* Review: Rob Neyer’s Big Book of Baseball Legends
2 07 2008From Bleacherreport.com.
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From Bleacherreport.com.
An “annotated” list of several general sports titles from ESPN’s D.J. Gallo includes baseball books such as:
The Pastime.net reports the daily happenings at the 38th SABR convention, now wrapping up in Cleveland.
Last week the SI MLB player poll asked about the most overrated athlete. This week, it’s the most underrated.
Rays’ DH Cliff Floyd opens up a bit about his new team.
Michael Farber profiles Marlin’s slugger Dan Uggla.
Whither C.C. Sabathia? Yankees or not Yankees?
Maybe I’m getting old, but I remember when playing Milton Bradley used to be fun.
Former minor league player and coauthor with his father of The Harvard Boys. From the Bristol Herald Courier.
Has it really been 20 years? ESPNthemag.com has a five-part retrospective, featuring interviews with director Ron Shelton and actors Tim Robbins and Kevin Costner.

Odd that anyone would want to be associated playing a role in the steroids era, but according to the piece,
What you may not recall, though, was Canseco and McGwire during their stay in Modesto. Canseco was here in 1984, McGwire the final month of ‘84 and all of ‘85. They overlapped for only the end of ‘84 while the Motown A’s nailed down a California League title.
McGwire and Canseco were young, ambitious and would have done anything to make
a name for themselves in baseball. Sadly, we found out later how far they went.
Like if they had played their ball in another city, they wouldn’t have gotten involved with PEDs? Modesto is a hotbed of the steroids community? And after all is said and done, the best Tafoya can come up with is, “Did Modesto have a role in the steroids era? Possibly.”
And possibly not.
The American Film Institute released its list of the top ten films in ten categories.
Pride of the Yankees and Bull Durham came in third and fifth respectively in the Sports genre.
The list includes:
Talk amongst yourselves.
The AFI website has some nice links for the each film, including clips, stills and brief commentary:
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Richard Sandomir, the sports media columnist for The New York Times, wrote this piece about the new Joe Jackson museum opening in Greenville, SC.
“Admission is free but donations will be appreciated to augment the
meager, privately financed budget. Marcley says there are enough
Jackson fans to make this personal and passionate campaign succeed.”
Johnny Bench was published a book that seems to be a combination of memoir, and motivation/self-help.
According to this article in the Cincinnati Enquirer, Catch Every Ball: How to Handle Life’s Pitches (Orange Frazer Press) “looks at how diligence, dedication and perseverance describe a common trait of most professionals and high achievers: pluck.”
Pluck? That reminds me of that famous line from the first episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show in which Lou Grant (played by Edward Asner) tells a feisty Moore, “You’ve got spunk,” which she takes as a compliment until he snarls, “I hate spunk!”
I was at the first one, when it was presented in New York City several years ago and highly recommend a visit. If you can’t get to the Hall of Fame, this is the next best thing.
BOSTON—More than a game, baseball weaves together the many threads of American culture. With each new season, hopes and dreams are renewed as fans root for their favorite teams.And this summer, the Museum of Science gives fans another reason to cheer when it presents the last stop on the national tour of Baseball As America June 15 through September 1, 2008.
Organized by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Baseball As America is the first major exhibition to highlight the relationship between baseball and American culture. To augment the exhibit, the Museum of Science has created new exhibits and programs, offering visitors the chance to explore the science and technology behind the game.
With more than 500 artifacts on display, the exhibit is organized into thematic sections that allow visitors to experience and understand the role of baseball in American culture and history. Through the exploration of this broad range of themes—including immigration, nationalism, integration, technology, and popular culture—the exhibit reveals how the game has reflected and in many cases shaped American society.
“Along with offering visitors and fans the opportunity to experience Baseball’s rich history through amazing artifacts, the Museum is excited to showcase the role science plays in the game, and how technology has changed it through the decades—from improvements in equipment and field surfaces, to advances in sports medicine and the treatment of injuries,” says Ioannis (Yannis) Miaoulis, president and director of the Museum of Science. “Like any good teacher, we value the opportunity to present science and technology through topics visitors are truly passionate about. Since we live in the greatest baseball city in the world, there is no better place to showcase this special exhibit.”
Exclusive to the exhibit’s final run in Boston, the Museum’s Home Plate Baseball Lab will give visitors the chance to explore the science of baseball, such as the physics of a 95 mph pitch, the biology behind sports injuries, and the engineering concepts behind choosing the perfect bat. With supporting content provided by the Boston Red Sox, the Home Plate Baseball Lab features hands-on components like a baseball dissection exhibit and demonstrations in the Pitching Cage led by Museum educators.
Baseball As America features artifacts dating back more than 150 years ago to the game’s origins, including:
New to Boston - The Museum of Science has secured local memorabilia for the Boston run of the exhibit presented for the first time outside of Cooperstown including:
In addition to presenting the science behind the sport, the Museum will connect with baseball fans through a truly unique exhibit component. People from around the country who visit mos.org/baseball can submit videos or photographs of themselves telling their favorite baseball stories. These submissions will be featured online and on a monitor in the exhibit, joining videos that chronicle the personal stories of notable fans like Red Sox favorite Johnny Pesky, Senator Kennedy, Governor Deval Patrick, Boston Poet Laureate Sam Cornish, filmmaker Ken Burns, sportswriters Jackie MacMullan, Tony Massarotti, Dan Shaughnessey, broadcaster Robin Young, and many more.
To complement the exhibit’s run, the Museum of Science will also host several programs for all ages throughout the summer. Featuring topics such as the science of pitching, architectural designs of ball parks, and the latest statistical theory used to analyze player success and managerial decisions, these programs will include a variety of baseball insiders and experts—from Red Sox executives Bill James and Janet Marie Smith to broadcasters and former stars like Joe Castiglione and Bill Lee.
For more information, the public can call 617/723-2500, (TTY) 617/589-0417, or visit mos.org.
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Back to me:
The MOS Creativity and Collaboration Center hosts a Web site for those who wish to she their stories and, in effect, become part of the exhibition.
Do you have a story to share? Send us photos and videos that detail your most treasured baseball memories. Not only will they appear here, they will also be available for you to watch in the Baseball As America exhibit.
Johnny Pesky, Jackie MacMullan, Sen. Ted Kennedy, and others have already told us their stories — now we want yours.
To participate, visit www.mos.org/create/baseball.
Also, check out the Baseball as America Web site.
The Amazon Report on Hideki Matsui:
Godzilla Takes the Bronx: The Inside Story of Hideki Matsui
Hideki Matsui: Sportsmanship, Modesty, and the Art of the Home Run
It’s kind of interesting just reading the titles and how the book by the Asian author carries over the Japanese philosophy surrounding the game, while the American title seems more aggressive.
This Friday, June 13.
Please join us for a chance to win 2 free Cubs tickets, as well as meet author Lew Freedman of the highly acclaimed book, Then Ozzie Said to Harold: The Best Chicago White Sox Stories Ever Told. Tinley Park High School’s Baseball Team will conduct a treasure hunt in-store, as well as the team players hosting a baseball clinic for its supporters. Announcement of the Cubs’ tickets winners will be held at 6 p.m. Author signing by Lew Freedman will promptly follow at 7 p.m.
For more information, contact Elisabeth Eiermann, Community Relations Manager at 708-226-5773.
From the NY Daily News, this article about the demise of Paperbacks Plus, the last independent bookstore in the Bronx.
…every Yankee baseball player-cum-author has held a book signing at Paperbacks Plus, including Yogi Berra, Paul O’Neill and Derek Jeter.
“Every Yankee player who’s ever come through here has been super nice to everyone, especially the kids,” Jaffe recalled. “They made you proud.”
The author of The Bash Brothers: A Legacy Subpoenaed, gets the treatmen courtesy the Contra Costa Times.
Note to local readers: Tafoya will be signing copies of his new book at Borders in Pleasant Hill on Saturday, June 8.
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