Propounding his “small ball theory” of sports literature, George Plimpton proposed that “the smaller the ball, the more formidable the literature.” Of course he had the relatively small baseball in mind, because its literature is formidable—vast and varied, instructive, often wildly entertaining, and occasionally brilliant. From this bewildering array of baseball books, Ron Kaplan has chosen 501 of the best, making it easier for fans to find just the books to suit them (or to know what they’re missing).
From biography, history, fiction, and instruction to books about ballparks, business, and rules, anyone who loves to read about baseball will find in this book a companionable guide, far more fun than a reference work has any right to be.
Ron Kaplan is a sports and features writer and editor for the New Jersey Jewish News. His book reviews, author interviews, and articles have appeared in publications such as the Huffington Post, Baseball America, and Mental Floss, and he hosts a blog on baseball literature.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction xi
1 Analysis 1
2 Autobiography, Biography, and Memoir 21
3 Ballparks 101
4 Behind the Scenes 107
5 Business 115
6 Fiction 127
7 History 143
8 Instructionals 255
9 International 261
10 Minor Leagues 269
11 Pop Culture 273
12 Reference 343
13 Statistics 361
14 Umpires and Rules 369
15 For Young Readers 375
Index 383
What People are Saying About This
A.J. Jacobs
“I don’t know whether Ron Kaplan took any performance-enhancing drugs, but he has accomplished something amazing. His book is the ultimate guide to baseball literature. If you love baseball or books or any combination thereof, you should pick this up now.”—A. J. Jacobs, author of The Know-It-All: One Man’s Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World
Peter Sagal
“This is a book guaranteed to make a baseball fan feel worse than I (a Red Sox fan) did on the last day of the 2011 season. You thought you had a decent baseball library, you thought you were a well-read fan . . . but no! You’re a rookie, and you haven’t read a fraction of all the memoirs, analyses, histories, and novels of baseball out there. But be of good cheer: a whole new world awaits, and Ron Kaplan has drawn you a treasure map.”—Peter Sagal, host of NPR’s Wait Wait . . . Don’t Tell Me!
