Put me in coach, I'm ready to read
Sunday, May 9, 2004 12:36 AM PDT
By Chris Skaugset / For The Daily News
Printable version
E-mail this articleSpring, a time of rebirth and when hope remains eternal (especially for Cubs and Red Sox fans), also signals the beginning of a new baseball season.
Baseball, called America's Pastime, has captured the hearts and minds of people for generations from the time of Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb through the era of Ted Williams and Stan Musial to the present day with Ichiro and Barry Bonds.
The sport also is a fixture in the world of books. Such varied as George Will, Jacques Barzun and the great baseball writer Red Smith have penned classics on the classic game.
Baseball and books go together due to the fact that they both promote contemplation. Each allows you the time to consider what you are reading, watching, or listening to as well as the myriad of other thoughts, ideas and memories that they spark.
The regular rhythm of a baseball game is paralleled in a book's meter. So celebrate spring and baseball by reading. Below are a few of the titles that you can find at your local library.
"Ted Williams," by Leigh Montville. This is the latest, and best, biography of the hitting great who left the game to serve in World War II.
"27 Men Out," by Michael Coffey. There have only been 27 perfect games in baseball history; this is a description of each one and the broader context surrounding them.
"Hank Aaron and the Home Run that Changed America," by Tom Stanton. When Aaron hit homerun number 715, not only did he break Babe Ruth's long-standing record, he also took a great step in continuing what Jackie Robinson began.
"Play Baseball the Ripken Way," by Cal Ripken, Jr. The "Iron Man" of baseball shows kids how to play the right way.
"Last Best League," by Jim Collins. A poignant look at a summer league where many great players have played and where the teams are at the heart of their communities.
"Autumn Glory: Baseball's First World Series," by Louis Masur. 2003 marked the 100th anniversary of the World Series and Masur's book honors that first battle.
"Game Time," by Roger Angell. This is a new collection of great writings from one of the best writers about baseball.
"Beyond the Shadow of the Senators," by Brad Snyder. This is the true story of baseball and the battle for integration in the nation's capitol.
"Teammates," by David Halberstam. A wonderful look at four Red Sox teammates and long-time friends: Ted Williams, Johnny Pesky, Bobby Doerr and Dom DiMaggio.
"The Oldest Rookie," by Jim Morris. This is the true story behind the Disney movie starring Dennis Quaid, which chronicled a 31-year-old coach who realizes his dream to be a major league pitcher.
"Ball Four and Ball Five," by Jim Bouton. This groundbreaking and irreverent book by a former major league pitcher tells what it was really like in the major leagues.
"The Boys of Summer," by Roger Kahn. The other great Roger of baseball writers, Kahn's book discusses the men who made up the great Brooklyn Dodgers teams of the 1950s.
"Summerland," by Michael Chabon. This is a fictional and fantastic tale of hidden worlds, and of course baseball, written for both young and old by the award-winning author of "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay."
"Shoeless Joe," by W.P. Kinsella. The book that spawned the movie "Field of Dreams" is one of many baseball-related novels by Kinsella.
"The Natural," by Bernard Malamud. Considered by most to be the best novel ever written about baseball, Malamud's brilliant book is the basis of the Robert Redford movie of the same name.
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