A Great Read For The Average Baseball Fan
934309
The Physics of Baseball is a great book that should be read by any baseball fan who wants to understand the reasons behind why certain things in the game happen as they do.  Robert Adair, a professor at Yale, informatively discusses nearly every aspect of the game through a scientific view.  Adair uses models, graphs, and equations to further explain the content of the book.  The average person will probably not completely understand every detail about the physics of the game, but will grasp the general concepts with ease.  If you do have a good understanding of physics, then you will comprehend everything in the book without a problem.  The book is really intended to be read by people interested in baseball, not physics.  After reading the book you come away with a greater appreciation for the game and its players.  Baseball players really have to understand the concepts of the game and be very gifted to play baseball.  Scientifically, it seems quite improbable that a batter will successfully come in contact with a ball at such high speeds, but in reality the best major leaguers do it about a third of the time.  Baseball players really know what they are doing when playing the sport.  For example, a pitcher has to able to know how to make baseballs curve and change directions in certain ways.
 Adair provides reasoning to what baseballs do in motion.  If you have always been absolutely puzzled on how a curveball curves, then you will find the answers in this book.  You will also understand the great impact outside factors have daily on the game.  In a windy stadium, your batted ball might land 30 feet shorter than its normal length.  Have you ever wondered why coaches teach you to hit the ball on the "sweet spot" of the bat?  Adair explains how vibration and softness relate to this idea.  Adair discusses wooden vs. aluminum bats, judging fly balls, and running the bases.  Did you know that there is a specific limit to the distance that a batted ball can travel?  You can learn this distance and the reasons behind it in the book.  Adair talks about the slider, screwball, and fastball in describing the scientific reasons for how they act.  You will learn the different swing motions that certain hitters use in order to hit a line-drive or home-run.  Did you know that the contact between the baseball and bat last about 1/1000th of a second?  Adair also ties in some controversies of the day, such as the corked bat.  Adair surprisingly explains why the corked bat is commonly misconceived and its actual effect on a baseball. In the book, Adair even leaves some technical notes at the end of each chapter for the more scientifically advanced people.  The book is an interesting read for anyone curious about the reasons for why things in the game act as they do and anyone looking for a fulfilling, quick read.
3355834
I admired Olney's attention to detail, the way he explains the game, and how he gives an in-depth account of every key figure for the Yankees during their latest dynasty run.

I especially like the way he writes about Mariano Rivera, the centerpiece of the dynasty. He comes off as a very decent man, as well as very humble, considering how good he is.

I do not like to nitpick, but Olney did use a fair amount of cuss words, which I do not like. Even when he was quoting players who were using such language, he could have used indirect discourse.

Nonetheless, an excellent account of the team by a man with a great baseball mind, as well as one who came to know the Yankee team of 1996-2001, its glorious run, and the internicine feuds that often divided members of that unforgettably dominant team.
186003
Well like I said, I am a die hard Red Sox fan but more importantly a baseball fan.  While I may not be a huge fan of Steinbrenner, I can recognize he has been one of the most influential figures in sports for the past 40 years.  Given his controversial nature, I was surprised to find that Bill Madden wrote a book that while being factual and fair, doesn't shy away from all the uproar the Yankees have gone through during the reign of King George.

The book features many interesting side notes and I do like how Madden, a writer of the highest caliber, does not shy away from Steinbrenner's bad side.  But he deserves credit by trying to show that he is not entirely the ogre he is sometimes portrayed as.  The one weak spot I would say to the book is that Madden himself has some opinions and maybe even some axes to grind regarding things that took place during his term as a baseball sports writer. He tends to be too impartial in this case especially given the case of Fay Vincent.  I found him too anti-Vincent in that case but that is only a minor disruption to a well written book.
2445085
This was a very simple easy read autobiography of a baseball player. It was enjoyable to read and being a Mets fan when he pitched made it all the more informative. The average sports fan may not read this book but all Mets and/or baseball fans should.
2783692
I first became aware of this author through a blog that he wrote in conjunction with an old Sporting News blogging site, so I already knew that he was a talented baseball writer.  The book purports to be about 15 of the most exciting World Series ever played and on the surface it is just that.  Upon further inspection though, it is a much deeper book than that.  It is an autobiography of a young boy from Brooklyn and how he became a lifelong fan of baseball while growing up with the Brooklyn Dodgers of the late 1940's and 1950's.  This was a memorable era in the history of baseball, punctuated by  the inclusion of black athletes into America's Pastime.  I highly recommend this as required reading material for anyone interested in the history of baseball.
4876176
If you have even the slightest interest in the history of baseball, you must read this book!  Ritter spent hours and hours interviewing the greats of the game and then was able to make these interviews come to life in this splendid piece of history.  You will feel the excitement of the contests, laugh at the off field stories, and learn what it was like to be a big leaguer during the formative years of the majors.
So many books using first hand accounts tend to be dry, but this book is the exception.  There is not a dull moment in this book. This book sort of proves Eddie Matthews' review of modern baseball - the guys playing now may be better, but they didn't have as much fun as the guys in the old days.  This book will allow you to enjoy the days gone by of the glorius grand game!
2440179
I admit to being fascinated with baseball history.  While I may cheer *against* many of the teams that the greats came from, I recognize their greatness and importance to the game and wish that I'd been able to personally witness more of their work and accomplishments then I have been able to see. I remember some of the greats when they were actively playing back in my much younger days, but those days tend to be much later than the days of guys like Stan Musial.  I heard comparisons, over and over again, by the great announcers that were calling the games that my favored teams were playing in, or the announcers that were calling the "game of the week" on the network(s), but those comparisons pale in having gotten to witness some of the greatness yourself.  In my later years I was able to see what should have been greatness only to realize later, as did others, that such greatness was tainted by PEDs (Performance Enhancing Drugs) and was not the greatness that I wished for at all, so again I'm left fascinated by the true greats and the legendary performances they put forth.

Stan Musial is a character that I'd hear about and yet never heard enough about.  Someone that I wanted to learn more about and given the chance to get this book I jumped at the opportunity.  A biography that tells much more about such a relatively quiet guy is an opportunity too good to pass up.

The book lived up to most of my expectations, though it is far from perfect.  It's hard to pin point why I say that other than to say it is perhaps less organized and detailed filled in some areas then I might wish.  Not bad, but not great either.  Then again, given the subject of the book, it may be difficult for the writer to fill in some blanks because the man himself never created the flamboyant history that others did around him.

Certainly a worthy read.
3768799
For a diehard baseball fan, this is a very interesting topic.  The author talked to hundreds of baseball insiders for perspectives and stories.  Overall, it's a good read and covers the topic well.  There are a handful of very intriguing stories and a few that make you laugh out loud.  The book suffers in a couple of ways.  First, the author doesn't do a good job of telling the reader about the relevant written rules of baseball (as opposed to his topic of the unwritten rules).  There were several instances where a short description of what the rulebook says would have been helpful.  Second, the book drags as times as the author seems compelled to recount 5 examples of a particular aspect of the game when two or three would do.

If you like baseball a lot, the book will be enjoyable, but not one of the best ever.
4632264
"Goose Is Loose" is a fun read.  I found some of the pranks Gossage tells us about to be a riot, such as Sparky Lyle and the birthday cake.  This book is not an in depth biography like Al Stump's  "Cobb" or Robert Creamer's "Babe" (I highly recommend  both for baseball and histroy buffs), but rather a light in-the-locker  room, on-the-field, in-the-pub insight on baseball in the '70s and '80s  from Goose's point of view.  It has a poignant side as well.  For example,  Goose describes the sense of loss after Thurman Munson's death.  And I  think the Goose gives us a fair critique of some his contemporaries.  If  you're a baseball fan you'll probably enjoy this book.
1390761
I really enjoyed this book. As someone who is casually interested in baseball, this book gives a great overview with some interesting details at a good level of detail. A very easy book to read. I would highly recommend to anyone who wants to know about some of the inner workings of baseball along with the basic rules.
2422842
If you are looking for dirt and scandal, this is not the book for you.  If, however, you are looking for an inside look at Yankee Clubhouse and the personalities who reside therein, this is the book for you.

Told from the perspective of a very young batboy, this book is a recounting of his thoughts and observations of the men who made up, arguably, the world's greatest sports franchise.

Not all positive--he does get in a shot or two at A-Rod and the way he "escorted" women to their cars while still married--but all in all, an upbeat inside look at the personalities of the New York Yankees.  Some are surprising, some not. All are interesting and readable and at times you can feel the young man's excitement and enthusiasm as he writes about the greatest names in the game.

Of particular interest are his pieces on Derek Jeter and Joe Torre--"Mr. T" to Jeter in a show of respect to Torre.

Many players and situations covered here.  Just a good, ole fashion baseball read, the kind we lovers of the game have been looking for for a long time.

Scandal seekers, muckrakers,and smut peddlers, steer clear. Lovers of the game and the men who play it...get the book...get it as soon as possible. It is good, quite good.

Almost as good and in some ways better than collecting baseball cards as we old guys used to do with much zeal and furor.
2304771
If you are the slightest of a fan of baseball, you will really enjoy this fast read which gives you insight into all of those 99% who do not make the HALL OF FAME...
1592406
I had heard favorable things about this book for years, so when World Series time rolled around, it was a logical choice for my semi-annual "baseball book" reading. It simply lived up to all my expectations. Khan, who reported on the Brooklyn Dodgers in the mid-1950s knowingly discussed the team organization, its players, and the newspapers who reported on them. In a touching epilogue, Khan interviewed key players years after their retirements to expand on the more mundane and human sides of these personalities. In short, if you're a baseball fan of any age, this book is a must-read.
2945136
I was skeptical about the book in the beginning, but as I started to read it I was completely hooked.  If you are a baseball fan this book is for you.  It takes you behind the scenes into the thoughts of the scouts, managers, and players.  I like how the book will dive into the story of how a player is picked/ranked among major league teams during the draft.  Then go into details of why the A's went against the grain and selected players that had amazing OBA but had some flaw in the eyes of other major league teams.  This flaw allowed the A's to pick up numerous players at below market value.  The Warren Buffet approach applied to baseball players.  After reading this book, it makes you wonder why are all the other teams not paying attention.  Just look at the draft on 6/7/04 and the A's seemed to have done it again.  I really enjoy the intellectual and statistical side the book presents.  Definitely a book to pick up and get immersed in.
1454602
Without getting too pretentious with the language of my review, I can sum this book up in a short sentence: this book is a beautiful glimpse into the lives of people as they try to excel to the major leagues. This book covers players just beginning their career, players nearing the end of their career, and even an umpire as he goes through a similar (and perhaps even less certain) road to the MLB. This is not a book about baseball as much as it is a book about people who have dedicated their lives to baseball in one capacity or another. Sometimes we tend to think of baseball players as tools, and when they do not perform to our liking, they are written about online as if they are TVs with defective ports. This is not a book about the greatest stars of the game, but about the names that contribute without ever reaching the wide recognition. These are not the Jeters. If that's an area of baseball you are interested in reading about - the people - then this is the book for you.
2725421
Reading this book gives me a new perspective on baseball and the men that played it. Michael Lynch delves into the lives of the players whether it be good or bad, proving that they were human. The writing is well detailed on stats and personal lifestyles. Michael, has put a lot of thought into how he wanted to classify each and every player and manager. This is one great read and I recommend all baseball fans pick this book up and read it!! I can't wait for the next book to come out.
2045477
There are baseball stats, baseball facts, baseball biographies, fictional baseball tales, and baseball for kids. This is a love note to baseball's history.

I truly enjoyed reading Mr. Wong's book, both in its relaxing prose to the artifacts splayed throughout with jerseys, bats, and other miscellany. I would get this book for anybody who likes baseball or anybody who likes leafing through our national pastime. The sections are bite-sized and can be read and I'd save them for lazy afternoons where you can have a cider and wear something as soft as those uniforms look. Five stars.