I'm finishing up "Where Nobody Knows Your Name: Life In The Minor Leagues of Baseball" by John Feinstein.
Lot of interesting stories of the up & down or just down life in MiLB.
Another of my favorites is "Life is Yours to Win" by Auggie Garrido.
What are some other good baseball books that you like?
Rich
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Feinstein is a great writer. I'll get his book. Season On The Brink about Bob Knight and A Civil War: Army Versus Navy were awesome. I stay away from cliche ridden success books by coaches. Most of them are terrible and poorly written. John Wooden is the exception.
The Bullpen Gospels by Dirk Hayhurst. Funny but not for younger kids.
Like mentioned above me, I really enjoy Dirk Hayhurst's book Bullpen Gospels. Anything he puts out is pretty good. But like said, not for little kids though. Of all baseball writers/authors I like reading Hayhurst's books/articles the best.
Here are a few that I enjoyed (in addition to those already mentioned):
The Bird, by Doug Wilson. Not particularly well written but I enjoyed the trip down memory lane;
Just Tell Me I Can't, by Larry Platt, an inspirational story of Jamie Moyer's perseverance;
Bottom of the 33rd by Dan Barry, about the longest game in professional baseball history, very rich and enjoyable story; and
Cobb, by All Stump. Probably my favorite baseball biography. Cobb was a fascinating in flawed individual, but way ahead of his time in many respects.
Enjoyed Living on the Black by Feinstein, Jim Abbott's autobiography, Gamer by Gary Carter
Ball Four by Jim Bouton.
2 threads converge...
Jim Bouton pitched for the Portland Maverick's! See the thread about "Battered Bastards of Baseball" for more info.
Ball Four is an absolute must-own.
Heart of the Game by S. L. Price
The Yankee Years by Tom Verducci and Joe Torre.. You can hate the Yankees and still enjoy this book.
This is an obscure book printed by some press in Maine. But it's really good. When Hawkeye on MASH talks about his cousin Orville pitching this is the era he's referencing.
When Towns Had Teams by Jim Baumer
Baseball has been called America's pastime. Whether that is still true is fodder for debate. Yet 50 years ago, there was no doubt which sport captured the imaginations of most Americans, and in particular the sports fans of Maine. For the first time, "When Towns Had Teams" takes the reader back to the days when semi-pro and town team baseball was king. Representing the towns, teams, and players who made this special period special and unique, it is must reading for anyone who loves Maine, and the heritage of this truly special time from our past.
PIS, with the two books you mentioned, 9by the way love the Augie book myself, i would suggest Roger Kahn's "Good Enough to dream", is a story about the minor league stuff, one of the best in my opinion.
This is an obscure book printed by some press in Maine. But it's really good. When Hawkeye on MASH talks about his cousin Orville pitching this is the era he's referencing.
When Towns Had Teams by Jim Baumer
Baseball has been called America's pastime. Whether that is still true is fodder for debate. Yet 50 years ago, there was no doubt which sport captured the imaginations of most Americans, and in particular the sports fans of Maine. For the first time, "When Towns Had Teams" takes the reader back to the days when semi-pro and town team baseball was king. Representing the towns, teams, and players who made this special period special and unique, it is must reading for anyone who loves Maine, and the heritage of this truly special time from our past.
You don't need a book for this...this is still true in the Upper Midwest.
