Other recent reviews:
Spring
Roundup - Part 1 /
Part
2 /
Part
3 /
Part
4 /
Part
5 Traded
Bill James
Handbook
Graphical
Player
Also Read:
Remembering
Yankee Stadium
Yankees
World Series 2001
Baseball
How to Play the Game
BOOK REVIEW
Spring Roundup (Part 1)
Dr. Harvey Frommer on Sports
As the weather gets warmer,more and more sport books (especially baseball) make their appearance. All sizes, all matter of subject matters, all kinds of quality. Herewith, a sampling:
"Baseball Scorekeeper (Chronicle Books, $16.95, 40 pages). This is a wonderful tool for fans of the national pastime providing a sturdy book of easy-to-use scorecards that will serve as a permanent record of what goes on at the game.
Jimmy Breslin’s “Branch Rickey” (Viking,$19.95, 147 pages) is a slim look at the man who along with Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s color line back in 1947. There is not that much that is new here but the charm of it all is the voice of “Breslin, very New York, very unique.
If you can’t get enough insights into baseball and the doings of stars – there is a new effort “Diamond Dishes” by Julie Loria (Lyons Press,$24.95, 181 pages). The recipe - -get a hold of some of the biggest stars and have them talk about their favorite edibles, family traditions, and special ways to make their favorite dishes.
Now in paperback – “High Heat” by Tim Wendel (DaCapo Press, $15.00, 274 pages) is billed as the secret history of the fastball and the improbable search for the fastest pitcher of all time.
Two kinds of off-beat efforts are among the more interesting baseball book of the season: “The Most Famous Woman in Baseball” by Bob Luke (Potomac Books, $27.50, 256 pages) and “Havana Heat” by Darryl Brock (University of Nebraska Press,$18.95, 322 pages). WORTH READING.
The Luke effort focuses on Effa Manley and the Negro Leagues and especially her time as owner of the Newark Eagles. The Brock effort focuses on Luther “Dummy” Taylor, one of the first deaf players in baseball history and his accompanying of the New York Giants of John McGraw on a barnstorming trip to Cuba. REWARDING
From Triumph Books comes Phil Pepe’s very interestingly told tale “1961,”( $20.00, 288 pages). As the beat writer for the old New York World Telegram & Sun, Pepe covered the battle for the home run title. TOP DRAWER. Also from Triumph is Jim Kaplan’s “The Greatest Game Ever Pitched” ($24.95, 238 pages). Kaplan packs a lot of drama into his re-telling of the pitching duel between Warren Spahn and Juan Marichal on July 2, 1963. To re-live the game, buy the book.
In 2011, Harvey Frommer will be in his 36th year of writing sports books. A noted oral historian and sports journalist, the author of 40 sports books including the classics: "New York City Baseball,1947-1957" and "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball," his acclaimed REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM, an oral/narrative history was published in 2008 as well as a reprint version of his classic "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball." Frommer's newest work REMEMBERING FENWAY PARK: AN ORAL AND NARRATIVE HISTORY OF THE HOME OF RED SOX NATION (Abrams) is set for March 2011.
Frommer sports books are available direct from the author - discounted and autographed.
FROMMER SPORTSNET (syndicated) reaches a
readership in the millions and is housed on Internet search engines for extended
periods of
time.
FOLLOW Harvey on Twitter: http://twitter.com/south2nd He is available for speaking engagements.
