Required Reading

I like to read and I like to write.  And if I have my say as to what I get to read and write about, it will surely be baseball!!

Over the last few years I have read my share of terrific books about our favorite pastime.  I though this would be a good place to showcase the books that I have read just in case you’re interested in picking something up.

Also, if you’ve read a book about our beloved sport that you think that I would enjoy, please share!!

Oh, and to make things interesting I will assign a rating to each book.

1 bat = pass and 5 bats = grand slam.  You get the idea…

Billy Williams: My Sweet-Swinging Lifetime With the Cubs 3 BATS

Straw: Finding My Way  3 BATS

Sixty Feet, Six Inches 4 BATS

Heart of the Game: Life, Death, and Mercy in Minor League America 5 BATS

The Machine: A Hot Team, a Legendary Season, and a Heart-stopping World Series: The Story of the 1975 Cincinnati Reds 5 BATS 

Is This a Great Game, or What?: From A-Rod’s Heart to Zim’s Head—My 25 Years in Baseball  5 BATS

Catch Every Ball: How to Handle Life’s Pitches  3 BATS

Sports Illustrated: Great Baseball Writing  4 BATS

Ron Santo: For the Love of Ivy  3 BATS

Hawk: An Inspiring Story of Success at the Game of Life and Baseball  4 BATS

Together We Were Eleven Foot Nine: The Twenty-Year Friendship of Hall of Fame Pitcher Jim Palmer and Orioles Manager Earl Weaver   2 BATS

The Game Is Easy — Life Is Hard: The Story of Ferguson Jenkins   4 BATS 

The Last Hero: A Life of Henry Aaron  5 BATS

Reggie Jackson: The Life and Thunderous Career of Baseball’s Mr. October   3.5 BATS

Going Yard: The Everything Home Run Book      2 BATS

Game Six – Cincinnati, Boston, and The 1975 World Series     5 BATS

The Golden Age Of Baseball      3 BATS

Yogi Berra – Eternal Yankee      5 BATS

Stranger To The Game – The Autobiography Of Bob Gibson - CURRENTLY READING

If You Love This Game…  – Andre Dawson – ON DECK

Imperfect – An Improbable Life - Jim Abbott – ON DECK

The Last Boy – Mickey Mantle – ON DECK

Pouring Six Beers At A Time - Stories From A Lifetime In Baseball – Bill Giles – ON DECK

Still A Kid At Heart – Gary Carter – ON DECK

Mint Condition – ON DECK

Stan Musial, An American Life – ON DECK

Willie Mays: The Life, The Legend – ON DECK

Enjoy and Thanks for reading!!!

7 Responses to Required Reading

  1. Pingback: New Page On ’30-YOC’ – “Required Reading” | 30-Year Old Cardboard

  2. Ball Four by Jim Bouton. 4 bats for being way ahead of its time.

  3. Dale Galbreath

    You should read (if you can find them) books by Ron Luciano – The Umpire Strikes Back, Fall of the Roman Umpire, etc.

    Also, Catcher in the Wry by Bob Uecker is my all-time favorite baseball book

  4. Jonathan Eig’s Luckiest Man about Lou Gehrig is also very good.

  5. Luckiest man was an amazing book and The Big Bam was also very good. I also like Nolan Ryan’s book Miracle Man