Friday, February 04, 2011

SPORTS BOOK REVIEW

“Baseball How to Play the Game”
A sure sign of spring is the appearance from Universe/Rizzoli of “Baseball How To Play the Game” by Pete Williams ($29.95, 320 pages. 300 color illustrations and diagrams, paperback). Billed as the official playing and coaching manual of Major League Baseball, the handsomely produced tome has tips from 25 of the national pastime’s top players ranging from Albert Pujols to past greats like Tony Gwynn. Organized, informative, there are chapters focused on all the major aspects of the game like “Hitting Power,””Rule Book Basics,””Pitching Heat” and “Coaching Tips.” For those who want to play the game better, for those whom want to understand the game better, this is the book for you. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.


Another “inside sports” type book is “Scorecasting” by Tobias J. Moscowitz and L. Jon Wertheim (Crown Archetype, $26.00, 288 pages) is a fascinating look at some of the myths and misunderstandings that have surrounded game via the decades. Interesting themes include: the home field advantage exists; momentum does not exist in sports; the strike zone on a 3-0 count is larger than on a two strike one and more . . . Part Freakonomics, part Moneyball, part Sabrmetrics - “Scorecasting” is good stuff. PICK UP A COPY


“Mets Journal” by John Snyder (Clerisy Press, $24.95, 332 pages, paperback) is day by day with the Mets from 1962 on.





Harvey Frommer is in his 36th consecutive year of writing sports books. A noted oral historian and sports journalist, the author of 41 sports books including the classics: "New York City Baseball,1947-1957" and "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball," his acclaimed REMEMBERING YANKEE STADIUM, an oral/narrative history was published in 2008 as well as a reprint version of his classic "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball." Frommer's newest work REMEMBERING FENWAY PARK: AN ORAL AND NARRATIVE HISTORY OF THE HOME OF RED SOX NATION (Abrams) is set for March 20111. Read all about it: http://harveyfrommersports.com/remembering_fenway/
FROMMER SPORTSNET (syndicated) reaches a readership in the millions and is housed on Internet search engines for extended periods of time.
FOLLOW Harvey on Twitter: http://twitter.com/south2nd. He is available for speaking engagements.

No comments: