Book Description

Superstar Deion Sanders tells his powerful life story and reveals how power, money and sex could not satisfy the void in his life—a void ultimately satisfied by his relationship with Christ. A photo section included in this national best-seller.

Reviews (14)

Depicts how Sanders grows out of adolescence into manhood.
For any man who has ever had problems with "power, sex or money," this is a must-read. This book covers the trials and triumphs of one of the NFL's most controversial - yet entertaining athletes of all-time. Find out where Deion receives the necessary strength to play in both the World Series and the Super Bowl. You'll be amazed!

Prime Time's Quest to Christ
Wow! The life and times of Deion Sanders is most definitely a most unique and touching story. Who would think that a man with so much going for himself: fame, fortune, women and much more would want to commit suicide? It just goes to show the public that material gifts don't bring happiness without those who love us in our lives on a daily basis.

Due to hearing the numerous testimonies of Sanders (and others outside of pro sports and the entertainment industry) on ESPN and Christian networks, I am trying to take those extra steps to put Christ in my life full time.

I must admit, I loved the non-religious Deion Sanders. He was so conceited and filled with so much arrogance, and my goodness was he entertaining! However, by seeing the new Deion Sanders, I admire him even more because it takes lots of courage to make the transformations and sacrifices he has made.

I've read a little over half of Deion's book thus far, so I'm informed about part of his journey to spirituality. Now, it's time for me to read the other half of his book and get the complete story of how Deion found "The Big Guy In The Sky."

Job well done by Deion and his editor, Jim Nelson Black on bringing us a most uplifting story for all readers to take part in.

Finally, I just want to say: Keep doin' what ya doin' Deion and don't change. Keep safe and God bless!

Prime Time's Years of Slime Time
Let me start off by saying I like Deion Sanders, otherwise I never would have purchased his book. And I admire the fact that the man has come a LONG way and overcome many obstacles to accept Christ into his life.
However, I do have a major complaint - well, two to be totally honest.
One, Deion seems to blame all his past problems on others. Even though Deion admits he was hell on wheels and self destructive for a time, he still doesn't take responsibility for many of his actions in this book. The time in Cincinnati, when he played for the Reds, when he got into an altercation with a security guard while he was riding around in a golf cart. Everyone knows Deion made that situation worse than it ever could have been, but in Deion's retelling of the story, the security guard provoked him. There are several more stories like this one, where Deion was involved in something that escalated because the other party in the dispute was out to "get him". I'm not going to say that everything that has happened to Deion is his fault, but let's be real - a lot of it is. I'm surprised, as a christian, that Deion hasn't stepped up to the plate and taken a little more responsibility for his past actions. I'm not judging Deion, but I must admit my disappointment.
The other problem I had with the book, and this is most likely not Deion's fault but rather the authors, is that his "escapades" are glamourized, instead of downplayed. I've read several biographies written by famous people - athletes, politicians, actors, etc - and they all are guilty of this. I understand the risk you take as a writer, explaining the past deed and attempting to unfold what happened, but doing so in a manor that is interesting to the reader. When this happens, it's every easy to glamourize the story, instead of exposing it for the bad thing that it was.
Overall, an entertaining read, albeit somewhat short to my surprise.

My Review on Deion's Book....
Overall, I really enjoy Deion and I was looking forward to reading his autobiography, but I have to say I was somewhat disappointed. It wasn't as 'thorough' as I thought - and his cockiness and self-centeredness really showed. I still enjoy him, and I wish him the best on his journey with Jesus.. I just pray that he's sincere.

Deion has always been a class act
I've always dug Deion Sanders.To Me he has been the Most Complete Athlete of His Time.cuz He is a Good Baseball Player&A Great Football Player.but More Importantly The Brother is Very Honest with Himself&His Surroundings.he has come full circle&has Inner Peace.this is a Great Book. ... Read more

Book Description

Hal Chase is considered by many to be one of the best first basemen ever to play the game of baseball. He was able to make the routine look spectacular, the spectacular look routine. But Chase will never have his plaque in Cooperstown because he has gone down in history as the biggest crook in baseball. Chase was repeatedly accused of throwing games, bribing players, betting against his own team, and various other crimes, yet with his relaxed nature he always managed to get off the hook for his misdeeds by working his charm. His playing career lasted from 1905 to 1919, and by the mid-1930s he was a destitute alcoholic living off friends. The last fifteen years of Chase's life saw him hospitalized repeatedly for a variety of ailments, living off a sister and brother-in-law who loathed him. This work traces the turbulent life and times of Hal Chase from his humble beginnings to his sad end. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Setting the Record Straight?
Martin Kohout has given us the definitive biography of one of the most controversial athletes ever to play a major sport. Hal Chase was one of the premier ballplayers of his day, maybe the best first basemen ever, but he possessed, as one teammate said, "a corkscrew brain." He was never convicted of any crimes and was never banned from the game, but Kohout lays out the facts of Chase's career in detail, and the reader can make the call. What emerges is a true cautionary tale of squandered talent and a long-overdue addition to baseball lore and history.

The Tragedy of Hal Chase
Martin Kohout has penned a fascinating account not only of Hal Chase's eventful career, but of early 20th century baseball as well. One need not be well-versed in baseball lore in order to derive great pleasure from this work.

The book rests on a mountain of research. One of its many strengths is the insightful description of how the easy morality of the times spilled over into what I had previously believed to be the pristine world of baseball. The connections which existed among certain owners, managers, and underworld figures during Chase's major league career shatters the myth that the 1919 Black Sox scandal was an abberation. Especially interesting is the linkage that Mr. Kohout finds between the poisonous aftermath of WWI and that scandal.

The book is well written and carries the reader briskly along with a season by season account of Chase's exploits, both on and off the field. Unlike Pete Rose, whom this reviewer always found detestable, Hal Chase comes off as a sympathetic, likeable fellow, popular with the fans of every team for which he played. Yet, as Mr. Kohout tell us, he threw it all away -- his career, his family and friends, and his health. One is left wishing that Chase had possessed the character of a Gehrig.

Was He Really That Good?
Sportswriter Fred Lieb wrote that Hal Chase had "a corkscrew brain." Author Martin Kohout provides us with a very detailed account of the life of Hal Chase, "baseball's biggest crook." Whatever you want to know about Mr. Chase can be found in this book and some readers may feel they are being told more than they care to know. Chase is often given credit as being the greatest defensive first-baseman. His strength appears to have been on fielding sacrifice bunts and forcing the lead runner either at second or third base. This account provides the reader with a number of errors, purposely or not, Chase committed during games. In addition, he often was out of the lineup for one ailment or another. Hal bounced around a number of major league teams after wearing out his welcome with the one he was currently on. Each time he pledged to turn over a new leaf. Crooked ball playing took place during the turn of the century, and such times were ripe for a player with Chase's lack of morals. His personal life was a mess as well as his reputation on the field of play. I enjoy reading about players from the turn of the 20th century and was happy to be able to read about teams such as the New York Highlanders, the original Yankees, and players such as Hal Chase, even though he was a shady character. This book is definitely worth your time if you are interested in baseball history. If you are a casual fan, find something that is lighter reading.

This Boy Was So Crooked He Had TO Screw On His Socks
Ever since I was a little boy I`ve heard of Hal Chase from my Dad and Uncle and always wondered. what they were saying in undertones after they told me what a completly peerless fielder he was and so fast and quick that he made everyone else look slow. After studying the 1919 scandal I learned a little more of his deviousness but in being able to talk to Ty Cobb and also Swede Risberg in the 1950`s I learned how great he could be if he wanted to. This book is a great work and I can`t believe the research and digging that had to go into it. What a great complete history of Prince Hal. There are more pictures than I`ve ever seen of him and incidents in his career that I had`nt heard of.Chase was such a complex character that he was very hard for some people to dislike; others loathed him and indeed he was baseball`s biggest crook.The description of his slide to oblivion was well done especially his life in Arizona and his final demise in California. As a matter of fact he died in the town where Ilive. I never got to see him play as I had only been home from overseas less than a year when he died but others have told me how he would go out to the high school diamond and help some kid trying to play first base. He was old at the time but my friend said you should have seen the moves he showed the youngster. They electrified the adults watching. The book brings this out. All in all to me a great book and I enjoyed it immensely.

The Point Gets Lost
While quite impressive in its volume of detail, which is fully footnoted and sourced as any academic tome, and obviously a project that the author slaved over for years, he seems incapable or unwilling to take this mass of information and do anything with it. Chase is one of the more controversial figures in the history of the game and worthy of a full length biographical treatment, but this reads like a private genealogy; since the author comes to none but the most tentative conclusions, the day-to-day probing of Chase's activities is, in the end, numbing and tiresome, a pointless excercise in minutiae as the author sits squarely on the fence in regard to each and every of the many indiscretions that marred his career. A book should amass information and through the authors' powers of insight and persuasion, arrive at some kind of conclusion or point of view. This does not, and I wish it did. While this will be useful as a source book for those who want to know what Chase did during a given season or particular time, the larger questions around Chase and gambling are not advanced beyond what is already known. A book of this scope should have answered those questions. ... Read more

Amazon.com

"Style, not shtick. Wit, not bombast." That's the way Bob Costas describes longtime San Francisco Giants broadcaster Hank Greenwald's on-air voice in his foreword to Greenwald's acerbically free-wheeling look back at his years in the booth. It's a description that also goes a long way toward characterizing the man and his memoir. Greenwald, now retired from the grind of day-to-day game-calling, was a rarity on the air. He not only knew how to make a game come alive, but also how to liven up the pauses in action with a genuine humor that was funny but not self-serving, self-referential, or worse, self-reverential. Not surprisingly, This Copyrighted Broadcast reflects that balancing act: it's smart in its look at the state of the game, on and particularly off the field (to wit: "If there's one thing owners don't accept, it's blame. They don't have to, they're owners"; "What a shame baseball is so insecure about itself"), it's funny, it's honest (wait till you see what Greenwald has to say about Barry Bonds), it's daring in what it reveals about broadcasting and some of the absurdities of being a ball club's paid mouthpiece--unless you're an institution like Harry Caray, you don't always get to call it like you see it--and it's poignant in its revelations about family, especially concerning Greenwald's remarkable relationship with a daughter who has Down's Syndrome. But mostly, it's a collection of terrific anecdotes from a man who knows how to tells stories, move things along, and amuse with skill and absolute timing. This is, after all, the announcer who, when told by a producer to shorten his sign-on of a game from Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium, looked directly into the camera and bid fans a good evening from Two Rivers Stadium. --Jeff Silverman ... Read more

Reviews (14)

This book is like turning Hank on the radio!
Those that remember Hank Greenwald from his days as a Warriors and Giants broadcaster will enjoy his book tremendously. You can quickly tell that he deals with the written word as well as he did with the spoken word. The first night I read the book, I stayed up until 4 a.m. reading. There are a multitude of subjects he covers, all with wit, charm and personality. He not only has in-depth writing of his early years at Syracuse University and the East, but also his family, life in Australia, study of General MacArthur, the later years in the Bay Area with both the Warriors and Giants, and some general feelings about baseball. His dry wit, so common on his broadcasts, is quite evident throughout the book and may only be matched by his son Doug, now doing baseball in California. Greenwald retired from baseball broadcasting in 1996, to the chagrin of many, and now enjoys retirement life after a long and illustrious career. For anyone who listened to Hank on KNBR radio over the years, or for those who enjoy reading about sports broadcasters in general, this book is truly outstanding reading.

Vivid and frank, like talking to an old friend...
Hank Greenwald has produced a wonderful, unflinching and warm autobiography of his life and career. Hank was baseball to me on a hot summer night. I felt like he was in the room talking to me during Giants broadcasts. His book feels the same way. What I like the best about his book is the classy way he deals with what must have been awful situations in his broadcast life. (And, yes, he is right on in respect to Barry Bonds). Thanks Captain Hank for sharing the personal as well as the professional sides of your life and career.

Thanks for the memories Hank.........
I am a lifelong Giants fan and remember listening to Hank as a kid. His wonderful voice, and passion for the game motivated me to buy his book and I was not disappointed. The stories he told brought back so many memories of my childhood, and some wonderful insight as well. I actually knew the disclaimer word for word and could do it in his voice.

Readers will be particularly touched with the chapter on his daughter who was born with Down Syndrome.

Way to go Hank, and thanks for bringing back some wonderful memories. (Even freezing at Candlestick)

Not THAT dirty!
If you like sports and are a Bay Area native, you have to read this book. Hank does a comical, complete review of early days with the Warriors and of course, the Men in Black (not the Raiders). He is really funny and a down to earth serious person as well.

Having discovered that the book had been banned, I naturally wanted to read it more, wondering what he could have said to anger the team's management that he faithfully and honestly served for all those years. Turns out it wasn't THAT much of a big deal. Just a few lines here and there. But it sure makes the Giants ownership group, at least half of it, sound like sourpusses, as well as a few others.

But Hank is not the type to dwell on negatives. He is far too funny, plus he and his wife have raised 2 children, which make you able to separate the important things from the nonsense real quick.

I am happy that I got to listen to Hank all those years of my youth, but even more happy for Hank that he seems to be living life on his terms. It is the gift that Bay Area sports fans would want for somebody like him after all that he has given us.

Buy it, read it, pass it to a friend. Hank, if you're reading this, we miss you.

Good stuff from Hank
As somebody who grew up in the Bay Area listening to Hank, this book was a nice re-acquaintance with one of the friendliest, most genuine voices in baseball. This book has plenty of chuckles and it makes you feel like you know a little bit more about somebody who most Giant fans regard as a friend. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Bing Devine: A Respected Member of the Cardinals
Bing Devine became the General Manager of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1958, and I fondly remember those Cardinals teams from the 1960's onward. We have heard about the Cardinals in books from Harry Caray, Jack Buck, Bob Gibson, Bob Broeg, and others. Missing has been the story of their marvelous General Manager, Bing Devine. Just as Bill Veeck will always be associated with Eddie Gaedel, Bing Devine will always be associated with the acquisition of Lou Brock from the Chicago Cubs in 1964 in exchange for pitcher Ernie Broglio. It was Devine that brought together the 1964 All-Star game starting infield of Boyer, Groat, Javier, and White. The latter three all acquired in trades by Devine. Devine provides us with his viewpoint of his mid-season firing in 1964 when his team then went on to win the National League pennant and the World Series against the Yankees. Manager Johnny Keane was to be fired at the end of the season, before the team fooled owner Gussie Busch and won it all. Devine also explains his tenious relationship with Branch Rickey who Mr. Busch had brought in as a "senior consultant." I knew that Mr. Busch was unhappy with GM Devine and manager Johnny Keane due to a problem with shortstop Dick Groat, but I never knew the reason for it. Groat was unhappy that Keane had taken away permission from Groat to use the hit-and-run play on his own. Busch got word there was a problem with Groat, but Devine, believing the problem had been solved, didn't tell Busch when Busch asked him if he had anything to tell him. Devine then went on to join the New York Mets for three years before being rehired again as GM of the Cardinals. Devine also explains his dislike of being ordered by Mr. Busch to trade pitchers Steve Carlton and Jerry Reuss against Devine's better judgment. Bing Devine does not bad mouth anybody in the book. He just gives his opinions regarding the trading of players, and his relationships with the people he has worked with over the years. As a measure of the respect Devine is held, he is now 88 years old and still is involved in an active capacity with his beloved Cardinals. St. Louis has a tremendous baseball tradition and history, and Bing Devine is responsible for a great part of it. Thank you, Mr. Devine, for this book. We needed to hear your viewpoint. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The "Wild Hoss of the Osage" comes to life!
This is an excellent biography of one of baseball's truly remarkable characters. Although names like Dizzy Dean, Frankie Frisch and Leo Durocher are more reknowned, Pepper Martin was the true heart and soul of the legendary "Gashouse Gang" Cardinals team of the 1930's and Barthel leaves no stone unturned in detailing the life of this unique and talented ballplayer from yesteryear. News article references chronicling his World Series exploits are included and serve as a glimpse back to a time when a signing bonus consisted of a couple of hunting dogs and a Winchester rifle.

Also included are numerous AP and never before seen photographs and illustrations.

Pepper Martin was truly one of a kind and this book captures the essence of his life and character. ... Read more

Book Description

Nolan Ryan: From Alvin to Cooperstown is a collection of articles and rare photographs from the archives of The Sporting News. With Ryan's 1999 induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, this book is the first to capture his entire career in pictures with the New York Mets ('66-'70), California Angels ('71-'79), Houston Astros ('80-'88), and Texas Rangers ('89-'93). Baseball's all-time strikeout leader and the author of seven no-hitters, Nolan Ryan is in many ways the most remarkable pitcher to ever play the game. ... Read more

Book Description

Widely considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time, Joe DiMaggio transcended sports and was a true American icon. Beyond his public life in a New York Yankee uniform and his glamorous if brief marriage to Marilyn Monroe, DiMaggio was an intensely private individual who rarely, if ever, revealed himself to biographers attempting to tell his life story. Until now. Morris Engelberg, DiMaggio’s closest friend and confidante over the last 16 years of his life, had rare access and insight to the man behind the legend. Teamed up with longtime AP journalist Marv Schneider, Engelberg corrects inaccuracies in recent biographies of DiMaggio and reveals the true, inside story of the great "Joltin’ Joe." ... Read more

Reviews (22)

DiMaggio: Setting the Record Straight
What a refreshingly well written book on one of the 20th Century's finest ball players. I have been a Yankees Fan as far back as I could hold a fielders' glove and bat. I've always had a great deal of respect for past baseball players not only The New York Yankees but, for all of the rest of the teams. I must state that as opposed to Richard Ben Cramer's book, Joe Di Maggio: A Hero's Life; DiMaggio: Setting the Record Straight, is by far more insightful. Understandably, Mr. Engleberg, was a "Di Maggio afficionado", which means to most, that he would never "trash" or "do a-number" on Di Maggio. However, the facts and places, (inclusive of some of the most recognizable persons which helped shape our modern world; i.e., the books' Intro., by Dr.Henry Kissinger, speak for themselves. When I read Cramer's book, it just seemed too "tabloid" and "trashy". I mean, yes, there were some good areas of the book regarding Di Maggio when he was palying with the SF Seals, and later to the Yankees; but, really unnecessary verbiage with regard to using the slander term :"Dago" through most of the book. It seemed to me that this writer had a personal "vendetta" against Di Maggio. I guess, it's relative to whom one person is addressing his or her opinions about which bring forth "positive or negative" narratives and essays about people. All-in-all, Mr. Engleberg's book was intersting and I for one was riveted reading this to its' end. I truly recommend reading and enjoying a very "mortal" and "imperfect" man,(as we all are), with superlative finite qualities that not only held the title of a "New York Yankee", but, earned the nickname "Yankee Clipper" for his uncanny and effortless fielding qualities.

DiMaggio From the Other Side
I assumed that Setting the Record straight was meant to refute the charges brought by Richard Ben Cramer in his (2000) biography of Joe. It does parry most of those charges, but Engleberg is too shrewd to come out and name Cramer as the inspiration for the book. Why have your audience run and read Cramer's book too?

Engelberg's account is naturally more sympathetic than Cramer's. For instance, Cramer says that Joe was noted for having many random affairs with women, Engelberg says offhandedly that Joe had no trouble with the ladies. Cramer describes Joe's late in life autograph sessions as crass commercialism. Engelberg says that finally Joe DiMaggio was making the money that so many others had been making on his name.

It's these differences in presentation that characterizes the tone of both books. Cramer's "How dare you?" is Engelberg's "Way to go, Joe!"

A key Cramer source is Barry Halper, noted memorabilia collector and Yankee limited Partner. Cramer describes Halper's wife taking a cooking class in Europe just to cook Joe's favorite foods. To Cramer, Joe was an ingrate that didn't appreciate all the Halpers were doing for him.

Engelberg describes Halper as a leech that was always trying to make money from Joe. The essence of the relationship comes down to what happened to Joe's World Series rings that eventually Barry Halper possessed. The authors argue about whether they were stolen from Joe's hotel room or sold by Joe on the sly.

Still, Joe comes off as somewhat aloof in both books. Even Engelberg admits that Joe didn't appreciate him as much as he had wished, and even recounts his moodiness. These admissions reinforce the charge that Joe hadn't much humility, but few people lodge this complaint against Muhammed Ali.

The book centers on DiMaggio's later years when Engelberg served him as lawyer and friend, but there is still plenty of stuff about his playing career and relationship with Marilyn. The most offbeat passage is about Joe Jr. coming to live in his deceased father's house. It's not always remembered that Joe Jr. was the last known person who spoke to Marilyn Monroe on the night of her death. Junior tells Engelberg that Marilyn confessed her relationship with Bobby Kennedy and that she was going to come forward and expose them. He's certain the Kennedys were behind her murder. We've heard it before, but never from a source that close.

Engelberg says that he took no money from DiMaggio anytime in their friendship and I'd be interested in how Cramer would reconcile that with his account of Joe's later years.

Engelberg has a clear purpose in the book to clear the charges against him and to soften the image of DiMaggio painted by Cramer and it's largely successful. Helped by veteran sportswriter, Marv Schneider, the book offers smooth prose and it flows well from beginning to end. It's worth the time of any baseball fan.

Strike Three . . . and You're Out!
Joe DiMaggio's "best friend for the last 16 years of his life" gives us his disappointing "insights" into a great baseball player, and if we are to believe the author(s) . . . a dismal human being. Suspicious, grasping and greedy, unable to sustain relationships, DiMaggio comes off as the ultimate spoiled athlete. It's as if he invented, "What's in it for me?" If there's an aspersion to be cast, Engelberg is quick to put it in Joe's mouth; virtually no one is immune: ML Baseball executives, fellow Yankees, brother Dom, son Joe, Jr., fans, promoters, the Hall of Fame, memorabilia dealers, etc. "Setting the Record Straight" is a real ball in the dirt.

There's little or nothing new here, either about baseball, DiMaggio's career, his team-mates, family or friends. DiMaggio died a rich man, thanks to his "friend," Morris, so we are told; and so what? Joe DiMaggio was true giant as a player, this book only tarnishes that image and would better have been left unwritten. I'm truly sad that I read it.

Better than Cramer's book
I'll admit, Engelberg is a bit suspicious. This is a man who claims to love Joe but after his death he tried to sell personal items of Joe's (such as his credit card, social security card, etc.) I guess the best part of this book is that it has direct quotes from those who truly knew Joe, such as his granddaughters.
(In Cramer's book he barely mentions Joe's granddaughters, making it appear as if Joe had absolutely no family, when indeed he did.) Engelberg doesn't paint Joe out to be a saint or satan. For instance, Joe had no problem refusing an autograph to a man but he never did it to kids or women. Also in many biographies people claim that Joe hit his ex-wife but a woman who worked for Joe said that when Joe found out that her husband was beating her he told her to leave him because women shouldn't be treated that way.

Any review that actually praises Cramer should be null and void.

No "Mo"!
Attorney-client privilege does not end when the client dies. But, hey, we're dealing with Morris "Mo" Engelberg here, a man whom, according to the 4/25/99 NY Daily News, bragged of refusing to do deals while DiMaggio was alive in order to drive up the fees he could collect from Joe's estate, illegally had DiMaggio sign items in lieu of payment, which were sold to a dealer in 6/99, and revealed to others that Joe was cheap. While I don't believe 90% of what's in Richard Ben Cramer's biography, when he claims an impatient Engelberg had the plug pulled after morphine suppositories failed to send Joe to that Great Ballpark in the Sky, it has the sad ring of truth.

For brevity, I'll address the more glaring errors. In his version of DiMaggio meeting Marilyn Monroe, he dismisses her version as the product of "handlers." Yet, his version of her version is wrong. And her version is from her autobiography! He's further undermined by what Joe himself told writer John M. Ross in the 10/1954 magazine, True.

He claims Monroe became pregnant with DiMaggio's child in the summer of 1954, but miscarried, yet no one knew because it was never announced. When you consider the world learned of her miscarriages with Arthur Miller without them having to alert the media, Engelberg's story defies belief.

Frank Sinatra "pimping" Monroe in order to curry favor with the Kennedys is laughable! He was the most powerful celebrity in the world; he hardly needed Marilyn to make friends. If anything, the Kennedys would've sought him out.

While it's concieveable DiMaggio decided the Kennedys were somehow to blame for Monroe's death, Joe did tell gossip monger Earl Wilson in his book "Show Business Laid Bare" he believed her death was an accident.

Worse, the book features Robert Slatzer and Jeanne Carmen, two names familiar to Monroe fans. Slatzer claims that, for 3 days in October 1952, he was her husband (!) Carmen claims to have been a "confidant," and has related salacious stories of Monroe's involvement with the Kennedys. Forget that neither has ever offered a shred of evidence to back their claims, and that Monroe biographer Donald Spoto resoundly discredited them, the fact he gives them the legitimacy they don't deserve is proof of Engelberg's contempt for Monroe.

He also relates two stories via DiMaggio "friend" Rock Positano. Positano claims he drove DiMaggio to the cemetary where he buried Monroe. He had Positano go to her crypt and report what he saw. He didn't visit because there was a photographer who stood to bag $10 million for a pic of Joe at her crypt. This is plain hooey: biographer Maury Allen documented that DiMaggio visited Monroe's crypt many times. At any rate, Positano claims he reported to DiMaggio that, among other things, was a bench with a plaque reading: "Marilyn Remembered;" this is the name of a fan club. However, Positano says DiMaggio told him he placed the bench there so that fans could have a place to sit! The other tale Positano spins is about a near-encounter between DiMaggio and Frank Sinatra. Positano was driving DiMaggio to Beverly Hills eatery Mateo's, where he and Monroe used to dine. When Positano learns Sinatra is waiting there to make peace with his former pal, he changes plans. There is only ONE slight problem with this: Mateo's opened in 1963; Monroe died in 1962.

For all his "setting the record straight," Engelberg mostly whines about what a chore it was to be the great man's flunky. Ironically, the more he drones, the more Cramer's portrait of DiMaggio as a Humbug is confirmed. At one point, he claims he threw DiMaggio's false teeth off a bridge so nobody could sell them. THIS from the guy who tried to peddle Joe's personal effects to the highest bidder!

That whirring sound you hear is Joe spinning in his grave! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Godzilla Takes The Bronx
I purchased this book, because my husband and I are both Yankee fans. and have been following the Yankees for many many years..

This book - has all the qualities of becoming a best seller.. The writing is excellent. and the author.. Jerry Beach, captures Hideki Matsui, in ways.. that we, as Yankee fans..just want more and more info on this very valuable player.. I would hope to see a second book, on this player, as his career with the NY Yankess continues..

I give this book(as does my husband) a 5 STAR Rating.. It's a great book.. and we have both thoroughly enojoyed it..

Jerry Beach, is an author to follow.. because his writing style.. made this book a GREAT READ!!!!

Godzilla Takes the Bronx: The Inside Story of Hideki Matsui
This is a great book
It should not be classified as a biography.
You screwed me on a school report.!!!!!

A great way to revisit Matsui's memorable first season...
As a loyal Yankee fan that was present for Matsui's historic performance on Opening Day 2003, the final game of the World Series, and many games in between, I highly enjoyed this book. Jerry Beach does a very good job of making the many unforgettable moments of Matsui's first year in pinstripes come to life.

Dubbed Godzilla by his adoring fans back home, Matsui's signing with the N.Y. Yankees was international news. Beach's book takes us step-by-step through what it took to make such a deal happen, how fans and industry insiders on both continents took the news, and the subsequent season that had more ups and downs than your average roller coaster.

Whether you're an avid Yankee fan, a fan of the Japanese phenom, or just a baseball fan that enjoys a good baseball book, this one is the one to get.

GREAT BOOK!!!!!
This book is a MUST READ... Although, not usually a baseball fan.. I've been following the Yankees.. because of Hideki Matsui.. Last season was great. and this book, is written by a very talented writer. I feel the writer has captured the "true Matsui" and it's really interesting to read about him"..

Get this book FAST before it sells out. It's a MUST for Fathers Day.. for all Yankee Fans.. and ALL sports fan.. to read..

Great JOB!!!!! Exciting book.. I give it 5 stars..

Great Sports Book
As baseball becomes a very international sport, this will take its place as one of the well written and enjoyable sports books that documents this occasion.... ... Read more

Book Description

In "Damn Senators," Mark Judge has written a book that is at once a touching memoir of his grandfather, star first baseman for the old Washington Senators; a history of baseball in its golden age; and an exciting account of the Senators' 1924 World Series victory.As one advance reader says, "This book is not only for the dedicated fan but for anyone interested in human endurance and courage and the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat."

For decades, the Senators were the doormat of the American league, a disappointment to the presidents and ordinary people who flocked to Griffith Stadium to watch Walter Johnson, arguably the best pitcher of all time, "Goose" Goslin, one of the most feared hitters in baseball and another future Hall of Famer, and other great players labor year after year in vain. But then in 1924 everything unexpectedly came together.Team owner Clark Griffith made shrewd off-season deals for journeyman players who would have their best years.The aging Johnson, whom some sportswriters said was finished, put together a final great season.Bucky Harris, the "Boy Wonder," managed with a shrewdness that confounded those who thought he was too young for the job.And the author's grandfather, Joe Judge, the best fielding first baseman in the league and a lifetime .300 hitter, anchored the team.

"Damn Senators" tells the dramatic story of how Washington managed to beat Babe Ruth and the Yankees, perennial champions of the American League, and then triumphed over the heavily favored New York Giants in what sports writers consider one of the most dramatic World Series in baseball history. In recreating this championship season, the author interweaves the story ofJudge, son of an Irish immigrant who became a baseball legend not only for his steady play (he would eventually be inducted into RFK Stadium's Hall of Stars) but also because of what came after his retirement.In his later years, Judgewas befriended by writer Douglas Wallop who made him the prototype for Joe Hardy, the lead character in his novel "The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant," later fabulously successful as a stage play and movie under the title "Damn Yankees."

Recalling "The Boys of Summer" and other classics, "Damn Senators" is filled with unforgettable portraits of baseball legends like the wily Griffith; the noble "Big Train" Johnson; Ty Cobb, the meanest player of the day; Al Schacht, "The Clown Prince of Baseball" whose comedy act played between innings;the Giants’ "Little Napoleon," John McGraw, and of course, the larger than life Babe Ruth.

Mark Judge returns us to a golden past.But with a new baseball franchise rumored to be on its way back to the nation's capitol, he may be taking us back to the future as well. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Good But Not Much New Here
I enjoyed reading the book. Perhaps it's a function of having read previous works on the old Washington Senators (e.g., Henry Thomas' book on Walter Johnson, Fred Lieb, Shirley Povich), but there doesn't seem to be much here that I haven't read before other than a few personal rememberances handed down within the Judge family. In fact, Judge the grandson cites Lieb and Thomas in several passages. The only thing I really learned was how beat up Peckinpaugh was during the 1924 World Series.

A thoroughly engaging read and highly recommended
Written by the grandson of the legendary first baseman of the old Washington Senators, Joe Judge, Damn Senators is a nostalgic telling of how the Senators with Joe Judge achieved their first and only World Series championship in 1924. A drama filled with history, legends, and profiles of great baseball figures of history, Damn Senators combines an introspective personal tale with a portrait of the riveting pressure of playing in the big leagues three-quarters of a century ago. A thoroughly engaging read and highly recommended -- especially for baseball fans.

1924: the year the senators won without help from the devil
Mark Judge's book, Damn Senators, is as finely executed as any 3-6-3 double play turned by the author's grandfather, Washington Senators first baseman Joe Judge. The book focuses on Joe Judge and the Senators victorious season in 1924. In addition to writing about his grandfather, Mark Judge includes fine descriptions of Senators owner Clark Griffith, legendary Senators pitcher Walter Johnson and a superb sketch of Washington D.C. and its citizens at the time of the Senators all too brief ascendency.

Those who believe game six of the 1975 World Series is the best game ever played in the fall classic should read Damn Senators. Mark Judge does a fine job depicting the excitment of game seven of the 1924 World Series, when Walter Johnson came out of the bullpen to gain victory for the Senators in their one and only World Series triumph. I saw game six of the 1975 World Series on television. After reading Damn Senators I almost feel as though I have seen game seven of the 1924 Series as well.

Damn Senators is well worth its purchase price. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys the winning combination of baseball and fine writing.

Fantastic Account of a Magnificent Team
Thanks to this superb book, the reader can almost taste, feel and see what it was like to live in Washington in the mid-1920s. At the time, DC was by far the smallest city in the major leagues, but baseball fever overtook the Nation's Capital in 1924 after years of horrendous teams. Judge takes you week by week through that wonderful season, culminating in what is arguably still the most exciting World Series ever. A heartstopper won by the Senators over the highly favored New York Giants in the 12th inning of Game 7. The city broke out in celebrations wilder than those following the end of the Civil War or World War I. Judge nicely reproduces the legendary sportswriter Fred Lieb's account of his conversation with Commissioner Kennesaw Mountain Landis the night Washington won it all, in which Landis described the Capital's unprecedented celebration as the "zenith" of baseball's popularity in America.

Sadly, of course, it wasn't long after the glory days of the author's grandfather that Washington fans were forced to endure nearly 4 decades of teams that did not even try to compete, with the inevitably attendance problems resulting. Judge poignantly recounts the departure of the Senators in 1960, and then of their expansion replacement in 1971. Ironically, today Washington is the center of huge metropolis, the 6th largest media market in the U.S. Yet it has no baseball team. Mark Judge's book reminds us of a better time for baseball fans in the DC area, and points us to toward a day when the Washington Senators may be reborn.

Some minor quibbles with the background chapter that opens the book: Judge seems to confuse the identity of various 19th century teams (e.g., the Chicago "White Stockings", "Colts", and "Cubs" are all the same team). He conflates the founding of the short-lived National Association in 1971 with that of the enduring National League in 1876. And the number of pennants and World Series championships won by Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics are grossly understated. But none of this detracts from the excellence of the book as a whole, and particular the heart of it which recounts so beautifully Washington's experience as World Champs in 1924. We can only hope that there will be future authors to write so artfully about the championships of future Washington baseball teams.

Reflection on the Great Senators Teams of Long Ago
Although this book was about the great Senators' franchise of the Walter Johnson era that included the "Big Train" Walter Johnson, Sam Rice, Goose Gooslin, Bucky Harris and the perennial first baseman Joe Judge, the author's grandfather, it also reflects on a City that had struggling teams in the last two decades of D.C. baseball only to lose them to a new owner that took the team to Texas with great sadness to the D.C. fans. Judge tells the story of one of the worst teams in baseball that eventually unfolds into a star-studded team that could beat the Yankees and actually win a World Series in 1925. Judge intermixes the play by play with biographies of the players of that era anchored by quality detail about Walter Johnson the dominating pitcher, a modest gentleman, and of course his grandfather who typically hit 300 plus with a tremendous fielding percentage. The exciting description of the Senators great team is also full of sports articles and editorials of that era that contribute to the telling of how the fans felt about their team and their national good guy, Walter Johnson. The author has a special view of Judge through his family as they presented a personal picture of the player that played consistently at a Hall of Famer level in 17 seasons with the Senators. The star players of the Senators of the twenties are in stark contrast to Ty Cobb with a bad guy image and the loutish Ruth who actually couldn't play at times due to bellyaches. The author quotes a Ruthian binge of eating 12 hotdogs and 5 sodas at a train stop resulting in intestinal injury. The good guy Senators of the twenties reminds me of my favorite Senator of modern times, Ken McMullen. McMullen, a lifetime 260 hitter with Washington wasn't the star sacker like Judge but he anchored the infield and played steady and had a consistent bat. But what I remember most about McMullen was that he signed autographs after the game for kids including me while most of the ball players of this second division team ran to their cars. McMullen like the Big Train and Judge were players that were gentleman far from the era of today made up of individuals. Bob Short, the 70's owner of the Senators, traded the left side of the infield (McMullen and Brinkman) for Denny McLain who lost over 20 games while Detroit flourished. That bad trade seemed to start Short's cruel destruction of a team that literally went south. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Mr. Mantle tells a sad simple story.
As a lifelong baseball fan, I am well aware of the legend of Mickey Mantle. I was born just as his career was fading, and he retired three years before my first Little League game.
But the name "Mickey Mantle" always meant something. Like DiMaggio or Musial or Ruth, he represented a certain type of baseball "hero" that doesn't exist anymore.
Mythic. Ethereal.

I decided to read this book in order to learn more about Mantle, and I have to say I learned quite a bit.
Not all of it good.
The book is written as if Mr. Mantle dictated it into a tape recorder, and was transcribed with minimal embellishment.
He comes across as a plain, simple and often humble man. Not very bright, and not terribly insightful. The language is plain and monosyllabic. Fractured sentences and unfinished thoughts are sprinkled throughout the tome.

Knowing what we know now about his alcoholism and eventual death from liver failure, it's a little embarrassing to see him downplay these problems. Shockingly, his drunk driving accident that put his wife "through the windshield" and led to his wife needing "a lot of stitches in her head" is briefly mentioned in a half a page, as really "scaring" him. That's it. There are passages where he is almost boastful about his drinking...which are a little uncomfortable.

The book is slight and short. I found myself longing for more information, more detail, more of what it must have been like to be a Yankee at that glorious time in baseball history. Twelve pennants and seven Series in fourteen years? The Yanks OWNED baseball.

There are many enjoyable anecdotes regarding his fellow ballplayers...pranks, stunts, arguments, fights...that are the clear highlight of this book. He really doesn't have a bad word to say about anybody. Except maybe George Weiss.
And that leads to the one thing I DIDN'T like about this book.

Mickey Mantle comes across as a little whiny. Especially about two things: his salary and his injuries.
And you don't ever want to think of Mickey Mantle as "whiny".

I realize the book was written in 1985. Things WERE totally different in the 50's. But to put so much emphasis on the annual salary negotiations, and to leave out so much good stuff about the actual game itself, is just plain wrong. There's no perspective.

Injury after injury gets recounted, with the same "aw-shucks" manner that infuses his less-detailed accounts of his MVP years; it's a bit numbing.

Since he's gone, we may never know what it must have been like to be Mickey Mantle. Perhaps had he involved his co-writer Herb Gluck more, or had Gluck been able to draw more out of Mantle, we'd have a better book. There's too much pity if you will and not enough glory.

Believe me, Mantle had enough "glory" in his life for half a dozen Hall of Famers. He truly is one of those legends whose reality justifies the myth. Maybe he wasn't the best person to write a book about Mickey Mantle, strangely enough.
Did he ever understand how awesome...I use that word carefully and precisely...how truly awesome he really was to a whole generation?

I consider this merely a taste, a tantalizing glimpse, into the life of Mickey Mantle. I need to read more...I HAVE to.

The Mickster
Mickey Mantle grew up in small town in the Kansas, Oklahoma line area. As Mickey would say "Indian territory". Mickey's father had a passion for baseball and started Mickey off at an early age. This is where he learned to switch hit. As a young man he met a woman named Merlyn. They met at a friend's house one night and asked her out. "We were together ever since then", said Mickey. Mickey was brought up to the Yankees with a series of lucky events. Scouts would be looking at other players and noticed that Mickey was the one who stood out. Mickey was first suited up in 1951, he was just a kid. Mickey started a habit with drinking on the off seasons. Mickey said he never really got to know his own family. Mickey's father died a few years into his career. This was a huge blow. His 18 year career was played with many injuries. He'd be known for playing injured on most occasions. Behind his award-winning career, Mickey said that the most important award to him was the Most Valuable Player award. "This award let you know that you were the best player in baseball for that year", he had said. In 1969, Mickey said goodbye to baseball. Baseball had treated him good and it was time for him to leave. Mickey said it was the worst day of his life except for the day his dad died. His baseball was all Mickey knew. He slowly walked away from baseball, but he had a short announcing career that wasn't for Mickey even though he saw his close friends become very good at it.
Mickey would tell you many stories about the past and good times with his friends. The jokes they play with each other and late nights spent at the bars. Mickey seemed to be a person that i'd get along with. Mickey would also tell stories about the Yankee players and give you a little insight on the team. He told each person their strengths and weaknesses. He would talk about old pals and what kind of trouble they'd get themselves into and they'd find a way to get themselves out.
There wasn't much that I didn't like about the book. I thought on some subjects he wouldn't get into too much detail and it felt like he left you hanging. He also would go back in time and go ahead and confuse you.
This book was one of the best books that I ever read. I also love the game of baseball and look up to players like Mickey Mantle. You hear stories about ball players and they sound almost as good as hearing it from the man himself. I enjoyed reading about Mickey and if you're a baseball lover, like me, you'll love this book. If you like sports this is also a good book and if you're a Yankees fan, you'll be sure to like this book too.

The Mick
"The Greatest Player on The Greatest Team In Baseball"
He was the country boy from Commerce, Oklahoma, who had to replace the great Joltin' Joe DiMaggio. In his career spanning two decades, Mickey Mantle hit 536 home runs, won three MVP awards, and won the Triple Crown in 1956. He played in 20 All Star Games and was inducted into the Baseball Hall Of Fame. But Mickey Mantle not only hit tape measure home runs, he played even while he was in great physical pain. Mickey always gave 110 % and around him a Yankee dynasty was built...

touching book on the baseball life of Mickey
this book reminds me of the good old days of baseball where nothing mattered but baseball, and you had stars like Mantle, Maris, DiMaggio, Aaron, Killebrew, Kaline, Drysdale, Koufax, Berra, and Whitey Ford to name a few.
the book, The Mick, talks about the entire baseball life of Mickey Charles Mantle, to hero and baseball legend.

the book begins with how Mickey's dad brought him up around baseball and how his father taught him to become a switch hitter. Mickey talks about girls, booze, and other fun stuff he did while playing ball for Joplin and the Yankees.

when you read this book, you almost feel like you're there with Mickey when this stuff is happening. you're there when he hits a 536 foot homer, or when he busted his knee in the World Series. you know how he feels when he says he hated to play against Dodger great, Sandy Koufax, and you know what his emotions were like once he retired from the game that he says was the only thing he knew how to do.

you learn about Casey Stengel and how he really cared for and pushed for Mickey to be a great player.

great book on the baseball life of Mickey Mantle. i recommened this book highly to anyone who likes baseball or to anyone who wants to read about the baseball life of The Mick.

This book was a pleasure to read.
At first, I just got this book because I had to do a book report, and since I like baseball, I thought that this book would be interesting. Although I neither liked the Yankees or really knew much about Mantle, this book had a good amount of information about his life before and with the Yankees, and turned out to be pretty good. Everything was from his point of view, of course, but that didn't make the book any less interesting. I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about baseball or just Mantle and the Yankees in particular. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Rube Waddell, there will never be another one
Great book for anyone who loves vintage baseball.

A Biography Long Overdue
Thanks to author Alan Levy we at long last have a biography about Rube Waddell, a great pitcher at the beginning of the 20th century. Contemporaries of Waddell such as Cy Young, Christy Mathewson,Grover Alexander, and Walter Johnson have at least one biography written about them and now Rube joins them in this respect. Author Levy states that Waddell had four loves in life which were pitching, fishing, fighting fires, and liquor not neccessarily in that order. Students of baseball history remember Waddell as a baseball zany for his antics both on and off the field, but what is often overlooked is that he was a very caring person who would give of himself to others. It was in this capacity of standing hour on end in cold water fighting back floodwaters by piling sandbags that led to pneumonia and eventually tuberculosis. Baseball was simply a game to Waddell whether he was throwing his fastball past major league hitters or playing with a bunch of ten year olds. Both Rube Waddell and Babe Ruth were alike in that they both were childlike in the body of an adult. Author Levy gives an excellent account of the scuffle which Waddell got into over a teammate's straw hat that led to him injuring his arm and prevented him from going up against Christy Mathewson in the 1905 World Series in which Matty pitched three shutouts. It would have been interesting to see what the matchups of Waddell and Mathewson would have provided us. It was traditional for straw hats to be destroyed after Labor Day and Rube wanted to destroy the teammate's hat. I don't see that there was any dark deeds involved between Waddell and gamblers who didn't want Waddell to pitch in the Series. Athletics manager Connie Mack gave Waddell some free reign when the two were together while Waddell gave Pirates manager Fred Clarke fits with his erratic behavior. It's true that Rube Waddell had destructive habits, but I also come away feeling that Rube Waddell had a caring side for other people that is too often overlooked.

Didn't know he was a Minneapolis Miller
According to some, Rube Waddell was the greatest pitcher to ever play the game. In 1904, he struck out 345 batters, during a time when hitters choked up on the bat, just trying to make contact with two strikes. Rube was also the first great drawing card. Because of him, new stadiums were built in Brooklyn, Philadelphia and Boston. Levy says, "He was among the game's first real drawing cards, among its first honest-to-goodness celebrities, and the first player to have teams of newspaper reporters following him, and the first to have a mass following of idol-worshiping kids yelling out his nickname like he was their buddy."
Rube was also one of the game's all-time greatest "characters". He would call his infielders into the dugout and strike out the side. He would do handstands and cartwheels after a victory. He would make animal noises while pitching. Unfortunately, he would also get into bar fights, drink too much, and disappear on a whim.
Eventually, Rube's manager, Connie Mack, got tired of Rube's unreliability and shipped him off to the St. Louis Browns, where he lasted two mores years before being banished to the minors. He pitched for the Minneapolis Millers for two years after that, hoping to be noticed by a major league team. It never happened.
The Millers trained in Hickman, Kentucky, which was plagued by floods. Always the fireman, Rube pitched in, sandbagging alongside black laborers (Quite the no-no in those days). He contracted pneumonia and was told to move to a warmer climate. Dropped by the Millers, Rube played for a team in Virginia, Minnesota, his skills increasingly abandoning him. Rube refused to take care of himself and he eventually would up being arrested as a vagrant in St. Louis and was diagnosed with tuberculosis. He spent his last days in a sanitarium in Texas, his weight dropping to a hundred pounds. When some major leaguers who were in Texas for spring training came to see him he said, "I'll be over tomorrow and show you bums how to run. May weight is down to fighting trim now. I'm in shape."
Rube was married three times, during a time when divorce was almost unheard of, his last spouse leaving him because, "Rube's just too crazy."
Alan H. Levy is a history professor at Slippery Rock. I think he relied too much on newspaper accounts and not enough on interviews (albeit they're hard to find after almost a hundred years). He does quote from Connie Mack and Mugsy McGraw's biographies, but none of these characters really come to life, not even Rube. Rube's three wives are practically invisible. I also had a hard time with Levy's somnolent final chapter, possibly because the main point of interest was already dead.

Good old-time baseball
'a great book about a lovable but flawed baseball legend. Levy deftly captures the day-to-day life of early 20th-century baseball through the many triumphs and catastrophes of an astounding and bizarre athlete and personality. An insightful story, Levy's bio. is also good baseball. The review by Brookner makes strange claims; Eddie Plank is hardly the victim of a cover up here, and Brookner's notion of "a dead ball era without much hitting" is flat wrong. Stephen J. Gould, Bill James, and various baseball encyc's all show batting averages to have been just as high back then. (It was slugging averages that were markedly lower in the dead ball era.) Levy gets it right. Rube comes forth in the endearing and exasperating ways he must have been to his teammates. This is one of the best new baseball books out there.

Rube of Rube's...
I read the reviews and at least was prepared ahead of time for what was to transpire. Although the previous review was somewhat harsh, honestly and truthfully so, he did make some solid statistical and fundamental points to which I cannot and will not dispute. Afterall, a book is a book and you make the most of it despite some flaws.

My review is this...I really enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought that I ever would. Knowing what I already knew about Rube Waddell; his eccentricities, his pure raw talent, his peculularities and on and on and on...this was a terrific read and is a terrific book.

The only chapter in the book that I found somewhat more than necessary, and a detractor from the overall effort, was the final chapter. This chapter was more the author injecting his sociological views on Rube and society in general, as it pertained to Rube's time and to our time. The general definition of the meaning of "Rube" and "Babe", and why it holds so much more intrigue and affection than "Iron Horse" and "Joltin Joe", as well as the personalities behind them. Compare this to that and that to this, is what this final chapter is all about. If I did not know any better, I'd say the author was stuck in too simple a style of writing and just had to let loose with his own pent-up intellect. Not saying this is a bad thing, but honestly the book stood very well on it's own without this chapter. Subsequently for me, this chapter brought the lightness and simplicity of the overall effort crashing to an abrubt halt. Where I seldom was forced to do any thinking other than to transport myself to Rube's time and world and enjoy the stories for the sheer fun they presented, this last chapter ruined that little world and forced me into a view beyond the previous chapters to a very heavy and honestly, too deep thinking end. The author did a terrific job at keeping the entire book very light and fun to read. The final chapter was in my opinion, not necessary.

Rube Waddell was a remarkably simple man in an uncomplicated way. Mr. Levy portrayed that beautifully and with enthusiasm. For that I commend him for entertaining me with style. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A GREAT story about one of baseballs real heros!
What a great book thats interesting and easy to read. You get to look behind the scenes and see the real life of a professional athlete. True life experiences that Minnie remembers vividly from over six decades of experience. From his childhood days in Havana to his present day life with his family in Chicago, this is a wonderful story that can put a lump in your throat one line then have you laughing the next. A book worth adding to your collection!

Memories of My Past
I grew up on the south side of Chicago and remember when I sat in left field thinking how it would be to meet Minnie. My dream came true after reading this book, I felt I knew him all my life. The respect he gave the fans and the respect we gave him is rare in baseball today, this was the thrilling days of "Go Go" when we as fans had a real life hero, and that hero is Minnie Minoso in the past and forever in the future we will never forget him. This book is the type of book that takes you back to the past and the memories of great players. It's the type of book you can read time after time after time.

Thank You Minnie

A must read for any "real" baseball fan!
"Just Call Me Minnie" ranks as one the best baseball autobiographies I've read. It's very rare that an individual with such vivid recollections and interesting stories ever gets around to writing them down. Minnie Minoso succeeds in delivering this unique perspective of baseball, from pre-Castro life in Cuba all the way up to his goal to play Major League Baseball at age 70. Minoso gives the reader a glimpse of the sport that is entertaining, exciting, and eclectic. Although only 205 pages, this is not a book to be read in one sitting. Instead, it's easier to read it in "doses", letting the stories fully sink in. The patter is similar to those of Buck O'Neill's and Satchell Paige's, except that Minoso seemingly has never retired! Minoso's first-hand accounts of the Negro Leagues (from a non african-american), Major League Baseball, (remember the "Go-Go" Chicago WhiteSox?) are priceless, especially in the present tense. If you can get past Minoso's constant lobbying for a shot to play MLB in his 70's (the only thing missing is a postcard to send to the commissioner), this is a must read for any "real" baseball fan. Who knows, if he ever gets his chance, you can say you read it in this book first! ... Read more

Book Description

The companion volume to the award-winning Public Television Vidiography Program Special on Mantle's Career with more than 180 rare photographs, headlines, articles, cartoons, and text. Mantle offers readers an intimate and insightful portrait of his career. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Ron Santo is Chicago baseball
The greatest third baseman ever to play the game and the fact that a trousersnake like Joe Morgan is helping to keep him out of the HOF is a crying shame. Ron Santo is what courage is all about and an inspiration to anyone on this big colored ball we call earth. I first became a fan of Ronnie's in 1998 because I would listen to all of the Cubs games on the radio with him and VPatrick Hughes. I had a job selling tickets at this and didn't have a tele to watch Chip and Stone on the TV. Anyway Santo is the best. The Cubs should have retired his number long ago. Long live Ron Santo and the Cubs...two winners!

Origianlly posted 5/4/04

CC

An inspiration to us lesser mortals
Ron Santo has better numbers than most of the third basemen in the Hall of Fame. Anything but a minor star, this quiet, self-effacing hero had the misfortune never to play for a champion (he's most closely identified with the 1969 Cubs, often called "the greatest team never to win a pennant). As a result, he's never gotten the recognition he deserves- including election to the Hall, despite outclassing several of the third basemen there.

Santo accomplished his feats despite an ongoing battle with diabetes which eventually cost him both legs. He's most appreciated, to be sure, in Chicago, where the Cubs at long last retired his number this year. His story is an inspiration to all of us who labor under the burden of far lesser disadvantages and accomplish far less. This is the autobiography of a true hero. To read it is to be inspired.

Very few ballplayer autobiographies satisfy - this one, too.
I love Ron Santo...and although I have a phobia of ballplayer autobiographies, I figured out of respect for the man, and because I thought maybe, just maybe, this one would break the mold of politicallycorrect, sacchrine-sweet memiors typically put out there from thejock-ocracy.I have more respect for him than ever, especially when hechronicles his struggles with diabetes, and the self-diagnosis he must gothrough every day to monitor his health.This is a must read for Cubsfans, and for people who need another story of a courageous battle againstdiabetes.Most other target audiences will probably choose to pass onthis.

Inspirational autobiography of baseball player/broadcaster
Excellent autobiography for baseball fans in general and Chicago Cubs fans in particular.Ron Santo was signed by the Cubs in 1958 at the age of 18.Prior to reporting to the Cubs, he learned he had diabetes.

This book tells of playing with baseball greats such as Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Ferguson Jenkins, and Leo Durocher.And the 1969 Chicago Cubs.

The book is also inspirational in Santo's perseverance against diabetes and the potential devastating effects of the disease at that time.Santo tested himself and put himself to the limits to control his diabetes.

The book is a very good read and should appeal to any baseball fan.Also, good read for younger players, high school and up, as Santo played the game to its fullest with class, and continues to approach other aspects of life the same. ... Read more

Book Description

"We'll do all right if we can capitalize on our mistakes." A famous Yogiism? Possibly Stengelese? Guess again -- it's Gozzlespeak, straight from the mouth of Mick the Quick himself. Mickey Rivers is one of baseball's all-time great characters and loveable legendary New York Yankee. He was an All-Star and a two-time world champion during the days of the "Bronx Zoo" Yankees. Now, for the first time, the man who once told teammate Reggie Jackson that he should "stop readin' and writin' and start hitting" has himself put pen to paper. In "Ain't No Sense Worryin'", "Mick the Quick" takes you back to a time when the world champion Yankees were wild, free agency was young, and his goals in the game were to "hit .300, score 100 runs, and stay injury-prone." Mick the Quick has a collection of quotations, stories and memories that will have you cracking up and possibly scratching your head in confusion. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Fun, but...
In a sense, this book IS Mickey Rivers - humorous, irreverent, oddly distracted, and in a sense somewhat disassociated from the reality that the rest of us live in. On the surface, the book is little more than a collection of mildly to moderately humorous stories: other than (arguably) Billy Martin, Rivers does little to expose facets of the people he discusses that we aren't already well aware of.

Yet in the telling of the stories Mickey does expose much of his inner self to the reader, and in so doing he more or less validates the title of the book. Apparently, Mickey truly didn't believe in worryin' about anything: his marriage, taking care of himself physically, what others thought of his various and sundry antics. Having said all of that, though, Rivers does come off as quite likable - he may have more or less unconsciously made his way through his career, but at least he did so with a smile on his face and a desire to do the best he could with those talents that he could readily muster.

In the end, I gave this book three stars because one doesn't get the feeling that Rivers put much thought into it, but what the heck... if the book was full of deep self-contemplation, it wouldn't be Mickey, would it?

fun look back from one of the game's true "characters"
A great book for Yanks fans as well as other baseball fans, and a great trip down memory lane for those of us who remember and treasure the late 70s Yanks and Sox.

I bought this because Mick's odd yet wise quotes were legendary during his playing career, kind of a next-generation Yogi Berra. (A nice touch in the book is that it includes many of these quotes in his own handwriting.) Mick recalls his baseball life with humor and a deep sensitivity, especially for those teammates who are gone -- Thurman Munson, Billy Martin, Catfish Hunter, Jim SPencer, etc. For example, he recounts his post-game activities playing ball with kids around the stadium and racing them down the street, and talks about the importance that today's players - Jeter, Williams, etc. - be role models for children.

A quick read that will bring you back to the Bronx Zoo. (Particularly enjoyed the story ab