Baseball/History Books: My Take

I love baseball and I love history, so books that have history and baseball are among my favorites.  Below I've categorized several books I've read that fit into the category of history and baseball.

Not Recommended

Cobb: A Biography by Al Stump

Al Stump was a hack. Actually that's putting things far too kindly.  Stump made loads of money by making up stories about Ty Cobb that were entirely untrue, but have been widely shared as if they were fact.  Book stores shouldn't even carry this book anymore, but they do.  If you want to read about the shady work done in this book, check out this article. 

Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig by Jonathan Eig

As I read this book, I had to ask myself, "Why does Eig dislike Lou Gehrig so much?"  Eig takes every chance he can to diminish Gehrig and his words seem to indicate that he truly didn't like or respect Gehrig. I was very disappointed in this biography. 

Recommended With Reservations

Red Legs and Black Sox: Edd Roush and the Untold Story of the 1919 World Series by Susan Dellinger

Many books in this category suffer because they are written by amateurs (and by "amateurs" I mean that in the truest sense of the word, they write about something because of their love for it).  This book examines that "other" side of the 1919 World Series, which was made famous by the Black Sox scandal.  Dellinger was interested in telling this story because she is a granddaughter of the great Reds player Edd Roush.  Unfortunately, because of this relationship, the author often writes as if Roush was a complete saint who never did anything wrong, while everyone around him was shady.

Even with that downside, the rest of the book has a lot of good to offer.  It's interesting to hear about the rampant betting going on in baseball and how players like Hal Chase were known more for their betting than their play on the field. 

Tris Speaker: The Rough-And-Tumble Life Of A Baseball Legend by Timothy Gay

Tris Speaker might be the most underrated baseball player in history.  His play in center field was legendary, even in his own time. He is the all time record holder for doubles in a career and he has the sixth highest batting average in history.  

I always wanted to learn more about this player, so I was excited to read this book. The book was well researched, but the storytelling is at times choppy and the book sometimes feels disjointed.  However, there is much to commend in this book, so in spite of the shortcomings it is worth your time. 

Ty Cobb by Charles Alexander

Alexander's biography of Cobb is, for the most part, very well researched.  His writing style is a bit dry, but not overly so.  The biggest issue with this book is that Alexander simply accepted as fact the stories Al Stump made up in his "biography" and passes them along as fact. 

Jimmie Foxx: The Pride of Sudlersville by Mark R. Millikin

Jimmie Foxx is one of those names I always saw as a kid, when looking at the all time records, and was blown away at his career numbers, but a player about whom I knew very little.  I was glad to find this book about Double X and have a chance to learn about the man.  

The problem with this book is an issue found in many such biographies; it gets bogged down in details.  Sometimes it simply reads as a list of events happening one after another, rather than as a story.  But I was still glad to be able to learn about this legendary player.

Harry Hooper: AN AMERICAN BASEBALL LIFE by Paul J. Zingg

Harry Hooper isn't a name most baseball fans know these days, but he lived a pretty increadible life.  This book does a nice job of detailing the world of baseball on the west coast in the early 1900's.  When Hooper made it to the major leagues, he was a rarity since he came from California. 

This book, unfortunately, also suffers from some of the same problems as many other baseball biographies, as it will often list stats and events instead of telling the story.  But this book was very helpful to me in understanding the minor leagues in California during that time and gave a few new insights to the great Boston Red Sox clubs of the 1910's decade.

Recommended

Ty Cobb: A Terrible Beauty by Charles Leerhsen

Ty Cobb has a terrible reputation these days, but much of that is based on lies from Al Stump's book on Cobb.  In this book, Leerhsen works hard to give a picture of the real Ty Cobb; a man who was far from perfect, but also was far from the monster he is portrayed to be these days. 

This is one of the best biographies I have ever read. The writing is clear, the storytelling is well done, and the evidence is presented fairly. 

Summer of '49 by David Halberstam

This is one of the books that helped me to fall in love with baseball/history books. Halberstam writes about iconic players like Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams, but tells about the other players in equal detail.  It is clear the this was a work of love fro Halberstam and this is a book that remains a favorite for me.   

October 1964 by David Halberstam

This was a follow-up to The Summer of '49 and it was a good one.  Halberstam tells of how the culture was changing in the 1960's and how St. Louis took advantage of the great talent available now that the Negro League was a thing of the past and baseball was fully integrated.  The Yankees however, were very reluctant to embrace the newly available talent.  

I didn't enjoy this one as much as The Summer of '49 even though it involves my favorite team, but it is still an excellent book and well worth your time. 

Walter Johnson: Baseball's Big Train by Henry W. Thomas

The Big Train was the greatest pitcher of his era and one of the greatest ever, but because he pitched for the lowly Washington Senators and because of his funky throwing motion, he sometimes gets overlooked these days.  

Thomas does a wonderful job in this biography of telling of Johnson's amazing pitching exploits, but also helping the reader to get to know the man.  I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Johnson and his Washington Senators teams.

By Mike Sowell - Pitch That Killed by Mike Sowell

Only once, in the history of major league baseball, has a player been killed by being hit by a pitch. Ray Chapman, while playing for the Indians as they were in the midst of a pennant chase, was hit by a pitch from submariner Carl Mays and died.  The book shares the back story for Mays and for Chapman and tells of what happened after this terrible event. 

Catcher In The Wry: Outrageous but True Stories of Baseball by Bob Uecker 

When most people hear the title The Catcher in the Rye they think of the book by J.D. Salinger. But when I hear or read that, I think of Bob Uecker's hilarious baseball book. I read this when I was in grade school and it's still a favorite. Uecker tells stories from his time in the minor leagues, in the military, and in the majors and does so with his famous humor.  One of my favorite parts was when he was reprimanded by his commanding officer for throwing grenades like he throws a baseball instead of lobbing them.  

Satchel: The Life and Times of an American Legend by Larry Tye

Satch was one of the greatest pitchers to ever grip a baseball, but because of segregation he was unable to pitch in the major leagues until he was well past his prime.  In this book we get to know Satchel Page the man and learn about the Negro Leagues and how they operated. This was a fun, but thought provoking book. 

The Soul of Baseball: A Road Trip Through Buck O’Neil’s America by Joe Posnanski

Like many others, I was first introduced to Buck O'Neil by Ken Burn's documentary Baseball.  O'Neil showed himself to be a man of great humor and dignity.  I was excited to learn more about the man, so I was thrilled to find this book. 

This is a story that has baseball in the background, but is far more about a great man making his way in a society that was incredibly hostile to him. You will be challenged and touched by this book.