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GREAT READING FOR ANY SEASON

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BALL FOUR: The Final Pitch / by Jim Bouton. 2000, Bulldog Publishing, 528 pages, cloth.

Jim Bouton's classic insider's diary was a huge bestseller when it debuted in 1970, and was later named as one of the "books of the century" by the New York Public Library. Easily one of the most entertaining baseball books ever written, detailing with great humor and insight the travails of the lowly Seattle Pilots during the franchise's only season, 1969, a year in which Bouton, formerly a power pitcher, staged a semi-successful comeback as a knuckler. This edition includes a 110-page epilogue detailing Bouton and his teammates' lives since the book debuted, as well as a photo section featuring all the Pilots and other characters from that year. Signed by the author during his appearance in St. Paul in April, 2004.

Item No. 01 $29.95
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FOUL BALL: My Life and Hard Times Trying to Save an Old Ballpark. 2003, Bulldog Publishing, 405 pages, cloth.

Following the same diary format that made Ball Four such a success, Bouton chronicles his efforts to save historic Wahconah Park in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, from the movers and shakers who wanted to erect a new stadium and tear the old place down—in spite of fierce public opposition. Just as he exposed the nasty underside of baseball in his earlier work, Foul Ball captures in microcosm the many battles that have been waged around the country in big league cities by fans determined to keep history alive in their communities. Winner of EFQ's Dave Moore Award for "the most important baseball book of 2003." Signed by Bouton at April, 2004 book event in St. Paul.

Item No. 02 $29.95
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The 521 All-Stars / Photographs by Byron Baldwin, text by Frye Gaillard. 1999, Black Belt Press, 126 pages, cloth.

Four years ago photographer Baldwin came upon the unpublicized world of black, semi-professional baseball while travelling through rural South Carolina. Fascinated by the strong sense of community he observed and the no-frills aspects of the leagues, he spent two seasons following a team based in Rembert, SC, photographing all aspects of the team at play. The result is a stunning, captivating tableau of baseball played for the love of the game, of baseball in hardscrabble towns where the luxury of manicured fields and comfortable dugouts is non-existent. Aided by Gaillard's clean, descriptive text, Baldwin's revealing black and white photos capture a part of baseball Americana that is a refreshing contrast to the billion dollar game that grabs the headlines.

Item No. 03 Sale Price $19.95 (Regularly $29.95)
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THE BEST OF THE SMALL PRESS

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The Celebrant / by Eric Rolfe Greenberg. 1992 (Originally published in 1983), Univ. of Nebraska Press, 272 pages, trade paperback.

A brilliantly captivating tale about the early days of twentieth century America and baseball's first authentic hero, Christy Mathewson, told through the eyes of Jackie Kapp, an aspiring ballplayer-turned jeweler fascinated with Matty and the New York Giants. Through a quirk of fate and good luck, Kapp¹s family is chosen to design the Giants early championship rings, and Jackie is eventually befriended by the great Mathewson. Using this unique fictional device, Greenberg recreates the famous events of the era, from the Merkle saga to the Black Sox scandal, in enchanting detail. If this isn¹t the best baseball novel ever written, it's definitely in the top five. A real treasure!

Item No. 04 $16.95
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Field of Schemes: How the Great Stadium Swindle Turns Public Money Into Private Profits / by Joanna Cagan and Neil deMause. 1998, Common Courage Press, 258 pages, cloth.

Item No. 05 Sale Price $16.95 (Regularly $22.95)
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If there has been one issue that has consistently drawn our ire within the pages of EFQ, it is the way that the billionaire major league owners have continually blackmailed municipalities for new stadiums that saddle communities with huge debts and often shut out the very fans who actually pay for the new parks. Finally, a book has captured all of the machinations, double-dealings, and political maneuverings that make these deals happen, in this well researched, thoroughly documented, and clearly written book by Cagan and deMause.

"The most important baseball book of 1998 isn't even about baseball. And that's a shame... Don't let the cutesy-clever title or the small trim size and modest page count fool you: this book is a heavyweight."
—Steve Lehman, EFQ 15:4

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BASEBALL CLASSICS

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1969 THE DAYS OF MR. McGRAW
by Joseph Durso. Prentice Hall, 243 pages, cloth.

"The wild, wacky, wooly era of John J. McGraw and his baseball Giants." Entertaining book by the long-time N.Y. sportswriter. Several vintage B&W photos. 2nd edition. Like new (from original publisher inventory).

Item No. 07 $20.00
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A treasure about the magnificent era of postwar baseball and the Brooklyn Dodgers. Book club edition. DJ VG-EX

Item No. 08 $10.00
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City Baseball Magic: Plain Talk and Uncommon Sense about Cities and Baseball Parks / by Philip Bess. 1999 (first published in 1989), Knothole Press, 64 pages, paperback.

Sixteen years ago, architect Philip Bess authored City Baseball Magic, a widely acclaimed monograph on modern ballparks and the relationship between ballpark design and city harmony. The booklet prominently featured Armour Field, an urban ballpark proposed for Chicago's south side. City Baseball Magic and Armour Field are especially relevant today, with municipalities routinely spending $300-500 million for "state of the art" ballparks that not only ignore the physical constraints inherent in a true urban ballpark, but also fail to bring fans closer to the action, the principal reason for attending a game in the first place.

Although ballparks were once truly urban places that united fans of all backgrounds and income levels as a community, they are less so today. This needn't be the end result. How do we reverse the trend? Read City Baseball Magic. Once you do, you¹ll never look at baseball stadiums the same way again.

"A well-thought-out proposal for a new park." —Roger Angell, The New Yorker

"Bess' thin but incisive...book...has become a cult classic among those who want to do more than just grumble about eating $5 tube steaks in the nosebleed sections of new $500 million "baseball entertainment complexes." [T]his year's 10th anniversary reprint...feels as fresh and relevant as ever." —Britt Robson, Utne Reader

Item No. 09 $8.95
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CALVINISMS: A One-Man Show / by Ken LaZebnik. 2000 Knothole Press, 32 pages, saddle-stitched. Includes author's notes.

Item No. 10 Price: $5.00
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Ken LaZebnik's delightful one-man show about longtime Twins' owner Calvin Griffith uses Griffith's own colorful language and malapropisms to offer a fascinating portrait of "baseball's last dinosaur" and a bygone era when families ran major league baseball teams. Calvinisms was first published in the 1991 anthology Basepaths: The Best of the MRB, but has never been available as a single-volume play until now.

"Even if you aren't a baseball fan, there is something in Griffith's struggle for survival and his battle with progress that should strike a sympathetic chord and give the play a dramatic resonance." —Peter Vaughan, Minneapolis Star Tribune

More than 80 of the very best pieces (including a selection of Andy Nelson's classic illustrations) from the first six years of the MRB (predecessor to EFQ) are featured in this anthology. All of the first 24 original MRB covers are reproduced on the colorful dust jacket as well. Only a small quantity of these gems remain. Out of print.

"Thank goodness The Minneapolis Review of Baseball came along when it did... and gave writers from the interior a place to put their thoughts about baseball. The best stuff from the magazine's first years is gathered in this book, and it speaks elegantly for itself, and is worth several readings."
—Garrison Keillor, from his foreword

Item No. 11 $35.00
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THE LAST .400 HITTER / by John B. Holway. 1991, 304 pages, cloth.

Item No. 12 $19.95
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Holway's passion for baseball's history is evident in this story about Ted Williams' amazing 1941 season, when the Splendid Splinter outhit Joe DiMaggio even while the Yankee great was in the midst of his incredible 56-game hitting streak. The author spent many hours with Williams, retrieving memories of that momentous season—from Ted's broken ankle in March to his triumphant finish in September. Holway also conducted extensive research into the newspaper files of the day, as well as interviews with nearly every living veteran from that season, to help re-create the mood surrounding events on and off the field during Ted's finest year in the game. With over 20 photos and illustrations. Out of print.

A tribute to the most talented team in the National Negro League during the 1930's. In this historical look at black baseball, Jim Bankes introduces the heart of the Crawford lineup: Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Cool Papa Bell, Oscar Charleston, Judy Johnson, as well as many others. We learn the rich and colorful history of the team and an era through the eyes of the men who performed during an uncertain time in baseball. Includes over 40 photos and illustrations. Out of print.

Item No. 13 $15.95
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CALVIN: Baseball's Last Dinosaur / by Jon Kerr. 1990, 206 pages, trade paperback.

Item No. 14 $12.95
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In this revealing biography on former Twins owner Calvin Griffith, one of the last men to preside over a family-owned team, you get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of a man fighting to save the tradition of the game he so dearly loves. Although he has never been the most articulate of men, you'll learn from Calvin the inside scoop on his beginnings with the Senators, the controversial move to Minnesota, BillyBall, BillyBrawl, the infamous Waseca speech, family squabbles, and the Dome. Out of print.

"... the saddest day in Minnesota sports was Sept. 7, 1984, when the Griffiths officially turned over their baseball franchise to a banker who didn't know Ty Cobb from corn on the cobb." —Pat Reusse, Minneapolis Star Tribune

This unusual and sometimes illuminating book sets out to tell the reality behind the myths that permeate baseball, seeking to put a human face on the players, whether villain, goat, or hero, whose lives became inextricably linked with the national pastime through fate and timing—or both. Sections includes "Branded by One Event" (such as Fred Merkle and Bill Buckner); The "Wrong Side of the Pitch" (e.g., Ralph Branca, Donnie Moore); "Abrupt and Final Endings" (e.g., Marty Bergen, Harry Agganis); and "Triumphs, Comebacks, and New Beginnings" (e.g., Smoky Joe Wood, Curt Flood, Tony Conigliaro). Of course, like many baseball books, this title might create just as many myths as it attempts to debunk. Out of print.

Item No. 15 $19.95
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THE GINGER KID: The Buck Weaver Story / by Irving M. Stein. 1992, 337 pages, cloth.

Item No. 16 $29.95
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Buck Weaver, called by Ty Cobb "the best third baseman I ever saw" (and included on Cobb's all-time team), was banned for life as one of the Black Sox in the 1919 World Series, even though many accounts suggest that Weaver's only "infraction" is that he was guilty of not being willing to rat out his teammates to penurious owner Charles Comiskey while the plot to throw the Series was unfolding. This is Weaver’s life story, including the events surrounding his expulsion from the game and his unrelenting attempts during his lifetime to have his name cleared. Out of print.

Renowned baseball author Donald Honig profiles his list of the 15 all-time backstops, incl. Josh Gibson, Bill Dickey, Mickey Cochrane, Yogi Berra, Roy Campanella, Johnny Bench, Carlton Fisk, Thurman Munson, and Gary Carter. Lots of historic and classic photos; each catcher's lifetime stats. Great beginning text for young baseball fans. First in a series. Out of print.

Item No. 17 $18.95 Sale Price $12.50
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THE GREATEST SHORTSTOPS OF ALL TIME / by Donald Honig. 1992, 130 pages, cloth.

Item No. 18 $15.95 Sale Price $9.95
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The second volume of Honig's "Best Players of All Time Series." Shortstops profiled include Honus Wagner, Joe Cronin, Luke Appling, Ernie Banks, Luis Aparicio, RobinYount, Ozzie Smith, and Cal Ripken Jr. Like the first volume above, full of historic and classic photos, stats. Another nice volume for young readers. Out of print.