One of the best perks of authoring a long-standing and popular blog is that, each season, I receive several review copies of baseball books. For a baseball book junkie like me, this is just like manna from heaven.

And, today, I received a package of books from Dover Publications which included the following:

• This Side of Cooperstown: An Oral History of Major League Baseball in the 1950s – by Larry Moffi (originally published in 1996, to be reissued in March 2010)
• My Twenty Years in Baseball – by Ty Cobb (originally published in 1925, reissued in June 2009)
• Even the Browns: Baseball During World War II – by William B. Mead (originally published in 1978, reissued in February 2010)
• My 66 Years in the Big Leagues – by Connie Mack (originally published in 1950, reissued in April 2009)

They each look good – fun and informative portals leading into baseball’s past. What’s not to love about that? If you enjoy baseball history and books covering it as much as me, you’ll want to check these out.

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I just started reading an advance copy of “Willie Mays: The Life, The Legend” (by James S. Hirsch) on Friday. (The book is scheduled to be released this coming Tuesday.) It’s going to take me a while to get through it – after all, it’s close to 600 pages worth of ‘reading.’ (The info on the book lists it as 628 pages – but that includes source notes, etc. In actuality, the book is closer to 566 pages of ’story.’)

I’m enjoying “Willie Mays: The Life, The Legend” so far. It’s incredibly well sourced and crafted. From what I’ve read to date, the book has what I call “The Time Machine Effect” – meaning, as you read it, you truly feel as if you were there, in real time, watching all that is being described, etc. The author, Hirsch, excels at painting a picture with his words that pulls you in to the story.

In any event, David Takami just did a review of this book for the Seattle Times. Click here to read it. Here’s a few snips of what he had to say about “Willie Mays: The Life, The Legend” -

In “Willie Mays: The Life, The Legend,” James Hirsch, author of “Hurricane: the Miraculous Journey of Rubin Carter,” has written an enormously entertaining and wide-ranging biography — a fitting tribute to Mays, the Hall of Fame ball player, and a thoughtful account of the complex and often misunderstood man. That this book got written at all is a notable accomplishment. Mays is famously prickly with reporters and refuses most requests for interviews. After seven years of trying, Hirsch finally got Mays to meet with him and talk.

True baseball fans will delight in the author’s edge-of-seat game reports and picture-perfect descriptions of Mays’ superlative talents. He was the game’s first “five-tool” player, excelling at hitting, hitting for power, base running, throwing and fielding. One special treat: Hirsch devotes an entire chapter to Mays’ legendary over-the-shoulder grab of Vic Wertz’s line drive — known as “the Catch” — in the first game of the 1954 World Series.

This is a superb baseball book, but it’s also a riveting narrative of Mays’ life and times, ranging from his penchant for fancy suits to urban development in New York City to the giddy cult of celebrity. In the mid-1950s, Willie Mays was as famous as anyone in the country, gracing the cover of Time and other magazines and appearing on numerous television shows

This is a 600-page book that never flags and educates as it entertains. But what I’m most grateful for is the chance to “see” the player whom I’ve only imagined. I grew up idolizing Willie Mays but was too young to ever see him play. This book makes me feel like I have.

Based on how far I’ve gotten with “Willie Mays: The Life, The Legend,” I agree with everything that David Takami says about it. This is one new baseball book that you’ll want to check out.

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Today was a Jury Duty day down in the Land of Thunder. Ah, nothing like having to leave the house at 6:45 am for a nice 50 mile drive…

But, since I was going to be penned up for the day, or most of it, I decided to take advantage of it.

I’m a self-confessed baseball book junkie. But, as such, I sometimes buy baseball books and don’t read them right away. It’s usually because I’m reading another, or more, baseball books at the same time that I bought the one which landed in the “read later” pile. And, to be candid, the “read later” pile is bigger than I would like to confess to…especially over the last 6 years or so, since I have such little “free” time these days.

But, today, I was determined to rescue one book off the pile. And, I chose “Paths to Glory: How Great Baseball Teams Got That Way.” I picked this one up, in hardcover, back in 2003 because I heard a lot of good things, back then, about it. But, sadly, it got buried in the “pile.” Until…today!

Cracking it open, now, and having a chance to get into it, I now see what all the buzz was about six-some years ago. “Paths to Glory: How Great Baseball Teams Got That Way” is a very good book. And, now that I’ve started it, I’m not putting it back until I finish it.

If you’ve never read it, I suggest that you check it out.

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You’re probably aware of Josh Wilker’s blog Cardboard Gods. And, if so, the fact that Josh has a book coming out, Cardboard Gods: An All-American Tale Told Through Baseball Cards, should not be news to you. (And, if you’ve never heard of his blog and book, now you have!)

While the book is not slated to be published until April 1st, the good folks at Seven Footer Press have provided me with an advanced reader’s copy. And, now that I’ve finished Cardboard Gods: An All-American Tale Told Through Baseball Cards, here’s my review of Wilker’s forthcoming book.

Don’t be mistaken, Cardboard Gods is not a book about baseball cards in the sense that it details the industry and/or hobby of collecting them. More so, this book is the memoir of Josh Wilker using the anchors of his childhood, his beloved baseball card collection, as selected portals into various parts of his life story. And, his story is somewhat atypical to the Norman Rockwell chronicled nuclear family setting that many of us have experienced.

Related, as I was reading Cardboard Gods, at times, I found myself thinking “This is sort of like the PG-13 baseball fan version of The Basketball Diaries, written by the late Jim Carroll.” (And, in fact, I later learned that Josh is a fan of that work and writer.)

Now, this is not to say that this book is a rip. It’s merely shared to inform that this is not a book for those who can’t handle a story that is…let’s say…”colorful” and “strikingly unconventional.” And, in reality, I found Cardboard Gods to be absolutely engrossing. Wilker’s unique presentation approach (using his baseball card collection) and clever picturing painting through word selection, combined with the story of his avant-garde upbringing and its residual impact, make Cardboard Gods one heckuva of a compelling read. And, I highly recommend this book.

April always brings a slew of new baseball book. When that time comes, be sure to make room for Cardboard Gods: An All-American Tale Told Through Baseball Cards among those that you elect to read. There’s a lot in this one – and something for everybody.

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For the last ten days or so, I’ve been thumbing through the “Graphical Player 2010” – and having a great time doing it!

For those not aware, the Graphical Player annual has been issued since 2004. (Actually, until 2007, it was called “Graphical Pitcher” – as it covered pitchers at first and then was expanded to cover batters as well.) John Burnson – of BaseballHQ.com and Heater Magazine fame – is the moving force behind this book.

“Graphical Player 2010” has an incredible amount of data, presented in a somewhat unique style…more to follow on that…along with commentary on more than 1,000 current baseball players provided by bloggers who cover their teams – and edited by Burnson with some help from Rob McQuown and Michael Street. (Lisa Swan of Subway Squawkers provided the Yankees commentary.)

Getting back to the data, here’s some of what you will find in this book:

• Projected 2010 stats and historical dollar values for single and mixed Roto leagues, as well as tallies for points leagues.
• Four years of career stats, including splits for RH/LH and 1st-half/2nd-half.
• Minor-league stats down to Single-A for 2009 for every player.
• A unique “mini-browser” showing five players with similar projections at the same positions.
• Profiles of more than 100 prospects, with independent rankings from three experts.
• Speculative rosters for every MLB team for 2010, 2011, and 2012.
• Full player stats by team for 2009

Now, it’s been years since I was a serious fantasy baseball enthusiast. In fact, I pretty much dropped the game after the 2000 season. But, had Graphical Player been around back then, it would have been a “must-have” for me at that time – and I would recommend that “Graphical Player 2010” is a must-have for the serious fantasy baseball franchise owner today.

O.K., that said, even if you’re not a roto-head, many will still derive a lot of use out of “Graphical Player 2010.” Why? Well, if you’re a baseball fan, and someone who’s into sabermetrics, you will find “Graphical Player 2010” to be both pleasing and intellectually stimulating. It’s just full of fun stats like xFIP, wOBA, and Wins Above Replacement – as well as stats that cover a player’s component skills, how luck may have impacted his stats, and, for pitchers, the strength of the teams he faced.

As I stated in the opening, I’ve been thumbing through this one for days – and expect to keep going through it for many more (to come). It’s great fun. Again, the “Graphical Player 2010” is a must-have for the diligent fantasy baseball competitor and a treasure trove of sabermetric data for the thinking baseball fan – and highly recommend here.

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If you’ve been reading this blog for the last four years, you’ve probably noticed that I’m a fan of The Hardball Times Baseball Annual. And, in case you were not aware of that, here are my reviews covering the last four editions of this work:

• The Hardball Times Baseball Annual 2006
• The Hardball Times Baseball Annual 2007
• The Hardball Times Baseball Annual 2008
• The Hardball Times Baseball Annual 2009

The Hardball Times Baseball Annual 2010 is slated to be released next week on December 1st. However, I’ve had a chance to get a sneak peek at it and can share that this year’s edition is just as good, if not better, than the editions from the previous four years.

Among the many excellent articles and commentary inside The Hardball Times Baseball Annual 2010 are:

• Craig Calcaterra’s hilarious “The Year Iin Frivolity” where the author overlays some fiction on to an overview of the 2009 season.
• Bill James “Strong Season Leading Index” – which you can learn more about by clicking here.
• Jack Marshall’s “The Content of their Character” that provides more food for thought about the consideration that should be given towards a player’s character and conduct than one could ever hope to see in one feature.
• Geoff Young’s interesting and innovative “The Rebuilding Team Fan’s Survival Guide.”
• Chris Jaffe’s enlightening look at why the 1972 World Series was one of the best ever Fall Classics.
• Craig Brown’s all-inclusive and entertaining “The Year the Players Were Set Free” – a journey through the first off-season where free agency came into play.
• Sky Andrecheck’s study on “Championship Leverage Index” – which takes the concept of “Leverage Index” and applies it to an entire season (as opposed to one game).
• Mike Fast’s “What the Heck is PITCHf/x?” – perhaps the best primer/history lesson on what PITCHf/x is all about…how it started…and what it may lead to in the future.
• Tom Tango’s “Miles Per Starter” – a quantitative and illuminative look at the question of what’s best for a starting pitcher with respect to usage (in terms of batters faced).
• Sean Smith’s excellent essay entitled “Relievers Yesterday And Today” comparing the two sets and providing the answer on which is more effective – despite the difference in usage.
• John Walsh’s “Better Than We Thought” where the author adds baserunning and defensive value to batting statistics to paint a better picture on a player’s worth (outside of just what his batting stats suggest).
• Dave Studenmund’s “Oh Lucky Men!” – a statistical look at which players were “most favored by Lady Fortune on the field” in terms of how their teams did versus reasonable expectations.
• John Dewan’s “The Tiger and the Mariner” – a great read on how improved defense can change a team.

And, in fact, the above list is less than half of the features that can be found in The Hardball Times Baseball Annual 2010. As in the past, this year’s addition includes reviews on each division in baseball covering 2009, Studenmund’s “Ten Things I Learned This Year,” a “Manager in a Box” feature (on Paul Richards) and a “Hit Tracker” contribution from Greg Rybarczyk (among other features not already mentioned here).

Oh, yes, there’s also tons and tons of stats in The Hardball Times Baseball Annual 2010…so many statistics that those alone probably bring cause for you wanting to have this work on your baseball bookshelf.

In summary, as always, The Hardball Times Baseball Annual 2010 is a perfect blend of spot-on commentary covering the current state of baseball, entertaining narratives focusing on baseball history, and astute sabermetric analysis – with a huge side serving of cutting-edge statistics. And, also as always, I highly recommend this book.

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The 2009 World Series Film DVD was released today.

I had a chance to check it out this evening and, having now viewed this one, highly recommend it.

This DVD is full of game footage and behind-the-scenes stuff, including interviews, that makes it a wonderful visual chronicle of this year’s World Series.

The 2009 World Series Film DVD opens up with a 16-minute section that details the Yankees season as well as their ALDS and the ALCS. And, this includes highlights of the many walk-off wins the Yankees had in 2009. This is followed by a 4-minute segment highlighting the Phillies season and road to the World Series. The remainder of the DVD brings you through the World Series – game by game. And, in the closing, you also get some brief highlights from the parade held for the Yankees, after winning, down the “Canyon of Heroes.”

The 2009 World Series Film DVD also contains “Bonus Features” which are highlights of just about every big hit, homer and play for the Yankees during this post-season – including the Damon “double-steal” in Game 4 of the World Series. What I liked most about these “Bonus Features” was the option where you get to see multiple shots and angles of the Yankees players celebrating after the last out of the World Series.

My only disappointments in the DVD were that, in the section reviewing the Yankees season (from Spring Training on) there was no mention of A-Rod’s PED issue – and only coverage on his hip operation (and comeback from that); and, in the “Bonus Features” section, all those clips are real-time game stuff with field noises – and there’s no added commentary. (Then again, considering how some feel about FOX and/or John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman, maybe others would consider this to be a plus?)

But, on the whole, I consider the 2009 World Series Film DVD a “must have” for all Yankees fans and a “smart have” for baseball fans in general (to add to their baseball DVD collection). After all, the first World Series in the new Yankee Stadium only happens once – and it’s now captured in video, and nicely done, with this DVD.

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I’ve mentioned in the past that I’m a raving fan of the Bill James Handbook which is produced annually by the good folks at Baseball Info Solutions and Acta Publications.

And, after perusing through the Bill James Handbook 2010 for the last two weeks (since it was released on November 1st), I can now share that this year’s edition has not lessened my opinion of this annual. In fact, if anything, it’s just made it stronger.

As always, the Bill James Handbook 2010 is the perfect off-season companion for the baseball stat junkie. It’s a joy to curl up with a copy of this book and allow yourself to get lost for minutes or hours – immensely enjoying the journey as you cherry-pick on the snapshots of the data therein.

Most times, I’m just happy thumbing through the pages and landing, at random, at a player and checking his career stats.

Just the other day, I landed on former Yankee David Weathers. What an amazing career! Weathers is 40-years old and has pitched in the major leagues now for 19 seasons – for 9 different teams (at various times). He’ll never be a Hall-of-Famer, but, when a guy can play in the big leagues for 19 years and pitch in close to 1,000 games, he sure will be able to walk away from the game proud. Yet, if not for a book like the Bill James Handbook 2010, where you can randomly land on his career stats, would you even think twice about Weathers’ major league career?

That’s just an example of the fun you have with the “Career Register” in this book. But, there’s more – including sections such as, but not limited to, “Team Efficiency Summary” (which tells you how efficient a team was with it’s hitting, pitching and run scoring), the “Fielding Bible Award” and “Runs Saved Plus/Minus Leaders,” how “Baserunners” perform, how “Relief Pitchers” perform, which teams are the best and worst at “Manufactured Runs,” tatics and usage patterns for skippers in the “The Manager’s Record” section, tons of Leader Boards from 2009, and, of course, career “Win Shares” data for every player in the majors last year as well as 2010 player projections for hitters and pitchers.

That said, here’s some interesting Yankees-related data/facts from the Bill James Handbook 2010:

• Over the last three season, Jorge Posada is the worst catcher at “saving runs” with a mark of -23. (During this time, Yadier Molina was the leader with a mark of +22).
• In terms of “net gain” in baserunning, factoring in chances to go first to third, second to home, etc., and the amount of times the player was successful, as well as making outs on the bases, hitting into double plays, and net steals, the Yankees were the 22nd worst team in baseball with a mark of -9. (The best team in baseball here was the Phillies with a mark of +109 and the worst team in baseball was the Royals with a mark of -67.)
• Also in terms of “net gain” in baserunning, Robinson Cano was the worst in baseball for second baseman (-23) and Chase Utley was the best (+50). This probably lends towards explaining the Phillies and Yankees overall team totals in this stat.
• David Robertson allowed .36 of his inherited baserunners to score in 2009. For a point of comparison, Edwar Ramirez last season posted a mark of .33 here, Brian Burney’s number was .31, Damaso Marte posted a .19 and Phil Hughes’ fashioned a percentage of .06 – yes, point-oh-six.
• In 2008, Joe Girardi had runners moving with the pitch 173 times (which was tops in the league). But, in 2009, Girardi had runners moving just 83 times. (What a difference not having Jason Giambi makes, I suppose.)
• Nick Swisher had the second worst “BPS per OutZ” in the American League with a mark of .218 in 2009. What’s “BPS per OutZ”? It’s batting average plus slugging percentage on pitches outside of the strikezone. (Hey, Swishalicious, do yourself a favor and only swing at strikes!)
• A.J. Burnett had the third “fastest” average fastball in the league at 94.2 MPH last season whereas Andy Pettitte had the third “slowest” average fastball in the league at 89.0 MPH (minimum 162 IP in both cases).
• Among all players with at least 98 games played at 2B or SS, Robinson Cano had the 10th worst “2B Pivot %” in the league at .563 and Derek Jeter had the 10th worst “SS Pivot %” at .541 (whereas Dustin Pedroia led 2B at .789 and Yuniesky Betancourt was tops at SS with .735).

O.K., that’s just a taste of the fun stuff that you can find thumbing through the Bill James Handbook 2010.

As usual, the Bill James Handbook 2010 delivers. I highly recommend this book – and, not just for Yankees fans, – but for any baseball fan. If you like stats, this book covers all the bases (regardless of your favorite team or teams).

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A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that I was reading Mike Vaccaro’s new book: The First Fall Classic: The Red Sox, the Giants and the Cast of Players, Pugs and Politicos Who Re-Invented the World Series in 1912.

And, I can now share that this one is more than just a book…it’s a time machine.

Over the years, I’ve read my share of “historical” baseball books. And, many times, these types of works – especially ones that go back 70 to 100 years ago – can come across as dry and a labor to read. But, this is not the case with Vaccaro’s “The First Fall Classic.”

Reading “The First Fall Classic” is a joyride back to 1912 as it enables you to feel what it was like to be there during that time when this World Series was played. And, what a World Series that one was! (I’m not going to spoil it here by giving you all that went down in the 1912 World Series. Besides, this book does a better job at providing the details than I can do in this space.)

I highly recommend The First Fall Classic: The Red Sox, the Giants and the Cast of Players, Pugs and Politicos Who Re-Invented the World Series in 1912. And, I cannot think of a better time for you to read it – given that we’re in the middle of a World Series now. It’s very fun to use Vaccaro’s work and compare how much the World Series – and the world! – are different, and yet the same in some ways, today as compared to 1912.

Really good stuff here in this one from Mike Vaccaro.

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Ted Berg of SNY.tv has started a blog – TedQuarters.

Not only does Ted know a lot about sports, but, he’s a very clever and funny guy. I suspect that his blog will become daily “must read” stuff very quickly. If I had to stick a label on this one, I’d call it “The Young Keith Olbermann Chronicles.” Really, Ted’s that talented – and has a huge sports/entertainment career ahead of him. Check it out.

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I have to confess that, when I first glanced at a copy of Lew Paper’s “Perfect: Don Larsen’s Miraculous World Series Game and the Men Who Made It Happen,” my first reaction was “I’m not sure if I’m going to like this…after all…what haven’t we heard about this game already?” But, I decided to read the book, nonetheless. And, now, I can share that I was very happy to make that call to give it a try.

“Perfect” is a wonderful book. It’s more than just a recap of Larsen’s perfecto – it’s the life stories of 19 New York Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers players who took part in that contest. And, Lew Paper did an excellent job at telling these stories – they are well-sourced, informative, and entertaining.

Whether you’re someone who remembers that era of baseball or one of the two generations of baseball fans who have come along since, you will enjoy this book. It’s a great read for any baseball fan and a must read for the “New York” baseball fan.

If Don Larsen’s World Series perfect game were a box of Cracker Jack, then the players who appeared in it would be the molasses-covered popcorn treats inside and Lew Paper’s new book is now the special prize that comes along with it. I highly recommend Lew Paper’s “Perfect: Don Larsen’s Miraculous World Series Game and the Men Who Made It Happen.”

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There’s a brand new Yankees blog on the scene: Yankeeist

If you stop by, tell them that WasWatching.com sent ya!

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Back in February 2008, I mentioned the buzz that was bubbling up around the film “Sugar.” Unfortunately, I never had a chance to see it in the theaters. But, in July of this year, I found out that it was coming to DVD on September 1st. At that time, I promised a review on “Sugar” once I saw it. And, now that I’ve seen a review copy of the DVD, I can share that review.

First, I’ll cut to the chase and say that “Sugar” is a film that every baseball fan over the age of 16 should view – and I only provide that age cut-off due to some of the storyline not being completely suitable for young children. That said, the film was rated PG-13, and, if you’re comfortable with your young teenager watching a movie containing some mature language and mild sexual themes, then you can lower that age bar from 16 to 13 here.

Why should baseball fans watch “Sugar“? Well, it tells the story of how baseball propsects from Latin America – and, specifically, in the case of this story, the Dominican Republic – have to deal with the “systems” in their hometown as well as having to deal with the cultural and language issues, racism, and isolation/home-sickness once they make it to America to play professional baseball. “Sugar” also does a through job painting the picture of life as a minor league baseball player, in general.

Now, erudite baseball fans may think, here, “I already know all that stuff – so, what’s this flick going to tell me that I don’t already know?” And, my answer to that is simple: Thanks to the outstanding acting in “Sugar,” we get to witness and absorb some emotion around that “story” which some already know…and, thanks to warmth derived from watching “Sugar,” it enables those familar with this type of story to acquire additional perception via the stimulation of viewing this film.

Actually, that’s a good lead into my second point on this matter – while I feel that “Sugar” is a film that every baseball fan over the age of 16 should view, I can also share that this is a film that any adult should give consideration towards watching…because it’s a story told beautifully, and with compassion, that many will find satisfying.

I was very pleased to be able to watch “Sugar” on DVD – and I highly recommend checking this one out.

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As shared last month, I recently had a chance to check out Jayson Stark’s new book “Worth the Wait: Tales of the 2008 Phillies.”

As a Yankees fan, it was interesting to see how a championship run is experienced in a baseball town outside of Yankeeland – especially in another baseball-crazy place. (And, in my opinion, the baseball fans in New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago are in a class by themselves in terms of how they live and die with their teams.)

However, the situation in Philly was different than New York. Prior to their 2008 ring, it had been 28 years since the Phillies won a World Series. In fact, it had been a quarter-century since any team in Philadelphia won a championship. And, of the 13 metropolian areas in America with teams in all four major sports, none of them had a championship drought within eight years of the twenty five they were waiting in Philadelphia.

Obviosuly, you can see why Stark went with the title “Worth the Wait.”

With his work, Stark provides some background on the 2008 Phillies and how their mindset was forged during Spring Training. But, he also highlights the five moments from 2008 that defined the Phillies season. And, most of all, he brings you through every post-season game that the Phillies played last season as well as covering the off-days between those games.

I found “Worth the Wait: Tales of the 2008 Phillies” to be an entertaining and informative read – and recommend it to any baseball fan. The book provides great insight to what happens to a baseball team, its fans, and the city as a whole when they finally win a ring – after a long, long, time.

For me, again, as a Yankees fan, one section of the book that I found very interesting was from Stark’s coverage of the Phillies Spring Training camp and how the team’s mental approach had changed from prior seasons. Here’s a snip of that:

“I had always known it takes hard work and dedication.” [Phillies pitcher Brett] Myers said. “But what it really takes is a team.”

We know there are still people on this planet who believe chemistry in baseball is a hoax, a myth, a slice of fiction perpetrated by the media knuckleheads who don’t know any better. But we wish those people luck trying to convince this group of that.

Not so long ago, as [Phillies manager] Charlie Manuel said, the men who wore the Phillies uniform were preoccupied with their own numbers, their own paychecks, their own rationales for never quite getting it right.

Now, said [Phillies shortstop Jimmy] Rollins, these guys are “more focused on we need to get it right. Not you get it right, and you get right, and you get right. We’re going to get right, We’re going to be right… Now it doesn’t matter who gets it done. We don’t care about who the hero is.”

Back when Bobby Abreu was the Phillies’ centerpiece player, Rollins can recall being sent to the plate to “get on base for Bobby.” Now that he’s a centerpiece player, hitting in front of bats like Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, he heads for the plate in the same kinds of situations, with the mindset that somebody will make it happen.

“Before,” Rollins said, “it was like ‘Let’s try to get Bobby up there and we’ll have a chance.’ Now I have the confidence that if I don’t get it done, somebody will get it done behind me. Now we have a team.”

“This excerpt from Worth the Wait: Tales of the 2008 Phillies is printed with the permission of Triumph Books.”

Food for thought there, at least to me, for the Yankees and their fans. Especially this part:

…[players] preoccupied with their own numbers, their own paychecks, their own rationales for never quite getting it right…

Sound like anyone on the Yankees that we know?

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As I have shared in the past, when I was a youngster, I was a huge fan of Thurman Munson.

To this day, if I close my eyes, I can quickly remember the feeling of sitting in Yankee Stadium, as a 13-year old, with my father, watching the Yankees play with Munson at bat and runners on base.

During these moments, my heart would race – where it felt like it was about to jump out of my chest (because it was beating so hard and fast). Why? Because I wanted Thurman to come through…as he was “my guy.”

And, more times than not, Munson did the job.

It’s been so many years, but, in this memory, I can still see Munson slapping a line drive into right field, as if he was picking the ball out of opposing catcher’s mitt with his bat, waiting until the last minute to go the other way with the pitch, with Yankees runners rounding third and coming home to score…man, talk about pure exhilaration…that was it.

Being such a Munson fan, I was (and still am) very interested in learning more about him.

Granted, back in 1978, Thurman Munson did publish an autobiography (with Marty Appel). However, that was more of your typical “baseball biography” in the sense that it told us what Thurman wanted us to hear and is what many would consider to be a “comfortable” read. Plus, the book only covered the Thurman Munson story through the winter of 1977-78. And, we know that’s not where his story ends.

Further, in 2001, Christopher Devine authored a biography “Thurman Munson.” However, while I found Devine’s book to be incredibly well sourced, I did not find the book to be “gripping” – and, for someone like me, a huge Munson fan, that’s a bad sign.

Basically, for the last three decades or so, I’ve been waiting for the ultimate book covering the entire story of Thurman Munson. And, now, thanks to Marty Appel, with his new book “Munson: The Life and Death of a Yankee Captain,” we have what I have been waiting for…all these years.

With this new book – to be released on July 7, 2009 – Appel provides us with the complete account of Thurman Munson’s life and untimely passing…with no holds barred.

With this work, we get to see the many facets of Munson’s life: Thurman as a ball player, a friend, the family man and a real estate entrepreneur. And, we get to see the good and the bad sides of the man. This includes getting to see Thurman as the everyday likeable guy who eats Oreos and milk for breakfast, watches the Three Stooges, sings commercial jingles to himself, has a terrible sense of fashion, and who would go out of his way to help people (with no fanfare whatsoever). But, we also get to see Thurman as someone who was somewhat insecure at times, cursed at sportswriters, gave the fans “the finger” during a game, cut many of the dysfunctional family members out of his life, and who once fired a gun in the Yankee Stadium parking lot.

Also, with this biography, Appel provides a superior account of the complete Thurman Munson timeline – bringing us from Munson’s youth, through his time with the Yankees, to covering his tragic death in terms of the event itself and the impact it had on many (both inside and outside the Munson circle).

But, what I enjoyed most about “Munson: The Life and Death of a Yankee Captain” is how the story is told. In the book, Appel uses his own voice as well as those of many others who knew Thurman – including his teammates and friends. And, many of these sources are people who most were never aware (until now) as being a big part of Munson’s life or parties that you would not expect to have some insight on the Munson story.

Also, I found this book to be acutely accurate with its facts and figures. Being diehard Yankees fan, as well as a long-time baseball fan in general, I am often a stickler about landmark baseball books (such as this one) being careful with the presentation of data – especially when it pertains to the Yankees (with that being my area of fan expertise). Related, the only issue I had with my review copy of this one could be found on page 128 where it said that Munson batted .435 in the 1976 World Series – when, actually, he batted .529 in that World Series and .435 was his batting average in the 1976 A.L.C.S. (But, this is a very small faux pas when you consider the amount of detail correctly stated in this book.)

In summary, I would offer that “Munson: The Life and Death of a Yankee Captain” is a must read for any Yankees fan over the age of forty, a highly recommended read for Yankees fans of any age, and a recommended read for anyone interested in baseball and a very well-done story about one of more notable players from the last half-century of the game’s history.

This book will engross, entertain, enlighten and “touch” you all at the same time. It’s too bad that we had to wait 30 years for a book like this on Thurman Munson. But, now that its here, I cannot imagine a better one ever being done compared to the job Marty Appel did with “Munson: The Life and Death of a Yankee Captain.”

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Zev Chafets’ Cooperstown Confidential: Heroes, Rogues, and the Inside Story of the Baseball Hall of Fame is one of the best baseball books that I have read this year – and is one that I would now consider to be a worthy addition to my personal picks for any essential baseball library.

With Cooperstown Confidential, Chafets provides a candid and no holds barred examination behind the history, politics and other inside workings of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum (in Cooperstown, New York). And, he does it in a manner that’s intelligent and entertaining. In addition, Cooperstown Confidential also profiles the windfall for the modern player who is elected into the Hall of Fame. Lastly, with this book, Chafets makes an interesting case for how Major League Baseball and the Hall of Fame should handle the players who have been linked to using Performance Enhancing Drugs.

Now, the book is not dead-solid-perfect, as I did catch two small editing flaws. On page 69, it refers to Steve Garvey being traded to the San Diego Padres (when, in reality, he signed with them as a free agent). And, on a footnote on page 104, it refers to Kevin Youkilis as “Euclis, the Greek God of Walks” (when, in the book Moneyball, he was actually referred to as “Youkilis, the Greek God of Walks”). But, these are two minor miscues that take nothing away from the reading and learning experience one gets from this book.

I truly feel that even an erudite baseball fan will learn something from reading Cooperstown Confidential: Heroes, Rogues, and the Inside Story of the Baseball Hall of Fame. I know that it has changed the way that I look at the Hall of Fame (and I thought that I was already fairly well read on the subject matter). Zev Chafets work here is a quick read (197 pages). But, it packs a lot. I highly recommend this book.

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In the last 5 years and 9 months, I have visited the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum (in Cooperstown, New York) three times. And, I have enjoyed my visit each time. In fact, if it were up to me, I would make this trip on an annual basis – since it is so much fun to visit that town and the museum. Related, I was looking forward to checking out Bert Sugar’s Baseball Hall of Fame: A Living History of America’s Greatest Game (which was published on May 4, 2009). And, now that I’ve had a chance to go through Sugar’s book, I can share that reading it is the next best thing to being able to visit the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum (in person).

With Baseball Hall of Fame: A Living History of America’s Greatest Game, Sugar takes you through the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, decade by decade and exhibit by exhibit. For me, this was a great reading experience. Personally, each time I’ve been to the museum, I found myself jumping around the exhibits like a moth dancing around a porch light. So, this was a real treat to see how the museum should be toured – following the chroncile of the game in its actual timeline.

Further, this book is abound with glorious photographs – done by Bruce Curtis – of the museum’s artifacts and exhibits. There’s over 500 photos in the book. As a result, if you have visited the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, reading Bert Sugar’s Baseball Hall of Fame: A Living History of America’s Greatest Game will put you right back there, in your mind. And, if you’ve never been to Cooperstown, this book will give you a great idea of what it’s like to tour the town and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

If you’re looking for a unique Father’s Day gift – this being early June – for the dad in your life who’s a baseball fan, you should consider picking up this book. Or, if you just want to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the opening of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum (which will happen this July), you should consider picking up this book. Heck, if you’re a baseball fan, you don’t need any other reason than that to check out Bert Sugar’s Baseball Hall of Fame: A Living History of America’s Greatest Game. It’s a great collectible/keepsake to have in your baseball library – and I highly recommend it.

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Recently, I finished reading Peter Golenbock’s new book – “George: The Poor Little Rich Boy Who Built the Yankee Empire.” For those who can’t figure it out, this is a biography of the New York Yankees’ George Steinbrenner.

Now, as some of you may have heard, this book was poorly edited. I caught about a half-dozen mistakes and stopped counting at that point. However, when the media spotlight first hit this issue, Golenbock issued the following statement:

“I regret and take responsibility for the errors in my current book and am working with the publisher to have those corrected at the next possible printing. I appreciate the eagle-eyed baseball fans who brought it to my attention.”

So, I’m willing to write-off the lackluster editing job on this one – and focus on the book at a higher level rather than get hung-up over some typos and the like – now that this matter has been addressed and the promise has been made to correct it.

The first third of “George” is all about Big Stein’s pre-Yankees days. For me, this was extremely interesting as it provided a great foundation of the George Steinbrenner story. Golenbock conducted several interviews of those who knew “The Boss” as a child, teen, and young man. Through these interviews we get good insight on what it was like growing up Steinbrenner.

Actually, much of the book’s strength is derived via interviews of individuals from key points in George Steinbrenner’s life. And, there were many, many, interviews conducted and shared in this book. I especially enjoyed those of Mitch Kukevics (the former Yankees Director of Minor League Operations) and Leo Hindery (the former CEO of the YES Network). Those two alone make this book worth reading – if you want to know what it was like working for George when he was still functioning as the head of the Yanks’ organization. (And, they also tell you something about those working directly under Big Stein too.)

Now, to be fair, there’s quite a bit about the George Steinbrenner/Billy Martin relationship in “George.” (How could there not be?) And, I thought that those sections seemed to paint more of the picture from Billy Martin’s side (in terms of life under George) and not enough from George Steinbrenner’s side (in terms of what he had to put up with – in order to reap the benefits of Martin’s managerial genius). But, since I know that Peter Golenbock wrote a book with Billy Martin in the past, I can understand why he had more to pull from Billy, in terms of Martin’s experience, than George Steinbrenner’s angle.

What clearly comes across in this book is that there were two sides of George Steinbrenner. There is one side who would be more than willing to destroy the life of another individual if it meant that it would benefit Big Stein in some way – such as the way George threw former classmate and employee Jack Melcher under the bus during the whole Steinbrenner illegal campaign contribution matter. And, there is another side that is capable of magnanimous and anonymous charitable acts to benefit those with whom George had no relationship with, whatsoever, prior to the act.

It doesn’t seem possible that those two qualities could exist in the same person, does it? Yet, it does in George Michael Steinbrenner III. And, if you want to learn more about such an interesting character, I recommend reading “George: The Poor Little Rich Boy Who Built the Yankee Empire.”

Look at it this way. George Steinbrenner is easily one of the most ten important people in the history of the New York Yankees organization. And, many fans only know part of the Steinbrenner story. If you’re a Yankees fan, why not take advantage of this book and learn the rest of it?

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Two years ago, I had a chance to check out Peter Handrinos’ The Best New York Sports Arguments – and I liked it. So, when I heard that Handrinos had a new book out, called “The Truth About Ruth and More: Behind Yankees Myths, Legends, and Lore,” I was more than happy to review this one as well.

The format of “The Truth About Ruth and More…” is very much like The Best New York Sports Arguments – except this one is completely Yankees-centric. Within this book, there’s chapters devoted to examining Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Casey Stengel, Roger Maris, George Steinbrenner, Reggie Jackson, Derek Jeter and Yankee Stadium (itself). Handrinos also offers opinion on the most over- and under-rated Yankees players and teams of all-time. And, there’s small sections of the book featuring Yankees such as Phil Rizzuto, Thurman Munson, Graig Nettles, Dave Winfield, Bucky Dent, Whitey Ford, Billy Martin – among many others.

As it was with The Best New York Sports Arguments, Peter Handrinos is not shy an offering a strong opinion on each of the examinations presented in the “The Truth About Ruth and More…“. And, while I agree with him on some and disagree with him on others, I enjoyed reading what he had to say on each.

Now, to be candid, there may be some members of the Pinstriped Pollyanna Fanboy Association who could take exception to some of the cases made in this book – as they are not all pure Yankees genuflection. But, anyone with an open mind, and who is interesting in learning someone else’s opinion – albeit favorable or not – towards any element of Yankeeland, will enjoy reading “The Truth About Ruth and More: Behind Yankees Myths, Legends, and Lore.” This is a fresh and easy, yet also engaging and informative, read. And, I recommend it.

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If you haven’t read “Yogi Berra: Eternal Yankee” by Allen Barra, yet, you owe it to yourself to check this book out.

Simply put, Barra’s biography on Yogi is the definitive source on the life of this Yankees legend. It’s incredibly researched and covers every angle of Berra’s life. What I enjoyed most about it was the style in which Allen Barra paints this story. At times, the delivery comes across in a dissertation type manner. And, yet, at other times, Barra uses a narrative tone as if it were just you and he talking at the ballpark. However, also, there are times when the story is told via the use of advanced statistical analysis. Basically, there’s something for every type of baseball fan in this one – meaning the learned student of the game, the causal fan, or the sabermetric slanted seamhead.

While I feel this is a must read for every Yankees fan, in order to learn more about one of the greatest ever to work for the team, I also strongly recommend “Yogi Berra: Eternal Yankee” to anyone who enjoys reading a thorough and entertaining telling of the fascinating life of a famous American historical figure.

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Having enjoyed last year’s edition, I was looking forward to checking out “The Bill James Gold Mine 2009.” And, when my copy arrived three weeks ago, I quickly found out that this year’s edition met all my expectations – and then some.

“The Bill James Gold Mine 2009” provides all the great statistical profiles and snapshots type stuff that could be found in the 2008 version. And, just getting that fun and informative statistical analysis on every big league team from Bill James alone makes this a great read for the thinking baseball fan.

However, as was the case last season, James truly hits a homerun with the essays that one can find in “The Bill James Gold Mine 2009.” Among my favorites were:

• “Gems” – here James details a new stat for starting pitchers, gems, where the pitcher has a Game Score of 65+ or 6+ shutout innings in a game.
• “Wipeout” – where James studies pitchers who have gone from a “Cy Young Award” type season to bombing out the next year.
• “Gold Glove Sluggers” – where James looks at the question of whether or not big name/offensive players win Gold Gloves they don’t deserve.
• “Pitch Load” – which is a James study on the suggestion that strikeout pitchers throw more pitches than non-strikeout pitchers.
• “Catcher Pride Points” – a very detailed look at all the things a catcher can do in his career in which he would take pride (such as catching a no-hitter, working with a rookie pitcher who has a good season, playing in an All-Star game, etc.) and then determining which catcher had the most career pride points.
• “Triple Crowns” – where James looks at the greatest and weakest triple crown seasons in baseball history.
• “What I Have Learned About Fly Balls And Such” – an excellent study on what truly makes batters different from each other.
• “U Scores” – where James shows us which batters in baseball history have posted some “unusual” numbers in their career (like Bonds, McGwire and Sosa).

Also, there’s a fun little entry on “The Ten Commandments of Sabermetrics” which I’m sure will be referenced for years to come.

In summary, “The Bill James Gold Mine 2009” is one of those baseball books that’s so much fun, and enlightening, that you’ll want to re-read it, again, and again. And, with the baseball season starting today, it’s the perfect primer to kick-start your season. I highly recommend “The Bill James Gold Mine 2009.”

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Presently, I am reading “As They See ‘Em: A Fan’s Travels in the Land of Umpires” by Bruce Weber. And, while I’m not done with it yet, I’ve read enough of it to share a review.

If you’re looking for the all-time panoptic book on umpires and what they do, “As They See ‘Em” is the one that you want to read. With this book, Weber thoroughly researched the topic. And, yet, “As They See ‘Em” doesn’t read like an encyclopedia as Weber presents his facts, stories and opinion in a very entertaining manner. If you’re looking to build the “must have” baseball library, you’ll want to have “As They See ‘Em” as part of your collection.

I’ve read books by umpires such as Durwood Merrill and Ron Luciano and they did provide some insight on their craft. However, they don’t come close to painting the picture that Weber does with his book. I’ve been a baseball fan since 1973. And, I played the game, albeit as a amateur, when I was young. As such, I had some knowledge and opinions about umpiring, the demands therein, the history and evolution of the vocation, and how umpires have been perceived and treated. And, yet, I found “As They See ‘Em” to be very illuminating.

This all said, I don’t need to wait until I’m done with “As They See ‘Em: A Fan’s Travels in the Land of Umpires” to offer this review – and share that I highly recommend this book.

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About three weeks ago, I provided a tease/sneak peek regarding “The Fielding Bible — Volume II” (from John Dewan/Baseball Info Solutions/Acta Sports). And, here’s some more information regarding this book.

Three years ago, I shared that I was a raving fan of the first edition of “The Fielding Bible.” And, after having a chance to review “The Fielding Bible — Volume II,” I’m even more of a fan of this book.

In addtion to all the wonderful statistics and analysis that one would expect to find in “The Fielding Bible — Volume II” – based on what was provided in the first book – now there’s even more goodies therein.

The new “stuff” includes, but is not limited to, Defensive Runs Saved for players over the last three years, Total Runs for each player (meaning the combination of Runs Created, Baserunning Runs, and Defensive Runs Saved) in 2008, Bill James’ Misplays/Good Plays leaders for 2008, Analysis of Defensive Positioning, and Bill James’ Universal Fielding Percentage.

And, of course, “The Fielding Bible — Volume II” also provides Plus/Minus Leaders and Trailers, The Fielding Bible Awards, Defensive Scouting Reports and a bunch of thought-provoking essays/studies centering on the analysis of baseball defensive play – just as the first volume gave us.

Needless to say, I highly recommend “The Fielding Bible — Volume II.” It’s a must for the thinking baseball fan and an essential component for any creditable baseball library.

Over the next few days or so, I will be sharing some information from this new book that will interest Yankees fans. Stay tuned for more on that.

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I recently had a chance to check out Talmage Boston’s new book “Baseball and the Baby Boomer: A History, Commentary, and Memoir.”

For those not aware, “Baby Boomers” are the generation born between the years 1946 and 1964. So, in general, Baby Boomers are those who got their first taste of major league baseball, in terms of being a fan, somewhere between the 1950 and 1975 seasons.

With “Baseball and the Baby Boomer,” Talmage Boston focus on men from baseball’s history – who Baby Boomers are well aware of, or should be – such as (but limited to) Mickey Mantle, Jimmy Piersall, Carl Yastrzemski, Jackie Robinson, Branch Rickey, Nolan Ryan, Bart Giamatti, Roger Maris, Lou Brock, Dr. Bobby Brown, and Bobby Bragan – and tells us their story.

Now, this is where it gets interesting. The narrative in “Baseball and the Baby Boomer” is, indeed, presented as “History, Commentary, And Memoir.” Talmage Boston consistently weaves through those approaches as he details each hero featured in the book.

And, it’s the combination of this book being “History, Commentary, And Memoir” which makes it very entertaining.

For example, as a Yankees fan, I know the story of Mickey Mantle, backwards and forwards. And, reading the facts and figures about Mantle is “been there, done that” for me. But, in his chapter on Mantle, in addition to providing all the biographical details, the author combines the Mantle story with the story of Jimmy Piersall – and links them in how they were driven by the fathers. At the same time, Boston tees off this storying by mentioning how his own father didn’t push him towards baseball – but did provide some things that the fathers for Mantle and Piersall could have been better at providing.

Basically, with “Baseball and the Baby Boomer,” Talmage Boston, as a baseball fan and historian, shares some stories about baseball heroes who could be found from the 1950’s through the 1990’s – combining facts, opinion and personal connections. And, he does it in a very entertaining manner.

Is “Baseball and the Baby Boomer: A History, Commentary, and Memoir” one of the best baseball books that I’ve ever read? No. But, it’s a well researched, somewhat uniquely constructed and a very pleasant reading experience – whether you’re a Baby Boomer or not. If you’re a baseball fan, and enjoy reading about it, I recommend that you consider checking out this book.

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This evening, I had a chance to review Derek Gentile’s new coffee-table book “New York Yankees and the Meaning of Life.”

Strike that – and make it “This evening, I had the great pleasure to review Derek Gentile’s new coffee-table book…”

Yes, indeed, “New York Yankees and the Meaning of Life” is a remarkable source of enjoyment – in more ways than one!

First, Gentile’s book is an awesome collection of great quotes, sayings, and quips from, and about, the Yankees – ranging from the likes of Miller Huggins to Hank Steinbrenner and just about everyone in between. Secondly, this book contains an unparalleled collection of photographs – with at least one for each quote, etc.

I’ve been a Yankees fan since 1973 and have read over forty books about the team – many of them illustrated with photos. Yet, there were numerous photographs in “New York Yankees and the Meaning of Life” that I had never seen before – and they’re all absolutely wonderful.

If there’s a Yankees fan in your life, I highly recommend that you pick them up a copy of “New York Yankees and the Meaning of Life” – it’s the perfect gift for them. There’s something in this one for Yankees fans of all ages.

Strike that – and make it “If you’re a Yankees fan, I highly recommend that you don’t wait for someone to get you a copy of ‘New York Yankees and the Meaning of Life‘ as a gift. You should run out now and get yourself a copy. This book is so much fun that you will not want to leave it up to chance that someone will give it to you. Make sure you get a copy. It’s that good.”

New York Yankees and the Meaning of Life
by Derek Gentile
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: MVP Books; First edition (April 15, 2009)
Length: 6.125 x 6.125
Suggested Retail Price: $19.99

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In case you somehow managed to miss it, there’s a very interesting book about the Yankees that came out four weeks ago. It’s “The Yankee Years” (by Joe Torre and Tom Verducci).

“The Yankee Years” chronicles the Yankees seasons from 1996 through 2007 – as well as touching upon what was happening, overall, in major league baseball during this time.

Having read the book, I believe the first, and perhaps most important, thing to share is that “The Yankee Years” is not Joe Torre’s book. When you look at the cover of the book, and see Joe Torre’s picture there, and then you look at the author’s names under that picture, where it reads “Joe Torre and Tom Verducci,” it’s probably natural to come away from that with the assumption that this is “Joe Torre’s book as told to Tim Verducci” (or something like that).

And, such an assumption would be a mistake. “The Yankee Years” is written by Tom Verducci and Joe Torre is heavily quoted in the book. That’s the reality of this one. And, that’s actually good news – because Tom Verducci is among the best out there, today, in terms of those who write about baseball.

In “The Yankee Years,” Verducci presents a very engaging narrative account of the Yankees scene and baseball as a whole, from 1996 through 2007, while sharing extremely well researched facts and statistics. And, interwoven with this are quotes from Joe Torre.

For example, the chapter “Baseball Catches Up” from “The Yankee Years,” where the story is about the discussion on how other teams in baseball started working smarter and more efficient (in order to offset the Yankees’ advantage of being able to spend more than most teams), is basically “all-Verducci” doing his craft. (And, it’s great work.)

Now, granted, there are some chapters in “The Yankee Years” where you hear more from Torre than in other chapters. For example, in the chapter “The Issues of Alex” where the subject matter is Alex Rodriguez, the bulk of the quotes in there are from Joe Torre.

Actually, it’s not just Joe Torre who is quoted often in “The Yankee Years.” Mike Mussina, David Cone, Larry Bowa and Mike Borzello are frequently quoted as well. (But, yes, then again, because Borzello is Joe Torre’s godson, you could make the case that he’s going to say what you would expect to hear from Torre.)

Cutting to the chase, I highly recommend reading “The Yankee Years.” If you’re a fan of the New York Yankees, you must read this book. Verducci (with Torre) provides incredible insight on your favorite team covering the years 1996 through 2007. In my lifetime, I’ve read over forty books about the New York Yankees – and, “The Yankee Years” is easily among the best of the bunch.

Further, you don’t need to be a Yankees fan to enjoy this book. With the way that Verducci has packaged this one, it will appeal to any baseball fan. And, “The Yankee Years,” in my opinion, is an instant classic and has quickly positioned itself at the top of the list in terms of being a primary part of any essential baseball library.

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I’ve been thumbing through “The Hardball Times Season Preview 2009.” Good stuff.

For each big league team, the book covers what happened last year, players lost from last year’s team, players acquired, the team’s management, minor league system, what’s due to change for the team, reasons to be optimistic and pessimistic about the team, what’s left for the team to do, as well offering a most likely outcome for the team in 2009. In addition, “The Hardball Times Season Preview 2009” provides commentary and statistical projections for the batters and pitchers on each major league team.

Also, this book includes a projected standings for 2009 – based on 100 computer simulations of the 2009 season. (Good news for Yankees fans: “The Hardball Times Season Preview 2009” standings projection says that the Yanks will be the only team in baseball to win 100 games this season – just edging the Red Sox by 2 games to win the A.L. East.)

This book is billed as being “a sneak peek at every major league player and team for the upcoming season” and it clearly meets that goal.

Along with what I’ve mentioned here so far, “The Hardball Times Season Preview 2009” also contains projected fantasy (baseball) dollar values for players, an essay targeting which players are injury risks for 2009, and rookies to watch this season.

When you look at this total package, “The Hardball Times Season Preview 2009” serves as an excellent one-book-meets-all-needs source for fantasy baseball owners. However, it’s appeal is not limited to just the fantasy baseball crowd. Analytical baseballs fans, whether they play fantasy baseball or not, will enjoy reading “The Hardball Times Season Preview 2009” due to the nature of the projections that it provides on players and teams. (Along with each projection, this book provides a “Reliability” score which tells you how reliable the player’s projection is based on how much data the authors had to work with for that player. Cool beans.)

Based on it’s content, price ($19.95) and the enjoyment that it provides from reading it, I recommend picking up a copy of “The Hardball Times Season Preview 2009.”

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Having just read “Confessions of a She-Fan: The Course of True Love with the New York Yankees,” at this moment, I am really digging its author, Jane Heller.

First, Jane is a kindred spirit – like me, she’s a baseball addict going back to when she was a youngin. And, like so many of us Yankees fans, she’s a zealot. Jane doesn’t sleep well when the Yankees are scuffling. And, her days are much better, overall, when the Yanks are winning.

Back in May 2007, as were many Yankees fans, Heller was vexed with the way the Yankees started their season that year. Looking to vent, she dashed off an e-mail to the New York Times saying that she was “divorcing the New York Yankees.” Well, the Times elected to publish Jane’s e-mail and then all heck broke loose for her. Yankees fans, Red Sox fans, shoot, you name it, came at her with fangs and claws out in attack mode – questioning her fandom and the like. (Don’t sweat it Jane, it happens to the best of us.)

A few weeks after her e-mail was published in the Times, Heller got an idea to do a book, about the Yankees 2007 season, where she (and her husband) would travel with the team, watch every game in every city, do some interviews, and hopefully prove (to some people) that she was a true Yankees fan. And, the result of that book idea is “Confessions of a She-Fan.”

With the book, Jane does an excellent job of chronicling the Yankees 2007 season – starting from Opening Day and going right through the off-season of 2007-08. But, this is not just a dry reporting of game events and news, etc. What you hear when you ready Heller’s words is the voice of diehard fan sharing what they are experiencing, thinking, and feeling. And, Jane mixes in enough “personal” stuff to provide the reader with some background on her life that provides the reader with perspective on “Jane Heller, the person.”

Heller’s narrative style in “Confessions of a She-Fan” is casual, sometimes bawdy, often funny, and very gripping. Tying back to that last part, I have to share something, with regard to reading Heller’s book, which is the highest compliment that I can offer to a book – I could not put it down once I started reading it.

In fact, I found “Confessions of a She-Fan” to be so entertaining that I went out of my way to find time to read it. I read it during commercials as I watched my favorite T.V. shows. I stayed up late at night, to read it. There were a couple of days where I was late for work – because I was reading Jane’s book while I was eating breakfast and I kept on reading it way past when I was done eating and should have left for work. If that’s not gripping, what is?

What I found most interesting in Heller’s story – but not shocking – was the major league stiff arm that she got from the Yankees when she asked the team for access to the ballpark, pressbox, players, etc. And, while Jane was able to get time with many of the media members that we know well – such as Peter Abraham, Mark Feinsand, Tyler Kepner, George King, Sweeny Murti, Kat O’Brien, and John Sterling – she also got the run-around from the likes of Kim Jones, and, to an extent, Suzyn Waldman. (Who would have thought this to be true – considering the gender connection, etc.?)

But, also, I enjoyed how Heller, through her journey in 2007, from meeting other fans, was reminded that there are other ways to be a diehard fan – as she writes “to believe in a team unconditionally and without reservation, to experience the magic of the game without vitriol or a sense of entitlement, to be gracious in both victory and defeat.” There’s a lesson in there for many Yankees fans who may have lost sight of this approach over the last few years – including an irascible and somewhat curmudgeon blogger such as myself.

All-in-all, I am very glad that I had to an opportunity to read Jane Heller’s new book. To be candid, being a “dude,” I was not sure if I would enjoy reading a book entitled “Confessions of a She-Fan.” However, as stated, I truly found it to be a great read – and highly recommend it to everyone, even if they’re not a Yankees fan. (I once said that even a Yankees fan could enjoy the movie “Fever Pitch” – despite the fact that it centers around the worst nightmare even for a Yankees fan – because a diehard fan could appreciate what another diehard fan goes through. And, I believe that a diehard fan of a team other than the Yankees will feel the same way when reading Jane’s book.)

And, no matter how you felt about her New York Times feature back in May of 2007, if you read “Confessions of a She-Fan: The Course of True Love with the New York Yankees,” expect yourself to become a fan of Jane Heller – just like I am now.

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For the past week, I’ve been thumbing through “The Hardball Times Baseball Annual 2009.”

In the past, actually, for the last three years (prior to this one), I’ve shared how I’m a raving fan of this annual. So, naturally, I was looking forward to checking out “The Hardball Times Baseball Annual 2009.”

On a scale of one to ten, with one being the low grade and ten being the top one, I would give “The Hardball Times Baseball Annual 2009” a solid eight. To be candid, I did not find this year’s edition to be at the level of the preceding three editions. But, that’s no slap at “The Hardball Times Baseball Annual 2009.” More so, it speaks to how great the other verison were…at least to me.

In this edition, I very much enjoyed Craig Wright’s “The Aging of Honus Wagner,” Craig Brown’s “Have Bat, Will Travel: The Free Agency of Pete Rose,” Greg Rybarczyk’s “Hit Tracker 2008,” Phil Birnbaum’s “How Do Players Age,” Craig Calcaterra’s “There’s No Success Like Failure: The Mitchell Report,” Joe Posnanski’s “The Greatest Class of All?,” and Rob Neyer’s “Trades of the Midseason” (even if the latter did not include the Yankees picking up David Justice in 2000).

However, on the flip-side, I thought that Roel Torres’ “Making a Baseball Fan” was self-indulgent and common, Colin Wyer’s “The Best Run Estimators” was too heavy on the math, and Sean Smith’s “History’s Greatest Fielders” too light on the math (since I would have liked have seen more on how the results were derived).

Nonetheless, the good features in “The Hardball Times Baseball Annual 2009” make-up for those that may be somewhat lacking. And, of course, there’s tons (and tons!) of great numbers in the “Statistics” section of the annual (as always).

And, this all said, I recommend checking out “The Hardball Times Baseball Annual 2009.” If you’re the type of person who collects baseball annuals, you’ll want this one on your bookshelves. Or, if you’re just someone who enjoys reading about baseball, especially in the off-season, then you’ll want to pick up “The Hardball Times Baseball Annual 2009” – as it will keep you busy for a good while.

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Friend of WasWatching.com Marty Appel, sent me a heads-up on something cool recently. As Marty shared:

Legendary Sports Prints sells top quality art at reasonable prices; they have a lot of Yankee material, but two in particular got my attention.

Both are by Bill Purdom. One shows Mantle at bat with Maris on deck from 1960, and the other Ruth at bat with Gehrig on deck from 1929, the first time players wore numbers. The Mantle/Maris one shows the left field grandstand, and the Ruth/Gehrig one the right field grandstand. Side by side, they make a beautiful matched set. Very cool holiday gifts for Yankee fans.

I checked these out and Marty is correct. There’s also one featured where Thurman Munson is giving Carlton Fisk “the look.” Priceless. Click here to check them out for yourself.

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