Joe Posnanski's new book, "The Machine" might be the best baseball book of the year. Like the author, I grew up idolizing the Big Red Machine as a youngster. As a nine year old, I remember listening to Marty and Joe call the Reds games on WLW nearly every night from my small southern Indiana town. The team was unbelievable and Posnanski's book captures the excitement of the Reds 1975 championship quest. It is clear that the author used in-depth interviews with many member of the Machine. He gives the reader fascinating insights into the lives of Sparky Anderson, Joe Morgan, Johnny Bench, Tony Perez, and Pete Rose at the height of their professional success. I found Sparky Anderson's class system interesting - his stars (Bench, Rose, Morgan, and Perez) had their own set of clubhouse and training rules. The rest of the players, who Sparky called his turds, answered to another set of rules (Anderson's) while all the time trying to claw their way into Anderson's favored elite class. The system worked because the four Reds superstars would not allow anyone, including themselves, an overly inflated ego. Pranks, jokes, and razzing kept the Reds a loose bunch of superstars. No one's ego got too carried away.
Posnanski correctly describes the team's slow start in '75 and the desperate lineup adjustment by Anderson - moving Rose from left field to third base, thus free up LF for a young, blossoming George Foster - that sparked the Reds amazing summer run. There has been no team as talented or good as the Reds since 1975 and Posnanski does a masterful job telling the entire season's story. Including a great job describing the infamous '75 World Series. Others may criticize his writing style as too simplistic, but from my perspective, the book reads as smoothly as any baseball book I have ever read. I could not put it down.
Finally, perhaps the most interesting part of the book is Posnanski's insights and discussions with Pete Rose. We all know about Pete's troubled past: the gambling on baseball, the lies, the tax evasion, the time in federal prison. I struggle with my feeling about Rose. One day I hate him for what he has turned into. Other days, (and as I read this book) I remember what an incredible ball player he was. Rose is truly a bigger than life character, possibly the most competitive person to ever play the game. Pete Rose is truly an American tragedy, but Posnanski allowed me to once again see Rose through the eyes of an unspoiled, awe-struck, nine year old. Pete Rose will always be one of the heroes of my youth. Thanks Joe for a great book.
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