Father's Day and sports

Happy Father's Day to all of the dads.  Sports play a big part of this special day.  Baseball stadiums at all levels are filled with sons and daughters who are treating Dad to a game...even if they are too young to be footing the bill themselves.  This year the Baltimore Orioles added something special.  They opened up the outfield so that before the game, fathers could play catch with their kids.  Talk about your Field of Dreams moment!  I bet every participant, no matter their age, will never forget it.

I am usually part of this tradition as my son and I will take in a game on or close to Father's Day.  An exception was made this year, however, as he is enjoying his honeymoon.

So I filled the void with another Father's Day sports ritual...the final round of the U.S. Open.  This is the one professional golf tournament that most weekend hacks can sit back and watch the pros face shots out of deep rough and try to putt on impossible greens and record scores that they regularly post.  I love this tourney for that and some of the great moments it produces.  Whether it was Johnny Miller's round of 63 at Merion (this year's site) in 1973, Tom Watson's chip shot at Pebble Beach in 1982 or the unforgettable duel between Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate at Torey Pines in 2008, the U.S Open is a special tourney that always has the last round scheduled on a special day.

Review of The Sportsman: A Collection of Short Stories

In a shift of books here, this review is of a great collection of short stories with sports themes.  

 

 

 

Title/Author:

“The Sportsman: A Collection of Short Stories” by Rejean Giguere

Genre:

Fiction, Ice Hockey, Golf, Fishing, Hiking, Short Stories, Collection

Published:

March 9, 2011

Length:

68 pages

Rating:

5 of 5 stars - excellent

Review

Five short stories, each of which have a sports theme, make up this collection that is a fun and quick read. This was a little different than most collections of short stories because each story was a fun read in its own quirky way. Usually collections like this will have at least one dud, but not here.  Every story had a moment in which the reader will sit up and say “What the heck just happened?” None of the stories are totally believable as each one has either a paranormal or supernatural element, but each of them describes the sport or activity of the main character with good knowledge and background of the particular topic. 

Two of the stories are hockey related, Overtime and Woody. Overtime is a story of a young man who is intrigued by the graceful skating of an older man who answers his question with the line “Great son I always get them in overtime.” Woody is told from the point of view of a hockey stick that belongs to a veteran player. Both player and stick have seen a lot of action through the years.  

Gulley’s Legend could be considered a horror story as a golfer who is threatening to break the course record for a nine hole round is suddenly confronted by strange occurrences on the last hole. 

The Jumping Buck is a fishing story with a twist and The Tree tells about what happens when a hiker encounters a tree with some special abilities.  

All of these stories are easy to read and move quickly.   The characters who are narrating each story are developed quickly so the reader understands his quirks.   Each story is told in the first person, which was helped the reader comprehend the situation and conflicts early.   This is a collection I will keep and read again.  

Did I skim?

No

Did I feel connected to the characters?

I did in each story. In each story, the main character was well spoken and the reader is drawn into his situation, whether in peril or joyous

Pace of the book: 

All of the stories moved quickly

Positives:

Each story had a life of its own – none of them were connected with another one, which is what I prefer with a collection of stories like this.   The reader has to have at least a rudimentary knowledge of the sport or activity in each of the stories, and I felt this was good as well.  It makes the story more enjoyable for fans of hockey, golf or people who enjoy fishing or hiking.  

Negatives:
Nothing – I enjoyed each story as each one had a nice surprising twist as the end.  The closest to a negative is that I would have liked a little more variety of the sports chosen, but that is nitpicking.

Do I recommend?
Yes – to any fan of the outdoors, golf or hockey.   Also, the book is good for non-sports fans that enjoy stories with a supernatural element, as each story has at least a taste of a phenomenon beyond nature.

Book Format Read:

EBook – Kindle

Author Media Links:

http://www.rejeangiguere.com

Buying Links:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Sportsman-short-stories-ebook/dp/B004RIGYTW/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1371320474&sr=1-1&keywords=the+sportsman+short

 

 

 

 

 

Review of "Hit Man: The Thomas Hearns Story"

Title/Author:

“Hit Man: The Thomas Hearns Story” by Damian Hughes and Brian Hughes

Genre:

Non-fiction, boxing, biography, championship

Published:

May 4, 2011

Length:

272 pages (Paperback)

Rating:

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review

Thomas (Tommy) Hearns was considered one of the most ferocious punchers during the heyday of great welterweight fighters in the 1980’s.   This biography of his life and his career, which focuses more heavily on the “career” portion, is detailed and well researched.   Some of his more epic fights are described in rich detail.

One of those which I thoroughly enjoyed, both as a fan of Hearns during his career and as a reader of this book, is the epic 1985 fight with Marvelous Marvin Hagler that was billed as simply “The War.”   While it lasted only eight minutes with Hagler knocking out Hearns, it is still remembered as “the most electrifying eight minutes of mayhem ever seen in a ring.”   Both men were punching with fearless abandon and no thoughts of defense.  Hagler landed the knockout blow despite having his vision seriously impaired by the blood flowing from his cuts.   Hearns was impaired by his opponent’s power and will, but it was the fight that defined his legacy, even more than his accomplishment of winning the championship in five different weight classes.

 
While this was the fight with the most description and is the best remembered fight in Hearns’ career, the other major fights, including all of those which resulted in a new championship, are documented well in this book.   Hearns’ drive for fighting certain opponents such as Sugar Ray Leonard and Hagler is a constant source of motivation.   The relationship between the boxer and his trainer/promoter, which was an on/off/on love affair, is also well written with viewpoints from both men’s point of view. 

Overall, this was a very good book and should be read by anyone who enjoyed boxing’s golden years of the 1980’s or is a fan of the boxer.

 

Did I skim?

No, with one exception.   In the chapter describing Hearns’s 1983 bout against Roberto Duran, much of the information the Hughes brothers cited came from Christian Guidance’s biography on Duran, which I had previously read.   Therefore, I skimmed that part until the recap of the actual fight started.

Did I learn something new?

A few things I already knew were explained in more detail than I already knew such as Hearns’s falling out with his longtime trainer Emmanuel Steward.   This and other aspects of Hearns’s life and career are told in good detail.

One very interesting fact that I did not know is that Hearns wanted to be known as the “Motor City Cobra” instead of “Hit Man”, because he was sensitive about the latter tag when Detroit had the highest murder rate in the United States.

Pace of the book:

Good for the most part.  I did feel it dragged at times with the stories of Steward and Kronk gym, and also at times I felt that some of the important bouts in Hearns’s career were skimmed too quickly.

 Positives:

 

The research was well-done for the most part and the reader is in for a treat if he or she was a fan of Tommy Hearns.   His psyche and his will to battle in the ring, no matter how badly his hand was hurting, were legendary and this book illustrates that desire.   I also appreciated how the book focused more on his boxing career and did not delve too deeply into the other aspects of his life.   Many people do like that in biographies, but I always prefer to read more about the career of an athlete and this book did that.

 
Negatives:

There were some editing errors for both punctuation and grammar in the ebook version.   Also, another reviewer at Amazon.com pointed out an error in the date and TV network of a fight early in Hearns’ career.   Upon researching this claim, it was noted that the reviewer was correct.   This error, along with the editing, was the only major problems with this book.   They are not a reason to avoid the book, nor were they grave enough to keep me from enjoying it.

Do I recommend?

Yes, for fans of Tommy Hearns or boxing, especially during the 1980’s.     

Book Format Read:

Ebook (Kindle)

Author links:

www.brianhughesbooks.bravehost.com (Brian Hughes)
www.liquidthinker.com (Damian Hughes)

 

Buying Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Hit-Man-Thomas-Hearns-ebook/dp/B004ZGWBQ6/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1370900825&sr=1-1&keywords=thomas+hearns

Wonderful time of the year

This is one of two wonderful times of the year for a sports fan. Baseball is in full swing, the NBA Finals have started and the NHL playoffs are in the Final Four (although they are usually in the Stanley Cup finals by now.) Three of the four major leagues in action makes for tough choices. Not just for a night like tonight when I had to decidee whether to tune in to hockey or baseball, but also to read one of the three books I am working on for this blog. Spoiler alert...the three books are two biographies and a tell-all. Won't give away anything else...butI will say all three have been good thus far. Hockey won for tonight with the chance for Boston to head back to the Finals. Would like to see that. Although now it will be tough to top game 1 of the NBA Finals. I wrote earlier that San Antonio is one of the best franchises in professional sports. It would be fitting to see their "Big Three" of Duncan, Parker and Ginobli win it all. Next review is coming soon -I promise..but now back to the game!

Interview: John A. Hoda, author of "Phantasy Baseball"

I had the pleasure of talking to John Hoda about his debut book "Phantasy Baseball" and his other writing projects.   It is always a pleasure to listen to authors describe their research and adventures while creating their stories or books.

What inspired you to write “Phantasy Baseball”?

I was kicking around the idea for the book for at least 20 years.  I just couldn’t figure out how to overcome the barriers to get a Little League coach to pitch in the Major Leagues.   Then when I attended a Phillies game at Citizen’s Bank Par, I saw an ad for the Phillies Fantasy Camp and I thought “That’s it!  That’s the connection!”  At the camp, the Little League coach has a magical pitch and shows it off for the coaches and former Major League players.    This was such a great inspiration that six weeks after I saw the ad, I started the prologue.

Your knowledge of the inner workings of the game is impressive. How did you obtain this knowledge?

I spent a lot of time reading baseball books and sucked up much of the way they portrayed the players and the mannerisms.   I am also a fervent listener of baseball on the radio for thirty years.  I listened to ex-players talk and tucked away the knowledge.  

I also decided to go to the Phillies fantasy camp in 2012 as part of the research for the book.  I went as more of an observer than to be a great player as I was just a weak hitting guy in his mid 50’s.   I did play center field every inning of every game.  By this time I had written the back story and the flashbacks, and these games were the basis for the scenes from the fantasy camp in the book.  My teammates from the camp are like my fervent readers as they see themselves in the characters. 

 

Do you have any writing projects or books that are currently in progress?
Yes.  The veteran beat writer from “Phantasy Baseball”, Stew, is now a crime reporter and is investigating the Russian mob presence in Philadelphia in “Odessa on the Delaware.”  I would also like to follow this up with a creative non-fiction book about the scary experiences of an Associated Press correspondent and a Marine corpsman.  There would be themes of homelessness, substance abuse and veteran’s issues.  

Is there anything else you wish to add?

The stories from the camp were real and an important part of that section of the book.   The legends at the camp interacted with us as fellow players, not like they were more important than us.  That was a wonderful experience. 

I also had a father-son trip in August 2012 that included a trip to Cooperstown, a game of the Phillies’ AAA affiliate in Lehigh Valley, Dorney Park, and the Little League museum in Williamsport, another amusement park, a game at the Phillies’ AA in Reading, another amusement park and a game at Citizen’s Bank Park.  That last stop was doubly special because not only were the fantasy campers reunited at this game but so was my entire family.  It was a great feeling.

Review of “Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games”

A great book on an often-forgotten piece of US Olympic history

Title/Author:

“Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games” by Jerry Caracciloi and Tom Caracciloi

Genre:

Non-fiction, Summer Olympics, History, Politics, Boycott

Published:

May 1, 2008

Length:

272 pages (Hardcover)

Rating:

5 of 5 stars (Outstanding)

Review

A dark chapter in the history of the Summer Olympic Games is remembered in this outstanding book that is one part politics, two parts stories from the athletes who did not get the chance to complete against fellow athletes from other countries and a dash of opinion about the United States-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics held in Moscow.

For those who may not know or remember this, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in late 1979 during the height of the Cold War.   President Jimmy Carter responded with various actions such as cutting off trade with the USSR and other diplomatic measures.  In addition, he also requested that the United States Olympic Committee not send athletes to compete in the upcoming Summer Olympics to be held in Moscow.  They did just that and 1980 became the only year in which the United States failed to send athletes to the Summer Olympics.

The book interviews 30 athletes of various sports who made the Olympic teams in their sports and tells their stories. The athletes came from various places and backgrounds and the stories reflect the variation. Some are still bitter 30 years after the boycott that they were denied the chance to compete over circumstances they could not control.  Some backed the boycott fully and understood why it was done.  Some addressed it with indifference.  The stories also included their lives after their experiences with the Olympic team.  .

What I really liked about these stories is that many different sports were represented and not all the athletes were the stars in their games.   There was a gymnast who was 13 years old who was not considered ready for international competition yet won a spot on the team.  There were two basketball players who were not upset with the decision because for them, the Games were merely a stepping stone on the way to the NBA.  (Note:  one of these players, Isaiah Thomas, went on to become one of the best point guards in NBA history).  There was a wrestler who was very bitter and outspoken about the boycott.   These all made for great reading.

A chronological timeline of the decision to boycott the Games was included, starting with the invasion and ending with the opening ceremonies in which the United States and 57 other nations were absent.   Some of the nations who decided to participate still protested the invasion in other ways, such as carrying the Olympic flag in the opening ceremony instead of their national flag.  This helped the reader not only understand why the boycott was demanded by the President, it also illustrated the actions taken by the Olympic Committee and other organizations leading up to the historic vote for the boycott.

Overall, the book is an outstanding work of research, interviews, writing and recollection.   Anyone who enjoys the Olympic Games, reading about political maneuvering to get an action done, or good yarns from years past will enjoy this book.

Did I skim?

I did not fully read and digest the lists included, such as the complete results of the Games after they took place.   I did fully read each athlete’s story and the political chapters. 

Did I learn something new?

Yes, many things.  There are too many to list here since most of the athletes were not known outside of the sport in which they competed.  Also, the chapter on the build-up and politics of the Soviet Union’s invasion into Afghanistan was revealing.  Finally, a little known fact was revealed that was never told during that year.   A ceremony was held at the White House about a month before the Games to honor the US Olympic athletes.  A medal was given to each one of them, but many felt it was just a token to try to make them feel better.   Later on, it was revealed that this was the Congressional Medal that is the highest honor given to non-military citizens.   Why that was not told to the athletes or the press was never fully explained. 

Pace of the book:

Excellent.  With the format of beginning each chapter on the political actions taking place, then the stories of two athletes before the next chapter, it was the perfect mix of stories and research.

Positives:

There were a lot.  I loved everything about this book.  The stories, research, history, politics – everything was researched and written well.

Negatives:

I did not believe any part of this book was less than excellent.  The closest that could be considered a negative is that in some of the writings on the politics, the authors did let their opinions be known at times.  Some readers may not appreciate that, but I felt it helped strengthen the writing. 

Do I recommend?

YES!  Read this book if you like sports, politics or history. 

Book Format Read:

Ebook (Nook)

Buying Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Boycott-Stolen-Dreams-Olympic-ebook/dp/B00440D9BE/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1370310051&sr=1-1

 

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/boycott-jerry-caraccioli/1100309336?ean=9780942257403

Review of "Phantasy Baseball"

This book addresses baseball, family and second chances.  Fictional account of one man's "phantasy" come true.

 

Title/Author:

 

“Phantasy Baseball: It’s About a Second Chance” by John A. Hoda

 

Genre/topics: 

 

Baseball, fiction, fantasy camp, Phillies, family, Little League

 

Published:

 

January 30, 2013

 

Length:

 

255 pages

 

Rating:

 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

 

Review:

 

An insurance agent who had a brief encounter with fame as a Little League coach gets an even bigger one in this tale of baseball and family.   Joseph DiNatalie wins a trip to the Philadelphia Phillies fantasy camp at an awards banquet and is surprised to see how well he can still play baseball.   His only baseball experience since high school is coaching a Little League team in Reading, PA on which his son Joey and Joey’s best friend Blake “Hot Shot” Hunter once participated.  During the camp, Joe discovers a secret pitch that not only his fellow campers can’t hit, but neither can former Major League baseball players.

 

That discovery begins an incredible journey that pales with even most kids’ dreams of playing in the Major Leagues as Joe is signed by the Phillies in a desperation mode after two starting pitchers are lost with injuries.  The coach who saw Joe pitch at fantasy camp convinced the front office to sign Joe.   From there, Joe never looked back as an incredible season of winning, pitching records, a trip on the disabled list and camaraderie is enjoyed by him.  The accomplishments by a pitcher without any experience in college or minor league baseball are far-fetched, especially 30 wins and a Cy Young award.  But hey, this is all about a “phantasy”, right?   It made the baseball aspect of the book even better.

 

This story has an important side story as well with family values being a constant source of conflict and reflection by Joe.   He and Linda have been married for twenty years after Joey was born while both were still teenagers.   After an ugly incident, Joe kicked Joey out of the house, and Linda has been conflicted between standing by her husband and the love of her son since.   Joe’s trip to fantasy camp and subsequent life as a Major League ballplayer strains this relationship with Linda even more as the book also addresses two very different manners in which to address one’s problems of this manner.

 

Meanwhile, Joey and Hot Shot have problems of their own with substances.  In Hot Shot’s case, it is even more troublesome because he is playing in the minor league system of the Phillies and is on the fast track to the major leagues.  Their stories are also well chronicled and mesh well with Joe’s into an intriguing ending for all of them.

 

Each of the main characters gets a second chance at something important in their lives.  That is the driving force of the book and it is written in a manner in which you are rooting for all three men to realize not only their dreams, but to also erase any demons from the past.   I enjoyed reading this book for both the baseball and the family story.  The baseball parts are very detailed and realistic for the action on the field and the interactions of the players in the clubhouse and dugout. The family and personal issues are also well written as the main characters are well developed and even secondary characters such as Joe’s personal catcher and the coach who discovered him are key parts of the story as well.   The reader will identify with them and like them just as much as Joe, Joey, Hot Shot and (maybe) Linda. 

 

Did I skim?

 

No

 

Did I feel connected to the characters?

 

Yes, for the story of Joe’s struggles with his son and wife.  I also felt the connection when another of Joey’s friends, “Hot Shot” Hunter, has to face the same demons Joey did and addresses them in the same manner as well.   However, I didn’t feel that connection with the baseball portions of the story, mainly because of the unrealistic nature of the baseball accomplishments of Joe. 

 

Pace of the story:

 

Excellent – both the baseball portion and the family issues portion move along without slowing down, but at the correct pace so that it doesn’t seem rushed.

 

Positives:

 

In addition to the excellent baseball action mentioned above, I found that the depth of character development with the three main male characters was outstanding.  It made the stories and the book much easier to follow and to enjoy.  

Sensitive issues such as adultery, divorce, substance abuse and teenage pregnancy (although these characters were in college when that took place) were addressed without judgment and were shown that they could be overcome with the proper direction and steps.

 

 Negatives:

 

There were some punctuation errors throughout the story.  Usually these are minor and in most cases they were but twice there were problems with quotation marks.   The placing of them made a quote by one character seem to continue when it was really done and another character was talking during the next paragraph.  I had to reread these parts to make sure I was following the dialogue correctly.

 

I will also had one more that is not a slight to the author, as he addressed this topic in a realistic manner, but I always am uncomfortable with reading about encounters where a spouse is cheating.   Linda does that in this story, and while Hoda addresses this in a manner that is realistic and does not condone these actions, I always am a little uncomfortable with that topic.  So, for me it is a negative, but for readers who do not mind encountering this topic, it is addressed well.

 

Do I recommend?

 

Yes.  Even with the highly implausible baseball accomplishments by Joe, it makes for a good read because the reader will feel nearly every emotion while following Joe through this magical baseball season.

 

Book Format Read: ebook (Kindle)

 

Author Media Links:

 

http://www.phantasybaseballnovel.com

 

http://www.amazon.com/John-A.-Hoda/e/B00BGPXBMM/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1