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 – 5 BATS
If You Love This Game… – Andre Dawson – 5 BATS
Imperfect – An Improbable Life – Jim Abbott – 4 BATS
The Last Boy – Mickey Mantle – BENCHED
Pouring Six Beers At A Time – Stories From A Lifetime In Baseball – Bill Giles – CURRENTLY READING
Still A Kid At Heart – Gary Carter – 4 BATS
Mint Condition – 4 BATS
Stan Musial, An American Life – 3 BATS
Willie Mays: The Life, The Legend – ON DECK
Hustle – The Myth, Life, And Lies Of Pete Rose – 4 BATS
Sparky And Me – ON DECK
Clemente – The Passion And Grace Of Baseball’s Last Hero – 3.5 BATS
The Greatest Game Ever Pitched – Juan Marichal, Warren Spahn, and The Pitching Duel Of The Century – ON DECK
Mickey And Willie – ON DECK
Becoming Mr. October – ON DECK
Enjoy and Thanks for reading!!!
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Ball Four by Jim Bouton. 4 bats for being way ahead of its time.
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
Dale- Thanks for the advice. I’ll have to check them out.
Jonathan Eig’s Luckiest Man about Lou Gehrig is also very good.
sirrahh- Thanks for the suggestion, I will have to check it out.
Luckiest man was an amazing book and The Big Bam was also very good. I also like Nolan Ryan’s book Miracle Man