Talking Baseball

As an enormous fan of Major League Baseball, and well baseball in general, I thought I should put together a top ten list of the best baseball books that I have ever read.

The list will go from number 10 to number 1. I will not include more than one book by the same author. As I am writing up this list I take a look at the books that line my bookshelf and realize how many talented American authors wrote about baseball at some point in their career.

Well, without further adieu, here is my top ten list of the best baseball books I have ever read.

10: Game Time: A Baseball Companion. This is a collection of Roger Angell’s best essays written about baseball, its players, its coaches, its records and the everyday intricacies of the game.

9: The Science of Hitting. This book, written by “The Splendid Splinter,” is one of the best books ever written on hitting. Williams reveals some of his own secrets to becoming a better hitter, including what he did throughout his career to make himself such a feared hitter and the last player (as of 2008) to hit .400 in a season. He hit .406 in 1941.

8: Clearing the Bases. Mike Schmidt’s book about everything baseball. From his playing days to his lone season as a minor league manager with the Phillies Single-A affiliate the Clearwater Threshers. Schmidt literally clears the bases on topics such as ‘greenies,’ steroids, his love/hate relationship with the Philadelphia fans and his thoughts on the game today.

7: The Old Ball Game. One of the great American novelists, Frank DeFord wrote this book detailing how legendary John McGraw and his illustrious pitcher Christy Mathewson changed the game of baseball by bringing it into the modern era. This book is a quick read, especially for baseball historian enthusiasts.

6: More Than Beards, Bellies and Biceps: The Story of the 1993 Phillies (And the Phillie Phanatic Too). This book by Robert Gordon tells the behind the scenes story of the miracle season that the Phillies had in 1993, just one year removed from finishing in last place in their division. This is a must read for any true Philadelphia sports fan who witnessed that mystical run of 1993.

5: Bill Campbell: The Voice of Philadelphia Sports. This book was written by Philadelphia’s own Sam Carchidi, a longtime writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer. This book chronicles the broadcast career and life of Campbell, who called Eagles and Phillies games for years on the radio.

4: The Teammates: A Portrait of a Friendship. This book, written by the late David Halberstam, is one of the best about baseball that you can find. It chronicles a road trip taken by former Red Sox teammates to visit one of their old pals, Ted Williams, before he passes away.

3: Hank Aaron and the Home Run That Changed America. Tom Stanton’s book detailing Aaron’s chase of history and Babe Ruth’s career home run record in a tumultuous south while having to suffer through racism and death threats. This is one of the most intriguing and enlightening books ever written on the topic of racism and baseball. Aaron is one of my all-time favorite ballplayers and I grew even fonder of him after reading this book.

2: The Best of Tom Verducci. A collection of essays written by Sports Illustrated baseball writer Tom Verducci. It highlights the best essays throughout his illustrious career as a baseball feature writer.

1: Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. The critically acclaimed book from Michael Lewis has been read over and over by baseball fans across the country. I have read it three times and am on my fourth go-round. Lewis exposes the brains behind the operations of the Oakland Athletics, General Manager Billy Beane, and how he and his staff built perennial contenders in the AL West despite one of the smallest payrolls in baseball.

Well, that is my top ten list of the baseball books that I have ever read. If you think I left any out or you would like to let me know your top ten or suggest a book for me to read then let me know. Either leave me a comment or drop me a line online at hcbb10 on AIM/Meebo or via email at vassalloja@gmail.com.

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