What are some of your favorite baseball related books?

[HRBAKER]

Mentioned previously but if you haven't read or listened to "The Glory of Their Times" by L. Ritter please pick it up. In addition to the Stump Cobb biography I have also enjoyed the late David Halberstam's "October 1964."

[CobbvLajoie1910]

....any/all of Charles Alexander's works.

As far as true (historical) baseball scholarship goes, he has no equal (IMHO):


Ty Cobb
Rogers Hornsby
Spoke
John McGraw
Breaking The Slump
Our Game

Stump's Cobb doesn't hold a candle to Dr. Alexander's.

Henry Thomas' Walter Johnson Bio....is one of the finest of its kind.
(I believe Hank contributes to the Board from time-to-time).
It's in my all-time top-5.


Best,
Aaron

[Oldtix]

For pure tongue-in-cheek fun, you can't beat "The Great American Baseball Card Flipping, Trading and Bubble Gum Book" by Brendan Boyd and Fred Harris.

[btcarfagno]

Ed Delahanty in the Emerald age of Baseball.

An excellent read about a player who should rank among the greatest ever. Also a great read about baseball from 1890-1902.

[barrysloate]

Tom- I read the Delahanty book and loved it. It's a great baseball bio.

[Tony Gordon]

Some of my favorites include:

The Boys of Summer - Roger Kahn

No Cheering in the Press Box - Jerome Holtzman

It's Good to Be Alive - Roy Campanella

Sleeping Cars and Flannel Uniforms - Elden Auker

[wolterse]

I HIGHLY recommend Chief Bender's Burden by Tom Swift. This is one of the most engaging and well-written baseball biographies I've read. Bender was a man with many talents beyond baseball that struggled with race issues at the turn of the 20th century. Swift does a really really good job telling his story.

[ChiefBenderForever]

Originally Posted by wolterse

I HIGHLY recommend Chief Bender's Burden by Tom Swift. This is one of the most engaging and well-written baseball biographies I've read. Bender was a man with many talents beyond baseball that struggled with race issues at the turn of the 20th century. Swift does a really really good job telling his story.

I'm am reading it for the 2nd time can't say enough good things about this book !!

[e107collector]

Can anyone recommend a good book on Mordecai Brown, Eddie Plank or Nap Lajoie?

Thanks,
Tony Nicoletto

[onlychild]

Well, Mint Condition is my favorite by far...with a strong emphasis on chapter 11.

[FrankWakefield]

Jeff is right about October 1964. It is an eyeopening book. I love the comment that I think Curt Flood made to team-mates as they watched the Yankees take the field for game 1 of the WS in St. Louis. Halberstam wrote well.

Tony mentions Boys of Summer, it is a good read.

And may I add July 2, 1903: The Mysterious Death of Big Ed Delahanty, by Mike Sowell. THIS is the book to read about Delahanty. Sowell writes well, and the book explains the formation of the American League and the contract jumping of the day, something about which many baseball fans know nothing. A great book. His other book, The Pitch that Killed, about Chapman and Mays, is good, too.

And the Alexander books are good, especially the one about Mr. McGraw. And below me Bosox mentions the Thomas book about Walter Johnson, a respectful book by his grand son. A well written book. It was a joy to read, well researched, with quotes for baseball news writers (back when those guys were worthy of casting HOF ballots, today's writers are part of what's wrong with the HOF) of the day.

[Bosox Blair]

In addition to the other ones mentioned in this thread (many of which I have read and enjoyed) I can recommend the following books...


Just finished:

Mint Condition (Jamieson) - good for a book about cards...bit of a light treatment
Tris Speaker (Tim Gay)
Autumn Glory (Masur) - 1903 World Series

Now reading:

The First Fall Classic (Vaccaro) - 1912 World Series
Just a Big Kid (Proia) - Rube Waddell Bio
Walter Johnson (Thomas)
The Teammates (Halberstam) - short read following lives of Doerr, Pesky, Dom Dimaggio and Williams

Cheers,
Blair

[deadballera]

I am enjoying this one right now. Great pictures from Conlon and some information too !! Gets you right in the card buying mode !

I picked mine up pretty cheap on half.com, but ebay also has some available too.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Baseballs-Golden...item483a9b6611

[AndyG09]

I am really surprised nobody has yet to mention "Baseball As I've Known It" which is an outstanding book. Fred Lieb's book is a fabulous read and I give it 5 stars!

[J.McMurry]

Deadballera,

I've got that book too, I agree it's excellent. There is also another book that's similar called The game that was, which contains the photos of George Brace,also excellent.


Frank W.,

You mentioned Bill James' book earlier, have you read Whatever Happened to the Hall of Fame?, also a good read if you're into stats and theories.

[Buythatcard]

I don't know where to start. They all sound like great books. I think I am going to start with Ball Four followed by either Cobb or Operation Bullpen.

Does anyone remember "The curious case of Sidd Finch" by George Plimpton? I remember enjoying that one.

I will use this post as a reference for books to read.

Thanks to all for your great suggestions.

Where would I be without NEt54?

[nebboy]

Originally Posted by Oldtix

For pure tongue-in-cheek fun, you can't beat "The Great American Baseball Card Flipping, Trading and Bubble Gum Book" by Brendan Boyd and Fred Harris.

I don't really know why (Its kind of a bathroom read) but Ive read this book 3 times. Off brand humor. JUST FUN reflection of some guys/cards you may have forgot abought from your youth.

[Robextend]

When this thread first started I stated I was reading "The Old Ball Game" by Frank Deford. Well I have finished reading the book and I absolutely loved it.

Can anyone recommend any books on McGraw's days in Baltimore with Keeler, Jennings, etc..? I would really love to learn more about the "early" McGraw years as well as that entire 1890's Baltimore team.

Thanks so much - Rob

[HexsHeroes]

.
some of my favorites:

Anderson, William M.__The Detroit Tigers: A Pictorial History
Cahan, Richard_______The Game That Was
Honig, Donald________Shadows of Summer
Honig, Donald________The American League
Honig, Donald________The National League
McCabe, Neal________Baseball's Golden Age
Okrent and Lewine____The Ultimate Baseball Book
Phillips, David________That Old Ball Game
Stang, Mark_________ATHLETICS ALBUM
Stang, Mark_________Cubs Celebration
Stang, Mark_________Indians Illustrated
Stang, Mark_________NATIONALS ON PARADENationals Photos
Stang, Mark_________PHILLIES PHOTOSImages
Stang, Mark_________Reds in Black & WhiteReds
Stang, Mark_________St. Louis Cardinals