One of my favorite books on baseball is the travel diary of Joe Posnanski with Buck O'Neil "The Soul Of Baseball - A Road Trip Through Buck O'Neil's America" I figured I should go to the source. I just started reading this one yesterday, but I've barely put it down.
I've heard great things about this book, and Veeck is one of the more interesting personalities in baseball history.
I added this one to the list because of all the conversation about the Hall this time of year. Someone on twitter mentioned this one as a must read.
Chief Bender was born in Minnesota, and with the exception of a chapter in "Glory of Our Times" I haven't seen much written about him.
I've heard the name Moe Berg many times and have heard several anecdotes about his life, but I haven't read anything in depth - I'm looking forward to this one!
This one has been recommended to me many times, I finally got around to adding it to my collection.
I've read biographies on Satchel Paige, Jackie Robinson, and Buck O'Neil, I picked up this book to learn about a few more people from the Negro Leagues.
What are some of your favorite books on baseball?
From your list, the only one I've read is Only the Ball Was White, and it's great. Not on your list, I love Bob Uecker's book Catcher in the Wry. I also liked Mike Schmidt's Clearing the Bases as well as Pops: The Willie Stargell Story by Richard Peterson.
ReplyDeleteWhen you finish reading, please critique each one on the blog if you don't mind. And if you do, send me an email and tell me how the book is.
ReplyDeleteAnd interesting side bit for those unfamiliar with the story: up until Veeck passed away, you could find his home number listed in the phone book in Chicago and would happily take calls from fans and talk baseball.
Cardboard Gods is one of my favorite books... and this is coming from a guy who doesn't like to read. Well... I don't like to read books. Blogs are a different story.
ReplyDelete"Cardboard Gods" remains one of the greatest books I've ever read. Can't say I've read any of the others on this list (yet), though "Veeck As In Wreck" has been on my list for a long time. I'd also recommend "Why is the Foul Pole Fair?" by Vince Staten -- I read it multiple times as a kid and it's still sitting on my bookshelf today. And "The Wrong Stuff" by Bill Lee is another excellent player-authored read.
ReplyDeleteCatcher Was a Spy was one of the most recent baseball books I've read. Moe Berg is a lot different than what I knew before I read the book. ... My favorite baseball author is Roger Angell. Anything by him I recommend.
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