I sure do hope that the title of this book lives up to its name…
Put together by the team at Sports Illustrated, this book includes the writing of more than 30 of SI’s baseball writers while they covered the sport from 1954-2004.
And while I have let all of my magazine subscriptions expire as the Internet has become my media of choice for sports news and stories, there is no doubt that this book will be an enjoyable read!!!
I have heard more stories about this book and its effect on anyone who reads it than any other baseball book ever written.
Penned in 2009, ‘Heart Of The Game’ tells the story of Mike Coolbaugh and his sudden death on the baseball field after being hit in the head with a foul ball. Coolbaugh, a father of two with another child on the way, was just 35 years young when his life was taken from him.
What promises to be a heart-wrenching tale, it is made even more personal as I sit here as a 34-year old man and father of two. I may need to take my time with this one. It promises to be a great and hard to read story all at the same time.
What can I say? Actually quite a bit…
I have never gotten into my passion for the 1975 Reds ‘Big Red Machine’. That will change in 2010 as I plan to make that team a focus of my collecting and blogging during the upcoming year.
Getting this book was a start, and I have so much still that I want to learn about this team, its players, and their incredible success on the baseball field.
Written in 2009, ‘The Machine’ promises to deliver stories and tales about one of the most dominant teams in the history of baseball!!!
My wife did great on this one!!!
I followed the careers of Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras during their playing days. They were my generations version of Connors and McEnroe and they made men’s tennis relevant in the United states during the 1990′s.
I knew that this book was published and released in the Fall of 2009, I just hadn’t made it a priority to get. My wife took care of that for me and I am suddenly eager and energized to learn more about Agassi and what fueled his well-publicized career. From being a child prodigy to marriage to Brooke Shields to drug use to marriage to Steffi Graf to retirement from the sport, I hope ‘Open’ lives up to its title and provides an unseen look into the life of one of the most iconic sports figures of my generation.
And here’s the autograph!!!
SWEET!!!!
Ah, the perfect book for a guy like me. Tons of baseball facts, stories, interviews, and anecdotes packed into page after page. Packed with fresh content and published in 2008, this book guarantees that my ‘Did You Know’ series will continue into the new year!!!
Books like this are sometimes filled with fluff – I think I did my homework when adding this one to my X-mas list. Only time will tell but I believe that this bad-boy is filled with fun trivia and stories that I look forward to sharing once I crack it open!!
Authored by one of my favorite ESPN personalities, this one is sure to be a hit with me. Written in 2007, Tim Kurkjian offers us a glimpse of what a guy with 25 years of insight in the sport of baseball can only provide.
From first-person accounts, to interviews, to experiences only a reporter can encounter, this books is begging to be the first one I pick up and read…
Having kids has changed my outlook on holidays. And none has been more impacted than Christmas. While it was extremely enjoyable before, the pleasure I get on the holiday has been multiplied as I get to watch my two young boys establish their own Christmas memories.
So, while the wife and I still get gifts for each other, 90% of our focus goes to the boys!!
My list was very basic this year. A 2010 planner, some clothes, a few Cd’s, a ‘U-Owe-Me’ for Marlins/Cubs tickets for the upcoming season and books.
But when I said books, I had no idea that this stack would be the end result:
WOW!!! Pretty great huh?? This stack of 10 books will keep me occupied for the next calendar year. I like to read, and reviving my love for baseball has also rekindled my love for reading about the sport, its stars, and its incredible history.
I gave my wife a list of 14-15 books to choose from as I know she’d hunt down the best prices on each before committing to buy. I just didn’t expect to get so many, and all at one time!!
Stay tuned as I will be unveiling each book I received today in a post on ’30-YOC’. And while I still have about half of my Ron Santo book to go, I am eager to jump right into these too…
Posted in Random Baseball Thoughts
Tagged baseball, baseball books, baseball cards, baseball history, baseball stories
A Pair Of Andre Dawson 2004 Sweet Spot Classic Cards!!
Produced by Upper Deck, and part of their Sweet Spot Classics Famous Firsts set, these 2 cards are SWEET!!!!
The card on the right, featuring Andre in ‘Cubbie Blue’ is numbered 413/1987 and honors his incredible 1987 MVP season with the Cubs.
The card on the left, with Andre in White, is serial numbered 552/1990 and it pays homage to an incredible feat Andre achieved in 1990. On May 2, 1990, Andre was the first player in major league history to be intentionally walked 5 times in a single game.
2 great cards, 2 awesome additions to my collection!!!
Posted in Andre Dawson Collection, Chicago Cubs, Stars from the 80's
Tagged all-star, Andre Dawson, Andre Dawson Collection, Autographs, baseball, baseball cards, bat card, certified autograph, Chicago Cubs, collection, collector, Cubs, Expos, Game Used/Memorabilia Cards, gold glove, hobby, jersey card, memorabilia card, montreal expos, most valuable player, MVP, silver slugger, TTM, ttm success
‘Same Card, Different Paths’ – Card #28
1965 Topps - Card #526 – AKA – ‘The Jim “Catfish” Hunter Rookie Card’
Rene Lachemann - Lachemann’s major league career lasted just 3 seasons and 118 games. A career .210 hitter, Lachemann amassed 59 hits during his playing days including 9 home runs, 9 doubles, 23 runs scored, and 29 RBI.
Johnny Odom – ‘Blue Moon’ Odom enjoyed a 13-season career and was selected as an All-Star during the 1968 and 1969 seasons. Starting 229 games during his career, Odom retired with a 84-85 record. He was a member of the Oakland A’s World Series championship teams in 1972, 1973, and 1974. In those 3 championship match-ups, Odom was 1-1 with a 2.08 ERA in 17 innings pitched.
Skip Lockwood – Lockwood’s career spanned 12 seasons and 5 major league clubs. A pitcher, Lockwood was used in both starting and relief roles during his playing days. He has a career record of 57-97 with 68 saves.
Jim Hunter – Hunter’s Hall of Fame resume includes a 224-166 record. Catfish pitched for 15 seasons in the big leagues and was an 8-time All-Star. He won the Cy Young award in 1974 when he went 25-12 with a 2.49 ERA. Catfish won 5 World Series rings – 3 with the Oakland A’s and 2 with the New York Yankees.
Posted in 'Same Cards, Different Paths'
Tagged 1965 topps, A's, all-star, Athletics, baseball, baseball cards, catfish hunter, cy young, cy young award, Hall Of Fame, HOF, jim hunter, johnny odom, oakland A's, Oakland Athletics, pitcher, rene lachemann, rookie, rookie card, skip lockwood, starting pitcher, topps, world series
Ozzie Smith was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002. With 91% of the votes captured on his first ballot, Ozzie was the sole member of the class of 2002.
His career spanned 19 years and 3 decades. He compiled a lengthy list of amazing baseball accomplishments and earned the right to be classified as one of the game’s great players.
Ozzie was a 15-time All-star, a 13-time Gold Glove winner, and a World Series champion. And while his offensive numbers may not be staggering, he certainly left a big impact on the game!!!
Posted in Stars from the 80's
Tagged 1982 world series, 1985 world series, 1987 world series, all-star, base stealing, baseball, baseball history, Cardinals, defensive skill, gold glove, Hall Of Fame, ozzie smith, padres, san diego padres, st. louis cardinals, stolen bases, wizard, wizard of oz, world series
