Category Archives: book review

Review – "Baseball Fantography" by Andy Strasberg

Are you tired of baseball books with the same boring stock photos? You will not get that with Baseball Fantography by Andy Strasberg. This is a collection of photographs from fans that capture the intimate and personal lives of your favorite baseball players from the past and present. Strasberg began this project when he found an old picture of him with Roger Maris at Yankee Stadium in 1966. He hadn’t seen the photo in decades and a nostalgic feeling came over him. He knew that there were other people who had old baseball photos that would have a similar feeling. This is a timeless record of the fans’ baseball experience…by the fans, for the fans. Continue reading →

Review – "Baseball Americana" by Harry Katz

Harper Collins has published a great coffee table book entitled “Baseball Americana.” It’s by Harry Katz, Frank Ceresi, Phil Michel, Wilson McBee, and Susan Reyburn, it’s a lot of people’s names, but it’s a big book. There are so many great pictures and information in this book from the Library of Congress. There’s even a panoramic picture of the first Black World Series in 1924. Here is my review of “Baseball Americana”…

I’m a huge baseball fan and when I can read a book about the historical past of baseball, I jump at the opportunity. Some of the things in “Baseball Americana” are things that aren’t shown in any other book. Some of the material that this books includes are a picture baseball being played in 1787, the first ever baseball card, a rare color photograph of Satchel Paige, and even a lithograph of the first ever professional team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings in 1869. Continue reading →

Review – Chuck Klosterman "Eating The Dinosaur"

Thanks to the great people over at Scribner, I was able to get a review copy of the much-anticipated new book from Chuck Klosterman. I have been very vocal about my love for his writing on this site and “Walk The Dinosaur” definitely quenched my thirst for some new material from him. Here is my book review for “Eating The Dinosaur” by Chuck Klosterman.

This book is in the vein of “Sex, Drugs, & Cocoa Puffs,” more so than any of his previous books. It’s all new material, so it’s not like Chuck Klosterman IV, which was a collection of mostly previously published material. Continue reading →

Review – Doc’s Sports 2009 Football Journal

Doc’s Sports sent over their 2009 Complete Football Journal which has the complete schedule of college and NFL football and much more. I looked through this publication from cover to cover and there are is a ton of information that anyone who is in a fantasy football league, casual or avid sports betters, or even just a casual fan that is in a pool at their workplace can use. Check out this review and see where you can get a copy of your own.

Doc’s Sports, which has been in the sports betting business for 38 years, has issued their 38th annual guide for the hardcore football fan. The information that is compiled in this book is extremely useful. You have the scores from the entire 2008 college football season, 2008 trends from the NFL season, and some tidbits for each week of the season for college and NFL games. Continue reading →

Review: "Munson" by Marty Appel

Thuman Munson was a great catcher and team captain for the New York Yankees. He was tragically killed in a plane crash during the prime of his career. He had a great rivalry with Boston Red Sox catcher, Carlton Fisk, it even got personal a few times. Marty Appel has written a book about Munson and I decided that my brother, a big Red Sox fan should read it and write a review. It’s a great book and I knew that he couldn’t say anything bad about it. It proves that Munson’s greatness can unite people, even if they bleed Red Sox crimson.

I am a Red Sox Fan. Continue reading →

Review: The Class Of Football by Adam Shefter

NFL Hall of Fame speeches are great to listen to and everyone can take something from them. Former NFL Network, and currently ESPN football analyst, Adam Shefter knew this and he compiled a book of some of the best excerpts from speeches given in Canton, OH at the NFL Hall of Fame inductions throughout the years. Inductees always talk about the principles of life and lessons learned while playing the game and growing up within it. Check out the review of the book, “The Class of Football” edited by Adam Shefter, published by Harper Collins.

Listening to a Hall of Fame speech in any sport is great theater. They have spent hours, days, and weeks prepared his Hall of Fame speech and he knows that what he says at that podium will resonate with their fans. They talk about their mentors, their childhood, the history of the game, family, and teamwork. It’s as if each inductee has a checklist that every speech must have to ensure a great moment. They always dream of this very moment and is probably one of the first foe (nervousness) could get the very best of them. Continue reading →

Review: Major League Baseball Players of 1916 by Paul Batesel

I know what you’re thinking, it’s a long title for this post, but I didn’t want to cut the author short by cutting off his name. “Major League Baseball Players of 1916” is a great book for fans who loves the early days of baseball. It lists all of the players that played in 1916 and breaks down their careers while playing baseball and what most of them did after they retired from baseball.

McFarland Publishing is known for more in-depth books about single topic. They take something as broad as baseball and breaks down the game into tiny molecules, like a biographical dictionary of baseball player of 1916. Continue reading →