On Tuesday 9 March 2010 a book was published titled: The Baseball Fan’s Bucket List: 162 Things You Must Do, See, Get, and Experience Before You Die, by Robert Santelli and Jenna Santelli. The book’s table of contents lists all 162 items per the authors’ ranking. I have taken that list and organized it into twelve categories, which I find easier to consider when dealing with the list. I will be presenting each category alphabetically over the course of the 2011 baseball season. The number to the left of each item is its position on the Santellis’ list. Items in red would be of particular interest to Red Sox fans. Today’s category number one out of twelve is:
BOOKS
17 Read The Book, Ball Four
. . .a book written by former Major League Baseball pitcher Jim Bouton in 1970. The book is a diary of Bouton's 1969 season, spent with the Seattle Pilots (during the club's only year in existence) and then the Houston Astros following a late-season trade - Wikipedia
Although I do own a copy of Ball Four, I’m afraid I have to admit that I have not yet read it. Based on the book, from 22 September 1976 to 27 October 1976, there were five television episodes of the show “Ball Four”.
23 Read The Book, The Boys of Summer
. . .a widely-acclaimed book written by Roger Kahn. After recounting his childhood in Brooklyn, the author relates some history of the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team up to their victory in the 1955 World Series - Wikipedia
29 Read The Book, Moneyball
. . .a book by Michael M. Lewis, published in 2003, about the Oakland Athletics baseball team and its general manager Billy Beane. - Wikipedia
A film, “Moneyball”, based on the book, is scheduled for United States release on Friday 23 September 2011
37 Read The Book, Baseball: A Literary Anthology
. . .a lively mix of stories, memoirs, poems, news reports, and insider accounts about all aspects of the great American game, from its pastoral nineteenth-century beginnings to its apotheosis as the undisputed national pastime. – Library of America
Bernadette Mayer – Carlton Fisk is My Ideal
John Updike – Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu
60 Read The Writings Of A. Bartlett Giamatti
Take Time for Paradise: Americans and Their Games
A philosophical musing on sports and play, this wholly inspiring and utterly charming reissue of Bart Giamatti's long-out-of-print final book, Take Time for Paradise, puts baseball in the context of American life and leisure. – Amazon.com
A Great and Glorious Game: Baseball Writings of A. Bartlett Giamatti
In the baseball pantheon, Giamatti occupies an unusual place: leaving the presidency of Yale University, he became the president of the National League and then, for the five months before his death in 1989, the commissioner of baseball. – Amazon.com
66 Subscribe To And Read Baseball America
Since 1981, Baseball America has been finding the prospects and tracking them from high school to the big leagues. That means you get comprehensive coverage every step of the way, from high school and colleges to the minors and the majors. – Baseball America
www.baseballamerica.com
69 Create A Baseball Reference Library
My small baseball reference library consists of The Official Rules of Baseball Illustrated, 2006 edition; Baseball, 2007 edition by Quamut; 2009 Red Sox Media Guide; 2010 Red Sox Media Guide; Baseball Memories 1900-1909; "Baseball, a Film by Ken Burns"; and several baseball trivia books.
79 Read The Book, Veeck as in Wreck
Bill Veeck was an inspired team builder, a consummate showman, and one of the greatest baseball men ever involved in the game. His classic autobiography, written with the talented sportswriter Ed Linn, is an uproarious book packed with information about the history of baseball and tales of players and owners, including some of the most entertaining stories in all of sports literature. – Veeck as in Wreck
81 Read The Book, A False Spring
. . .a bittersweet memoir about his (Pat Jordan) minor league baseball career - Wikipedia
83 Own A Copy Of The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract
. . .a reference-type book written by Bill James featuring an overview of baseball decade by decade, along with rankings of the top 100 players at each position. - Wikipedia
87 Read The Book, The Glory Of Their Times
. . .a book, edited by Lawrence Ritter, telling the stories of early 20th century baseball. - Wikipedia
A documentary, “The Glory of Their Times,” based on the book was released in 1977
94 Read The Book, You Know Me Al
. . .a series of letters from a bush-league baseball player to his friend "Al" back home - Wikipedia
Also a comedy short, “Al You Know Me”, based on the book, was released in 1915
99 Read The Book, Only The Ball Was White
. . .the forgotten story of these excluded ballplayers, and gives them the recognition they were so long denied. – Amazon.com
107 Read The Book, Baseball: A History of America’s Favorite Game
. . .a breezy background narrative of the game from its pre–Civil War roots to its current drug scandals, structured around set pieces spotlighting the outsized deeds of luminaries like Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Branch Rickey and George Steinbrenner. – Amazon.com
122 Read The Book, Shoeless Joe
. . .the beauty and history of American baseball, specifically the plight of his hero, Shoeless Joe Jackson, and the Black Sox Scandal of the 1919 World Series. - Wikipedia
The 1989 film, “Field of Dreams”, is based on this book
124 Read The Book, The Summer Game
This collection of essays takes you into the heart of baseball as it was in the 1960s, conveyed with humor and insight. – Amazon.com
131 Read The Book, The Teammates
As baseball legend Ted Williams lay dying in Florida, his old Boston Red Sox teammates Johnny Pesky and Dom DiMaggio piled into a car and drove 1,300 miles to see their friend. – Amazon.com
Also a 2003 TV documentary, “The Teammates”, is based on this book
143 Read The Book, The Science of Hitting
As a boy, all Ted Williams wanted was to be the best hitter there ever was. Through his storied tenure with the Red Sox, he pretty much got his wish. – Amazon.com
151 Read The Universal Baseball Association, Inc., J. Henry Waugh, Prop.
A satirical fable with a rootless and helpless accountant as the protagonist. Alone in his apartment, he spends all his nights and weekends playing an intricate baseball game of his own invention. - Amazon.com
161 Read Elysian Fields Quarterly
. . .a literary baseball journal of "writing on baseball from the fan's perspective", published in St. Paul MN. It features articles on baseball history and lore. – Wikipedia
http://efqreview.com
Volume 25, Number 3 2008 was the last published issue. Publication is on hiatus.
My Book Recommendations:
How To Talk to a Yankee Fan
. . . a tongue-in-cheek primer of Yankee discourse; a psychology examination of baseball fandom peppered with fun facts, frivolous historical accounts, and comical illustrations. – Amazon.com
I Never Had It Made
This autobiography, which was originally published in 1972, the year Robinson died, is not about baseball: it's about the deep commitment that Robinson made to achieve justice for himself and all Americans. – Amazon.com
Wait Till Next Year
When historian Goodwin was six years old, her father taught her how to keep score for "their" team, the Brooklyn Dodgers. While this activity forged a lifelong bond between father and daughter, her mother formed an equally strong relationship with her through the shared love of reading. – Amazon.com
Yaz: Baseball, the Wall, and Me
A Boston Red Sox hero for 23 years, "Yaz" played in more baseball games than anyone in American League history, becoming the league's only member to accomplish both 400 home runs and 3000 hits. – Amazon.com
Images:
Left: Front cover of my personal copy of The Official Rules of Baseball Illustrated
Center: Front cover of The Baseball Fan’s Bucket List from the website amazon.com
Right: Front cover of my personal copy of Ball Four
BOOKS
17 Read The Book, Ball Four
. . .a book written by former Major League Baseball pitcher Jim Bouton in 1970. The book is a diary of Bouton's 1969 season, spent with the Seattle Pilots (during the club's only year in existence) and then the Houston Astros following a late-season trade - Wikipedia
Although I do own a copy of Ball Four, I’m afraid I have to admit that I have not yet read it. Based on the book, from 22 September 1976 to 27 October 1976, there were five television episodes of the show “Ball Four”.
23 Read The Book, The Boys of Summer
. . .a widely-acclaimed book written by Roger Kahn. After recounting his childhood in Brooklyn, the author relates some history of the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team up to their victory in the 1955 World Series - Wikipedia
29 Read The Book, Moneyball
. . .a book by Michael M. Lewis, published in 2003, about the Oakland Athletics baseball team and its general manager Billy Beane. - Wikipedia
A film, “Moneyball”, based on the book, is scheduled for United States release on Friday 23 September 2011
37 Read The Book, Baseball: A Literary Anthology
. . .a lively mix of stories, memoirs, poems, news reports, and insider accounts about all aspects of the great American game, from its pastoral nineteenth-century beginnings to its apotheosis as the undisputed national pastime. – Library of America
Bernadette Mayer – Carlton Fisk is My Ideal
John Updike – Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu
60 Read The Writings Of A. Bartlett Giamatti
Take Time for Paradise: Americans and Their Games
A philosophical musing on sports and play, this wholly inspiring and utterly charming reissue of Bart Giamatti's long-out-of-print final book, Take Time for Paradise, puts baseball in the context of American life and leisure. – Amazon.com
A Great and Glorious Game: Baseball Writings of A. Bartlett Giamatti
In the baseball pantheon, Giamatti occupies an unusual place: leaving the presidency of Yale University, he became the president of the National League and then, for the five months before his death in 1989, the commissioner of baseball. – Amazon.com
66 Subscribe To And Read Baseball America
Since 1981, Baseball America has been finding the prospects and tracking them from high school to the big leagues. That means you get comprehensive coverage every step of the way, from high school and colleges to the minors and the majors. – Baseball America
www.baseballamerica.com
69 Create A Baseball Reference Library
My small baseball reference library consists of The Official Rules of Baseball Illustrated, 2006 edition; Baseball, 2007 edition by Quamut; 2009 Red Sox Media Guide; 2010 Red Sox Media Guide; Baseball Memories 1900-1909; "Baseball, a Film by Ken Burns"; and several baseball trivia books.
79 Read The Book, Veeck as in Wreck
Bill Veeck was an inspired team builder, a consummate showman, and one of the greatest baseball men ever involved in the game. His classic autobiography, written with the talented sportswriter Ed Linn, is an uproarious book packed with information about the history of baseball and tales of players and owners, including some of the most entertaining stories in all of sports literature. – Veeck as in Wreck
81 Read The Book, A False Spring
. . .a bittersweet memoir about his (Pat Jordan) minor league baseball career - Wikipedia
83 Own A Copy Of The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract
. . .a reference-type book written by Bill James featuring an overview of baseball decade by decade, along with rankings of the top 100 players at each position. - Wikipedia
87 Read The Book, The Glory Of Their Times
. . .a book, edited by Lawrence Ritter, telling the stories of early 20th century baseball. - Wikipedia
A documentary, “The Glory of Their Times,” based on the book was released in 1977
94 Read The Book, You Know Me Al
. . .a series of letters from a bush-league baseball player to his friend "Al" back home - Wikipedia
Also a comedy short, “Al You Know Me”, based on the book, was released in 1915
99 Read The Book, Only The Ball Was White
. . .the forgotten story of these excluded ballplayers, and gives them the recognition they were so long denied. – Amazon.com
107 Read The Book, Baseball: A History of America’s Favorite Game
. . .a breezy background narrative of the game from its pre–Civil War roots to its current drug scandals, structured around set pieces spotlighting the outsized deeds of luminaries like Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Branch Rickey and George Steinbrenner. – Amazon.com
122 Read The Book, Shoeless Joe
. . .the beauty and history of American baseball, specifically the plight of his hero, Shoeless Joe Jackson, and the Black Sox Scandal of the 1919 World Series. - Wikipedia
The 1989 film, “Field of Dreams”, is based on this book
124 Read The Book, The Summer Game
This collection of essays takes you into the heart of baseball as it was in the 1960s, conveyed with humor and insight. – Amazon.com
131 Read The Book, The Teammates
As baseball legend Ted Williams lay dying in Florida, his old Boston Red Sox teammates Johnny Pesky and Dom DiMaggio piled into a car and drove 1,300 miles to see their friend. – Amazon.com
Also a 2003 TV documentary, “The Teammates”, is based on this book
143 Read The Book, The Science of Hitting
As a boy, all Ted Williams wanted was to be the best hitter there ever was. Through his storied tenure with the Red Sox, he pretty much got his wish. – Amazon.com
151 Read The Universal Baseball Association, Inc., J. Henry Waugh, Prop.
A satirical fable with a rootless and helpless accountant as the protagonist. Alone in his apartment, he spends all his nights and weekends playing an intricate baseball game of his own invention. - Amazon.com
161 Read Elysian Fields Quarterly
. . .a literary baseball journal of "writing on baseball from the fan's perspective", published in St. Paul MN. It features articles on baseball history and lore. – Wikipedia
http://efqreview.com
Volume 25, Number 3 2008 was the last published issue. Publication is on hiatus.
My Book Recommendations:
How To Talk to a Yankee Fan
. . . a tongue-in-cheek primer of Yankee discourse; a psychology examination of baseball fandom peppered with fun facts, frivolous historical accounts, and comical illustrations. – Amazon.com
I Never Had It Made
This autobiography, which was originally published in 1972, the year Robinson died, is not about baseball: it's about the deep commitment that Robinson made to achieve justice for himself and all Americans. – Amazon.com
Wait Till Next Year
When historian Goodwin was six years old, her father taught her how to keep score for "their" team, the Brooklyn Dodgers. While this activity forged a lifelong bond between father and daughter, her mother formed an equally strong relationship with her through the shared love of reading. – Amazon.com
Yaz: Baseball, the Wall, and Me
A Boston Red Sox hero for 23 years, "Yaz" played in more baseball games than anyone in American League history, becoming the league's only member to accomplish both 400 home runs and 3000 hits. – Amazon.com
Images:
Left: Front cover of my personal copy of The Official Rules of Baseball Illustrated
Center: Front cover of The Baseball Fan’s Bucket List from the website amazon.com
Right: Front cover of my personal copy of Ball Four
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