Review of "Slim and None"

I have to admit, I love to read anything about hockey teams that no longer exist. One of these teams is the Hartford Whalers and when I found this memoir of the original owner of the Whalers, I knew that it had to have some great stories about the team. It certainly did and told the story of a very interesting person.  Here is my review of Howard Baldwin's autobiography "Slim and None.

Title/Author:

“Slim and None: My Wild Ride from the WHA to the NHL and All the Way to Hollywood” by Howard Baldwin with Steve Milton

Tags:

Ice hockey, professional, memoir, Whalers, Penguins, Flyers, owners

Publish date:

October 7, 2014

Length:

320 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

Even though he was a good athlete through high school and college, Howard Baldwin never thought to have a sports career as a player – instead he wanted to own a team.  He achieved that dream at the young age of 28 as one of the partners of the New England Whalers of the fledgling World Hockey Association. How he got there and what he did with the team, as well as his future endeavors are captured in this wonder memoir that is entertaining, informative and full of great memories for hockey fans.

Baldwin doesn’t spend too much time talking about his childhood or his college days.  After his time in the Marines, he dives immediately into his sports career, becoming a ticket manager for the expansion Philadelphia Flyers in 1967. When Gary Davidson had an idea to create a rival hockey league in 1972, Baldwin convinced two other men to become the owners of the brand new New England Whalers franchise. The team was one of four WHA teams to join the NHL in 1979 as the Hartford Whalers – a merger (although for business reasons it was called an “expansion”) between the two leagues in which Baldwin played a key role.

How Baldwin and the Whalers got there and their years in the NHL makes for great reading. How the team and the entire WHA league was able to make deals with players, negotiate rent for arena time and yet still provide excellent hockey is covered throughout the book. It is clear that Baldwin is very passionate about the Whalers and the city of Hartford even after he sold his shares in 1989 and the subsequent move of the franchise to Raleigh in 1996.

Life after the Whalers is discussed in depth as well in the same entertaining manner – Baldwin later moved to the West Coast after marrying his second wife Karen and was instrumental in making San Jose a viable NHL market. However, that lead to a very brief tenure as an owner of the Minnesota North Stars. He went from Minnesota to Pittsburgh and was able to celebrate the Penguins’ 1992 Stanley Cup championship with them.  He also went on to become a successful movie producer with his wife, the most notable of his films being the hockey movie “Mystery, Alaska.”

Hockey fans will love the stories of the WHA and some of the wisecracks Baldwin makes. One of my favorites came during the discussion of the final season of the WHA, when it finished with six teams, only four of which would join the NHL. Baldwin stated that “the NHL had its Original Six and the WHA would have its Final Six.”  His relationships with people like Jack Kelley, whom he hired from Boston University to become the first Whalers coach and GM, are told with reverence. It is clear that he feels that he should do right to people who help him or work for him and it is really no surprise he became such a successful team owner.

This was one of the few memoirs that I read in one sitting because I was riveted to the book’s hockey stories and Baldwin’s writing that was easy to read.  It was entertaining, insightful and a book that is highly recommended for hockey fans.  People who have fond memories of the Hartford Whalers will especially love this book.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying links:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LWFF3E0?keywords=slim%20and%20none&qid=1450748612&ref_=sr_1_1&s=digital-text&sr=1-1

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/slim-and-none-howard-baldwin/1119185311?ean=9781770893634

Review of "1954"

Looking to find a baseball book to overcome some of the off-season blues, I found this book at my local library and was intrigued by not only the cover showing the famous World Series catch by Willie Mays, but also the full title. I then checked out the book and am glad that I did so. Here is my review of "1954."

Title/Author:

“1954: The Year Willie Mays and the First Generation of Black Superstars Changed Major League Baseball Forever” by Bill Madden

Tags:

Baseball, professional, Yankees, Giants, Dodgers, Indians, race

Publish date:

May 6 2014

Length:

320 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

As a reader who enjoys books on significant times and events in a particular sport’s history, this book had me very interested. The full title says it best about the year 1954 and the significance it had in baseball history. This book not only looks into the topic of race during this year in Major League Baseball but it also recaps the seasons of the three New York teams and the Cleveland Indians.

In that sense of these topics, author Bill Madden does a decent job of taking the reader back to that year and its importance in baseball history. One of the most important items mentioned was that it marked the first time that both World Series teams, the New York Giants and the Cleveland Indians, had black players.  Each team had four and all eight played important roles in the success of their teams. There are stories about many black players including Willie Mays, Larry Doby and Henry Aaron interspersed throughout the book. Since the integration of baseball was an important topic of the book, these types of passages were plentiful. They were well written and informative without coming across as judgmental or angry – just telling what happened.

The recap of the season was told through the four teams mentioned above, and as a result, it felt that this part was lacking in some aspects.  For example, Robin Roberts led the National League in wins that season with 23 and was an all-star but one would not know about his accomplishments except for the fact that he pitched against the Giants. Because of this fact, Roberts was finally mentioned in the book. While it makes sense to write the most about the most successful teams of the season, the lack of information about the other twelve teams in the major leagues was a letdown.  The World Series did get a chapter but aside from the famous catch made by Willie Mays that seemed anticlimactic as well. However, that is more likely due to the fact the Giants swept the Indians in four straight games more than anything the author wrote about that series.

Overall, the book is an easy read about a watershed year in major league baseball. Readers who are baseball historians will especially enjoy this book on the 1954 season and the advancements made by black players in both leagues.

Book Format Read:

Hardcover

Buying links:

http://www.amazon.com/1954-Generation-Superstars-Changed-Baseball/dp/0306823322/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1450570767&sr=1-1

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/1954-bill-madden/1117045172?ean=9780306823695

Review of "Wipe That Smile Off Sammy Sportface"

This review is one of a very different type of book than I usually present here.  It was very entertaining and because there are sports topics included, I am featuring it here.  It left me laughing many times, and few of those laughs even drew tears.  Here is my review of this very funny book.

Title/Author:

“Wipe That Smile Off Sammy Sportface” by Sammy Sportface

Tags:

Humor, sports, politics, current events

Publish date:

December 7, 2015

Length:

336 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

When I was offered a review copy of this book, I didn’t know what to expect.  Was this really a blog that has been in existence and a collection of posts from it?  Was it a completely fictional story? If it is real, where do I find it? Finally, I just decided to not worry about all of those things and just read the book.

While normally I don’t start a review like this, it is the best way to describe what I think about this book, which is advice given in the synopsis.  One line in it states “don’t overthink it.”  That is best approach to this book to appreciate the humor in each short story that is a blog post from the blogger Sammy Sportface. The author uses the same pseudonym for the cover and publicity of the book. This sets the mood of humor and lack of seriousness for the entire book.

While most of the blog posts deal with sports, some are strictly political, some cover other current events and some are just sophomoric humor, such as an entire story on throwing up after a 5k road race.  While the topics may be different, and some are funnier than others, each one is guaranteed to put a smile on a reader’s face. 

This book is recommended for readers who just want to escape reality for at least an hour or two and get a good laugh.  Whether the topic is Bruce/Caitlyn Jenner (my favorite post), American Pharoah, or Donald Trump, the reader is sure to be entertained.

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

Book Format Read:

E-book (EPUB)

Buying links:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018WO19GY/ref=x_gr_w_visstd_sin_t1_test_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_visstd_sin_t1_test_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B018WO19GY&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2

Review of "Boys Among Men"

Since I have been on a basketball kick lately with both watching more basketball games and wanting to read more books on the sport, I thought I would give this book to be published in March a try when the ARC became available for review. Having read Jonathan Abrams previously and enjoying his work, I was certainly interested. This was one of the best books I have read on the game, and it covered a controversial topic with balance and much information.  Here is my review of his "Boys Among Men." 

Title/Author:

“Boys Among Men: How the Prep-to-Pro Generation Redefined the NBA and Sparked a Basketball Revolution” by Jonathan Abrams

Tags:

Basketball, professional, draft, youth

Publish date:

March 15, 2016

Length:

336 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

In 1995, the Minnesota Timberwolves shook up the culture of the NBA by selecting Kevin Garnett with the fifth pick of the draft.  The reason that this was highly unusual was that Garnett never played a second of college basketball – he was drafted straight out of high school. While Garnett was not the first player to have ever gone from high school to the pros, he was the first of a new generation of players that would make the transition. This generation of players and what it did to the game is the subject of this outstanding book by Jonathan Abrams.

Drawing from interviews from hundreds of sources, including players, coaches, executives and many other people involved in the development or lives of these teenagers, Abrams paints a balanced picture of what this trend has done to both the game and the young players who either made the transition or attempted to do so and fell short of their dreams.

When this topic is discussed on sports channels or talk shows, the two extremes are usually given as why this trend is either good or bad.  Those who claim it helps the game and provides a means for young African-American men to escape poverty point to the very successful careers of Garnett, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Dwight Howard.  The naysayers will state that these players are exceptions and more of them are doomed to be forgotten with no basketball career, no education and no hope like Leon Smith, Lenny Cooke, and Ndudi Ebi.

While these are the two extreme ends of the argument, there is a lot of middle ground to cover and that what sets this book apart.  It isn’t just about the superstars mentioned above who went from high school to the pros.  The book also portrays players who carved out decent professional careers even after the hype showered upon them made them seem like they fell short.  Players like Kwame Brown, Tyson Chandler and Sebastian Telfair fit this category.  Abrams not only tells of their stories and struggles to adapt to the professional basketball lifestyle – he explains how their decisions and successes and failure affect many other people and the game itself.

Not only are the players’ stories told, but insight from people like former NBA commissioner David Stern, under whose watch this transformation took place, add a sense of balance and completeness to the discussion of the book’s subject. The exasperation of coaches who see that one of these young players don’t have the type of skills and ability to play in the NBA yet was illustrated time and time again. The legality of challenging this rule and the eventual development of a rule making the minimum age to enter the draft at 19 was also discussed from every possible angle. Every possible piece of information that could be used to prove or disprove that allowing high school players to play professionally is covered.

This book is highly recommended for any basketball fan, player or coach. It reads almost like a thriller with many characters involved and has twists and turns that will make the reader decide for himself or herself if this new generation and chapter in professional basketball is good for the game and players.

I wish to thank Crown Publishing for providing an advance review copy of the book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying links (for pre-order at time of review):

http://www.amazon.com/Boys-Among-Men-Prep---Pro-ebook/dp/B0104EOJ0S/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1450055779&sr=1-1&keywords=boys+among+men

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/boys-among-men-jonathan-abrams/1122186922?ean=9780804139250

Review of "Personal Foul"

When I had seen that disgraced NBA referee Tim Donaghy had written a book on his time as a referee and what he did to create one of the biggest sports scandals in recent years, I was intrigued.  I never got around to picking up a copy until recently, but it was worth the wait.  Here is my review of "Personal Foul."

Title/Author:

“Personal Foul” by Tim Donaghy

Tags:

Basketball, professional, officiating, gambling, memoir 

Publish date:

June 9, 2010

Length:

270 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

It was a scandal that rocked the sports world and made tabloids write some interesting headlines.  When NBA referee Tim Donaghy was questioned by the FBI and later sent to prison for his involvement with organized crime while gambling on basketball games, it left the league scrambling to defend its reputation.  Donaghy decided to write about his actions and how it led to his downfall after a successful career as an NBA referee.  His book makes for some eye-opening reading.

What is most striking about Donaghy’s information that he passed to members of crime families is how simple it was to obtain.  Donaghy didn’t pour over advanced statistics or even analyze player matchups between the teams.  He simply looked at who were the referees working a particular game and knowing that one of these officials may have a grudge against one of the coaches or players, he knew that one team might have a significant advantage 

It was also interesting to read about one common perception coming true.  Many basketball fans, reporters, players and coaches have believed that superstar players usually receive favorable treatment and calls.  Donaghy, through his years as an NBA referee, provides insight and information that confirms this belief through his interactions with players and fellow referees. He also speaks of the league directing its officials to help ensure that a playoff series goes longer and that the larger markets advance in the playoffs. As an example of the latter item, he uses the sixth game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Sacramento Kings in 2002 to show how the way a game is officiated can affect a lot more than just the final score.

The mood of the book is not one of anger nor pity for Donaghy’s situation. He realizes his mistakes and knows that he has to pay the price through a prison term and in personal life.  He doesn’t make excuses nor does he show much anger toward anyone else.  While he did commit crimes, I found this memoir very interesting for the inside look at the world of basketball referees and just how much influence they have on the game.  It is a book that all basketball fans will enjoy reading.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Nook)

Buying links:

http://www.amazon.com/Personal-Foul-First-Person-Account-Scandal-ebook/dp/B003ULP7U4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1449782923&sr=1-1&keywords=personal+foul

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/reviews/personal-foul-tim-donaghy/1117927399?ean=9780615362632#reviews-header

Review of "Arizona's All-Time Baseball Team"

Having previously read and enjoyed a book by this author on an all-time greatest team, I was pleased to receive an email from him asking if I would review this book for him.  Of course I accepted the offer - here is my review of "Arizona's All-Time Baseball Team" by John Rust.

Title/Author:

“Arizona’s All Time Baseball Team” by John Rust

Tags:

Baseball, professional, list

Publish date:

July 4, 2015

Length:

302 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Unlike most books with a listing of players, this book of the best baseball players born or raised in Arizona does not rank each player with a number or by a complicated formula.  Instead, John Rust simply builds a baseball team with players who were either born in Arizona or developed their skills in the state by playing high school or college baseball in the state. The result is an interesting collection of stories about the best players to hail from Arizona.

This team created is a complete team. The book does not simply list the best player at each position.  Of course, these players, such as Paul Konerko and Ian Kinsler, are listed first as the starters for the team, and there is one for each position.  Rust takes it a step further and also has a complete starting rotation of pitchers, additional pitchers for the bullpen, a backup catcher, a few backup position players and a manager for the team. This is a nice touch to include the other players and not just the starting nine.

Each player has a brief write-up on his major league career, his qualifications for the team (whether a native of the state or one who relocated to the state and played high school or college baseball in the state) and the highlights of his time in the major leagues. The stories do not contain many quotations or anecdotes and are fairly short in length. This made the book a quick and easy read that gave just enough information to fully explain why this player made the team.

After the team is compiled, Rust decides to see if this team would win a “rematch” of the 2001 World Series when the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the New York Yankees in what some consider to be one of the best World Series ever played.  Using the Strat-O-Matic game with the players for each team, the World Series is played. That result will not be given as a spoiler in this review.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I thought the creation of the team was fine, but the replay of the 2001 World Series was a nice touch and made the book better. This is a good read for this time of year when baseball fans are eagerly awaiting the start of spring training.

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

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying links:

http://www.amazon.com/Arizonas-All-Time-Baseball-Team-John-ebook/dp/B0110K7HO0/ref=sr_1_7?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1449535688&sr=1-7&keywords=john+rust

Review of "Concussion"

It is not often that I anticipate the release of a book and the movie inspired by the book at the same time, but that was the case with "Concussion." While the movie that will be released on Christmas Day starring Will Smith looks very good, I am one who always prefers to read the book first.  So when I saw that this book was available for review just before its publication, I decided to take advantage. I am very glad I did so.  Here is my review of "Concussion."

Title/Author:

“Concussion” by Jeanne Marie Laskas

Tags:

Football (American), biography, medical, death, Steelers

Publish date:

November 24, 2015

Length:

297 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

The issue of concussions in football has made many headlines the last few years, enough so that even people who are not fans of the game know about the dangers.  Some of these players, after taking many blows to the head for many years, have been diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.

The discovery of this disease and the connection to football player is credited to Dr. Bennett Omalu, a forensic pathologist in Pittsburgh. After Dr. Omalu performed an autopsy on former Pittsburgh Steelers center Mike Webster, he became both alarmed and fascinated with this discovery.  Dr. Omalu’s story is told in this book by Jeanne Marie Laskas.  Her work, including the first story on this issue, has been featured in GQ and this books shows how good a story teller she can be.

At its heart, this book is really a biography of Dr. Omalu, from his humble beginnings and education in Nigeria to his journey to America where he is thrilled to be working for Dr. Cyril Wecht in Pittsburgh to his battles to protect his name when the NFL is discrediting his work. Bennett, as is he is called throughout the book, is portrayed as a humble and simple man. He seems perplexed throughout the book when he is outside of his comfort zone of the examining room. He cannot understand why the NFL is so intent on discrediting his work and uses physicians for its own studies. When a former football player and professional wrestler wants to be Bennett’s partner to bring awareness to the dangers football players face with concussions, the story makes it appear that this man simply used Bennett’s work for his own gain. 

None of the material is fictional or false, but because of the presentation of only the viewpoint of Bennett in all of these issues, some may feel that this is a one-sided book.  While if one is reading it for fact-finding this is accurate, I felt that reading this book as a biography or even a medical or sports thriller is the better approach as the story makes for compelling reading, especially once the NFL gets involved and uses its vast resources and influence to disprove the dangers of the game and insist that the players are safe.

This story will make the reader think about just how dangerous the game of professional football can be to the players and will also make some readers angry at the smugness of the NFL.  But no matter how one feels about the game or league, anyone who reads this book will feel like he or she knows Bennett and the story of his discovery that has caused waves in a multi-billion-dollar industry.

I wish to thank Random House Publishing for providing a copy of the book via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying links:

http://www.amazon.com/Concussion-Jeanne-Marie-Laskas-ebook/dp/B00S3RIMBQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1449193760&sr=1-1&keywords=concussion

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/concussion-jeanne-marie-laskas/1121197990?ean=9780812987577