Thursday (Buck O’Neil) edition: Wha’ Happened?
Posted on June 12th, 2008 – 8:53 AMBy Michael Rand
You can learn a lot about a book, and about yourself, by measuring your reading increments. Kraig Applecherry loaned us “The Soul of Baseball: A Road Trip Through Buck O’Neil’s America” last month, right before we went to Paris. We brought it on the plane but didn’t touch it. Finally, about a week ago, we opened it. Twenty pages one night became 30 the next. Soon, even in a busy life, it became a necessity to finish instead of a great distraction. The book, which came out last year and was written by the ultra-talented Joe Posnanski, follows a year in the life of O’Neil, a former Negro Leagues player and manager who could perhaps best be summarized as an ambassador for baseball, though even that seems understated. We’d heard plenty about O’Neil before, and had been outraged just like everyone else when he failed to gain election into the Hall of Fame during a special election honoring other Negro League greats. A great sports book, though, takes you beyond sports. And this book, while great for its baseball tales, is (appropriately) more about the beautiful soul of one man. You will laugh, you might cry, but most importantly you will feel. We won’t spoil it if you have not read it, but we do want to toss in one excerpt from the afterword:
“Son,” Buck had said in New York, “in this life, you never walk by a red dress.” I think Buck meant we should never pass up the opportunity to live life. We should not rush by the red dresses, the baseball games, the street musicians, or the sweet smell of the desert. We should not stifle or smother our craziest dreams.
Amen to that. In any event, we believe Marthaler had an idea a long time ago to have a RandBall reading series. We’re not sure it would ever get off the ground, but this is the perfect first selection. We would also like to open the floor to a discussion of other classic sports books — not just titles, but what makes them great.
Fasola-link! Ubuntu.
27 Responses to "Thursday (Buck O’Neil) edition: Wha’ Happened?"
How could you not see this coming?
http://www.myleastfavoriteteam.com
It is, by far, the funniest book about the Minnesota Vikings that I have ever written.
Absolutely loved the Soul of Baseball…if anyone is looking for a good Fathers Day gift pick this up!
Posnanski is hands down my favorite sports columnist in the country. He just “gets it” and you’ll never see him screaming at other talking heads on some stupid ESPN6 show.
I heard Posnanski is waiting to kick off THE Ocho. So you are right he wouldn’t be caught dead on ESPN6.
I think I’ve mentioned this before, but I read The Bronx Zoo at an impressionable (read: inappropriate) age, and found it thoroughly entertaining, as any book about the Yankees of that era should be. While defecating on birthday cakes may seem juvenile now, it was revelatory at the time. I couldn’t believe the guys on my baseball cards were also secret cake poopers.
I understand that’s not a Tuesdays with Morrie life lesson, but there you go.
It is, by far, the funniest book about the Minnesota Vikings that I have ever written.
I eagerly await the major motion picture.
THREADJACK
Does anyone else find it odd that Sid calls Twins GM Bill Smith, “Billy Smith” like he’s a [redacted] 10 year old?
/THREADJACK
Dave: Sid calls John McCain “a whippersnapper,” so you kind of have to give him a break.
(/it’s funny because he’s old)
So I can assume that he would not be upset if I was aborted at this point in my life then?
/inappropriate
John McCain is old? Who would have known.
It’s old and hard to find, but if you come across a copy, do yourself a favor and read “Screwballs”, by Jay Cronley (who occasionally appears on ESPN.com, writing about horse racing.)
If you like baseball, and don’t mind gale-force laughter and possible attendant involuntary release of urine, I recommend it wholeheartedly.
/inappropriate
On this blog probably not. On most blogs I would guess so.
I think I have only read a couple of sports books that left any sort of memory.
“Friday Night Lights” has been read by most but if you’ve only watched the movie or the TV show, you are really missing out. The book is much better even if it was written by a Anti-blog Nazi.
I also have read a couple of Walter Payton biographies. As a life long Bears fan I can’t get enough of Sweetness. I’d suggest reading “Never Die Easy”, it’s a very good read that covers child hood all the way to his death bed.
even if it was written by a Anti-blog Nazi.
Bill Conlin from the Philadelphia Daily News takes that idea to a whole new level…
“The only positive thing I can think of about Hitler’s time on earth-I’m sure he would have eliminated all bloggers.”
While it’s not a classic or anything, “The Education of a Coach” was a real interesting read (and fast) read, because 1. lots of anecdotes about Bill Parcells, his dad Steve and other figures in coaching, and 2. it was written before any of the Spygate junk happened.
Staying on Halberstam, you really can’t go wrong with “The Best American Sportswriting of the Century”, of which he was the main editor. Tons of fantastic stuff written as or immediately after events occured, providing a great perspective on things that happened long before the Interthing was ever a twinkle in Al Gore’s eye.
I definitely have to pick up that Vikings book, it looks great.
Bigger Sports story today:
US Open(Tiger’s 2 over after 2 holes)
Or
Milton Bradley trying to decapitate a Broadcaster after a game?
Once again I am forced to wholeheartedly agree with Stu, this time about “The Bronx Zoo”. “Ball Four” by Jim Bouton was another paperback that was read and reread in my youth.
The best basketball book I’ve ever read was “Loose Balls”, an oral history of the ABA (I think I’ve mentioned this before). I also really liked Bob Ryan and Terry Pluto’s “Forty-Eight Minutes”, about one game in the 90’s NBA.
John Feinstein is somewhat overrated, but “Next Man Up” about Brian Billick and a lousy Baltimore Ravens team is pretty good stuff.
Finally, Sleeper Cars… by Elden Auker is a neat look at really old-time baseball.
Has anyone read Paul Shirley’s book? Seems like it would be entertaining.
I read “The Sweet Season” about SJU a few years back. That was before Linnemann’s RandBites fame (or infamy), but I really enjoyed it.
The Brothers K was an excellent book. Interesting look at the family perspective of a fictional “career minor-league” type.
RE: Milton Bradley. Let it be noted that he went after Ryan leh-FEE-ber
Other than a humorous account of why one Minnesota Vikings fan hates every team in the NFL, this is the best sports book i have ever read.
I find it tough to top David Halberstam’s writings. From his book on Michael Jordan to his books on baseball in the 40’s and 50’s (Summer of ‘49 and others). Even his book on Bill Belichick is really fascinating. He does a great job of showing the single-mindedness of Belichick in a way that you can only see parts of if you just watch him on the field.
I really recommend his baseball books though, if you don’t want to read more about the Pats.
Linnemann’s RandBites fame (or infamy)
There has to be a third option.
Malaise?
Sweet Season is really funny and well-done. … Ball Four is outstanding. … Seasons in Hell (which it appears you can mostly read at the following link, is outstanding.
http://books.google.com/books?id=AIyybxmk8IsC&dq=seasons+in+hell&pg=PP1&ots=-0JFUwPNlH&sig=c-bmK0hc8NyMjuQhqyEUlFGqMHU&hl=en&prev=http://www.google.com/search%3Fq%3Dseasons%2Bin%2Bhell%26ie%3Dutf-8%26oe%3Dutf-8%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26client%3Dfirefox-a&sa=X&oi=print&ct=title&cad=one-book-with-thumbnail#PPA17,M1
So, I’m eating my lunch and scrolling through the comments, and Stu is at the bottom of the screen saying
Stu says:
June 12th, 2008 at 11:34 am
Linnemann’s RandBites fame (or infamy)
There has to be a third option.
and OUT LOUD I say to myself “malaise” and then I read the next comment. Yikes!
Matt
It’s just scary isn’t it?
