Book Description
What would legendary Boston Celtics coach and 16-time NBA champion Red Auerbach say is the most critical quality for a person to be successful? Would his advice differ from 10-time NCAA championship coach John Wooden's? What would each say to a young person just starting out in pursuit of their dreams? What is the best advice they were ever given?
It took author Christian Klemash more than two years of research, persistence, and original interviews, but now he's ready to pass on the best advice you'll ever get. Only the rare individual has had the opportunity to pick the brain of just one legendary sports coach—let alone thirty-four of the best sports coaches of all time. Klemash gives sports fans a once-in-a-lifetime chance to learn valuable life lessons from the most famous, intelligent, and victorious coaches ever. The legends span the sports world, from gold medal-winning gymnastics coach Bela Karolyi and three-time college football championship coach Tom Osborne to four-time World Series-winning baseball manager Joe Torre and hall-of-fame boxing trainer Angelo Dundee.
These coaches know how to teach top athletes about character and winning, how to manage pressure at crunch time, and how to bring out the best in their players when it matters most. How to Succeed in the Game of Life shares their insights into sports, life, and the most vital keys to sustain success.Featuring Exclusive Interviews with:
Red Auerbach, 16-time NBA World Champion
Bobby Bowden, College Football's All-Time Winningest Coach, 2-time National Champion
Scotty Bowman, 9-time Stanley Cup Champion
Bill Cowher, Super Bowl Champion
Tony Dungy, Super Bowl Champion
Dan Gable, 15-time NCCA Champion
April Heinrichs, Gold Medal Winning Coach of the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team
Bela Karolyi, The World’s Greatest Gymnastics Coach
Bill Parcells, 2-time Super Bowl Champion
Emanuel Steward, Boxing Trainer of 30 World Champions
Joe Torre, 4-time World Series Champion
Bill Walsh, 3-time Super Bowl Champion
Lenny Wilkens, NBA’s All-Time Winningest Coach, NBA Champion
John Wooden, 10-time NCAA Champion
And More!
Customer Reviews:
A Great Read.......2007-08-26
Wow!Could not put it down.An extraordinay self help book.Gave it to my kids they loved it.Don't miss this one
What a great read!.......2007-07-25
I took it on vacation with me and I couldn't put it down. A great book for aspiring athletes and coaches as well as your average Joe who works 9-5. The coaches discuss a variety of topics from their childhood to how they motivate their players. Any easy read for all ages.
Game of life.......2007-07-24
I've read through Game of Life and I enjoyed it very much. There are so many things to take from this book, not just into sports, but also some reflections on life. I would recommend this book to everybody.
Coaching advise from athletic coaches.......2007-06-27
A fun read, especially if yoiu're a sports fan. I read it in search of things that would help my own ability as a coach in my company. Much of it is light stuff but the easy read makes it fun nonetheless and there are few golden nuggets laced throughout the book.
Overcome Adversity.......2007-04-12
Anyone looking for inspiration, either for their own life or to share with others, will find a gold mine of quotes here. This book isn't just for sports fans.
Book Description
Fenway Park, Saturday, 8/30/03: Yankees versus Red Sox. Not just a special day in a historic rivalry but a unique one in the long tradition of baseball writing. For on this day award-winning sportswriter Steve Kettmann worked with a team of top reporters to chronicle everything that happened, from the point of view of everyone involved. With One Day at Fenway, Kettmann goes beyond the ballpark to bring you interviews and anecdotes involving all the major players -- from Red Sox owner John Henry and CEO Larry Lucchino, privately second-guessing Grady Little's managing moves during the game; to Yankee skipper Joe Torre, worrying on the bench about Mariano Rivera, who can't find home plate; to Sox slugger Manny Ramirez, who missed the game with a throat infection. And there's more: the famous and infamous players in the field and in the boardrooms, rabid fans on both sides, the not-so-innocent bystanders -- all here in this brilliant re-creation of a day in the life of America's favorite pastime.
Download Description
"Saturday, August 30, 2003 -- Yankees versus Red Sox, Fenway Park. Not just a special day in a great rivalry but also a unique one in the long tradition of baseball writing. For on that day, Steve Kettmann worked with a team of top reporters to chronicle everything that happened, from the point of view of everyone involved. So here are Red Sox owner John Henry and CEO Larry Lucchino, privately second-guessing Grady Little's managing moves during the game; here is Joe Torre, the Yankees skipper, worrying on the bench about his closer, Mariano Rivera, who can't find home plate; here's Theo Epstein, Red Sox General Manager, playing guitar until his fingers bleed the night before the game; here's Hideki Matsui, Yankees slugger, surprised that no Japanese reporters turn up to greet him at the ballpark; and here's Bill Mueller, Red Sox third baseman, driving to the game, hoping he can get a hit to help Boston win. But it's not just the famous voices we hear. Let One Day at Fenway introduce you to Theo Gordon, who's told his girlfriend, Jane Baxter, forty-five lies, and watch as Marty Martin does what all good Red Sox fans should do, only to find himself thrown out of the ballpark. Taken together, these and a myriad of other voices reveal a day in the life of baseball unlike ever before, showing in this unique project the human side to America's pastime. "
Customer Reviews:
Not great literature, but brings back the memories.......2007-09-25
The book is really simplistic, not in much depth, but it does a great job of conveying the essence of attending a baseball game. Some of the small details are really nice, and it just makes me want to go to a baseball game tomorrow. More to the point, it makes me want to have kids so that I can teach them to play catch and then go to the stadium and tell them stories about the Great Dimaggo...uh...the Great Will Clark. Sorry, got a little Hemmingway carried away there. Basically, the book is doing a good job of rekindling my love for baseball, just in time for the post-season. I walked through the baseball glove aisle in the sports store at the mall yesterday and the smell of leather took me all the way back to being 8 years old and playing for The Legal Eagles in the Pleasant Hill Baseball Association. All things considered, even if the book is superficial and simple, it takes me back to the days when I loved baseball and reminds me why, and that itself is more that I can reasonably ask.
Terrible Book.......2007-05-24
The book is a boring and poorly written tale of a single Red Sox game. There is little insight to the game of baseball or Fenway Park added. Save your money and buy something else.
Nine more innings.......2006-08-14
I'm familiar with this book for the wrong reason -- Rob Neyer's abortively anonymous, thermonuclear scorching of Steve Kettmann's Yankees-Red Sox expose. I'd read Neyer's own self-published book about Fenway Park when it came out, and after reading Neyer's review of "One Day At Fenway" (no longer on Amazon) and the subsequent mea culpa posted to his website, I figured it was time to read the other side of the story. Neyer's book involved his attendance at every game at Fenway during the 2000 season, when Boston fell short of the playoffs, presented in diary form with much material recycled from his [...] column. Kettmann's book takes place at Fenway on just one day in August 2003, six short weeks before Aaron Boone brought the Curse of the Bambino into its 85th and final season.
As other reviewers note below, this book had potential to be a baseball non-fiction classic. It comes out 20 years after Dan Okrent's oddly clinical "Nine Innings", a book primarily about the economics and behind-the-scene parties to a single baseball game, in which an Orioles-Brewers matchup with playoff implications seemed to drag on for days. Kettmann is more focussed on the players, the high-profile fans, and the Red Sox front office -- which he presciently predicts will be the ownership group that brings Boston its first World Series title since 1918. This book could have defined baseball as it was played during the Bud Selig era.
The profiles of Boston owner John Henry, executive Larry Lucchino, and GM wunderkind Theo Epstein are all fresh, although Kettmann falls into the trap of shading their statistical analysis as the same brand of Billy Beane "Moneyball". Not with the size of the Boston payroll, that's for sure. The fan interviews -- Spike Lee, Senator George Mitchell, and physicist/author Robert Adair, are full of distressingly banal insights. The post-game discovery of three fans who contributed to the Fenway atmosphere during the game (a marriage proposal and a rejected Yankee home run ball) does add a human touch to the proceedings, at least.
It is interesting to note that, in a slew of me-too Red Sox books that quickly came out after the 2004 World Series win, Kettmann's publishers didn't capitalize by having him author new material for the summer '05 paperback release. The only concession to the role reversal of Boston and the Bronx was having Pedro Martinez's picture grace the paperback cover in lieu of Bernie Williams -- even though Pedro was a Met by the time the paperback came out. A lackadaisical paperback release for a book that's best read quickly and then set aside.
One Day is Magical.......2006-05-26
I picked up this book at my local library in a fundraising sale, and as a lifelong baseball and Yankees fan who went to a Yankees-Red Sox game at Fenway every year while growing up in Albany, NY, I had high hopes right off the bat. Thankfully, the author did not let me down. I know a baseball phony when I see or read one, and this is the genuine thing, full of great baseball anecdotes and insight that even the most astute baseball fan can learn from. Like being at the ballgame is how I described it to friends, "but better!" It's a heckuva read, and I'm waiting for Kettman's next work. Baseball fan or not, go get this and pass it on to everyone you know. They'll thank you.
Great idea goes astray.......2006-03-30
When I received this book as a gift, I was instantly interested. A day at the park through several different people's eyes? Sounds like a fantastic idea for a book right?
Well, this book screws it all up. It is difficult to do a good job with multiple perspectives when no one perspective is done particularly well, and this book runs the gauntlet from boring to confusing to just plain bad. The writing is not particularly strong, which only adds to the drawn out feel that the book has by about 50 pages in.
A day at fenway is something most people remember for years to come, hoeever "One Day at Fenway" is overly forgetable.
Book Description
Who is Pete Rose? Is he Charlie Hustle, the all-American kid who never grew up, who pushed and stretched himself to get the most out of his limited talent, who would do anything in his power to win and to be a part of the game he loved? Or is he the bloated ex-athlete who broke baseball's one absolute taboo, and who was willing to drag down the whole structure of the sport to save himself?
In January 2004, Pete Rose publicly admitted to betting on baseball and began his controversial campaign to get himself off the ineligible list and into the Baseball Hall of Fame. His recently published autobiography, the baseball legend's selective telling of the truth, only furthers the myth and the mystery that surrounds him.
With a new, updated introduction by the author, and packed with interviews with Rose's family, his teammates, sportswriters, and police investigators, Hustle is the real, objective story of the life of Pete Rose.
Customer Reviews:
Charlie Hustle exposed.......2005-10-20
This book nicely represents the seedy side of Pete Rose - a man with no real friends and very few principles. Sokolove portrays Rose as being only out for himself, illustrated at its peek in his chase for Cobb's record. It was interesting to read how many of his contemporaries felt Rose looked foolish chasing the record with such diminished skills.
What may be even sadder is how the Commissioners' office looked the other way for so many years as his gambling problem grew worse. Bowie Kuhn really does not come out looking really strong in his attempt to "clean up" baseball, especially after the drug scandals of the late 70s. Unfortunately, his office's refusal to seriously confront Rose in the 70s led Rose to believe that he was beyond the rules. And, as usually occurs, this led to the crash and destruction of a supposed American hero - finally exposed for his lies and selfishness. The truth must really hurt for his fans in Cincinnati, who praised and adored him for so many years. Somewhere, Ray Fosse is smiling right now.
Depressing.......2005-08-13
Anyone who grew up a Reds fan in the 70's will find this book disturbing and depressing, to say the least.
No one should feel sorry for Pete Rose, he brought his troubles all on himself. What is depressing are the number of enablers he had around him beginning with Major League Baseball itself! Pete's problems could have been confronted as early as 1970 but since he put "fannies in the seats" both the Reds and the commisioners office chose to look the other way.
I reccomend this book not just as a biography but also a study of self destructive behavior and enabling an addict.
After you're finished find something humorous to read, you'll need it.
Pete Rose is white trash.......2004-01-08
Pete Rose is white trash, that is what is comes down to.
Pete Rose is a real jerk. The guy could play baseball, but that's it.
As a person, he is a jerk.
As least he will never get into the baseball hall of fame. If Pete Rose got into that sacred place, it would be a shame.
An Excellent Study of the Enigmatic Pete Rose.......2002-07-08
Sokolove's book is truly an excellent read. Although the title gives the connotation that the book is going to be a hatchet job on Pete Rose, the book is actually carefully researched and well written. I have been a Pete Rose fan for most of my life. I admired his determination and ability to play each game as though it were the seventh game of the World Series. (If we only had players like that today . . .) Sokolove does a great job at capturing the qualities that made him one of baseball's greatest players.
However, Pete Rose was also a shady character who loved having an entourage perform errands for him and tell him how great he was. Pete Rose, as a beloved baseball star, felt that he was above the rest of society and eventually this caught up to him in 1989-1990. Sokolove delves deeply into the character flaws of Rose that ultimately led to his exile from baseball and imprisonment for tax fraud. What is particularly interesting about Sokolove's book is how he deals with the careful way Rose constructed his own mythology by using the press to his advantage. In sum, this book is the story of a great player and flawed personality who learned (I hope) the hard way that even if you have 4256 hits in Major League Baseball, you can still end up like Oedipus in Colonus.
Very Well Balanced Informative Biography.......1997-08-15
This is a well written, thoroughly researched biography. A great many former teammates and friends of Pete Rose were interviewed for the book. He is portrayed in both his positive and negative aspects. The conclusions drawn at the end seem very solid and built on a good foundation.
I would recommend this book to any base ball fan and especially and Cincinnati Reds fan. I learned a good amount not only about Pete Rose but also about baseball during the 1960's - 1980's and the social history of the city of Cincinnati.
While the book may seem like an attack on Rose at first glance it really is probably one of the most well balanced biographys I've ever read. Probably the most realistic book about Rose available.
Book Description
Game of My Life: Memorable Stories of Red Sox Baseball traces back nearly 70 years, almost to the very start of the seminal Yawkey Era, recalling some of the greatest players in Red Sox history and some of their greatest games. Beginning with Bobby Doerr, the Hall of Fame second baseman who joined the Red Sox in 1937, this book will touch on players and their most memorable games from every decade right up to those who finally experienced the exhilaration of winning that elusive World Series.
Book Description
Dear Baseball Fan:
I know what you’re thinking: Couldn’t he have come up with a better title?
My mother agrees with you, but unfortunately Genius just doesn’t have the same ring.
Let’s get something straight right away. I may be an idiot, but I’ve tried to do more in this book than just revisit the Red Sox’s Miracle Season.
I want to give you a sense of what it’s like to grow up with baseball dreams, to spend long years climbing the ladder, and then over the course of three years to see the building blocks of those dreams fall into place.
In this book, you’ll be reading about the son of an Army staff sergeant—a thrill-seeking Orlando kid who at age thirteen was gifted with a man’s body, including rare speed and reflexes. It was some straight talk from my brother that kept me from abandoning that talent, which led to my eventually catching on with the Kansas City Royals and later the Oakland A’s.
Starting in 2002 with the Red Sox, I got to see what can happen when a determined front office decides to roll the dice and acquire players who, like me, leave the thinking out of it—who trust their instincts and play team baseball.
Forget what you’ve read about the posse of long-haired rebels who eventually made up the 2004 Red Sox. I'll give you the straight dope, including who's got the biggest mouth (hint: his first name is Kevin); what Pedro Martinez was doing all those times when you couldn’t find him on the bench; what game David Ortiz should never play; and why I sometimes question Curt Schilling’s sanity. Memo to Curt: the statue of you is being erected.
What’s it like being responsible for the hopes of millions? In the fall of 2004 my teammates and I got to find out. What I’ve tried to do in these pages is bring you inside, show you the black humor that erupted when it seemed we could do nothing right, and the immense joy that followed when 25 guys took turns picking each other up, and by sheer force of will reached baseball’s summit.
Red Sox Nation (both natives and new arrivals), this one’s for you.
—Johnny Damon, #18
Customer Reviews:
This book will curse your brain cells.......2006-04-01
No great revelations here -- wasn't expecting much anyway with the always dull Peter Golenbock as ghost writer. Too bad too, Damon's story as a fascinating Thai/American elite athlete could have been penned as a compelling one. Was looking for even a minor crescendo during the improbable 2004 ALCS comeback against the Bronx Bombers but nothing really ever ultimately gelled. The book could have vastly improved from better identification of dates and times and avoidance of extensive rehashing of prior events with no added detail. Saved from one star hell by the inclusion of a pretty good photos section.
As if the poor writing wasn't enough, idiot mistakes abound, from misspelling the names of numerous major leaguers (Scott Sauerbeck as Scott Sauerbach, Bucky Jacobsen as Bucky Jacobson) to basic errors in game details. You'd think Golenbock would be improving as a writer after his many collaborations with other sports figures. Damon either exerted too much editorial control, or, more likely, it's time for Golenbock to hang up his spikes...
Not as good a writer as ball player :-(.......2006-03-26
This book prooves the theory that looks aren't everything. He's so hot (even now without the beard) but from reading this book, he's not that smart. So talented on the field but this book is like it's been written by a kid back in junior high - if that. He's repeated himself several times over and over and as another reviewer said, it seems as if this was written purely because of the Sox's win only. I love Johnny dearly, but stick to playing ball and away from books.
so disappointing..........2006-02-27
I am glad I read this book before I saw Johnny Damon in a Yankee uniform, because the book is boring and could have been written by a tenth grader. Damon is in love with himself, talks trash about his ex-wife and the whole book sounds like a bad tv interview. I can happily look at Johnny Damon in Yankee gear and know it's no loss to the Red Sox.
Idiot/QofA #33.......2006-01-13
IDIOT
By: Johnny Damon
" Other players had to protect Nomar Garciaparra from the public"
" Amazing, Fun, and Exciting".
Anonymous 7th grade book reader.
This book is amazing. The book Idiot is an awesome biography about Johnny Damon's life. When he was a kid, teenager, life in the Minors, as an adult, and life in the majors.
As a kid he played baseball with friends and in a league. As a teen he played football, and as a senior in high school he was on an all-star team in baseball. In the minors he got to shake hands with Bill Clinton. The majors were tough starting with the A's. He hit his head, and got a concussion. When he got to be on the Red Sox every time they would try to get players the Yankee's got the player first. To find out more about Johnny Damon's life read the book.
Johnny Damon did not use any special writing. His language is not appropriate for people under 12 years old.
I feel that this book is a masterpiece. I was surprised, because he used sware words a lot.
To read this book you cannot stop in the middle of a chapter. You also cannot stop and not read the book for a few weeks.
Any Red Sox fan would like this book. You still should be at least 12 years of age.
This book is different from other genres because it is not just a book about baseball. The Boy Who Saved Baseball a fiction book, that is completely fake. This is why Idiot is so amazing.
Most biographies go on and on about the same subject, while this one is fun and exciting.
This author is different than any other author, because in Holes, by Louis Sachar the book does not push the limits. In Idiot they push the limits.
The story is set from Johnny Damon's childhood through almost present day, and is set from coast to coast.
Johnny Damon is a great baseball player, and has met important people, and other great baseball players. Johnny Damon did many great things in this book. He pushes limits. He also keeps your attention. Find out more real great things about the book, by reading it.
The book Idiot is a great book and you should read about the many experiences in his life.
Idiot/QofA #33.......2006-01-13
IDIOT
By: Johnny Damon
" Other players had to protect Nomar Garciaparra from the public"
" Amazing, Fun, and Exciting".
Anonymous 7th grade book reader.
This book is amazing. The book Idiot is an awesome biography about Johnny Damon's life. When he was a kid, teenager, life in the Minors, as an adult, and life in the majors.
As a kid he played baseball with friends and in a league. As a teen he played football, and as a senior in high school he was on an all-star team in baseball. In the minors he got to shake hands with Bill Clinton. The majors were tough starting with the A's. He hit his head, and got a concussion. When he got to be on the Red Sox every time they would try to get players the Yankee's got the player first. To find out more about Johnny Damon's life read the book.
Johnny Damon did not use any special writing. His language is not appropriate for people under 12 years old.
I feel that this book is a masterpiece. I was surprised, because he used sware words a lot.
To read this book you cannot stop in the middle of a chapter. You also cannot stop and not read the book for a few weeks.
Any Red Sox fan would like this book. You still should be at least 12 years of age.
This book is different from other genres because it is not just a book about baseball. The Boy Who Saved Baseball a fiction book, that is completely fake. This is why Idiot is so amazing.
Most biographies go on and on about the same subject, while this one is fun and exciting.
This author is different than any other author, because in Holes, by Louis Sachar the book does not push the limits. In Idiot they push the limits.
The story is set from Johnny Damon's childhood through almost present day, and is set from coast to coast.
Johnny Damon is a great baseball player, and has met important people, and other great baseball players. Johnny Damon did many great things in this book. He pushes limits. He also keeps your attention. Find out more real great things about the book, by reading it.
The book Idiot is a great book and you should read about the many experiences in his life.
Average customer rating:
- It was funny,sad,and it was great.
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Red a Baseball Life
Red Schoendienst , and
Rob Rains
Manufacturer: Sagamore Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Baseball
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ASIN: 1571672001 |
Book Description
In Red: A Baseball Life, Red Schoendienst details all of the events that have shaped his life, on and off the field, as he moved from the playing field to the manager's office to his current position as a special assistant to the general manager of the St. Louis Cardinals. Schoendienst played, coached, and managed in nine World Series. In 1989, he was inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame.
Customer Reviews:
It was funny,sad,and it was great........1999-06-26
It was fab. when he talked about his children and grand-children
Amazon.com
This definitive biography of Ted Williams provides a balanced portrait of the man, the ballplayer, the war veteran, and the hitter. This last side of Williams--the man in the batter's box, the last player to hit .400, the Splendid Splinter--is the most widely and fondly remembered. But Linn also gets beneath the varnish on the bat, examining the Williams known by teammates and sportswriters as difficult and moody. Finally, this is an assessment of a ballplayer who was frequently ignored by the press, despite accomplishments the likes of which we may never see again on a professional diamond.
Customer Reviews:
Teddy Ballgame gets his due.......2003-10-15
Ed Linn says that Williams was the greatest hitter of all-time, he should have won 5 MVP awards, and his 1941 season was more impressive than DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak. That he gave up his potentially most productive years to fight in two wars says as much for his character as it does for his projected totals. The biggest hurdle to recognition was his rascally personality that alienated hometown Boston sportswriters.
In a media age, it is very hard for accomplishments to be recognized without supporting prose. But in Williams' case, his attitude not only cost him prose, but MVP votes from local sportswriters. Had the hometown scribes written glowingly about his .406 average in 1941 the way the New York papers lionized DiMaggio's hitting streak, he may have won his first MVP. Instead it took time for that accomplishment to be realized, and it continues to grow as the years pass without any .400 hitters. Add the two Triple Crowns he won without getting the award and you have to wonder what sportswriters were doing with their votes.
Linn doesn't comment much on Williams' years as the manager of the Washington Senators. It's just mentioned to say that Williams wasn't cut out to be a manager. He says a little about Williams' service record, but reminds us that he was John Glenn's wingman. And we get just enough about Williams home life to know that he wasn't the best husband. This book isn't about those things it's about Williams the great hitter.
Linn stresses that Williams proved his greatness by the way he played when his tools were diminishing in the 1950s. While the rest of his body was breaking down with injuries his bat could still light up a ballgame. That he won the 1958 batting title at age of 39 is a feat that Linn says is amazing. Linn makes a dramatic telling of his last at bat home run by explaining Williams before and after the contest.
This is an informative and thorough telling of Williams the ballplayer and a good choice if you want to know more about Williams and his era in the big leagues.
What a great book!.......2003-03-29
If you want to know everything you possibly can about Ted and his effect on the game you need to read this book.
The Authoritative History of Ted Williams.......2002-07-09
This is an absolutely FABULOUS book. It details not only the career, but also the life of the greatest hitter who ever lived. I am generally not a big book reader, but I could not put this one down, reading it in a little over a day. I guarantee that if you are a baseball fan, you will love this book!
Excellent Biography.......2001-01-19
Biographies often waste time describing things like the "childhood home". While this book gives an overview of Williams' early life, it focuses on his historical impact on baseball and his attitudes toward the game. Linn does an excellent job of measuring Williams statistically and creating the perspective of his career that, as a 34 year old, I did not get to experience first hand. An understanding of each season, his teammates and adversaries, creates for me an appreciation that did not exist before. Some great segments on Ted's mentality toward the game and hitting specifically, was great not only for me but also my 10 year old. Note: this is a biography NOT an instructional manual - see The Science of Hitting for the "other half of the story.
HITTER is like a triple off the Green Monster..........2000-06-10
Ed Linn's HITTER is a excellent biography on Ted Williams life and baseball career. It's a solid 400 pages about Williams, his youth, his personality quirks and flaws, his talent at hitting a baseball, and his glorious seasons at Fenway Park. What Ed Linn does best is to write about The Kid's best seasons and comparing them to other baseball greats using statistical analysis. Also the many stories about Williams' war with the Boston Press. Linn was very careful to write both the good and bad of Williams, and is not afraid to criticize his behavior. The only reasons why this book isnt a home run is because I feel that there could have been more details in certain situations,or maybe Linn suffers from the same problem as Ted Williams had in front of the Fenway Crowd, they both did such a good job that you just wanted a little more from them.
Average customer rating:
- More then just baseball
- This is a "must read" for all Ted Williams fans!
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Ted Williams: Reflections on a Splendid Life (Sportstown Series)
Dom DiMaggio , and
Richard A. Johnson
Manufacturer: Northeastern
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Ted Williams at War
ASIN: 155553550X |
Book Description
Ted Williams (1918-2002), one of the most colorful and controversial figures in sports history, was a genuine American hero and cultural icon. Considered by many the greatest hitter who ever lived, the "Splendid Splinter" appeared in eighteen All-Star games, won six batting titles and two Triple Crowns, and, in 1941, was the last player to hit over .400. In addition to his accomplishments on the baseball field, Hall-of-Famer Williams served as a fighter pilot in World War II and the Korean War, and was a tireless worker on behalf of the Jimmy Fund in the fight against cancer in children.
Williams' remarkable talent and passion for excellence, along with his stubborn, head-on approach to life and outspoken, volatile behavior, made him a favorite subject -- and target -- of sports scribes and other writers throughout his career. Although famous for his feuds with the press during his playing days, the temperamental star matured into a distinguished elder statesman of baseball.
This volume collects the best writing about Williams and some classic photographs of the hitter, providing a panorama of his brilliant ability and complex personality from his rookie year in 1939 to the memorial tributes following his recent death. It features thirty-five articles by celebrated sportswriters and best-selling authors, including Al Hirschberg ("Handsome Bad Boy of the Boston Red Sox"), Red Smith ("Ted Williams Spits"), Bud Collins ("'Saint' Goes Marching In"), Peter Gammons ("Williams an Unquestioned Hit with Him"), Ed Linn ("The Kid's Last Game"), John Updike ("Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu"), Donald Hall ("The Necessary Shape of the Old-Timers' Game"), John Underwood ("Going Fishing with the Kid"), Stephen Jay Gould ("Achieving the Impossible Dream: Ted Williams and .406"), and David Halberstam ("The Perfectionist at the Plate").
Taken together, the pieces offer a vivid mosaic of a true American great who is admired and respected as much by today's ballplayers and fans as those of his own generation.
Customer Reviews:
More then just baseball.......2005-04-02
Im 17 years old and hardly pick up a book , but I couldnt seem to put this one down , I find myself reading this book 3 hours a day. These are all articles of Ted Williams life that go in order from when he was a young kid to a old man. Its not just about his baseball side , but also about his love of fishing and who he really is behind the baseball image. It doesnt just tell you that he did something but how he did it ( dislike fans , visited kids in hospital , hate writers , sent money to his father even know he hadnt seen him in over 10 years , and why he was so generous to others ). Ive read alot about Ted Williams but I learned alot more about him in this book. I highly reccomend this book to anyone whos interested in " The Kid "
This is a "must read" for all Ted Williams fans!.......2003-07-26
Compiled and edited by lifelong Boston Red Sox fan Lawrence Baldassaro (who is also Professor of Italian and Comparative Literature, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee), Reflections On A Splendid Life: Ted Williams is a remarkable tribute to the talented baseball player who won six batting titles and two Triple Crowns, and in 1941, was the last player to hit over .400. In addition to his legend on the baseball field, he served as a fighter pilot in World War II and worked on behalf of the Jimmy Fund to fight against cancer in children. Reflections On A Splendid Life collects writings and photographs of Williams, from his rookie year in 1939 to his death in July 2002. Articles by sportswriters, best-selling authors, and those who knew and respected the remarkable Ted Williams fill the pages of this one-of-a-kind compilation. This is a "must read" for all Ted Williams fans!
Book Description
To many fans, Hall of Famer Ted Williams is baseball. The Boston Red Sox left-fielder dominated the game in the 1940s, achieving astounding hitting records, including 521 home runs and a career .344 batting average; he was also the last player to bat .400 in a season. As good as he was, many wonder what the Splendid Splinter could have been if he hadn't missed five years of the game serving as a pilot in World War II and Korea and two seasons due to injuries. In addition to hundreds of photographs, this attractive volume includes Williams's candid words about his life on the field and off, a firsthand account that will certainly become a collector's item for all baseball fans.
Customer Reviews:
A must have for the Williams Fan........2002-07-09
The definitive book on the complete life of Ted Williams. This is not simply a re-hashing of every picture of Ted that you see time after time. It's a fresh look through his own words and some magnificent photos that must have been sitting in his attic. You really get the feeling that you are sitting around Ted's kitchen table going through an old photo album as he comments on everything from the biggest fish he caught to what a "[bad] haircut" he had.
Best Book on Dad.......2001-11-30
Best Book written to date on my Father.
A WONDERFUL NEW ADDITION.......2001-10-02
I am co-author (with Jim Prime) of TED WILLIAMS: A TRIBUTE (1997), which was another large-format book on Ted with a lot of photographs. There are quite a few books on Ted. When I heard this book was in the works, I wondered what more there was to show and what more there was to say.
I was pleased to be able to proofread this book in its advance state and I hope I helped correct a very few minor errors. I hadn't seen the photographs or layout at that stage. When I saw the final book, I was blown away.
This is a wonderful new addition, and Ted's voice comes through loud and clear here. David Pietrusza has done a wonderful job here and this is a book I will myself treasure.
--Bill Nowlin, Cambridge MA
Engaging Photographs and Brief Anecdotes.......2001-06-15
This book will be ideal for those who know relatively little about Ted Williams, yet are Red Sox fans. The combination of over 250 photographs and recent reminiscences make you feel like you are sitting around the kitchen table with Mr. Williams swapping stories about his life while you enjoy a cool beverage. The anecdotes have a crisp conversational tone that seems to have often emerged with little editing from a tape recorder. That makes the book more spontaneous than if it were dressed up to be a formal autobiography.
Some of my favorite stories in the book include:
Choosing not to sit out the doubleheader at the end of the 1941 season when he already had batted .400. He went 6 for 8 that day, and increased his average to the league-leading .407.
His frequent heroics in All-Star games (including hitting the eephus pitch for a home run while going 4/4 in 1946).
Crash landing his plane after being hit by small arms fire and starting to burn while flying a mission over North Korea during the Korean War.
His many accidents and injuries.
His batting performance after other teams began using the shift on him.
Hitting a home run in his last at-bat in Fenway Park.
The strength of the book comes in the photographs. Surprisingly, many of these are very blurred and don't quite meet the standard that you will expect in a pictoral autobiography. The first photograph with Bobby Doerr when both were just starting with the Red Sox is an example.
People who are interested in his swing will enjoy the sequence with his shirt off that appeared in Life magazine. "The key was the right swing, studying the pitchers, studying the situations, waiting to get your pitch, and just plain working like hell at it."
The book isn't only about baseball. You will also learn about his mother's hard work on behalf of the Salvation Army, his hunting and fishing, and meeting sports and political celebrities.
Mr. Williams had a reputation as a player for being uncooperative with the press and the fans. To his credit, he shares his side of these events pretty candidly. The famous spitting incident is well covered.
One of the most telling exhibits is an advertisement for cigarettes. Mr. Williams was not a smoker, and clearly admits to having done it for the money. He always intended to make a donation for cancer research to return the money, but indicates that he never did. I admired him for including this event, which he clearly now views as a mistake.
He also is candid about not being excited about serving in both World War II and the Korean War. This service cost him 5 major league seasons during his prime years. He was only one of two major leaguers to do this.
After you finish enjoying this book, think about how Mr. Williams turned his talent to other areas outside of baseball. Have you turned your hand to as many other areas as you would benefit from trying? After all, we only have so many days on Earth to make our contribution. Make the most of them!
A nice-looking, readable book.......2001-06-15
I found the above negative review of this book far more disturbing than anything about the book itself.
What's the writer's problem with "ghostwriting"? It's no secret. It's not as if David Pietrusza (the co-author) isn't listed. It's obviously a book of pictures with comments from Ted, edited into decent copy by Pietrusza. That's what a co-author on a celebrity book does.
It's very much Ted Williams in the comments -- maybe even to an uncomfortable extent. He rambles on about the press, about politics, and about hunting and fishing, and none of his views are what could even be possibly construed as "politically correct." But I find it interesting that after all this time, he's still his own man -- frustrating and inspiring at the same time.
The photos are largely terrific. The layout is good. The text is interesting. And it's the best photo book on Ted Williams out there. That sounds like a recommendation to me.
Average customer rating:
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Ted Williams (Second Edition): A Baseball Life
Manufacturer: Bison Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Williams, Ted
| ( W )
| People, A-Z
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Baseball
| Sports
| Subjects
| Books
History
| Baseball
| Sports
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Sports
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0803293089 |
Book Description
Ted Williams (1918–2002) was a paradox. His cool, controlled, and patient attitude while at the plate was incongruous with his explosive, unpredictable temper out of the batter’s box. With a swing that was both admired and feared, Williams has been called the greatest hitter of the last half of the twentieth century and was perhaps the greatest left-handed hitter of all time. In this biography Michael Seidel explores the complexities of the mercurial personality and amazing career of the near-mythic “Splendid Splinter.”
With the death of Williams in the summer of 2002, baseball lost one of its true greats. Yet controversy continued to surround Williams in death as news of a bizarre family dispute over the fate of Williams’s body captivated the country. In a new foreword to this edition, the author discusses the odd events surrounding the ballplayer’s death and their significance to the legend of Ted Williams.
Customer Reviews:
A Flawed Hero.......2003-03-15
I am not the type of person to pick up a book about a sports figure even if I am a fan. I love history books especially Civil War, Napoleonic history and biographies of great leaders. I surprised myself by taking the time to read this book. If you are interested in Ted Williams or baseball especially during the era in which he played 1939-1960, this book could not be rated higher. The author has an introduction of Teds early life and then the remainder of the book is broken down so that each chapter covers a year of his career. This puts Teds life in context of World events which the author neatly weaves within its pages. During his career Ted Williams displayed and developed his hitting skills with the desire of becoming the "greatest hitter who ever lived". Hitting the ball was his obsession. His great desire to excel however was balanced by a contentious personality which was easily set off by the goading of the Boston media. Looking at his stats and realizing that almost 5 years of his life during his prime was spent in the military, I have no doubt that he would have broken Ruth's home run record. Ted Wiliams was both an artist and a scientist at hitting. He studied pitchers, strike zones, handling the bat like no other player. When Mickey Mantle was asked about converstaions with Ted Williams on hitting he said "He makes me crazy." Mickey Mantle did not understand the science of hitting.
Ted Williams probably was the greatest hitter that ever lived, but his personality marred his relationships with the Boston media, sometimes his team mates, and his own family.
I do have a few criticisms however. The book is called A Baseball Life, and that is the authors focus. Ted Williams was an intensely private man whether the author out of respect for Ted Williams or lack of investigation gives very little information on his private life. We learn some things about his family such as his mother was an ardent salvation army worker, yet we know nothing of how Ted Williams felt personally about spiritual matters. We also are denied any information on his relationships with his wife Doris or his daughter. The last chapter stops without little mention of his business interests or his managerial stint in the late 60's. Despite these ommissions, Ted Williams A Baseball Life is an exciting, informative look at perhaps the greatest hitter that ever lived yet at the same time considered by others a selfish egotist. When Joe Dimaggio was asked "what do you think of Ted Williams?" His reply was "greatest lefthanded hitter that ever lived?" " "What do you think of Ted Williams as a ballplayer?"
"greatest lefthanded hitter that ever lived".
so awsome.......2000-09-05
this is the best book i have ever read if i had the time i would read this book a hundred times. The reason i bought this book is because ted williams is the best hitter in baseballs long history.
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