April showers bring.. ...rain delays - this season's baseball books

kiya@evpl — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:53:00 GMT

Baseball season is here, and with it, a whole new lineup of baseball books.

I just finished reading Driving Mr. Yogi: Yogi Berra, Ron Guidry, and Baseball's Greatest Gift by Harvey Araton, and it is a thoroughly enjoyable visit to Yankees' spring training. For years, former pitching ace Ron Guidry has been the designated chauffeur and companion to baseball legend Yogi Berra at this spring ritual. Araton examines their relationship, and the love, tenderness, and loyalty that has long been a tradition that baseball hides behind the more visible traditions of trash talking and chewing tobacco.

Spending time with Yogi Berra means learning about all the others whose lives he has touched. The reader meets the other players who have played with or for Yogi. Did you know that Don Mattingly wears number 8 on his Dodgers uniform in honor of Yogi Berra? There is more than one glimpse of George Steinbrenner, and the 14 year estrangement which ended when Steinbrenner flew to New Jersey to apologize to Yogi. I recommend this book about the magical relationship between men, and between men and baseball.

Other baseball books from the 2012 season include:

Trading Manny : how a father and son learned to love baseball again / Jim Gullo
Before the curse : the Chicago Cubs' glory years, 1870-1945 / edited by Randy Roberts & Carson Cunningham
Imperfect : an improbable life / Jim Abbott and Tim Brown
Out of my league : a rookie's survival in the bigs / Dirk Hayhurst
Damn Yankees : twenty-four major league writers on the world's most loved (and hated) team / edited by Rob Fleder
Wherever I wind up : my quest for truth, authenticity and the perfect knuckleball / R.A. Dickey, Wayne Coffey

The Last Lion of Baseball

kiya@evpl — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:08:00 GMT

George M Steinbrenner

7/4/1930 - 7/13/2010

I am not a fan of George Steinbrenner. So when someone recommended Bill Madden's new biography of the man, Steinbrenner: the last lion of baseball, I wasn't too interested. Still, sometimes you learn the most reading about folks you don't really understand, so I took the book home to give it a try.

Madden does a great job of depicting Steinbrenner in all his facets: the well-known verbally abusive "Boss", the less obvious philanthropist, and all the contradictory parts of his nature that fell between those poles. Madden's focus is on Steinbrenner's adult life, especially the Yankee-owning years. I learned a lot about Steinbrenner, and more about the impact he has had on baseball, a game I love to watch and read about, but haven't lately had enough time to fully pay attention to.

While reading this book I know my family heard me say at least a half-dozen times, "I am SO GLAD I don't work for George Steinbrenner!" I am still not a fan of the man, but I did learn enough to appreciate him more than I ever had before.

Books at EVPL about George Steinbrenner

Major League Baseball's tribute to George Steinbrenner

Books Blog : baseball

April showers bring.. ...rain delays - this season's baseball books

The Last Lion of Baseball