Review of "Inside Pitch"

It isn't often I will read any book of any length in one sitting, but that was the case with this short, excellent book on the Seattle Pilots and their one fatefull season in the American League, 1969.  Here is my review of "Inside Pitch"

 

Title/Author:

“Inside Pitch: Insiders Reveal How the Ill-Fated Seattle Pilots Got Played into Bankruptcy in One Year” by Rick Allen

Tags:

Baseball, professional, Pilots, management

Publish date:

June 5, 2020

Length:

180 pages

Rating:

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

When Major League Baseball (MLB) added four teams for the 1969 season, one of those teams was the Seattle Pilots.  While the Pilots and their players have already been lionized in the legendary book “Ball Four” by Pilots pitcher Jim Bouton, little has been written or stated about the chaotic season in the team’s administrative offices. That is now changed with this book by journalist Rick Allen documenting the craziness in getting ready for that 1969 season.

The subtitle of this book could be re-titled as “How Not to Run Your Brand New Baseball Team.”  Much of the material written by Allen was obtained from interviews with two men who did long days and nights of work in the Pilots’ offices. Bob Schoenbachler, who could best be described as the team’s chief financial officer at the tender age of 21, having already been an accountant for Seattle’s minor league teams the previous two seasons.  Jim Kittilsby had already established himself in minor league baseball administration and jumped at the chance to return to his native Pacific Northwest area when Dewey and Max Soriano offered him a job with the Seattle Angels, the same team that offered Schoenbachler his job.

The Soriano brothers were listed as the principle owners of the Seattle franchise when MLB decided to expand by adding four teams in 1969. This threw off the timetable of preparing the area for a MLB team as it was thought the new team would start in 1971 or 1972.  Because Kansas City had just lost the Athletics to Oakland and was threatening legal action against MLB, it was decided to give Kansas City a replacement franchise as soon as possible in 1969 and to keep a balanced schedule, the Pilots would have to begin that same season.

This caused all types of headaches for the Soriano brothers and their front office staff, including Kittilsby and Schoenbachler.  What follows, through the eyes and memories of these two Pilots staff members, is a crazy season that started off with needing to add seats right up to the opening pitch of first game of the season. Some ticket holders had to sit in bleachers that had just been installed (they could hear hammering from the ticket booth outside Sicks Stadium) and freshly painted.

That Sicks Stadium was inadequate for MLB was just one of a myriad of problems that Kittlesby and Schoenbachler shared that doomed the Pilots from the start.  Very few of the revenue streams that fund a team were lacking for the Pilots either due to the timing of their start or the lack of interest.  There was also a severe lack of interest from both fans, as attendance fell far below expectations, as well from the business community.  When it became clear that another buyer was needed to keep the team in Seattle (from a directive by MLB), no one came forward.  The team was declared bankrupt and just before opening day of the 1970 season, the team moved to Milwaukee under a new ownership group headed by future commissioner Bud Selig.

Kittlesby and Schoenbachler moved with the team to Milwaukee and shared stories of the early days in that city as well, with Schoenbachler staying with the team an additional five years.  Their tales of woe for the Pilots franchise ran from sad to funny. Their recap of a popular promotion, Bat Day, was an example of a story that was both funny and sad, as the team did not order enough bats and these two, in addition to their other multiple duties, had to man the gates at the conclusion of the game and determine which families were carrying out too many bats. 

That is just one example of the issues plaguing the Pilots during their one year of existence and bringing these issues to light through two men who experienced them makes the book have an air of authenticity to it as well as providing entertainment. While it is a short book it was one of the few books I read in one sitting as whether it was bat day, last minute stadium repairs or incompetent front office staff working with these two gentleman, “Inside Pitch” tells the story about the Seattle Pilots that many people would not have known otherwise.

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

                       

Book Format Read:

Paperback                                                                                                                                        

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Inside-Pitch-Insiders-Ill-Fated-Bankruptcy-ebook/dp/B0876J4XSY/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1591291049&sr=1-1     

   

Review of "The Second Life of Tiger Woods"

Some athletes are so popular and transcendent outside their sport that there are many books written about them. Tiger Woods is one of those athletes and this is the latest book about him, written mostly about his life in the past three years.  It is one of the better books I have read about Woods.  Here is my review of "The Second Life of Tiger Woods."

Title/Author:

“The Second Life of Tiger Woods” by Michael Bamberger

Tags:

Golf, biography, history, professional

Publish date:

March 31, 2020

Length:

272 pages

Rating:

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

One aspect of the manner in which America views its celebrities is that everyone loves a great comeback story.  When Tiger Woods won the 2019 Masters golf tournament, that was one more celebrity comeback that was well-celebrated by Americans, whether they were golf fans or not. This is especially true as Woods is one of those athletes who transcends his or her sport.  This balanced and interesting look at Tiger Woods since 2017 written by veteran sportswriter Michael Bamberger is a fascinating look at the “comeback” of Woods.

Bamberger uses the incident on Memorial Day 2017 when Woods was parked on the road near his home in Jupiter, Florida and he was subsequently arrested for driving under the influence.  In stark contrast to the usual combative, competitive and aloof nature Woods usually displays, Bamberger writes of a man who knows he was having troubles in life.  He was very cooperative with police, was not jailed and was given the usual fines and mandatory rehab assignments that any person would receive as a first time offender.  Just that part of the book, which was the beginning, will grab the reader’s attention as it will show that this book will deal with Tiger Woods the man as much as Tiger Woods the golfer or Tiger Woods the celebrity. 

Tiger Woods the golfer is certainly covered in this book. It does not cover each of his fifteen major tournament victories or cover his career in a chronological manner, but throughout the book, readers will get a lot of information on certain aspects of his game (Bamberger writes about how good Woods hits his iron shots), the mentality of Tiger during a round and of course his championships, from the US Amateur titles in the mid-1990’s to the 2019 Masters.  One quote about his mental toughness on the course caught my attention on how Woods’ character helped his golf:  “He was coldhearted. He had me-me-me in his bones. Whatever character defects he might have had, they were useful on Sunday afternoons.”

The “character defects” are not a major part of the book as while Bamberger certainly writes much about Woods away from the course, he does so in a fair and balanced manner.  The book doesn’t treat Woods as a deity, but it is far from a character assassination as many aspects of Woods’ life is explored.  There isn’t a lot about his failed marriage and the subsequent revelations about his sex life as that occurred prior to the DUI charges.  The most interesting aspect discussed here, and with a very fair and open agenda, is the possibility of Woods using performance enhancement drugs and that he possibly obtained them from the same people who supplied them to Alex Rodriguez, a friend of Woods. The author did interview Tony Bosch on this topic to obtain more information, but there is no specific transaction, no “smoking gun” to prove or disprove this theory.

The final act in the book (the chapters are divided into Acts) talks mostly about the 2019 Masters, but also the transformation of Woods’ personality and his accessibility. Bamberger talks about how Woods now will talk highly about young and upcoming players, how he enjoys the Championship Dinner for all living Masters champions much more than previously and his humility during his speech when accepting a recent award from a golf writers association. This illustrates what makes this book as interesting as its subject – there are so many parts to Woods that make up the complete person he is and this book covers them all in an excellent manner.  

I wish to thank Avid Reader 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/Second-Life-Tiger-Woods-ebook/dp/B07THCXJW9/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-second-life-of-tiger-woods-michael-bamberger/1132189114?ean=9781982122829    

Review of "As Good As It Got"

To end a very busy month for this blog, we are going back to 1944 to celebrate the only American League pennant won by the St. Louis Browns before their move to Baltimore in 1954.  It is a complete recap of that special season in which there was a cross-town World Series played in St. Louis.  Here is my review of "As Good As It Got."

Title/Author:

“As Good As It Got: The 1944 St. Louis Browns" by David Allan Heller

Tags:

Baseball, professional, history, championship, Browns

Publish date:

September 28, 2012

Length:

128 pages

Rating: to

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

For most of their existence between 1902 and 1953, the St. Louis Browns were one of the poorest teams in the American League, both on the field and at the box office. Usually mired near the bottom of the standings, there was one glorious season for the team during World War II, 1944.  This book by David Allan Heller captures that season in a quick and fun read.

The book is more of a history book than one that will provide great prose and stories as the Browns' 1944 season is told with many game recaps and side stories that affect the team and other contenders for the American League pennant such as the New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers, the two teams that made serious runs for the title along with the Browns. St. Louis started the season with nine consecutive victories, setting a new record for starting a season.

From there the season was a roller coaster ride for the Browns as they fell out of first place, regained the position for the better part of two months, fell out again and finally clinched the pennant on the last day of the season by defeating the Yankees.  Every important play and game are described in good detail, including the six games of the 1944 World Series that was won by the Browns' cross-town rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals.

There are many player stories in the book, from the All-Stars George McQueen and Vern Stephens to lesser known players like Sig Jakucki and Denny Galehouse.  The latter was the surprise starter for game 1 of the World Series and the write up of his victory is done in the same manner as his story – not too long, but just enough to let the reader get a good picture of the game and a brief glimpse into the life and career of the player.

There are also frequent references to the draft status of the Browns players.  Because many other teams' best players were drafted into military service during this time of World War II, the level of the Browns' competition was not as strong as it typically was.  It is noted in the book that many of the Browns' best players were categorized for the draft as 4-F, ineligible for service.  The book does mention that their infield was called the "4-F infield" because all four players in the starting infield had this draft status.

This book is recommended for readers who want to learn more about the only pennant-winning season for the Browns.  While there is good detail to the game accounts and the pennant race, it is not an in-depth book that would capture the interest of baseball historians – instead it is better suited for more casual fans and at 128 pages, is a very quick but satisfying read for that purpose.

                                    

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/As-Good-Got-Louis-Browns/dp/1531617905/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Review of "Kooks and Degenerates on Ice"

1970 was a very iconic year for sports and one of those iconic moments was the photo of Bobby Orr celebrating his goal that won the Stanley Cup midair.  That photo is on the cover of this book that celebrates that Boston Bruins team and is a quick, easy read for hockey fans.  Here is my review of "Kooks and Degenerates on Ice"

Title/Author:

“Kooks and Degenerates on Ice: Bobby Orr, the Big Bad Bruins and the Stanley Cup Championship That Transformed Hockey” by Thomas J. Whalen

Tags:

Ice Hockey, professional, championship, history, Bruins

Publish date:

May 13, 2020

Length:

240 pages

Rating:

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

On May 10, 1970 Bobby Orr scored the game winning goal in game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals, giving his Boston Bruins a series sweep over the St. Louis Blues and the Stanley Cup championship.  Immediately after he shot the puck, he was tripped by a Blues defender, sending him airborne and creating one of the most famous photographs in sport history. The story of Orr, that team and the road to their championship is remembered in this book by Thomas J. Whalen.

This book has all the elements that are typical for a book about a championship team or season: there are game recaps, especially for the playoffs and all four games of the Finals. There are plenty of stories about players for the team featured.  In this case, among the prominent Bruins from that club discussed are Orr, Phil Esposito, Derek Sanderson and Gerry Cheevers.  Something that isn’t usually included in this type of book is player profiles from other teams. Whalen included profiles of such personalities as Glenn Hall and Bobby Hull, goaltender for the Blues and forward for the Chicago Blackhawks respectively.  There is also a final look at the Bruins and the key players after that championship season.

All of these sections make for easy, entertaining reading. It does feel a bit choppy when describing the actual 1969-70 season as that is where many of the player profiles are placed in a random manner.  Before this, there was much text about the social and political situation of 1970 along with a brief history of the Boston Bruins.  This was good information that took about 25% of the book, but reading through this was worth the time, especially the Bruins history.  That sets the tone for the wild season in which, in the words of Eddie Johnston, “a bunch of kooks and degenerates who get along” won the Stanley Cup.

Hockey fans will enjoy this book, especially Bruins fans, as a colorful team won one of the most prized trophies in sports with an iconic photo to capture the championship moment.  The 50^th anniversary of this team is remembered well in this book. 

I wish to thank Rowman and Littlefield 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/Kooks-Degenerates-Ice-Championship-Transformed-ebook/dp/B0855TK474/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/kooks-and-degenerates-on-ice-thomas-j-whalen/1130660155?ean=9781538110294   

Review of "One Tough Out"

As noted at the end of this review, I have been a fan of Rod Carew ever since I learned about baseball as a young boy.  So naturally I wanted to read his new memoir and it was as inspiring as I hoped it would be.  Here is my review of "One Tough Out"

Title/Author:

“One Tough Out: Fighting Off Life’s Curveballs” by Rod Carew and Jaime Aron

Tags:

Baseball, professional, memoir, Twins, Angels, faith

Publish date:

May 12, 2020

Length:

336 pages

Rating:

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

Rod Carew’s baseball career was one of excellence.  In 19 seasons with Minnesota Twins and California Angels, Carew won seven batting titles, one Most Valuable Player award (1977 with the Twins), was an All-Star in 18 of his 19 seasons and amassed 3053 hits.  He was elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame on his first year of eligibility in 1991.  But just five years later, he went through what no parent should experience – the loss of a child as his youngest daughter Michelle died of complications from leukemia at 18 years old.  His grief and subsequent healing from this tragedy and his own life-threatening heart condition, as well as his baseball career, are captured in this poignant memoir written with Jaime Aron.

The book starts with Carew beginning to play a round of golf in September 2015 when he suffers a heart attack in the first tee box and is rushed to the hospital.  He states that he saw a guardian angel – just what his daughter told him when she was brought back to life during her battle with leukemia.  That sets the tone for the second half of the book as Carew shares his pain at losing his youngest daughter to her death and his other two daughters afterward as they left with their mother when she and Carew divorced soon after Michelle’s passing.  Carew stated that “the demise and death of a teenage daughter either brings a husband and wife closer together or tears them apart.  Michelle’s death tore us apart.”

Enter Rhonda Fedden. After meeting after a game in which Carew gave Rhonda and a friend jackets from the dugout when he was the hitting coach for the Milwaukee Brewers he got her phone number – “Her last four digits were 3053.  That’s the number of hits I had in my career.” They married in 2001 and both of them place their faith as very important in their life and it is clear in the writing that this faith not only carried them through Carew’s heart attack and subsequent heart and kidney transplants, but also when meeting the family of the 29 year old donor and having them become part of the family.  Carew notes that the donor’s age matched his jersey number for both the Twins and Angels – another sign that God was watching over Carew.

Speaking of faith, Carew makes it known that while he did practice Judaism when he was married to his first wife (whose name is never mentioned, but was Marilyn) he never converted as was a popular myth made famous by Adam Sandler’s “Chanukah Song.”  When Carew met with Sandler and told him this, it made for one of the lighter moments in the second half of the book.

The first half is dedicated to Carew’s childhood and baseball career, which had plenty of interesting stories. Born in Panama and raised in an abusive environment in which he and his mother suffered at the hands of his father, they eventually found their way to New York City, where a Twins scout conducted a tryout for Carew and after seeing him hit, hid him in the clubhouse so that the Yankees wouldn’t also see Carew perform.  The Twins signed him and after some time in the minor leagues, he became the 1967 American League Rookie of the Year and his career took off from there.

Carew shares stories of both his bond with teammates and his moodiness (he called it his “fight or flight”, in which he wanted to use the flight) that nearly caused him to quit the game several times.  The teammates he remembered most fondly are Tony Oliva and Harmon Killebrew from the Twins and Don Baylor with the Angels.  Oliva and Carew are still close friends to this date and he remained in touch with “Charlie” (Killebrew) and “Groove” (Baylor) until their deaths in 2011 and 2017 respectively. 

There are three other people who are often mentioned in the baseball section as being important to his career – Billy Martin, Calvin Griffith and Gene Autry.  Carew credits Martin with not only helping him stay with the Twins (Martin was a coach with the Twins at the time) but also to help him become a better base stealer and bunter, two parts of the game in which he excelled.  While Carew left the Twins because of some actions and a racist rant by Griffith, they eventually mended their relationship to the point that Griffith was one of the first people Carew called after he learned he was elected to the Hall of Fame.  Of note, both Martin and Griffith were prominently mentioned in his induction speech.  Carew also heaped praise for Gene Autry, “Groove” and Reggie Jackson as important people during his time in Anaheim.

Reading about Carew’s career, his grief over losing his daughter, his faith and strength during his near-death experience and his love for his wife and her children (he adopted them soon after marrying Rhonda) as well as the family of his donor will leave the reader inspired and joyful.  The manner in which he fought off “curveballs”, whether in the batter’s box or for bigger issues in his life, is an inspiring story that any reader will enjoy, especially if the reader is a fan of Rod Carew the player as this reviewer has been since learning the game.

                       

Book Format Read:

E-book (Nook)                                                                                                                                 

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Rod-Carew-Tough-Fighting-Curveballs/dp/1629377643/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rod-carew-rod-carew/1133878849?ean=9781641254038  

Review of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR"

As a fan of NASCAR for many years now, I was thrilled when live racing recently returned.  I watched both Cup series races and one Xfinity race with a crazy ending and remembered why I love this sport.  So, it is only appropriate that on the weekend of the longest race of the season I review a book on the sport - it is a book that comes highly recommended to new NASCAR fans as it covers the many ways one can enjoy the race experience.  Here is my review of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR"

Title/Author:

“The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers’ Guide to Big Time Stock Car Racing” by Greg Engle

Tags:

Auto Racing, NASCAR, history

Publish date:

June 6, 2017

Length:

242 pages

Rating:

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

The history of NASCAR is one that is very colorful and the rise of the sport’s popularity, especially during the 1990’s, also makes for good reading. This history makes up about half of this very informative book on the sport by Greg Engle.  The second half of the book talks about the subtitle of the book – namely how fans can enjoy the race experience, whether at the track, watching on television or online.

The book is geared mostly toward new or casual fans of stock car racing, as there are many definitions of the terms commonly used in both broadcasts of the races and by the drivers and crew members.  Illustrations help with these definitions, such as describing the aerodynamics of air flowing around the cars when explaining the difference between “clean air” and “dirty air.”  Some basic mechanical parts of the car are also explained in terms of how they affect the speed and handling.  A reader does not have to have much knowledge or experience with car mechanics to understand these explanations which helps explain these concepts to the new fan.

The section on the history of the sport is informative and while it takes up a good chunk of the book, it is complete up to the time of publication and paints a good picture of the different eras of NASCAR without getting too bogged down in detail or omitting important events and drivers.  It was fun to read about the early days of moonshine bootlegging, the crazy ending to the 1979 Daytona 500 and the rivalry of the 1990’s between Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Jeff Gordon.  A new or casual fan will certainly learn a lot about NASCAR in this portion and even long-time fans might pick up some new information.

However, the best part of this book is saved for the second half and that is Engle’s guide for how to enjoy the sport, no matter how one is watching.  The section on the many ways that NASCAR can connect with fans online was new to this reviewer, who has followed the sport for many years, mainly by watching on television and attending a few races.  Those experiences are covered quite extensively as well, so no matter how a person wants to enjoy the thrill of a NASCAR race, this book will be a handy guide on what to expect and how to get the most out of the event. 

                       

Book Format Read:

E-book (PDF)                                                                                                                                   

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Nuts-Bolts-NASCAR-Definitive-Big-Time/dp/1683580095/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-nuts-and-bolts-of-nascar-greg-engle/1124243913?ean=9781683580096  

Review of "Gotham Baseball"

While I cannot call myself a big fan of New York baseball except for the Mets, I nonetheless was intrigued by the subject of this book when making up an all-New York baseball team.  It was a terrific, quick read that baseball readers would enjoy, whether or not they are New York fans.  Here is my review of "Gotham Baseball"

Title/Author:

“Gotham Baseball: New York’s All Time Team” by Mark C Healey

Tags:

Baseball, professional, history, Yankees, Giants, Mets, Dodgers

Publish date:

April 6, 2020

Length:

208 pages

Rating:

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

One of the best aspects of sports is that it leaves room for spirited debates, especially when trying to determine who was the best at whatever position, sport, or topic being discussed.  This book will certainly ignite one of those debates, as sports journalist Mark Healey lists his all-time New York baseball team from all four major league teams that have called the city their home.

It should be noted right away that Healey is a Mets fan and wears that on his sleeve (or on the pages) throughout the book.  However, that doesn’t take away his objectivity in selecting this team as all four teams are well represented and he makes solid arguments for each one. This includes selections that on the surface seem impossible to believe, such as Joan Payson as the best owner over George Steinbrenner or Jacob Ruppert and Mike Piazza as the best catcher over Yogi Berra, Bill Dickey or Roy Campanella.  

These really are not bad choices once he writes his explanation and he also includes praise for others who deserve consideration for the honor.  This includes chapter on other positions where the choice was very easy, such as Lou Gehrig at first base, Babe Ruth in right field and Derek Jeter at shortstop.  Each honoree on Healey’s team is given the praise he or she rightfully deserves.

Healey’s experience covering New York baseball is evident throughout the book as he weaves many personal observations in the text.  At first, this reviewer thought it was going to be very self-serving, but while reading the book, it is clear that is not the case – these observations are simply used as evidence on why he chose the players he did for this team.  It should also be noted that Healey does a lot of “book-dropping” (like name dropping) for sources of information on the chapter subject and that is proof of his extensive research for the book as well.  There are so many good baseball books referenced in this one that any reader who loves to read on the sport will have his or her to-be-read list grow while reading this one.

Any reader interested in New York baseball, whether past or current, will enjoy reading about this all-New York team and the debates that are sure to follow when discussing who were the best players in New York baseball history.

                       

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)                                                                                                                               

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Gotham-Baseball-Yorks-All-Time-Sports-ebook/dp/B085N5QM6M/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gotham-baseball-mark-c-healey/1134935973?ean=9781439669563