Review of "Kelli's Pine"

While I have been reading more fictional books lately, I can honestly say that this one grabbed me in a way that no other fictional book had, sports or otherwise.  I will stop short of saying this is the best one I have ever read.  Just as I don't like "GOAT" arguments in sports, I don't like picking just one book as the "best."  I'll just say that this one is definitely high on my list of favorites.  Here is my review of "Kelli's Pine."

Title/Author:

“Kelli’s Pine” by Jay Grochowski

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (Excellent)

Review:  Most sports fiction books that I have read will deal mostly with the sport and the role it plays in the characters’ lives in some way.  In “Kelli’s Pine”, an excellent novel by Jay Grochowski, the sports that are involved in the story are important, but not the driving force in the book and that is a good thing for this story. 

The book revolves mainly around three characters – Eddie Blackburn, his wife Kelli and their son Cole.  Eddie did not finish high school because he had to rescue the family business of providing and servicing portable toilets.  This became necessary when his father left his wife and family with not only the business but also a $40,000 gambling debt.  Eddie succeeded in making the business work, but at the cost of his dreams of playing professional baseball.

Kelli Swanson was a star basketball player in high school and her father was a legendary athlete in their hometown of Mankato, Minnesota as well.  However, she and Eddie had an instant connection and one night near a pine tree where they shared their first Christmas, Cole was conceived.  Kelli and Eddie married shortly after Kelli discovered she was pregnant.  While this, along with knee surgery ended her basketball dreams, Kelli and Eddie raised Cole well and he became a baseball star through a program run by Eddie. 

The baseball scenes in the book after Cole signed with the independent league Mankato Carp are excellent in describing his baseball talents. If a reader wants to find a comparison, Cole could be considered a fictional version of Shohei Ohtani with talent in both hitting and pitching.  But overall, there is not a lot of baseball in the book – enough for a fan to enjoy it, but it is far from the main theme of the story.  The same goes for basketball – even though Kelli and Eddie’s sister Krissy played on a championship team, the basketball scenes are short but very descriptive.

What makes the book so good and one that would be enjoyed by many readers – sports fans or not – is that it covers a wide range of topics and also has great character development.  To start, it might be considered by some to be a romance novel with the story of Eddie and Kelli’s relationship and how it remained strong.  It touches on mental health with both Kelli and Cole suffering from social anxiety disorder.  The story has a lot of family dynamics at play.  Not just with the three main characters, but also others in both the Blackburn and Swanson family.  Nearly every parent, grandparent and sibling in both families have their character developed and the reader will walk away knowing more about them.

Because these characters are well-developed with admirable characteristics and some flaws, the reader will have a hard time picking any one to be a bad person.  This is even true for the two fathers – Eddie’s and Kelli’s father, who attacked Eddie when he found out his daughter was pregnant.

Hopefully, I have not given away too much of this story because one has to read every word to get all that a reader should get from this book.  It is one of the few books I have received that I have read more than once and that is why this review is later than what I promised to the author – I had to read it a second time before writing this so that I could fully digest this excellent story.

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

Link: Kelli's Pine (The Blackburn's of Mankato): Grochowski, Jay: 9798629296379: Amazon.com: Books

 

Review of "The Tennis Champion Who Escaped the Nazis"

Train rides are always the best time for me to catch up on reading and on my recent travels to Washington, DC via train, that gave me that opportunity.  One of the older books on my TBR pile was this one on a tennis player whom I never heard of, but had a story that should be told - and it was by her granddaughter. 

Title/Author:

“The Tennis Champion Who Escaped the Nazis” by Felice Hardy

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:  The story of Liesl Herbst, as told by her granddaughter Felice Hardy in this family memoir, is one that is at times compelling, at times inspiring but for the most part tragic.  Liesl came from a Jewish family in Vienna with some wealth – but being Jewish in a country so close to Germany, there were rumblings of trouble when the Nazis rose to power.  Before this however, Liesl wanted to channel her athletic talent into tennis and follow her idol, Suzanne Lenglen into the sport. 

Through extensive research (by herself and other researchers in Austria and Czechoslovakia), Hardy is able to not only find out about her grandmother’s tennis career but is also able to describe in great detail about the escape from Austria that Liesl and her daughter Dorli (Hardy’s mother) were able to accomplish and settle in London.  Because Liesl was a former tennis champion in Austria, she wanted to compete again and was able to do so at Wimbledon.  She and Dorli became the only mother/daughter team to compete at Wimbledon and while they may not have advanced far in the tournament, it was a testament to their athletic ability and their determination in both athletics and survival.

However, this book is not all positive.  The rest of the family members did not escape the Nazis and all perished at various points during their imprisonment.  These passages, which were more of the book than Liesl’s tennis accomplishments, were difficult to read, but really were necessary for both the reader and the author.  Hardy should be commended for remembering all members of her family, not just her famous grandmother.

There are many conversations that are quoted in the book and given the time frame and lack of ability to verify these from survivors, one must consider these as conversations that Hardy believed these people would have had when either making their escapes or being captured. The journey of David, Liesl’s husband, to London after sending his wife and daughter there almost reads like a survivalist story.  While this is not to question any of the authenticity of this and other similar accounts, it does appear that some of this is what Hardy believes her family members did and said. However, that doesn’t detract from the overall quality of the book.  It is one that is a very good read and while tennis is a part of the story, the takeaway after reading is how much suffering people endured at the hands of the Nazi party during the Holocaust.

I was provided a review copy via NetGalley and the opinions expressed are strictly my own.

Link: Amazon.com: The Tennis Champion Who Escaped the Nazis: From Vienna to Wimbledon, one family’s struggle to survive and win: 9781802471199: Hardy, Felice: Books

 

 

Review of “The Chicken Runs at Midnight”

After seeing the 2023 finalists for the Casey Award for the best baseball book, I decided to read more of these award winning books and finalist for not only 2023 but past years as well. Looking at past years’ finalists, this tile of a 2019 finalist caught my eye. I then read the synopsis - and then immediately checked out a copy. Wow, what a book! Here is my review.  

Title/Author:

“The Chicken Runs at Midnight: A Daughter’s Message From Heaven That Changed a Father’s Heart and Won the World Series” by Tom Friend

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review: It’s very hard to categorize this book because it touches so many areas. Is it a baseball book? Yes, there’s much about the sport and one man’s quest to reach the major leagues, but it is so much more than that.  Is it a spiritual book? Yes, but it doesn’t really have that characteristic until the last third or so.  Is it a book on family life and relationships? Yes, that’s important to the story but again, not a complete description. Yet, this wonderful book by Tom Friend will appeal to anyone who enjoys reading about these topics.  Field’s writing about the following topics is a joy to behold and will keep the reader glued to the book.

Let’s start with the baseball. Rich Donnelly grew up in the town of Steubenville, Pennsylvania as a huge fan of the Pittsburgh Pirates. While he dreamed of playing for his beloved Pirates, he wasn’t the best athlete in his family - that honor belonged to his brother Jerome Jr. or Romey. Romey was also Rich’s hero, 14 years his senior and continually monitored by their father Jerome. Wanting to ensure that Romey would become a major league pitcher, Jerome Sr. was basically a helicopter parent in that he set strict rules for Romey about practice, social time, eating, dating - you name it, it was monitored by the father. While Romey did end up in professional baseball, he failed to make the major leagues and tragically died not long after giving up the game. 

Enter Rich, who was already doing pretty well for himself as a catcher. Jerome Sr. then shifted his focus to Rich who also ended up playing college and professional baseball. Like Romey, Rich had struggles in the minors and also married a woman soon after finally having the freedom to do so. He and his wife Peggy had four children - Richard Jr. or Bubba, Tim, Mike and Amy. It is the daughter, Amy, who spoke the phrase making up the title of the book - and it was just a spontaneous remark when she asked her dad what he told players when cupping his mouth while being the third base coach. This was in the 1992 NLCS when Rich was the third base coach for the Pirates. He may not have made his boyhood team as a player, but he was just as thrilled to wear their uniform as a coach. 

But the road there was filled with many issues. Rich inherited his father’s type A personality and while that may work on a baseball diamond, it certainly caused issues with his family. He pushed the three boys hard when they showed promise in baseball and basketball. But Amy…we’ll, Amy was her own person and always tried to show her father how she was important too. Not to mention her talents were on display as well. She would gather kids in the family garage and hold classrooms lessons, complete with homework and forms for parents to sign. She also became an athlete, excelling in basketball. But Rich never saw this - thanks to falling for the vices that often plagued baseball players on the road - drinking and women - Rich and his wife Peggy eventually divorced and Amy was left despondent over not being able to please her father. 

Even more so, as Freind wonderfully describes, Rich is also,left with so many lingering doubts - about how good a father he was to his daughter, to his faith and his overall life. But news about Amy and a devastating diagnosis of brain cancer left Rich in shock and the story of how he got back into Amy’s life, how special she was and the time they together in the Pittsburgh playoff drive - capped off by “The Chicken Runs at Midnight” comment is one that is some heartwarming that one would think that wine Amy passed away the following spring, that would be the end of the story. 

But Rich, following manager Jim Leylamd to Miami and being the third base coach for the Florida Marlins in the 1997 World Series, there was one more miracle from Amy thanks to Marlin Craig Counsell, who was nicknamed the Chicken and the time that the Marlins won game 7. Not wanting to give away any more of the story than already told, just know that if a reader got this far without tearing up or at least feeling some emotion, they are sure to do so when this occurs. 

This book was a finalist for a 2019 Casey Award and once one read it, they will understand why. Not a typical baseball story even though there are many typical baseball plays and personalities in the book, this is one that is sure to captivate a reader. Even this lengthy review cannot do justice to the complete story of Rich and Amy Donnelly. 

Link:https://www.amazon.com/Chicken-Runs-Midnight-Daughters-Message/dp/0310352061/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= 

Review of "The Turcottes"

When I received a review request for this book, I was quite happy to accept.  After all, Secretariat is still considered to be not only the best race horse in history but also one of the best athletes ever.  I did remember that his jockey was Ron Turcotte but I had no idea that Ron was only one of many successful jockeys in the family.  Here is my review of Curtis Stock's excellent book on this racing family. 

Title/Author:

“The Turcottes: The Remarkable Story of a Horse Racing Dynasty” by Curtis Stock

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

Secretariat is still considered to be one of the greatest race horses in history, even now, 50 years after his Triple Crown.  His jockey was Ron Turcotte, who became as much of a celebrity as his horse during those special weeks.  However, Ron was certainly not the only successful jockey in his family and this excellent book by Curtis Stock pays homage to all the Turcotte riders.

Ron was one of 14 children of Alfred and Rose Turcotte in New Brunswick.  The large family had many struggles and often lived in poverty – this was starkly illustrated at the start of this book with a description of a fire that destroyed the residence of the Turcottes.  Alfred made a living as a logger and it seemed to be the destiny of his sons as well.  But when Ron was 17 and after caring for the horses who hauled the loads, Ron and his brother Reggie left home to find different paths.  Reggie eventually was able to use his culinary skills into decent jobs, but it was Ron’s path of finding a job in a stable by sheer determination that the road for the most famous family in horse racing began.

It might surprise some readers, including myself, to read about just how successful all five Turcottes became on the track.  In addition to Ron, his brothers Noel, Rudy, Roger and Yves (who was the youngest of the 14 children) all rode to at least 1000 victories except Noel who rode on “only” 945 winners as he was struggling in his last few years to finish his career.  Each brother had rides for at least 15 years in Canada and the United States. Each one had similar starts to their riding careers but all took different paths to success and each one’s story makes for excellent reading.

That is because Stock’s writing is in a style that is easy for a novice fan (or even non-fan) of horse racing can understand but is detailed enough that avid fans will enjoy it.  This is the case whether talking about a minor race in Alberta to the three Triple Crown races Ron ran on Secretariat.  If there is a brother who gets the most ink in the book it would of course be Ron, but all of the other brothers get their fair share of pages as well.  This included personal matters as well as those on the track or in the stables. Two of the more heartbreaking stories on this was Roger’s battle with alcoholism that strained both his family and his racing career and Ron being left paralyzed after being thrown from a horse.   

During this 50^th anniversary of one of the greatest accomplishments in any sport, this is a book that should be read by anyone who has an interest in horse racing, Secretariat or sports history.

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

Link: The Turcottes: The Remarkable Story of a Horse Racing Dynasty: Stock, Curtis: 9780228104247: Amazon.com: Books

Review of “My Dad, Yogi”

While it is not uncommon to see books written by sons about their fathers, it isn’t often one will be written by a former major league player written about his father who is beloved by many, including non-baseball fans.  Here is my review of “My Dad, Yogi” by Dale Berra.

Title/Author:

“My Dad, Yogi: A Memoir of Family and Baseball” by Dale Berra

Tags:

Baseball, professional, memoir, Yankees, Mets, Pirates, Astros

Publish:
May 7, 2019

Length:
256 pages

Rating:

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Whether or not one is a baseball fan, it is likely that person knows who Yogi Berra is. Many remember him as a Hall of Fame baseball player for the New York Yankees who also managed both the Yankees and New York Mets to the World Series.  Maybe the person knows Yogi from his famous quotes that are humorous and still repeated by many now, more than three years after his death. Whatever the reason, people still love the man. One of his three sons, Dale, also became a major league player and has written a memoir about the entire Berra family that will tug at heartstrings and also show a side of Yogi that many people may not know.

Dale writes about his father during his childhood years as a man who, while he didn’t say it often, would know that his children are loved by him. Dale and his brothers Tim and Larry were all fine athletes but only Dale made it to the big leagues.  If there is a downfall to this book, it is that Dale will write long passages about himself instead of Yogi, Carmen and his brothers, especially about his battle with drug addiction. That will be a disappointment to readers like myself who wanted to read only about the entire family.  

However, what he DOES write about his parents is excellent.  The story of how his father met Carmen, who would become Yogi’s wife (Yogi felt he married up by wedding Carmen) was beautiful as well as the exchange between Yogi and Dale that the latter said was what would get him through another day:

“You all right, Kid?”

“Yeah, Dad, I’m all right”

“That’s all I want to hear, Kid.”

While this was the best of the stories, there are plenty of other fine stories about Yogi and the family as well.  The day that Yogi decided to end his self-exile from Yankee Stadium 15 years after being fired as Yankee manager is one.  The intervention called by Carmen after Dale was arrested for drug possession and usage years after they thought he was over his addiction was eye-opening.  Even in Dale’s younger days when he would be excited to be in the same clubhouse as star players on the Mets that his dad was managing such as Tom Seaver and Willie Mays, the stories would be fun to read.

This book does give a reader insight into the Berra family that other books don’t and when that insight comes from a family member, it gives it even more credibility.  Despite the long passages about Dale himself, this book nonetheless is a worthwhile addition the library of anyone who is a fan of Yogi Berra.

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

Book format read:
E-Book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

My Dad, Yogi: A Memoir of Family and Baseball: Dale Berra, Mark Ribowsky: 9780316525459: Amazon.com: Books

Review of "Spirals"

Reading this book helped me with a couple of online reading challenges in which I am participating.  It is also going to be posted in a new Facebook group dedicated to books and literature on college football and it even has helped me with a resolution to review books in which I was sent a copy, but never got to read for months.  To top it off, I really enjoyed this book on a family's college football legacy. Here is my review of "Spirals."

Title/Author:

“Spirals: A Family’s Education in Football” by Timothy B. Spears

Tags:

Football (American), college, family, Dartmouth, Minnesota, Yale, memoir

Publish date:

October 1, 2018

Length:

184 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

It is very common for the love of a sport, whether as a player or as a spectator, to be passed down from generation to generation. The Spears family is no different as three generations of Spears men played college football.  The eldest, Clarence “Doc” Spears, was a guard for Dartmouth and also became a Hall of Fame college coach, most notably at the University of Minnesota where he was the first college coach of the legendary player Bronko Nagurski.  Then Doc’s son Bob was the captain of the Yale football team in the 1950’s and grandson Timothy would also play for Yale, as an offensive guard in the 1970’s. Timothy went into academics after Yale and he shares his family’s football legacy in this excellent book.

Doc Spears’ story is certainly the most colorful of the three as his legacy as coach at Minnesota, while impressive on the field, is also clouded by his controversies off the field, especially his clashes with the university president. This led to him taking the same position at a rival school, Wisconsin.  However, as he does with his father and himself, Timothy Spears writes about much more than just the football careers of the three Spears men. For each man, their family bonds and their academics are just as important and these passages will bring out the most emotional response from a reader.

This is best illustrated when each of them is in college. For Timothy, his reflections on his life on campus but away from football is both humorous and touching.  His description of the times he would smoke marijuana made me laugh, but then I felt bad for him when his parents confronted him on it.  Bob’s injuries during his football career at Yale, plus his own health issues (the book begins with the death of Timothy’s mother and his dad’s dementia when trying to process it) make for some of the more heart-tugging moments. Then, of course, there is Doc – his presence in the book feels very royal, like we are reading about a monarch or a king.  His story was my favorite of the three.

Timothy writes that he didn’t want to just write about himself, his father and his grandfather in chronological order because the reader would then miss out on seeing how the generations intertwine and truly received their educations through football as well as in the classroom and on other parts of the campus. He accomplishes this as the reader will learn much about what it truly means to be either a COLLEGE football coach (in the case of Doc) or to be a true student-athlete, in the cases of Bob and Timothy.  This is a terrific book for any college football fan, especially as it covers multiple eras of the game.

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

Book Format Read:

Hardcover

Buying Links:

https://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/university-of-nebraska-press/9781496203632/

https://www.amazon.com/Spirals-Education-Football-Timothy-Spears-ebook/dp/B07C8CWJ2D/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=  

Review of "The Warner Boys"

Let me start this post by saying that this is NOT the typical book I will review.  Yes, there is an athlete who is a co-author of the book and yes, he does talk a little about his career in football.  But that is about it for any sports connection.  However, the story shared here by Curt Warner and his wife Ana is a must read - a powerful story about their lives raising twin boys with autism.  Here is my review of "The Warner Boys"

Title/Author:

“The Warner Boys: Our Family’s Story of Autism and Hope” by Ana and Curt Warner with Dave Boling

Tags:

Family, Autism, Memoir, Football (American), Seahawks

Publish date:

December 1, 2018

Length:

193 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

Curt Warner was an All-Pro running back for the Seattle Seahawks after enjoying an outstanding college football career at Penn State.  He met and married a striking woman from Brazil, Ana and after their first son, Jonathan, was born, it seemed like they would be able to live a comfortable life as Curt was smart with his money while he was a professional athlete.

However, all that changed when their twin sons, Austin and Christian, were born. Early in their lives, it was apparent that something was different about the twins and they were diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder.  Of course, this profoundly changed the dynamic of the Warner family and their story is told in this unforgettable memoir co-written by Curt and Ana.

The book covers so many different aspects and topics. Not only about the Warner’s life trying to raise two boys with autism and all of the challenges that encompasses, but they also talk about their own feelings, their own actions and there is even a chapter in which Jonathan talks about his struggles, especially when he was a teenager and he would not have friends come over to his house for fear of not only embarrassment, but also for the protection of his brothers.

There are many different events that run the gamut of emotions for the Warners. The hopes and disappointments when treatment options don’t work. The never-ending vigilance they exhibit to ensure that neither boy harms himself or others when they express themselves in ways such as biting or hitting their heads against objects. The fear and subsequent relief when their house was destroyed by a fire set by Austin trying to reenact a scene from a Disney movie. The adoption of a little girl, Isabella, in the middle of all this and her immediate taking to her older brothers (all three of them). The pride of seeing Austin and Christian graduate from high school.  This is only a small sample of the events that are described by the Warners that had to be difficult for them to say, but felt that they had to share.

Words in a review cannot do justice to describe the feelings one will have when reading this book.  It is both sad and happy.  It is both hard to read and very uplifting.  The best description of what this book is truly about was written by Curt – “When we tell them about the things that have given us strength, some say that ours isn’t an autism story – it’s a love story.”  That sums up what I took away from this book – it is truly a story of love. Anyone who has family members who are autistic, or anyone who wants to learn more about what it is like to live with loved ones suffering from this disease needs to read this book.

Book Format Read: 

E-book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Warner-Boys-Familys-Story-Autism-ebook/dp/B07B9KR118/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-warner-boys-curt-warner/1128305993;jsessionid=B0FB6B17385B0E0DFA9148CB4291D6C4.prodny_store02-atgap01?ean=9781503901469#/

Review of "In the Name of the Father"

There are many interesting football titles that will be released this fall, so I will be reading more about that sport in the next few weeks.  First up for the new football reads is this one on the Manning family. It certainly sheds a different light on the family but still tells about the accomplishments of  the family QBs in a very informative style.  Here is my review of "In the Name of the Father."

Title/Author:

“In the Name of the Father: Family, Football and the Manning Dynasty” by Mark Ribowsky

Tags:

Football (American), biography, family, Saints, Colts, Broncos, Giants,  

Publish date:

August 7, 2018

Length:

400 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Football fans, both college and professional, know about the Manning family.  Father Archie and sons Peyton and Eli all became All-Pro quarterbacks in the NFL and the two sons have each won two Super Bowls. Even their older brother, Cooper, was a football star (although he was a wide receiver) in high school before being diagnosed with spinal stenosis during his freshman year in college.  Their family lineage and royalty in football is told in this very good book by noted biographer Mark Ribowsky.

The story is not all golden as more than just a write-up about the football players and lives on and off the field, the book tells of a culture that was slow to change and how the family members were reflections of that culture from the Deep South. Archie, while becoming a legend at Ole Miss, also was one who reflected the difficulty of the Southern culture to become integrated.  There is never any blatant racism portrayed by any of the Mannings or their spouses but it is clear in Ribowsky’s writing that some of the changes taking place were being accepted slower by them than they were in the rest of the country. 

There are some other dark moments covered in the book, such as the lawsuit filed by a female trainer at the University of Tennessee against Peyton Manning. While the story wasn’t big news at the time, it took new life as Peyton continually denied anything inappropriate took place and he held a long-time grudge against the woman about the case. This is an example of how the author was able to shed new light about the family and its dynamics as well as new information about this particular incident.

Of course, there is plenty of football talk as well.  The careers of all three Manning quarterbacks are illustrated with great detail.  Archie’s woes on bad teams in New Orleans, Houston and Minnesota will make a reader feel his pain.  The joys exhibited by Peyton and Eli are felt as well, especially in Eli’s case when he led the Giants to an upset of the undefeated Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.  The college careers of all three Mannings are covered just as well, especially Archie as he was considered a king of college football and set many individual records at Ole Miss. These have since been broken by others, but the Manning name is still revered on that campus.

Complete in its research and content, engaging in its writing and informative for readers, this book is one that is recommended for all football fans, whether or not they are fans of any of the Mannings or their teams.

I wish to thank W.W. Norton and Liveright 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/Name-Father-Football-Manning-Dynasty-ebook/dp/B076MD6GF9/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-the-name-of-the-father-mark-ribowsky/1127196051?ean=9781631493102#/

Happy Father's Day! Review of "My First Coach"

Here's a wish for a Happy Father's Day to all of the fathers reading this, including women who are doing both mother and father duties.  On this day, it is only appropriate to review this upcoming book written by a talented sportswriter about the relationships between several NFL quarterbacks and their fathers.  Here is my review of "My First Coach."

Title/Author:

“My First Coach: Inspiring Stories of NFL Quarterbacks and Their Dads” by Gary Myers

Tags:

Football (American), professional, history, family

Publish date:

August 22, 2017

Length:

288 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

There are many stories of fathers playing catch with their sons with either a baseball and mitts or tossing a football back and forth. Many of those catches with a football are mixed with fantasies by the son (and sometimes the father) of that youngster becoming an NFL quarterback.  This excellent book by Gary Myers tells the stories of some of those youngsters whose dreams of becoming a professional quarterback and the experiences they had with their fathers.

The quarterbacks selected for this book are not all Super Bowl winners or even stars in the game. There are plenty of the former (Phil Simms, John Elway and Eli Manning just to name a few) but there are also quarterbacks who are early in their professional careers (Jameis Winston, Derek Carr) or journeymen (Ryan Fitzpatrick and Jim Harbaugh). No matter the level of success or experience obtained, the stories of their relationships with their fathers made for fascinating reading.  Myers is considered to be one of the best football writers in the country and the manner in which he captures the stories shows why.

While the majority of the tales shared do reveal many of the traits expected, such as the many sacrifices and moves made by the fathers to help their sons achieve gridiron success, there are some that took a different path. Simms recalls that his relationship with his father was not a close one during his youth.  Winston tells how his father stressed academics over football, and Harbaugh’s story goes well into his coaching days as well as his playing days.  All of the chapters reveal heartfelt reflections by both the fathers and the sons about their relationships.

There is one more twist to the type of story told and that is the one on the chapter about Joe Montana.  This is because that chapter talks about Montana as the father to his two sons who both played high school and college football but did not play professionally. The pressure they felt as the son of a legend was extraordinary, enough to the point that they put their mother’s maiden names on the backs of their jerseys so they did not have to try to live up to their famous father’s performance. This chapter was my favorite one in the book.

Football fans of all levels, from casual to die-hard, will enjoy reading these personal stories about the most visible players in professional football.  Myers has once again scored a touchdown with a book about quarterbacks and it is one the comes highly recommended.

I wish to thank Grand Central 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/My-First-Coach-Inspiring-Quarterbacks/dp/1455598461/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1497791115&sr=1-1&keywords=my+first+coach

Review of "Welcome to the Show"

This book is the third one of a series about a young autistic man whose talent of throwing apples into a barrel led to a major league pitching career.  While this book should be read after the first two, if one has read them, be sure to pick up this one as well as Mickey's adventures take a wonderful turn in this one.  Here is my review of "Welcome to the Show."

Title/Author:

“Welcome to the Show” by Frank Nappi

Tags:

Baseball, fiction, Braves, family, Young adult

Publish date:

April 19, 2016

Length:

288 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

In this third book of the Mickey Tussler series, Mickey now finds himself pitching in the major leagues for the Boston Braves.  His manager (who is also now his stepfather) Arthur Murphy and catcher Lester are also employed by the 1950 Braves and the story of their adventures in the National League is the best of the three stories about the young autistic pitcher.

Nappi writes with flowing grace no matter which particular topic is being addressed.  Whether it’s Mickey throwing his fastball with pinpoint accuracy, his budding romance with Jolene, the sister of a Braves teammate, or some of the poignant exchanges between Murphy and Molly, his wife and Mickey’s mother, the reader will be gripped in the emotions of the moment. 

The reader will also feel a strong connection with the characters in this story.  Of course, those who have read the previous two stories already have had that attachment with Mickey, Molly, Murphy and Lester, but it continues with the introduction of Jolene.  Having suffered rejection by a parent during her childhood like Mickey, her character is the perfect match for Mickey and their conversations and budding relationship made for the best passages of the book.

Which isn’t to say that the baseball writing is bad – these parts are just as good as they are in the first two segments. Using real players from the 1950 season but taking liberties with actual baseball history, it was fun to read about the ups and downs of the Braves as they progress through the season.  No spoilers to tell how the season ends, but how the young pitcher, his grizzled manager and level-headed catcher handle the adventures of the campaign will enthrall any baseball fan.

With great storytelling, a tender romantic story and some life lessons along the way, “Welcome to the Show” is a terrific read while following Mickey’s baseball career. His story is one of the best literary series of books I have read.

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

Book Format Read:

E-book (Nook)

Buying links:

http://www.amazon.com/Welcome-Show-Mickey-Tussler-Novel-ebook/dp/B01DIF4YT6/ref=dp_kinw_strp_1

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/welcome-to-the-show-frank-nappi/1122378351?ean=9781634508292

Review of "Baseball Dads"

While this was a fictional book that I enjoyed reading, I struggled to decide whether or not to include this book here as it truly isn't a "sports" book.  The baseball is more of a setting to the main part of the story and the characters just happen to have kids playing baseball to draw them together.  I decided to include it here in case it does help someone decide whether or not to pick up this book.  Here is my review of "Baseball Dads."

Title/Author:

“Baseball Dads” by Matthew S. Hiley

Tags:

Baseball, fiction, murder, family

Publish date:

September 15, 2015

Length:

263 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

While the title may make a reader think this story is about baseball, it really isn't. It is a story of social classes, murder, drugs, sex...And some little league baseball thrown in as well.

The story centers around Dwayne Devoe, a middle class business owner in the suburbs of Fort Worth. He is drowning in debt, his business has a large numbers of unpaid accounts and his wife has been having numerous affairs. However, his son Alex is a good player for the local baseball team and there isn't anything that Dwayne won't do for him. When the coach won't pay Alex and the more skilled players in favor of less talented kids whose parents are socially connected, Dwayne decides to take action.

With the help of three other "baseball dads" the plan goes into effect. What follows leads to a trail of dead bodies, Jedi warriors, raunchy sex (but not graphically written in the book) and even some wins for Alex's team.

The story reads at a lightning fast pace as one never knows what the next move will be for Dwayne and the dads. There are many funny moments which will make the reader laugh. Many times I was saying phrases to myself such as "What the Heck?" (or stronger) as some the situations and actions are just so bizarre. One example is what Dwayne used to fertilize the baseball field. I won't give that away here...But it isn't something that is recommended to use on your lawn.

If you like dark stories with lots of mayhem and raunch, this is your story. Not recommended for readers under 18. This is a very entertaining book that will leave the reader laughing.

I wish to thank Greenleaf Book Group Press for providing a copy of the book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying links:

http://www.amazon.com/Baseball-Dads-Matthew-S-Hiley-ebook/dp/B013RG6X5Y/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8