book

1985: The Year the Tigers Became One

1985: The Year the Tigers Became One

No franchise should be proud of the fact that it has just one Japan Series championship in 69 years. And yet, you won’t find a baseball team prouder of its win than the Hanshin Tigers. But is that a testament to the lameness of the franchise, or is there more to it than that? The…

Enatsu: A Lefty’s Pride

Enatsu: A Lefty’s Pride

I will admit that this is probably the longest it’s taken me to read through a book from start to finish. But don’t let that lead you to believe that it was a boring or hard read. Far from it. In fact, as I have said on other occasions, legendary pitcher Yutaka Enatsu is among…

Book Review Incoming!

Book Review Incoming!

It has been a really busy last three months, and a long time since I have posted a book review of any sort! I have “been reading” a book by Yutaka Enatsu for ages… but it’s going to have to be put on hold even longer because this arrived in the mail yesterday: Yes! Randy Messenger…

You Need This Book – 2018 Version w/Contest!

You Need This Book – 2018 Version w/Contest!

You’ve probably already seen my promotion of this book from last year‘s edition. Well, despite the sudden, sad passing of Wayne Graczyk (compiler of the book for 40+ years), the annual guide continues to be published. And the 2018 edition looks great! Complete with team schedules, players’ vitals, stadium information, last season’s standings, playoff results,…

The Only Rule is it Has to Work

The Only Rule is it Has to Work

We all know that baseball is a pretty easy sport. I mean, come on… who couldn’t hit a 95 mph fastball, given enough chances? And of course, managing a team would be pretty fun and not too challenging, either. I’ve done it tons of times from my couch, as I watched poor decision making resulting…

Minoru Murayama: Fiery Ace

Minoru Murayama: Fiery Ace

It seems like every year in recent years, another player is putting out memoirs or thoughts about baseball and life with the Hanshin Tigers. Nothing wrong with that, if in fact they have something worth saying. But often times, these guys haven’t truly accomplished anything significant in their careers. This one is different, though. For…

Baseball Between the Numbers

Baseball Between the Numbers

Imagine if you could transport yourself back to 2005 and have all your baseball questions answered. That’s what this book is – a trip back in time giving you an insight into some of the earlier years of sabermetrics – at least in the eyes of the common man. (Sabermetrics have been around much longer…

Earl Weaver on Strategy

Earl Weaver on Strategy

Most of you are probably unaware of this, but I have started taking a course. I am studying with Sports Management Worldwide (SMWW), learning more about scouting and managing in baseball. The course is already almost half over, but the workload is only getting heavier. But who wouldn’t want to have a lot of baseball-related…