Review of “Death of a Childhood”

This was a different type of memoir to finish off the month of August. It covered one year of the author’s life - his 11th year. Here’s my review of “Death of a Childhood.” 

Title/Author: “Death of a Childhood: A Memoir of 1989 and the ‘Why Not’ Baltimore Orioles” by Ryan Basen

Rating: 3 of 5 stars (okay)

Review: It’s not unusual for an 11-year-old boy to have troubles in his life as he is moving up from elementary school to middle school or junior high. Add in a change from public to private school so he will not have the same friends at school, a grandmother and beloved pet with health issues and growing apart from his parents and you have that particular year for the author of this memoir, Ryan Basen.

However, Basen did have one thing going for him in that year of change, In 1989, his favorite team, the Baltimore Orioles, made a surprise run in the American League East division and Basen was faithfully following his team. Even though the Orioles fell short in the final weekend to the Toronto Blue Jays, both Ryan and the baseball world got caught up in the “Why Not?” story of the team after an awful 1988 season. 

The book follows the timeline of the 1989 Orioles season and Basen does an admirable job of intertwining his personal life and the fate of the Orioles that year. It did feel strange to be reading dialogue of an 11-year old thoughts with language one expects (mostly - he does curse a few times) and then suddenly to be reading baseball text that is clearly written by an adult. While I enjoyed reading both stories (Basen’s life changes and the Orioles) it just felt a little strange to be reading in different voices, although very appropriate. Overall, a decent book that is an easy read to pass the time on a lazy late summer day. 

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

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Death-Childhood-Memoir-Baltimore-Orioles/dp/1958861545/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1IJAVHWT4GRIA&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.440xh3RYJt3Oaph2J4-qTVk1UqS9sy5kToJlRaEDsO7gPpvX8tbq6Inzx0ogb2lIzd8uwzHvNyMCCXShQNf61PRX9pieiQgOMHuoFJAQPCYbro2SSHjGylLXKv7gfHq0.1HziZAbRfXPcLP-L2SdSI5SRyQ8JECjLqNoa8Pr9gcg&dib_tag=se&keywords=death+of+a+childhood+ryan+basen&qid=1756690207&sprefix=Death+of+a+childhood+%2Caps%2C123&sr=8-1 

Review of "The Last Manager"

This is one of the books I completed cover to cover on my recent trip to a conference in Washington, DC.  One reason I prefer train travel when I can do so - more reading time!  It was an excellent book on legendary Orioles manager Earl Weaver. 

Title/Author:

“The Last Manager: How Earl Weaver Tricked, Tormented and Reinvented Baseball” by John W. Miller

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

Earl Weaver is considered to be one of the feistiest and colorful managers in the history of Major League Baseball.  He was also very successful, leading the Baltimore Orioles to two World Series championships and five American League championships during his tenure from 1968 to 1982 (and a brief but unsuccessful return in 1985).  His life and career are captured in this very good book by John W. Miller.

While Weaver was mostly known for his legendary arguments with umpires, he had respect for the arbiters of the game and there is plenty of praise for them sprinkled in the pages.  What is also known about Weaver was that he was an early adopter of using data to develop game strategy.  While it is heavily in use today by baseball front offices, Weaver did not have people from the office handing him data and suggesting strategy from the data – he did all that himself. It is just one reason that this book is appropriately titled “The Last Manager” since on-field managers had much more autonomy in making game decisions than today’s managers.

While I enjoyed this aspect of the book, the writing by Miller about Weaver’s playing days in the minor league and his experience in 1952 at training camp for the St. Louis Cardinals (Weaver’s favorite team growing up in Missouri) was probably the best writing in the book.  As a reader, I really could feel Weaver’s frustration at performing so well and yet not making the major league roster because the player-manager saved that roster spot for himself.  It is also clear that Weaver was going to have to make it in baseball in some capacity to succeed in life – and managing turned out to be that capacity.

That managing career, as noted above, was a good choice for Weaver.  The bulk of the book is about his time with the Orioles and also makes for good reading.  In addition to his use of data for strategy and his famous rants to umpires, Weaver knew how to spot pitching talent – his 1971 staff of four 20-game winners is a testament to that.  The relationship Weaver also had with his players is on full display here.  He may have rubbed many players the wrong way while playing but in the end they respected Weaver, were appreciative of how he helped them improve and of course, enjoyed the success of the team. 

For a very good read on an era of baseball where team managers had much more control over the team and the strategy of the game than they do in the current structure of baseball, pick up this book.  You won’t be disappointed.

I wish to thank Avid Reader Press for providing a copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.

Link: The Last Manager: How Earl Weaver Tricked, Tormented, and Reinvented Baseball: Miller, John W.: 9781668030929: Amazon.com: Books

Review of "Mike Donlin"

As we wrap up 2024, there were a couple more books I wanted to get to before starting a new TBR list for 2025 and this one was on that list.  It is a Casey Award finalist (trying to read all of them as well) and it would be worthy of the award should it be selected as the winner.  Here is my review of "Mike Donlin."

Title/Author:

“Mike Donlin: A Rough and Rowdy Life From New York Baseball Idol to Stage and Screen” by Steve Steinberg and Lyle Spatz

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

Very few people can claim that they left a job or profession in which they excelled for a person they love, then have a new career along with that love that will be just as good and even more profitable.  In the early 20^th century, Mike Donlin had this opportunity and he made good on both careers – baseball and acting.  His story is told in this excellent book by Steve Steinberg and Lyle Spatz.

After briefly describing Donlin’s early life, the authors get into his baseball career early in the book.  Donlin’s first professional games were in the California League in 1897, which soon led him to the major leagues. He started in the majors with the St. Louis Statistics in 1897, but he really blossomed as a player when he joined the Baltimore Orioles in the newly formed American League in 1901 under manager John McGraw.  The professional relationship between Donlin and McGraw lasted a long time, including when McGraw went to the New York Giants and Donlin joined him after a two and a half year stint with the Cincinnati Reds. While he was productive with the Reds, he was a better ball player with the Giants and the authors do a wonderful job of illustrating how much McGraw’s influence had on Donlin on the field.

Off the field, however, Donlin had many issues with drinking and carousing.  This also affected his temper on the field, as he was often ejected for arguing with officials.  However, this all changed once he met Mabel Hite, a vaudeville performer.  Not only did Donlin court and marry Mabel, but he also decided to try his hand in vaudeville with her.  His fame as a baseball player helped attract people to the shows and one could say he got the “acting bug” as he would often use his work on stage as a negotiating ploy to obtain a higher baseball salary.

One tidbit that should be noted is that the authors make an interesting comparison to the life of a baseball player to that of a vaudeville performer. Both occupations required the perfomers to often travel – baseball players for road games, vaudeville performers to various venues.  At that time, unlike today, baseball players did not stay in fancy hotels or eat the best meals, and vaudeville performers had a similar lifestyle.

Nonetheless, Donlin continued to perform in both areas until his beloved Mabel died in 1912 from a long-term illness.  Losing his love at such a young age crushed his spirit, but he eventually was able to return to the baseball field for a couple years although his performance was slipping mainly due to old age.  He eventually remarried and enjoyed a good career in acting, both on stage and eventually in motion pictures as well. 

 Every aspect of Donlin’s life – the baseball, the stage performances, his appearance in motion pictures, his love for Mabel and his marriage to his second wife Rita – they are all well written, well researched and enjoyable to read.  The book is lengthy and there are many details in all of these areas that require the reader to read carefully and not skim in order to understand the full life of Mike Donlin. This book was well worth the time and effort as one will learn much about both baseball and stage performing in the early 20^th century.

 Link: Amazon.com: Mike Donlin: A Rough and Rowdy Life from New York Baseball Idol to Stage and Screen: 9781496238962: Steinberg, Steve, Spatz, Lyle: Books

 

Review of “Leave While The Party’s Good”

As one who likes reading about the front offices and business side of sports (especially baseball), I had to read this one when offered a review copy. Of course the title helped, too!

 Title/Author: 

“Leave While the Party’s Good: The Life and Legacy of Baseball Executive Harry Dalton” by Lee C. Kluck

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (very good)

Review: While I am not one who usually picks up a book because of the title, I admit that for this book on Harry Dalton, the unusual title was what grabbed my attention. I’m glad that Lee C. Kluck’s book on the former general manager of three American League teams was just as good as that title as it was one that I thoroughly enjoyed.

For readers who like to read about the business side of sports and the wheeling and dealing inside front offices, this is an excellent read. Kluck describes Dalton’s rise from a ballpark employee to his early time in the minor league offices to his three stints in the American League with the Baltimore Orioles (1966-71), California Angels (1972-77) and Milwaukee Brewers (1978-91). 

Each stint is told from Dalton’s viewpoint as Kluck does an excellent job of illustrating the successful actions done while running each team even if the wins weren’t plentiful. This was especially the case when he was with the Angels and in his later years in Milwaukee, but each place had great stories from Dalton’s “Gang” as they are called frequently in the book.

The trades, drafts, and free agent signings that Dalton made are also recapped and illustrate what made Dalton one of the more respected executives in the game. That didn’t come without some controversy, however. There are two good illustrations of this. One was that during the 1981 players’ strike, Dalton did not take as hard a stance as some of his colleagues which caused some hard feelings. The second involved slugger Gary Sheffield and his difficulties in Milwaukee where he didn’t feel that Dalton was truthful with him. These and many other passages are told in excellent prose by Kluck. It is factually correct but written in a manner that isn’t too dry either. I found it to be very easy and enjoyable reading on a baseball executive whose success is often overlooked today. 

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

Link:https://www.amazon.com/Leave-While-Partys-Good-Executive/dp/149622289X/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= 

Review of "Roberto Alomar"

Sometimes a book on a famous player will allow the reader to learn much more about that player than what they learned in the media or through fandom.  That was the case for me with this book about Roberto Alomar.  Here is my review.

 

Title/Author:

“Roberto Alomar: The Complicated Life and Legacy of a Baseball Hall of Famer” by David Ostrowsky

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (Very good)

Review:  The subtitle of this book by David Ostrowsky is very accurate when discussing the baseball legacy of Roberto Alomar, a Hall of Fame second baseman who played for seven different major league teams but found his greatest success as a Toronto Blue Jay.  Alomar’s entire career, as well as his personal life and the controversies that surrounded him both on and off the field are captured here.

From the very beginning it is clear that Ostrowsky is not going to sugar coat Alomar’s life as the book begins with the infamous incident in 1996 when Alomar, then a member of the Baltimore Orioles, spit on umpire John Hirschbeck after a disputed called third strike. Alomar then further enraged fans and media when he mentioned that Hirschbeck had become more bitter since his son passed away.  While easily the most famous of the controversies involving Alomar, there are others that did not get as much attention but are noted by Ostrowsky.  These included allegations of sexual assault that led Major League Baseball to ban him from the game in 2021, although it would not change his Hall of Fame status.

Lest one thinks this book only covers this side of Alomar, it is also full of food writing about Alomar’s baseball career, from his excitement about the game as a child to his determination to keep playing late when his diminished skills in his mid-30’s would not allow him to hang on with a team.  His brief time with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago White Sox (twice) illustrate how much he had declined.

But when his star shone bright, it was brilliant as his accomplishments in Toronto made everyone who saw him believe he was one of the best, if not the best second baseman in the game.  His knowledge was considered to be off the charts, and he was always sharing it freely with teammates or anyone else who wanted to learn more about the game.

 In short, this book was a very fair, balanced, and informative account of Roberto Alomar.  A reader will come away from this agreeing that he certainly deserves to be considered a Hall of Fame player but will also understand why there are also detractors given the many controversies, justified or not, that surround his legacy.

 I wish to thank the author and publisher for providing a review copy. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.

 Link: Roberto Alomar: The Complicated Life and Legacy of a Baseball Hall of Famer: Ostrowsky, David: 9781538158029: Amazon.com: Books

Review of "The Fireballer"

Continuing my goal of reviewing more fictional sports stories, I was able to obtain an advance copy of this novel due out in January 2023 and it was fantastic.  It was a very moving story about a pitching phenom and an event that has been on his mind for many years.  Here is my review of "The Fireballer."

Title/Author: “The Fireballer: A Novel” by Mark Stevens

Rating: 5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review: The best way to begin a review of this book is to ask a few “what if?” questions.  What if a rookie pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles has set the baseball world abuzz with pitches that exceed 105 miles an hour?  What if batters are so helpless trying to get a hit off this pitcher that Major League Baseball is contemplating rule changes to limit the speed of pitches?  What if this pitcher has a dark secret that has been haunting him since his days of Little League Baseball?  These questions, and many more, are the heart of this outstanding baseball novel by Mark Stevens. 

Frank Ryder has an amazing fastball, an uncanny means of keeping an even keel both on the mound and at a press conference but an unfortunate event when he was 12 has been weighing heavily on his mind.  For such a complex character, Stevens does a wonderful job of portraying Frank in a manner that every reader who picks up this book will be cheering for him, baseball fan or not. 

That is because while the book is full of baseball (more on that later), the non-baseball parts of the book and Frank’s life are wonderfully written and the reader will find out a lot about the pitcher whose fastball is unhittable, but whose psyche is very fragile. Other characters in the book such as Frank’s long distance girlfriend Maggie, his brother Josh (a minor league catcher) and the owner and manager of the Orioles are also well developed and characters the readers can connect with, even if they are not baseball fans.

However, with the many chapters that talk about baseball, specifically the games in which Frank pitches and the pennant race that involves his Orioles team, a baseball fan will truly enjoy this book.  It addresses many issues that the game faces today – the “unwritten rules” that must be followed, the use of analytics, the lack of offense as pitchers are becoming faster, and even media coverage of the game.  For a fictional book on the game, it has an authentic feel to the state of the sport.  Even how one of those “unwritten rules” are discussed and handled by players, which is at the core of why Frank is facing his demons from that time long ago in the middle of a spectacular season.

This review cannot do justice for how much I enjoyed reading this book.  Not just for the baseball, but for the various messages it tells about self-reflection and the care and compassion shown to Frank by those who either are close to him or whose thoughts were sought out by him.  The book is just as big a winner as Frank’s won-loss record.

I wish to thank Lake Union Publishing for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Link: The Fireballer: A Novel: Stevens, Mark: 9781662505638: Amazon.com: Books

 

Review of "Black and Blue"

Whenever I read a book on a particular game or series between two teams, I always prefer one that is balanced in the amount of space devoted to each team as well as presenting a balanced viewpoint.  This book on the 1966 World Series does just that, despite the fact it ended in a sweep for the Baltimore Orioles.  Here is my review of "Black and Blue." 

Title/Author:

“Black and Blue: Sandy Koufax, the Robinson Boys and the World Series That Stunned America” by Tom Adelman

Tags:

Baseball, professional, Orioles, Dodgers, history, championship

Publish date:

January 1, 2010

Length:

268 pages

Rating:

4 ½ of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

The 1966 World Series was supposed to be a one-sided affair.  Representing the National League were the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers, led by the greatest pitcher in the game at that time, Sandy Koufax.  With another Hall of Fame pitcher in Don Drysdale, plus other capable arms like Claude Osteen, the Dodgers were picked to easily dispose of the American League champion Baltimore Orioles. Even though the Orioles were led by Triple Crown winner Frank Robinson and a young pitching staff led by Dave McNally and Jim Palmer, they were supposedly no match for the mighty Dodgers.  How that World Series played out and very good information on both teams is captured in this very good book by Tom Adelman.

The format of the book is very simple.  There are six chapters in the book, plus an epilogue.  The six chapters represent both teams and each game played in the series – a sweep by the Orioles, hence the subtitle of book.  Aside from the most ardent Baltimore fans, there were not many who thought the Orioles would even win a game, much less the series.  While Adelman’s writing is very fair and impartial throughout the book, which was a terrific characteristic, it was clear to the reader that the Dodgers were the heavy favorites.

The two star players for the teams that year, Robinson for the Orioles and Koufax for the Dodgers, are the two players featured most prominently in the book, but that doesn’t mean that others, especially Orioles players who performed well in the series, are overlooked.  One very good example is Moe Drabowsky, the Orioles reliever who pitched 6 2/3 innings in game 2, striking out 11 Dodgers along the way.  Another Orioles pitcher who has a nice write up in the book is Dave McNally, who was the winning pitcher in the clinching game 4.  As for other Dodger players who are mentioned prominently in the book, they include Drysdale, Maury Wills and Willie Davis, the latter of whom suffered an inglorious fate when committing three errors in one inning during game 2.

While other books on the two teams, especially the Dodgers, may go more in depth about some of the players, this book is a very good synopsis of the two teams, their respective cities at the time and excellent accounts of all four games, especially in the discussions about the lack of offense by the Dodgers.  Readers who are fans of either team or of the game in the 1960’s will enjoy reading about one of the most stunning World Series in the history of Major League Baseball.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)                                                                                                                               

Buying Links:

www.amazon.com/Black-Blue-Robinson-Stunned-America/dp/0316067156/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

 

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/black-and-blue-tom-adelman/1100622512?ean=9780316075435

Review of "Dalko"

It has been a fairly slow season for new baseball book releases, but fortunately there are a few on the way.  This one about Steve Dalkowski, known equally for his fastball speed and the wildness with which it was thrown, is a complete account of his career.  Here is my review of "Dalko"

Title/Author:

“Dalko: The Untold Story of Baseball's Fastest Pitcher" by Bill Dembski, Alex Thomas and Brian Vikancer

Tags:

Baseball, professional, biography, minor leagues, Orioles

Publish date:

September 22, 2020

Length:

336 pages

Rating: 

4 ½  of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

Even though he never pitched in a regular season major league baseball game, most baseball fans have heard of Steve Dalkowski through the legendary stories of the speed of his pitches, the inability to get many of those pitches over the plate and his drinking stories.  This book, a collaborative effort by three authors, is an excellent account of "Dalko's" athletic career.

When including Dalkowski's high school time, athletic is the more appropriate word to use than baseball since he was an outstanding football player. It was noted in the book that his passes when he played quarterback were much more accurate than his fastballs, which drove his coaches crazy when trying to figure out why he was accurate with the pigskin but not the horsehide.

There isn't much about Dalkowski during his childhood in the book, which is the only blemish on the book as the rest of his life is written with excellent detail and from many different viewpoints by people important in his life. Unlike many other biographies, this book had very good information on Dalkowski's life after baseball, especially when he, for a short time, had a stable family life and his drinking was not having an extremely negative effect on his life.  This is consistent with the writing about his baseball career.

That aspect is the best part of the book as it accomplishes two major factors that will have readers learning the real story behind the legend of Steve Dalkowski.  One is the truth, fiction or embellishment of several of the stories about his fastball and his wildness.  One example is that there is information on the story that he ripped the ear off of a batter with his fastball.  While it was true about the ear injury to the batter, that is an embellishment that grew over the years.  Another example is how he injured his elbow during an exhibition game when pitching for the Orioles, the team that signed him out of high school when they saw the blazing speed on his fastball and patiently tried to get him ready for the big leagues.  There are several versions of that injury and the book sets it straight.

The other major component of Dalkowski's baseball career, the patience and advice of the many coaches and teammates who tried to help him, is both maddening and sad.  Sad in the fact that nearly everyone wanted to help him and wanted him to succeed and maddening in that nothing seemed to work, probably because with so much advice, he very likely couldn't keep it all together.  His alcoholism is also addressed well in the book, with stories of when it seemed to start, some of the trouble he got into with his drinking and one very interesting fact – whenever he borrowed money from teammates or coaches for nights out, he made sure to always pay them back every day. 

For the complete story of the legend that was Steve Dalkowski and his fastball, before the days of other contemporary pitchers known for speed like Nolan Ryan, this is the book to pick up.  It's a great read for not only readers who know about the talented but erratic pitcher, but also for those who have never heard of him and wish to read about an intriguing person.

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

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Dalko-Untold-Baseballs-Fastest-Pitcher/dp/1645427102/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dalko-bill-dembski/1137346942?ean=9781645427117

Review of "A Season to Forget"

Just as much as historically good sports teams and accomplishments, I am just as intrigued by historically bad teams and events.  When the Baltimore Orioles started the 1988 season with 21 losses, I was morbidly following the streak like every other baseball fan.  So when I saw a book was written about the streak, I was interested, even though the reviews I read about it were not flattering.  Here is my review of that book, "A Season to Forget."

Title/Author:

“A Season to Forget: The Story of the 1988 Baltimore Orioles” by Ron Snyder

Tags:

Baseball, professional, Orioles, history

Publish date:

April 23, 2019

Length:

216 pages

Rating:

3 of 5 stars (okay)

Review:

In 1988, the Baltimore Orioles set a baseball record that a team would never want to claim – they lost 21 consecutive games to start the season.  While the Orioles had been declining since winning the World Series in 1983, no one expected a team led by Cal Ripken Jr. and Eddie Murray to perform so terribly. The streak and the state of the Orioles before and after the streak is told in this book by Ron Snyder.

There is writing about the Orioles both before and after the chapters on the streak itself.  The beginning chapters tell a brief history of the team and the success it had for nearly 20 years between 1966 and 1984 when the team won three World Series titles and appeared in two others.  Then, after the awful season of 1988, there is a nice write up about their nearly complete turnaround in 1989 when they fell one game short from winning the American League East Division. That was called the “Why Not?” season and certainly a terrific feel-good story.

However, the book’s main topic, the 21 game losing streak in 1988, was described in what is best described as haphazard fashion.  The games were not recapped in chronological order, at least not regularly as one will read about say game 9 in the streak, then a player interviewed will talk about game 15.  At least it starts with the 12-0 opening day loss to the Milwaukee Brewers and the chapters on the streak does end when the Orioles defeated the Chicago White Sox.  None of the games during the streak are analyzed in depth and there isn’t a lot of information on any player or manager written.  Not even Cal Ripken Sr., the shortstop’s father and manager of the team who was fired six games into the streak. 

While the book certainly has its flaws, it was one that was a quick read and something this reader wanted to finish to the end and see what happens, much like how the media and fans all over the world were following the Orioles streak.  It gained international attention and when the streak was over, it was a relief for everyone, not just the Orioles players and staff.  One other noteworthy occurrence that should be mentioned as it gained its own chapter.  The Orioles ended the streak in Chicago.  After losing two more games to the White Sox, they came back home to a sold-out Memorial Stadium on a Monday night where it was announced that the team would be getting a new ball park. It was quite a sight to see a packed stadium come out to watch a team with a 1-23 record.

While this book was at best only a cursory description of the historic streak, the author does mention in the foreword of the book that this was written from the viewpoint of both a journalist and a fan. Reading that and finishing the book was enough to give this book a passing grade, but for more information on the streak, players or Orioles of that 1988 season, it is best to seek that elsewhere.

                                                                             

Book Format Read:

E-book (PDF)                                                                                                                                    

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Season-Forget-Story-Baltimore-Orioles/dp/1683582624/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-season-to-forget-ronald-snyder/1128978538?ean=9781683582632

Review of "When the Crowd Didn't Roar"

A very unusual baseball game took place in Baltimore on April 29, 2015 - it was played with no fans in attendance.  The story of that game and the circumstances that led to the decision to play the game is captured in this excellent book. Here is my review of "When the Crowd Didn't Roar"

­

Title/Author:

“When the Crowd Didn’t Roar” by Kevin Cowherd

 

Tags:
Baseball, politics, race, Orioles, White Sox

Publish date:

April 1, 2019

Length:

192 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

On April 29, 2015, the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox played the first major league game in which no spectators were allowed into the ballpark.  Earlier in the week, two other games between the two teams were postponed for security concerns due to the rioting that was taking place in Baltimore following the death of an African-American in police custody. The city of Baltimore and Major League baseball did decide to have the April 29 game played, but with no fans in attendance so police and other law enforcement officials could concentrate their efforts on the aftermath of the rioting. The circumstances of both the game itself and the events that led up to that decision are captured in this excellent book by Baltimore sportswriter Kevin Cowherd.   Two characteristics of this book stand out. One is that Cowherd takes an explosive issue like the treatment of African-Americans by law enforcement and writes about it in a balanced, non-judgmental manner.  He was writing about factual information without inserting his own opinions.  While the book is considered a baseball book, it is much more than that as it is important for the reader to understand the circumstances that called for this unusual atmosphere for the game to be played.   As for the game itself, the best parts of the writing about it were about the players. This is especially true for Orioles players, especially Adam Jones, who was thrust into the role of the unofficial spokesman for an African-American viewpoint from the Orioles.  Chris Davis and Caleb Joseph are also followed through the game.  Joseph’s actions of pretending to sign autographs for fans is one of the actions taken in order to try to give the game a sense of normalcy but at the same time illustrates the awkwardness the players, umpires and other crew members feel.  Many times Cowherd describes how much the normal sounds of a game – pitches hitting the catcher’s mitt, spikes on bases, even the chatter and spitting in the dugout – are magnified in this stadium void of fans.   Through it all, there is some humor thrown in for good measure.  Cowherd writes about the Orioles television broadcasters, Gary Thorne and Jim Palmer, and what they were saying and doing during this game.  Like the players, there was some humor attempted – a line by Thorne when he was telling a play in a whispered tone that he was using his “Masters voice” was very funny – but it was overshadowed by the enormity of the situation.  Again, all of this is brought to life by the excellent writing of Cowherd.   There is one story Cowherd told that captured the spirit of this book, the Orioles and the city.  A young African-American man who wrote a blog about sports from his perspective was provided press credentials for one of the cancelled games.  But he felt he had to be a part of the no-fans game, so using his expired credential, he made his way to the post-game press conference of Orioles manager Buck Showalter. He asked the manager a question that was unlike the typical press conference question and Showalter didn’t back away from the question, but instead gave an answer that made the young man happy.  Of course, he was discovered and had to leave the conference, but this story is the best of the book because it captures the feelings of everyone involved, regardless of their race or political affiliation. For the full details of this story, it is best to read about it in the book as a review cannot do that story justice.   This book should be read under the knowledge that while it is about an unusual baseball game, it is more than just a baseball book.  The reader will have a much better understanding of what the city of Baltimore was enduring during that week and how this game both gave the city a small amount of normalcy during a trying time and was a illustration of how grim the situation seemed at that time.   I wish to thank University of Nebraska Press for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.Excellent basketball memoir Usually a sports memoir will follow the same pattern. An ex-athlete will talk about his childhood, his career while playing his chosen game and his life after retiring. While some of this is true for Metta World Peace (formerly known as Ron Artest), his story takes on extra meaning because of his willingness to talk about his mental health issues so candidly. He does verify some of his more off beat moments, such as working at Circuit City while still a player. He does

 

Book Format Read:
Hardcover

Buying Links:

 

https://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/university-of-nebraska-press/9781496213297/

 

https://www.amazon.com/When-Crowd-Didnt-Roar-Baseballs/dp/1496213297/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=