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Day 20 of 2024 baseball books: D.C.’s follies, a century later

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“Team of Destiny Walter Johnson, Clark Griffith, Bucky Harris and the 1924 Washington Senators”

The author:
Gary Sarnoff

The publishing info:
Rowman and Littlefield;
250 pages; $38
Released Feb. 10, 2024

The links:
The publishers website; at Bookshop.org; at Powells.com; at Vromans.com; at {pages a bookstore}; at BarnesAndNoble.com; at Amazon.com

The review in 90 feet or less

After the 2019 Washington Nationals stupidly walked into a championship, a quick-print book about that team came out by the Washington Post’s Jesse Dougherty called “Buzz Saw: The Improbable Story of How the Washington Nationals Won the World Series.”

That post season journey included witnessing the Nats dissemble the 106-win Dodgers, going the distance in a best-of-five National League Divisional Series. The last win was executed at Dodger Stadium. There was heck to pay.

That NL East wild-card team had the “Baby Shark” power. And Anthony Rendon’s idiotic stats (34 HRs, 126 RBIs, 117 runs, .319 average). And rookie Juan Soto’s muscle. And Trea Turner’s speed. And veteran Howie Kendrick’s grand-slam gumption. And veteran Kurt Suzkuki’s intelligence. And the arms of Stephen Stasburg and Max Scherzer and do-nothing Sean Doolittle. And a year removed from Bryce Harper.

“You have a great year, and you can run into a buzz saw,” Strasburg told Dougherty after the team advanced to the World Series. “Maybe this year we’re the buzz saw.”

These weren’t your recycled Montreal Expo who started 19-31 and ended up with the District’s first title in 95 years. We enjoyed the book as something that needed to be reassembled for our disbelief.

That book also begat “You Gotta Have Heart: Washington Baseball from Walter Johnson to the 2019 World Series Champion,” by Frederic J. Frommer, reminding those who are confused about the history of the city’s major league baseball just what has and hasn’t happened. And could have happened.

Because, in a way, even if we watch today’s Washington Nationals play at the Dodger Stadium, we’re still a bit history challenged.

At our last count, 17 major professional baseball franchises have called Washington D.C. their home. Many shared the same nickname. Or switched midway.

The place better known for housing the Bill of Rights may have had the right idea, but often a wrong outcome.

Let’s work our way back in time:

Continue reading “Day 20 of 2024 baseball books: D.C.’s follies, a century later” →

Day 19 of 2024 baseball books: A language all its own

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“Beisbol on the Air: Essays on
Major League Spanish-Language Broadcasters”

The editors:
Jorge Iber
Anthony R. Salazar

The publishing info:
McFarland; 172 pages
$39.95; released Oct. 17, 2023

The links:
The publishers website; the authors website; at Bookshop.org; at Powells.com;
at {pages a bookstore};
at BarnesAndNoble.com;
at Amazon.com

“Play-by-Play From the Minors: Profiles
of Baseball Broadcasters from Scranton to Yakima”


The author:
John Kocsis Jr.

The publishing info:
McFarland; 208 pages,
$35; released Oct. 13, 2023

The links:
The publishers website;
the authors website;
at Bookshop.org
at Powells.com;
at {pages a bookstore}; at BarnesAndNoble.com; at Amazon.com

The review in 90 feet or less

From a 2017 story in the New York Times about the diversity of Dodgers fans at the World Series.

An essay posted in late August of 2023 found its way to the opinion section of The Hill, the media company based in Washington D.C. that focuses on “nonpartisan reporting on the inner workings of Government and the nexus of politics and business.”

This concerned the inner workings of how people were being informed about the local Major League Baseball team, which happens to be visiting Dodger Stadium this week.

In a piece with three bylines attached, it insisted the Washington Nationals deserved a Spanish-language broadcast of their games. The lack of one, at a time when the country was celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, was somewhat problematic.

It pointed out that 22 of the 30 MLB teams have a least some games broadcast in Spanish, “an important way to market their teams in the growing Hispanic communities around the country.”

The one most obviously interested in this endeavor has been the Dodgers, along with markets with influencial Hispanic populations like San Diego, Texas, Houston, Miami, Arizona, both New York team and both Chicago teams. Also on board: Boston, Minnesota, Oakland, Seattle, Tampa Bay, Colorado, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, St. Louis and San Francisco. The last one to join was Detroit, starting in 2023.

Wait, that’s only 21 teams. The one missing is …

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Day 18 of 2024 baseball books: Jack(ie) Robinson’s Day

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“Under Jackie’s Shadow:
Voices of Black Minor Leaguers Baseball Left Behind”

The author:
Mitchell Nathanson

The publishing info:
University of Nebraska Press; 224 pages, $32.95; released April 1, 2024

The links:
The publishers website; the authors website; at Bookshop.org; at {pages}; at Powells.com; at Vromans.com; at TheLastBookStoreLA; at BarnesAndNoble.com; at Amazon.com

The review in 90 feet or less

Once upon a time, a preferred method to go about “honoring Jackie Robinson” was to buy “useful and attractive trophies and sculptured reproductions.”

This company in New York could facilitate.

A star-struck kid had no real choice if he spent nickle after nickel trying to get a Robinson Topps card. With a couple extra quarters taped to a piece of cardboard, stick it in the mail and there would be mementos aplenty. In fact, the word “useful” is mentioned a few times in this advertisement above.

These days, it might be more useful (is that still not the right word?) to commit $135 for a replica Dodgers jersey – Brooklyn or Los Angeles – from the MLBShop, via the Nike branding. Pick a style and color that better fits the statement you want to convey.

Or go bigger — a $250 model set aside for those inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame produced by, of all names, Ebbets Field Flannels.

In 2022, the Dodgers had a Robinson giveaway gray flannel jersey that was nifty looking retro thing, available now on eBay (especially size Medium, which few can actually wear) and was “licensed by the estate of Jackie Robinson and Mrs. Rachel Robinson” with the website www.JackieRobinson.com attached to the front tail.

For today’s Jackie Robinson day, the trinket will be … a blue Brooklyn cap with a large “42” on the side.

There are other quality items out there as well from our favorite Baseballism.com — shirts that proclaim 42 is “more than a number” and “bigger than a game” these days. Robinson’s name isn’t even incorporated into the branding here. His family likely likes that approach.

Still, if only we can get out of the corporate shadow of what Jack(ie) Robinson Day has become.

Editor’s note: I’ve decided that as much as possible, we should refer to the man as Jack Robinson. That was his name. That’s his Hall of Fame plaque. The media added the “ie” to the end to try to soften his image way back. Last year, I reviewed the book “Call Him Jack: The Story of Jackie Robinson, Black Freedom Fighter” and make a conscious effort to stick by that.

In Mitch Nathanson’s new book, “Under Jackie’s Shadow,” he writes in the introduction about that October day in 1972 – 25 years after Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier – when Major League Baseball decided to give him a cursory recognition in Cincinnati. Red Barber did the introductions. Pee Wee Reese, Peter O’Malley, Joe Black and Larry Doby were also there.

It turned out to be Robinson’s last public appearance – he died nine days later.

Continue reading “Day 18 of 2024 baseball books: Jack(ie) Robinson’s Day” →

Day 17 of 2024 baseball book reviews: The Bosox injection

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“The Fenway Effect: A Cultural History of the Boston Red Sox”

The author:
David Krell

The publishing info:
University of Nebraska Press; 264 pages; $34.95; released April 1, 2024

The links:
The publishers website; the authors website; at Bookshop.org; at BarnesAndNoble.com; at Amazon.com … and the Harvard Book store.

The review in 90 feet or less

Hark, the unheralded Angels make their only 2024 visit to Fenway Park this weekend – games against the Red Sox on Friday, Saturday and Sunday come very early this time around for some reason we don’t quite understand. It’s such a great summer road trip to take otherwise.

This is also a missed opportunity.

Had the Angels been allowed to stay just one more day, they’d have landed a rare trifecta — an April 15 appearance that would a) celebrate Jackie Robinson Day, b) celebrate Patriots’ Day (as the city shuts down for the Boston Marathon) and c) celebrated the dreaded 2024 Tax Day, with perhaps some planned tea party re-enactments in Boston Harbor.

The Angels struggled against the Red Sox at Angel Stadium last weekend, losing two of three to mark their home-opening series. Their return to Boston this time will be without their not-so-secret weapon, Shohei Ohtani.

Remember the effect Fenway Park had on Ohtani during his career?

Continue reading “Day 17 of 2024 baseball book reviews: The Bosox injection” →

Day 16 of 2024 baseball books: We’ll accept that collect call

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“fo:

“Called Up: Ballplayers Remember Becoming Major Leaguers”

The author:
Zak Ford

The publishing info:
McFarland
190 pages; $35; released Dec. 17, 2023

The links:
The publishers website; the authors website; at Bookshop.org; at Powells.com; at Vromans.com; at {pages}; at BarnesAndNoble.com; at Amazon.com

The review in 90 feet or less

Back on Day 7 of this series, we dialed into the call-up that Fr. Burke Masters once experienced. As a college player at Mississippi State, he thought someday he’d be in the minor leagues and get that summons for MLB duty. Instead, he experienced something that we’d like to consider a higher calling.

All in all, getting the call up to the big leagues — whether it’s winning a spot in spring training or sent up to fill in during the season — will never be a dull deal. It can be awe inspiring.

Zak Ford, a lifelong San Francisco Giants fan, chapter leader with the Society for American Baseball Research and on the advisory committee of the Pacific Coast League Historical Society, took up the task of sending out dozens of requests to former MLB players to ask about the emotions they felt, the circumstances they encountered, and the staying power they experienced when that event happened.

Turns out, 109 responded, from those who started back in the 1960s up through the 2000s. As well known as Sam McDowell, Jason Kendall, Jerry Reuss and Bob Tewksbury, who’ve written their own autobios. There’s Bobby Grich, Gene Tenace, Scott Spiezio, Atlee Hammaker, and James Loney. Far more in the somewhat obscure range as Randy McGilberry, Nyls Nyman, Bill Sampen, Andy Shibilo and Jonathan Van Every.

And every one has a story.

Continue reading “Day 16 of 2024 baseball books: We’ll accept that collect call” →