Review of "Out at the Plate:

Dot Wilkinson’s life was far bigger than the record books that put her in two different Halls of Fame. Lynn Ames captures not just the softball legend and championship bowler, but the trailblazing woman who built a business, lived authentically, and shaped generations around her. It’s a remarkable story of talent, courage, and a life fully lived.

Title/Author:

“Out at the Plate: The Dot Wilkinson Story” by Lynn Ames

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review: 

Not many athletes, no matter their sport, can claim they’ve made the Hall of Fame in two different sports. The first female athlete to do so, Dot Wilkinson, has her story told here by author — and longtime friend of Wilkinson — Lynn Ames.

The two sports in which Dot achieved her fame were softball and bowling. Softball is where Dot truly made her name and became a legend not only as a catcher and later a manager, but also throughout her native Arizona. She started playing at age 10, and by 16 she was starring for the Ramblers, an amateur team that went on to win multiple championships thanks to the play of Dot and her teammates.

She was also an accomplished bowler, and after her softball career slowed down, she devoted more time to the sport. Her talent quickly drew the attention of the WIBC (Women’s International Bowling Congress). After winning the WIBC Queens tournament, she eventually earned induction into their Hall of Fame as well.

However, what makes this book stand out goes far beyond her accomplishments on the diamond or the lanes. Dot was a woman ahead of her time in countless ways. She became the owner of a real estate company after her mentor left the business to her when he could no longer run it. When repairs or renovations were needed, she handled the contracting work herself, often alongside her longtime life partner of 48 years.

That partnership is significant, because Dot lived in an era when gay men and lesbians were not accepted as they are today. She knew early on that she was attracted to women. She lost her first true love to breast cancer, then spent nearly five decades with her next partner. Yet she did not come out publicly until that woman’s funeral.

All of these parts of Dot’s story may not have been told if not for the immediate friendship she and Ames developed when Ames first felt inspired to write this book. Because of that bond, Dot opened up about her remarkable life, and Ames captured those stories in a way that would make Dot proud. It’s a book anyone can enjoy, whether they know Dot Wilkinson’s name or not. An extraordinary woman like Dot deserves to have her story read by everyone.

Link:  Amazon.com: Out at the Plate: The Dot Wilkinson Story eBook : Ames, Lynn: Kindle Store

Review of "Earl: The Greatest Bowler of All Time"

As a kid who loved bowling, I remember spending Saturday afternoons in the winter watching ABC's bowling telecasts.  Many times one of the five finalists on the televised tournaments would be Earl Anthony.  He was certainly one of my favorite bowlers of the time, and Barry Sparks has written a very good biography of the man considered the greatest bowler ever.  Here is my review of that book

Title/Author:

“Earl: The Greatest Bowler of All Time” by Barry Sparks

Tags:

Bowling, biography

Publish date:

October 7, 2019

Length:

293 pages

Rating: to

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

There was a time when bowling was one of the most popular sports on television. Every Saturday a tournament would be shown in which the five finalists would compete in a single-elimination tourney, leading to a championship match at the end.  For a period in the 1970's, viewers would often see Earl Anthony, a man who didn't take up the sport until he was 21, dominate the field week after week.  Veteran sportswriter Barry Sparks has written a biography on Anthony as a tribute to the bowler's legendary status.

Among the many accomplishments Anthony had during his career was becoming the first bowler to earn over $100,000 in a season in 1975. This was during a time when bowlers often had to compete for small purses during non-televised tourneys and often would be incurring expenses out of their own pocket if they did not perform well enough to earn cash.  Sparks' commentary on the life of a bowler, and specifically that of Anthony early in his career, paints a great picture of the nature of the sport and its participants during that time.

Life away from the lanes was also nicely portrayed by Sparks as the reader will get a great understanding of how Anthony was basically a quiet individual, happy with his simple life and wanting to help others. On the lanes, it is a different story – except for the quiet part.  He did complain enough when he felt that there were conditions that made it difficult for him and others, such as when there was a belief that the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) were making lane conditions more difficult for left handed bowlers than for right handers.  It should be noted that two of the most successful bowlers at the time – Anthony and Johnny Petraglia – were both southpaws.

While the book does seem to be a slow, methodical read at times and requires careful attention by the reader to follow along, this is a very good read.  Readers like me who remember watching the bowling telecasts on cold Saturday afternoons in the winter will especially want to read this account of whom the PBA has called its greatest bowler.

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

                                                    

Book Format Read:

Paperback

Review of "Need One!"

This was a very different type of sports memoir that I had never heard about until the author sent me an email.  When I looked into this book, I thought that this would be a dream trip for any sports fan.  After reading this book, the dream may be wonderful or a nightmare, but it sure made for entertaining reading.  Here is my review of "Need One!"

Title/Author:

“Need One! A Lunatic’s Attempt to Attend 365 Games in 365 Days” by Jamie Reidy

Tags:

Football (American), tennis, bowling, volleyball, baseball, memoir

Publish date:

February 25, 2017

Length:

226 pages

Rating: 

4 ½ of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

Every sports fan has a sports bucket list, places and teams that the fan wants to see at least once in his or her lifetime.  Dubbed “Sports Year”, author Jamie Reidy set out to do just that by attending one sporting even each day for an entire year. He also wanted to align Sports Year with the Wounded Warrior Project and allow wounded veterans to attend games and events on their bucket lists. 

While Sports Year fell short of the goal of one event every day for a year, the book does a fine job of capturing the adventures Reidy encountered while attending events.  He had to do this on a very limited budget as his hopes of obtaining sponsors did not go as well as he hoped (but he did end up sending out some Sports Year koozies for donors as promised).  He talks often about his 10-year-old Saab and the less-than-prime condition it was in to make the long journey.  His tales about his car were quite funny as were many of the other stories he shared.  This humor is the best quality of the book as it is not only entertaining, it kept the book moving along at a good pace.

Another nice touch to not only the book, but also Sports Year, is the variety of sports he attends.  Not only the types of sports, but also the age level of the participants.  During this trip, he becomes a big fan of girls’/women’s indoor volleyball.  He realizes how trivial his troubles during the trip are when he sees a softball game in which all players have had at least one limb amputated.  He gets to take veterans to some of the biggest venues such as Cowboys Stadium and Lambeau Field.  Through it all he maintains not only his sense of humor but also his sanity – at least enough to be able to write a very different type of sports memoir that any sports fan will enjoy reading.   

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Need-One-Lunatics-Attempt-Attend/dp/099808994X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=&dpID=51XfprIyBXL&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=detail