Review of "Penguin Power"

Even today, when I look back at the Los Angeles Dodgers infield of the 1970's and early 1980's, I am amazed that they played together as a unit as long as they did, considering it was the beginning of the age of free agency.  My latest review is of a memoir by one of those infielders, Ron Cey. 

Title/Author:

“Penguin Power: Dodger Blue, Hollywood Lights and My One-in-a-Million Big League Journey” by Ron Cey with Ken Gurnick

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review: Ron Cey was part of the infield combination that played the most number of games together for one team.  With Cey at third base, Bill Russel at shortstop, Davey Lopes at second base and Steve Garvey at first base, this foursome played together nearly nine complete seasons for the Los Angeles Dodgers.  Each one of them was an all-star and Cey talks about his journey to the big leagues in this memoir.

The best part of this book was Cey’s candor.  He wasn’t afraid to drop some criticism or share bad experiences with teammates, especially the other three infielders mentioned above.  This is also true of his coaches, managers and front office personnel.  Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a book where he harps on the negatives – indeed, most of the stories are positive and at times funny.  It just was refreshing to see that when he sensed something wasn’t right, he wasn’t afraid to call it like he saw it.  The best example of this was his experience with former Dodger GM Al Campanis, whom Cey felt never was totally sold that Cey would be a key part of a winning Dodgers club, which he certainly became.

There are also times where Cey shows that he played in a different era than today as there is more analytical data in the decisions made by on-field managers as well as general managers.  I’ll stop short of calling it sounding like he is yelling at people to get off his lawn, but he clearly doesn’t agree with some of this process today.  To his credit, he gives counterarguments to what was done when he was a player.  For example, when he mentioned that today, players are shuffled in and out of a lineup because of data showing strengths and weaknesses, that was done by communication between players and managers during the 1970’s and 1980’s when Cey played.

Overall, the book does read like a typical memoir with some extra name dropping since after all, this was Los Angeles and Cey was able to rub elbows with many celebrities.  He also talks about his time with the Chicago Cubs, including their memorable 1984 season, but for the most part, both during and after his playing career, he certainly bleeds Dodger blue.  Any Los Angeles fan will enjoy reading this book.

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

Link: Amazon.com: Penguin Power: Dodger Blue, Hollywood Lights, and My One-in-a-Million Big League Journey eBook : Cey, Ron, Gurnick, Ken: Kindle Store

 

Review of "The Best Team Over There"

Having gone to a baseball game via the train recently, I did the usual activity I do on a train and read a book about the sport that I am attending.  For this ride, I chose this book on Grover Cleveland Alexander.  It wasn't quite what I expected.  Here is my review of "The Best Team Over There"

Title/Author:

“The Best Team Over There: The Untold Story of Grover Cleveland Alexander and the Great War” by Jim Leeke

Rating: 

3 of 5 stars (okay)

Review:

Grover Cleveland Alexander was both one of the best stories in early 20^th century baseball and one of the most tragic. The winner of 373 game, the pitcher known as “Pete” was inducted in the baseball Hall of Fame in 1938. He also was a decorated veteran of World War I and his time in the service and how it affected his baseball career and his life afterward is the subject of this book by Jim Leeke.

A reader should not expect a book that talks much about Alexander’s baseball career.  There is some baseball talk, especially for the year before he left for Europe, which included a trade from the Philadelphia Phillies to the Chicago Cubs.  Leeke does a nice job of illustrating Alexander’s feelings about being drafted and his farewell game for the Cubs before leaving for basic training.

It is after this part where the book really becomes a military book.  While the research and detail about the particular battles and movements made by Alexander’s division, it is written in a manner that unless a reader is well-versed in World War I military language, it could be confusing.  I did go back several times to re-read passages to make sure I followed along.  This took up the bulk of the book, especially when Alexander and his fellow soldiers had to stay in Europe for occupation of Germany after the Armistice Treaty ended the war on November 11, 1918.  

Because of this, and the following disconnect that seemed to occur after Alexander continued his baseball career upon his return, I found this book to be one better suited for military buffs than for baseball fans.  But it is clear that Leeke is knowledgeable about both topics and his work on both is worth the time to read.

I wish to thank University of Nebraska Press for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.  The opinions expressed are strictly mine.

 

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Best-Team-Over-There-Cleveland/dp/1496217160/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

 

Review of "Game of Edges"

This is the first of three reviews I am posting in the next three days as after a lull in my reading time, I had plenty of time to read on a recent trip for a conference in Washington DC.  As one who prefers train travel when possible, this meant extra reading time.  For the first review, I am posting this one on a book on the use of data analysis in professional sports.  Here is my review of "Game of Edges." 

 

Title/Author: “Game of Edges: The Analytics Revolution and the Future of Professional Sports” by Bruce Schoenfeld

 

Rating: 4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review: Fans of professional sports are certainly aware that analytics are now an important part of their favorite sports, no matter which one(s) they prefer.  While many do see the change in the games on the field due to the use of data, they may not be aware that the same type of analysis is used by many team owner for the business side as well.  This book by Bruce Schoenfeld does a good job of explaining this use of data both on and off the field.

I found the discussions on the business aspect of analytics most fascinating. Items that are mentioned cover mainly Major League Baseball and the English Premier League but they are certainly applicable to most professional sports franchises.  It is especially interesting to read about the Premier League franchises who used data to determine how they may be able to sell more merchandise, for one example.  Another excellent example of this was how John Henry, the owner of baseball’s Boston Red Sox, arrived at the decision to buy the Liverpool Premier League team. 

For teams in the United States, one of the more interesting concepts on the business side of analytics was something that anyone who has attended a professional sports event in the past few years can see – the many options outside of the game itself to bring fans (and their money) to the area.  The Red Sox are one example given – Henry was looking to open Red-Sox themed pubs around Boston but was discouraged from doing so by then-Commissioner Bud Selig.  The reason was that this might also be something the rival of the Red Sox would do, the New York Yankees, and help them bring in more money and therefore more wins.  The other interesting business analytics example was also in baseball.  The owner of the Chicago Cubs looked to partner with Draft Kings to open a gambling parlor at Wrigley Field to bring that aspect (growing in leaps and bounds) to their business model as well.  Both of these stories made for great reading.

Analytics that affect the games also are included in this book, but it wasn’t as compelling as the sections on the business side.  The best of this writing was actually about an “anti-analytics” manager, Ned Yost of the Kansas City Royals.  Schoenfeld does a nice job of explaining how he had success with the team during the 2014 and 2015 seasons (in the latter, the Royals were champions). There is also some good discussion of the 2020 World Series between two teams who do embrace analytics, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays. The most compelling discussion here was about the Rays’ decision to pull their starting pitcher, Blake Snell, early in the decisive sixth game.  But overall, while good, this isn’t quite as good as the business side of this discussion on the use of data analytics in sports.  It is a book recommended for any fan of any professional sport.

I wish to thank W. W. Norton & Company for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The views expressed are strictly mine.

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Game-Edges-Analytics-Revolution-Professional/dp/0393531686/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

 

Review of "The Book of Joe"

During the holiday season, I always like to pick up a baseball book since it's about halfway between the end of the previous season and the start of spring training.  Usually the baseball news is slow at that time (not this year), so it's the best time to do so.  My choice for that this holiday season is this book on Joe Maddon. 

 

Title/Author:

“The Book of Joe: Trying Not to Suck at Baseball and Life” by Joe Maddon and Tom Verducci

Rating: 

3 of 5 stars (okay)

Review:  

This book fits perfectly with its subject, Joe Maddon, because it’s hard to classify what type of book this is, just as it is difficult to classify what type of baseball manager Maddon is.  He spent 19 years as a major league coach or manager of the Los Angeles Angels (a coach from 2002-2005, then as manager from 2019-2022), Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago Cubs.  It was with the latter two teams where he made his mark on the game, first by taking the Rays from the worst record in baseball in 2007 to the American League pennant in 2008, then ending the Cubs’ 108-year championship drought by bringing a World Series championship to Wrigley Field in 2016.

The reason it is hard to classify this book is that it doesn’t have a nice even flow – at times it reads like a memoir, especially when he is talking about his days as a minor league scout and manager.  Other times, he sounds like a philosopher when he is talking to his players, especially when he or the player comes up with a phrase or slogan that is used for motivation.  A great example is in the subtitle of this book – “Try not to suck.”  Then still other times this reads like a baseball history book when explaining the various eras of managerial styles, from dictatorships to being “yes” men to front office personnel making decision by analytics.

The book does illustrate Maddon as a complex person, whether talking about his managerial style, his road to get to the major leagues or even when trying to fit him into one of these categories.  He speaks out frequently against having too much data inside one’s head, whether that is his own head when making game decisions or giving too much to a player that may cause him to overthink and lose sight of what he actually needs to do on the field.  But before saying that Maddon is an “old-school” type of manager, there are passages that talk about his embracing of data, including carrying clunky computers while traveling before the use of this type of data was common in baseball.

This isn’t to say that the book doesn’t have its positive qualities.  Many of the stories Maddon shares are funny and entertaining and it’s clear that while he may have some “old school” thoughts, he certainly is aware of today’s game and players.  Verducci is a well-respected baseball journalist and it is clear that he contributed to the history portions.  This included portraits of past owners and managers such as Gene Mauch and Billy Martin.  They are all interesting and good reads – but thrown together in the manner that they are done so in this book just makes it one that doesn’t seem to be complete.  When finished, I felt that something was missing and that I couldn’t get exactly what message was being sent to me, the reader.  But if one is a fan of Maddon or likes to just read about baseball, this book is for that person.

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

Link: The Book of Joe: Trying Not to Suck at Baseball and Life: Maddon, Joe, Verducci, Tom: 9781538751794: Amazon.com: Books

Review of "Charlie Murphy"

Books on the early days of baseball are always fascinating, and this biography of Charlie Murphy, the owner of the Cubs in the early 20th century, is no exception.  Here is my review:

Title/Author: “Charlie Murphy: The Iconclastic Showman behind the Chicago Cubs” by Jason Cannon

Rating:  4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:  The early history of the Chicago Cubs is very different than the club that is familiar to baseball fans.  For one example, they have not always played home games in Wrigley Field on the north side of the city – they were at the West Side Ball Park in the early 20^th century when they had their greatest run of success with four National League pennants in five years and two World Championships.  That and many other differences make the era of owner Charlie Murphy very interesting and that comes through in this biography of Murphy by Jason Cannon.

Murphy can be accurately described as an owner who certainly was not like his contemporaries.  Acquiring the Cubs for the bargain price (at least to Murphy) of $100,000, Murphy didn’t rest on his remarkable rise from newspaper reporter to a team owner.  He immediately immersed himself into the running of the ball club, overseeing much of the operations.  He was very active in the trades and personnel of the team, but was also wise enough to leave the managing of the team on the field to the capable hands of Frank Chance, one part of the famous “Tinkers to Evers to Chance” double play team. 

Despite Murphy’s connections (his co-owner was Charles Taft, the half brother of President William Howard Taft who was a visitor to a Cubs game) and his ideas for innovation in the game, he eventually gained enemies in both the National League offices (Charles Ebbets of the Dodgers was an especially harsh critic of Murphy) and to his popular players.  His poor handling of the contracts with Chance and then Evers for managing the club led to not only bad public relations with Cubs fans but also to his fellow owners and the two league presidents.  Believing that he was not helping Organized Baseball, Murphy was forced out in 1913 and the club eventually was sold to Charles Weeghman, who moved them to the north side and started to have the personality of the team we know now.

As for the complete story of Murphy, from his beginnings to his ownership of the Cubs and the fractured relationships at the time of his ouster, Cannon does a very good job of brining him to life to the reader and illustrating an accurate picture of the business side of the game at that time.  Cannon doesn’t stope when Murphy’s time in baseball was done, however, as he also informs the reader about Murphy’s ownership of a theatre in his hometown of Willmington, Ohio.  The excellent research and detail make it a book that has to be read slowly and carefully, but it will be worth the time as the reader will learn much about the man who was behind the first great era of the Chicago Cubs.

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

Link:  Charlie Murphy: The Iconoclastic Showman behind the Chicago Cubs: Cannon, Jason: 9781496228635: Amazon.com: Books

Review of "Glory Days"

This book was one of those "perfect" sports history books - far enough back to be truly a book on history, but recent enough that readers of a certain age will remember many of the events.  That was the case for me and as a result, I thoroughly enjoyed "Glory Days"

Title/Author:

"Glory Days: The Summer of 1984 and the 90 Days That Changed Sports and Culture Forever" by L. Jon Wertheim

Tags:

Basketball, baseball, ice hockey, Summer Olympics, tennis, professional, Bulls, Cubs, history

Publish date:

June 15, 2021

Length:

336 pages

Rating:

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

1984 was a year that was not only popularized by George Orwell's novel written 35 years earlier, but also was a year that was a watershed one in several sports, most notably professional basketball, tennis and the Summer Olympics.  Those moments and what they meant in the history of not only sports but also for social and political movements are captured in this excellent book by long-time Sports Illustrated (SI) writer L. Jon Wertheim.

The best passages are those about basketball and tennis, two sports he covered regularly for SI.  The passages on Michael Jordan, especially near the end of the book, are very compelling.  This is true whether they are about his basketball or his marketing appeal, especially for a relatively unknown shoe company at the time called Nike.  The reader will learn much about the 1984 Jordan, especially his connection with Nike.  Of course, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson are included as well, including a great chapter on the NBA Finals that year with Bird's Celtics winning a thrilling 7 game series over Johnson's Lakers.

As for the tennis, the main personalities of his focus are the two players who were nearly unbeaten that entire year, John McEnroe and Martina Navratilova. While the stories on McEnroe are good, Navratilova's story is even better, especially as she was one of the first athletes to speak out on social issues.  For her, there were plenty – an immigrant who became an American by defection, her coming out as a lesbian, her hiring of a transgender coach, Dr. Renee Richards and even her training regiment.  For the latter, she developed a muscular tone, considered to be taboo for female athletes at the time.  I found this connection to many of the female athletes today who are activists like Megan Rapinoe and Serena Williams quite fascinating.

There are other important athletes and teams of from that year, most notably the Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles.  Instead of focusing solely on the boycott by the Soviet Union and other communist nations, the text focuses on the athletes and the organizer of the games.  Portrayals of Mary Decker and Mary Lou Retton are notable, but the best writing on the Games was about the director, Peter Ueberroth and his determination to make the Games not only memorable but also profitable. His success with them led to him being named the new commissioner of baseball that year.  Throw in some writing about Wayne Gretzky, Ryne Sandberg and the Chicago Cubs and even Mike Tyson trying out for the Olympic boxing team and you have a great book that captures the sports pulse for that summer.

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

Book Format Read:

E-book (PDF)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Glory-Days-Changed-Culture-Forever-ebook/dp/B08B3LB95H/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

 

Review of "The Called Shot"

Having read a book on the myth of the "Called Shot" by Babe Ruth in the 1932 World Series, I was interested to see what this book contained for new material about that home run. Instead, what I found was a complete picture of the 1932 baseball season and the two teams in the World Series that made for a great read.  Here is my review of this book by Thomas Wolf.

Title/Author:

“The Called Shot: Babe Ruth, the Chicago Cubs and the Unforgettable Baseball Season of 1932” by Thomas Wolf

Tags:

Baseball, professional, history, championship, Yankees, Cubs

Publish date:

May 1, 2020

Length:

408 pages

Rating:

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

Nearly 80 years after the event took place, a home run in the fifth inning of game three of the 1932 World Series between the New York Yankees and the Chicago Cubs is still being discussed and debated. Yankee outfielder Babe Ruth came to the plate and while being heckled by players from the Cubs dugout, he supposedly pointed to center field and proceeded to homer in the area to which he pointed.  The verification of that event, while still being debated today, is only one of a number of topics about the 1932 baseball season on display in this excellent book by Thomas Wolf.

The possibility of a reader getting confused by the title and not reading anything about the “called shot” until near the end is the only thing about the book that may not sit well with that reader.  Otherwise, the reader is treated to great writing about the 1932 Yankees, Cubs, key personnel on both clubs, a little bit about teams that challenged them to their pennants and also the social, political and economic issues of that year.

Wolf dives deep into some of the better known baseball players of that time, especially if they were with the Yankees or Cubs that season. Of course, Babe Ruth is prominently mentioned throughout the book.  Another well-known player is Rogers Hornsby, who is given a less-than-flattering portrayal as he was fired as the Cubs’ player-manager 99 games into the season. Hornsby’s penchant for gambling is also on display here, getting him into financial difficulty to the point he was borrowing money from Cubs teammates.

There is also an excellent write up on the Cubs shortstop Billy Jurges, who was shot by his girlfriend Violet Popovich.  Wolf does include that among the many Cubs fans in attendance at Wrigley Field that year was Bernard Malamud, who used a fictional account of this incident in his novel “The Natural.”  There is also an excellent story about how two prisoners were able to attend one of the World Series games with the prison warden at Wrigley.  It is connections to non-baseball people like this that make the book an excellent read as it does show that baseball, especially at that time, had an impact on so many people in all walks of life.

The book also delves into the political and economic landscape at the time.  America was in the midst of the Great Depression and the presidential campaign is also discussed.  Especially noteworthy is the fact that both parties had their convention in Chicago that year. The writing on these topics is just as engrossing and informative as the baseball writing.

As for the subject of the title, readers who wish to know whether this really took place or not will be disappointed to learn that Wolf doesn’t engage in that debate, leaving it for others. But his description of that home run, as well as the rest of the material in the book, make for outstanding reading and readers who are interested in baseball or history should add this book to their list.

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

                                                                       

Book Format Read:

E-book (PDF)                                                                                                                                   

Buying Links:

https://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/university-of-nebraska-press/9780803255241/

https://www.amazon.com/Called-Shot-Chicago-Unforgettable-Baseball-ebook/dp/B07ZQVVCJQ/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Review of "Babe Ruth's Called Shot"

Not many events in sports will still have people talking about it many decades later, but the mythical "Called Shot" home run by Babe Ruth is one of them.  Considering it was done during a World Series by the most famous baseball player, it isn't shocking.  The only question is whether it actually happened.  This book will provide a lot of information on that event without giving away the answer to that question.  Here is a review of "Babe Ruth's Called Shot."

Title/Author:

“Babe Ruth's Called Shot: The Myth and Mystery of Baseball's Greatest Home Run” by Ed Sherman

Tags:

Baseball, professional, history, Cubs, Yankees

Publish date:

February 18, 2014

Length:

272 pages

Rating: to

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Baseball fans of all levels of interest have at least heard of the "Called Shot", the famous home run hit by Yankee legend Babe Ruth in the 1932 World Series against the Chicago Cubs.  Depending on what one reads or who is asked about it, the responses range from "Babe absolutely did point to center field and hit the ball in the exact spot" to "That never happened."  Given the mythical proportions to which the story has grown and still is repeated more than 80 years later, the question remains of whether this actually happened or not.

Ed Sherman's book may disappoint some readers because it doesn't really provide any new information or make a strong case one way or the other.  Instead, he provides insight into the famous home run by covering every possible means.  He writes about the perspectives from fans – this is how the book starts with the viewpoint of one of the most famous fans at that game, Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens.  Stevens was a nine-year old boy at that game and was a big Cubs fan.  So naturally he was disappointed with the result, but awed at the moment. 

From there, others are either interviewed or Sherman did extensive research into the viewpoints of other fans.  He wrote about players from both teams that shared their observations (if they actually saw the home run) while also providing the backdrop for the home run, such as the merciless heckling Ruth was receiving from players in the Cubs dugout.  A chapter each is dedicated to Ruth and Charlie Root, the Cubs pitcher who gave up the home run.  Root's story is quite interesting to read as he was adamant that Ruth did NOT "call" that home run and is very angry when people mention it to him.  As for the chapter on Ruth, much information comes from his daughter Julia and that makes for entertaining reading as well.

There is also a chapter on what sportswriters of the time wrote about the home run, and this could make for a Hall of Fame for writers – Grantland Rice, Red Smith, Damon Runyard and Shirley Popovich are just a few of the scribes whom Sherman quotes in this chapter.  After this, the book does drag a little bit with some extraneous information that, like the rest of the book, will not provide the reader with an answer one way or the other about the home run, but is still fun to read about and debate all these decades later. Any baseball fan will enjoy picking up this book.

                                                    

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Babe-Ruths-Called-Shot-Baseballs-ebook/dp/B00V9QVECM/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr

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.

Book Format Read:
E-Book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Legendary-Harry-Caray-Baseballs-Greatest/dp/1538112949/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1554674795&sr=8-1-fkmrnull

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-legendary-harry-caray-don-zminda/1129392599?ean=9781538112946

Review of "Let's Play Two"

Ernie Banks is considered to be one of the greatest shortstops in baseball history, but much of his story aside from his sunny disposition is lost to many fans because he played on some very bad Chicago Cubs teams.  His story is told in this excellent biography.  Here is my review of "Let's Play Two".

Title/Author:

“Let’s Play Two: The Life and Times of Ernie Banks” by Doug Wilson

Tags:

Baseball, biography, Cubs

Publish date:

February 15, 2019

Length:

272 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

Ernie Banks was a Hall of Fame player for the Chicago Cubs know primarily for three things: his happy demeanor, his joy for the game of baseball, and oh, by the way, he was a pretty good hitter as well.  Banks’ story is told in this excellent, complete biography by author Doug Wilson. 

Every aspect of the life of “Mr. Cub” is covered, from Banks’ childhood in Dallas to his life after baseball which included health and financial problems up to his death in 2015.  Even then, one of the most enduring personality traits of Banks, his genuine desire to make others happy, still can be evident despite the less-than-happy late stages of his life.  Wilson illustrates the difficult childhood of Ernie and the other Banks children as they grew up in segregated North Dallas. 

As for the baseball aspect of Banks’ life, that is completely explored and brought to the reader in excellent detail as well.  Banks was the first player to go from the Negro Leagues, where he was playing well for the Kansas City Monarchs, directly to the major leagues.  Signed by the Cubs, Banks immediately made his presence felt on field, winning the job as the everyday shortstop for the Cubs..  It was common practice to have black players roomed together at the time and Banks was roomed with another shortstop, Gene Baker, when they were called up to the Cubs. Banks beat out his roommate for the shortstop position, forcing Baker to learn how to play second base.  

From there, Banks took off, winning back to back MVP awards and becoming one of only eight men at the time to hit 500 home runs. The Cubs’ penchant for losing is also on display in the book with a chapter on their failed experiment with a “college of coaches” running the team instead of a manager.  Their 1969 collapse after leading the National League East division is also well documented – enough that a reader will either remember the events well or will feel like he or she was there.

One other aspect of this time frame in baseball and society that is covered well is the racism and prejudice that Banks and other players of color faced at that time, especially in Florida during spring training.  Not only will the reader learn about the mistreatment of black players by many (including white teammates) but he or she will come away with a deeper appreciation of Banks’ disposition through all the racism.  But, as Wilson also notes in the book, some of Banks’ measured comments about civil rights were taken to mean that he wasn’t a good role model to use his status as one of the best baseball players to speak out.  This issue is written with a good amount of sensitivity and insight and are stories that should be told.

Any reader who is a Cubs fan, interested in baseball history or wants to learn more about “Mr. Cub” needs to add this to his or her library.  It is a thoroughly enjoyable, easy read that should bring a smile to the reader as big as Ernie’s.

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

Book Format Read:

Paperback

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Lets-Play-Two-Times-Ernie/dp/1538112299/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lets-play-two-doug-wilson/1129123771?ean=9781538112304#/