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Baseball Books

For anyone who has grown up watching star athletes round the bases, our Baseball Books feature will keep you up to date on the latest titles. Each season, reviewer Ron Kaplan compiles recently released baseball books --- from those that harken back to a simpler time and the early glory days, to those that keep up with current players. Ron remarks that the beauty of the sport is that every game provides the opportunity to see something you've never seen before. The same just might happen with these roundups.

2011 Spring Baseball Roundup

New Year, “Old” Books

The 2011 Major League Baseball season is in full swing. As of this writing, there is the usual set of surprises, with some teams and individual players exceeding preseason predictions, while others are not living up to expectations.

One thing you can always count on: a variety of entertaining books to fill in those inevitable rain delays and interminable pitching changes. This year's list includes plenty of New York-centric titles to keep Yankees, Mets and even Brooklyn Dodger fans busy.

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2010 Spring Baseball Roundup

New Baseball Titles Re-examine Old Heroes and Customs

In a baseball era when much of the discussion has centered on who may have taken shortcuts to superstardom, it’s refreshing that 2010 sees several titles harkening back to a simpler time and heroes who won their glory through hard work and, at times, in the face of adversity.

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2009 World Series Roundup

It’s that time of year again. The leaves are turning red, and so are the cheeks of those sitting in the bone-chilling stands watching postseason action. Several new books examine some of the most exciting World Series matchups in history (with just one featuring the New York Yankees). And when I say “history,” I do not exaggerate. Some of these titles go back practically to the roots of the ultimate interleague smackdown.

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2009 New York Baseball Roundup

New York, New York: A Hell of a (Baseball) Town

As the Mets and Yankees prepare for another go-round of interleague play, fans might consider some of these titles that highlight a few key players for each --- in some cases both --- of the teams. You know, for those interminable pitching changes or commercial breaks.

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2009 Spring Baseball Roundup

New Books Look at the Good and Bad in the National Pastime

There have been lots of happy moments in the 150-plus-year history of baseball. But there have also been some devastating ones. Both are represented among this year’s assortment of books.

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2008 Fall Baseball Roundup

Remembering The House That Ruth Built

When the Boston Red Sox won their first World Championship in almost 90 years, it opened the door for a cottage industry in the publishing world. It seems like everyone, from the sportswriters who covered the team to the players themselves, was taking advantage of the historic occasion to write a book.

The final season of Yankee Stadium is another such occasion.

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2008 Spring Baseball Roundup

Baseball Needs No Vindication

VINDICATED, Jose Canseco’s follow-up to his 2005 memoir JUICED, is getting the majority of the baseball book buzz this year. And now there’s word that Kirk Radomski, a clubhouse attendant for the New York Mets, is aiming to jump on the steroids/performance-enhancing drugs bandwagon with a book of his own. That’s a shame, because rather than concentrate on the tawdry aspects of the game, there are plenty of other books this year that remind us of the fun and greatness that is still at the crux of the national pastime.

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2007 Fall Baseball Roundup

People love anniversaries, especially in sports. One can always count on a book or two (or three) to recognize such historic occasions.

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