Baseball Best-Sellers, October 30, 2026

October 30, 2026 · 0 comments

Amazon keeps changing the way they report, so that will be mirrored here. Sometimes there will be rankings of Kindle and audio-books on baseball, other times, not.

A reminder: The Amazon rankings are updated every hour, so these lists might not be 100 percent accurate by the time you read them (or even by the time I finish posting them). But close enough for government work, as the saying goes (see my piece on “Why Amazon’s search engine sucks“).

In addition, occasionally the powers-that-be over there try to pull a fast one by including a book in a category in which it should not be listed (in my opinion). For example, The Book of Why: The New Science of Cause and Effect has appeared on Amazon’s BBS list. “Why” is a good question. There might be a smattering of the national pastime in it, but not enough to make it a baseball book per se (again, IMO).

Finally, adults only here. That is, no books for younger readers (i.e., 12 and under). Also no “adult” adult books (romance/erotic fiction that features baseball as a theme although goodness knows there are a bunch of those out there).

So, with all that said…

The links under the authors’ names will take you to the Bookshelf Conversations I had with them. An asterisk denotes a book making its debut on the BBS list. And a “Ω” means it’s an award winner, almost always in the print version.

PRINT

  1. It’s All About the Players, by Peter Gammons (my review on Bookreporter)
  2. The Mental Game of Baseball: A Guide to Peak Performance, by H. A. Dorfman
  3. Our Way: How The Milwaukee Brewers Captured a Historic World Series Title, published by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel * (Available Nov. 10)
  4. Why We Love Baseball: A History in 50 Moments, by Joe Posnanski (my review on Bookreporter) Ω
  5. The Cloudbuster Nine: The Untold Story of Ted Williams and the Baseball Team That Helped Win World War II, by Anne R. Keene (my Bookshelf review here)
  6. The Ultimate Milwaukee Brewers Trivia Book: A Collection of Amazing Trivia Quizzes and Fun Facts for Die-Hard Brewers Fans!, by Ray Walker
  7. Banana Ball: The Unbelievably True Story of the Savannah Bananas, by Jesse Cole
  8. Ball Four: The Final Pitch, by Jim Bouton
  9. Hurdle-isms: Wit and Wisdom from a Lifetime in Baseball, by Clint Hurdle
  10. The Baseball 100, by Posnanski

KINDLE

  1. Dynastic, Bombastic, Fantastic: Reggie, Rollie, Catfish, and Charlie Finley’s Swingin’ A’s, by Jason Turbow
  2. The Wingmen: The Unlikely, Unusual, Unbreakable Friendship Between John Glenn and Ted Williams, by Adam Lazarus
  3. The Big Fella: Babe Ruth and the World He Created, by Jane Leavy
  4. The Machine: A Hot Team, a Legendary Season, and a Heart-stopping World Series: The Story of the 1975 Cincinnati Reds, by Posnanski
  5. The Last of His Kind: Clayton Kershaw and the Burden of Greatness, by Andy McCullough
  6. The Last Innocents: The Collision of the Turbulent Sixties and the Los Angeles Dodgers, by Michael Leahy Ω (Kindle Plus, see note)
  7. Pinstripe Empire: The New York Yankees from Before the Babe to After the Boss, by Marty Appel (Kindle Plus, see note)
  8. Summer of ’68: The Season That Changed Baseball—and America—Forever, by Tim Wendel
  9. The Era, 1947–1957: When the Yankees, the Giants, and the Dodgers Ruled the World, by Roger Kahn
  10. Nine Innings: The Anatomy of a Baseball Game, by Daniel Okrent (Kindle Plus, see note)

AUDIO BOOKS

  1. Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, by Michael Lewis (narrated by Scott Brick)
  2. The Captain: The Journey of Derek Jeter, by Ian O’Connor
  3. Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx Is Burning: 1977, Baseball, Politics, and the Battle for the Soul of a City, by Jonathan Mahler
  4. Stealing Home: Los Angeles, the Dodgers, and the Lives Caught in Between, by Eric Nussbaum (my review of the print edition on Bookreporter.com)
  5. Baseball, by Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns (narrated by Burns)
  6. The Methany Manifesto, by Mike Methany with Jerry B. Jenkins
  7. The Bad Guys Won: A Season of Brawling, Boozing, Bimbo Chasing, and Championship Baseball with Straw, Doc, Mookie, Nails, the Kid, and the Rest of the 1986 Mets, the Rowdiest Team Ever to Put on a New York Uniform – and Maybe the Best, by Pearlman (read by the author)
  8. The Natural, by Bernard Malamud
  9. Ball Four: The Final Pitch, by Jim Bouton (narrated by the author)

Note: These books are included as Kindle Plus (formerly unlimited, because there actually is a limit on how many Kindle titles you can borrow at any one time). See the books’ pages for details.

A reminder: These are are among Amazon’s top 100 baseball titles and there may not be enough “appropriate” ones to fill the ten slots in all three categories.

Not surprised to see a book about the Brewers hit the list. Just surprised that it’s not immediately available.

Still not in the Amazon top ten? 501 Baseball Books Fans Must Read before They Die. FYI, as of this posting it ranks 3,184,071 in books overall; last time, 3,190,318. Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War ranks 3,628,505; last time, 3,642,427.

Shameless self-promotion: if you’re looking for some good baseball reading during this down time, why not pick up a copy of 501? It’s like the dictionary; it has the other books in it, which reminds me of one of my favorite lines from one of my favorite shows.

BUT…

Some exciting news (now we’ll see who’s paying attention and reading down this far).

Necessity is the mother of invention. Thanks to emergency surgery in which I said goodbye to a recalcitrant gallbladder, I have a couple off months for recuperation during which time I will be working on a revision of 501.

The new version will include all the original stuff but as you know if you’re a baseball reading fool, there have been a lot of great books published since 501 came out a dozen years ago. So since this isn’t a ranking where one title might be pushed off the list, the new material will appear as an added chapter.

A reminder: There’s an Excel “checklist” of the books list in 501. If you’re interested in keeping track of how many you have read or own, drop me a line.

If you have read either of my books, thanks, hope you enjoyed it, and please consider writing an Amazon review; it’s never too late.

 

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Throwback Thursday: Baseball Digest Rookie Specials, Part 2

October 29, 2026 · 0 comments

Baseball Digest Covers #150-199Last week I posted about the March issues of the old Baseball Digest which offered “scouting reports” on promising rookies. This week, it’s the American League’s turn.

  • Don Baylor, Orioles, outfield: “Everything to make him big leaguer in two years.” Pretty accurate: it took him that long to play in more than nine ML games. Of course he went on to a brilliant career as a player and then, less so, as a manager (although he was named manager of the year in the strike shortened 1995 season).
  • Carlton Fisk, Red Sox, catcher: “Outstanding arm, improving as a receiver with power at plate. Aggressive, take charge catcher. Needs experience.” Well, I think we can all agree that he got it, playing 24 years and making it to the Hall of Fame.
  • Nobody on the Angels worth writing home about.
  • Same for White Sox.
  • Ed Farmer, Indians, pitcher: “Slow in developing curve. Throws fair fastball but lacks control.” A default selection compared with the other rookies BD included for the Indians. Managed to last 11 seasons playing for eight clubs. Gave up 345 walks in 624 innings.
  • Elliott Maddox, Tigers, infielder: “Has good arm, speed to go with bat. Fine chance to make it.” Played for five teams over 11 years.
  • Paul Splitorff, Royals, pitcher: “Fast ball lively, fair curve. Needs a couple of years experience but has a fair chance.” More than fair as he still holds the record for most career wins for the franchise, with whom he spent his entire 15-year career.
  • Rick Dempsey, Twins, catcher: “Aggressive young receiver who has what it takes one day to be a star. Still green and will need another year or two in the minors.” True, it took a while for Dempsey to get going, but when all was said and done, this catcher, like Fisk, played for 24 years.
  • Thurman Munson, Yankees, catcher: “Ralph Houk high on this boy [Munson was 22 at the time]. Not much power, but good arm, improving defensive catcher. Should stick this year.” He sure stuck, winning AL Rookie of the Year in 1970. He was the heart and soul of the heart and soul of the team until his untimely death in 1979.
  • Gene Tenace, Athletics, catcher: “Can’t miss. Fine catcher with good bat. Ready now.” What a year for backstops. Tenace served well for the As dynasty of the early ’70s and beyond.
  • Skip Lockwood, Pilots, pitcher: Needs lots of work to develop. But can throw and learning to pitch. Should make it soon.” A very serviceable reliever for 12 seasons.
  • Toby Harrah, Senators, infielder: “Improved hitting gives him a chance. Good hands, fine range.” Reliable lunch-bucket man for the Senators/Rangers) and Indians (and the Yankees for one season) for 17 years.

In none of the capsule assessments are the identities of the writers revealed; it could have been one person writing them all or several per team. and as the saying goes, very few players make it all the way or last very long once they arrive. I only looked for players who had a decent ML career, so I wasn’t paying attention to the others, who might have had a “can’t miss” label pinned on them and failed to live up to the hype.

Tagged as: Baseball Digest

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Lest we forget: Susan Saint James

October 27, 2026 · 0 comments

The award-wining actress passed away yesterday at the age of 80.

Baseball connection? I wrote about it earlier this month, based on a 2020 post.

Here’s her obituary from The New York Times.

With great sadness, we bid a heartfelt and reluctant farewell to Susan Saint James. Best known for her roles in Kate & Allie and McMillan and Wife, Susan made a memorable guest

Tagged as: Susan Saint James

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You “complete” me

October 26, 2026 · 0 comments

Those who have followed this blog regularly know my disdain for superlatives in baseball book titles, words like “best” and “ultimate.”

But the one that really grinds my gears is “complete.”

In some rare cases, it might be accurate.

Overall, however, that’s just not right.

Until a thing is, well, complete — that is, totally done — can a book ever be “complete?”

  • The Baseball Encyclopedia: The Complete and Official Record of Major League Baseball

Anything statistical cannot be considered complete unless

Here are just a few examples. Some are instructional in nature, others are more historical or statistically driven.

  • The Complete Baseball Scorekeeping Handbook, Revised and Updated Edition
  • Baseball Field Guide, Fourth Edition: An In-Depth Illustrated Guide to the Complete Rules of Baseball
  • The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball: A Complete Record of Teams, Leagues and Seasons, 1876-2019, 4th ed.

So if something is “revised,” can it be complete?

  • Complete Baseball Player
  • The Complete Guide to Pitching (although teaching methods are always being fine-tuned)
  • Complete Idiot’s Guide to Baseball
  • The Complete Book of Baseball Signs and Plays

Until baseball is no longer being played, books like these encyclopedia can’t really be considered “complete,” can they? I give some leeway to titles like The Complete Handbook of Baseball 1990 because they’re based on a single incident that is done. Similarly, books that consider a specific time frame such as Forfeits and Successfully Protested Games in Major League Baseball: A Complete Record, 1871-2013 and Topps Baseball Cards: The Complete Picture Collection (A 35-Year History, 1951-1985), Complete Book of 1989 Baseball Cards and Baseball Memories 1930-1939: A Complete Pictorial History of the “Hall of Fame” Decade focus on one set of data points. Ring Around the Bases: The Complete Baseball Stories of Ring Lardner is accurate unless someone discovers new old stories by the late great sportswriter.

But these? Nope. “Life,” in the form of new seasons and games, goes on

  • The Midsummer Classic: The Complete History of Baseball’s All-Star Game (published in 2001)
  • The Complete New York Yankees: The Total Encyclopedia of the Team (1998)
  • Cubs by the Numbers: A Complete Team History of the Chicago Cubs by Uniform Number (2016)

I could go on, but you get the point.

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Baseball Best-Sellers, October 23, 2026

October 23, 2026 · 0 comments

Amazon keeps changing the way they report, so that will be mirrored here. Sometimes there will be rankings of Kindle and audio-books on baseball, other times, not.

A reminder: The Amazon rankings are updated every hour, so these lists might not be 100 percent accurate by the time you read them (or even by the time I finish posting them). But close enough for government work, as the saying goes (see my piece on “Why Amazon’s search engine sucks“).

In addition, occasionally the powers-that-be over there try to pull a fast one by including a book in a category in which it should not be listed (in my opinion). For example, The Book of Why: The New Science of Cause and Effect has appeared on Amazon’s BBS list. “Why” is a good question. There might be a smattering of the national pastime in it, but not enough to make it a baseball book per se (again, IMO).

Finally, adults only here. That is, no books for younger readers (i.e., 12 and under). Also no “adult” adult books (romance/erotic fiction that features baseball as a theme although goodness knows there are a bunch of those out there).

So, with all that said…

The links under the authors’ names will take you to the Bookshelf Conversations I had with them. An asterisk denotes a book making its debut on the BBS list. And a “Ω” means it’s an award winner, almost always in the print version.

PRINT

  1. Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, by Michael Lewis Ω
  2. It’s All About the Players, by Peter Gammons (my review on Bookreporter)
  3. Why We Love Baseball: A History in 50 Moments, by Joe Posnanski (my review on Bookreporter) Ω
  4. The Cloudbuster Nine: The Untold Story of Ted Williams and the Baseball Team That Helped Win World War II, by Anne R. Keene (my Bookshelf review here)
  5. Touching All the Bases: A Story of Power, Purpose, and Surviving the Bronx, by Dave Winfield with Alan Maimon
  6. Banana Ball: The Unbelievably True Story of the Savannah Bananas, by Jesse Cole
  7. Nolan: The Singular Life of an American Original, by Tim Brown (my review on Bookreporter)
  8. The Baseball 100, by Posnanski
  9. The Ultimate Baseball Trivia Challenge: Over 600 Quiz Questions for Die-Hard Baseball Fans, by Hank Patton
  10. The National Baseball Hall of Fame Collection: Celebrating the Game’s Greatest Players, by James Buckley

KINDLE

  1. The Wingmen: The Unlikely, Unusual, Unbreakable Friendship Between John Glenn and Ted Williams, by Adam Lazarus
  2. The House That Ruth Built: A New Stadium, the First Yankees Championship, and the Redemption of 1923, by Robert Weintraub
  3. The Era, 1947–1957: When the Yankees, the Giants, and the Dodgers Ruled the World, by Roger Kahn
  4. Nine Innings: The Anatomy of a Baseball Game, by Daniel Okrent
  5. I Never Had It Made: An Autobiography, by Jackie Robinson and Alfred Duckett
  6. This One Will Be Different: False Promises and Fiscal Realities of Publicly Funded Stadiums, by J.C. Bradbury
  7. The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports, by Jeff Passan
  8. The Last of His Kind: Clayton Kershaw and the Burden of Greatness, by Andy McCullough
  9. Sandy Koufax: A Lefty’s Legacy, by Jane Leavy
  10. The Soul of Baseball: A Road Trip Through Buck O’Neil’s America, by Posnanski

AUDIO BOOKS

  1. Ball Four: The Final Pitch, by Jim Bouton (narrated by the author)
  2. The Bad Guys Won: A Season of Brawling, Boozing, Bimbo Chasing, and Championship Baseball with Straw, Doc, Mookie, Nails, the Kid, and the Rest of the 1986 Mets, the Rowdiest Team Ever to Put on a New York Uniform – and Maybe the Best, by Pearlman (read by the author)
  3. The Captain: The Journey of Derek Jeter, by Ian O’Connor
  4. Stealing Home: Los Angeles, the Dodgers, and the Lives Caught in Between, by Eric Nussbaum (my review of the print edition on Bookreporter.com)
  5. Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose, and the Last Glory Days of Baseball, by Keith O’Brien
  6. The Last Boy: Mickey Mantle and the End of America’s Childhood, by Jane Leavy
  7. Baseball, by Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns (narrated by Burns)

The print list is basically the same as last week for the top five spots. J.C. Bradbury’s new book makes its debut on the Kindle list.

Still not in the Amazon top ten? 501 Baseball Books Fans Must Read before They Die. FYI, as of this posting it ranks 3,190,318 in books overall; last time, 3,220,787. Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War ranks 3,642,427; last time, 3,649,898.

Shameless self-promotion: if you’re looking for some good baseball reading during this down time, why not pick up a copy of 501? It’s like the dictionary; it has the other books in it, which reminds me of one of my favorite lines from one of my favorite shows.

BUT…

Some exciting news (now we’ll see who’s paying attention and reading down this far).

Necessity is the mother of invention. Thanks to emergency surgery in which I said goodbye to a recalcitrant gallbladder, I have a couple off months for recuperation during which time I will be working on a revision of 501.

The new version will include all the original stuff but as you know if you’re a baseball reading fool, there have been a lot of great books published since 501 came out a dozen years ago. So since this isn’t a ranking where one title might be pushed off the list, the new material will appear as an added chapter.

A reminder: There’s an Excel “checklist” of the books list in 501. If you’re interested in keeping track of how many you have read or own, drop me a line.

If you have read either of my books, thanks, hope you enjoyed it, and please consider writing an Amazon review; it’s never too late.

 

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Throwback Thursday: Baseball Digest Rookie Specials, Part 1

October 22, 2026 · 0 comments

Baseball Digest Covers #150-199Back when it actually was a “digest,” the then- monthly publication devoted its March issue to up-and-coming players. The March 1970 offering touted “Scouting Reports on…Rookies from the Confidential Files of Major League Clubs,” which I’m guessing was hyperbolic.

Each “capsule” included the player’s DOB, height, weight, throwing and batting sides, a few minor league stats and observations,  and often whether they were married or single(!), along with the ScRep (scouting report).

A sampling of the most prominent name for each franchise (IMO) :

  • Darrell Evans, Braves, third base: “Bat is strongest plus. Had problems throwing in 1969. Could make big club in 1970.” Actually, he appeared in just 12 games that year before hanging on in 1971.
  • Joe Decker, Cubs, pitcher: “Exceptional poise for youngster, with good fastball, adequate breaking pitch and developing change. Should be ready this season.” Decker was 2-7 in his rookie years, making 17 starts.
  • Bernie Carbo, Reds, outfield: “Bat makes him a can’t miss player. Good hustler with speed but arm just average.” Carbo hit 23 homers with 63 RBI in 1970 and finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year voting, behind Carl Morton of the Expos.
  • John Mayberry, Astros, first base: “Can’t miss. Does it with bat and glove and hits with power. Also surprisingly fast for a big man.” Now there’s a cliche. But he didn’t really become a regular until 1972.
  • Roy Cey, Dodgers, infield: “Should rise fast in Dodgers chain. Good bat, needs to polish fielding. Two or three years away.” They were right: By 1973 he was the regular third baseman. He finished sixth in the NL ROY and began a string of six straight All Star appearances the following year.
  • Don Hahn, Expos, outfield: “Major Leaguer in outfield but lacks power and doesn’t hit for average. Might catch on as a utility outfielder.” Spot on. Probably most famous for his collision with George “The Stork” Theodore as a member of the Mets in 1973.
  • Ken Singleton, Mets, first-base/outfield: “Runs well for a big man [again?], fields well at first. Should hit well. Ready this year or next.” Accurate. Enjoyed a 15 year ML career before entering the broadcast booth.
  • Larry Bowa, Phillies, infield: “Exceptional fielder at second, good at short. Fair arm. Coming as a hitter. Can step in right away and do a big league job.” Spot on again. Finished third in NL ROY and had a grand career primarily at short. Became a short-tempered manager, although he was named NL Manager of the Year in his rookie season with the Phillies in 2001.
  • Dave Cash, Pirates, infield: “A fine looking second baseman. Made all the players in late season major league appearance. Almost sure to stick.” Yup. Led the NL in at-bats for three straight years.
  • Ted Simmons, Cardinals, catcher: “Adequate catcher but needs further development. Bat will carry him to majors. Considered No. 1 prospect in chain.” Enjoyed a 21-year career with eight All-Star appearances and was elected to Hall of Fame in 2020. Not bad for “adequate.”
  • Fred Kendall, Padres, catcher: “Should be regular Padres catcher this year or next. Plenty of hustle and know-how and can get his share of hits.” Didn’t crack 100 games until 1973.
  • Sorry but none of the Giants rookies really made a lasting impression, with all due respect.

Next week: the AL rookie reports (because I’m lazy).

 

Tagged as: Baseball Digest

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This date in baseball (book) history: Orel Hershiser

October 20, 2026 · 0 comments

On this date in 1988, Orel Hershiser — who would go on to unanimously win the NL Cy Young Award — clinched the World Championship for the LA Dodgers with a 5-2 win over the Oakland As.

Hershiser was 3-0 with a 1.05 ERA for the postseason after going 23-8 during the regular campaign in which he set the Major League mark of 59 consecutive scoreless innings pitched, breaking the record of 58 2⁄3 innings, held by former Dodger Don Drysdale.

He published Out of the Blue with sportswriter Jerry B. Jenkins the following January.

Tagged as: Orel Hershiser

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This date in baseball (book) history

October 19, 2026 · 0 comments

On this date in 2004, the Boston Red Sox came all the way back from a 3-0 deficit to the NY Yankees in the ALCS to win their first pennant since 1986. They would go on to win their first World Championship in 86 years, “reversing the curse,” as the saying goes.

As you can imagine, this was an ideal situation for book lovers (Sox book lovers, at least). Several titles were published over the next several months and even years, including:

Tagged as: Boston Red Sox

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Baseball Best-Sellers, October 16, 2026

October 16, 2026 · 0 comments

Amazon keeps changing the way they report, so that will be mirrored here. Sometimes there will be rankings of Kindle and audio-books on baseball, other times, not.

A reminder: The Amazon rankings are updated every hour, so these lists might not be 100 percent accurate by the time you read them (or even by the time I finish posting them). But close enough for government work, as the saying goes (see my piece on “Why Amazon’s search engine sucks“).

In addition, occasionally the powers-that-be over there try to pull a fast one by including a book in a category in which it should not be listed (in my opinion). For example, The Book of Why: The New Science of Cause and Effect has appeared on Amazon’s BBS list. “Why” is a good question. There might be a smattering of the national pastime in it, but not enough to make it a baseball book per se (again, IMO).

Finally, adults only here. That is, no books for younger readers (i.e., 12 and under). Also no “adult” adult books (romance/erotic fiction that features baseball as a theme although goodness knows there are a bunch of those out there).

So, with all that said…

The links under the authors’ names will take you to the Bookshelf Conversations I had with them. An asterisk denotes a book making its debut on the BBS list. And a “Ω” means it’s an award winner, almost always in the print version.

PRINT

  1. Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, by Michael Lewis Ω
  2. It’s All About the Players, by Peter Gammons (my review on Bookreporter)
  3. Why We Love Baseball: A History in 50 Moments, by Joe Posnanski (my review on Bookreporter) Ω
  4. The Cloudbuster Nine: The Untold Story of Ted Williams and the Baseball Team That Helped Win World War II, by Anne R. Keene (my Bookshelf review here)
  5. Banana Ball: The Unbelievably True Story of the Savannah Bananas, by Jesse Cole
  6. Touching All the Bases: A Story of Power, Purpose, and Surviving the Bronx, by Dave Winfield with Alan Maimon
  7. The Baseball 100, by Posnanski
  8. Ball Four: The Final Pitch, by Jim Bouton
  9. The Mental Game of Baseball: A Guide to Peak Performance, by H. A. Dorfman
  10. The Science of Hitting, by Ted Williams and John Underwood

KINDLE

  1. Love Me, Hate Me: Barry Bonds and the Making of an Antihero – A Nuanced Biography of Baseball’s Celebrated, Controversial Icon, by Jeff Perlman
  2. The Last of His Kind: Clayton Kershaw and the Burden of Greatness, by Andy McCullough
  3. The Soul of Baseball: A Road Trip Through Buck O’Neil’s America, by Posnanski
  4. Yogi: A Life Behind the Mask, by Jon Pessah
  5. Nine Innings: The Anatomy of a Baseball Game, by Daniel Okrent (Kindle Unlimited, see note)
  6. The Inside Game: Bad Calls, Strange Moves, and What Baseball Behavior Teaches Us About Ourselves, by Keith Law
  7. Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx Is Burning: 1977, Baseball, Politics, and the Battle for the Soul of a City, by Jonathan Mahler
  8. The Era, 1947–1957: When the Yankees, the Giants, and the Dodgers Ruled the World, by Roger Kahn (Kindle Unlimited, see note)
  9. The Last Innocents: The Collision of the Turbulent Sixties and the Los Angeles Dodgers, by Michael Leahy Ω (Kindle Unlimited, see note)
  10. The Last Boy: Mickey Mantle and the End of America’s Childhood, by Jane Leavy

AUDIO BOOKS

  1. Nolan: The Singular Life of an American Original, by Tim Brown (my review of the print edition on Bookreporter)
  2. The Methany Manifesto, by Mike Methany with Jerry B. Jenkins
  3. The Captain: The Journey of Derek Jeter, by Ian O’Connor
  4. The Bad Guys Won: A Season of Brawling, Boozing, Bimbo Chasing, and Championship Baseball with Straw, Doc, Mookie, Nails, the Kid, and the Rest of the 1986 Mets, the Rowdiest Team Ever to Put on a New York Uniform – and Maybe the Best, by Pearlman (read by the author)
  5. Unhittable: How Technology, Mavericks, and Innovators Engineered Baseball’s New Era of Pitching Dominance, by Rob Friedman
  6. Make Me Commissioner: I Know What’s Wrong with Baseball and How to Fix It, by Jane Leavy (read. by the author)
  7. Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose, and the Last Glory Days of Baseball, by Keith O’Brien
  8. Ty Cobb: A Terrible Beauty, by Charles Leerhsen

Note: These books are included as Kindle Unlimited titles. See the books’ pages for details.

Still not in the Amazon top ten? 501 Baseball Books Fans Must Read before They Die. FYI, as of this posting it ranks 3,220,787 in books overall; last time, 3,205,483. Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War ranks 3,649,898; last time, 3,628,659.

Shameless self-promotion: if you’re looking for some good baseball reading during this down time, why not pick up a copy of 501? It’s like the dictionary; it has the other books in it, which reminds me of one of my favorite lines from one of my favorite shows.

BUT…

Some exciting news (now we’ll see who’s paying attention and reading down this far).

Necessity is the mother of invention. Thanks to emergency surgery in which I said goodbye to a recalcitrant gallbladder, I have a couple off months for recuperation during which time I will be working on a revision of 501.

The new version will include all the original stuff but as you know if you’re a baseball reading fool, there have been a lot of great books published since 501 came out a dozen years ago. So since this isn’t a ranking where one title might be pushed off the list, the new material will appear as an added chapter.

A reminder: There’s an Excel “checklist” of the books list in 501. If you’re interested in keeping track of how many you have read or own, drop me a line.

If you have read either of my books, thanks, hope you enjoyed it, and please consider writing an Amazon review; it’s never too late.

 

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Throwback Thursday: A book in need of a revision

October 15, 2026 · 0 comments

But sadly, Christy Walsh is no longer around.

A lot of these TT posts are a product of laziness. I look around the house and see what might qualify. In this case, I was reconciling my checking account when my eyes fell on this on an adjacent bookshelf:

https://pictures.abebooks.com/inventory/32171050472._FMavif_.jpg

Published in 1952, it obviously includes players that might not even make modern “best” lists.

Walsh compiled and edited the 300-plus page book which contains the “usual suspects”: Ruth, Cobb, Mathewson, DiMaggio, et al. The chapters were contributed by writers whose names mean little to all but the most ardent fans of sports writing. But there’s always some deserving player who gets overlooked. Perhaps why there is a final chapter by the estimable Fred Lieb titled “A Rebuttal.”

I purchased my copy on-line. I see Abe Books has one for sale for $20.

Act now!

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Baseball Best-Sellers, October 9, 2026

October 9, 2026 · 0 comments

Amazon keeps changing the way they report, so that will be mirrored here. Sometimes there will be rankings of Kindle and audio-books on baseball, other times, not.

A reminder: The Amazon rankings are updated every hour, so these lists might not be 100 percent accurate by the time you read them (or even by the time I finish posting them). But close enough for government work, as the saying goes (see my piece on “Why Amazon’s search engine sucks“).

In addition, occasionally the powers-that-be over there try to pull a fast one by including a book in a category in which it should not be listed (in my opinion). For example, The Book of Why: The New Science of Cause and Effect has appeared on Amazon’s BBS list. “Why” is a good question. There might be a smattering of the national pastime in it, but not enough to make it a baseball book per se (again, IMO).

Finally, adults only here. That is, no books for younger readers (i.e., 12 and under). Also no “adult” adult books (romance/erotic fiction that features baseball as a theme although goodness knows there are a bunch of those out there).

So, with all that said…

The links under the authors’ names will take you to the Bookshelf Conversations I had with them. An asterisk denotes a book making its debut on the BBS list. And a “Ω” means it’s an award winner, almost always in the print version.

PRINT

  1. Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, by Michael Lewis Ω
  2. 72 Stories: From the Baseball Collection of Geddy Lee, by Geddy Lee
  3. It’s All About the Players, by Peter Gammons (my review on Bookreporter)
  4. Touching All the Bases: A Story of Power, Purpose, and Surviving the Bronx, by Dave Winfield with Alan Maimon
  5. Nolan: The Singular Life of an American Original, by Tim Brown (my review on Bookreporter)
  6. The Wingmen: The Unlikely, Unusual, Unbreakable Friendship Between John Glenn and Ted Williams, by Adam Lazarus
  7. Why We Love Baseball: A History in 50 Moments, by Joe Posnanski (my review on Bookreporter) Ω
  8. The Baseball 100, by Posnanski
  9. The Cloudbuster Nine: The Untold Story of Ted Williams and the Baseball Team That Helped Win World War II, by Anne R. Keene (my Bookshelf review here)
  10. Hardball Retro’s Compendium of Baseball Tabletop Simulations, Derek Bain et al

KINDLE

  1. I Never Had It Made: An Autobiography, by Jackie Robinson and Alfred Duckett
  2. The Last of His Kind: Clayton Kershaw and the Burden of Greatness, by Andy McCullough
  3. Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx Is Burning: 1977, Baseball, Politics, and the Battle for the Soul of a City, by Jonathan Mahler
  4. The Summer of Beer and Whiskey: How Brewers, Barkeeps, Rowdies, Immigrants, and a Wild Pennant Fight Made Baseball America’s Game, by Edward Achorn
  5. Seasons in Hell: With Billy Martin, Whitey Herzog and, “the Worst Baseball Team in History”—The 1973–1975 Texas Rangers, by Mike Shropshire
  6. Planet of the Umps: A Baseball Life from Behind the Plate, by Ken Kaiser with David Fisher
  7. Bottom of the Ninth: Branch Rickey, Casey Stengel, and the Daring Scheme to Save Baseball from Itself, by Michael Shapiro
  8. Nine Innings: The Anatomy of a Baseball Game, by Daniel Okrent (Kindle Unlimited; see note)
  9. The Last Innocents: The Collision of the Turbulent Sixties and the Los Angeles Dodgers, by Michael Leahy Ω (Kindle Unlimited, see note)
  10. Rogers Hornsby: A Biography, by Charles Alexander

AUDIO BOOKS

  1. The Bad Guys Won: A Season of Brawling, Boozing, Bimbo Chasing, and Championship Baseball with Straw, Doc, Mookie, Nails, the Kid, and the Rest of the 1986 Mets, the Rowdiest Team Ever to Put on a New York Uniform – and Maybe the Best, by Pearlman (read by the author)
  2. Beyond Belief: Finding the Strength to Come Back, by Josh Hamilton and Tim Keown
  3. The Captain: The Journey of Derek Jeter, by Ian O’Connor
  4. Just Enough, David Eckstein with Jake Gronsky (narrated by Eckstein)

FYI, The Saga of Sudden Sam, the late Sam McDowell’s memoir, finished #11.

If you enjoy “seeing how the sausage is made,” I highly recommend Nine Innings. There have been a few books dissecting a random game. This is one of the better choices.

Note: These books are included as Kindle Unlimited titles. See the books’ pages for details.

Still not in the Amazon top ten? 501 Baseball Books Fans Must Read before They Die. FYI, as of this posting it ranks 3,205,483 in books overall; last time, 3,166,002. Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War ranks 3,628,659 ; last time, 3,524,673.

Shameless self-promotion: if you’re looking for some good baseball reading during this down time, why not pick up a copy of 501? It’s like the dictionary; it has the other books in it, which reminds me of one of my favorite lines from one of my favorite shows.

BUT…

Some exciting news (now we’ll see who’s paying attention and reading down this far).

Necessity is the mother of invention. Thanks to emergency surgery in which I said goodbye to a recalcitrant gallbladder, I have a couple off months for recuperation during which time I will be working on a revision of 501.

The new version will include all the original stuff but as you know if you’re a baseball reading fool, there have been a lot of great books published since 501 came out a dozen years ago. So since this isn’t a ranking where one title might be pushed off the list, the new material will appear as an added chapter.

A reminder: There’s an Excel “checklist” of the books list in 501. If you’re interested in keeping track of how many you have read or own, drop me a line.

If you have read either of my books, thanks, hope you enjoyed it, and please consider writing an Amazon review; it’s never too late.

 

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Throwback Thursday: Be kind, Remind

October 8, 2026 · 0 comments

Remind magazine is for “people of a certain age,” of which, for better or worse, I am now a member.

Each issue is based on a theme but seems to devote itself primarily to TV shows from a specific period. (There was even a baseball issue published in May 2024, which led to my subscribing to the publication.)

The July/August issue is all about “Americana,” celebrating the country’s 250th anniversary. One of the feature stories is “How Baseball Brought America Back” by Rob Edelstein.

Just a thought as the cooler days of fall approach.

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Lest We Forget: Sam McDowell and Fred Claire

"Ripped from today's headlines..."

Sam McDowell, the fireballing lefty, passed away Sunday at the age of 84. Here’s his obituary from The New York Times by Richard Goldstein. McDowell was one of the most intimidating pitchers during the 1960s, mostly with the Cleveland Indians where he made his debut at the age of 18. He was a six-time All-Star, […]

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Baseball for everyone?

"Oddballs"

I was starting to do the research for my post on upcoming baseball books and a couple of titles caught my eye. I don’t know why, but they struck a nerve. (Full disclosure: I have not read these books.) The first is Baseball Facts for Men: Fascinating History, Records, Players and Ballparks. No author listed. […]

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Something else Saturday

"Oddballs"

Riffing on Throwback Thursday… Saturday, October 3, is a triple anniversary. Baseball knows it as the date Bobby Thomson delivered “the Shot Heard ‘Round the World.” But it is also the birthday for two significant personalities: Hall of Fame outfielder Dave Winfield and blind sportswriter Ed Lucas. What else do these have in common? They […]

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Baseball Best-Seller, October 2, 2026

2025 title

Amazon keeps changing the way they report, so that will be mirrored here. Sometimes there will be rankings of Kindle and audio-books on baseball, other times, not. A reminder: The Amazon rankings are updated every hour, so these lists might not be 100 percent accurate by the time you read them (or even by the […]

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Bits and Pieces, October 2, 2026

2026 title

♦  From 27East.com, “Longtime baseball writer and commentator Ken Davidoff will discuss his career and his first book, the young adult title “101 Lessons From the Dugout,” on Sunday, October 11, from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Amagansett Free Library.” ♦  RedCarpetCrash posted this review of Peter Gammons’ new book, which I haven’t read […]

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Throwback Thursday: M*A*S*H*-up

Baseball in war time

One of my “comfort” TV shows has been M*A*S*H*, which ran eight years long than the Korean War it was supposed to cover. Season eight, episode 23, titled “War Co-Respondent” was written by Mike Farrell, who played B.J. Honeycutt, Hawkeye’s colleague and best friend. There were a few episodes of the series that included baseball […]

Tagged as: M*A*S*H

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Bookshelf Review: 50 Forgotten Cardinals

"Oddballs"

50 Forgotten Cardinals: The Short Story of 50 Lesser Known and Sometimes Forgotten St. Louis Cardinals, by Will Saulsbery Now normally I wouldn’t review a book like this. It’s self published with many questionable choices as to layout and presentation. But it made me think of Joe Shlabotnik. Don’t bother looking him up on Baseball-Reference.com. […]

Tagged as: St. Louis Cardinals

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Not worth the paper it’s printed on?

"Annuals"

So the season has come to end. And now it’s time to see how accurate those pre-season magazines were in their predictions. Granted, these are made with everything being equal. That is, they don’t take into account the inevitable injuries that might derail a team’s chances. On the other hand, some choices are pretty obvious. […]

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