Sports books

CalNeva Club. Reno, Nev.

 

I recommend some of Roger Angell's books:
Summer Game
Five Seasons
Late Innings
Season Ticket

 

Yes. Absolutely indispensible on any sports writer's bookshelf. His first novel, "The Professional," is well worth your time, too.

 

tack The Miracle of St. Anthony by Wojnarowski on there too.

 

You've Got to Have Wa; great insight into baseball in Japan (made into film Mr. Baseball with Selleck.

My wife gave me a compilation of 2006's best sportswriting articles edited by Michael Lewis. Great short stories on a diversity of subjects. I'm looking forward to the 2007 edition.

 

I'm enjoying The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty right now, by Buster Olney

Also, if you're a fan of fantasy sports, or just stats in general, particularly in baseball, Fantasyland is a must. I'm usually a slow reader. I read it in four days.

 

Missing Links

 

One book I forget to mention on the list was Red, by Ira Berkow. I thought it superb, so I've ordered Berkow's The Minority Quarterback on Amazon.

 

It probably isn't real as Buford's book was widely believed to be made up.

Anyhow, I'd suggest Veeck As In Wreck. If I ever hit lotto, I'm making the Veeck As In Wreck movie and it will kick ass.

 

Yeah, well, don't include the part about him trying to buy the Phillies during WWII and stocking them with Negro League stars. It didn't happen, it didn't come close to happening, it's a total fabrication.

But a historically accurate Bill Veeck movie (and, really, why would you need to bend the truth?) would, indeed, kick major ass.

 

If I can't have that chapter, then I'm pissing historical accuracy to the four winds to get the coveted summer release and to draw the kiddies.

I'm going to have to have Veeck shoot lasers out of his prosthetic leg (to ward off his fellow owners) as part of his successful effort to buy the White Sox in the mid 70s.

Might also consider having a CGI, Gort-like robot pinch hit for Eddie Gaedel and hit the game-winning home run for the Browns. As Gort rounds the bases, Klaatu has an epiphany and realizes that for all the Earth's flaws, baseball makes it worth saving. Cut to close up of Veeck laughing in the press box before a Hee Haw-style quick edit to the next scene.

The Day The Veeck As In Wreck Stood Still.

 

Are there any must-read books on pro wrestling? Here in Australia the WWF used to get shown late at night in the mid-1980s and it was always a bit of fun. Are there any well-written, behind-the-scenes accounts of the business? By the way, I was looking up some of my old favourites and was numbed to read that the Junkyard Dog and Big John Studd had hit the deck, so to speak.