Review of “The Big Loosh”

After a short respite from reading sports books as I concentrated on other topics, it’s back to sports. To start this resumption, I read this interesting biography on umpire Ron Luciano. Here is my review of “The Big Loosh”.

Title/Author:

“The Big Loosh: The Unruly Life of Umpire Ron Luciano” by Jim Leeke

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:  

There is an old adage in baseball that the better umpires do their job, the less that they are noticed. That was not the case for Ron Luciano, an American League umpire in the 1970’s. His journey to become one of the most recognizable umpires of that time is captured in this book by Jim Leeke.

Most notable about Luciano’s early life is that baseball was not his first choice for sports. He was an excellent lineman on both sides of the ball for Syracuse University. He played in the 1959 College All-Star game when that game existed and was a second round draft choice of the Detroit Lions. He eventually landed with the Buffalo Bills in the AFL but appeared in only two games as his time in pro football was plagued with injuries. This was where I felt the book was excellent, with Leeke explaining in good detail how Luciano was really a football player at heart. It was also explained that it was here where Luciano was an excellent storyteller (the truth of these stories was often in question). The story of how Hall of Famer “Big Daddy” Lipscomb contributed to Luciano’s injuries is told wonderfully here.

After his football career ended, Luciano decided to enroll in umpire school and did very well, leading to his assignment in the minor leagues with an eventual call-up to MLB in 1969. Much like players, umpires that make it to The Show have an interesting adventure to get there, and Leeke describes that path for Luciano quite well.

While in the regular rotation for American League umpires, Luciano would often provide fans with a little entertainment, such as making a shooting motion to call a runner out at first base.  This drew a mixed reaction from fans, players, managers and the media. Luciano loved hearing from those who liked it, ignored the critics and also became an umpire who was generally considered one of the better umpires in the American League.

Leeke covers as much ground as he can on that topic and also on Luciano’s career as an author after his time as an umpire was done. After a brief time as a baseball broadcaster for NBC, Luciano had a best selling memoir, The Umpire Strikes Back. He also wrote a sequel to this about other umpires, Strike Two, which didn’t do as well plus two other books. Here, Leeke covers more ground on how well or not well the books did than Luciano’s life. 

Finally, the book has a short section on Luciano’s final years, ending tragically with his suicide by running his car in a locked garage at age 57. Here, there isn’t much material and it felt like the ending of this book came on too suddenly. In fairness to the author, Leeke did state that when he was attempting to learn more about the circumstances of Luciano’s suicide, friends and family did not want to discuss that. Despite this ending, if a reader either wants to learn more about this colorful umpire, it is a fairly short and quick read that is packed with good stories about him.

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

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Big-Loosh-Unruly-Umpire-Luciano/dp/1496237668/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0 

Review of “The Lion of the League”

Books about umpires can be just as good as those about baseball players or managers. This book is one example of this. Winner of the 2025 SABR Seymour Medal for best baseball history book or biography, here is my review of “Lion of the League.”

Title/Author:

“Lion of the League: Bob Emslie and the Evolution of the Baseball Umpire” by Larry R. Gerlach

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review: 

It’s not often that those attending a baseball game won’t hear fans, players, coaches and managers yelling and insulting the umpires. If one thinks umpires have a tough job today, it feels like an easy one after one reads what it was like for baseball umpires in the late 19th and early 20th century in this book. 

Author Larry R. Gerlach not only describes the work and life of the main subject of the book, Bob Emslie, but he also gives the reader a very good look at the difficulty arbiters face in the early days of Major League Baseball. Not only did they face criticism from those on the field, the press wasn’t kind to umpires either. The game at that time was fairly rough with many scuffles that an umpire had to settle. The rules and dimensions taken for granted now, such as balls and strikes and the dimensions of home plate, were often in flux at that time. Through it all, with all the associated train travel as well, Emslie became one of the most respected and long-lasting umpires of that era.

All this came after Emslie had an up-and-down playing career as a pitcher. When he realized that he was not going to continue as a pitcher, that’s when he decided to become an umpire to stay in the game. Whether it’s about Emslie’s pitching or his umpire skills, Gerlach writes with rich detail about individual games as well as the seasons to cover Emslie’s career that spanned more than 5 decades. The book has to be read carefully because of its rich detail, but that is well worth the time it takes to learn about one of the early pioneers of umpiring.

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/Lion-League-Emslie-Evolution-Baseball/dp/149623765X/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0 

Review of “The Umpire Is Out”

It is only fitting that on this last day of Pride Month that I share my review of an excellent memoir by Dale Scott, a very successful and openly gay major league umpire.  

 Title/Author: “The Umpire is Out: Calling the Game and Living My True Self” by Dale Scott with Rob Neyer

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (very good)

Review: 

Dale Scott worked as a MLB umpire between 1986 and 2017 when a concussion suffered in an early season game made him decide to retire. In 2014, he publicly announced that he was gay, becoming the first openly gay umpire in MLB. This memoir written with Rob Neyer tells Scott’s story of not only his umpiring career but also how he dealt with the need to hide his sexuality from becoming public. 

Given the title, I expected the bulk of the book to be mostly about his private life, but there is more about his life as an umpire than his personal life. That doesn’t mean the book was a disappointment - indeed, I felt that both topics were very interesting and no matter what part of his life Scott was sharing, I found the stories and the writing to be great. 

Scott didn’t set out to have a career in umpiring right away - he had a good gig at a radio station and was an official for basketball and football games as well as a baseball umpire. He decided to enroll in an umpire school and when he did well enough to be offered a minor league job, he took it. His description of life at the school and in the minor leagues is not unlike many of those stories of minor league players but there are unique elements of being an umpire versus being a player.

His stories, and there are many, of games, arguments and ejections during his time in the majors are excellent. As a Twins fan, my favorite story is one he shared about a time Tom Kelly, then manager of the Twins, was actually telling him he made a great call but was making it look like an argument to the fans. He devoted an entire chapter to “TK” and said he was one of the best managers when it came to temperament with umpires. Of course there are plenty of stories that were true arguments, including a great one with Billy Martin.

The reader will learn a lot about the life of an umpire and also some of the issues with their union and MLB. A particularly interesting piece in this area was the mass resignation plan by then-union head Richie Phillips in 1999. The actions taken and the fallout from that scheme read like a drama novel and Scott’s part in it made for very interesting reading.

Like the players, an umpire will spend a lot of time away from home. This took Scott away from his long time partner and now husband Mike. How the two of them met was one of my favorite passages where Scott talks about his personal life. It wasn’t so much of a “love at first sight” story that drew me in, but when describing that first encounter, Scott explained how the gay men community would signal that they are interested in a guy. I felt that was important for readers who are heterosexual to know so they get a better understanding of the LGBTQ+ community lives. 

It is important to note that when Scott realized his sexuality he was completely comfortable in who he was. He had concerns, like many LGBTQ+ individuals, about how he should hide this and when he could tell others. His stories about coming out to his family, to friends who may not have known and even fellow umpires were mostly positive. Some people thought so and this was a confirmation. Probably the most telling was when he came out to his father via a letter instead of a conversation or phone call. Reading about this was quite emotional and having his father eventually come to accept and love his son (after saying he needed time to process this, which Dale understood) was a very powerful passage.

This was a book that I started and finished in one sitting, something I rarely do. It is a terrific memoir of not only the life of a successful umpire but also one of the many hurdles a gay person may face until they, as the book’s subtitle says, can live their true self. 

I wish to thank the author and 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.nebraskapress.unl.edu/nebraska/9781496230447/ 

Review of "They Called Me God"

This isn't a new book, nor was it one that I was requested to review, nor was it one I was dying to read.  However I did want to finally read a book on baseball umpires. Since this was selected as a book of the month in a baseball book group to which I belong, why not?  Here is my review of "They Called Me God"

Title/Author:

“They Called Me God: The Best Baseball Umpire Who Ever Lived” by Doug Harvey with Peter Golenbock

Tags:

Baseball, memoir, umpire

Publish date:

March 25, 2014

Length:

288 pages

Rating: 

3 ½ of 5 stars (good)

Review:

Doug Harvey was considered to be one of the best umpires in the game in a 30-year major league career that spanned from 1962 to 1992. It is even more impressive when one considers that Harvey did not attend umpiring school as most other umpires do who make it to the major leagues.  Stories from his career, from high school games to the World Series, are told in this memoir co-written with Peter Golenbock.

The title of the book will tell the reader what the tone of the stories will be like – they are all about himself and many of them will tell the reader that he believes he was one of the best umpires because he believed in listening and fairness. Not many will truly argue these points, but he does frequently remind readers of these points.  At times, that repetition took away from the theme of the stories he was trying to tell.

These are all short stories, rarely taking up more than two or three pages in the hardcover edition.  With a long career, one can imagine that he shared stored about many of the players and managers that he had to eject from games.  While not every story results in a player or manger being tossed from the game, most of them do involve that in some manner.  It is only appropriate that one of the better stories about these ejections involved his ejection of Walter Alston, the legendary manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, in a late season game. Harvey realized that he had not ejected a single person from a game that season, so in order to prove to the league offices that he hasn’t softened, he ejected Alston on a seemingly minor offense.  Alston, after hearing Harvey’s reason for the ouster, played along and took it gracefully.

Another aspect of Harvey’s life that he talks about frequently is his drinking.  He notes that often after games, there wasn’t much to do so he and his fellow umpires would usually enjoy a few at the hotel bar. This was especially true when he was a rookie and he would join his crew chief there instead of leaving him alone with his drinks. I bring this up because that is how the book reads – like the reader is sitting at the hotel bar with Harvey after a game holding a drink and listening to Harvey tell all of these stories of ejecting players and managers.

While the book was entertaining enough and I liked most of the stories, the repetition of how good an umpire he was did start to wear a little thin by the end of the book.  He is one of only a few umpires that have been enshrined in the baseball Hall of Fame – that alone says he is one of the best and there was no need to repeat this.  Otherwise, if a reader likes to read about an umpire’s power over a game, then this book comes recommended. 

Book Format Read:

Hardcover                                                                                                                                         

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/They-Called-Me-God-Umpire-ebook/dp/B00DPM7T1I/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=they+called+me+god&qid=1563565682&s=gateway&sr=8-1

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/they-called-me-god-doug-harvey/1115884703?ean=9781476748818&st=AFF&2sid=Goodreads,%20Inc_2227948_NA&sourceId=AFFGoodreads,%20Inc

Review of "The Call"

This request for a review came as a surprise - the author found my profile on Facebook and then we talked about this book.  It certainly sounded interesting and it did not disappoint. The subject matter was as interesting as I hoped it would be.  Here is my review of the fictional baseball novel "The Call."

Title/Author:

“The Call: A Baseball Novel” by Laurie Boris

Tags:

Baseball, fiction, drama, umpires, women

Publish date:

August  21, 2017

Length:

300 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Margie Oblonsky has dreams of following her father and twin brother into a baseball career.  However, she is going in a different direction and goes to umpire school.  She graduates second in her class and works in the minor leagues.  What she encounters in these games and the situations she faces are told in this entertaining novel by Laurie Boris.

Margie and her twin brother Tim, a pitcher in the Cincinnati Reds organization, both begin their trek toward the majors around the same time, but Tim, as a third round draft choice, gets called to the show much quicker than Margie. She had encountered hostile umpiring partners; including one who helped instigate a brawl in a game that they worked.  The brawl was part of a cover-up for something even darker, in which Margie and a reporter who was writing about her had to look out for their safety.

Set in the early 1980’s, the novel read a bit choppy for me, but the stories of Margie, Tim and his best friend Dan are easy to follow and engrossing.  There is a love interest in the book as after Margie ejects Dan from a game, he asks her to dinner afterward and from there they start a slow but steady romance.  Unlike some romances in otherwise “straight” sports fiction, this one becomes a key part of the story instead of a distraction. 

The baseball scenes are well-written and realistic – everything from Margie’s experience in school to Tim’s pitching in the major leagues.  The reader will feel like he or she is either behind the plate or working with Margie on the bases with the details.  The less glamorous parts of the job, such as the long travel, “crappy motels”, and monotonous paperwork when players are ejected, are covered as well.  In the acknowledgments, Boris thanks Perry Barber, one of the first female umpires in professional baseball, for her assistance. That kind of information proved to be very valuable for this book as it made the story much more realistic.

Many topics about the sport of baseball are covered – the drug abuse that was prevalent in that time period, the use of performance-enhancing drugs, the atmosphere in the locker rooms of both players and umpires and bureaucracy that both players and umpires face in order to advance are all illustrated throughout the story.  The evaluations that umpires must have in order to move up to higher leagues is very well covered and makes the reader relate to Margie’s struggles to advance.  Even scenes with fans are written well, such as the cute scene when two little girls ask Margie for her autograph because they recognize her as an umpire.  It is made even better when she tells the girls to keep the thumb inside the fist when making an “out” call, one of Margie’s early lessons.  This is an entertaining novel in which all of the main characters are realistic and easy to cheer for and is recommended reading for all baseball fans.

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

Book Format Read:

E-book (EPUB)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074KS2BZ8/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B074KS2BZ8&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2

Review of "Ruling Over Monarchs, Giants & Stars"

In my ever-growing appetite to learn more about the Negro Leagues, I found this terrific book by a former umpire of the Negro Leagues that is funny, entertaining and informative as well.  It should be read by all baseball fans.  Here is my review of "Ruling Over Monarch, Giant & Stars."

Title/Author:

“Ruling Over Monarchs, Giants, and Stars: True Tales of Breaking Barriers, Umpiring Baseball Legends, and Wild Adventures in the Negro Leagues” by Bob Motley, Byron Motley and Larry Lester

Genre/topics: 

Baseball, Negro Leagues, umpire, memoir

Published:

December 27, 2011

Length:

240 pages

Rating:

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

Bob Motley was an umpire for the Negro Leagues starting in the late 1940’s for over a decade. He considers himself fortunate to be able to have called games involving some of the best players in baseball history and he shares some wonderful stories about those years in this entertaining and humorous memoir. Along with his son Byron and author Larry Lester, Motley recalls his time as an arbiter with reverence and entertains the reader with stories of life in the Negro Leagues and his views on the quality of baseball played in those leagues.

Motley grew up in Alabama during the era when racism ran rampant in the Southern part of the United States. He also was one of the first African-Americans to enlist in the Marines and serve in World War II. Despite the struggles of his childhood, he never comes across as bitter or angry about that time in the country’s history. Of course, he believes that it was not fair to people of color but instead of writing about the bad times, he concentrates on the good times he had in that era. This is evident throughout the book as he tells his stories in a manner that will make a reader smile and laugh, whether it is about his high school dance, calling balls and strikes for a game in which Satchel Paige is pitching, or just thinking about his family.

Speaking of Paige, that is the player for whom Motley has the most respect.  He devotes an entire chapter to the legendary pitcher, even claiming that he might have been even faster than modern fireball pitchers like Randy Johnson. Even his tale about making sure his “STRIIIIKKKEEE” call on the first pitch he saw Paige throw was told in reverence.

While stories about other players don’t have quite the same bravado, Motley does speak fondly of other legendary players who played in the Negro Leagues such as Hank Aaron and Ernie Banks. Motley comes across as a person who loved baseball and the history of the game. Not just with his stories of players, but also with his tales about ball parks. He recalls his first time at Comiskey Park when he “rolled around on the grass like a little kid making snow angels.”  I couldn’t help but smile to read a book written by a man who simply loved the game this much.

Much like the attitudes of many of the Negro League players who were just happy to have the chance to play the game, Motley does the same with this book. He loves talking about his umpiring career and how the Negro Leagues produced some very competitive and entertaining baseball.  This book is a winner that should be read by all baseball fans.

Did I skim?

No – this was a wonderfully entertaining book and I wanted to enjoy every story.

Pace of the book:

Excellent – Motley never drones on too long during any one story and because he tells the stories in a very cheerful manner, the reader will be moving quickly through each chapter.

Do I recommend?

Anyone who is interested in baseball history, Negro Leagues history or just a good collection of interesting and funny tales will enjoy this book.

Book Format Read:

E-Book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Ruling-Over-Monarchs-Giants-Stars-ebook/dp/B006QZ78C6/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1411084433&sr=1-1&keywords=ruling+over+monarchs

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ruling-over-monarchs-giants-and-stars-bob-motley/1112160182?ean=9781613210598

Review of "The Best Seat In Baseball"

I was recommended this book by a friend on a social media site and was intrigued.  I had never known there was a book published about the trials and tribulations of major league umpires aside from those that were written by umpires themselves.  So I picked up a copy.  Here is my review of "The Best Seat in Baseball." 

Title/Author:

“The Best Seat in Baseball but You Have to Stand!” By Lee Gutkind

Tags:

Baseball, professional, umpires

Published:

March 11, 2014 (originally published 1975)

Length:

240 pages

Rating: 

3 of 5 stars (okay)

Review:

This book of the chronicles of a National League umpiring crew during the 1974 season was originally published in 1975 and has been re-released in ebook formats now.  Lee Gutkind traveled with the crew that was headed by Doug Harvey, who later was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, and gives the reader an inside look at the men who are not remembered during a game unless they make a mistake – the umpires.

It was billed as a tell-all book that would make fans realize exactly what umpires must go through and how they endure life always on the road, since they do not have home games like the players, how they interact with fans and other people in each city and some of the shenanigans they do as well to bide their time.  Some have called this the “Ball Four” of umpires.  There is some NC-17 language in the book, but that is about all that this book has in common with the Jim Bouton classic.

Some of the stories are downright entertaining, such as the cab driver in Chicago who will only give rides to and from the ball park to umpires.  His take on what these men are like is funny, touching and even a bit poignant.  If for no other reason, this story alone would be a good reason to pick up this book.

However, the same can’t be said of some of the other passages in the book. Gutkind touches on some sensitive issues, such as infidelity (although none of the four umpires in the book are guilty of that in any of the stories) and race issues.  However, some of these and other stories tend to get a bit wordy and start to repeat themselves.  The book could have had some shorter passages or not repeat some topics and still have been able to make the same points.

Overall, this book is okay for baseball fans, and one that those who are interested in learning more about the umpires would really enjoy.  But as an interesting read, it struggled to keep my interest and was only mildly impressed.  An okay read. 

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

Did I skim?

No. 

Pace of the book: 

It felt to be dragging at times, especially when the talk was about Williams and the reason he was in the major leagues was only for integration.  After a while I got tired of hearing that and to have it described for several pages made for tough reading. 

Do I recommend? 

If you are a hard core fan of 1970s baseball or are interested in the life of an umpire, then pick this one up.  If not, then I recommend passing.

Book Format Read:

E-Book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Best-Seat-Baseball-Have-Stand-ebook/dp/B00IIZUU18/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396400544&sr=8-1&keywords=best+seat+in+baseball+but+you+have+to+stand

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-best-seat-in-baseball-but-you-have-to-stand-lee-gutkind/1113484332?ean=9781480471368