Play Ball!
(Updated January 2007)
Spring training is already underway and as baseball fans wait for the new season to open they can reminisce about seasons past and brush up on baseball history with these books from Wolfner’s collection on baseball. If you remember the Saint Louis Browns and the Kansas City Monarchs, Dizzy Dean, Bill Veeck and Casey Stengel, you will enjoy reliving those days of baseball. If you do not, it is time to get acquainted with some of the old-timers. We hope you enjoy this list, compiled by Reader Advisor Ginny Ryan, of books on the boys of summer and one of America’s favorite pastimes.
To order any of these titles, contact the library by email, mail or phone. You may also request these titles online through our OPAC. Happy Reading!
The Annotated Baseball Stories of Ring W. Lardner 1914-1919 by Ring Lardner.
Twenty-four stories told in informal speech laced with humor. Includes six that were later collected in You Know Me Al and twelve adventures of Jack Keefe, the pompous White Sox pitcher. Footnotes throughout provide background on real players and events that are woven into the stories. RC 41266.
Away Games: The Life and Times of a Latin Baseball Player by Marcos Breton and Jose Luis Villegas.
Traces the rise of Miguel Tejada from abject poverty in the Dominican Republic to a major league baseball contract with the Oakland Athletics. Describes how the American recruitment system exploits the aspirations of illiterate teenagers from the barrios, who must contend with a language barrier, discrimination, and intense competition. Some strong language. RC 52183.
Baseball: A Literary Anthology.
Selections from American writers about the national pastime, beginning with Thayer's poem "Casey at the Bat." Includes fiction long and short, poetry and doggerel, song lyrics, essays and studies, biographical pieces and memoirs, articles and analysis, and the opening scene from the play Damn Yankees. RC 55681.
Baseball: An Illustrated History by Geoffrey Ward.
Companion to a public television documentary on what many claim is America's favorite pastime. The authors trace the history of the game from its beginnings in the early nineteenth century, telling the story in nine innings, each with accompanying essays by other writers on topics related to the roles that baseball plays on and off the field. RC 38874.
Bill Veeck: A Baseball Legend by Gerald Eskenazi.
Biography of the innovative owner presented in a sympathetic light. Eskenazi covers all the bases and makes copious use of interviews demonstrating Veeck's consuming love of baseball, a love that exacted a heavy personal toll. Colorful and an exhibitionist, Veeck was regarded as the P.T. Barnum of baseball. RC 27166.
Diamonds in the Rough: The Untold History of Baseball by John Bowman and Joel Zoss.
The authors concern themselves with the human side, instead of the statistical side, of baseball, a game that has become part of American society. Claiming that they have no favorite team and can thus offer an unbiased account, they explain how baseball was invented, name the game's first song, and identify the first woman umpire. RC 33215.
Diz: Dizzy Dean and Baseball by Robert Gregory.
Biography of a legendary baseball player who pitched for the Saint Louis Cardinals in the 1930s. Although his career was short and ended abruptly following an arm injury, his 30 game win in one season ensured his lasting fame. When Dizzy moved over to the announcer's box, his corny jokes, irreverence, and fractured English perpetuated the popularity begun on the mound. Strong language. RC 35453.
Even the Browns by William B. Mead.
Account of the way baseball was played during World War 2, when such stars as Joe DiMaggio, Bob Feller, Hank Greenberg, and Ted Williams were in the military services. Among major league players during those years were a one-legged pitcher, a deaf outfielder, a 15-year-old pitcher, and a one-armed outfielder, the legendary Pete Gray of the notorious Saint Louis Browns. RC 13172.
Fair Ball: A Fan’s Case for Baseball by Bob Costas.
Emmy Award winning broadcaster outlines what he believes is wrong with baseball and offers some cures. Includes suggestions for a new contract in 2001 between owners and players, which includes revenue sharing, salary basements and ceilings, modification of rules, and realignments of schedules. RC 50094.
Fungoes, Floaters, and Fork Balls: A Colorful Baseball Dictionary by Patrick Ercolano.
Designed to help increase the baseball fan's enjoyment of the game, this dictionary explains more that 1,500 terms used by players, coaches, and announcers. The author defines such terms as banana stick, charity hop, early bloomer, hummer, lowdermilk, seagull, and whitewash and offers some historical information and baseball trivia. RC 28859.
The Goose Is Loose by Richard “Goose” Gossage.
Humorous autobiography of a professional relief pitcher who played with the 1978 world champion Yankees as well as the San Diego Padres and several other teams over the course of 22 seasons. Shares anecdotes about his life in the major leagues, including antics with other players. Some strong language. RC 51443.
The Gospel According to Casey by Casey Stengel.
Two sportswriters combine the recollections of baseball greats with some of Casey Stengel's wisdom about the game and a few of his comments on the rest of life. Includes testimony before a Senate subcommittee hearing, during which members were no match for Casey's "Stengelese." Some strong language. RC 39906.
Honus Wagner: The Life of Baseball’s “Flying Dutchman” by Arthur D. Hittner.
Biography of John Peter "Honus" Wagner, a legendary shortstop who was also known as the "Flying Dutchman." Discusses his career as a player and coach with the Pittsburgh Pirates and his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939. RC 54902.
The Hot Stove League by Lee Allen.
Collection of anecdotes and trivia about baseball players from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, relating their everyday lives, how they played the game, and what became of them after their professional careers. Contains myths and legends including the contentious history of Casey at the Bat. RC 51003.
In the Ballpark: The Working Lives of Baseball People by George Gmelch and J.J. Weiner.
Interviews with 21 people who work in baseball but are not big stars including food vendors, ushers, scouts, reporters, front office personnel, and minor league players and their managers. Jerry Collier, a bond trader during the day, describes his job selling beer at Camden Yards; Mark Letendre explains the role of a trainer. RC 49627.
Joy in Mudville: A Little League Memoir by Greg Mitchell.
The author chronicles the highs and lows of coaching his preteen's baseball team during two diverse seasons in Nyack, New York. Explores the father/son relationship and the phenomenon of "Little League Rage," in which competitive parents physically and verbally assault players and officials. RC 51781.
The Kansas City Monarchs: Champions of Black Baseball by Janet Bruce.
The development of "the great American pastime" as it related to the African American population, and one team's place in that history. Young black men dreamed of playing for the Kansas City Monarchs or one of the other 15 black teams in the "majors." From the Civil War until Branch Rickey signed Jackie Robinson in 1945, baseball was a segregated sport, and the Monarchs were the premier black team. RC 31342, BR 8351.
Men at Work: The Craft of Baseball by George F. Will.
Description of baseball as a game of failure, a constantly humbling experience, in which even the best batters fail 65 percent of the time. It is a complex and subtle sport requiring intelligence of the players and the spectators. Will illustrates his point by examining four players and their functions: Tony La Russa, manager; Orel Hershiser, pitcher; Tony Gwynn, batter; and Cal Ripken, fielder. RC 31623.
Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game by Michael M. Lewis.
Describes how Billy Beane, general manager of baseball's Oakland Athletics, came in first place in the American League West in 2002. Examines Beane's use of computers, statistics, and scouting to achieve success despite a minor league budget. Strong language. RC 56245.
My Turn at Bat by Ted Williams.
The Splendid Splinter, one of baseball's best hitters, tells his life story. He begins with his boyhood when he used to accompany his mother, a Salvation Army worker, through the streets of San Diego, and ends with his present job as manager of the Washington Senators. RC 50016, BR 51223.
October 1964 by David Halberstam.
1964: the year of Whitey Ford, Mickey Mantle, and Lou Brock; the year in which the aging New York Yankees' dynasty began to decline and the Saint Louis Cardinals gained prominence, thanks to the speed and power of their new players. Halberstam looks at the two teams who played in that year's World Series and shows how they reflected the changing mores of American society. RC 41002.
Ol’ Diz: A Biography of Dizzy Dean by Vince Staten.
This larger-than-life baseball player was born in Arkansas, Mississippi, or Oklahoma, depending upon which "scoop" you read. For Dizzy was as loose with details as he was with language. Staten traces Dizzy's short but winning career as pitcher for the Saint Louis Cardinals, forced by injury to an abrupt end. He also portrays the popular broadcaster whose play-by-play radio coverage delighted fans and dismayed English teachers. RC 36619.
The Oldest Rookie: Big-League Dreams from a Small-Town Guy by Jim Morris with Joel Engel.
The story of Jim Morris, who achieved his dream of playing baseball at 35. Tells how an injury cost him a shot at professional baseball as a teen. Discusses his family and how becoming a coach in Texas led to a bet that changed his life. RC 52470.
Omar! My Life on and off the Field by Omar Vizquel.
Autobiography of the Cleveland Indians shortstop, born to a close, middle class family in Caracas, Venezuela. Describes his long baseball career: he began playing at eight, entered the American minor leagues at seventeen, and rose later to the majors, where he has won the Gold Glove fielding award nine times. RC 55282.
Perfect I’m Not: Boomer on Beer, Babes, Brawls, Backaches and Baseball by David Wells.
Professional baseball pitcher describes his life in the bullpen from the minor leagues to the majors. The son of a Hells Angels bike-riding mom, Wells chronicles his career, including when he pitched a perfect game for the 1998 New York Yankees. Strong language. RC 56059.
A Pitcher’s Story by Roger Angell.
Baseball chronicler Roger Angell examines the life and career of David Cone, a pitcher who has played with four different major league ballclubs. Discusses pitching technique, mental preparation, and Cone's adjustment to fame and fortune as well as his disappointing 2000 season with the Yankees. RC 53103.
Red Smith on Baseball: The Game’s Greatest Writer on the Game’s Greatest Years by Red Smith.
Five decades, from the 1940s to the 1980s, of baseball columns by the Pulitzer Prize winning reporter who was called "The Shakespeare of the Press Box." Includes pieces on Mickey Mantle's first game, numerous World Series contests including Don Larsen's no-hitter in 1956, the ascent of Jackie Robinson, and the death of Babe Ruth. RC 50569.
The Teammates by David Halberstam.
The saga of four Boston Red Sox players from the 1940s, Dominic DiMaggio, Johnny Pesky, Ted Williams, and Bobby Doerr, who remain friends for over 60 years. In 2001 DiMaggio and Pesky begin a long car trip to visit the dying Williams and reminisce about the past. RC 56289, BR 14902.
The Thinking Fan’s Guide to Baseball by Leonard Koppett.
Explains the principles of pitching, batting, game tactics, and strategies, and the relationships between players, spectators, and the press. Koppett has added discussion of team expansions, playoffs, designated hitters, unions, cable television, and night games. RC 52790.
Wait Till Next Year: A Memoir by Doris Kearns Goodwin.
A personal history of growing up in suburban New York in the 1950s. A love of baseball permeated the author's childhood and helped her forge a special bond with her father, who taught her at age six to keep a scorebook for the Brooklyn Dodgers and to relate an inning-by-inning account of the game to him at the end of the day. RC 45007, BR 11289.
What Time Is It? You Mean Now? by Yogi Berra.
Retired baseball champion offers advice by using anecdotes relating to baseball. Suggests cultivating a positive attitude, exercising, setting goals, and taking advantage of opportunities. RC 55645, BR 14563.
When You Come to a Fork in the Road, Take It! by Yogi Berra.
Champion baseball catcher, coach, and manager suggests making informed decisions by obtaining advice and going with what feels right. Uses baseball anecdotes as metaphors for life. RC 52360, BR 13542.
Where’s Harry? Steve Stone Remembers His Years with Harry Caray by Steve Stone.
Wacky anecdotes about the late legendary baseball broadcaster Harry Caray by his partner and fellow announcer of 15 years. Recalls Caray's life as the Chicago Cubs' biggest fan, who enjoyed life in the fast lane. Foreword by Bob Costas. RC 50813.
The Wit and Wisdom of Yogi Berra by Phil Pepe.
Biography of the baseball great, also known as father of the faux pas, takes him from his childhood on Dago Hill in Saint Louis to Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium in New York. RC 9261.