Monday, March 26, 2007

Baseball Books for Display

Baseball season is fast approaching. It is time to put out some book displays in libraries. I have long been a fan, though I now read the books more than follow the daily scores. Here are some of the titles that I have enjoyed and recommend.

Triumph and Tragedy in Mudville by Stephen Jay Gould - Gould was a lifelong fan. This book collected essays he wrote over many years. Many of them weigh in on controversies, such as does a curve ball really curve and who were the best center fielders.

Baseball Lives: Men and Women of the Game Talk about Their Jobs, Their Lives, and the National Pastime by Mike Bryan - This is a Studs Terkel-like book about concessionaires, groundskeepers, ticket sellers, and everyone else who makes a living from major league baseball.

Home is Everything by Marcos Breton - Latin American players have had a huge impact on the game. Coming up from third world poverty, they have great desire to succeed. Many do not make it.

Glove Affairs: The Romance, History, and Tradition of the Baseball by Noah Liberman - This is a beautifully illustrated little book. You will hardly believe what the old players used to wear.

Lost Ballparks by Lawrence S. Ritter - There was a time when there were no flashing Jumbotrons.

Why is the Foul Pole Fair? by Vince Staten - Staten explains baseball rules and traditions with interesting stories.

I Was Right on Time by Buck O'Neil - O'Neil was a centerpiece of Ken Burns' documentary series on baseball. In his book he tells about the Negro leagues and integration of major league baseball.

Joe Morgan: A Life in Baseball by Joe Morgan - Now a broadcaster, Morgan articulately tells the story of a black player in the second wave still meeting discrimination. The Astros made a bad trade with the Reds.

The American Game by Ira Rosen - Minor League baseball is more fun.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mmm, baseball. I can't wait! Thanks for the great list of titles (forget displays, I want to go get these to read for myself!). Now if only I lived in a state with a major league team (the Brewers DON'T count).

ricklibrarian said...

Ouch! Oh, the poor Brewers! Remember Robin Yount and Paul Molitor? That was long time ago.

Anonymous said...

I do remember Yount and Molitor, as a matter of fact, great players. Makes it all the more sad to see what the Brewers have become. In the meantime, I'll watch minor league ball, thank you very much!

ricklibrarian said...

I rarely go to major league games, as they are so expensive and not as much fun as minor league games. We're routing for the Kane County Cougars.