The SABR Bookshelf: Summer 2012
Here are The SABR Bookshelf listings for Summer 2012. To get your NEW book listed on The SABR Bookshelf, make sure a review copy is sent to: SABR, 4455 E. Camelback Rd., Ste. D-140, Phoenix, AZ 85018.
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.
These books can be purchased at the SABR Bookstore, powered by Amazon.com.
Bolded names indicates that the author(s) is a SABR member. Publishers’ contact information can be found by clicking here.
Baseball’s Starry Night: Reliving Major League Baseball’s 2011 Wild Card Night of Shock and Awe
By Paul Kocak
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digature | $12.95 (sftcvr) | 978-0-61562-230-9 | Amazon |
- Summary: Paul Kocak traces the rollercoaster season-ending games of September 28, 2011.
‘The Deacon’s’ Daughter
By Carol McKechnie Montgomery with Jerry Hanks
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infinity Publishing | $12.95 (sftcvr) | 978-0-74146-811-6 | Amazon |
- Summary: A unique look into the life of the daughter of a celebrated major league manager and her personal encounters with some of the game’s most famous personalities.
Legal Decisions that Shaped Modern Baseball
By Patrick K. Thornton
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| McFarland & Co. | $39.95 (sftcvr) | 978-0-7864-3780-1 | Amazon |
- Summary: Thornton’s book examines 11 court cases, two salary arbitration cases and one grievance arbitration which have been seminal in baseball jurisprudence. The cases range from John Montgomery Ward to Barry Bonds to the ownership of box scores.
Packaging Baseball: How Marketing Embellishes the Cultural Experience
By Mathew J. Bartkowiak and Yuya Kiuchi
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| McFarland & Co. | $39.95 (sftcvr) | 978-0-7864-6132-5 | Amazon |
- Summary: Bartkowiak and Kiuchi examine the practice of creating the “fan experience” at the major league and minor league levels.
Addie Joss on Baseball
Edited by Rich Blevins
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| McFarland & Co. | $33.00 (sftcvr) | 978-0-7864-6356-5 | Amazon |
- Summary: Blevins has gone back to the first decade of the 20th century and collected the newspaper columns and World Series reports of one of the era’s great, young pitchers. Joss worked regularly for the Toledo News-Bee for two offseasons and wrote a great number of stories.
Ty Cobb: Two Biographies
By H.G. Salsinger, edited by William R. Cobb
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| McFarland & Co. | $33.00 (sftcvr) | 978-0-7864-6546-0 | Amazon |
- Summary: H.G. Salsinger, Detroit’s pre-eminent sportswriter of the early 20th century and the writer who arguably knew Ty Cobb the best, wrote these two biographies a quarter of a century apart.
John Tortes “Chief” Meyers: A Baseball Biography
By William A. Young
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| McFarland & Co. | $29.95 (sftcvr) | 978-0-7864-6801-0 | Amazon |
- Summary: Meyers was the catcher for McGraw’s championship teams of the early 20th century and one of the early Native American stars of the game. After his career, he became a leader of his Cahuilla tribe in Southern California.
Steve Carlton and the 1972 Phillies
By Bruce Morgan
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| McFarland & Co. | $29.95 (sftcvr) | 978-0-7864-6836-2 | Amazon |
- Summary: In 1972, Steve Carlton won 27 games, nearly half the season total for a poor Phillies team. Morgan examines the trade that brought Carlton and the progress of the season.
Base Ball Pioneers 1850-1879: The Clubs and Players Who Spread the Sport Nationwide
Edited by Peter Morris, Bill Ryczek, Jan Finkel, Len Levin and Richard Malatzky
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| McFarland & Co. | $49.95 (sftcvr) | 978-0-7864-6843-0 | Amazon |
- Summary: Leading historians of early baseball provide profiles of more than fifty clubs and their players, from legendary teams such as the Red Stockings of Cincinnati and the Nationals of Washington to forgotten nines like the Pecatonica (Illinois) Base Ball Club and the Morning Star Club of St. Louis.
Buck Ewing: A Baseball Biography
By Roy Kerr
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| McFarland & Co. | $29.95 (sftcvr) | 978-0-7864-6948-2 | Amazon |
- Summary: Ewing was one of the stars of the National League in the 1880s and 1890s, an era when he set both home run and stolen base records. He was a Giant in the era when the team received its nickname.
Of Monarchs and Black Barons: Essays on Baseball’s Negro Leagues
By James A. Riley
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| McFarland & Co. | $35.00 (sftcvr) | 978-0-78646-542-2 | Amazon |
- Summary: Veteran Negro Leagues historian Jim Riley presents a series of essays that examine players, teams, the East-West game and random subjects.
Baseball State by State: Major and Negro League Players, Ballparks, Museums and Historical Sites
By Chris Jensen
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| McFarland & Co. | $55.00 (sftcvr) | 978-0-78646-895-9 | Amazon |
- Summary: A highly detailed guide to tourist spots on the baseball trail, including many small sites that might well be missed. It also contains short biographies of players born in that state, all-star teams and other factoids.
Bluegrass Baseball: A Year in the Minor League Life
By Katya Cengel
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Nebraska Press | $19.95 (sftcvr) | 978-0-8032-3535-9 | Amazon |
- Summary: Cengel chronicles contemporary baseball across the state of Kentucky, focusing of the Lexington Legends of the South Atlantic League, the Louisville Bats of the International League, the Bowling Green Hot Rods of the Midwest League and the Florence Freedom, an independent league team.
The Glory Years of the Detroit Tigers: 1920-1950
By William M. Anderson
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne State University Press | $39.95 (hrdcvr) | 978-0-81433-589-5 | Amazon |
- Summary: A large-format history of the Tigers dominated by a great many pictures. It contains chapters on spring training, Tiger stars of the era and the rest of the lineups, some big moments and games, and on Tiger Stadium.
“If You Were Only White”: The Life of Leroy “Satchel” Paige
By Donald Spivey
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Missouri Press | $29.95 (hrdcvr) | 978-0-82621-978-7 | Amazon |
- Summary: Explores the life and legacy of one of baseball’s greatest players, and how through his humor and entertaining personality he was able to push the boundaries of segregation and unite people with baseball instead of forcing them apart.
Dick Siebert: A Life In Baseball
By Joel Rippel
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polaris Publications | $7.95 (Kindle) | 978-0-87839-631-3 | Amazon |
- Summary: Rippel chronicles the life of the former major leaguer and University of Minnesota baseball coach, looking at how the “Chief” was able to put together and inspire his teams without the best recruits, or the best weather to play in.
Diamonds and Diplomas: How to Get Recruited to Play College Baseball
By Bill Ballew
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Norse Publishing | $14.95 (sftcvr) | 978-0-9670393-2-9 | Amazon |
- Summary: Ballew guides a high school player and his parents through the recruiting process, from making sure he has the right course requirements to campus visits, and attending the right showcase events.
Ron Santo: A Perfect 10
By Pat Hughes and Rich Wolfe
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lone Wolf Press | $24.95 (hrdcvr) | 978-0-98462-782-0 | Amazon |
- Summary: Never-before-told stories of the Hall of Fame Cub by friends and acquaintances come together in a special tribute to the beloved third baseman.
Baseball’s Rare Triple Crown
By Michael Francis Mann
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xlibris | $19.95 (sftcvr) | 978-1-4653-5224-8 | Amazon |
- Summary: Profiles of the 11 players to win baseball’s traditional Triple Crown since 1901, including a look at their seasonal progress and post-Triple Crown careers. The book also includes sections on Triple Crown near-misses, along with oddities and trivia.
Knuckleball: The Uncertainties of (a) life
By Ken Beckley
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| AuthorHouse | $14.95 (sftcvr) | 978-1-4678-7421-2 | Amazon |
- Summary: The knuckleball is a metaphor for life’s uncertainties in this novel of a promising high school pitcher and his journey to adulthood as a public relations executive.
My Baseball Journey: A Broadcaster’s Memoir
By Bill Brown and Tim Gregg
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| CreateSpace | $10.79 (sftcvr) | 978-1-47509-901-0 | Amazon |
- Summary: Veteran baseball broadcaster Bill Brown recounts his journey through decades of baseball, with trials and tribulations and stories of players and inspirational people.
World Series Winners: What it Takes to Claim Baseball’s Ultimate Prize
By Ross Bernstein
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Triumph Books | $22.95 (hrdcvr) | 978-1-60078-671-6 | Amazon |
- Summary: This book is a collection of quotes from World Series winners responding to questions such as “What Does It Mean to Be a World Champion?” and “What Was Special About that Championship Team?”
They Call Me Oil Can
By Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd with Mike Shalin
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Triumph Books | $25.95 (hrdcvr) | 978-1-60078-682-2 | Amazon |
- Summary: In a colorful and candid memoir, The Can talks about his career, on and off the field, from his glory days at Fenway to the drugs that shortened his career.
Harmon Killebrew: Ultimate Slugger
By Steve Aschburner
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Triumph Books | $25.95 (hrdcvr) | 978-1-60078-702-7 | Amazon |
- Summary: Aschburner, a longtime Minnesota sports journalist, chronicles the career of the Hall of Fame slugger from Payette, Idaho. Draws on interviews with his friends and family.
Connie Mack: Grand Old Man of Baseball
By Frederick G. Lieb
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent State University Press | $18.00 (sftcvr) | 978-1-60635-129-1 | Amazon |
- Summary: Lieb’s legendary Connie Mack biography, now back in print, includes engaging narratives, which have become prized collectibles among baseball readers and historians.
You Stink! Terrible Teams & Pathetic Players
By Eric J. Wittenberg and Michael Aubrecht
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Squirrel Books | $24.95 (sftcvr) | 978-1-60635-138-3 | Amazon |
- Summary: Two fanatical historians give credit where it is overdue with a statistically backed, satirical look at the worst teams and individuals ever to set foot on a diamond.
The Man in the Crowd: A Fan’s Notes on Four Generations of New York Baseball
By Stanley Cohen
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skyhorse Publishing | $24.95 (hrdcvr) | 978-1-61608-691-6 | Amazon |
- Summary: In Man in the Crowd, Cohen illustrates the past seventy years of American history by examining baseball’s constant presence through four generations of his family.
Season of ’42: Joe D, Teddy Ballgame, and Baseball’s First Fight to Survive a Turbulent First Year of War
By Jack Cavanaugh
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skyhorse Publishing | $24.95 (hrdcvr) | 978-1-61608-740-1 | Amazon |
- Summary: Cavanaugh explores the last season before some of the game’s brightest and youngest stars headed off to war, and delves into the public’s ambivalence regarding enjoying the national pastime and defending one’s country.
Nine Aces and a Joker: Defining Seasons from British Baseball’s Standout Pitchers
By Joe Gray
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fineleaf Editions | $4.50 (sftcvr) | 978-1-90774-111-1 | Amazon |
- Summary: Profiles of the best pitching seasons of participants in the top level of British baseball. From Project COBB, one of SABR’s Chartered Communities.
The Hall of Nearly Great
Edited by Jason Wojciechowski & Marc Normandin
| Publisher | Retail Price | ISBN | Buy it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sky Kalkman & Marc Normandin | $12.00 (eBook) | N/A | Website |
- Summary: This e-book, which celebrates players who fell just short of Cooperstown, is not intended to reopen arguments about who should be in the Hall of Fame, but to remember those players who history may otherwise forget.
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