OT: What books are in your Sports Library???

[cordovacollector]

Re: OT: What books are in your Sports Library???

Just read:

Wait 'Til Next Year by Doris Kearns Goodwin. Wonderful book on 1950s Dodgers.

[ironmanfan]

Re: OT: What books are in your Sports Library???

In additon to Mets bats I have alot of Mets books

- Smithsonian Baseball - Stephen Wong
- Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio - Maury Allen
- My Favorite Summer - Mickey Mantle, Phil Pepe (autographed)
- Letters to Mickey - friends and fans of Mickey Mantle
- The Duke of Flatbush - Duke Snider
- Nice Guys Finish First - Monte Irvin
- Get that Nigger Off the Field - Art Rust Jr. (autographed)
- IronMan The Cal Ripken Jr. Story - Harvey Rosenfeld

I'm actually listed in the Acknowledgements in the front of that Ripken book ...I also have the cancelled check from the author that he used to pay Cal Ripken Sr. for the forward. As a total aside, even though Ripken Sr. wrote the Forward to this book, Cal Jr. will not sign it due to it being an unauthorized biography (truth be told, the author 'ghost wrote' wrote the forward himself and just got Sr.'s approval on it)

[metsbats]

Re: OT: What books are in your Sports Library???

I'm actually listed in the Acknowledgements in the front of that Ripken book ...I also have the cancelled check from the author that he used to pay Cal Ripken Sr. for the forward. As a total aside, even though Ripken Sr. wrote the Forward to this book, Cal Jr. will not sign it due to it being an unauthorized biography (truth be told, the author 'ghost wrote' wrote the forward himself and just got Sr.'s approval on it)

Here's the reference in the books Acknowledgements:

'I have been continually updated on the media and Cal junior by his "biggest fan," Bill Haelig'


Very Nice!

[bigtruck260]

Re: OT: What books are in your Sports Library???

Unless a ballplayer is just a natural writer, it's really very much in their best interest to invest in a co-writer, or even a ghost writer...and often painfully obvious when they haven't done so. Too many athletes and former athletes tend to think of a book as being a more or less disjointed and random collection of sports stories and observations, with every other paragraph ending with a "punch line" and an exclamation mark.

Okay, here's a question for you guys: What ballplayer(s) would you most like to see write a book about their career, who (as far as you know) hasn't done so yet?

Mark Grace, Dale Murphy and Ray Lankford

For those of you not in the STL area, Lankford was a notorious adulterer...even getting a woman pregnant on the 'East Side' during his comeback in 2004. At one point, the papers had an ex girlfriend doing doughnuts on his lawn and tossing a brick through his window.

Ray was also caught along side Orlando Pace patronizing a local brothel - pocketful of Viagra and everything.

Locallly, this would be an interesting story. He never once gave his own account of anything. It was always 'You got the wrong Ray'.

[34swtns]

Re: OT: What books are in your Sports Library???

My "all-Bears" area contains 57 books, 490 game programs, 46 media guides, 26 yearbooks, all but a few of the weekly "Bear Report" publications from 1977 to the present, hundreds of sports magazines with Bears covers dating back to 1942 as well as hundreds of newspapers covering the Bears.

[mvandor]

Re: OT: What books are in your Sports Library???

Excellent book by Tom Callahan: Johnny U - The Life & Times of John Unitas.

[33bird]

Re: OT: What books are in your Sports Library???

I think I have 200+ books. Probably every book about the:
1970s Reds. (Big Red Machine).
1990s Bulls. (Dynasty Bulls).
1980s Celtics (Bird)
1960s Celtics (Bill Russell).
1940s Red Sox (Williams, Foxx, Grove).
The best 3 Pete Rose books, I think, are:
Hustle, Collision at home plate, and Pete Rose Baseballs Charlie Hustle.
If anybody needs any recommendations on any of these areas-drop me an email.

[both-teams-played-hard]

Re: OT: What books are in your Sports Library???

[CampWest]

Re: OT: What books are in your Sports Library???

Just finished:
Willie Mays Aikens Safe at Home, by Gregory Jordan

A very good read. I do not read for leisure very often and when I do, it is usually a long, drawn out process. But this book I read over parts of two days and enjoyed every second of it.

A couple others that come to mind that I really enjoyed,
Sleeper Cars and Flannel Uniforms, by Elden Auker
The Catcher Was a Spy: The Mysterious Life of Moe Berg, by Nicholis Dawidoff
The Soul of Baseball: A Road Trip Through Buck O'Neil's America, by Joe Posnanski
I Was Right on Time, by Buck O'Neil

[frikativ54]

Re: OT: What books are in your Sports Library???

I love books, and I love baseball, but most of my books are about other subjects. So I don't really have a sports library.

[DJaeger22]

Re: OT: What books are in your Sports Library???

Out of My League by Dirk Hayhurst is awesome. A very amusing read into minor and major league life. Overall a great book!

[godwulf]

Re: OT: What books are in your Sports Library???

One of the best, and most moving books I've ever read, sports-related or otherwise:



It is the story of Mike Coolbaugh, struck in the back of the neck and killed by a foul ball while coaching First Base in the minors. It is far more than just the story of Mike's life in Baseball, or of his tragic death; it's the story of the young player who hit that foul ball, of his life and his career, and how the awful convergence of their paths affected everyone who knew and loved both men. It's a really amazing book, and I don't care how big and tough you think you are - there are going to be times that you'll have to put it down and have a cry.

[frikativ54]

Re: OT: What books are in your Sports Library???

One of the best, and most moving books I've ever read, sports-related or otherwise:



It is the story of Mike Coolbaugh, struck in the back of the neck and killed by a foul ball while coaching First Base in the minors. It is far more than just the story of Mike's life in Baseball, or of his tragic death; it's the story of the young player who hit that foul ball, of his life and his career, and how the awful convergence of their paths affected everyone who knew and loved both men. It's a really amazing book, and I don't care how big and tough you think you are - there are going to be times that you'll have to put it down and have a cry.

Sounds like a great read. I'll have to pick it up one of these days. Thanks for sharing.

[schubert1970]

Re: OT: What books are in your Sports Library???

I have the one about Wilt sticking to 10,000 women and the other is about that tennis player and her challenges with being gay.

[Fnazxc0114]

Re: OT: What books are in your Sports Library???

Several first editions of Robert Ruark, and Peter Hathaway Capstick. Af first editions of Livingston, and HM Stanley. Tons of African hunting novels.