On My Radar:

In Scoring Position: 40 Years of a Baseball Love Affair

by Bob Ryan & Bill Chuck

Triumph Books

Hardcover

From the publisher's website:

A love letter to the game of baseball from one of America's foremost scribes Bob Ryan has scored every baseball game he's attended, at every level, since the start of the 1977 season. It's a deeply personal tradition still going strong at more than 1,400 games and counting. The tattered scorebooks he's filled are worn from age, travel, and countless summer days, but their grids and scrawled symbols tell the stories of milestones, rivalries, rare historic achievements, and more.In Scoring Position captures the incomparable spirit of baseball, with its infinite possibilities and madcap anomalies. Ryan, alongside baseball historian and statistician Bill Chuck, has scoured his scorecard archives for the most singular events—a switch-hitter being hit by a pitch from both sides of the plate in the same game; a player batting for the cycle off four different pitchers; even back-to-back pinch-hit home runs with two outs in the 9th. Featuring some of the game's biggest names and wildest scenarios, this is a fascinating romp through baseball history, exuding a pure zeal for this sport that fans of all teams will recognize in themselves.Part of the collection at the library of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, this volume also features reproductions of dozens of scorecards from Ryan's collection.

On My Radar:

Good as Gold: My Eight Decades in Baseball

by Jim Kaat, with Douglas Lyons

Triumph Books

Hardcover

 

From the publisher's website:

 

An unforgettable look at a lifetime of baseball packed with humor and passion for the game. With a career that has now touched eight decades, Jim Kaat has had a prime front row seat for baseball's continuing evolution. Not only was he a major-league pitcher for 25 seasons, but his time as a pitching coach and his many years as a broadcaster have given him a singular long view of the game. In Good as Gold, Kaat weaves the tale of a lifetime, taking fans on the field, into the clubhouse, and behind the mic as only he can.Full of priceless stories from New York, Minnesota, and across the major leagues, this honest and engaging autobiography gives fans a rare seat alongside Kaat on a tour of baseball history.

On My Radar:

The Captain and Me: On and Off the Field with Thurman Munson
by Ron Blomberg and Dan Epstein
Triumph Books
Hardcover



From the publisher's website:

The deeply personal story of a friendship between two teammates, and of a human bond which ultimately transcends the game itself. As back-to-back No. 1 draft picks for the New York Yankees, Ron Blomberg and Thurman Munson made for an odd couple. One was a good-looking, gregarious kid from Atlanta who cheerfully talked anyone's ear off at the slightest provocation; the other was a dumpy, grumpy dude from the Midwest rust belt who was about as fond of making idle chit-chat as he was of shaving. 

 Despite the surface differences, the two men would form a close attachment as they ignited a youth movement with the 1970s Yankees. Now, over 40 years after Munson's shocking death in a plane crash at age 32, Blomberg opens up to author Dan Epstein about the beloved Yankees captain in an extraordinary memoir that reaches far beyond baseball. 

By turns hilarious and heartbreaking, The Captain & Me shares tales of clubhouse hijinks during the infamous Bronx Zoo era, adventures on the road, and even rubbing shoulders with mobsters. Blomberg also offers a fascinating glimpse into baseball history, including the first-ever strike and lockout, the escalation of the Yankees–Red Sox rivalry, and the start of full-scale free agency. This illuminating remembrance of Munson is filled with untold stories about his analytical-yet-hard-nosed approach to baseball, as well as his kindness and generosity off the field.

New Release:

One Tough Out : Fighting Off Life's Curveballs
by Rod Carew with Jaime Aron
Triumph Books
Hardcover

From the publisher's website:

For a generation of American League baseball fans, Rod Carew was the definition of "batting champion." An insecure boy from Panama raised by a brutal father, Carew ascended to baseball stardom, tormenting pitchers with a smooth swing from a crouched stance and winning seven batting titles on his way to the Hall of Fame. It wasn't until he lost his beautiful 17-year-old daughter to an aggressive and rare form of leukemia that Carew had to re-gather himself and find new purpose outside of baseball. Then he was struck with a near-fatal heart attack and discovered that the heart transplant he received came from a 29-year-old pro football player whom he happened to have met years before. Now the parents of Konrad Reuland listen to their son's heart beating strong in Carew's chest, and Carew works to honor his daughter's wish that he "make a difference." Carew uses his own journey to show readers that regardless of what you may be facing–heart disease, cancer, divorce, an abusive relationship, premature retirement–you can persist and grow with the kind of grace, character, and determination that he learned to cultivate on the field and beyond.

BookSpin Excerpt:

Unwritten: Bat Flips, the Fun Police, and Baseball's New Future
by Danny Knobler
Triumph Books
Hardcover

Excerpt:

 The problems begin when a team thinks someone is having fun at their expense, or if what one team or player thinks of as a legitimate celebration offends the group on the other side. It can start with something as seemingly inoffensive as a bat flip.

 Bat flips have been part of baseball for a while. With the help of GIFs on Twitter and YouTube videos, they're more acceptable than ever and more celebrated than ever. Many fans love them. Many players do, too.

 And many pitchers have come to accept them.

 So why did Jose Bautista end up getting punched in the face? It's a legit question. Bautista's bat flip in the 2015 playoffs was epic, but it came after a huge home run. Bautista's Toronto Blue Jays were tied 3-3 with the Texas Rangers in the winner-take-all Game 5 of their American League Division Series. Bautista's three-run home run off Sam Dyson changed the game and the series.

 "I think that was a pretty big moment for the team and the franchise," Bautista said in 2018. "I'm not trying to justify anything, but if we want to talk about the moment, it's certainly an important one."

 Bautista has never believed he did anything wrong that day, and I'm not sure he did. He definitely stood and watched the ball, which was clearly going out of the park. He dramatically flung the bat in the air. He may have turned his head a bit, but he didn't stare into the Rangers dugout, as some have charged.

 Even so, the Rangers didn't like it. They didn't like losing, and they didn't like having to watch Bautista celebrate in a way they saw as shoving it in their face.

Author Danny Knobler

We know that because of what they said in the aftermath — "Jose needs to calm that down, just kind of respect the game a little more," Dyson told reporters after the game — but also because of what happened seven months later in Arlington, Texas.

 It was the final game of a three-game series between the Jays and Rangers, the final game the two teams would play in the regular season in 2016 (although they would again meet in the Division Series, with the Jays winning in a much less dramatic three-game sweep). Bautista came to the plate leading off the eighth inning in that May 15 game, and Rangers reliever Matt Bush threw at him.

 It was a first-pitch 95.7 mph fastball, according to MLB.com's Statcast, and it hit Bautista squarely on the left side. Bautista took his base with little delay, but the umpires quickly warned both teams that no further such pitches would be tolerated.

 But that wasn't the end of it. Far from it.

 When Blue Jays first baseman Justin Smoak hit a ground ball to third with one out in the inning, Bautista did more than just break up the double play. He went in late and hard on Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor in a clear response to getting hit by the pitch from Bush. Odor responded with a fist to Bautista’s jaw, an image that was quickly shared around the baseball world. 

 The Rangers, it was said, finally had their revenge for the bat flip.

 But why was revenge even needed? Did Bautista violate any of baseball’s unwritten rules, the way those rules are accepted in the modern game?

 The Rangers obviously thought so. They weren’t alone.

“I know Odor gained a ton of respect in baseball [by punching Bautista],” said Ian Kinsler, the former Rangers second baseman, who was already gone from the team before both the flip and the fight. “He stood up for his team. In their eyes, [Bautista] was disrespectful.” 

 Bautista will always maintain there was no disrespect, and he bristles at the suggestion that his celebration was in anyway premeditated. 

 “I don’t think you plan that,” he said. “I don’t think there’s a script, and I don’t think you have time to figure out what you’re going to do. It just kind of happens, and that’s it. Would somebody apologize for making a diving play? It’s an instinctual moment.” 

 In contrast, the Rangers’ response did seem planned, at least the part with him getting hit by the Matt Bush pitch. They chose to wait until his final at-bat in their final regular-season meeting, with a hard-throwing reliever on the mound. 

This excerpt from Unwritten: Bat Flips, the Fun Police, and Baseball's New Future published with permission of Triumph Books. 

Copyright 2019 by Danny Knobler

On My Radar:

After Further Review: My Life Including the Infamous, Controversial, and Unforgettable Calls That Changed the NFL
by Mike Pereira
Triumph Books
Hardcover

From the publisher's website:

A former NFL ref and acclaimed rules expert shares his insights and thoughts on the rules of the sport  Only recently in the world of NFL media have "rules experts" become an essential part of a fan's viewing experience. As the league continues to implement rule changes that have more and more of an impact on games and, sometimes, the final outcome, it's become imperative that fans understand the rules and how they're applied. But often, they need help. Mike Pereira, hired by Fox Sports in 2010 as the rules expert for both the NFL and college football, was not only the first to rise to prominence in the role, but he is consistently lauded as being the best by his peers and even rival media networks. Viewers have come to rely on Pereira, the former vice president of NFL officiating, to provide entertaining, informative, and reliable explanations of the league's often baffling and controversial rulings during games. Now, Pereira digs a little deeper and gives NFL fans and casual viewers alike insight into NFL rules, their applications, and some of the most controversial calls in recent memory, in terms both can understand. In this book, Pereira draws on professional experience and his personal life, both his years of work at the pinnacle of the officiating world and his upbringing as the child of longtime official, Al Pereira.

In My TBR Stack:

Big Red: Baseball, Fatherhood, and My Life in the Big Red Machine
Ken Griffey and Phil Pepe
Triumph Books
Hardcover

From the publisher's website:

Reflecting on an outstanding 19-year major-league career, this autobiography chronicles baseball great Ken Griffey, beginning with his days just out of high school. The account relates Griffey's decision to venture into the baseball business, documenting his time as a scout, coach, and manager along with his accomplishments as a father, raising two other major league ballplayers: Craig, who played briefly for the Seattle Mariners, and future Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. Capturing the subject's time with the Big Red Machine, this record details his days playing alongside Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, and Pete Rose, highlighting the Reds' two consecutive world championships in 1975 and 1976. Finally, the ultimate thrill of Griffey's career is featured: playing in the same outfield in 1990 with his son, Ken Griffey Jr., during the game where they hit back-to-back home runs—the only father-son combination to do so in the history of Major League Baseball. Filled with amusing anecdotes and behind-the-scenes glimpses of what it's like when baseball really does run in the family, this is a sports memoir unlike any other.