The Road to Omaha: Hits, Hopes, and History at the College World Series (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The list of collegiate baseball players who have roamed the fields of Omaha's Rosenblatt Stadium is impressive—from Dave Winfield to Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens to Barry Larkin. For those stars, and the thousands of other less-famous players who have traveled each summer to that friendly Midwestern city, the College World Series is more than what happens on the field, as McGee vividly illustrates. When college baseball's best players come to Omaha, it's a two-week party. So while McGee intricately relates the action on the field and the myriad personalities of the coaches and players—from the super stud and future millionaire to the son-of-a-dairy-farmer-turned-championship-hero—he doesn't stop there. In this entertaining read, McGee talks to the fans from Louisiana who travel across the country to tailgate and serve gumbo to all their new friends; the storekeeper who provides free beer for the hot Omaha summer; and the scorekeeper, the organist, the grounds crew and dozens of other people who put together the event that continues to make the CWS a popular destination. As one coach said after his team was heartbreakingly eliminated, even when you lose, this is still the greatest place on Earth. (May)
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From Booklist

McGee delivers an all-embracing profile of the College World Series and its historic setting, Omaha’s 60-year-old Rosenblatt Stadium, which, sadly, is scheduled for demolition after the 2010 season. Focusing on the 2008 series, won by upstart Fresno State University, McGee had exceptional access to coaches and players in covering every game played by the eight-team field, culminating in Fresno State’s best-of-three win over favored University of Georgia. He complements his play-by-play with a loving, if at times tedious, portrait of the principal players and coaches, fans—both locals and out-of-towners—and the “Blatt” and its colorful south-side locale, leaving readers a memento marking what is soon to be the end of an era. --Alan Moores

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books (May 12, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031255723X
• ISBN-13: 978-0312557232
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #267,741 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Book, May 14, 2009

By	BlueBeastBen "BBB" (New Orleans, LA) - See all my reviews

This was a great book, I read it in about two days. Ryan McGee beautifully describes an event that is somehow still so pure and innocent in the midst of all the scandal and trash in baseball. It is the dream of every college baseball player to make it, if only just once to the baseball paradise described in this book. I would have given this book five stars, BUT...it took me all of five pages to find an error. Mentioned in the prologue is LSU's Joe Cresse hitting a ball to left-center to win the 2000 CWS for the Tigers. It was BRAD Cresse, not Joe who hit the game winner. Other than that small error that probably only matters to me because I'm an LSU fan...this book was outstanding. Great Read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tales of the College World Series, August 22, 2009

By	David Pruette "Rancors Love to Read" (USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have never been to the College World Series and likely never will. I also normally do not have a true rooting interest in any of the teams. However, I do enjoy watching the games on television and I have always thought that Rosenblatt Stadium must be an extremely interesting place to watch a ballgame. Now Mr. McGee's book makes me feel that I really do know something about the place.

The book gives the reader an excellent feel for the eight teams that participated in 2008. We become familiar with many of the current players, plus we learn about the history of the teams that have a tradition of going to the CWS. The book is not a play-by-play account of the games from 2008, but it does cover the main events during the games. More importantly, it gives the reader some interesting insight into the managerial decisions that were made and a good look at the emotions of the players, win or lose.

The baseball in the book is good. However, I found the background information about Omaha, the World Series, the field, the activities of the citizens living near Rosenblatt, and the good spirits of the fans coming in from out of town to support their teams to be of particular interest. Where else can you learn of a street side game where you toss hot dogs into the road, put money into a hat, and then pass the hat to the other people playing with you so they can put their money in. Whoever is holding the hat when a car runs over one of the hot dogs wins the money. Then you do it all over again. What a great way to pass the time waiting for the start of the next ball game. The back is packed with tidbits of that nature that I found extremely interesting and great fun to read.

If you are a baseball fan and particularly a fan of the College World Series, you need to read The Road to Omaha.

5.0 out of 5 stars Thanks for the ride ..., November 3, 2009

By	Erik Arneson (North Carolina, USA) - See all my reviews

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Early in "The Road to Omaha," McGee introduces readers to the long-standing tradition of Omaha civic organizations acting as "hosts" for teams participating in the College World Series -- indivudals who as he puts it, "Once the Series began, anything a team desired -- Gatorade, donuts, dinner reservations, Band-Aids, whatever -- they only had to ask their designated hosts and it would materialize." Reading through this wonderful collection of stories, McGee serves as the readers "host." Once the book began, anything the reader desired -- familiar names, road trip ramblings, superstars, underdogs, local color, whatever -- they only had to ask and it would materialize.

What a fun read for any fan of baseball at any level, but a true treasure for anyone who at least partially defines their life by their exeperiences in and around the sport. My 11-year-old loves baseball of any kind, whether we cheer the local minor league teams, catch a college game or, on the rare occasion, step into a Major League stadium. And while we will never get to experience the wooden-framed ballpark known as Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium, "The Road to Omaha" gives us a wonderful glimpse. Thanks Ryan for the heart you put into this effort.