The SABR Bookshelf: Spring 2018
Here are the SABR Bookshelf listings for Spring 2018.
To get your NEW book listed on The SABR Bookshelf, make sure a review copy is sent to: The SABR Bookshelf, Cronkite School at ASU, 555 N. Central Ave. #416, Phoenix, AZ 85004. 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.
In addition, check out new books published by SABR at SABR.org/ebooks.
From Spring Training to Screen Test: Baseball Players Turned Actors
Edited by Rob Edelman and Bill Nowlin
Publisher: SABR
Retail Price: $9.99 (ebook)
ISBN: 978-1-943816-70-5
Buy It: SABR.org
Summary: A cross-section of biographies and essays of those who crossed the lines between professional sports and popular entertainment, with articles on the famous (Gene Autry, Joe DiMaggio, Jim Thorpe, Bernie Williams) to the forgotten (Al Gettel, Lou Stringer, Wally Hebert, Wally Hood), plus articles on baseball on television and in commercials. various facets of the Winter Meetings from 1958-2016.
Moments of Joy and Heartbreak: 66 Significant Episodes in the History of the Pittsburgh Pirates
Edited by Jorge Iber and Bill Nowlin
Publisher: SABR
Retail Price: $9.99 (ebook)
ISBN: 978-1-943816-72-9
Buy It: SABR.org
Summary: SABR Games Project essays on significant moments in the history of the Pittsburgh Pirates, from their early days at Exposition Park and Forbes Field to the World Series champions of 1960, ’71, and ’79, and the playoff-bound teams of the early 21st century.
“Strike Three!” A Player’s Journey through the Infamous Baseball Strike of 1994
By Russ Cohen featuring Nikco Riesgo
Publisher: Lulu
Retail Price: $19.95 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-0-557-24643-4
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: This book tells the story of the cancelled 1994 World Series and the replacement players who followed. Nikco Riesgo was one of the first players to put his career on the line during this turbulent time in baseball history.
Tiger Stadium: Essays and Memories of Detroit’s Historic Ballpark, 1912-2009
Edited by Michael Betzold, John Davids, Bill Dow, John Pastier, and Frank Rashid
Publisher: McFarland & Co.
Retail Price: $39.95 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-0-7864-6448-7
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: Nineteen essays on the history of Tiger Stadium, both of the structure itself and what happened on its playing field.
Perfect Pitch: The National Anthem for the National Pastime
By Joseph L. Price
Publisher: Mercer University Press
Retail Price: $25.00 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-0-88146-656-0
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: This is Price’s account of a summer traveling the country and singing the National Anthem at minor league ballparks, and his observations of the parks, the fans and the ambience.
Home of the Braves: The Battle for Baseball in Milwaukee
By Patrick W. Steele
Publisher: University of Wisconsin Press
Retail Price: $26.95 (hdcvr)
ISBN: 978-0299318109
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: This book dives into the truth behind the Milwaukee Braves’ controversial decision to move to Atlanta only 11 years after arriving in Milwaukee.
Red Sox vs. Braves in Boston: The Battle for Fans’ Hearts, 1901-1952
By Charlie Bevis
Publisher: McFarland & Co.
Retail Price: $29.95 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-0786496648
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: Bevis focuses on how both Boston teams’ managements tried to get people through the turnstiles, including various promotions, night baseball, and the use of media.
Baseball Pioneers: True Stories of Guts and Glory As Told By Pioneering Men and Women of the Game
By Kelly Holtzclaw and Jon Leonoudakis
Publisher: Facetious, Inc.
Retail Price: $14.99 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-0998919317
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: A compilation of interviews with and about pioneering figures in baseball, from Jackie Robinson’s final interview to the All-American Girls Professional League to female umpire Perry Barber.
Biz Mackey, a Giant Behind the Plate: The Story of the Negro League Star and Hall of Fame Catcher
By Rich Westcott
Publisher: Temple University Press
Retail Price: $27.50 (hdcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-4399-1551-6
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: Westcott chronicles the Negro League catcher’s remarkable life and career.
Mets in 10s: Best and Worst of an Amazin’ History
By Brian Wright
Publisher: The History Press
Retail Price: $21.99 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-4671-3968-7
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: These top 10 lists chart the many ups and downs since the Mets’ inception in 1962.
Motor City Champs: Mickey Cochrane and the 1934-1935 Detroit Tigers
By Scott Ferkovich
Publisher: McFarland & Co.
Retail Price: $29.95 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-4766-2950-6
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: Ferkovich tells the story of the 1934-35 Detroit Tigers, a team that quickly rose to the top of the baseball world, led by player-manager Mickey Cochrane.
Baseball Greatness: Top Players and Teams According to Wins Above Average, 1901-2017
By David Kaiser
Publisher: McFarland & Co.
Retail Price: $35.00 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-4766-6383-8
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: While Kaiser’s book is based on numbers, it’s not a compendium of tabular material, but rather a series of narratives about players and teams using Wins Above Average (WAA) as the measuring stick.
Whitey Herzog Builds a Winner: The St. Louis Cardinals, 1979-1982
By Doug Feldmann
Publisher: McFarland & Co.
Retail Price: $29.95 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-4766-6780-5
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: Provides a short biography of Herzog, but focuses more on his years with the Cardinals and the winners he developed there.
Koufax Throws a Curve: The Los Angeles Dodgers at the End of an Era, 1964-1966
By Brian M. Endsley
Publisher: McFarland & Co.
Retail Price: $35.00 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-4766-6942-7
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: Follows the Dodgers, and Koufax, through a disappointing 1964 season, a triumph in 1965, a disappointing ending in 1966, and ends with Koufax’s retirement.
Glenn Killinger, All-American: Penn State’s World War I Era Sports Hero
By Todd M. Mealy
Publisher: McFarland & Co.
Retail Price: $35.00 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-4766-7051-5
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: Although Killinger won his greatest fame as a football player, he did play baseball for a Pennsylvania semipro team and eventually signed with the Yankees.
Alou: My Baseball Journey
By Felipe Alou with Peter Kerasotis
Publisher: University of Nebraska Press
Retail Price: $29.95 (hdcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-4962-0152-2
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: The Dean of Dominicans in baseball talks about his career from the sandlots of Santo Domingo to the manager’s seat in major league dugouts.
The Pitcher and the Dictator: Satchel Paige’s Unlikely Season in the Dominican Republic
By Averell “Ace” Smith
Publisher: University of Nebraska Press
Retail Price: $26.95 (hdcr)
ISBN: 978-1-4962-0549-0
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: In 1937, Satchel Paige and some Pittsburgh Crawford teammates thought they could pick up some quick, easy money playing in a tournament in the Dominican Republic. They were wrong.
Winning Ugly: A Visual History of the Most Bizarre Baseball Uniforms Ever Worn
By Todd Radom
Publisher: Sports Publishing
Retail Price: $24.99 (hdcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-6835-8228-1
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: An acclaimed graphic designer provides a colorful, illustrated history of the weirdest baseball uniform choices, from the Chicago White Sox’s shorts to MLB’s “Turn Ahead the Clock” campaign.
Dick Bosman on Pitching: Lessons from the Life of a Major League Ballplayer and Pitching Coach
By Ted Leavengood and Dick Bosman
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Retail Price: $36.99 (hdcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-5381-0661-7
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: Dick Bosman, who has had a career that has spanned more than 50 years around Major League Baseball as a player and a coach, talks about his time on the mound and coaching.
Gehrig and the Babe: The Friendship and the Feud
By Tony Castro
Publisher: Triumph Books
Retail Price: $25.95 (hdcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-6293-7251-8
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: A rarely-seen view into the difficult friendship that the two very different Yankees superstars and teammates tried to maintain.
Davey Johnson: My Wild Ride in Baseball and Beyond
By Davey Johnson and Erik Sherman
Publisher: Triumph Books
Retail Price: $26.95 (hdcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-6293-7411-6
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: A memoir from the former Baltimore Orioles infielder to World Series-winning manager who has spent more than 50 years in the game.
Brothers in Arms: Koufax, Kershaw, and the Dodgers’ Extraordinary Pitching Tradition
By Jon Weisman
Publisher: Triumph Books
Retail Price: $19.95 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-6293-7467-3
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: On the Dodgers’ illustrious lineage of dominant pitchers, from Koufax to Kershaw and everyone in between.
Try Not to Suck: The Exceptional, Extraordinary Baseball Life of Joe Maddon
By Bill Chastain and Jesse Rogers
Publisher: Triumph Books
Retail Price: $25.95 (hdcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-6293-7476-5
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: In this book, ESPN’s Jesse Rogers and MLB.com’s Bill Chastain do their best to go behind-the-scenes of the lives of one of baseball’s most prolific and interesting managers.
The Big 50: St. Louis Cardinals
By Benjamin Hochman
Publisher: Triumph Books
Retail Price: $16.95 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-6293-7536-6
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: St. Louis Post-Dispatch writer Benjamin Hochman counts down the 50 people and things that have built the Cardinals to be what they are today.
The Big 50: Cincinnati Reds
By Chad Dotson and Chris Garber
Publisher: Triumph Books
Retail Price: $16.95 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-6293-7541-0
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: Sportswriters Chad Dotson and Chris Garber count down the top 50 men and moments that have made the Reds the Reds.
The Big 50: Minnesota Twins
By Aaron Gleeman
Publisher: Triumph Books
Retail Price: $16.95 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-6293-7542-7
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: Aaron Gleeman brings life to the remarkable story behind the Twins franchise, covering everyone from Harmon Killebrew to Miguel Sano.
The Shift: The Next Evolution of Baseball Thinking
By Russell Carleton
Publisher: Triumph Books
Retail Price: $19.95 (hdcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-6293-7544-1
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: The Baseball Prospectus writer examines the modern era of analytics-friendly Major League Baseball front offices, from defensive shifts to paradigm shifts.
The Big 50: Boston Red Sox
By Evan Drellich
Publisher: Triumph Books
Retail Price: $16.95 (hdcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-6293-7565-6
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: This book is a summation of 50 moments that have made the Red Sox who they are as one of baseball’s most successful and famous franchises.
Joy in Tigertown: A Determined Team, a Resilient City, and Our Magical Run to the 1968 World Series
By Mickey Lolich with Tom Gage
Publisher: Triumph Books
Retail Price: $19.95 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-6293-7583-0
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: Told from the perspective of Tigers great Mickey Lolich, this book chronicles the unforgettable 1968 Detroit Tigers, who won one of the most iconic fall classics in history.
Hawk: I Did It My Way
By Hawk Harrelson and Jeff Snook
Publisher: Triumph Books
Retail Price: $27.95 (hdcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-6293-7584-7
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: Legendary White Sox broadcaster Ken “Hawk” Harrelson recounts his life and baseball career.
The Hometown Team
By Steve Babineau and Mike Shalin
Publisher: Sports Publishing
Retail Price: $35.99 (hdcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-6835-8093-5
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: This book gives Red Sox fans a chance to look through photos of the past 40 years around the Red Sox organization. From players, to staff and everything in between.
The Cloudbuster Nine: The Untold Story of Ted Williams and the Baseball Team that Helped Win World War II
By Anne R. Keene
Publisher: Sports Publishing
Retail Price: $26.99 (hdcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-68358-207-6
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: Keene recounts the experiences of her father, who was the batboy for the Cloudbuster Nine, a baseball team at an elite Naval academy that fielded the likes of Ted Williams, Johnny Pesky, and Johnny Sain.
Once Upon a Team: The Epic Rise and Historic Fall of Baseball’s Wilmington Quicksteps
By Jon Springer
Publisher: Sports Publishing
Retail Price: $24.99 (hdcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-68358-209-0
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: This book tells the tumultuous story of the Wilmington Quicksteps, a team that was promoted to the Union Association from the Eastern League after opening the 1884 season with a 51-12 record. After they were promoted, things went downhill fast. They went 2-16 in their first 18 games and ended up folding along with the UA.
The Lyston Brothers: A Journey Through 19th Century Baseball
By Jimmy Keenan
Publisher: CreateSpace
Retail Price: $12.95 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-7170-1211-1
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: In this book, Jimmy Keenan uses every possible method to unearth information about the Lyston brothers. A trio of family members from Baltimore, Maryland and their time playing baseball.
Babe Ruth: A Superstar’s Legacy
By Jerry Amernic
Publisher: Wordcraft Communications
Retail Price: $19.95 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-7752399-0-1
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: This book explores the legacy of Babe Ruth in many different aspects.
Hardball on the Hill
By James C. Roberts
Publisher: Triumph Books
Retail Price: $22.95 (hdcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-8920-4926-1
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: On the long history of baseball in Washington, DC, from the Senators to the modern-day congressional baseball game.
If God Invented Baseball: Poems
By E. Ethelbert Miller
Publisher: City Point Press
Retail Price: $14.99 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-9479-5100-6
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: A collection of poems that celebrate and interpret the game of baseball by a longtime writer and author from Howard University.
Outside the Lines of Gilded Age Baseball: Alcohol, Fitness, and Cheating in 1880s Baseball
By Rob Bauer
Publisher: Rob Bauer Books
Retail Price: $8.99 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-9484-7802-1
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: This book is full of stories about the peculiar behavior of 1880s baseball players in an era full of heavy drinking, odd training, and constant cheating.
Baseball’s Brotherhood Team
By Bryan Steverson
Publisher: Westbow Press
Retail Price: $35.95 (hdcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-9736-1689-4
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: Inspirational stories about fifteen Hall of Fame players and some other lesser known players took stands against prejudice when it was not the norm.
Dawn and Dusk of the Colonial League, 1947-1950
By George Pawlush
Publisher: CreateSpace
Retail Price: $20.00 (sftcvr)
ISBN: 978-1-98600-557-9
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: For war veterans who had lost valuable playing years deployed, the Colonial League offered a chance to make the minor leagues. The book is a blend of post-war baseball, labor strife, local history, bouncing paychecks, a team bus woth no brakes, and much fascinating detail.
100 Moments that Shaped Baseball History
By Jacob Kornhauser
Publisher: Self-published
Retail Price: $4.99 (Kindle)
ISBN: n/a
Buy It: Amazon
Summary: A look at 100 baseball moments that shaped the game.
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