Play Ball: Biographies of Baseball Stars of the Past
Here we are again–Major League Baseball is back. While waiting to see which teams come out on top this year, read about famous players from past eras.
The Big Fella by Jane Leavy
In this biography, Leavy considers Babe Ruth's influence on popular culture, becoming the first professional athlete to become a celebrity.
Dinner with DiMaggio: Memories of an American Hero by Dr. Rock Positano and John Positano
Dr. Positano shares his memories of the friendship he shared with famed Yankee's star Joe DiMaggio.
Hank Greenberg: The Hero of Heroes by John Rosengren
Greenberg joined the Detroit Tigers in 1933 and became the first Jewish superstar in American'team sports. A great hitter, he joined the US Air Force at the height of his career and served overseas in the Pacific Theatre during WW2.
The Kid: The Immortal Life of Ted Williams by Ben Bradlee, Jr
Ted Williams played on the Boston Red Sox for nineteen years ending his career with a .344 batting average, 2654 hits and 521 home runs.
Satchel: The Life and Times of an American Legend by Larry Tye
Satchel Paige learned to pitch during a stint in reform school and became a star pitcher in the Negro Leagues. Initially bitter he was not selected to be the first Black player in major league baseball, he later realized that having to ease in by playing in the minor leagues would have been a blow to his ego. He signed his first major league contract on his 42nd birthday in 1948.
Ty Cobb: A Terrible Beauty by Charles Leerhsen
Cobb was known as "the meanest man in baseball". His legacy is that of a great player who was also aggressive, violent and racist on and off the field. In this biography, former Sports Illustrated editor Leerhsen investigates some of the accusations against Cobb to determine if the stories about him are true or created by another biographer to boost sales of his book.
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4 thoughts on “Play Ball: Biographies of Baseball Stars of the Past”
Thank you for your blog post, M. Elwood. There is an early Toronto connection to Babe Ruth’s professional career. On September 5, 1914, he hit his first professional home run playing for the Providence Grays in a two-game series against the Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League at Hanlan’s Point on the Toronto Islands. URL: http://localhost:5000/arts_culture/2018/09/remembering-babe-ruths-home-run-at-hanlans-point-september-5-snapshots-in-history.html
This is really fascinating. Thank you for sharing. I’ve added a link above.
Baseball has so many larger than life characters, I find myself drawn to the sport for the stories and history more than the game itself.
Excellent list. Sandy Koufax: A Lefty’s Legacy by Jane Leavy is also fantastic.
Great List – I’m going to check out the one on Satchel Paige.