OT: Any Suggestions on Good Baseball Books for Gifts

[almostdone]

Every year I get asked the same question of "What would you like for Christmas?". I have long given up on asking for additions to my collection form those who don't know anything about it, so I usually ask for some different books to read. Especially about the games history but not nessesarily biographies of single players. I have a few already but thought I would get some imput here to see what others might think.
Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Drew

[daves_resale_shop]

1-Glory of their times
2-Hornsby hit one over my head
3-Sleeper Cars and flannel uniforms
4-Cobb my own story
5-cobb-stump version
6-The player: Christy Mathewson

[Bigdaddy]

'The Boys of Summer' and 'Good Enough to Dream' by Roger Kahn

'The Fireside Book of Baseball' Ed. by Charles Einstein

[MooseDog]

I recently read Sixty Feet Six Inches...it is basically Reggie Jackson and Bob Gibson talking about baseball from the batter and pitcher perspective and some now vs then comparison.

Highly recommended.

Sports Illustrated Great Baseball Stories is a nice collection of pieces from the magazine...back when it had really good writers.

[GrayGhost]

Glory of their times seconded. For a fictionalized book. semi hard to find, the CELEBRANT. Fantastic story.

[Scott Garner]

Originally Posted by GrayGhost

Glory of their times seconded. For a fictionalized book. semi hard to find, the CELEBRANT. Fantastic story.

No doubt that Glory of Their Times would be my favorite as well.

Like GrayGhost Scott I enjoyed The Celebrant very much. BTW, I have a hard copy with no dust jacket that I would sell for $7 delivered if someone would like to read it.

I would also recommend Matty- An American Hero by Ray Robinson.

One terrific newer book that I read was Yogi Was Up with a Guy on Third... by Maureen Mullen. Over 50 HOF'ers recall their favorite baseball games ever.
Great book!

[earlywynnfan]

Can't believe nobody has thrown this one out there:

the Bill James Historical Abstract!

Fun enough to actually read, then useful enough to keep on the reference shelf.

[rjackson44]

Operation bullpen scary,,,

[Gecklund311]

The audio version of The Glory of Their Times is a fantastic suggestion, and well worth picking up.

I'd recommend The Pitch That Killed by Mike Sowell - it centers on the fatal beaning of Ray Chapman by Carl Mays, but also tells the story of the 1920 Indians season in general. I enjoyed it so much that even to this day I find myself tempted to bid when seeing a card of Bill Wambsganss or other member of the team pop up on Ebay.

Sowell's two other baseball books are good as well (one on Ed Delahanty's death and one on the 1986 playoffs), but The Pitch That Killed remains my favorite.

[Aquifer]

Ball Four--Jim Bouton
Summer of '49--David Halberstam
October, 1964--David Halberstam
A Whole Different Ballgame--Marvin Miller
Once More Around the Ballpark--Roger Angell
Sandy Koufax--Jane Leavy

Ball Four remains the best of it's kind, to me. A book about people more than baseball. Halberstam's pair are incredible reads--chronicles of an era as much as great baseball writing. Miller's recount of the coming of the Player's Union is a fantastic read. Angell remains among the most poetic of baseball writers, and Jane Leavy did a masterful job of a reluctant Sandy Koufax, who remains almost larger-than-life. I wish I could have seen him pitch. You'll read all of these more than once, I suspect.

[johnmh71]

I personally like anything written by Rob Neyer and I also recommend "The Glory Of Their Times", but only for someone who is a diehard baseball fan.

[jgmp123]

What I Learned From Jackie Robinson, by Carl Erskine. Great book and amazing insight from one of Jackie's closest friends.

[dougko1]

The Brothers K - David James Duncan

Sort of a Brothers Karamosov with baseball as the through theme.


Cardboard Gods

From the blog of the same name. The writer uses his collection of baseball cards as a starting point to pontificate about life.


7 The Mickey Mantle Novel - Peter Golenbock

Raunchy. Written as a novel but containing a lot of "true" stories about the Mick. Includes his favorite jokes, and various exploits.

From amazon:

Mickey Mantle loved sex. And getting drunk. Those are the topics of discussion as the baseball hero, now in heaven, pulls up a chair with writer Leonard Shecter. Together they rehash Mantle's life, from his X-rated bedroom exploits and his treatment of fans to his relationship with the media and his phenomenal career. Nothing is left uncovered in a story that reveals Mantle's dark side.

Funny.