Baseball Books

Here is a list of books I have personally read that I would recommend to you.  This is by no means a comprehensive list, as there are so many baseball books out there, many of which I have yet to get to myself.  As I get around to reading more, this list will no doubt get tweaked and updated, so be sure to check back frequently!

Non-fiction books:

• I Had a Hammer: The Hank Aaron Story, by Hank Aaron
  Hank Aaron’s autobiography is more than just a baseball book.  It is an eye-opening account of one man’s experience with bigotry and racism.
  • Read my review here.
  • Buy the book here: https://amzn.to/2GvCNQj 
• Eight Men Out: The Black Sox and the 1919 World Series, by Eliot Asinof
  An account of how the 1919 World Series fix likely occurred, including portraits of the major players involved.
  • Read my review here.
  • Buy the book here: https://amzn.to/2GvcFF7 
• Mickey and Willie: Mantle and Mays, the Parallel Lives of Baseball’s Golden Age, by Allen Barra
  Barra explores the uncanny parallels in the lives and baseball careers of both Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays.
  • Read my review here.
  • Buy the book here: https://amzn.to/2q34dXz 
• Ball Four, by Jim Bouton
  Bouton’s honest and candid account of his experience as a pitcher with the New York Yankees, the Houston Astros, and the Seattle Pilots.
  • Read my review here.
  • Buy the book here: https://amzn.to/2GuvvAq 
• Becoming Big League: Seattle, the Pilots, and Stadium Politics, by Bill Mullins
  An exploration of the Seattle Pilots’ only season, including a look at the labyrinth of politics and economics that resulted in the team’s departure.
  • Read my review here.
  • Buy a copy here: https://amzn.to/2IqgFau 
• A People’s History of Baseball, by Mitchell Nathanson
  While popular baseball histories tell of patriotism, virtue, and heroism, Nathanson probes deeper to uncover a world of player oppression, power struggles, racism, and questionable politics.
  • Read my review here.
  • Buy a copy here: https://amzn.to/2GNSLJ3 
• Ty and The Babe: Baseball’s Fiercest Rivals: A Surprising Friendship and the 1941 Has-Beens Golf Championship, by Tom Stanton
  A fascinating look at the evolution of the relationship between Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth, culminating in a friendly golf competition.
  • Read my review here.
  • Buy the book here: https://amzn.to/2EgNy7n 
• The Big Fella: Babe Ruth and the World He Created, by Jane Leavy
• • Detailed biography of the Great Bambino.Read my review here.
  • Buy the book here: https://amzn.to/2DYSjYC

Fiction books:

• The Celebrant, by Eric Rolfe Greenberg
  A mashup of true baseball history with a fictional plot as immigrant jeweler Jackie Kapp develops a relationship with renowned pitcher Christy Mathewson.
  • Read my review here.
  • Buy the book here: https://amzn.to/2uIkp5j  
• The Art of Fielding, by Chad Harbach
  Henry Skrimshander, a highly-talented and much-sought-after shortstop, one day makes an errant throw that completely rocks his confidence and the worlds of those around him.
  • Read my review here.
  • Get the book here: https://amzn.to/2GNIMDs  
• Blockade Billy, by Stephen King
  A novella about William Blakely, a talented catcher for the New Jersey Titans.
  • Read my review here.
  • Get the book here: https://amzn.to/2Ekh2RO  
• The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, by Stephen King
  When nine-year-old Tisha McFarland gets lost in the woods, she finds solace in listening to broadcasts of Red Sox baseball games.
  • Read my review here.
  • Get the book here: https://amzn.to/2uMnsJT  
• Last of the Third, by John Lindholm
  Star left fielder Shawn McMaster returns home after four years of hiding to find his family’s way of life is in trouble.
  • Read my review here.
  • Get the book here: https://amzn.to/2GQrup9  
• The Natural, by Bernard Malamud
  The novel upon which the movie is based… with a very different ending.
  • Read my review here.
  • Get the book here: https://amzn.to/2EfZXID  
• The Great American Novel, by Philip Roth
  The comedic story of the Ruppert Mundys, a team of eccentric players in the long-forgotten Patriot League.
  • Read my review here.
  • Get a copy here: https://amzn.to/2Gxrvv3 
• Deadball: A Metaphysical Baseball Novel, by David B. Stinson
  Former minor leaguer Byron Bennett embarks on a road trip visiting old and vanished ballparks, where the old game comes to life right before his eyes.
  • Read my review here.
  • Get the book here: https://amzn.to/2GuzFIp 
• Calico Joe, by John Grisham
  Joe Castle is the greatest rookie the game has ever seen, until a beanball changes his life and the lives of many others.
  • Read my review here. 
  • Get the book here: https://amzn.to/3F7LHld 

• The Brothers K, by David James Duncan
  The story of the Chance family.  A father whose minor league baseball career is ended by a mill accident.  A mother who clings to religion.  And four brothers who grow up during a tumultuous period in U.S. history. 
  • Read my review here. 
  • Get the book here: https://amzn.to/3wFb231