The Greatest Baseball Stories Ever Told: Thirty Unforgettable Tales from the Diamond [Paperback]

Jeff Silverman (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Greatest | Publication Date: January 1, 2004

At a 1931 barnstorming exhibition game in Tennessee, a seventeen-year-old pitcher for the Chattanooga Lookouts struck out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig back to back. Her name was Jackie Mitchell--"organized baseball's first girl pitcher." On September 9, 1965, Sandy Koufax made baseball history by pitching his fourth perfect game. In July 1970, a stripper rushed onto the field at Riverfront Stadium to kiss Johnny Bench, temporarily disrupting a game attended by President Nixon and his family. These are just some of the great, quirky, and comic moments in the annals of baseball recorded in THE GREATEST BASEBALL STORIES EVER TOLD. Here also are profiles of such legendary figures as Joe DiMaggio, Pete Rose, and Yogi Berra, essays that explore the complexities and pleasures of the game, even an excerpt from the movie Bull Durham. This is the perfect book for anyone who has ever played so much as a game of catch.

Contributors include:

John Updike
Doris Kearns Goodwin
Abbott & Costello
Ring Lardner
Bill Barich
Zane Grey
David James Duncan
Al Stump
Pete Hamill
P.G. Wodehouse
Damon Runyan
Roy Blount, Jr.
Richard Ben Cramer
Gay Talese
A. Bartlett Giamatti
and many more

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Every once in a while, a book publisher comes up with a great concept for a series of books that deserve more than superficial recognition. Such a series is "The Greatest (fill in the blank) Stories Ever Told", anthologies that should win places on many bedside tables. On the long winter nights that lie ahead, such stories make great reading." --The Lexington County Chronicle

From the Back Cover

From the olden days of flannel uniforms and metal spikes to those of retractable-domed stadiums and nine-figure player salaries; from the golden era of Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb to that of present-day sluggers like Barry Bonds and Ken Griffey, Jr., perhaps no single athletic pursuit has managed to capture the imagination and devotion of the sporting public as much as the game of baseball. And it is no wonder that some of our finest writers have weighed in on this rich and fascinating subject.
In The Greatest Baseball Stories Ever Told, editor Jeff Silverman collects some of the best writings, both fact and realistic fiction, that reflect the resonant history, tradition, agony and ecstasy of what has been affectionately dubbed our national pastime.
With contributions from: John Updike, Gay Talese, Pete Hamill, Gary Smith, Roy Blount, Jr., Red Barber, Zane Grey, Vin Scully, Doris Kearns Goodwin, and many more.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Lyons Press; 1st edition (January 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592280838
• ISBN-13: 978-1592280834
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #36,094 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #59 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Baseball

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great read for baseball fans of all ages, February 23, 2005

By 

The Baseball Reader (North of Boston, MA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Greatest Baseball Stories Ever Told: Thirty Unforgettable Tales from the Diamond (Paperback)

This is a great book if your looking for some short stories (both true and fiction) about the great game of baseball. It is a great collection covering anything from Ripken's drive for the Ironman title, the summer of 98 and the home run kings, lesser known characters like Pistol Pete Reiser and what life was like after baseball for guys named Joe Dimaggio and Ty Cobb among others.

Highly Recommended

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Greatest Baseball Stories, January 10, 2012

By 

Betsy B. Ballard "STRAWBERRY BLONDIE" (NC, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Greatest Baseball Stories Ever Told: Thirty Unforgettable Tales from the Diamond (Paperback)

This was a Christmas gift for my husband who is a huge baseball fan. For this 71 year old man this book of great stories brings back memories of games that he's watched over the decades and he really has enjoyed the read.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative book - great for broad age range!, June 15, 2011

By 

Wendy S. Johnson (Lancaster, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Greatest Baseball Stories Ever Told: Thirty Unforgettable Tales from the Diamond (Paperback)

My 13 yr old nephew loved this book as a birthday gift. Lots of informative, interesting information for baseball nuts!