Baseball Best-Sellers, November 13, 2026

November 13, 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.

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/BW_MEDIAX_AVIF_MEASUREMENT_1306696-T4/images/I/71NkzHHHtjL._SL1359_.jpgPRINT

  1. ESPN Milwaukee Brewers 2026 World Series Champions! A Special Commemorative Edition * (Available Nov. 15)
  2. 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)
  3. Relentless: A Milwaukee Brewers World Series Commemorative Book, published by KCI
  4. Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, by Michael Lewis Ω
  5. Our Way: How The Milwaukee Brewers Captured a Historic World Series Title, published by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
  6. It’s All About the Players, by Peter Gammons (my review on Bookreporter)
  7. Touching All the Bases: A Story of Power, Purpose, and Surviving the Bronx, by Dave Winfield with Alan Maimon
  8. The Baseball 100, by Joe Posnanski
  9. The Wingmen: The Unlikely, Unusual, Unbreakable Friendship Between John Glenn and Ted Williams, by Adam Lazarus
  10. Why We Love Baseball: A History in 50 Moments, by Joe Posnanski (my review on Bookreporter) Ω

KINDLE

  1. Another Chance, by Stu Moss
  2. The Bosses of the Bronx: The Endless Drama of the Yankees Under the House of Steinbrenner, by Mike Vaccaro (my review on Bookreporter, as part of a feature on 2026 baseball titles)
  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 Last Folk Hero: The Life and Myth of Bo Jackson, by Jeff Pearlman
  5. The Boys of Summer, by Roger Kahn
  6. David Halberstam on Sports: Summer of ’49, October 1964, The Amateurs, Playing for Keeps
  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
  8. Pinstripe Empire: The New York Yankees from Before the Babe to After the Boss, by Marty Appel (Kindle Plus, see note)
  9. The Glory of Their Times: The Story of the Early Days of Baseball Told by the Men Who Played It, by Lawrence Ritter
  10. 3 Nights in August: Strategy, Heartbreak, and Joy Inside the Mind of a Manager, by Buzz Bissinger

AUDIO BOOKS

  1. Kings and Pawns: Jackie Robinson and Paul Robeson in America, by Howard Bryant
  2. The Kid: The Immortal Life of Ted Williams, by Ben Bradlee Jr.
  3. Rickey: The Life and Legend of an American Original, by Howard Bryant

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 another book about the Brewers hit the list. Still surprised that it’s not immediately available. I know I’ve written that before, but these books just keep popping up. I wonder where the Sports Illustrated version is?

Still not in the Amazon top ten? 501 Baseball Books Fans Must Read before They Die. FYI, as of this posting it ranks 3,326,344 in books overall; last time, 3,209,628. Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War ranks 3,634,948 ; last time, 3,653,853.

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: The Transistor Radio

November 12, 2026 · 0 comments

Kids, ask your grandparents.

Sadly, my sister-in-law, Ruth, passed away unexpectedly a few weeks ago. My wife visited her partner and came back with some family mementos including an old transistor radio like this.

Vintage Panasonic Transistor Radio Solid State AM Receiver Mini Pocket Audio Black Silver Aluminum Cool Mod Design - Etsy

It reminded me that this was the way many young people listened to games at night when they were supposed to be sleeping, using an ear-piece or hiding the radio under their pillow.

Recently, David Sampson — who according to many was one of those responsible for the death of the Montreal Expos — said, “We don’t need baseball on radio anymore. The only reason we have baseball on radio is so people can feel better about what baseball means to them.”

And what, exactly, is wrong with that?

 

 

 

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Lest we Forget: Bob Boone

November 11, 2026 · 0 comments

Autographed BOB BOONE 1981 Topps cardAccording to Tyler Kepner in The Athletic, “Bob Boone, one of history’s most durable catchers and the middle link in a three-generation chain of major league All-Stars, has died. Boone, a seven-time Gold Glove winner who later worked as a manager and front office executive, was 78 years old.”

Here’s Boone’s obituary from the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Boone played for 19 seasons, appearing in 131 games for the Kansas City Royals at the age of 41. He made his debut with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1972 and also played for the California Angels.

His father, Ray, was a two-time All-Star over the course of his 13-year career which ran from 1948-1960. Bob’s sons, Brett and Aaron, also enjoyed big league success with multiple All-Star appearances and other awards during their stints. Like his father, who managed the Royals and Cincinnati Reds for a combined six seasons, Aaron became a manager, leading the New York Yankees since 2018.

 

No photo description available.

 

 

 

Tagged as: Bob Boone

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Honoring our veterans

November 11, 2026 · 0 comments

Reprising previous posts about baseball and wars.

Since that those posts were published, there has been another title that has regularly appeared on the weekly Baseball Best-Sellers list: The Wingmen: The Unlikely, Unusual, Unbreakable Friendship Between John Glenn and Ted Williams, by Adam Lazarus.

 

Tagged as: Veterans Day

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Baseball Best-Sellers, November 6, 2026

November 6, 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. Our Way: How The Milwaukee Brewers Captured a Historic World Series Title, published by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Available Nov. 10)
  2. Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, by Michael Lewis Ω
  3. 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)
  4. It’s All About the Players, by Peter Gammons (my review on Bookreporter)
  5. Relentless: A Milwaukee Brewers World Series Commemorative Book, published by KCI * (Available Nov. 10)
  6. The Ultimate Baseball Trivia Challenge: Over 600 Quiz Questions for Die-Hard Baseball Fans, by Hank Patton
  7. Why We Love Baseball: A History in 50 Moments, by Joe Posnanski (my review on Bookreporter) Ω
  8. Touching All the Bases: A Story of Power, Purpose, and Surviving the Bronx, by Dave Winfield with Alan Maimon
  9. Heads-Up Baseball : Playing the Game One Pitch at a Time, by Tom Hanson and Ken Ravizza 
  10. The Baseball 100, by Posnanski

KINDLE

  1. Another Chance, by Stu Moss *
  2. The Bosses of the Bronx: The Endless Drama of the Yankees Under the House of Steinbrenner, by Mike Vaccaro (my review on Bookreporter, as part of a feature on 2026 baseball titles)
  3. 1954: The Year Willie Mays and the First Generation of Black Superstars Changed Major League Baseball Forever, by Bill Madden
  4. David Halberstam on Sports: Summer of ’49, October 1964, The Amateurs, Playing for Keeps
  5. The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports, by Jeff Passan
  6. Unhittable: How Technology, Mavericks, and Innovators Engineered Baseball’s New Era of Pitching Dominance, by Rob Friedman
  7. Sandy Koufax: A Lefty’s Legacy, by Jane Leavy
  8. Pinstripe Empire: The New York Yankees from Before the Babe to After the Boss, by Marty Appel (Kindle Plus, see note)
  9. 3 Nights in August: Strategy, Heartbreak, and Joy Inside the Mind of a Manager, by Buzz Bissinger
  10. Eight Men Out: The Black Sox and the 1919 World Series, by Eliot Asinof

AUDIO BOOKS

  1. Ball Four: The Final Pitch, by Jim Bouton (narrated by the author)
  2. The Glory of Their Times: The Story of the Early Days of Baseball Told by the Men Who Played It, by Lawrence Ritter
  3. Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx Is Burning: 1977, Baseball, Politics, and the Battle for the Soul of a City, by Jonathan Mahler
  4. Rickey: The Life and Legend of an American Original, by Howard Bryant
  5. The Methany Manifesto, by Mike Methany with Jerry B. Jenkins

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 another book about the Brewers hit the list. Still 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 3,209,628 in books overall; last time, 3,184,071. Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War ranks 3,653,853 ; last time, 3,628,505.

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: Yankee Fantasy Camp

November 5, 2026 · 0 comments

I was doing one of my occasional office clean-ups yesterday when I came across a DVD of the Yankee Fantasy Camp I attended in 2009 as an embedded journalist when I was with the New Jersey Jewish News in 2009 — back when I had hair! The reason it was “newsworthy” was because it was the first time the Yankees did a little something-something for their observant Jewish fans.

Not going to get into the whole megilah but you can read the story I wrote for the NJJN here and see a snippet of me in “action” below.

 

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This date in baseball (book) history: Election Day

November 3, 2026 · 0 comments

According to On This Day in Baseball History: A Day-by-Day Account of Baseball’s Most Indelible Moments:

Despite winning the Triple Crown, Boston Red Sox slugger Ted Williams falls short in American League MVP voting, finishing 21 points behind second baseman Joe Gordon of the New York Yankees.

There are too many books about Williams to list here, so I’ll just go with a couple of my favorites.

Tagged as: Ted Williams

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Lest we forget: Jerry Koosman

November 2, 2026 · 0 comments

Jerry Koosman, who got final out in the 1969 Miracle Mets' World Series victory, dies at 83 – WAVY.comThis time, it’s personal.

Jerry Koosman, one of the “Miracle Mets” of my youth, died on Sunday at his home in Osceola, Wis. He was 83.

He made his debut in 1967  (0-2) but the following year enjoyed the Mets’ best pitching record to date, going 19-12 to finish second in NL Rookie of the Year voting, behind Johnny Bench. He was also named to the league’s All-Star team and finished among the top 25 in MVP voting

The following year, Koosman went 17-9 and won two games in the World Series against the Baltimore Orioles, including a complete game in the finale. I was talking with a colleague of mine at work, noting what a rare thing it would be now to even think of tossing a CG in the post-season.

Here’s the famous photo, “The Battery is Fully Charged,” by the legendary Walter Iooss, Jr. Sadly, Ed Charles and Jerry Grote, shown in the iconic shot, are also gone.

Jerry Koosman, who got final out in the 1969 Miracle Mets' World Series victory, dies at 83 | WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather

Koosman won 21 games for the Mets in 1976 and lost 20 the following season. He was traded to the Minnesota Twins in 1978 in a deal that eventually brought Jesse Orosco to the Mets. Koosman also pitched for the White Sox and Phillies  in a career that lasted 19 seasons, finishing with a record of 222-209.

Needless to say, Koosman is a staple in every book written about that year and the history of the Mets in general. Surprisingly, there has never been a book written solely about him.

Here’s his obituary from The New York Times by Richard Goldstein.

Topps 1968 Topps Rookie Stars card featuring Nolan Ryan and Jerry Koosman in blue Mets #177 uniforms with red and yellow text.

Tagged as: Jerry Koosman

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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

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 […]

Read the full article →

Throwback Thursday: Baseball Digest Rookie Specials, Part 1

Business of baseball

Back 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 […]

Tagged as: Baseball Digest

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This date in baseball (book) history: Orel Hershiser

Autobiography/memoirs

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 […]

Tagged as: Orel Hershiser

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This date in baseball (book) history

"Ripped from today's headlines..."

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 […]

Tagged as: Boston Red Sox

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Baseball Best-Sellers, October 16, 2026

"Bookshelf Conversations"

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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Throwback Thursday: A book in need of a revision

"Oddballs"

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: Published in 1952, it obviously includes players […]

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Baseball Best-Sellers, October 9, 2026

2026 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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Throwback Thursday: Be kind, Remind

2026 title

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 […]

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