Your Top 10 (Top 5) Baseball Books (2 Viewers)

[Buddah]

I saw an attempt earlier in the month to list some favorite baseball reads, so I thought I'd try to start it up again. Here are mine in no particular order...

1. Glory of Their Times - Lawrence Ritter

2. Ball Four - Jim Bouton

3. Number 1 - Billy Martin

4. The Umpire Strikes Back - Ron Luciano

5. Moneyball - Michael Lewis

6. E-6: Diary of a Major League Shortstop - Danny THompson

7. Babe: The Legend Comes to Life - Robert Creamer

8. Cool of the Evening - Jim Theilman

9. Bill James Historical Abstract - Bill James

10 . Shoeless Joe - W.P. Kinsella

Ok...thought of some more.

11. Catcher in the Wry - Bob Uecker

What are yours?

 

[David Yudkin]

I liked most of the ones on your list. I also enjoyed The Bronk Zoo by Sparky Lyle, Summer of '49 and The Teammates both by David Halberstam, Game Time and Late Innings both by Roger Angell. I'll have to think of others . . .

 

[Captain Hook]

One MUST add would be "Baseball - an illustrated history" by Geoffrey Ward and Ken Burns

(this was the companion book to Burns series on PBS and has a ton of history and over 500 pictures and over a dozen guest essays)

 

[Buddah]

One MUST add would be "Baseball - an illustrated history" by Geoffrey Ward and Ken Burns(this was the companion book to Burns series on PBS and has a ton of history and over 500 pictures and over a dozen guest essays)

Been trying to get a cheap copy of this on eBay. I remember watching the original series, but have never even picked up the DVDs, even though I've seen bits and pieces quite often. Good addition

 

[Buddah]

I liked most of the ones on your list. I also enjoyed The Bronk Zoo by Sparky Lyle, Summer of '49 and The Teammates both by David Halberstam, Game Time and Late Innings both by Roger Angell. I'll have to think of others . . .

The only one I have read is the Bronx Zoo but read it when I was just a teen. Totally forgot to add that one in...another good addition. I'll look into the others....I'm sure I've read something by Halberstam before.

 

[Knightro]

Veeck as in Wreck

Long Gone (Fiction) by Paul Hemphill

Moneyball

 

[Eephus]

A lot of the great ones have already been mentioned

Nine Innings - Daniel Okrent

The Long Season - Jim Brosnan

Baseball's Great Experiment: Jackie Robinson and His Legacy - Jules Tygiel

The Numbers Game: Baseball's Lifelong Fascination with Statistics - Alan Schwarz & Peter Gammons

 

[Bob Henry]

I saw an attempt earlier in the month to list some favorite baseball reads, so I thought I'd try to start it up again. Here are mine in no particular order...1. Glory of Their Times - Lawrence Ritter2. Ball Four - Jim Bouton3. Number 1 - Billy Martin4. The Umpire Strikes Back - Ron Luciano5. Moneyball - Michael Lewis6. E-6: Diary of a Major League Shortstop - Danny THompson7. Babe: The Legend Comes to Life - Robert Creamer8. Cool of the Evening - Jim Theilman9. Bill James Historical Abstract - Bill James10 . Shoeless Joe - W.P. KinsellaOk...thought of some more.11. Catcher in the Wry - Bob UeckerWhat are yours?

Great list, Buddha. I've read about half of them. Of those, the one that had the biggest impact was by far Bill James. I took to that book at first sight. Luciano's book was one of my favorite reads, too. Some other good bios out there on Mickey Mantle, Sandy Koufax and let's not forget the Detroit favorite "One in a Million", the Ron LeFlore story which had it's own TV movie to follow.

 

[Buddah]

Baseball's Great Experiment: Jackie Robinson and His Legacy - Jules Tygiel

One that I definitely want to read. I got to meet Jules at the annual UK SABR meeting last summer and he spoke for a couple of hours on Robinson and the research that went into the book. I had hoped to read it before the meeting but never got around to it...definitely going on my short list of reads. Thanks for bringing it up.

 

[Buddah]

I saw an attempt earlier in the month to list some favorite baseball reads, so I thought I'd try to start it up again. Here are mine in no particular order...1. Glory of Their Times - Lawrence Ritter2. Ball Four - Jim Bouton3. Number 1 - Billy Martin4. The Umpire Strikes Back - Ron Luciano5. Moneyball - Michael Lewis6. E-6: Diary of a Major League Shortstop - Danny THompson7. Babe: The Legend Comes to Life - Robert Creamer8. Cool of the Evening - Jim Theilman9. Bill James Historical Abstract - Bill James10 . Shoeless Joe - W.P. KinsellaOk...thought of some more.11. Catcher in the Wry - Bob UeckerWhat are yours?

Great list, Buddha. I've read about half of them. Of those, the one that had the biggest impact was by far Bill James. I took to that book at first sight. Luciano's book was one of my favorite reads, too. Some other good bios out there on Mickey Mantle, Sandy Koufax and let's not forget the Detroit favorite "One in a Million", the Ron LeFlore story which had it's own TV movie to follow.

I remember the TV movie well! I think I read the book before that too....a long time ago!

 

[Pat Patriot]

Finished "Clemente"-David Maraniss not long ago. A very good read but then I have been a Clemente fan my whole life.

 

[Frostillicus]

Baseball between the Numbers - Baseball Prospectus

The Bad Guys Won - Jeff Pearlman

The Last Best League - Jim Collins

 

[Buddah]

Finished "Clemente"-David Maraniss not long ago. A very good read but then I have been a Clemente fan my whole life.

Already on my "to read" list!

 

[Buddah]

Baseball between the Numbers - Baseball ProspectusThe Bad Guys Won - Jeff PearlmanThe Last Best League - Jim Collins

Heard of "Between the Numbers" and "Last Best League"...will have to check them out. I looked up "The Bad Guys Won". Did you read it as a Mets fan or a baseball fan?

 

[NY/NJMFDIVER]

Maybe a biased list here, but here ya go

1. Veeck as in Wreck by Bill Veeck: Not only the best ballball book, one of the most entertaining books I've ever read

2. Damned Yankees by Moss Klein and Bill Madden: Fascinating day to day retelling of the Yanks dark days, on a par with...

(tie)The Bronx Zoo by Sparky Lyle. Spectacular dysfunction on display with these teams, a great, fast read

3. Men at Work by George Will: Simply a must read, a little heavy on the LaRussa deification, but cool stuff

4.Ocotober 1964 by David Halberstam. Interesting interweaving contrast of the the decline of the Yanks and the evolution of the AL.

5.Joe DiMaggio: A Hero's Life by Richard Ben Kramer: Phenomenally indepth telling of the Dimag legend. Dry stretches for sure, but definately covers the subject

6. The Worst Team Money Could Buy by John Harper and Bob Klapisch. Soap opera quality of a Mets team that spent huge on free agents and should have won it all but crapped the bed dazzling fashion

Avoid any of the recent Yankee books(Last Night of the Dynasty, Birth of a Dynasty). Rather dry and ultimately disappointing.

 

[NY/NJMFDIVER]

Baseball between the Numbers - Baseball ProspectusThe Bad Guys Won - Jeff PearlmanThe Last Best League - Jim Collins

Heard of "Between the Numbers" and "Last Best League"...will have to check them out. I looked up "The Bad Guys Won". Did you read it as a Mets fan or a baseball fan?

Ohhh, I forgot the Bad Guys Won, great story, should be made into a movie! It seems like it couldn't be true!

 

[Buddah]

Maybe a biased list here, but here ya go

1. Veeck as in Wreck by Bill Veeck: Not only the best ballball book, one of the most entertaining books I've ever read

2. Damned Yankees by Moss Klein and Bill Madden: Fascinating day to day retelling of the Yanks dark days, on a par with...

(tie)The Bronx Zoo by Sparky Lyle. Spectacular dysfunction on display with these teams, a great, fast read

3. Men at Work by George Will: Simply a must read, a little heavy on the LaRussa deification, but cool stuff

4.Ocotober 1964 by David Halberstam. Interesting interweaving contrast of the the decline of the Yanks and the evolution of the AL.

5.Joe DiMaggio: A Hero's Life by Richard Ben Kramer: Phenomenally indepth telling of the Dimag legend. Dry stretches for sure, but definately covers the subject

6. The Worst Team Money Could Buy by John Harper and Bob Klapisch. Soap opera quality of a Mets team that spent huge on free agents and should have won it all but crapped the bed dazzling fashion

Avoid any of the recent Yankee books(Last Night of the Dynasty, Birth of a Dynasty). Rather dry and ultimately disappointing.

Okay, Veeck as in Wreck is definitely going on the list. I read the Bronx Zoo years ago...good book. Heard a lot of good stuff about Haberstam's book...will have to check him out too. Good list...and they're supposed to be biased!

 

[Buddah]

I thought I'd start compiling a list of all the books in one post. As people add more, I'll update this post...

IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER.....

Veeck as in Wreck - Bill Veeck
Damned Yankees - Moss Klein and Bill Madden
The Bronx Zoo - Sparky Lyle
Men at Work - George Will
Ocotober 1964 - David Halberstam
Joe DiMaggio: A Hero's Life - Richard Ben Kramer
The Worst Team Money Could Buy - John Harper and Bob Klapisch
Baseball between the Numbers - Baseball Prospectus
The Bad Guys Won - Jeff Pearlman
The Last Best League - Jim Collins
Clemente - David Maraniss
Glory of Their Times - Lawrence Ritter
Ball Four - Jim Bouton
Number 1 - Billy Martin
The Umpire Strikes Back - Ron Luciano
Moneyball - Michael Lewis
E-6: Diary of a Major League Shortstop - Danny Thompson
Babe: The Legend Comes to Life - Robert Creamer
Cool of the Evening - Jim Theilman
Bill James Historical Abstract - Bill James
Shoeless Joe - W.P. Kinsella
Catcher in the Wry - Bob Uecker
The Bronk Zoo - Sparky Lyle,
Summer of '49 - David Halberstam
The Teammates - David Halberstam,
Game Time - Roger Angell
Late Innings - Roger Angell
Baseball - an illustrated history - Geoffrey Ward and Ken Burns
Long Gone (Fiction) - Paul Hemphill
Nine Innings - Daniel Okrent
The Long Season - Jim Brosnan
Baseball's Great Experiment: Jackie Robinson and His Legacy - Jules Tygiel
The Numbers Game: Baseball's Lifelong Fascination with Statistics - Alan Schwarz & Peter Gammons
Fantasy Land - Sam Walker
Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy - Jane Leavy

 

[schlesinj]

How about Fantasy Land by Sam Walker? I thought that was entertaining (obviously about Fantasy Baseball vs real baseball).

 

[Buddah]

How about Fantasy Land by Sam Walker? I thought that was entertaining (obviously about Fantasy Baseball vs real baseball).

Interesting. Is it a "How to..." type book. Does it value players? Or is it just a look at how Fantasy baseball has influenced the game???

 

[Knightro]

How about Fantasy Land by Sam Walker? I thought that was entertaining (obviously about Fantasy Baseball vs real baseball).

Interesting. Is it a "How to..." type book. Does it value players? Or is it just a look at how Fantasy baseball has influenced the game???

It is Sam's story about how he went from a non-interested fantasy player to competing the AL Tout Wars league. It was quite funny and insightful

 

[Sammy3469]

one that hasn't been mentioned yet is the Sandy Koufax book from a couple of years ago though it was much more biographical than purely baseball related

 

[Buddah]

one that hasn't been mentioned yet is the Sandy Koufax book from a couple of years ago though it was much more biographical than purely baseball related

Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy - Jane Leavy?

 

[Sammy3469]

one that hasn't been mentioned yet is the Sandy Koufax book from a couple of years ago though it was much more biographical than purely baseball related

Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy - Jane Leavy?

yeah

 

[Frostillicus]

Baseball between the Numbers - Baseball ProspectusThe Bad Guys Won - Jeff PearlmanThe Last Best League - Jim Collins

Heard of "Between the Numbers" and "Last Best League"...will have to check them out. I looked up "The Bad Guys Won". Did you read it as a Mets fan or a baseball fan?

Baseball fan mostly. Was just starting to be old enough to really appreciate baseball around then.

 

[Regular Crust Pizza]

Nice to see this subject get some traction.

I already posted my favorite in the other thread, and it's already been mentioned here, but 9 innings is a great book.

I'll have to check out some of those mentioned here. thanks.

 

[Eephus]

Nice to see this subject get some traction. I already posted my favorite in the other thread, and it's already been mentioned here, but 9 innings is a great book. I'll have to check out some of those mentioned here. thanks.

The concept behind Nine Innings is a really good one. Okrent uses a single "meaningless" mid-season game as a study of baseball in microcosm. He manages to weave stories and analysis into the flow of the game so it's sort of like sitting in the stands talking baseball with the author and his guests.I also liked that it features the Brewers and Orioles rather than the usual Yankees-Sox, Giants-Dodgers matchup. The Harvey's Wallbangers Brewers and Earl Weaver managed Birds provide an entertaining cast of characters. I reread it a few years ago and found the game has changed more than the book. It's still a interesting look back at the game circa 1983.

 

[Keys Myaths]

I still hold that Moneyball isn't a baseball book, it's a business book. Damn good one, but baseball is just a backdrop.

The Umpire Strikes Back is a classic.

 

[NY/NJMFDIVER]

Nice to see this subject get some traction. I already posted my favorite in the other thread, and it's already been mentioned here, but 9 innings is a great book. I'll have to check out some of those mentioned here. thanks.

The concept behind Nine Innings is a really good one. Okrent uses a single "meaningless" mid-season game as a study of baseball in microcosm. He manages to weave stories and analysis into the flow of the game so it's sort of like sitting in the stands talking baseball with the author and his guests.I also liked that it features the Brewers and Orioles rather than the usual Yankees-Sox, Giants-Dodgers matchup. The Harvey's Wallbangers Brewers and Earl Weaver managed Birds provide an entertaining cast of characters. I reread it a few years ago and found the game has changed more than the book. It's still a interesting look back at the game circa 1983.

I haven't heard of it, but I will check it out.In a similar vein, I would point people to "Pure Baseball" by Keith Hernandez, which I probably should have put on my list. Mex breaks down several situations from a players perspective, thinks ahead of and with the pitcher, great read.

 

[bialczabub]

a few I don't think have been mentioned:

books I've read:

The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty - Buster Olney

Baseball Between the Numbers - Baseball Prospectus

Mind Game: How the Boston Red Sox Got Smart, Won a World Series, and Created a New Blueprint for Winning - Baseball Prospectus

books I wanna read:

The Bad Guys Won (about the 1986 Mets)

The Physics of Baseball - Robert Adair

Baseball & Philosophy (got it as a Christmas Gift)

 

[Statorama]

Nine Innings - Daniel Okrent

I haven't read the book, but Dan is a great guy. Met him a couple of times in a previous life.

 

[Statorama]

Has anyone read Canseco's book? I brushed it off when it was put out, and wondered if it was worth checking out of the library.

 

[bialczabub]

I met the guy who wrote "Chasing Steinbrenner" a few times. We both volunteered at this after school program for middle school students in Lowell. Nice guy, but I never read his book. It was about the Sox and the Jays (and JP Riccardi) trying to win in the same division as the Yankees.

 

[FairWarning]

Anything by SABR is OK with me. Anyone who likes early baseball history (turn of the century) will enjoy these - Deadball Stars of the American and National Leagues. Basically it will give you a 2-3 page biography of about 20 players, not the biggest stars either, from each of the 16 teams. Great pictures too.

 

[curta269]

Finished "Clemente"-David Maraniss not long ago. A very good read but then I have been a Clemente fan my whole life.

I enjoyed this book as well. I saw this at Barnes and Noble yesterday, in hard back for about $6.00. They are having a clearance sale going on right now.

 

[curta269]

"Three Nights in August" is a pretty good book too. As a Cardinals fan, it made me understand LaRussa's managing strategy a little better. I still wonder what he is doing sometimes though.

 

[coldchill]

Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig - Jonathan Eig

I really enjoyed this one.