Review of "62"

 It seems ironic to be posting a review of a book I enjoyed on the New York Yankees on the day before I take my first trip to Fenway Park in 30 years, but I guess that's just how the reading schedule played out.  Here is my review of a book on Aaron Judge's record setting season, "62."

Title/Author:

“62: Aaron Judge, the New York Yankees and the Pursuit of Greatness” by Bryan Hoch

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (Very good)

Review: 2022 saw one of the best individual seasons in recent baseball history as Aaron Judge set a new American League record with 62 home runs in the penultimate game of the season.  How Judge and his team, the New York Yankees, fared in that season both on and off the field is captured in this book written by veteran Yankee beat writer Bryan Hoch.

Hoch’s knowledge of the Yankees, both the players and the front office, is very clear in the writing as he provides details that only a Yankee insider would know.  This is especially true when he writes about Judge’s negotiations for a new contract both before the 2022 season and then afterward when he was a free agent but ended up re-signing with the Yankees.  His coverage of both the team’s performance on the field and Judge’s individual pursuit of the home run record are also very good.

At times, though, it did appear that objectivity was not a strong suit of this book.  Don’t get me wrong, I am not a “Yankee hater” and I don’t get upset when the team does well, but at times it feels like Hoch writes like a public relations employee for the team instead of a reporter.  One item that made me think like this was when he was giving a brief history of both the team and the previous record-setting seasons by Babe Ruth and Roger Maris.  This item talked about the institutional racism by the Boston Red Sox and their dubious distinction of being the last baseball team to integrate.  While everything Hoch wrote was true, it was never mentioned that the Yankees’ history in racial matters is not much better as they too were very slow to integrate.  A complete picture on items like this was my one issue with the book.

That doesn’t overshadow the many positives – the portrayal of Judge, the inserts of what Maris was going through in his record season of 1961, some great stories about the other 2022 Yankees like Josh Donaldson and Gerrit Cole.  Plus, of course, a description of each of the 62 home runs hit by Judge and some of the memorable calls by TV broadcaster Michael Kay and radio play-by-play man John Sterling.  This book should be part of every Yankee fan’s bookshelf.

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

Link: Amazon.com: 62: Aaron Judge, the New York Yankees, and the Pursuit of Greatness eBook : Hoch, Bryan, Maris, Roger: Kindle Store

Review of "Play On"

I often marvel at athletes, no matter the sport, who perform at championship or elite levels when older than most of his or her peers. Several examples are cited in this book, as well as the science and the training behind this accomplishment. Here is my review of "Play On."

Title/Author:

“Play On: The New Science of Elite Performance at Any Age” by Jeff Bercovici

Tags:

Sports, training, records

Publish date:

May 1, 2018

Length:

288 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Sports fans will marvel when an athlete can still perform at an elite level at an age where many of his or her contemporaries have either retired from the sport or are performing at a lower level.  Examples of these types of athletes abound in every sport, from football (Tom Brady) to hockey (Chris Chelios, Jaromir Jagr) to soccer (Carli Lloyd).  Reasons and explanations are varied, but most of them are covered in this book by Jeff Bercovici.  

The book starts off with the author’s experiences and at times, it can almost read like a kinesiology text book with explanations of what the athlete’s body is experiencing while competing or training.  Later the book talks about various types of training, how older athletes will “train smarter, not harder” and other breakthroughs that keep athletes going at peak performance.  Efficiency is an important topic in the book as no matter how much or exactly what types of exercises and drills are performed, nearly every example provided emphasizes efficiency

Just about every type of sport is covered in the book, whether it is a trainer from that sport or elite athletes.  Soccer, tennis (Roger Federer), basketball (the author marvels at the low injury rates of the San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns), running (Meb Keflezighi) and football (many stars) are just a few of the sports highlighted by Bercovici for their training and fitness.

Athletes have their own chicken-and-egg problem stated in the book: “Do they stay healthy because they are so fit, or are they so fit because they stay healthy enough to train so hard?”  While the question isn’t really answered, the stories shared in attempting to answer make for very good reading, although a very good working knowledge of kinesiology is helpful.

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 (Kindle)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Play-New-Science-Elite-Performance-ebook/dp/B073XCJY4H/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1527270151&sr=8-2&keywords=play+on+elite

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/play-on-jeff-bercovici/1126762463;jsessionid=C7AD06BEC1EBAA83229D0226A380242B.prodny_store01-atgap05?ean=9780544935327&st=AFF&2sid=Goodreads,%20Inc_2227948_NA&sourceId=AFFGoodreads,%20Inc#/

Review of "The Immaculate Inning"

After the winter storm that we endured here in the northeastern United States, it's hard to believe that baseball season starts at the end of the month.  Nonetheless, it is spring training time and the new baseball book selections are starting to be more plentiful.  This one written by SABR member Joe Cox is a quick and fun read on accomplishments that have been achieved by famous and not-so-famous players.  Here is my review of "The Immaculate Inning"

Title/Author:

“The Immaculate Inning: Unassisted Triple Plays, 40/40 Seasons and the Stories Behind Baseball’s Rarest Feats” by Joe Cox

Tags:

Baseball, professional, records

Publish date:

February 1, 2018

Length:

256 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review: 

The nature of the game of baseball lends itself to allow players to have one outstanding inning, game or achievement in an otherwise mediocre (or worse) career.  Stories about these events, whether accomplished by a Hall of Fame player or a player who was only in the major leagues a brief time, are told in this entertaining book by Joe Cox.

The title of the book gives a hint as to one of the 30 accomplishments highlighted: an “immaculate inning” is one in which the pitcher strikes out all three batters he faces in an inning while throwing only nine pitches. Other achievements highlighted in the book include striking out 20 batters in a game, walking six times in one game, hitting and stealing for the cycle in a game (the latter is stealing second, third and home in a game – more impressive if done in an inning) and having a hitting streak of at least 40 games.

While many of the players who accomplished these feats will be familiar to fans since nearly every feat has famous players who achieved them, the stories about the lesser known players are what make this book a treat to read.  Examples of this are a pitcher who struck out four batters in an inning – one of only 33 innings Derek Wallace pitched in the major leagues; Mark Witten hitting two grand slams in an inning, and Earl Averill reaching base in 17 consecutive plate appearances in 1962.

One interesting note about that last feat was that only one other player accomplished this record – Piggy Ward, who played for the Baltimore Orioles and Cincinnati Reds when he had his streak – in 1893.  Including players who accomplished these feats in the nineteenth century, when the records and statistics kept were spotty, is a testament to the research and work that Cox put into the book.

“The Immaculate Inning” is a book that all baseball fans of any era will enjoy as it covers the entire spectrum of the game. The structure of the book is such that it can be read in one sitting or enjoyed in small pieces as none of the chapters are extremely long and once finished, it goes immediately into the next accomplishment.  It is recommended to be added to the library of baseball book collectors.

I wish to thank Lyons Press 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/Immaculate-Inning-Unassisted-Seasons-Baseballs-ebook/dp/B077NW8SD3/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-immaculate-inning-joe-cox/1126827745?ean=9781493032129#/

Review of "Two Hours"

It seems only appropriate to post a review of a book on marathon running today when the New York City Marathon took place.  This book gives a great "fly-on-the-wall" viewpoint of the sport. Here is my review of "Two Hours."

Title/Author:

“Two Hours: The Quest to Run the Impossible Marathon” by Ed Caesar

Tags:

Running, marathon, endurance, records

Publish date:

October 27, 2015

Length:

264 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

While running as a participatory sport has grown to new heights in recent years, the sport’s ultimate signature event for endurance, the marathon, has not enjoyed the same popularity as a spectator sport or as one in which there is much reading material. While there are plenty of books on training for a marathon and some biographies of runners such as Steve Prefontaine, there is very little written about the marathon that a reader can read much like a novel or story and learn about the event.

That void has now been filled by “Two Hours”, an excellent book on the quest by elite marathoners on attempting to break the barrier of running the 26-mile-385-yard event in under two hours.  Ed Caesar’s account of the world of marathon running, told through his interviews and stories of some of the best runners in the sport from Kenya, give a unique perspective of the sport that has not been available to readers before.  While the most prominent runner in the book is Geoffrey Mutai, the 2011 Boston Marathon winner, it is not all about him.

Just about every subject that is applicable to running the marathon is covered.  Whether it is the psychology of a runner, the question of doping in the sport similar to cycling, the training involved, the politics and money of the sport, or the evolution of shoes, Caesar covers it all in a manner that is not too technical for the reader. They all give credence to the belief that at some point in the near future, a runner will be able to break the two-hour barrier, much like Roger Bannister did to the four-minute mile barrier more than 50 years ago. Even if the reader is not a runner or follows the sport closely, he or she will be able to read the book at a leisurely pace and not get too bogged down with too many details. 

I was especially impressed with Caesar’s writing about the question of whether blood doping takes place in the sport.  He makes no accusations or assumptions one way or the other. It is written from knowledge and research, the facts are presented and the reader is left to make his or her own decision on the topic.

The other parts that were extremely well-written were the descriptions of what Mutai has endured, both in his life and in his running career.  The reader will certainly feel connected with the man and will be cheering on Mutai during the chapters on his races.

This is a book I highly recommend for anyone interested in marathons – whether as a participant in these races regularly or just curious to learn more about what makes these elite runners tick. No matter what topic draws one to this book, the reader will not be disappointed.

I wish to thank Simon and Schuster 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/Two-Hours-Quest-Impossible-Marathon-ebook/dp/B00UDCNMFU/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1446411359&sr=1-1&keywords=two+hours+the+quest+to+run+the+impossible+marathon

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/two-hours-ed-caesar/1121369234?ean=9781451685848

Review of "The Perfect Mile"

When Roger Bannister broke the four minute barrier in the mile run, it was one of those sports moments that will live forever in history.  Much like when Hank Aaron hit home run #715, or when the US Olymipic hockey team defeated the Soviet Union, Bannister's famous run will be replayed, talked about and read about for a long time.   This is an interesting book about that run and a subsequent meeting with the man who would break Bannister's record in an epic showdown.

Title/Author:

“The Perfect Mile: Three Athletes, One Goal, and Less than Four Minutes to Achieve It” by Neal Bascomb

Tags:

Track and Field, running, mile, records, history

Published:

April 6, 2005

Length:

336 pages

Rating:

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review

Sports records can generate a lot of buzz – whether it is a seemingly unattainable mark, a star athlete is threatening a record, or if it is set at a famous venue, these events not only leave their mark in history, but may also have a very interesting story.   Such is the case for May 6, 1954 when Englishman Roger Bannister became the first man to run one mile in less than four minutes.  The barrier was seemingly never going to be broken until Bannister did so with the help of other runners who helped set his pace.  

 This book covers that race and Bannister’s background and training leading up to that race in a very detailed and well researched manner.   However, Bannister was only one of three elite mile runners of that time who were attempting to break the record.  American Wes Santee and Australian John Landy were also training hard and racing in events attempting to shatter that barrier.  It happened that Bannister did it first.   Landy then broke Bannister’s record by more than a full second (a large margin in the track and field world) and the stage was set for the two of them to meet head on in the Empire Games held later in 1954 in Vancouver. 

Santee, however, could not compete in this race because of his commitment to the US Marines.   His story was the most heartbreaking of the three, especially in Bascomb’s account of how Santee felt he could beat both of them by running a certain style of race.  This was illustrated by Santee thinking of this strategy while watching the race in the studio and providing commentary.  Santee’s rise to elite miler status and his subsequent events did make me think of a promising career derailed by circumstances that were mostly out of his control.

Landy’s story is also interesting, especially those with his coach involved and his single-minded determination to break this record.  Bannister’s story is the most well known of the three, especially that of the training leading up to the race as it was limited due to his medical studies.  He did complete them as well, becoming a doctor soon after the “Perfect Mile” race.

This book reads much like a mile run – slower at first, getting the reader accustomed to the three athletes and setting the pace.  Then when Bannister takes his starting position in what would be the run that makes history, the book is a blur, just like the last lap for each of these runners – a fast paced story that the reader will have a hard time putting down. 

Did I skim?

No

Did I learn anything new?

Yes.  While I have read about Bannister’s race with pacers to break the four minute barrier before, I learned more about the man and the “Perfect Mile” race against Landy.   I had never heard of Santee before reading this book and very little about Landy, so learning their stories was also interesting.

Pace of the book: 

As mentioned in the review, I felt the beginning was slow and I had trouble keeping track of the stories of the three runners.  But by the time Bannister was in the blocks for his record setting mile, the book took off from there and was a fast read.

Positives:

Two aspects struck me as outstanding in this book.  One was the recap of Bannister’s record setting race and his interaction with each of the pacers.   The detail in which these were written was excellent.  I felt like I was running alongside them on the track during these passages.  

Some of the prose in this book was also outstanding.  Here is an example – my favorite passage in the book and it came early.  It was a description of Bannister’s running style: “Bannister had terrific grace, a terrific long stride, he seemed to ooze power. It was as if the Greeks had come back and brought to show you what the true Olympic runner was like.”

Negatives:

While the detail in the research will help the reader understand the lives and thoughts of the three athletes, at times I felt those dragged down the book and made it a tougher read.  That was more than made up, however, in the last half of the book, when the competition and description of the famous races are excellent.

There was one odd editing problem with the Nook edition.  Every time the word “often” was used, there was a period in front of the word.  It would .often drive me crazy, especially when the sentence began with “.Often.” 

Do I recommend?

Yes, for people who enjoy reading about sports history. This book covers not only the historical race well, but many running events of the 1950’s well.  A touch of historical context also should attract readers who may not be sports fans.

Book Format Read:

Ebook (Nook)

 

Author Media Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Neal-Bascomb/e/B001IU2RRA/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Buying links:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/perfect-mile-neal-bascomb/1102805039?ean=9780547525068

http://www.amazon.com/The-Perfect-Mile-Athletes-ebook/dp/B003UD8KD8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1376768651&sr=1-1&keywords=the+perfect+mile