Reading

[NeilT]

I need a baseball book. Any suggestions of anything new?

[Aussie Astro]

I have only read two baseball books - "Bottom of the 33rd" and the Norm Miller book, "Norm Who'?  They are not new releases but I enjoyed both.

[Col. Sphinx Drummond]

Do you like Philip Roth? Have you read his book, The Great American Novel?

[Ron Brand]

Looks like we got us a reader.

I'm going through the Annotated Ring Lardner right now.

[Knoxbanedoodle]

Do you like Philip Roth? Have you read his book, The Great American Novel?

Seconded. One of the funniest books I've ever read. And features Roy Tucker, the John R. Tunis character that the guy in The Natural was based on.

[juliogotay]

I enjoy Roger Angell books that review and reflect on particular seasons. "Season Ticket",  "Five Seasons", "The Summer Game" are on my bookshelf.  Also, Roger Khan's "The Boys of Summer" and the great David Halberstam's  "Summer of '49" and "October 1964". 

[Bench]

The House of Daniel.  A novel that draws on the tradition of the barnstorming Jewish baseball team the House of David, to tell the story of an all-glove no-bat journeyman outfielder on the run from mobsters who joins up with a religious-based traveling baseball team in alternate-universe post-zombie apocalypse 1934.

Also X Files star and noted sexual deviant David Duchovny wrote a novel about a Yankee stadium peanut vendor/moonlighting author who reconnects with his ailing father in the summer of 1978.  When he realizes that his father's health improves with Red Sox wins he is forced to create the illusion that the Sox won the pennant in order to keep his father alive.  The book is called Bucky F*cking Dent.

[NeilT]

I have read The Great American Novel, and some Ring Lardner.  I haven't read all of Angel.  I'll look at the House of Daniel and Norm Who.  Thanks!

[Waldo]

The Great American Novel is fantastic.  The Dixie Association, recommended by a fellow TZer back during the Kev & Scott days, was also a great read.

[BlownRanger]

I enjoy Roger Angell books that review and reflect on particular seasons. "Season Ticket",  "Five Seasons", "The Summer Game" are on my bookshelf.  Also, Roger Khan's "The Boys of Summer" and the great David Halberstam's  "Summer of '49" and "October 1964".

Seconding all of these recommendations.  And "Ball Four" should be on any baseball reading list.

Veering off-topic:  If you're a fan of the movie "Frequency" with its loose ties to the 1969 World Series, be aware that Netflix now has a remake - a 13-part miniseries.  It briefly brings the 1996 Braves-Yankees Series into the plot, but that pretty much ends after the second episode.  Nonetheless, if you enjoyed the movie, I thought this miniseries was excellent.

[juliogotay]

I enjoy Roger Angell books that review and reflect on particular seasons. "Season Ticket",  "Five Seasons", "The Summer Game" are on my bookshelf.  Also, Roger Khan's "The Boys of Summer" and the great David Halberstam's  "Summer of '49" and "October 1964".

I have begun Season Ticket this week and I am enjoying it more even than other Angell books in that he has some great conversations with veteran players about their craft. The section with Ted Simmons discussing how he worked with pitchers and called games was really interesting. Sections with Rusty Staub on pinch-hitting and Don Sutton on pitching mechanics and longevity were good with even a little Ted Williams thrown in for good measure.