expected - and that was a good topic.  I never knew how much the bicycle has been a part of the women's movement for equality.  Here is my review of the book that shows that connection, "Revolutions"



Title/Author:
“Revolutions: How Women Changed the World on Two Wheels” by Hannah Ross

Tags:
Cycling, women, politics, equality

Publish date:
June 9, 2020

Length:
368 pages

Rating:
4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:
While today it is certainly not unusual to see female bicycle riders, that has not always been normal.  From the early days of the bicycle when Victorian patriarchy ruled the day to modern feminist calls for equal pay for equal activity, the bicycle has played an important part in the advancement of the women’s movement.  One just needs to read this book by Hannah Ross to see just how much the bicycle has been a part of the movement.

Starting from the Victorian era with the wide ankle length dresses that made riding nearly impossible to a group of women riding each stage of the 2019 Tour de France a day before the paid male riders would hit that stage, Ross writes about the role of the bicycle and how activist women would either use the bike to show what women could do that went well beyond beating men at bike races or to just get some exercise which was something women weren’t supposed to do at that time.

While most of the book is about the struggle for women’s equality, there is some good writing in the last third of the book about competitive cycling and the races in which women have participated. This is especially true for the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Ross also gives some much needed publicity to today’s competitive races for women – the biggest of these, the Giro Rosa, has to compete for attention with the Tour de France and sadly is not well known.  While there have been strides made in competitive cycling for women, Ross shows there is a long way to go.

More of a book on feminism and women’s rights, this book nonetheless is a very good read for those who wish to learn how the bike has been a part of the lives of millions of women in so many different ways.

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

Buying Links:

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Review of "The NFL in the 1970's"

As a Minnesota Vikings fan, I enjoyed reading this book for the great memories (okay, mostly great as long as we ignore their four Super Bowl losses that decade) about not only my team but for the entire sport during this decade.  Here is my review of "The NFL in the 1970's"


Title/Author:
“The NFL in the 1970’s: Pro Football’s Most Important Decade” by Joe Zagorski

Tags:
Football (American), history, professional

Publish date:
June 24, 2016

Length:
444 pages

Rating:
4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:
The 1970’s brought numerous changes to the business side of the NFL as well as the product on the field.  This book by Joe Zagorski is a very good recap of that decade for not only explaining all of these changes, but for a thorough description of the important games, players and teams of that decade.

Practically anything a reader wants to know about the league between 1970 and 1979 is covered in the book.  Each chapter covers one year, ending with the Super Bowl played the following January (the Super Bowl was still played in January at that time).  The bulk of the material covers important games from each week including the divisional playoffs, the conference championships and the Super Bowl.  Of course, the better teams from that time are covered more in depth, but even weaker teams get mentioned as well. If there is any memorable game from that decade, it is included here. Whether it was when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finally won their first game in 1978 after losing 26 straight games, the “Hail Mary” game between Dallas and Minnesota in the 1975 playoffs (a bitter memory for this reviewer) or the longest game in NFL history between Kansas City and Miami in 1971, this book is sure to have something about that game in the appropriate year.

Each chapter begins with the changes made in rules, player transactions, and any other important news that took place.  Topics like the strike by the players’ union during the 1974 training camp and the end of the game between the defending Super Bowl champions and a team of college all-stars are explored in depth as well.  Player profiles from this period are also included within the season summaries. They are not as prevalent as the factual information, but they are still very good.  One of the better profiles was about Conrad Dobler, the St. Louis Cardinals’ guard who was considered by his peers to be the dirtiest player in the league.  It was also nice to read about Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson, an outspoken Dallas Cowboy, and his put-down of Steelers’ quarterback Terry Bradshaw.

Because the recaps of the games and the seasons are very detailed, this is a book not to be picked up for light, pleasure reading.  It should be digested carefully and can also be used as a reference book.  If one wants to see how a particular team did in a particular season, the reader needs only to go to that particular chapter and glance through the text to find something about nearly every team.  Teams that were the powerhouses of the decade, such as Pittsburgh, Dallas, Minnesota, the Los Angeles Rams and Oakland are all examined in depth in the seasons in which they were successful.  This does lead to some repetition between chapters, but some of the information is worth repeating.

Readers who watched the NFL during this time will want to get this book for reliving some great (or maybe not-so-great) memories of their favorite players and teams.  For those who are not familiar with that era, it will be a great book for researching and learning about this important decade in the NFL. The 1970’s brought many changes that still shape the game and how it is played today.

I wish to thank Mr. Zagorski for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
                       
Book Format Read:
Paperback                                                                                                                                        

Buying Links: