Ball Four

Jim Bouton

Ball Four by Jim Bouton is my personal favorite book. It takes the reader behind the scenes, into what life as a big leaguer was like in the 60s. Stories about Mickey Mantle and dealing with management, it created a lot of controversy. People said it slayed American heroes but to me it made them all the more like me. A must read for any baseball fan.

The baseball bible. Not a book that you read cover to cover. It goes decade to decade. Covering everything from how the game was played, who played it, nicknames, even the ugliest players. A book you can just flip to a random page and find something you didn’t know. It also gives an outstanding rankings of the all time best players by position. And what baseball guy doesn’t like rankings?…

I wish he would come out with an updated version. The latest edition was 2003 when the steroid boys like Bonds and Clemens were playing but it wasn’t public that they were cheating. I’d love to get Mr. Bill James’ take on that black mark of the game.

Why We Love Baseball: A History in 50 Moments

Joe Posnanski

What a fantastic read. If you have found yourself on this nobody blogger’s baseball book review page then you are a baseball nut, like myself. And this book is a must read for you. It’s not baseballs “greatest” moments. It’s simply baseballs most “memorable” moments, in his opinion. And I think the best part about this book is that it creates conversations. I had conversations with myself while I was reading. “Hey man this should be higher on the list.” Or “hey he didn’t put Todd Pratt’s 5-4-3 triple play in here.” …

You won’t regret getting this book. Buy it. Give it to your old man to read, or your mom or some nobody on the street.It’s helping to keep the joy of the game of baseball alive. 

Also, I believe its available to listen to on Spotify if thats your jam.