"Nowadays, it’s difficult to think of baseball players without talk of steroids, performance enhancers, or at least strength training. More than a century ago, however, raw skill and equipment formed a power-packed duo that dictated a player’s success.
'Sweet Spot: 125 Years of Baseball and the Louisville Slugger' by David Magee and Philip Shirley is as much about the bat and the company as it is about the rise of the National Pastime and our great nation."
Read the rest of Slammin' Sam's return on Seamheads!
Thanks for stopping by Free Keon, and special thanks to Steve for keeping you company while I was away. See you next Thursday.
Sam Miller/Free Keon
Showing posts with label sports books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sports books. Show all posts
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Hammering Away with Henry
"For much of his life, Henry Aaron has felt marginalized. Hank Aaron arguably sits atop the baseball pyramid as its home run king. But what about Henry? Blessed with baseball talent that landed him among the best all-around players ever, Hank Aaron assumed a public persona. Meanwhile, “The Hammer” effectively subjugated his private side, Henry."
Read the rest of the Slammin' Sam take on "The Last Hero: A Life of Henry Aaron" on Seamheads!
Thanks for stopping by Free Keon.
Sam Miller/Free Keon
Read the rest of the Slammin' Sam take on "The Last Hero: A Life of Henry Aaron" on Seamheads!
Thanks for stopping by Free Keon.
Sam Miller/Free Keon
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
It’s All Here in “The Only Game”
You can't beat the ageless sports writing of The New Yorker. Read the Slammin' Sam on Sports Media take courtesy of Seamheads.com. Thanks for reading, and we'll see you Thursday for Links!
“An afternoon in mid-May, and we are waiting for the game to begin. We are in the shadow, and the sunlit field before us is a thick, springy green—an old diamond, beautifully kept up,” Roger Angell pens in the opening to his essay “The Web of the Game.” (3, Only)
Angell’s piece sets the tone for “The Only Game in Town,” a nostalgic collection of The New Yorker writings, which includes several baseball reflections. But before you settle into your easy chair, be warned that the book is not a pitch out around the game’s improprieties. Oh no, writes Ring Lardner in “Br’er Rabbit Ball.”
Sam Miller/Free Keon
“An afternoon in mid-May, and we are waiting for the game to begin. We are in the shadow, and the sunlit field before us is a thick, springy green—an old diamond, beautifully kept up,” Roger Angell pens in the opening to his essay “The Web of the Game.” (3, Only)
Angell’s piece sets the tone for “The Only Game in Town,” a nostalgic collection of The New Yorker writings, which includes several baseball reflections. But before you settle into your easy chair, be warned that the book is not a pitch out around the game’s improprieties. Oh no, writes Ring Lardner in “Br’er Rabbit Ball.”
Sam Miller/Free Keon
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Dousing the Flames
Here's my latest post from Seamheads.com... Thanks for reading and watch out for Slammin' Sam on Sports Media Links on Thursday!
My, have the one-time accessories known as pitchers evolved. You see, when baseball began, pitchers served as a launching pad for batters’ rockets. Standing 50 feet from their counterpart, only a few moments snuck by before their rockets went up, up and away on contact.
As recently as 1980, relievers milled around in the shadows. “Relievers were like utility players who weren’t good enough to start,” seven-time All-Star and three-time Rolaids Relief Award winner Lee Smith says of his big-league beginnings in 1980 (vii, Fireman). Try to catch up with a 103 m.p.h. Joel Zumaya pitch in the present. The question is, how did we get here? Fran Zimniuch examines in “Fireman.”
Sam Miller/Free Keon
My, have the one-time accessories known as pitchers evolved. You see, when baseball began, pitchers served as a launching pad for batters’ rockets. Standing 50 feet from their counterpart, only a few moments snuck by before their rockets went up, up and away on contact.
As recently as 1980, relievers milled around in the shadows. “Relievers were like utility players who weren’t good enough to start,” seven-time All-Star and three-time Rolaids Relief Award winner Lee Smith says of his big-league beginnings in 1980 (vii, Fireman). Try to catch up with a 103 m.p.h. Joel Zumaya pitch in the present. The question is, how did we get here? Fran Zimniuch examines in “Fireman.”
Sam Miller/Free Keon
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Things People Do in the Name of Competition
Slammin' Sam on Sports Media
In “Field of Dreams”, Shoeless Joe Jackson comes out of a cornfield and can’t believe where he ended up. “Hey, is this heaven?” he asks in awe and wonder. If a baseball field in Iowa is as close as it gets to the great beyond, what’s the alternative? Leave it to Rick Reilly to answer that question in his new book, “Sports from Hell: My Search for the World’s Dumbest Competition.”
In “Field of Dreams”, Shoeless Joe Jackson comes out of a cornfield and can’t believe where he ended up. “Hey, is this heaven?” he asks in awe and wonder. If a baseball field in Iowa is as close as it gets to the great beyond, what’s the alternative? Leave it to Rick Reilly to answer that question in his new book, “Sports from Hell: My Search for the World’s Dumbest Competition.”
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Once Considered Jewels, Baseball Cards Have Lost Luster
Hey Free Keon and Slammin' Sam on Sports Media Readers!
Allow me to preview my latest Seamheads.com post. This book made me put off Rick Reilly's sure-fire hit, "Sports from Hell" off till next week if that tells you anything. Enjoy!
Remember the days when “gem” referred to the rock on a lady’s finger or to a pitcher’s performance? Remember the days when you’d scrounge up three or four dollars for a pack of cards, hoping that you’d find that 1:150 insert? Today we journey back to yesteryear with Dave Jamieson’s “Mint Condition: How Baseball Cards Became an American Obsession.”
Slammin' Sam on Sports Media Links returns on Thursday.
Sam Miller/Free Keon
Allow me to preview my latest Seamheads.com post. This book made me put off Rick Reilly's sure-fire hit, "Sports from Hell" off till next week if that tells you anything. Enjoy!
Remember the days when “gem” referred to the rock on a lady’s finger or to a pitcher’s performance? Remember the days when you’d scrounge up three or four dollars for a pack of cards, hoping that you’d find that 1:150 insert? Today we journey back to yesteryear with Dave Jamieson’s “Mint Condition: How Baseball Cards Became an American Obsession.”
Slammin' Sam on Sports Media Links returns on Thursday.
Sam Miller/Free Keon
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Sounding Off on Mike and Mike
Slammin' Sam on Sports Media
Ahh… Nothing like a cup of coffee, the newspaper, and perhaps a morning show to start the day. In college, I used Mike and Mike in the Morning to jumpstart my day. I love the fact that the two of them come off average enough to be your buddy down the street.
At the same time, you know the two everymen have a firm grasp on what they’re talking about. The question is, does what you hear on the radio/TV carry over into print form? Today, we’re talking about Mike and Mike’s Rules for Sports and Life.
Here’s what you should know about the book:
1. True or false: One reason we enjoy broadcasts is that they are a break from reading.
I vote true. I’m not suggesting that we should be lazy and not read. After all, that’s one of the foundations of this blog. What I am saying is a good broadcast should put you in the middle of the action. When I watch Mike and Mike, it’s as if I were nodding or arguing with them. That’s not how I felt when I read the book. It was a lifeless script with no one to give it breath. The book is divided into four “hours” plus overtime, but it could take days to plow through.
2. Greeny and Golic do offer some interesting perspectives, as always.
For instance: Rule 1.26 states “Get rid of the Fourth of July.” Golic wastes no time stating, “I can tell you already that I’m going to veto this one.” Greeny’s defense – “I’ve looked into this, and in 1776, the Fourth of July – the actual date – fell on a Thursday.” Celebrating Independence Day, as opposed to July 4 would simplify the calendar and the holiday work week, the hosts decide (Mike, 26).
How about Rule 3.49? “Fans are crazy because people are crazy.”
Golic introduces this one with a story about attending a Holy War football game. Recall, Golic played eight years in the NFL. Clearly, he earned the right to cheer however he wanted to cheer. Or maybe not. “I was sitting on the very end of a row, and the disruptions were constant,” Golic says. “With the BC quarterback calling the signals on a key third-and-short play, I heard, Dude, get up. You’ve got to be kidding me. At one point, I looked around, stunned by what was going on. Everybody just glared back at me like I was the problem. Then a guy who had gotten up at least eight times already starts walking down the row again. I don’t say a word to him. I just give him the death stare.” (98-101)
Check out Rule 4.71 – Elect current players into the Hall.
Greeny starts, “Each sport’s Hall of Fame is nothing more than a museum. Do you think the Louvre and the Met had to wait five years after Picasso died before they could hang his stuff? Was Joe Montana a tough call in 1989? Or Magic Johnson? Why the holdup, exactly?” (171)
3. Getting back to those guys that I previously mentioned, Rule 3.50 reads, “Never forget where you came from.”
Greeny and Golic project themselves to be the same guys they were when they started the show 10 years ago: The “On Air” light flashed, and I just felt like making fun of this [Golic.] I’m thinking that if I do it, one of two things will happen. Either he’ll laugh and the next two days will be fun, or he’ll rear back and punch me in the face, Greeny shares. (150) Maintaining long-term relationships is something we should all strive for, even as we reach for success.
Before you go thinking these guys are all laughs and giggles, realize in 2002, Major League Baseball took Greeny seriously. Despite Golic’s overwhelming doubts, the powers that be took Greeny’s suggestion and made the All-Star Game determine home-field advantage in the World Series (7). Who’s laughing now?
In closing, Mike and Mike have their moments in this brand new book. But if you want to see a better example of a media crossover, check out Bill Simmons’ Book of Basketball instead. Leave Mike and Mike to the airwaves.
Sam Miller/Free Keon
Ahh… Nothing like a cup of coffee, the newspaper, and perhaps a morning show to start the day. In college, I used Mike and Mike in the Morning to jumpstart my day. I love the fact that the two of them come off average enough to be your buddy down the street.
At the same time, you know the two everymen have a firm grasp on what they’re talking about. The question is, does what you hear on the radio/TV carry over into print form? Today, we’re talking about Mike and Mike’s Rules for Sports and Life.
Here’s what you should know about the book:
1. True or false: One reason we enjoy broadcasts is that they are a break from reading.
I vote true. I’m not suggesting that we should be lazy and not read. After all, that’s one of the foundations of this blog. What I am saying is a good broadcast should put you in the middle of the action. When I watch Mike and Mike, it’s as if I were nodding or arguing with them. That’s not how I felt when I read the book. It was a lifeless script with no one to give it breath. The book is divided into four “hours” plus overtime, but it could take days to plow through.
2. Greeny and Golic do offer some interesting perspectives, as always.
For instance: Rule 1.26 states “Get rid of the Fourth of July.” Golic wastes no time stating, “I can tell you already that I’m going to veto this one.” Greeny’s defense – “I’ve looked into this, and in 1776, the Fourth of July – the actual date – fell on a Thursday.” Celebrating Independence Day, as opposed to July 4 would simplify the calendar and the holiday work week, the hosts decide (Mike, 26).
How about Rule 3.49? “Fans are crazy because people are crazy.”
Golic introduces this one with a story about attending a Holy War football game. Recall, Golic played eight years in the NFL. Clearly, he earned the right to cheer however he wanted to cheer. Or maybe not. “I was sitting on the very end of a row, and the disruptions were constant,” Golic says. “With the BC quarterback calling the signals on a key third-and-short play, I heard, Dude, get up. You’ve got to be kidding me. At one point, I looked around, stunned by what was going on. Everybody just glared back at me like I was the problem. Then a guy who had gotten up at least eight times already starts walking down the row again. I don’t say a word to him. I just give him the death stare.” (98-101)
Check out Rule 4.71 – Elect current players into the Hall.
Greeny starts, “Each sport’s Hall of Fame is nothing more than a museum. Do you think the Louvre and the Met had to wait five years after Picasso died before they could hang his stuff? Was Joe Montana a tough call in 1989? Or Magic Johnson? Why the holdup, exactly?” (171)
3. Getting back to those guys that I previously mentioned, Rule 3.50 reads, “Never forget where you came from.”
Greeny and Golic project themselves to be the same guys they were when they started the show 10 years ago: The “On Air” light flashed, and I just felt like making fun of this [Golic.] I’m thinking that if I do it, one of two things will happen. Either he’ll laugh and the next two days will be fun, or he’ll rear back and punch me in the face, Greeny shares. (150) Maintaining long-term relationships is something we should all strive for, even as we reach for success.
Before you go thinking these guys are all laughs and giggles, realize in 2002, Major League Baseball took Greeny seriously. Despite Golic’s overwhelming doubts, the powers that be took Greeny’s suggestion and made the All-Star Game determine home-field advantage in the World Series (7). Who’s laughing now?
In closing, Mike and Mike have their moments in this brand new book. But if you want to see a better example of a media crossover, check out Bill Simmons’ Book of Basketball instead. Leave Mike and Mike to the airwaves.
Sam Miller/Free Keon
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Psst – Wanna know a secret?
Hello Free Keon and Slammin' Sam on Sports Media Readers!
I have an exciting announcement. Thanks to Mike Lynch at Seamheads.com, I've joined forces with the baseball enthusiasts there, starting today. In addition to Seamheads blogging, I will continue my contributions to Free Keon. Keep clicking here for Slammin' Sam's Links and non-baseball coverage. Thanks for your support!
Here's a preview of my Seamheads debut:
Psst – Wanna know a secret? A lot of your heroes weren’t the men you thought they were. The reality of the game they played differs from your ideal picture too. OK, I guess that’s not really a surprise. But more often than not, histories paint romantic pictures of yesterday’s stars. Perhaps some childhood mischief or an 0-4 day snuck into the story. Rarely is there reason to worry about anything that would besmirch your favorite hitter or pitcher in most retrospectives. Zev Chafets’ “Cooperstown Confidential” is a delightful dastardly exception.
Sam Miller/Free Keon
I have an exciting announcement. Thanks to Mike Lynch at Seamheads.com, I've joined forces with the baseball enthusiasts there, starting today. In addition to Seamheads blogging, I will continue my contributions to Free Keon. Keep clicking here for Slammin' Sam's Links and non-baseball coverage. Thanks for your support!
Here's a preview of my Seamheads debut:
Psst – Wanna know a secret? A lot of your heroes weren’t the men you thought they were. The reality of the game they played differs from your ideal picture too. OK, I guess that’s not really a surprise. But more often than not, histories paint romantic pictures of yesterday’s stars. Perhaps some childhood mischief or an 0-4 day snuck into the story. Rarely is there reason to worry about anything that would besmirch your favorite hitter or pitcher in most retrospectives. Zev Chafets’ “Cooperstown Confidential” is a delightful dastardly exception.
Sam Miller/Free Keon
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Check It "Outta Here"
Slammin’ Sam on Sports Media
Exactly one year ago today, Philadelphia Phillies Hall of Fame broadcaster and the voice of NFL Films Harry Kalas died of heart disease. Here’s why you should read “Harry the K” by Randy Miller.
Exactly one year ago today, Philadelphia Phillies Hall of Fame broadcaster and the voice of NFL Films Harry Kalas died of heart disease. Here’s why you should read “Harry the K” by Randy Miller.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Back in Radbourn's Day, Backing Down was Out of the Question
Slammin' Sam on Sports Media
Now batting for Slammin’ Sam on Sports Media, “Fifty-Nine in ’84.”
Here’s why you should read Edward Achorn’s book at the dawn of the baseball season:
Now batting for Slammin’ Sam on Sports Media, “Fifty-Nine in ’84.”
Here’s why you should read Edward Achorn’s book at the dawn of the baseball season:
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Do You Know the Code?
Slammin' Sam on Sports Media
Calling all Baseball Fans, calling all Baseball Fans,
With the MLB season less than a week away, it’s time to get down to the nitty gritty at Slammin’ Sam on Sports Media.
Have you ever found yourself watching a baseball game and wondering why a player stole a base during a blowout? Or maybe you watched your favorite hitter at the plate and salivated at his 3-0 count? Those are the kind of questions we ponder this week while reading Jason Turbow and Michael Duca’s new book, “The Baseball Codes.”
Calling all Baseball Fans, calling all Baseball Fans,
With the MLB season less than a week away, it’s time to get down to the nitty gritty at Slammin’ Sam on Sports Media.
Have you ever found yourself watching a baseball game and wondering why a player stole a base during a blowout? Or maybe you watched your favorite hitter at the plate and salivated at his 3-0 count? Those are the kind of questions we ponder this week while reading Jason Turbow and Michael Duca’s new book, “The Baseball Codes.”
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Make a (Baseball) List and Check it Twice
Slammin' Sam on Sports Media
Isn’t it a great time of year when exhilaration for two sports nears its simultaneous zenith? Yep, here we are again. The NCAA tourney extended an invitation to several Cinderellas for the Sweet 16, while baseball fans are welcome to delude themselves with fairytale endings for 30 darlings.
Today, Slammin’ Sam on Sports Media stops (or at least puts a pause on) the Madness and shifts to baseball.
In 2008, Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman developed an unlikely friendship in “The Bucket List.” As two men stared the end of their lives in the face, they arrived at the same realization. All of us want to look back on our lives with no regrets. Knowing you enjoyed some adventure is important as well.
If you enjoyed the movie, or if those ideas resonate with you, now’s the time to start planning your list. Fortunately “The Baseball Fan’s Bucket List” contains a full season’s worth of suggestions.
Isn’t it a great time of year when exhilaration for two sports nears its simultaneous zenith? Yep, here we are again. The NCAA tourney extended an invitation to several Cinderellas for the Sweet 16, while baseball fans are welcome to delude themselves with fairytale endings for 30 darlings.
Today, Slammin’ Sam on Sports Media stops (or at least puts a pause on) the Madness and shifts to baseball.
In 2008, Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman developed an unlikely friendship in “The Bucket List.” As two men stared the end of their lives in the face, they arrived at the same realization. All of us want to look back on our lives with no regrets. Knowing you enjoyed some adventure is important as well.
If you enjoyed the movie, or if those ideas resonate with you, now’s the time to start planning your list. Fortunately “The Baseball Fan’s Bucket List” contains a full season’s worth of suggestions.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Dan Jenkins on The Masters, Tiger and More
Slammin' Sam on Sports Media
We’ve been hearing escalating rumors for the past couple weeks. Now we know the truth. Tiger will be in the hunt for The Masters. What better day to review a golf book? “Jenkins at the Majors” is a collection of stories by one of the sport’s great chroniclers, Dan Jenkins.
We’ve been hearing escalating rumors for the past couple weeks. Now we know the truth. Tiger will be in the hunt for The Masters. What better day to review a golf book? “Jenkins at the Majors” is a collection of stories by one of the sport’s great chroniclers, Dan Jenkins.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Nick Schuyler: Not Without Hope
Slammin Sam on Sports Media
“We almost sold out of that yesterday,” said one Barnes and Noble employee. That sure caught my attention. Let me tell you why “Not Without Hope” is flying off the shelves and sits No. 1 in its category.
“We almost sold out of that yesterday,” said one Barnes and Noble employee. That sure caught my attention. Let me tell you why “Not Without Hope” is flying off the shelves and sits No. 1 in its category.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Lazenby Comes up Clutch with Jerry West
Slammin' Sam on Sports Media
Jerry West is the epitome of the NBA. (You can change the tense of that statement if deemed necessary.) His silhouette remains the NBA logo – sewn, printed and emblazoned on every piece of official merchandise – but why West?
Jerry West is the epitome of the NBA. (You can change the tense of that statement if deemed necessary.) His silhouette remains the NBA logo – sewn, printed and emblazoned on every piece of official merchandise – but why West?
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