The Riffs's Summer Reading List

Summer's always a great reading season-whether it's at the beach...or if it's assigned school reading.  The Riff  has a great collection, but surprisingly sports books are in the vast minority.  I did spend a fair amount of time reading sports books and almanacs when I was much younger; ironically,as I have grown older, I haven't read that many sorts books.  But I have read enough that I have a good quality of suggestions that I think you will enjoy:

1. Ball Four-Jim Bouton.  I have read this book perhaps more times than any book I own.  Published in 1970, this tell-all was way ahead of its time in content and subject matter.  God forbid anyone would tell the world how Mickey Mantle drank and drank.  But we also saw sides of baseball players we never ever imagined.  Greenies...imagine how "innocent" that was compared to steroids.  Still a must read nearly 40 years later.

2. Summer of 1949-David Halberstam.  I was so sad when Halberstam tragically was killed in a car accident.  His sports books were awesome-and he was never really considered a sports writer per say.  But this book put you in the heart of a pennant race between two hated rivals-The Yankees and the Red Sox.  All of the back stories of baseball's legends was really the bonus for me.  If you like baseball history, this is your book.

3. Summer of 1964-David Halberstam.  If you didn't get enough of 1949,"1964" covered a tale of two World Series opponents-the Yankees and Cardinals.  Remember this was the year the Phillies tanked down the stretch.  But the Cardinals were interesting team in their own right-especially as the racial makeup of baseball was changing as our country was.  As for the Yankees, this was a dying team on its last legs.  More back stories and history make this another must read by Halberstam.

4. The Greatest Game Ever Played- Mark Bowden.  Yes, football season doesn't start for a while.  But for great sports reading...and a quick one at that...this one tells a story of an NFL still in the dark ages.  But in December 1958, the NFL Championship game between Baltimore and the NY Giants changed all of that.  Again, if you like sports history,you'll really enjoy this book.

5. Clemente-  David Maraniss.   I don't do biographies all that often, but Maraniss really hit the spot on this one.  Clemente as not only a Latino hero, but a sports hero in general really gives one an appreciation as to how awesome he was.  Even more amazing was how much Clemente doubted himself.  Clemente's life ended early and tragically, but nevertheless,we will always be touched by his greatness.

6. The Professional- W.C. Heinz.  An awesome novel about a professional boxer by one of the best in the business.  Even more amazing, this book was written in 1959 and can still stand up to the best of them today.

Honorable mention:

-Moneyball.  A book that changed how baseball teams were run.

-Boys Of Summer-Roger Kahn.  I still after all of these have never read this book-but it is on my list of must reads!!

-Wrigleyworld-Kevin Kaduk.  A truly fun book about a writer spending a summer in Wrigleyville.

-Friday Night Lights.  I find the TV show the best of all, but it all started nearly 20 years ago with this classic.

What's really cool is that most of these books can be found in most major bookstores and in paperback!!  Have some fun this summer and try any of these.  Summer reading was meant to be fun.  And you can wow your friends with what was learned!!

Jp