Epic baseball storytelling
347354
This piece of work along with the follow-up "Over the Edge" is a must read for any baseball afficianato, especially in need of a few genuine good laughs.  The way Jay tells a story really puts the reader in the moment and captures the unique humor of the game that seems to have graced years gone by.  There are very few characters of the game left in what has become more of a business, but if you ever read "Snake", or Joe Namath's book, you'll love this one.
666725
I always enjoy baseball stories, supernatural stories, and suspense stories. This brings all three of those together in a well crafted tale of why the Red Hosers of Boston have been cursed since winning the world series in 1918.

It is all down to Babe Ruth, but definitely not in the way we all thought it was.

Hang on for a thrill ride that keeps you glued to the pages until the final sentence flows past.

The dangerous twist near the end was genius.
2252374
I'd never thought of combining baseball with a thriller, but this book is great.

The combination sounds odd, the main character, John Adcock, is a veteran relief pitcher, who moonlights as a PI, mostly helping other players with domestic issues. What looks like a routine request from his team's back-up catcher quickly spirals out of control into a mess of car accidents, murders and prostitution.

Told in Adcock's voice the book is well-written with great realistic baseball scenes. They are so goo, it makes me wonder is Monday is a pen name for a former baseball player or sports writer.

Populated with wonderful characters from a Silicon Valley venture capitalist to a former player whose career in Japan led to opening sushi restaurants, you'll love how engaging they all are.

The plot is complex enough to make the book addictive, I couldn't stop reading it. The solution is satisfying and quite plausible.

I can't wait for more of Adcock's adventures.
3390000
I am captivated by the every description of each character of Prager's account of the shot heard 'round the world.  It's like I'm growing up knowing these people as their story is woven into one swing of a bat and how it affects the pennant race.

This author understands what it means to develop a story.  Very high on my entertainment list.
4445498
Having suffered through several Major League Baseball strikes/lockouts, including the two big ones in 1981 (713 games) and 1994 (948 games), I immediately saw the appeal in Michael A. Draper's tale of murder and 'vindication.' After all, who among us hasn't questioned the motives of men who walk away from their jobs to pad a salary that's already more than we'll make in our lifetime?

Three Strikes and You're Dead takes that anger, that frustration, and (let's be honest) that sort of jealous envy and follows it to a violent bottom of the ninth, bases loaded scenario. What begins as some chat room posturing very quickly escalates into a serial murder spree by a man dubbed "The Vindicator," who begins targeting the highest paid players in an effort to force a resumption of play.

This was a solid read, with a fascinating premise at its heart, and a well-developed mystery surrounding it. Draper wastes no time getting the game started, throwing an early fastball that sees a young superstar dead in his hotel bathtub. In the dugout opposite against The Vindicator is a team of amateur sleuths, an idea I originally struggled with, but which actually worked fairly well. The whole better-than-the-police trope ran out of legs long ago, but Draper has enough of a spin on his pitch to make it work here. It's as much a matter of passion and drive, as it is one of skill and luck, that makes them so successful in helping to track down their foe. They also help to ground the reader and provide a much-needed sense of normality in the face of inflated egos, salaries, and vendettas - even as their chase takes us on the road.

The first few innings were a little rough, with some solid storytelling marred by some awkward dialogue but, like any good pitcher, Draper soon settles into his game, and it's smooth sailing from then on out. Just when I thought the premise might be suffering a bit as it headed into the seventh-inning stretch, as the narrative began to feel a little tired, he switches to a knuckleballer who takes the game in an entirely new direction - one involving bombs, drugs, sociopaths, and domestic terrorism. It's a calculated risk, with a set-up that potentially stretches the bounds of credibility a bit too much, but the closer in Draper is strong enough to overcome any late inning jitters.

If Three Strikes and You're Dead were a baseball game, it'd be a slugger's match, with big hits, home runs, and some inspired base-running. There is a bit of a pitcher's duel at the end, as heroes and villains come head-to-head to determine the fate of the season, but it's the action that will have the crowd cheering. The ending might be a bit too perfect, with an epilogue born of optimism and wish-fulfillment, but the post-season is always about hope - no matter how blind or desperate it might be.
434439
REVIEWED BY SUNNY (originally posted on Goodreads and mentioned on Kindles & Wine Book Blog)

I am surrounded by sports fanatics in my house. Baseball is one of our familys favorite sports. We spent our summer vacation enjoying the five major league stadiums/teams in the state of California, including the L.A. Dodgers. These things all led to my interest in THE BEST TEAM MONEY CAN BUY by Molly Knight. I am not a big non-fiction reader, but I have to say, I really enjoyed this audiobook, narrated by Hillary Huber, about the Los Angeles Dodgers franchise.

What I enjoyed the most was hearing about so many great baseball players that we have watched, getting a feel for their personalities, their quirks, their superstitions, etc. I also enjoyed getting to know the ins and outs of a major league franchise. I felt like I was getting the inside scoop throughout the entire book of the daily challenges of making the most of a professional baseball team. I found the story to be very interesting, impressively researched and told. I was frustrated at times early on in the book when the story traveled from present day to the past because I found it difficult to keep track of where I was in the story. However, once the background of how the Dodgers franchise made its way into the hands of a new ownership regime, I enjoyed the chronological telling of their last few years. Where you probably have to have an interest in baseball and professional athletics to enjoy this book, I really enjoyed the book and have already recommended it to many sports fans.

Oh, and thanks to Molly Knight, I have been able to tell my husband things he didn't already know, which provided a huge thrill for me while I was enjoying this book. 

RATING: B

Note: I received a review copy of this title courtesy of the audiobook publisher, Tantor.
3719691
Only Stepehen King could find a way to tell a great baseball story starring an enigmatic farm boy with a damaged and dangerous  past and make you like him. He brings the greats of the era into play, sometimes for the wrong teams, but it's wonderful to hear Hoak and Aparicio as characters in this story.
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!
4247462
John Grisham is an excellent author of fiction.  His general fiction is superb due to his ability for character development and his ear for dialogue.  When the focus of his fiction is sports related (Playing for Pizza and Bleachers) he seems to find a richer vein from which to mine the stones that produces such gems.  This present novel is further proof of both Mr. Grisham's writing talent and his knowledge of sports, in this case, America's Past Time (which is baseball, for those of you still wondering the world without the love of this sport).  If the author is not a baseball fan, he certainly did appropriate research for him to speak of the language of that tribe like a native.
 The book is told from the first person perspective of Paul Tracey, the son of Warren Tracey, a journeyman pitcher in the early 70's, as he deals with his father's impending death, what his father did to end the son's love of baseball and his desire to help his father atone for that act.  Warren Tracey was a mean, narcissistic, violent alcoholic who all but abandoned his family when Paul was 12.  Joe Castle was a young first baseman in the Chicago Cubs organization who was called up to play in the summer 1973.  Joe's hit safely in his first 15 at bats in The Show, hitting three home runs in his first game and helped the Cubbies come from middle of the pack to challenging for the National League Eastern Division lead in the short time he was with that team.  In the 38 games he played, he became a national hero, the darling of Chicago and an enemy to Warren Tracey.  One pitch and the potentially brightest star in baseball history was dimmed before he qualified for being considered a "Big Leaguer."
 This book uses baseball as a platform from which Mr. Grisham can explore family relationships, another area that causes his books to sparkle.  The enmity Paul holds towards his father is well earned, Warren may be one of the most disgraceful fathers in literature (he would have been at home in Bleak House) and will be hatefully remembered (in the fictional world created in this book) as the man who deliberately ended the career of "Calico Joe" Castle.  The story is told through Paul's flashbacks to the summer of 1973 and his experience in the present.  1973 was filled with baseball, friends and household peace when Warren was on a road trip with the Mets, the team for whom he was pitching.  The present is filled with the pain of Paul saying goodbye to someone he barely knows but whose blood he carries and what lengths he goes to help ease some of the pain this man caused.  The book flows seamlessly between the two perspectives and I was as excited by the dialogue as I was the description of the baseball action.
 This book is fitting for anyone to read, but some of the situations and descriptions may need "unpacking" to some of the younger readers.  Those of us who enjoy baseball will read a different novel, but a lack of love of The Game will not lessen one's enjoyment of the read.  While this novel is not as good as A Painted House, my personal favorite of Mr. Grisham's books, it will be ranked as one of his better "sports" books.
4274771
"A Day in the Bleachers" is a richly detailed account of the First Game of the 1954 World Series twixt the New York Giants and Cleveland Indians.  The game was played on September 28th at the hallowed Polo Grounds on 155th Street and Eight Avenue in New York on the Manhattan side of the Harlem River. Yankee Stadium and the Bronx were on the other shore. (When this reviewer was in the 6th grade, a helpful ball park cop explained the local geography to him).

To state that ADB is "detailed" is a substantial understatement. Author Hano's account is virtually encyclopedic. He must have had a photographic memory. There was no room in the crowded bleachers to take voluminous notes and if one spends too much time taking notes, there is no time to watch the game!  And intently watch Hano did.  Following are selected subjects of his poignant observations and descriptions:

> The pre game ticket line as hopeful fans patiently cue up to purchase bleacher seats. > The team pennants flying atop the old ball yard.  (In those days, both Al and NL flags were arrayed according to league standings). > The "whooshing" sound the Giants fans made if the Indians failed to score in the top of an inning. > An aging Bob Feller-at the end of his Indians' career-painfully doing pre-game pushups. > Giants third sacker Hank Thompson snagging a Jim Hegan bounder and nipping the Indians catcher at first base.

There is more: Hano artfully describes the variances in swings by Giants right fielder Don Mueller:  "Mandrake the Magician" had a short wrist snap swing and one with arms fully extended. We are mindfully informed that Giants shortstop Al Dark saved the game by keeping a ground ball to deep shortstop from rolling to the outfield. The Indians Larry Doby never scored what would have been the winning run.  How many noticed? Hano even turns the purchase of a beer can into a nice vignette.

This reviewer cannot resist carping at some factual glitches: No one called the Cardinals veteran second sacker by his given name, "Al".  It was always "Red" Schoendienst!  The hero of Game 1, the late James Lamar "Dusty" Rhodes of Matthews, Alabama actually played with the Giants in San Francisco for 54 games in 1959. He was not "left behind", though he was optioned to the minors (Phoenix or Tucson) in 1958. And the author is way off base in inaccurately dragging in General George Patton's famous rain prayer during the Battle of the Bulge. That story had no place in the text.

Should ADB be reprinted, it would be nice to update the lives of a few more of the players on either team.  And a Box Score would be a fitting augmentation.

The bottom line is that "A Day in the Bleachers" is a wonderful baseball treat. For fans "of a certain age", such as this reviewer's, is it virtually required reading.  It contains far more tidbits and morsels than described here.  It is fun to read and only a churl would object to the occasional digressions and over-analyses. They simply are not making any more stories like this.  Sadly, writers who remember the golden age of baseball as described herein are fading from the scene. Let's enjoy while we still can.

On the subject of tidbits and morsels, the author includes this one from those halcyon days:

"Say Hey Willie; Say Hey Willie Mays;
 Say Hey Willie; How do you make them plays?

 Say Hey Willie;  Runnin' outta your hat;
 Say Hey Willie; Whatcha mean by that"?
365769
One minute you're riding on the shoulders of your teammates after a great victory, and the next your eye has swollen shut from a dirty play during the championship game and threatens to keep you from playing baseball. That's the opening action from RIVALS, the latest offering by Tim Green in his well-written Baseball Great series for young readers. Josh LeBlanc and his team, the Syracuse Titans, are one game away from a spot on the cards at the annual youth baseball Hall of Fame Tournament in Cooperstown, New York. When he steps up to bat, Josh tries to imagine all the possible balls he could get (fastball, high ball, etc.). He wasn't prepared for the curve ball that hit him squarely in the face.

They win the game and the chance to play in the tournament, but Josh and his family are faced with a major medical decision because of the nasty cut he received from the wild ball that seemed intentionally thrown to remove Josh and the Titans from contention. The umpire, however, didn't call anything.

The doctor gives Josh two choices to protect his optic nerve: surgery that would leave a permanent scar, or rest for several weeks and no baseball. Resting would mean Josh could not play at Cooperstown and lose out on a chance to help his team win it all. The surgery would mean playing right away but living with the constant reminder every time he looks in the mirror. He and his dad think it's a no-brainer, but mom is against taking any risks with Josh's eyesight.

Still, as every baseball lover knows, Cooperstown is a slugger's mecca. It's the place you want to be because it's all about baseball. Playing there and getting to see the Baseball Hall of Fame are dreams come true for a teen player whose college chances are dependent on a baseball scholarship. The Cooperstown tournament seems to hold all the keys to Josh's future as a player, to say nothing about the fact that a major sports equipment manufacturer is looking at the Titans and considering an offer of a sweet sponsorship deal. Everything is riding on Josh playing and winning at Cooperstown. But at the moment, he can't see through his left eye.

RIVALS continues Green's captivating series with his familiar style that delivers a great sports story with writing that is easy to read but engaging because of his ability to create colorful characters. Green focuses on the action of the game while artistically penning some really nice images with similes and metaphors that make his work so enjoyable to read. For instance, he describes a private jet on the tarmac as looking "...like a white shark with wings," and a mass of groupies as "...people orbiting around him like he was the sun, even as he moved." The pictures he writes for readers' minds are brilliant and sometimes surprising in their comparisons. And the literary merits found in his previous baseball and football books are prominent in this new offering.

Josh goes to Cooperstown and comes face to face with understanding what rivalry means in sports and in his personal life. Then he stumbles onto a potential mystery when he witnesses what he thinks is a payoff to an umpire calling the Hall of Fame games. Baseball, relationships, and scandal all meld together as Josh finds out how a rivalry can make you deliver the best you have on and off the field.
2103635
This is Wendel at his best. He weaves the storytelling craft of a literary journalist with the deep appreciation of a timeless sport. This is a story -- and I choose that word carefully -- that only someone who has absorbed the sport as a child and then matured enough to see its modern incarnation could write. It bridges the gap between vintage baseball and the version of the game that still captivates kids. And Wendel is the perfect author because he took no shortcuts. He did tireless research, and instead of being all self-righteous about it, takes the reader along as a part of the journey.
It's a book that speaks to all generations, written with the sensibilities of someone who gets the pastoral charm of the "Field of Dreams" version of baseball and is reality-centered enough to recognize the sport's place in the mega-money world.
I'm finding this book's appeal crosses generational boundaries. It works for the nostalgia-driven fans who recognize Walter Johnson, as well as their sons and grandsons who still are captivated by someone who, by some quirk of fate, can throw a baseball faster than almost anyone else on the planet.
And it's not that expensive.
2027248
I love this book.  The big games, the players, the relationships are wonderfully recreated in this awesome book describing the greatest Yankee teams and coach of all time.

It made me laugh, cry and sent chills up my spine at times.  Highly recommended!
3062254
Sure, this is a book about the longest professional baseball game ever played, but it's also one about personalities. The marathon game only serves as background. The story comes alive because the author lets us get a bit closer to some of the players and other characters surrounding the 1981 game between two Triple A teams. It's obvious a lot of research was done to bring to life that game of nearly 30 years ago. A few of the players - among them Wade Boggs, Cal Ripken, Bobby Ojeda, Marty Barrett - went on to Major League careers. Most of the players, however, never got out of the minors, and they are some of the more interesting personalities. This is, after all, a story of minor league baseball, far from the riches and glory of the Majors. Readers get a heavy dose of minor league life, the city of Pawtucket, R.I. where the contest took place, and of course, baseball itself, a game as much about heartbreak and loss as winning.
832235
If you're a fan of baseball, road trips, America, buddy stories, or all of the above, this is a solid read. I was lucky enough to catch these guys in Miami while filming their documentary and writing this book, and I have to admit I was a little jealous of their determination to drop everything and just drive.

As the book progresses, the tone shifts away from a baseball trip about some dudes chasing a dream they discussed over beers to a story about incredible people they meet and the common denominator that silently links millions of us together. The story wasn't just about a few friends notching a hole in their belt for each park in which they saw a game. The real story was listening to fond memories from fans about what baseball means to them and the lifetime of memories they have made with close friends and dear family.

I won't spoil the ending and tell you if they made it our not, through rain delays, low gas lights, and bad stadium food. It's an incredible journey most of us could only dream about.
293754
A wonderfully spun tale centered on a great American sport. Unique but believable on and off the field characters. Has a Dan Brown feel; think you'll end your reading at the end of a chapter, but in the last paragraph or so, you have to read on. Exciting ending proves the point that slow pitch softball is indeed more than just a game. A must-read for anyone ever involved in playground softball as player or spectator.
2042299
As soon as I got "Major League Encounters" I flipped to the pages with my favorite players, and loved what I read.  Once I started at the beginning I enjoyed learning so much more about players I have followed but never really felt connected to.  Larry LaRue helped me get connected to them!  I am so impressed by Larry's storytelling, his insight, his willingness to share even the most challenging and personal experiences. I was also surprised how many times this sports writer worked behind the scenes to make big things happen. If you are a baseball fan, and if you have a favorite, or a few favorite players, this is a fun, must read!