My Favorite Baseball Books and Movies

When I read about “WAR” and “dWAR” I’m reminded of a couple of songs from my past, “What a Wonderful World” by Art Garfunkel, and “War” by Edwin Starr, whose lyrics I butcher to get my mind around the discussion of the past several days:

“Don’t know much about sabemetrics

Don’t know much of analytics  

Don’t know much about advanced statistics

I don’t know what dWAR is for

But I do know “one and one is two”

And if the Dodgers could just win the Series

What a wonderful, wonderful world this would be.”

WAR, huh, yeah

What is it good for

Absolutely nothing . . . .

it ain’t nothing but a confusing stat       

(WAR) friend only to the number crunchers

Oh, WAR it’s an enemy to many on this blog

The point of WAR blows my mind

WAR has caused unrest on this board

Within the community of Dodger lovers

As much as I have been involved with baseball during my life as a player and coach, and as much baseball as I have watched and listened to in my lifetime, I have come to realize, to quote Micky Mantle, “It’s unbelievable how much you don’t know about the game you’ve been playing your whole life.”   If one as great as the Mick felt that way, certainly, I’m in no position to think I know more than those who devote their livelihood to the sport.  

Therefore, in the Christmas spirit, I thought I would take a break from the “who should we trade for Lindor or Betts” discussion and whether or not the team, as it is presently made up, is good enough to win the World Series, and tell you about my favorite baseball books and movies.   For those of you who are in need last-minute shopping ideas, this might be of some help. 

My Favorite Books

1.  Lost in the Sun, Roy Gleason’s Odyssey from Outfield to Battlefield, by Wally Wasinack, Mark Langill and Roy Gleason:   This book chronicles the story of Roy Gleason, who remains the only US combat veteran and former Major League Baseball player to receive “Special Congressional Recognition” for being awarded a Purple Heart, a World Series Ring, and holding a “perfect” lifetime Major League batting average. He also remains the only professional baseball player who after first playing in the Major Leagues was later drafted into the US Army and sent to the front lines in the Vietnam War.  Gleason was a tremendous player, with movie star looks who had his career derailed by the Vietnam War.   This book sits atop of my list for 2 reasons, one having grown up during the Vietnam era and having been subjected to the draft (my draft number was 65), his recollections of those times back numerous memories that I had stored in the attic of mind.  More importantly, Roy Gleason’s son was married to my secretary’s daughter, and for Christmas a few years back, she got me a copy of the book, a baseball, and a baseball card all autographed by Roy Gleason, which (other than pictures of the Pony Baseball teams I coached over the years and my sons) are my most treasured baseball memorabilia.  It is an easy read, and I would highly recommend it.   It has five stars on my rating scale. 

2.  We are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball, by Kadir Nelson:   Using an “Everyman” player as his narrator, Kadir Nelson tells the story of Negro League baseball from its beginnings in the 1920s through the decline after Jackie Robinson crossed over to the majors in 1947.   I have always been fascinated with the history and players of the Negro Leagues, and this book has satisfied that fascination.   It’s very easy to read, and is one you can place on your coffee table for easy browsing.   As an aside, one of my favorite Vin Scully stories is about a bet Whitey Herzog made with Satchel Paige.  You can read about it here:   https://www.truebluela.com/2015/5/13/8599021/vin‑scully‑satchel‑paige‑whitey‑herzog‑wild‑child

It has five stars on my rating scale. 

3.  The Boys of Summer, Roger Kahn:   In this book, Roger Kahn relates some history of the Brooklyn Dodgers up to their victory in the 1955 World Series. He then tracks the lives of the players (Clem Labine, George Shuba, Carl Erskine, Andy Pafko, Joe Black, Preacher Roe, Pee Wee Reese, Carl Furillo, Gil Hodges, Roy Campanella, Duke Snider, Jackie Robinson, and Billy Cox) over the subsequent years as they aged. The title of the book is taken from a Dylan Thomas poem that describes “the boys of summer in their ruin” It is a book about America, about fathers and sons, prejudice and courage, triumph and disaster, told with warmth, humor, wit, candor, and love.  It has five stars on my rating scale. 

4.  Brothers in Arms: Koufax, Kershaw, and the Dodgers’ Extraordinary Pitching Tradition, by Jon Weisman:   In my opinion, Jon Weisman is the Vin Scully of Dodger Bloggers.  When he regularly wrote on Dodger Thoughts, virtually everything he wrote was a masterpiece.  I have read, and agree, that Jon Weisman’s writing is about the closest thing to a Vin Scully story.  That is very evident in this book, as Weisman uniquely paints pictures of the pitchers, and the Dodgers that are very enriching and will give you tremendous insight into the rich Dodgers’ history.   It also has a five stars on my rating scale. 

5.  The Last Innocents: The Collision of the Turbulent Sixties and the Los Angeles Dodgers, by Michael Leahy:   This book places the lives of seven baseball players, Maury Wills, Sandy Koufax, Wes Parker, Jeff Torborg, Dick Tracewski, Lou Johnson and Tommy Davis within the political and social maelstrom that was the era when the conformity of the 1950s gave way to demands for equality and rights in the 1960s.  This is a very well written book that provides an outstanding history of the 1960s and of the Los Angeles Dodgers, with a wonderful insight into the culture of the time and of the players on the team, highlighting the uneasy relationship that existed between the players and the Dodgers’ front office.  It has five stars on my rating scale. 

6.  The Soul of Baseball: A Road Trip Through Buck O’Neil’s America, by Joe Posnanski:   Posnanski and the 94-year-old Buck O’Neil spend the 2005 baseball season touring the country in hopes of stirring up the love that first drew them to baseball. “This book is as much the story of Buck O’Neil as it is the story of baseball. In a time when disillusioned, steroid–shooting, money-hungry athletes define the sport, Buck O’Neil stands out as a man that truly played for the love of the game. Posnanski writes about that love and the one thing that O’Neil loved almost as much as baseball: jazz.   It’s an endearing step back in time to the days when the crack of a bat and the smoky notes of a midnight jam session were the sounds that brought the most joy to a man’s heart.”  Like with Weisman, most everything Posnanski writes is worth reading.   It has five stars on my rating scale. 

7.  Only the Ball Was White: A History of Legendary Black Players and All‑Black Professional Teams, by Robert Peterson:   If you love baseball history, this is a must-read.   Peterson “tells the forgotten story of these excluded ballplayers, and gives them the recognition they were so long denied. Reconstructing the old Negro Leagues from contemporary sports publications, accounts of games in the black press, and through interviews with the men who actually played the game, Peterson brings to life the fascinating period that stretched from shortly after the Civil War to the signing of Jackie Robinson in 1947. We watch as the New York Black Yankees and the Philadelphia Crawfords take the field, look on as the East‑West All‑Star lineups are announced, and listen as the players themselves tell of the struggle and glory that was black baseball. In addition to these vivid accounts, Peterson includes yearly Negro League standings and an all‑time register of players and officials, making the book a treasure trove of baseball information and lore.”   Rates 4 ½ stars. 

8.   The Best Team Money Can Buy: The Los Angeles Dodgers’ Wild Struggle to Build a Baseball Powerhouse, by Molly Knight:  Knight tells the story of the Dodgers’ 2013 and 2014 seasons with detailed, previously unreported revelations.   She shares a behind‑the‑scenes account of the astonishing sale of the Dodgers, as well as what the Dodgers actually knew in advance about rookie phenom and Cuban defector Yasiel Puig. We learn how close manager Don Mattingly was to losing his job during the 2013 season—and how the team turned around the season in the most remarkable fifty‑game stretch of any team since World War II.  Knight also provides a rare glimpse into the in‑fighting and mistrust that derailed the team in 2014 and paints an intimate portrait of star pitcher Clayton Kershaw, including details about the record contract offer he turned down before accepting the richest contract any pitcher ever signed.“The bestselling, inside‑the‑clubhouse story of two tumultuous years when the Los Angeles Dodgers were re‑made from top to bottom, becoming the most talked‑about and most colorful team in baseball. “It’s as if Molly Knight ushers you behind the closed clubhouse doors.” (Buster Olney, ESPN) This book rates 4 stars. 

9.  Sandy Koufax, A Lefty’s Legacy, by Jane Leahy:   What can I say, this book is about Sandy Koufax.  It was written without Koufax’s involvement, so there is that.  But it does give a good, albeit, sometimes disjointed look into this remarkable man and baseball player,  It has four stars on my rating scale. 

10.  The Big Chair: The Smooth Hops and Bad Bounces from the Inside World of the Acclaimed Los Angeles Dodgers General Manager, by Ned Colletti and Joseph A. Reaves:   This book is a behind-the scenes look at Ned Colletti’s career in baseball.  I’ve never been a fan of Ned Colletti as a General Manager, however, this book makes for an interesting read.  If you can get past the constant need for Colletti to pat himself on the back, the stories are entertaining and provide a bit of insight into the workings of a front-office.  It has three stars on my rating scale. 

My Favorite baseball movies:

1.    The Sandlot (1993):   Can there be any other?   “Your killing me Smalls” will be quoted for years and years to come. 

Ham: “Hey, you want a S’more?”

Smalls: “Some more what?”

Ham: “No, no. You want a S’more?”

Smalls: “I haven’t had anything yet, so how can I have some more of nothing?”

Ham: “You’re killing me, Smalls!”

2.    Pride of the Yankees (1942):   Gary Cooper as Lou Gehrig!  It can’t get better than that.  It’s old and “hokey” by today’s standards of film making, but I love it, and still shed a tear during Gehrig’s farewell speech. 

3.    42 (2013):    The story of Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey’s efforts to integrate baseball.  Well told and well acted. 

4.     Bull Durham (1988):   I’m not a Kevin Costner fan (other than this and parts of “Tin Cup” most of his movies are awful), but I enjoyed Bull Durham, if just for these exchanges: 

“Skip: “You guy, you lollygag the ball around the infield. You lollygag your way down to first. You lollygag in and out of the dugout. You know what that makes you? Larry?”

Larry: “Lollygaggers.”

Skip: “Lollygaggers! What’s our record, Larry?”

Larry: “Eight and 16.”

Skip: “Eight and 16. How’d we ever win eight?”

Larry: “It’s a miracle.”

Skip: “It’s a miracle. This is a simple game. You throw the ball, you hit the ball, you catch the ball. You got it. Now we have got a 12‑day road trip starting tomorrow. Bus leaves six in the morning.”

“Larry: “Excuse me, but what the hell’s going on out here?

Crash: “Well, Nuke’s scared because his eyelids are jammed and his old man’s here. We need a live … is it a live rooster?”

[Jose nods]

Crash: “We need a live rooster to take the curse off Jose’s glove and nobody seems to know what to get Millie or Jimmy for their wedding present. That about right? We’re dealing with a lot of s—.”

Larry: “Okay, well … candlesticks always make a nice gift, and uh, maybe you could find out where she’s registered and maybe a place‑setting or maybe a silverware pattern. Okay, let’s get two! Go get ‘em.”

5.     61* (2001):   Great story directed by Billy Crystal about Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle as they battled to break Babe Ruth’s home run record.  

6.     Moneyball (2011):   The story about sabermetrics and how it was employed by the Oakland A’s.  You have to feel pretty good about yourself if they pick Brad Pitt to play your character.   I enjoyed the interaction between Pitt and Jonah Matthews.   Well acted and good story, whether you’re an “old school” baseball guy or a “nerd.”  

7.    Major League (1989):   Ridiculously funny and irreverent.  What more needs to be said.  “Juuuuuuuuuust a bit outside.”   “Let me think it over, will ya, Charlie? I’ve got a guy on the other line about some white walls. I’ll talk to you later.”

8.      Trouble with the Curve (2012): Directed by Robert Lorenz, starring Clint Eastwood as an old baseball scout trying to prove his worth.   Good old school baseball vs sabermetrics type story. 

9.      Bang the Drum Slowly (1973):   Probably the best baseball tear-jerker, starring Robert de Niro as a dim-witted catcher who becomes terminally ill.

10.    A League of Their Own (1992):   A fantastic story of woman’s baseball during World War II.  Stars Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Madonna, Rosey O’Donnell, which is mostly known for this exchange:

“Jimmy Dugan: Evelyn, could you come here, you got a second? Which team do you play for?

Evelyn Gardner: Well, I’m a Peach.

Jimmy Dugan: Well I was just wonderin’ why you would throw home when we got a two‑run lead. You let the tying run get on second base and we lost the lead because of you. Start using your head. That’s the lump that’s three feet above your ass.

[Evelyn starts to cry]

Jimmy Dugan: Are you crying? Are you crying? ARE YOU CRYING? There’s no crying! THERE’S NO CRYING IN BASEBALL!

Doris Murphy: Why don’t you give her a break, Jimmy…

Jimmy Dugan: Oh, you zip it, Doris! Rogers Hornsby was my manager, and he called me a talking pile of pig…t.   And that was when my parents drove all the way down from Michigan to see me play the game. And did I cry?

Evelyn Gardner: No, no, no.

Jimmy Dugan: Yeah! NO. And do you know why?

Evelyn Gardner: No…

Jimmy Dugan: Because there’s no crying in baseball. THERE’S NO CRYING IN BASEBALL! No crying!”

There are several other books and movies that came under consideration, but for today, these are my top ten.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, the happiest of Hannukahs and a healthy, happy and prosperous 2020.   Let’s start the new decade with a World Series victory, shall we.