Review of “The Greatest Summer in Baseball History”

Continuing with my baseball theme to start the new season, this was an audiobook I started on the bus trip back from the Mets home opener and finished a couple days later. Title is a little over the top, but the book is solid. 

Title/Author: “The Greatest Summer in Baseball History” by John Rosenberg, narrated by Barry Abrams

Rating: 4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review: 1973 was an eventful year in both baseball and America. For the latter, several important events that would affect the nation took place. The withdrawal of American troops in Vietnam, the Watergate hearings, and the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision were among the most notable of these. In baseball, the New York Yankees were purchased by a Cleveland shipping company owner named George Steinbrenner, a legendary player played his last season while another chased a hallowed record and a team that frequently fought amongst itself was trying to repeat as champions. That is the setting for this book by John Rosengren. 

Having listened to the audio version, the narration by Barry Abrams is definitely one of the strengths of this book. His telling of some of the major stories in both America and baseball was excellent. Whichever topic was discussed, Abrams did so in a no-nonsense manner that came across much like the news anchors at that time (though non of them were ever mentioned in the book).

The title seems a little hyperbolic as while there were some excellent storylines in that 1973 baseball season, they didn’t feel to be so much better than other years. To his credit, Rosenberg doesn’t compare them to big stories in other years. He sticks with a few topics and covers them thoroughly. These would be the ending of Willie Mays’ career with the New York Mets, Hank Aaron’s pursuit of the all time home run record of 714 by Babe Ruth, the introduction of the designated hitter in the American with a focus on Orlando Cepeda of the Boston Red Sox, and the new Yankee owner who immediately let it be known it was his way or else.

On this last topic, this was the best mix of sports and social or political events of a year or era that I have read in a book of this type. Steinbrenner’s eventual conviction of illegal campaign contributions, especially to President Nixon’s 1972 re-election bid, tied in nicely with the writing on that summer’s Watergate hearings. While not quite as easily done, there are good connections between baseball and these events throughout the book.

As with any book on a baseball season, this climaxes with the World Series. The Mets and the Oakland Athletics played an exciting seven game series won by Oakland to give them back to back championships. The many storylines made by the Athletics, their star Reggie Jackson, and their universally disliked owner Charlie Finley are covered well, as was the unbelievable comeback by the Mets who were left for dead in August only to win the National League East title, then upset the Cincinnati Reds in the NLCS. Of course, the Willie Mays saga is included and overall, the coverage of the baseball is very good, even if it is a bit repetitive on some facts and descriptions. 

Any reader who enjoys books on certain years or seasons in baseball with plenty of social or political commentary will want to check this book out. Highly recommend the audio version. 

Link: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Greatest-Summer-in-Baseball-History-Audiobook/B0C2W37Z93?eac_link=SMHsVJ6gcDX2&ref=web_search_eac_asin_1&eac_selected_type=asin&eac_selected=B0C2W37Z93&qid=X1m21vL1JG&eac_id=141-2071635-4315628_X1m21vL1JG&sr=1-1 

Review of "Schoolboy"

Even though I read a lot about baseball in the early and mid 20th century, I had never heard of Waite "Schoolboy" Hoyt until obtaining this book.  Learned a lot about his life and some about his baseball career.

Title/Author:

“Schoolboy: The Untold Journey of a Yankees Hero” by Waite Hoyt with Tim Manners

Rating: 

3 of 5 stars (Okay)

Review: This is a unique memoir in that the subject of the book died before the book was actually assembled.  Tim Manners took many clippings and notes from former major league pitcher Waite Hoyt and put them together in a manner that reads like a memoir by Hoyt.  Manners deserves a lot of credit for pulling off this project as it does describe Hoyt’s life completely in the first-person narrative.

Maybe it is because of this formatting that while the book mostly describes Hoyt’s life in chronological order, I found it a slog to get through the pages.  Knowing that Hoyt was an important member of one of the greatest baseball teams in history, the 1927 New York Yankees, I expected more about his baseball career and that team.  The parts that do describe any part of his time with that team are mostly about his interactions with teammates, especially Babe Ruth.  However, one of the more interesting parts of the entire book did involve a member of that team, but well after both men had left the Yankees.  When Hoyt was trying to get back into baseball shape one winter, he decided to do so at a local skating rink.  Who did he see at the rink who was also skating as part of his conditioning?  None other than Lou Gehrig!

The encounter with Gehrig, which covers an entire chapter, is an example of how the book reads – some baseball, but mostly topics that are important to Hoyt’s life but are not really part of the game.  There are very interesting events that would not have occurred in Hoyt’s life had he not been a ball player such as meeting Al Capone, but if one is looking for a book on Hoyt’s baseball career, this doesn’t delve into that very deeply.  That is surprising for a memoir, and at times the book does feel tedious to read, but it still deserves some praise just for putting together Hoyt’s complete story.

I wish to thank University of Nebraska for providing a review copy of the book. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.

Link: Amazon.com: Schoolboy: The Untold Journey of a Yankees Hero: 9781496236791: Hoyt, Waite, Manners, Tim, Costas, Bob: Books

Review of "Comeback Pitchers"

When I obtained this book, I had to admit that I knew very little about the two pitchers who are the subjects.  One, I vaguely remembered reading about in a children's baseball book and the other I thought I remembered hearing when one of his records was broken 10 years ago.  Turned out what I remembered about them was correct, and by reading this book, I learned a lot more about both men and their pitching careers.  Here is my review of "Comeback Pitchers." 

Title/Author: “Comeback Pitchers: The Remarkable Careers of Howard Ehmke and Jack Quinn” by Lyle Spatz and Steve Steinberg

Rating: 5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:  Athletes in every sport will hear from others that when their performance or their health is slipping that it is time to give up the sport.  For two pitchers whose best years came in the 1920’s, Howard Ehmke and Jack Quinn, they were no different.  However, what was different is how at an advanced age for a pitcher they both were able to not only lengthen their baseball careers, but also perform at a high level.  Their careers and stories are chronicled in this excellent book by Lyle Spatz and Steve Steinberg.

There are some similarities in their careers.  They both played in the Federal League, a third major league that lasted only three years, 1913-15.  It was Ehmke’s breakthrough after much success in the minor leagues, while for Quinn it was a chance to make more money when he felt that his current team, the Boston Braves, were not giving him enough chances to pitch. They were also teammates for two and a half seasons on the Boston Red Sox (who were not a good team at the time) and later for the Philadelphia Athletics under Connie Mack.

It was here that Ehmke acquired the fame that he was long remembered for – in 1929, he was a “surprise” starter for the Athletics in Game One of the World Series against the Chicago Cubs.  The chapter on this game and the actual events and conversations that led up to the game is one example of the excellence of this book. Spatz and Steinberg dispel many myths about the game, starting with the “surprise” announcement of Ehmke as the starter.  He and Mack had actually worked out an agreement in which while it wasn’t certain that Ehmke would start game one, he was certainly going to be part of the A’s World Series team and contribute.  There are numerous quotes and sources about Ehmke’s start that support the notion that it was not a complete surprise to many in baseball.

This, of course, is not all that is written about Ehmke in the book as the authors included such items as Ehmke’s frequent clashes with Ty Cobb when Ehmke pitched for the Tigers, Ehmke’s very good performance for a terrible Red Sox team and his elation that despite all the health issues he suffered, he was able to be on a championship team in 1929. 

Similar extensive writing and research was done on Quinn as well, but his fame was due more to his longevity instead of any one particular accomplishment. There are three noteworthy records he held for a long time because of his longevity.  One that still stands is that he was only one of three pitchers to appear in a game at age 50 or older.  The other two have since been broken – the oldest player to hit a home run (broken by Julio Franco in 2016) and oldest pitcher to win a game (broken by Jamie Moyer in 2012).  Quinn’s career is covered just as extensively as Ehmke in the book, with detailed pages on his success with many different teams.  It should also be noted that Quinn was one of the last spitball pitchers as those pitchers who used it as their primary pitch were allowed to continue using it after it was banned in Major League baseball in 1920.  That meant he was still throwing the spitter for another 13 years. 

While neither pitcher was ever considered outstanding or had a career that would be considered for the baseball Hall of Fame, this book is one that certainly could be considered to be in that lofty status of baseball books, it was that good.  Because of the detail, it is not one that will be read quickly, but it is so through that a reader will feel like they will now be an expert on the careers of Howard Ehmke and Jack Quinn, two pitchers who certainly can be considered as “comeback pitchers.”

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

Links:  Amazon.com: Comeback Pitchers: The Remarkable Careers of Howard Ehmke and Jack Quinn: 9781496222022: Spatz, Lyle, Steinberg, Steve, Williams, Pat: Books

Review of "Stumbling Around the Bases"

Some people consider themselves political junkies.  I place myself in that category if the politics are those inside baseball and this book is one that any "junkie" like me should pick up.  Here is my review of "Stumbling Around the Bases."

 

Title/Author: “Stumbling Around the Bases: The American League’s Mismanagement in the Expansion Eras ” by Andy McCue

Rating:  5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:  For a significant portion of the latter half of the 20^th Century, the National League was considered the superior of the two leagues in Major League Baseball.  This was due not only because of the play on the field or the faster pace of racial integration in that league, but also because of its actions taken when its franchises would relocate or be added.  This book by Andy McCue concentrates mainly on the American League on that latter topic and explains why, due to its own missteps, why it was considered to be league that reacts instead of leads.

When the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants relocated to Los Angeles and San Francisco respectively in 1958, the National League realized the market for baseball on the West Coast was untapped and wanted to take advantage of this. Seeing how attendance was boosted significantly for the two franchises, the American League also wanted in on West Coast business.  However, as McCue expertly describes, the owners couldn’t agree on a well-researched and reviewed plan and instead hurriedly decided to expand in 1961 to Los Angeles (where their team, the Angels, had to agree to conditions set by the Dodgers) and in Washington, D.C. 

The latter site was chosen only because the American League feared that Congress would take away from baseball the exemption for anti-trust laws after owner Calvin Griffith moved the Washington Senators to Minnesota to start the 1961 season.  This expansion plan, panned by many observers, only set the stage for even more blunders by American League ownership and McCue doesn’t leave many individuals unscathed in his account of these transactions.

Among those who McCue profile to show how the American League executives were not exactly experts at vetting who would become owners are two men who became enemies of the fraternity. One was Charles O. Finley who purchased the Kansas City Athletics and moved them to Oakland (again, going to a West Coast territory already with a National League). The second was Bob Short, who during the 1960’s purchased the expansion Washington Senators team and ended up moving them to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, becoming the Texas Rangers.  Finley and Short, as well as the sale of the New York Yankees to CBS, are all cited as examples of American League ineptitude as well as the tale of Seattle.

Seattle’s part of American League mishandling of expansion and markets is a very interesting story. The Seattle Pilots were one of two expansion teams in 1969 along with the Kansas City Royals (another team that was provided to a market because of fear of retaliation after the city lost the Athletics) but it was clear that the ownership group did not have the funds and backing necessary to run a major league team, nor was there a stadium up to major league standards.  A well-known story but one that is worth mentioning was that fans who had tickets in the left field bleachers had to wait for the paint to dry on the benches in their seating location.  The Pilots ended up in Milwaukee just days before the 1970 season opened and Seattle got its replacement team (see a pattern here?) in 1977 when the Mariners began play in the new Kingdome.

There is a lot of information told in this compact book of approximately 200 pages and that includes the footnotes and references.  This shows the crisp writing and excellent research into these issues that McCue has done.  Readers who enjoy books on the business side of the game and its politics will enjoy this one immensely.  Some of the information may be known from other larger sources, but it will be hard to find another book that tells of the infamy of the American League brass in the 1960’s and 1970’s.

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

Link:  Stumbling around the Bases: The American League’s Mismanagement in the Expansion Eras: McCue, Andy: 9781496207036: Books (amazon.com)

Review of "Rickey"

Spring has begun and now that there is labor peace in baseball, fans and players alike are ready for the season to begin.  Of course, that also includes reading any new or upcoming advance copies of baseball books and this biography of Rickey Henderson is one that many should look for when it is released in June.  Here is my review of "Rickey"

 

Title/Author: “Rickey: The Life and Legend of an American Original” by Howard Bryant

Rating: 5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:  Rickey Henderson was a one-of-a-kind baseball player.  He set many major league records, such as most stolen bases and most home runs to lead off a game.  Those are just two of the many reasons, both on and off the field, that made him one of most interesting people to play the game and this biography of him by Howard Bryant is an excellent book on this excellent and exciting man.

Bryant has written several books on the topic of race and sports, including an excellent biography on Hank Aaron that discusses the topic and this book is very similar.  Bryant takes a critical look at the topic as Henderson had to deal with it during his youth in Oakland, his time in the minor leagues, and especially when he was a member of the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees.  There are many eye-opening passages that deal with race, especially in the chapters when Henderson wore the Yankee pinstripes.  Without being harsh, Bryant does raise some legitimate criticism of the team and specifically owner George Steinbrenner.

The criticism of Steinbrenner is in general terms and the difference in treatment between the team’s white players and the Black players.  In this specific case, that is clear not only in the dealings with Henderson but also with Steinbrenner’s investigation of Dave Winfield.  This is just one example of Bryant’s great writing on the topic, in which he casts a needed critical look but without blanket generalizations.  Another good example is in Oakland during his second tour with the A’s when Henderson, despite setting the record for stolen bases during that time, always seemed to be in the shadow of a more prominent player.  This could be either a teammate (Mark McGuire, Jose Canseco) or an opponent (Nolan Ryan).

This isn’t to say the book is all about that topic. It is a very good and complete look at Henderson’s life and baseball career.  It also has lighter moments, especially when talking about some of the legendary “Rickey being Rickey” stories, whether they are embellishments, legends, or the absolute truth.  These are especially enjoyable to read, such as the story about talking to John Olerud when both were teammates in Seattle when Rickey said that he had a teammate on the Mets who wore a batting helmet in the field like the Mariners’ Olerud did.  That teammate – John Olerud. 

The organization and structure are much like any standard sports biography, but that is about all that is ordinary about this book.  Readers who either enjoy sports biographies or Bryant’s work will want to pick up this one.  While it would be a stretch to call it as unique as Rickey Henderson, it is one that isn’t quite like other biographies – it is even better.

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

Link:  https://www.amazon.com/Rickey-Life-Legend-American-Original/dp/0358047315/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1647951687&sr=8-1

Review of "Connie Mack and the Early Years of Baseball"

While it is not typical for me to review books more than 10 years old, when I visited my local library recently and saw this one, I checked it out and figured it would be one to read a small amount at a sitting over a longer period of time then it usually takes to finish a book.  It was well worth the effort - plus, it's the first book in a trilogy about Connie Mack and the Philadelphia Athletics.  Here is my review of Norman Macht's first book on the legendary man.  

Title/Author:

"Connie Mack and the Early Years of Baseball" by Norman L. Macht

Tags:

Baseball, biography, history, Athletics

Publish date:

September 1, 2007

Length:

742 pages

Rating:

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

Cornelius McGillicuddy, better known as Connie Mack, was one of the more important figures in the early history of baseball.  He is best known as the first manager of the Philadelphia (now Oakland) Athletics, having brining them in as a charter member of the American League.  Mack helped form this league along with Ban Johnson, Charles Comiskey and others to form a true competitor to the National League.  But there is much more to the story of Connie Mack aside from just being the first owner and manager (for more than 50 years) of the Athletics. His life, in and out of baseball, up to 1915 is chronicled in this excellent volume – which is the first of a three-volume set on Mr. Mack, as he was commonly called.  

To cover this much material, the book must be well researched and painstakingly recorded.  It took Macht several years to compile this material and several more years to compose it into the three books.  As one can imagine, the attention to detail is excellent, almost to the point that it feels like the reader thinks that he or she is living in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century. While many have given high praise to Macht for his writing about the Athletics under the helm of Mack, this reader believed that it would not have been as good as it was had he not done an even better job at writing about Connie Mack the catcher, who was usually one of the better players on whichever team that would give him a job, at least when it came to baseball smarts and guile. Mack's prowess as a catcher would benefit him well later when he became a manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the National League.

When he joined the Milwaukee Brewers of the Western League, which later became the American League, Mack answered the call of Ban Johnson to create a team in Philadelphia and it was there that Mack enjoyed his best success to date, winning five of the first 14 American League championships.  Much like Mack's teams, Macht seems to hit everything right when writing about these teams and the colorful characters such as Home Run Baker and Napoleon Lajoie, whom Mack and the Athletics lost in a bitterly contested court case as to whether the player was bound by the contract of his former team.

That part of the book illustrates that no matter what era of baseball one reads about, it has always been a business first and a game second, especially to men like Mack whose livelihood depends on much more than just wins and losses. While this book only takes the reader to 1915 when Mack was still in the dugout for the Athletics into the 1950's, it is an excellent look into the early years of professional baseball and the setting into his life, both personal and professional.

Book Format Read:

Hardcover

Buying Links:

https://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/nebraska/9780803232631/

https://www.amazon.com/Connie-Mack-Early-Years-Baseball-ebook/dp/B00524WGZQ/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1615397209&sr=8-1

Review of "The Short Life of Hughie McLoon"

It isn't often I find a book that has equal parts of more than one sport, but that was the case with this interesting book on a young man whose life ended too soon in the early 20th century - but oh, what a life he lived!  Here is my review of "The Short Life of Hughie McLoon"

Title/Author:

"The Short Life of Hughie McLoon: A True Story of Baseball, Magic and Murder" by Allen Abel

Tags:

Baseball, boxing, biography, Athletics, history

Publish date:

March 9, 2021

Length:

221 pages

Rating:

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

In the early 20^th century, baseball, boxing and life in the United States was in some ways vastly different than today and in others, it seems very similar.  This contrast is illustrated in this biography of a young man who despite living a relatively short life, had many different lifestyles in boxing, baseball and owning a speakeasy in the era of Prohibition.

 

Hughie McLoon had many issues in his life.  He was physically challenged due to a fall off a see saw at age three. His father left his mother when he was five and his stepfather played a more active role in his upbringing, Hughie never officially took the name of his stepfather. However, there were some positives, such winning a Scholars Popularity contest under the name of Hughie Geatens.

 

Hughie's escape was baseball – first when he attended the games of his local team, the Philadelphia Athletics.  He soon became their batboy and mascot.  The latter was not uncommon for people like Hughie as many teams felt that rubbing the heads or humps of either hunchbacks or people of color would bring them luck.  Hughie didn't mind this as felt he had a role on the team, despite their fall to the bottom of the standings.  This section of the book gave a good look into the Athletics at that time, including owner/manager Connie Mack and the inner workings of a baseball team at that time.

The same could be said for managing a boxer as when Hughie's services were no longer needed for the Athletics, he became a mascot and water bucket carrier for local professional boxers, which led him into the life of being a manager in that sport – complete with the ties to organized crime.  Hughie never became part of a mob family, but he had dealings with them frequently in this and his other occupation, the owner of a speakeasy.  Here is where the book is best at its description of early 20^th century Philadelphia, as the push toward Prohibition and the high-living style of the 1920's is on full display.  

These descriptions are what make the book a decent read as the story of Hughie himself at times got lost in the talk of prohibition or baseball business.  Hughie's life may have been too short, and the book at 220 pages might also be considered as such because of all the variations in Hughie's life, but in both cases, it is a fun ride.

I wish to thank Sutherland House 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: The Short Life of Hughie McLoon: A True Story of Baseball, Magic and Murder eBook: Abel, Allen: Kindle Store

Review of "Billy Ball"

I remember well when it was announced Billy Martin would be the next manager of the Oakland A's.  I thought he was crazy to take that job - but it turned out to be one of the better managing jobs for him, both in him returning to his hometown and for the unexpected results.  Here is my review of "Billy Ball"

Title/Author:

“Billy Ball: Billy Martin and the Resurrection of the Oakland A's" by Dale Tafoya

Tags:

Baseball, professional, history, Athletics

Publish date:

March 1, 2020

Length:

264 pages

Rating: to

4 ½ of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

Billy Martin's managing career in major league baseball is remembered primarily for three reasons – his success with the New York Yankees, the numerous times he was fired and rehired by Yankee owner George Steinbrenner and whenever he wasn't managing the Yankees, the team he WAS leading would usually make a substantial leap in the standings and performance.  One of those teams was the Oakland Athletics (or A's for short) and for three years, 1980-82, Martin's team was one of the most improved and exciting teams in baseball.  Those years are captured in this excellent book by Dale Tafoya.

The book starts out with a description of the depths to which the A's had fallen.  In the mid 1970's, the team won three consecutive World Series championships.  But by 1979, with the loss of free agents and owner Charlie Finley unable to afford to pay the higher salaries of the new baseball landscape, the A's sank to the worst record (54-108) and attendance (306,763) in baseball.  That latter figure is one that a reader won't forget as it is mentioned several times throughout the book, the only quibble this reviewer has with the book as it felt like this point was made too often.

However, after this season when Finley and Martin shocked the world when it was announced Martin would become the A's manager for the 1980 season, the book takes off nicely in describing the rise of the A's under Martin, both in wins and attendance.  What makes this part especially good is the writing about the starting pitchers for that 1980 season, when the A's pitchers were throwing many complete games.  The criticism that Martin heard long after that season, that so many complete games took their toll on those pitchers and ended their careers prematurely, is also addressed by talking to each of those pitchers and writers covering the team.  It presents a fair picture of that issue, allowing the reader to make his or her own conclusion.

The 1981 season is the one in which the A's reached their highest peak under Martin, reaching the American League championship series where they were swept by the New York Yankees.  Despite this and the fact that the season was shortened by a mid-season player's strike, it is considered to be one of the most exciting in the franchise's history in Oakland.  The writing about that season is very good as well.  The next year, 1982, was only successful at the turnstiles as while attendance was setting records, the team slumped badly.  Many players had off years (with the notable exception of Rickey Henderson and his setting a new record for stolen bases). However, the book's documentation of that season is mostly on Martin, who was not only getting more upset with his team's performance, but was also considering a return to the Yankees.  In the end, that eventually happened. 

The book is an excellent source of information for not only Martin, but for the background and insight into the A's for that short time frame and it is a good reflection of the time Martin spent managing the team – very good reading from the start, gets better and even though the ending may not be what one wants, the overall takeaway is a very positive one.   

                  

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Billy-Ball-Martin-Resurrection-Oakland-ebook/dp/B0849PLNXN/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/billy-ball-dale-tafoya/1132516508?ean=9781493043637

Review of "Curveball"

Memoirs are probably the most common format of sports books that I review and while this one isn't all that different in format and content than others, it came across as the most honest story told by an athlete about himself.  Here is my review of baseball pitcher Barry Zito's memoir, "Curveball"

Title/Author:

“Curveball: My Story of Overcoming Ego, Finding My Purpose and Achieving True Success:” by Barry Zito

Tags:

Baseball, professional memoir, Athletics, Giants, faith

Publish date:

September 17, 2019

Length:

272 pages

Rating: to

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

Barry Zito was a star pitcher in the early 2000’s for the Oakland Athletics, winning a Cy Young award and was part of the excellent staff for the Athletics that allowed them to compete with teams from bigger markets at the start of the Moneyball era.  His success in Oakland turned into a big payday for him when he signed a contract before the 2007 season with the San Francisco Giants, which at the time was the biggest contract awarded to a pitcher. He did not come close to the same success with the Giants that he did with the Athletics.

It is at his lowest point during that time with San Francisco, when he was left off the postseason roster during the Giants’ 2010 championship run, that this book starts and from there, Zito takes the reader inside not only his career, but his entire transformation – both when he was a high school and college pitcher when he was always following the advice of his father on the best course to take and also near the end of his career, when he, with the help from his wife and Giants team chaplain, to follow the advice of God and turn to his Christian faith to guide him on the best decisions to make.

The book really was not much different in structure or in types of reflection than other sports memoirs.  Zito’s reflections on family, the role of his father in his career, his transgressions in excessive living life in the fast lane, and even his decision to reaffirm his faith and let that aspect of his life become more important and prominent. All of these aspects, as well as his discussions about his performance on the mound, are all present in other sports memoirs.

So what makes this one different?  Readers will immediately realize how refreshingly honest Zito writes without embellishment or exaggeration.  There wasn’t a single passage in which I felt that Zito was not being completely honest with his audience and hearing him describe some of his inner struggles with trying to please his father, just for starters. It went as far as him transferring from a four-year college (UC Santa Barbara) to a junior college because, according to Zito’s father, Barry had a better chance to be a first round draft choice playing at a junior college. When he still wasn’t a first round draft choice, he transferred to another four-year school and then was a first round pick for the Athletics.  The role of his father is told completely and with nothing held back by Zito.

This information about his father and the completely unfiltered version is also present in every aspect of his baseball career and his devotion to his faith. There is a good balance in all of these aspects of his life up to the best story of the book which is near the end.  Zito won two World Series rings with the Giants – 2010, when he was left off the postseason roster as mentioned earlier and in 2012, when he was pitching better and won a World Series game as the Giants swept the Detroit Tigers. He shares that of the two rings, the 2010 one is more meaningful to him.  If this doesn’t make sense, once one reads this honest assessment of himself, it is easier to understand why he believes this.

Any fan of baseball, of honest memoirs, or just of a good read will want to read this one.  Don’t expect anything amazing or provocative – just a truly honest reflection of a baseball career that reached both the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. 

I wish to thank Thomas Nelson – W Publishing 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/Curveball-Failure-Mound-Taught-Success-ebook/dp/B07F3GRVV1/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Review of "Final Game at Ebbets Field"

Don't let the title of this book fool you - there is much more to it than just the game described in the title.  While that caught me by surprise, I am glad I kept on reading as there are some very interesting stories in this book.  Here is my review.

  

Title/Author:

“The Final Game at Ebbets Field and Other True Accounts of Baseball’s Golden Age” by Noel Hynd

Tags:

Baseball, professional, Giants, Dodgers, Yankees, Athletics, Braves, Red Sox

Publish date:

June 27, 2019

Length:

221 pages

Rating: to

4 of 5 stars (Very Good)

Review:

Having read this author previously with his excellent account of the New York Giants, I fully expected this book to be a great retelling of the last game played at Ebbets Field, which took place on September 24, 1957. That was only the first chapter as Noel Hynd shares many stories about baseball from it’s Golden Age in the 1940’s and 1950’s in this collection.

After the initial surprise that the story of the final home game of the Brooklyn Dodgers only took a few pages, it is advised for a reader to continue on as there are many other great stories about the Dodgers and some other teams as well, most notably the New York Giants. In an ironic twist, one of the stories is about the last game the Giants played at the Polo Grounds before they, too, moved to California.  I enjoyed this story more than the title essay as the last Giants game of 1957 seemed to have much richer detail, especially about the fans.

Speaking of the Polo Grounds, one other story that is worth mentioning is that a member of the grounds crew of that park was living at that park, as an apartment was constructed underneath the stands and that man along with his wife and child were able to maintain residence there so he would be available whenever he was needed. 

Like any other collection of stories, this one has a few that fall short of excellent, but they are outnumbered by the good ones.  Readers who are interested in learning some interesting stories about baseball from that era will want to check out this book.

                                                                       

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)                                                                                                                                

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Final-Game-Ebbets-Field-Philadelphia/dp/1074174763/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=