The SABR Bookshelf: Fall 2014
Here are the SABR Bookshelf listings for Fall 2014.
To get your NEW book listed on The SABR Bookshelf, make sure a review copy is sent to: The SABR Bookshelf, Society for American Baseball Research, 4455 E. Camelback Rd., Ste. D-140, Phoenix, AZ 85018. An e-book file will also suffice; please send the e-book in PDF, EPUB or Kindle/MOBI format to jpomrenke@sabr.org.
To ensure a listing in The Baseball Index — SABR’s online catalog of baseball research materials at www.baseballindex.org — make sure a review copy is sent to The Baseball Index, 4025 Beechwood Pl., Riverside, CA 92506.
Bolded names indicates that the author(s) is a SABR member. Click here for a list of publishers found in the SABR Bookshelf, along with their contact information.
All new SABR Bookshelf listings can be purchased at the SABR Bookstore, powered by Amazon.com. In addition, check out new books published by SABR at SABR.org/ebooks.
Houston Baseball: The Early Years 1861-1961
Edited by Mike Vance
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bright Sky Press | $49.95 (hdcvr) | 978-1-9390-5574-3 | HoustonBaseball.org |
- Summary: Produced by SABR’s Larry Dierker Chapter and given out to attendees at SABR 44 in Houston, this book tells the story of Houston’s transition from the minors to a Major League city.
The First Yankees Dynasty: Babe Ruth, Miller Huggins and the Bronx Bombers of the 1920s
By Gary A. Sarnoff
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| McFarland & Co. | $29.95 (sftcvr) | 978-0-7864-4966-8 | Amazon |
- Summary: Sarnoff’s volume follows the Yankees from Babe Ruth’s acquisition to Miller Huggins’s death, events that neatly bracket the 1920s. The book focuses heavily on those two figures but deals with all the Yankee personalities of the era.
Black Ball and the Boardwalk: The Bachrach Giants of Atlantic City, 1916-1929
By James E. Overmyer
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| McFarland & Co. | $39.95 (sftcvr) | 978-0-7864-7237-6 | Amazon |
- Summary: The Bacharach Giants spanned the period from the purely barnstorming days of early black ball into the era of the organized Negro Leagues. Overmyer provides history of their matchups with all comers, and rosters and statistics for their campaigns.
The Millers and the Saints: Baseball Championships of the Twin Cities Rivals, 1903-1955
By Rex D. Hamann
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| McFarland & Co. | $39.95 (sftcvr) | 978-0-7864-7448-6 | Amazon |
- Summary: Hamann reviews each of the seasons in which one of the Twin Cities teams won the American Association championship, providing emphasis on their games against each other.
Frank Robinson: A Baseball Biography
By John C. Skipper
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| McFarland & Co. | $29.95 (sftcvr) | 978-0-7864-7561-2 | Amazon |
- Summary: John Skipper adds to his large volume of work with this biography of Frank Robinson, MVP of both leagues and the first African-American manager in the Majors.
The Catcher’s Handbook
By Conor Kelley
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| McFarland & Co. | $19.99 (sftcvr) | 978-0-7864-7938-2 | Amazon |
- Summary: A full-scale instructional on playing catcher, encompassing both the physical and mental aspects of the game.
Baseball’s Great Hispanic Pitchers: Seventeen Aces from the Major, Negro and Latin American Leagues
By Lou Hernandez
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| McFarland & Co. | $39.95 (sftcvr) | 978-0-7864-7975-7 | Amazon |
- Summary: From Adolfo Luque to Felix Hernandez, Lou Hernandez profiles 17 ace pitchers of Latin background. The list includes Ramon Brigana, Martin Dihigo, and Ramon Arano, who only pitched in the Negro or Latin American leagues.
Joe Quinn among the Rowdies: The Life of Baseball’s Honest Australian
By Rochelle Llewelyn Nichols
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| McFarland & Co. | $35.00 (sftcvr) | 978-0-7864-7980-1 | Amazon |
- Summary: Quinn was the first Australian in the Majors, playing through most of the last two decades of the 19th century, mostly as a useful second baseman. His next compatriot debuted 80 years after Quinn.
More Than a Pastime: An Oral History of Baseball Fans
By William Freedman
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| McFarland & Co. | $25.00 (sftcvr) | 978-0-7864-9381-4 | Amazon |
- Summary: Reissue of the 1998 original. Extensive interviews with fans on how they became fans, with reminiscences dating back to the 1920s.
The Days of Wee Willie, Old Cy and Baseball War: Scenes from the Dawn of the Deadball Era, 1900-1903
By Chuck Kimberly
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| McFarland & Co. | $39.95 (sftcvr) | 978-0-7864-9401-9 | Amazon |
- Summary: Kimberly’s period covers the years from the emergence of the American League to its truce with the Nationals. He examines every team every year and also provides closer looks at about 30 important players.
Tom Candiotti: A Life of Knuckleballs
By K.P. Wee
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| McFarland & Co. | $29.95 (sftcvr) | 978-0-7864-9425-5 | Amazon |
- Summary: A biography of the major-league pitcher who was the second person to come back from Tommy John surgery in 1983, then went on to a long career as a knuckleballer.
Kammie on First: Baseball’s Dottie Kamenshek
By Michelle Houts
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio University Press | $14.95 (sftcvr) | 978-0-8214-2130-7 | Amazon |
- Summary: A biography for young readers about the seven-time All-Star catcher for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League who inspired the main character in “A League of Their Own.”
Joe Black: More than a Dodger
By Martha Jo Black and Chuck Schoffner
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Chicago | $27.95 (sftcvr) | 978-0-8973-3753-3 | Amazon |
- Summary: This biography of Brooklyn Dodgers pioneer Joe Black comes from his daughter, who tells the story of a baseball great who broke through the color line and the father she knew and loved.
The Lost Decade: Players of the 1970s Cardinals
By Gary W. Abbott
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluebird Publishing | $19.95 (sftcvr) | 978-0-9905-9741-4 | Amazon |
- Summary: A profile of all 228 players who wore the St. Louis Cardinals uniform during the 1970s, from the Hall of Famers to the late-season call-ups, along with seasonal recaps and statistical leaders.
Brooks: The Biography of Brooks Robinson
By Doug Wilson
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Martin’s Press | $26.99 (hdcvr) | 978-1-2500-3304-8 | Amazon |
- Summary: The first major biography of the Baltimore Orioles icon, from his days growing up in Arkansas to his Hall of Fame career in the big leagues.
The Cooperstown Chronicles: Baseball’s Colorful Characters, Unusual Lives, and Strange Demises
By Frank Russo
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rowman & Littlefield | $40.00 (hdcvr) | 978-1-4422-3639-4 | Amazon |
- Summary: An account of some of the most colorful personalties in baseball, from the Baltimore Orioles dynasty of the late 19th century to players who died of “unnatural causes.”
The Valley Baseball League: A History of Baseball In the Shenandoah Valley
By Chaz Weaver
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lulu.com | $8.00 (ebook) | 978-1-4834-1137-8 | Amazon |
- Summary: A complete history of the Virginia-based summer college baseball league that has been around in various forms since the 1920s.
Baseball: A Special Gift from God
By Bryan Steverson
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| WestBow Press | $37.95 (hdcvr) | 978-1-4908-5295-9 | Amazon |
- Summary: A collection of inspirational stories from baseball history and how their success relates to Biblical passages and role models from the Judeo-Christian faith.
Lon Warneke
By Don Duren
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xulon Press | $16.99 (sftcvr) | 978-1-6295-2552-5 | Amazon |
- Summary: A biography of the Chicago Cubs right-hander who pitched 15 seasons in the majors, winning 20 games three times and helping the Cubs to three NL pennants in the 1930s and ’40s.
Baseball: It’s More Than Just a Game
By Greg Lucas
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chart House Press | $19.95 (sftcvr) | 978-1-6312-5022-4 | Amazon |
- Summary: A collection of anecdotes tracing the early history of the game, including background stories on innovations in equipment and stadiums that many fans may not know.
Van Lingle Mungo: The Man, The Song, The Players
Edited by Bill Nowlin
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| SABR | $6.99 (ebook) | 978-1-9335-9977-9 | SABR |
- Summary: The story of Dave Frishberg’s iconic baseball jazz song, “Van Lingle Mungo,” and biographies of all the players mentioned in it.
Fastball Fari: A Novel
By Michael John Cruit
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer Game Books | $14.00 (sftcvr) | 978-1-9385-4529-0 | Amazon |
- Summary: A mystical novel about the first woman in the major leagues, a 22-year-old from the Dominican Republic with a blazing fastball and some inner demons.
Protection: A Fading Baseball Career and the Great Depression
By Kevin Nielsen
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon | $2.99 (ebook) | n/a | Amazon |
- Summary: A 67-page novella about the final seasons of a Philadelphia outfielder’s career and his return to his coal mining/tobacco community during the Great Depression.
Ecstasy to Agony: The 1994 Montreal Expos: How the Best Team in Baseball Ended Up in Washington Ten Years Later
By Danny Gallagher and Bill Young
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scoop Press | $9.55 (ebook) | n/a | Amazon |
- Summary: In a new e-book edition of an out-of-print book, Ecstasy to Agony traces the fortunes of the Expos from the sale of the team in the late 1980s to its move to Washington, D.C. in 2005.
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