The SABR Bookshelf: Fall 2022
Here are the SABR Bookshelf listings for Fall 2022.
To get your NEW book listed on The SABR Bookshelf, send an e-book file in PDF, EPUB or 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, please 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.
In addition, check out new books published by SABR at SABR.org/ebooks.
From Shibe Park to Connie Mack Stadium: Great Games in Philadelphia’s Lost Ballpark
Edited by Gregory H. Wolf
Publisher: SABR
Retail Price: $9.99 (ebook)
ISBN: 978-1-970159-85-1
Buy It: SABR.org
Summary: SABR Digital Library book with chapters on 100 memorable games at Shibe Park/Connie Mack Stadium, home of the Philadelphia A’s and Phillies from 1909 to 1970.
¡Arriba! The Heroic Life of Roberto Clemente
Edited by Bill Nowlin and Glen Sparks
Publisher: SABR
Retail Price: $9.99 (ebook)
ISBN: 978-1-970159-87-5
Buy It: SABR.org
Summary: SABR Digital Library book with essays on Roberto Clemente’s life and legacy, on and off the baseball field.
We Are, We Can, We Will: The 1992 World Champion Toronto Blue Jays
Edited by Adrian Fung and Bill Nowlin
Publisher: SABR
Retail Price: $9.99 (ebook)
ISBN: 978-1-970159-83-7
Buy It: SABR.org
Summary: SABR Digital Library book celebrating the 30th anniversary of Canada’s first World Series champions.
Our Game, Too: Influential Figures and Milestones in Canadian Baseball
Edited by Andrew North
Publisher: SABR
Retail Price: $9.99 (ebook)
ISBN: 978-1-970159-81-3
Buy It: SABR.org
Summary: SABR Digital Library book, a collaboration between the Centre for Canadian Baseball Research and SABR’s Hanlan’s Point Chapter in Toronto, focusing on Canada’s rich, diverse, and deeply rooted history in baseball.
The First Negro League Champion: The 1920 Chicago American Giants
Edited by Frederick C. Bush and Bill Nowlin
Publisher: SABR
Retail Price: $9.99 (ebook)
ISBN: 978-1-970159-79-0
Buy It: SABR.org
Summary: SABR Digital Library book focusing on the first Negro National League champions.
The 1883 Philadelphia Athletics: American Association Champions
Edited by Paul Hofmann and Bill Nowlin
Publisher: SABR
Retail Price: $9.99 (ebook)
ISBN: 978-1-970159-69-1
Buy It: SABR.org
Summary: SABR Digital Library book on a memorable 19th-century team that includes biographies of key players, essays on the ballpark and season, and memorable game accounts.
Not an Easy Tale to Tell: Jackie Robinson on the Page, Stage, and Screen
Edited by Ralph Carhart
Publisher: SABR
Retail Price: $9.99 (ebook)
ISBN: 978-1-970159-71-4
Buy It: SABR.org
Summary: SABR Digital Library book with essays covering how Jackie Robinson has been portrayed in cinema, on television, and in books.
Metropolitan Stadium: Memorable Games at Minnesota’s Diamond on the Prairie
Edited by Stew Thornley
Publisher: SABR
Retail Price: $9.99 (ebook)
ISBN: 978-1-970159-67-7
Buy It: SABR.org
Summary: SABR Digital Library book covering dozens of memorable moments and games from Metropolitan Stadium, home of the Minneapolis Millers and Twins from 1956 to 1981.
Playing Through the Pain: Ken Caminiti and the Steroids Confession That Changed Baseball Forever
By Dan Good
Publisher: Abrams Books
Retail Price: $22.49 (hdcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-4197-5363-3
Buy It: AbramsBooks.com
Summary: A detailed look at the 1996 NL MVP and his rise to success at the height of the Steroid-Era and his fall from grace from the perspective of those closest to him.
The Dean of Clinton County: A Baseball Novel
By Doug Feldmann
Publisher: Acclaim Press
Retail Price: $24.95 (hdcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-9489-0188-8
Buy It: Acclaim Press
Summary: Former baseball phenom John Laufketter lives a rather mundane life, aside from his games in the Clinton County Baseball League. However, when given an opportunity to seriously pursue baseball, Laufketter takes a chance to follow his dreams.
Once Upon a Time in Baseball: My Pastime Summers
By Jan Sumner
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Retail Price: $20.99 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-6655-6290-4
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: This autobiographical story from Jan Sumner recounts his journey from a young baseball player in the 1950s to a job in Major League Baseball in the 1990s. Sumner hopes to rekindle readers’ passion for the game in this entry.
Go The Distance: The Inspirational Story of Tom Tunison, Thurman Munson and a Lifelong Quest for Baseball Immortality
By Gary Kaschak
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Retail Price: $20.95 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-6851-3030-5
Buy It: Black Rose Writing
Summary: The story of Tom Tunison, inflicted with a rare disease as a young boy, and his bond with Thurman Munson. Tragedy strikes when Munson passes in a plane crash, but it ultimately inspires Tunison to discover himself.
Intentional Balk: Baseball’s Thin Line Between Innovation and Cheating
By Daniel R. Levitt and Mark Armour
Publisher: Clyde Hill Publishing
Retail Price: $22.00 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 979-8-9852-6326-8
Buy It: Clyde Hill
Summary: Levitt and Armour examine the fine line between cheating and rule-bending and the complex relationship between the two within the game of baseball.
Weird Moments in Cleveland Sports: Bottlegate, Bedbugs, and Burying the Pennant
By Vince Guerrieri
Publisher: Gray & Company
Retail Price: $16.95 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-5985-1123-9
Buy It: GrayCo.com
Summary: An offbeat collection of stories on some of Cleveland sports’ most infamous moments.
Beauty at Short: Dave Bancroft, the Most Unlikely Hall of Famer and His Wild Times in Baseball’s First Century
By Tom Alesia
Publisher: Grissom Press
Retail Price: $9.20 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-0-5783-7451-2
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: This novel tells the story of Dave Bancroft, who had an improbable career in the major leagues. He transcended the shortstop position and earned a place in Cooperstown decades after his retirement, cementing his place in the sport forever.
Bush League Blues
By G. Mike Floyd
Publisher: Lea Street Press
Retail Price: $19.95 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-0-5782-8665-5
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: Veteran minor leaguer G. Mike Floyd details the life and times of a professional baseball player in the 1960s. Relive his experiences in his detailed personal accounts.
Last Time Out
By John Nogowski
Publisher: Lyons Press
Retail Price: $17.59 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-4930-6653-7
Buy It: Rowman.com
Summary: How did MLB legends end their career? Find out in this book chronicling the final at-bat of various Hall of Fame players.
Major League Baseball Players of the 1970s: A Biographical Dictionary from Aase to Zisk
By Bill Ballew
Publisher: McFarland & Co.
Retail Price: $79.95 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-0-7864-2095-7
Buy It: McFarland Books
Summary: The ’70s were an electric period for Major League Baseball. Discover the lives and stories of the players of that decade in this entry.
Canadian Minor League Baseball: A History Since World War II
By Jon C. Stott
Publisher: McFarland & Co.
Retail Price: $39.95 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-0-7864-6992-5
Buy It: McFarland Books
Summary: The history of Canadian Minor League history spans over 70 years. Historian Jon C. Stott chronicles one of the most overlooked eras in baseball history
Pee Wee Reese: The Life of a Brooklyn Dodger
By Glen Sparks
Publisher: McFarland & Co.
Retail Price: $39.95 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-4766-7790-3
Buy It: McFarland Books
Summary: Dodgers legend Pee Wee Reese had a remarkable 16-year career, all with the Dodgers. Relive his storied life in this biography by Glen Sparks.
Frank Grant: The Life of a Black Baseball Pioneer
By Richard Bogovich
Publisher: McFarland & Co.
Retail Price: $39.95 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-4766-8460-4
Buy It: McFarland Books
Summary: The man in the title was the first professional black player in the 19th century. This book is the first full-length biography examining the life of a pioneer and Hall of Famer.
Johnny Mize: A Biography of Baseball’s “Big Cat”
By Lew Freedman
Publisher: McFarland & Co.
Retail Price: $29.95 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-4766-8593-2
Buy It: McFarland Books
Summary: Johnny Mize is among the greatest sluggers of all time, but this novel detailing the ins and outs of his 15-year career goes more in-depth on Mize than ever before.
Farewell to Flatbush: The 1957 Brooklyn Dodgers
By Ronnie Joyner
Publisher: McFarland & Co.
Retail Price: $29.95 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-4766-8678-3
Buy It: McFarland Books
Summary: The final year of the Dodgers’ residency in Brooklyn marked not only the end of an era but a change of the guard. Stars such as Pee Wee Reese and Gil Hodges were nearly lost amongst the flurry that was moving out west.
Dodgers! An Informal History from Flatbush to Chavez Ravine
By Jim Alexander
Publisher: McFarland & Co.
Retail Price: $49.95 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-4766-8806-0
Buy It: McFarland Books
Summary: This novel details the fascinating history of the Dodgers franchise, from their start in the 1800s to the powerhouse organization of today. Throughout the decades, they have experienced it all.
The Lineup: Ten Books That Changed Baseball
By Paul Aron
Publisher: McFarland & Co.
Retail Price: $29.95 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-4766-8830-5
Buy It: McFarland Books
Summary: A reflection on the the books that changed the game and its standing within American society.
The Mustache Gang Battles the Big Red Machine: The 1972 World Series
By John G. Robertson and Carl T. Madden
Publisher: McFarland & Co.
Retail Price: $35.00 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-4766-8860-2
Buy It: McFarland Books
Summary: A look at the two contestants of the 1972 World Series, the Oakland A’s and the Cincinnati Reds, and how the battle on the field represented the cultural clash seen in American society at the time.
There’s a Bulldozer on Home Plate: A 50-Year Journey in Minor League Baseball
By Miles Wolff
Publisher: McFarland & Co.
Retail Price: $29.95 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-4766-9017-9
Buy It: McFarland Books
Summary: Baseball lifer Miles Wolff details his 50-year career in the sport in this autobiography. From independent leagues to Bull Durham, he has seen baseball evolve like never before.
Saving Buffalo Baseball: 1956 Buffalo Bisons
ByHoward W. Henry
Publisher: NFB Publishing
Retail Price: $19.95 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-9536-1022-5
Buy It: NFB Publishing
Summary: Insight on how the passionate sports fans of Buffalo kept their beloved AAA team in the city during the 1950s.
The Grandest Stage: A History of the World Series
By Tyler Kepner
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Retail Price: $24.99 (hdcvr)
ISBN: 978-0-3855-4625-6
Buy It: Penguin Random House
Summary: Kepner digs into the history of the Fall Classic, starting with its inception in 1903 and covering every legend and myth since.
Long Way Home
By Dwayne Brenna
Publisher: Pocol Press
Retail Price: $17.95 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 979-8-9852-2820-2-3
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: A novel about barnstormers looking to make a little money and get back home in the midst of the Depression.
Hardball Architects, Volume 2 (National League Teams)
By Derek Bain
Publisher: Self-published
Retail Price: $19.99 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 979-8-8082-3466-6
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: Derek Bain breaks down major acquisitions and trade deals from every National League ballclub in Volume 2 of Hardball Architects. Through his analysis, readers can learn about some of the most impactful moves in baseball history.
The Gamekeepers: Whitewash, Blackmail, and Baseball’s Darkest Secrets
By J.B. Manheim
Publisher: Summer Game Books
Retail Price: $15.19 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-9553-3981-2-1
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: Adam Wallace returns in the second novel in the Cooperstown Trilogy, exposing a cabal of baseball’s elder statesmen burying all the sport’s dirty laundry in the wake of the Black Sox Scandal.
Doubleday Doubletake: One Ball, Three Strikes, One Man Out
By J.B. Manheim
Publisher: Summer Game Books
Retail Price: $15.19 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-9553-3981-4-5
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: The third novel in the Cooperstown Trilogy in which Adam Wallace investigates whether Abner Doubleday maybe really did invent baseball.
“The Kid” Blasts a Winner: Ted Williams’ 110 Game-Winning Home Runs
By Bill Nowlin
Publisher: Summer Game Books
Retail Price: $14.39 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-9553-9816-9
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: Game accounts and breakouts of opposing teams, victimized pitchers and other data from Ted Williams’ career.
Covey: A Stone’s Throw from a Coal Mine to the Hall of Fame
By Harry J. Deitz Jr.
Publisher: Sunbury Press
Retail Price: $19.95 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-6200-6081-0
Buy It: Sunbury Press
Summary: A biography on Stan Coveleski, starting from his time as a breaker boy in a Pennsylvania mine to his Hall of Fame baseball career.
Baseball Under the Palms: The History of Miami Minor League Baseball Volume Two: 1962 – 1991
By Sam Zygner
Publisher: Sunbury Press
Retail Price: $24.95 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-6200-6718-5
Buy It: Sunbury Press
Summary: The second look at the rich history of professional baseball in Miami, including its triumphant return and its evolution into a staple of the Sunshine State.
Deadball Trailblazers: Single-Season Records of the Modern Era
By Ronald T. Waldo
Publisher: Sunbury Press
Retail Price: $19.95 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-6200-6899-1
Buy It: Sunbury Press
Summary: Waldo examines the early stages of baseball and the great records of success and failure, as well as the men whose names line the record books.
Just Like Me, Volume 2: When the Pros Played on the Sandlot
By Kelly G. Park
Publisher: Sunbury Press
Retail Price: $19.95 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-6200-6942-4
Buy It: Sunbury Press
Summary: Interviews with former professional players examining their childhood and how life on the diamond fit into their upbringing.
Stolen Dreams: The 1955 Cannon Street All-Stars and Little League Baseball’s Civil War
By Chris Lamb
Publisher: University of Nebraska Press
Retail Price: $30.41 (hdcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-4692-1945-9
Buy It: Nebraska Press
Summary: Lamb recounts the story of the first Black Little League squad in South Carolina and their struggle for equality. The Cannon Street All Stars and their involvement in the Civil Rights Movement are forever intertwined.
Loserville: How Professional Sports Remade Atlanta — and How Atlanta Remade Professional Sports
By Clayton Trutor
Publisher: University of Nebraska Press
Retail Price: $34.95 (hdcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-4962-2504-7
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: It’s not just the Braves. It’s the NFL, NBA and NHL and a city enamored of financing stadiums for professional sports enterprises.
Passion Plays: How Religion Shaped Sports in North America
By Randall Balmer
Publisher: University of North Carolina Press
Retail Price: $24.50 (hdcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-4696-7006-5
Buy It: UNC Press
Summary: Balmer examines the important intersection of sport and religion in American society.
Baseball and Cultural Heritage
By Gregory Ramshaw and Sean Gammon
Publisher: University Press of Florida
Retail Price: $90.00 (hdcvr)
ISBN: 978-0-8130-6940-1
Buy It: UPF.com
Summary: Ramshaw and Gammon study America’s game and how it interacts with culture, society, and political movements.
Candy Cummings: The Life and Career of the Inventor of the Curveball
By Stephen Robert Katz
Publisher: McFarland & Co.
Retail Price: $35.00 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-4766-8037-8
Buy It: McFarland Books
Summary: The first full-life biography of the 19th-century Hall of Fame pitcher, with a critical examination of claims that he originated the first curveball.
Cooperstown at the Crossroads: The Checkered History (and Uncertain Future) of Baseball’s Hall of Fame
By G. Scott Thomas
Publisher: Niawanda Books
Retail Price: $22.99 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 979-8-2180-9091-3
Buy It: Amazon.com
Summary: An evaluation of Cooperstown inductees using a new metric devised by the author, along with a vision of how to reinvigorate the Hall of Fame.
Compiled by Chance Nelson and Dominic Varela.