Full Count: Inside Cuban Baseball (Writing Baseball) (Hardcover)

~ Professor Milton H. Jamail Ph.D. (Author), Larry Dierker (Foreword)

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A definitive and loving account of baseball, its history, and the people who play it.”—Rod Beaton, USA Today

“Milton Jamail’s Full Count: Inside Cuban Baseball, the product of years of research and firsthand reporting, is easily the most exhaustive and detailed look at contemporary Cuban baseball. That isn’t surprising, since Jamail is arguably our country’s leading expert on the topic.”—Baseball America

“Nobody understands Cuba’s passion for béisbol better than Milton Jamail. Part travelogue, part investigative report, Full Count covers all the bases.”—Tim Wendel, author of Castro’s Curveball and contributing writer for USA Today Baseball Weekly

 

“Jamail’s book is all about baseball and all about the remarkable passion the game arouses in Cuba . . . offering a complete and, at times, devastating picture of the life of a Cuban baseball player.”—Business Week

 

“Jamail is that rare combination of passionate fan and studious scholar. His book draws on both rich historical sources and the “radio bemba,” the street gossip, to make it a scintillating, informative read.”—Nine: A Journal of Baseball History & Culture

 

“The story of Cuban baseball is both fascinating and important, and no one could tell it better than Milton Jamail. He is a complete professional with absolute integrity.”—Omar Minaya, Assistant General Manager, New York Mets

Product Description

In this picture of baseball in Cuba, Milton H. Jamail explores the sport's relationship to US baseball. He examines the roots and traditions of baseball on the island, explains why Cubans play such excellent baseball, and analyzes the development of Cuban baseball after the 1959 takeover.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Southern Illinois University Press; 1st edition (April 7, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0809323109
• ISBN-13: 978-0809323104
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #823,755 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Full Count: Inside Cuban Baseball, April 23, 2000

By	Andrew Daughan (Orono, Maine) - See all my reviews

Full Count is an easy to read documentary about baseball in Cuba. This book is especially topical because of both the recent influx of Cuban baseball players in the U.S. Major Leagues, as well as the Elian Gonzalez situation in Miami. Baseball in Cuba has always been of interest to fans in The United States, as many Cuban-born players such as Orlando and Livian Hernandez, Rey Ordonez, and others have enjoyed success in the major leagues. Many stories have been romanticized about how these Cuban stars have defected from their homeland to enjoy the freedoms of the United States. Full Count tells the truth of these stories, and also describes how these players have developed into Major League talent. A development system that is very reminiscent of Eastern European athletic programs in the height of the Cold War. Full Count is a good read for anyone who is interested in both baseball and the political situation in Cuba.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good as far as it goes, April 25, 2000

By A Customer

Jamail does a good job of sorting out the politics behind the Cuban baseball league and setting the record straight on the often distorted stories of Cuban defectors. But from a baseball fan's standpoint, there is little here that transmits what the presentday Cuban league actually feels like and looks like on the field of play. That book remains to be written and is sorely needed.