Whose biography would you like to read?

[KenBoyerCollector]

I love reading about baseball, it's history, and its players. Just finished the Moe Berg book and thought about other baseball players’ biographies I would love to read.

I'm just curious... who are some of the pre-war and post-war players you would love to read about?


Andy

[DaClyde]

In no particular order, I'd love to read more about (nothing less than 400 pages, preferably):

Masanori Murakami
Don Newcombe
Randy Bass
Rube Foster
Luis Aparicio
Martin Dihigo

[DaClyde]

---double post---

[rhettyeakley]

Rube Waddell would probably be a great read! I have also always been a bit fascinated with the early Native American players like Louis Sockalexis, Chief Bender, Chief Meyers, etc. I know there have been a few Sockalexis books over the past 10-15 years but I don't recall seeing a Bender or Meyers biolgraphy.

[Cy2009]

Rhett,

This is a great book about Rube Waddell:

http://www.amazon.com/Rube-Waddell-Brilliant-Strikeout-Artist/dp/0786407867/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1316549747&sr=1-1

It is a great story and extremely well written. I know the author. He told me the story wrote itself. But he did a great job on the book. It is one of my favorite Dead Ball era biographies.

Let me give two more that are great stories and extremely well written:

Tris Speaker:
http://www.amazon.com/Tris-Speaker-Rough---Tumble-Baseball/dp/1599211114/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1316549882&sr=1-1

Hal Chase:
http://www.amazon.com/Black-Prince-Baseball-Chase-Mythology/dp/1894963296/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1316549924&sr=1-2

Cy

[KenBoyerCollector]

Nice, I may have to check those out

[oldjudge]

Fischer-Chicago Maroons. Only Old Judge player that we have been unable to find much about

[deebro041]

Roger Bresnahan
Dan Brouthers
Joe Kelley
Ban Johnson

[Big Six]

Rhett,

This is a great book about Rube Waddell:

http://www.amazon.com/Rube-Waddell-Brilliant-Strikeout-Artist/dp/0786407867/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1316549747&sr=1-1

It is a great story and extremely well written. I know the author. He told me the story wrote itself. But he did a great job on the book. It is one of my favorite Dead Ball era biographies.

Let me give two more that are great stories and extremely well written:

Tris Speaker:
http://www.amazon.com/Tris-Speaker-Rough---Tumble-Baseball/dp/1599211114/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1316549882&sr=1-1

Hal Chase:
http://www.amazon.com/Black-Prince-Baseball-Chase-Mythology/dp/1894963296/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1316549924&sr=1-2

Cy

I second the recommendation on the Chase book...really well done.

[asoriano]

Arthur "Bugs" Raymond

[cwazzy]

The Moe Berg book was awesome! Cobb by Al Stump was great as well. I'm currently reading the new one on Roy Campanella.

I would like to read more on Germany Schaefer, Bresnahan, Dizzy Dean, Zack Wheat, Speaker, and Branch Rickey (to name a few).

[Cardboard Junkie]

David Pierson of the 1876 Cincinnati Reds (not his brother Dick)

[MacDice]

Pat Gillick
Pete Grey
Fred Hutchinson

[Zach Wheat]

For those so inclined to get a brief 2-5 page summary bio of deadball era players - including some of the less well known players - I highly recommend SABR's books including Deadball Stars of the AL; Deadball Stars of the NL and the final book on Stars of the Negro Leagues. It is fun to read the bio's of many of the players captured in the T206 set.

In addition, The Glory of Their Times was a phenomenal read. I also highly recommend the audio version. Words sometimes can't capture the essence of their love for the game. Hearing the players tell stories in their own words was really captivating and added another undefinable dimension to their motivations. I don't think I will ever underestimate Hans Lobert's love for the game after listening to him retell his stories.

ZWheat

[slidekellyslide]

I'd like to read a good book on Eddie Collins, but amazingly I don't think anyone has ever written one.

[90feetaway]

Charlie Comiskey - besides his role as cheapskate owner, my understanding is he did help contribute positively to the game and Jim Abbott - a good pitcher nevermind any disability.

[daves_resale_shop]

Eddie Cicotte, Pumpsie Green, Harry Hooper

[Bosox Blair]

Rube Waddell would probably be a great read! I have also always been a bit fascinated with the early Native American players like Louis Sockalexis, Chief Bender, Chief Meyers, etc. I know there have been a few Sockalexis books over the past 10-15 years but I don't recall seeing a Bender or Meyers biolgraphy.


Hi Rhett,

I recommend these two books to you:

http://www.amazon.com/Just-Big-Kid-Times-Waddell/dp/1424168627/ref=pd_sim_b1

and

http://www.amazon.com/Chief-Benders-Burden-Struggle-Baseball/dp/0803214987/ref=pd_sim_b6

Both very strong books!

Cheers,
Blair

[Jcfowler6]

Dave Draveky.

[iwantitiwinit]

Three Finger Brown.

[uffda51]

Moe Berg was a great read. Currently reading the bio of Walter Johnson after meeting the author, his grandson Hank Thomas, at the NSCC in Chicago.

Choo Choo Coleman might be good.

[Cy2009]

Moe Berg was a great read. Currently reading the bio of Walter Johnson after meeting the author, his grandson Hank Thomas, at the NSCC in Chicago.

Choo Choo Coleman might be good.

In addition to writing the Big Train. Hank also listened to, edited and recorded some of the interviews from The Glory of Their Times. Yes, Hank Thomas, member of our Net 54 board did that. He would never toot his own horn. But doing that tedious piece of work is one of the greatest contributions to the history of Pre-War baseball. To think that these classic recordings easily could have been thrown away would have been a travesty to the history of baseball because now we get a first hand impression of how the game was played.

I do give the main credit to Larry Ritter. Hank and I have talked about this at length. I truly believe that Larry Ritter should be in the Hall of Fame because of these recordings. Larry also wrote some other great books. But to actually hear the stories of men who played major league baseball in the first decade of the 1900s is amazing. If you do not own this four disc set, contact Hank Thomas and get one. It is THE best baseball book/recording/video out there, bar none. When you hear Smoky Joe Wood, Sam Crawford, Jimmy Austin, Hans Lobert (these are my favorite two of the group) and others, you will really get excited and, if you are like me, you will want to go out and buy more Pre-War baseball cards.

I have told many people about these recordings. But if you don't own them, you are definitely short-sighting your enjoyment into Pre-War baseball.

Cy

[AndyG09]

Cy,

I owe you a thank you for pointing me towards the recordings. So amazing to hear the voices of the legends and players we collect. The love these guys had for the game really comes out in their voices. I have listened to the recordings countless times. Thank you, Cy.

Best,

Andy

[bobbyw8469]

To me, Satchell Paige's biography would be a good read. All he had to endure due to segragation, and the fact he finally made the big leagues at such an old age....

[terjung]

Loving this thread. Already ordered 2 books mentioned here and am looking forward to reading them!

[packs]

I'd love to read a book on Wally Pipp. I'd love to read the story about that famous day he sat out and know how he felt about his headache and what kind of relationship, if any, he had with Gehrig.

[Hankphenom]

In addition to writing the Big Train. Hank also listened to, edited and recorded some of the interviews from The Glory of Their Times. Yes, Hank Thomas, member of our Net 54 board did that. He would never toot his own horn. But doing that tedious piece of work is one of the greatest contributions to the history of Pre-War baseball. To think that these classic recordings easily could have been thrown away would have been a travesty to the history of baseball because now we get a first hand impression of how the game was played.

I do give the main credit to Larry Ritter. Hank and I have talked about this at length. I truly believe that Larry Ritter should be in the Hall of Fame because of these recordings. Larry also wrote some other great books. But to actually hear the stories of men who played major league baseball in the first decade of the 1900s is amazing. If you do not own this four disc set, contact Hank Thomas and get one. It is THE best baseball book/recording/video out there, bar none. When you hear Smoky Joe Wood, Sam Crawford, Jimmy Austin, Hans Lobert (these are my favorite two of the group) and others, you will really get excited and, if you are like me, you will want to go out and buy more Pre-War baseball cards.

I have told many people about these recordings. But if you don't own them, you are definitely short-sighting your enjoyment into Pre-War baseball.

Cy

...and you're right that Larry does belong in the writer's wing of the HOF. Fifteen years later, it still amazes me that I, along with my co-producer/ editor, Neal McCabe, got the chance to do the audio version of "The Glory of Their Times," and to replicate with Larry what he did with the players by recording his experiences in putting the book together many years earlier. What a loss it would have been not to have gotten his recollections on tape, the edited versions of which make up his introduction to the set and to each player segment, before he passed away just a few years later. The hand of fate was heavy on that project from the beginning, no question about it. While I'm at it, and on the subject of baseball books, let me put in a plug for my friend Neal McCabe's sequel to his definitive work of baseball photography, "Baseball's Golden Age: The Photographs of Charles M. Conlon," the new one titled "The Big Show: Charles M. Conlon's Golden Age Baseball Photographs." Just out, "The Big Show" is every bit as stunning as the original, both the photos and Neal's research on their subjects.
Hank Thomas

[U240robert]

I love reading about baseball, it's history, and its players. Just finished the Moe Berg book and thought about other baseball players’ biographies I would love to read.

I'm just curious... who are some of the pre-war and post-war players you would love to read about?


Andy

I used to visit my dad in New York when I was a young kid, from Florida, and during the summer I hung out at the library reading sports books.
Moe Bergs was one of the first one I read, loved it.
My dad bought me 'Eight Men Out' and that's still one of my favorites.
I tend to go with the vintage baseball books that took place around the turn of the 20 century.

Oddly, I'm a diehard Red Sox fan but my dad got me 'The Bronx Zoo' when it came out and I loved. I became a huge Sparky Lyle fan.

These days, I'd like to read a book about 1960's baseball- a well done book about the whole decade, not just Mays/Mantle stuff that's been done to death.

[slidekellyslide]

I'm about a third of the way in on "The Big Bam"..I've read Robert Creamer's Babe Ruth bio and just picked this one up at a garage sale the other day for a quarter. Pretty good so far.

[ChiefBenderForever]

Hi Rhett,

I recommend these two books to you:

http://www.amazon.com/Just-Big-Kid-Times-Waddell/dp/1424168627/ref=pd_sim_b1

and

http://www.amazon.com/Chief-Benders-Burden-Struggle-Baseball/dp/0803214987/ref=pd_sim_b6

Both very strong books!

Cheers,
Blair


Chief Benders burden is amazing, I've read it twice and probably will again. The Moe Berg 'The catcher was a spy' was amazing. To think he just jumped in as a catcher and his first game doing so was against Ruth, Gehrig ect is mind blowing. It was also a very very depressing story when you read his life after WWII, he really became a lost vagabond living a charade with nothing but his name.

[Tabe]

TCobb by Al Stump was great as well.
Take Stump's books with a grain of salt. He's since been proven a fraud and a charlatan when it comes to Cobb.

For me, I'd love to read a good bio of Rogers Hornsby, Lefty Grove, Cy Young, and Hal Newhouser.

Tabe

[Jcfowler6]

What's the story behind Stump?

[ChiefBenderForever]

What's the story behind Stump?

He embellished some things, possibly many things. He also sold many items over the years that he claimed were from Cobb/Cobbs estate and was proven to not be true so many of the quotes and stories in his book could be fabricated and sadly many most likely are.

edited to ad a link-

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/770355-ty-cobb-hall-of-famer-betrayed-by-writers-for-50-years-ruined-players-legacy

[Jcfowler6]

edited to ad a link-

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/770355-ty-cobb-hall-of-famer-betrayed-by-writers-for-50-years-ruined-players-legacy[/QUOTE]

Interesting article. So most of what I have heard about Ty Cobb is untrue?

He wasn't a racest? he wasn't disliked by other players?

Is there a book I could read that would be more factual about Ty?

[Tabe]

Oh, he was disliked by his fellow players. Most likely a racist. Almost surely did some terrible things in his lifetime. But he also wasn't the completely evil POS that Stump painted him as.

Much like the recent "The Big Bam" did for Babe Ruth scholarship, Ty Cobb could use a new, authoritative biography. Much of what has been written about Cobb in the last 50 years used Cobb's autobiography (written with Stump) and Stump's second Cobb book as sources. Neither is credible. An all-new book is called for.

Tabe