Baseball Anecdotes RI [Paperback]

Daniel Okrent (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 17, 1993

A lavish feast of baseball facts and legends from the earlier organized games through the present day.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"This history of baseball in anecdotal form contains many familiar stories, but many more that will be new to fans," wrote PW. "The book is fun to read, especially when consumed piecemeal."
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

YA-- A chronologically arranged, entertaining collection of colorful anecdotes. The book begins by debunking the theory that Abner Doubleday "invented" baseball and espouses the evolution rather than creation theory of the origins of baseball. The first game of something called Base Ball was played on June 19, 1846, and this book begins with an account of that game and carries baseball through the World Series of 1986. Although most anecdotes concern colorful characters, there are also entries with titles such as "The Rabbit Ball," "1920s Players," and "The Move West." An index makes this collection suitable for light research, but its real value will be as enjoyable reading or browsing. Baseball lovers of all ages will relish this book.
- Patricia Lilly, Holub Middle School, Alief, TX
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (February 17, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062732064
• ISBN-13: 978-0062732064
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,444,121 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Semi-Interesting Anecdotes, Not-So-Crisply Told, November 24, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Baseball Anecdotes RI (Paperback)

This is not a bad book: It's just very sluggisly paced without much style. In the hands of real sportswriters it could have been a gas. The authors are far too reverential: Cooperstown to them is some kind of holy shrine, and anyone with even a smidgen of skepticism is an Unbeliever. Hey, it's already late 1998. Why write like it's 1958?

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice Anecdotes, November 12, 2008

By 

K.A.Goldberg (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Baseball Anecdotes (Hardcover)

Daniel Okrent and Steve Wulf have compiled over 300 pages of major league anecdotes and trivia, dating from pre-Civil War to the modern era. The authors begin with Alexander Cartright and Abner DoubleDay, and just keep on going. There's a lot here in these readable pages, from personalities like Cap Anson, Babe Ruth, Cy Young, Willie Mays, Pete Rose, etc., to some of the more more successful and more colorful teams, key World Series', etc. The book covers each era, from the post-civil war teams of the later 1800's, to the dead ball era, the roaring 1920's, the Depression and War years, postwar baseball, expansion, etc. Hard core fans will recognize many of the anecdotes, but there's so many here that some are bound to be new. Actually, I wish the authors had included more pages of information, but this still makes good reading for baseball fans.

Thinking fans should also read Okrent's NINE INNINGS, a dated but superb look at baseball and baseball strategy.

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun stories from the national pastime, November 29, 2001

By 

Bruce Allen - See all my reviews

This review is from: Baseball Anecdotes (Hardcover)

Here is a treasury of great stories from the game of baseball. Collected and ordered from the 1800's down to today. You see some of the great characters from the game, and a look back to simpler times. Some very amusing stories are sure to keep you interested.