Choosing a Book

by jscape2000 on Dec 20, 2007 11:34 AM EST in New York Yankees News

As Ron alluded to, it's time to launch our PA Book Club.

I guess the best way to handle it is for people to toss out a book and a short description of it (or a link), and then after we've got some ideas on the table we'll put it to vote.

Even if you don't have a preference about which book, at least say what type would interest you most (especially everybody who said their interest would depend on the book we chose).

For a history piece I'm interested in Ty and the Babe about the rivalry and eventual friendship between Cobb and Ruth.

I'm also interested in The Baseball Economist, which seems to be a collection of SABR-esque articles.

What are you guys interested in?

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Good Suggestions

I think both of those sound great. I think I might like something more towards the Baseball Economist than the history of the game for the first book (but I'd be more than happy to do either!). The timing is perfect, since I'll have 16 hours of plane rides to deal with in a week...

I would just say no Moneyball, since I'm sure most people have either read it or know about it by now.

by BillS1013 on Dec 20, 2007 1:34 PM EST reply actions

Book Club

I think that starting a Book Club is a great idea. I learned quite a bit from Moneyball and would be interested in other books like that.

by rkravitz on Dec 20, 2007 10:13 PM EST up reply actions

Good Books

Best Baseball Books

Boys of Summer - in depth look at mid 50's Brooklyn Dodgers who are then revisited in the autumn of their lives... an all-time classic

October 1964 and Summer of 49 - Halberstam classics..'49 is about Joe D and the Yankees bringing the nation hope... 64 is how the Yanks meet STL in the WS - NY has one black player, stl has many... the yanks go into declne... the cardinals dominate the 60's

Men at Work - the pre-Moneyball way of thinking

Veeck as in Wreck - great book on Bill Veeck - one of the all-time great showman's

Dynasty - yanks from 49-64

by yanks2351 on Dec 20, 2007 2:01 PM EST reply actions

I would go more

towards books that tell a story rather than any kind of collections or saberesque articles. So out of Jscape's selections I would take Ty and the Babe over The Baseball Economist.

All of yanks2351 selections pretty good too.

Eleven wins in October...

by Edwantsacracker on Dec 20, 2007 2:25 PM EST reply actions

Ty and Babe ...

I'd love to find a great book on Lou Gehrig. If none are to be found, or someone offers a great book like Ty and Babe, I'm in.

It'll be great to put down my Highlights and Ranger Rick for a few weeks.

"Baseball is the background music of my life." -George Will

by Ronster22 on Dec 20, 2007 2:30 PM EST up reply actions

Lou Gehrig

One of my all-time favorite books is on Lou Gehrig - the title is The Luckiest Man. I forget who the author is, but it's an amazing book.

by TXYankee on Dec 20, 2007 3:15 PM EST up reply actions

Here's the

Amazon link. It looks like it's had strong reviews. The author is Jonathan Eig.

I always feel pressure. What I don't have is fear. -- El Duque

by LateInningRelief on Dec 20, 2007 3:33 PM EST up reply actions

Just ordered it.

I went searching after reading Jscapes' post, and found it. Since I have an extensive baseball card collection dating back to 1900, I also ordered a book called The Card--about the famed Honus Wagner tobacco card.

"Baseball is the background music of my life." -George Will

by Ronster22 on Dec 20, 2007 4:00 PM EST up reply actions

Some early Xmas presents to yourself?

Sounds like a good idea. I ordered it as well.

I always feel pressure. What I don't have is fear. -- El Duque

by LateInningRelief on Dec 20, 2007 4:19 PM EST up reply actions

As the commercial says ...

"Saving the best for numero uno. ... That's right."

"Baseball is the background music of my life." -George Will

by Ronster22 on Dec 21, 2007 9:52 AM EST up reply actions

Great book

The Dimaggio bio by Richard Ben Cramer is also great. The Ted Williams one by Montville is also good.

And it's not baseball, but the Vince Lombardi bio from a few years back is great too. It also has a great title - "When Pride Still Mattered".

I've heard good things about the recent Clemente bio, but haven't checked it out yet.

by matthaggs on Dec 20, 2007 7:07 PM EST up reply actions

I agree with Ed

Don't know if I have the attention span for economics of any ilk.

I always feel pressure. What I don't have is fear. -- El Duque

by LateInningRelief on Dec 20, 2007 2:55 PM EST up reply actions

I know who I don't like.

Can we stay away from this guy?

by costa on Dec 20, 2007 5:46 PM EST reply actions

Done

We'd disband first.

"Have faith in the Yankees, my son. Think of the great DiMaggio."

by jscape2000 on Dec 21, 2007 2:08 AM EST up reply actions

Am I missing something?

I may be walking into a hornet's nest, but here goes ... What's wrong with Mike Lupica?

"Baseball is the background music of my life." -George Will

by Ronster22 on Dec 21, 2007 9:54 AM EST up reply actions

Other than the fact

that he sucks and isn't dead yet, nothing.

Fear the Evil Empire

by pfistyunc on Dec 21, 2007 10:13 AM EST up reply actions

Not your best ...

Pre Christmas Pfisty is more persnickety.

"Baseball is the background music of my life." -George Will

by Ronster22 on Dec 21, 2007 11:34 AM EST up reply actions

Lupica

Is to sports writers what delta burke or winona judd is to southern women.

by seanp23 on Dec 21, 2007 11:49 AM EST up reply actions

What, you mean fat?

I always feel pressure. What I don't have is fear. -- El Duque

by LateInningRelief on Dec 21, 2007 4:24 PM EST up reply actions

Fucking yuletide

Sorry, I always ease up around Christmas. I will try to mix in some Cory Lidle planecrash jokes next week just to get back in the swing of things.

Fear the Evil Empire

by pfistyunc on Dec 21, 2007 9:25 PM EST up reply actions

oh man....

the first time you told that joke it was like a week after he died...

But then you changed it to JFK jr. for my sake and it was a lot funnier to me.

Eleven wins in October...

by Edwantsacracker on Dec 23, 2007 10:53 AM EST up reply actions

You give me too much credit

Even I don't think I would have waited a week. I am pretty sure the apartments were still smoldering when I launched my first shot across the bow.

Fear the Evil Empire

by pfistyunc on Dec 23, 2007 11:14 AM EST up reply actions

To me

he epitomizes the knee-jerk, superlative sports writer. Every win is the biggest, every scandal is the most horrible, every player is the best.

It's not just him; outside of Olney, Law, and Will Caroll, I don't know of many writers able to analyze and synthesize the way I think a writer should.

"Have faith in the Yankees, my son. Think of the great DiMaggio."

by jscape2000 on Dec 21, 2007 11:37 AM EST up reply actions