Product Description

At the beginning of the 1990s, a political columnist and Pulitzer Prize-winning commentator set out, in his words, to write an antiromantic book about a subject that had been romanticized in print for one hundred years. The subject was baseball, the columnist George Will, and the book Men at Work. His antiromantic love letter was warmly received by those who love baseball. Critics called it "an excellent book about excellence" (Barbara Grizzuti Harrison), "a classic [that] may even stand up as the best baseball book of the 1990s" (Jerome Holtzman), "a hit -- a triple off the center field wall" (Roger Angell), and by readers who kept it at the top of bestseller lists for more than five months.

He's back.

George Will returns to baseball with more than seventy finely honed pieces about the sometimes recondite, sometimes frustrating, always passionately felt National Pastime. Here are Will's eulogy for the late Curt Flood ("Dred Scott in Spikes"), Will on Ted Williams ("When Ted Williams retired in 1960, a sportswriter said that Boston knew how Britain felt when it lost India. Indeed. Britain felt diminished, but also a bit relieved"), and on his own baseball career ("I was a very late draft choice of the Mittendorf Funeral Home Panthers. Our color was black"). Here are subjects ranging from the author's 1977 purchase of a single share of stock in the Chicago Cubs, a purchase brokered by Warren Buffett ("a St. Louis Cardinal fan, but not otherwise sinister"), to the collision between Pete Rose and Bart Giamatti, to the building of Camden Yards in Baltimore, to the dismantling of the 1997 World Series Champion Florida Martins.

With new material, including an essay on the art of baseball broadcasting, featuring ESPN play-by-play man Jon Miller, and incorporating more than seventy photos, Bunts is certain to be for 1998 what Men at Work was for 1990 -- "inquisitive and extraordinarily nimble-minded ... this season's baseball book of choice" (The Wall Street Journal).Amazon.com Review
"Bunts," explains peripatetic political commentatorand baseball rhapsodist George Will, "are modest and often usefulthings." So is his latest, fittingly titled foray into theNational Pastime. Unlike his splendid Men at Work, whichoffered long, detailed exegeses on the way Tony Gwynn, Orel Hershiser,Cal Ripken, Jr., and Tony La Russa sweat the details of masteringspecific aspects of the game, Bunts is a less unified, butwider ranging collection of Will's shorter baseballjournalism--columns, essays, and book reviews--assembledchronologically from 1974 through the 1997 season. Each piece may bebrief, but taken individually or as a whole, the collection iscertainly useful, and like a good outfielder, it covers plenty ofterritory.

Will, to be sure, is an elegant writer, a little verbose at times, butdependably knowledgeable, stirringly erudite, thoughtfullyopinionated, and, here and there, delightfully personal--as in thevolume's leadoff hitter in which he traces his own conservativeprinciples to growing up a Cub fan. His lineup continues with a breezyode to Louisville Sluggers; encomiums to Casey Stengel, Camden Yards,Ripken, Gwynn, and Curt Flood; a startling about-face on the DH; anearly homage to statsmeister Bill James; and indictments on theselfishness of Ted Williams, the callousness of the owners in labor-and fan-relations, and the sordid personalities of Pete Rose and BillyMartin. The volume ends with a pair of doubles in the form of largeressays on Jon Miller and the distinctive craft of broadcasting, and aconcluding one on the state of the game.

"Baseball," Will observes, "is a habit. The slowlyrising crescendo of each game, the rhythm of the long season--theseare the essentials and they are remarkably unchanged over nearly acentury and a half. Of how many American institutions can that besaid?" The answer, of course, is not many, which is whyBunts provides a necessary and pleasing publicservice. --Jeff Silverman ... Read more

Customer Reviews (26)

As good as any baseball book I have read, and I have read a lot of them
While George Will's political opinions are often subject to my snorts of derision, his feelings about baseball are beyond reproach. An unrepentant Cubs fan who once responded to the statement made on a national news show in 1984, "The Cubs winning the division title is not exactly a momentous event in the history of Western Civilization" by saying, "Sez who?", his writing about baseball is absolutely the best. He truly loves the game and he demonstrates it in every sentence. His honesty about what has been right about the game and the great wrongs that were committed is a history of American society as well as the sport of baseball.
The American society is changing, as it has always done. Baseball has changed dramatically since, as Will so aptly puts it, "The serfs were set free." This refers to the overthrow of the reserve clause, which essentially made baseball players the property of a team. An anachronism at best and an atrocity at worst, it was likely the last legal form of slavery that still existed in the Western World. Since that time, baseball has expanded to incredible heights, the salaries of the players have skyrocketed and so has attendance. Despite many actions that have damaged the game (DH, multi-use parks and the wild card), baseball continues to thrive. Will describes all of what he sees that is good and bad in the game. I have read many baseball books in my life, but there are none better than this one and his previous book, "Men At Work: The Craft of Baseball." Every fan should read them both.

Intelligent look at Baseball
George Will brings his flowing if slightly verbose style to the issue of baseball.The book is a collection of newspaper columns and some essays concerning the state of baseball during the 1980's-1990's.As a Chicago Cub fan, Will focuses largely and perhaps a bit too heavily on that team plus the Baltimore Orioles, who are near his job in Washington D.C.There's also coverage of baseball labor issues, sociology, politics, trends in attendance and style of play, even some mention of oft-ignored teams like the White Sox.Of particular note is the author's controversial but correct view that since millions of fans pay to see the players (and not the owners), the players are both labor and product, and thus entitled to large salaries in this multi-billion dollar industry.One need not always agree with the author's opinions to see that he writes about this sport with heart and compassion.Will doesn't quite get a home run with this book, but score it a line-drive double.

Not a Homerun, But a Solid Hit
This book contains more than 70 articles written about baseball by George Will between 1974 and 1997. Many of the essays are from the week of opening days or a post script of a season that just ended and these essays all have a similar tone and information, but all of them are well written and contain numerous facts, opinions and insights. The book also covers significant events in the history of baseball--the banning of Pete Rose, the strike of 1994, the fight for free agency and of course the yearly collapse of the Chicago Cubs, which is the team for which Will is a lifelong fanatic. This is not the best book of baseball stories I've read, but it is entertaining and thought provoking, so it deserves to be read by baseball fans and should be picked up by sports fans who want to learn why baseball is the most elegant sport and why it has so many diehard fans.

Bow-Tie Reflections on Baseball
Those who have read Will's "Men at Work" already are aware of the author's knowledge of the game as well as his talent to put it into words.This is a compilation of the author's articles on Baseball that have appeared primarily in his newspaper columns over the years.Mr. Will, a spokesman for the political right, discards his politics for these excursions into his passion.Indeed, one is surprized by how often Mr. Will sides with the players in the labor/management diputes that litter modern Baseball.The author shares his nostalgia for the past and his appreciation of the heros of the present.If he seems a bit caught up in his Cubs and Orioles, he can be forgiven because the reader has his/her own favorites.We know the frustration and joy of the same loyalties he shares with us.

I read the first two thirds of the book one "column" at a time between other books.I did so because I had read "The Best of Jim Murray" some years ago and did so over the course of several days.By the mid-point of that book, I came to the realization that Mr. Murray had written the same column for decades.It was just a matter of changing the name of the subject.You don't catch on to that reading two or three columns a week.Well, I read the last third of the book in the course of several hours.I did not get the same reaction that I got to Murray's book.However, I lost track of the number of times the total season attendance of the 1935 St. Louis Browns (80,922) was compared to the Opening Day attendance of the 1993 Colorado Rockies (80,227).There were other such repetitions of facts and figures that were noticeable when the book is read cover to cover.I suggest you savor the articles and let the book entertain you throughout the course of a summer or a year.However you choose to read it, don't miss this intellectual appreciation of what was once known as "America's Pasttime".

Bunts Hit A Homerun With Me!
Bunts by George F. Will is a collection of works written by Will between the years 1974 and 1997.Throughout this book, Will discusses the major changes in baseball, such as the designated hitter rule, unionization, recent franchise additions, free agency, and more.A long-suffering Chicago Cubs fan, Will, in several funny articles, describes what it is like to be a fan of a tema that hasn't won a pennant since World War II.A skilled political columnist, we are drawn into the argument over free agency and designated hitting.I love baseball, but sometimes find books about the sport to be tedious and overly stuffed with statistics.While this book does contain statistics (Will knows a great deal about the sport he loves), you're not smothered by them.It was a pleasurable read.The only part of the book I disliked was the rehashing (several times) of the strike disputes and how many times Will felt it necessary to prove that the owners were wrong about free agency.But believe me, you can get through that.Besides, this is a compilation of works - it's not like he intentionally meant to repeat himself.Will's reflections on baseball are remarkable considering that the man never played the sport professionally and is just an avid fan - so much of a fan in fact that he once owned stock in the Cubs franchise!The pictures are great, and the things I learned from this book.I thought I knew alot about baseball, but George F. Will proved me wrong in a way that I found to be interesting and alot of fun! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Decent at Best
The book was very well written and was very good up until the time when Rose was charged with gambling.When it got at this time Rose talked around every single topic he was asked.Because of this book I am 99% sure Pete Rose bet on baseball.

A Mediocre Book, But Essential For Any Pete Rose Fan
I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the strange and unfortunate saga of Pete Rose. It offers his version of the "truth" regarding his banishment from baseball as well as his views about his magnificent career. Although the book features the information most fans would want to know, it is not structured well. Roger Kahn organizes the book as almost a dialogue between Rose and himself, which gives the reader the feeling that the book is cut and pasted together from random interviews. The transitions from Kahn's views to Rose's views are sloppy and at times confusing. It is hard to believe that Kahn spent three years writing this book.

Buy the book for its information and overlook the unfortunate fact that Pete Rose selected the wrong person to write his biography. Roger Kahn was either loafing through the project or he was severely past his prime. Maybe he should have "hung `em up" when Pete Rose did.

A GOOD READ
PETE ROSE DOES A GOOD JOB IN THIS STORY CONCERNING HIS CAREER ANDPRIVATE LIFE. THE CONTROVERSY CONCERNING HIS GAMBLING IS DONE IN GREAT DETAIL AND IS A STAND OUT. PETE COMES ACROSS AS BEING CONFIDENT AND AT TIMES COCKY, HONEST, AND ARROGANT. I ADMIRE PETE THE BALL PLAYER, BUT AS A HUMAN BEING HE IS NOT A MODEL CITIZEN. I FOUND THIS BOOK WELL WRITTEN AND QUITE INTERESTING. A MUST FOR PETE ROSE FANS. ... Read more

Product Description

Admirers of Rose the athelete will likely be disappointed by the book. After a too-short recollection of his life in baseball, Rose dwells heavily on the gamblers, bookmakers, runners, and memorabilia dealers who made up his world when he could no longer compete as a player. In the end, My Prison Without Bars is an interesting historical document in one of the greatest baseball scandals of all time, but those looking for a record of Rose's amazing baseball achievements are better off consulting The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract. --Patrick O'Kelley ... Read more

Customer Reviews (72)

Hustled
Pete Rose is as dear to my heart as any major league baseball player.Make no mistake about it, I would love to see him enter baseball's hall of fame during his lifetime.I am not so forgiving about the publication "My Prison without Bars".Looking past the fact that the book is poorly written even with a ghost writer, it has the feel of litany of excuses more than an apology.

The story begins with the early history of Rose's family, told with the verbiage of a lockerroom conversation about women's body parts.Rose is not shy about his adoration of his father.The story continues through Rose's baseball career, omitting most of what happened between his first and last year.He does not even mention that he played for a third team.But through the time period of his playing days, Rose does talk about his personal life.Those looking for stories of Rose's playing days should not seek those stories in this book.

When the gambling scandal begins, Rose admits he was dishonest. Yet Rose falls back on the ADHD/hyperactivity excuses with a need for competition winning excuse mixed in.If Rose was attempting this book as an apology, I did not feel it.I do feel more knowledgeable about Rose's post-baseball career though.

While reading this book, it becomes very apparent that Rose's banishment typifies everything wrong with baseball.Fans want to see Rose in the hall of fame.The commssioner is not and has never work in the interest of the fans.If the commissioner did listen, Rose would be in the hall of fame.

THE GAMBLER
I thought I knew Pete Rose...I didn't.I thought I knew why he went to jail...I didn't.WOW...I am amazed at the life he lives and that he's still around to tell it.I believe Pete Rose sets the record straight with his gambling addiction and gives the reader insight into the life of a sports celebrity. I am glad I read his story,it's definitely worth reading.

Great
This book came fast and was in the condition that was indicated! :)It was a great gift!

awesome book
I really enjoyed Pete's account of all the many experiences he has had in his life. He has an infectuous sense of humor that makes for a good read. I hope MLB lifts the ban on him because he is the symbol of how the game should be played. He gave it all he had, all the time and did it better than ANYONE else, period.

Don't waste your time
As most autobiographies or memoirs this book is self-serving.I grew up watching Pete play for the Reds.I think this book was written for therapy and Pete is still in denial.I only read the book to past some time around the holidays.Don't waste your time reading the book. ... Read more

Product Description
Who is Pete Rose? Is he Charlie Hustle, the all-American kid who never grew up, who pushed and stretched himself to get the most out of his limited talent, who would do anything in his power to win and to be a part of the game he loved? Or is he the bloated ex-athlete who broke baseball's one absolute taboo, and who was willing to drag down the whole structure of the sport to save himself?

In January 2004, Pete Rose publicly admitted to betting on baseball and began his controversial campaign to get himself off the ineligible list and into the Baseball Hall of Fame. His recently published autobiography, the baseball legend's selective telling of the truth, only furthers the myth and the mystery that surrounds him.

With a new, updated introduction by the author, and packed with interviews with Rose's family, his teammates, sportswriters, and police investigators, Hustle is the real, objective story of the life of Pete Rose. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Remarkably Evenhanded
I am no Reds fan and was only casually interested in Pete Rose before reading the book.

I thought the author was remarkably evenhanded in writing about Rose.The book is soup-to-nuts, it talks about Rose's parents in great depth.The author did not have access to Rose's children, nor that many teammates from the Reds.But he spoke to just about everybody else.

This book is NOT a hatchet job.Sokolove comes out strongly for Rose's enshrinement in Coopertwon, but wants him banned permanently from the game.He makes a convincing point that the "character" issue that gets cited by Rose's detractors is vague and meaningless and should NOT be used to keep Rose out of Cooperstown.

He does not speculate why Rose seems so obsessed about Coopertwon, though.

He also comes up with some great points that as a player, Rose was quite overrated.But he also gives Rose credit in many ways.Rose was friendly to most sportswriters for selfish purposes but also for other reasons.

Bottom line, Rose comes across as a nuanced character in this book, not a sterotype.That is quite an accomplishment.

Amazing incite into Pete Rose: the man, the legend, the gambler.
A very well written book about Pete Rose. I had always been a fan of Pete's and wondered why people would critisize him so much for betting on baseball (when he would only bet for his team to win...), and now I understand. This book gives you a peek into Pete's life that no news reporter has ever been able to share with the public.

I am always critical of reporters but Michael Sokolove's reporting will make you step back and take another look at Pete Rose the man, and will make you wonder if he really cares about anybody but himself. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to any baseball/sports fan. I loved it so much that I bought another copy for my father for christmas this year.

Charlie Hustle exposed
This book nicely represents the seedy side of Pete Rose - a man with no real friends and very few principles.Sokolove portrays Rose as being only out for himself, illustrated at its peek in his chase for Cobb's record.It was interesting to read how many of his contemporaries felt Rose looked foolish chasing the record with such diminished skills.

What may be even sadder is how the Commissioners' office looked the other way for so many years as his gambling problem grew worse.Bowie Kuhn really does not come out looking really strong in his attempt to "clean up" baseball, especially after the drug scandals of the late 70s.Unfortunately, his office's refusal to seriously confront Rose in the 70s led Rose to believe that he was beyond the rules.And, as usually occurs, this led to the crash and destruction of a supposed American hero - finally exposed for his lies and selfishness.The truth must really hurt for his fans in Cincinnati, who praised and adored him for so many years.Somewhere, Ray Fosse is smiling right now.

Depressing
Anyone who grew up a Reds fan in the 70's will find this book disturbing and depressing, to say the least.
No one should feel sorry for Pete Rose, he brought his troubles all on himself.What is depressing are the number of enablers he had around him beginning with Major League Baseball itself!Pete's problems could have been confronted as early as 1970 but since he put "fannies in the seats" both the Reds and the commisioners office chose to look the other way.
I reccomend this book not just as a biography but also a study of self destructive behavior and enabling an addict.
After you're finished find something humorous to read, you'll need it.

Pete Rose is white trash
Pete Rose is white trash, that is what is comes down to.

Pete Rose is a real jerk.The guy could play baseball, but that's it.

As a person, he is a jerk.

As least he will never get into the baseball hall of fame. If Pete Rose got into that sacred place, it would be a shame. ... Read more

Product Description

Still, itwas their very failures of character that slapped each with a fateneither would have willingly chosen: Rose the unpenitent outcast,Giamatti the eternal martyr. The Rose case, writes Reston, "elevated(Giamatti) to heroic stature in America. By banishing a sport hero, hebecame a moral hero to the nation." The final irony is that thegregarious Giamatti, who indeed relished the role of moral hero,didn't live to experience his own apotheosis. --Jeff Silverman ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

A baseball morality tale
An important story and a modern tragedy, told in a highly readable manner. As a big fan of Pete Rose in his playing days, I initially thought James Reston was unfairly biased against Rose through many parts of the book. After finishing it, I think he probably struck the right balance, as there is simply no excuse for much of what Rose did off the field. Reston almost but did not quite fall into the trap of deifying Giamatti; he was, after all an extraordinary commissioner unlike baseball had ever seen. But Reston correctly pointed out that Giamatti bungled the investigation of Rose from a due process and fairness point of view, and if the matter had gone to trial Giamatti would have had a very difficult time on the stand.

The real point is that Giamatti did investigate, and he did take action. Even with the "settlement" that did not answer the question of whether Rose bet on baseball, Giamatti felt no constraint against offering his own opinion as to Rose and his betting on baseball. And Rose did bet on baseball. We can learn from Giamatti. How refreshing it would be to have a commissioner who would take on the steroids scandal which has made a mockery of home run records and likely changed the outcome of far more games and pennant races than gambling ever did. Where is the courage to have a thorough investigation, and a commissioner who would speak the truth?

Unfortunately, baseball has been a silent partner in the steroids scandal, happily banking the proceeds of increased attendance pursuant to amazing and superhuman home run derbys. I don't think Bart Giamatti would approve, and I would like to think he would acted to protect the integrity of baseball.

Finally, I agree with Reston's take on the Hall of Fame issue. Let the sportswriters vote. If they say yes to Rose, tell Rose's story in a display at the hall, the good and the bad. Especially the bad. And do the same for those whose steroid-enhanced records make them "worthy" of consideration in the future.

Disappointing
Interesting idea but ultimately the book fails.The contrast between Giamatti, a man of ideas, and Rose, a man of action -- both flawed in different ways should have made a fascinating read.Instead, the book plods along until the final 50 pages when it begins to redeem itself.
Giamatti's life was just not that compelling and the ponderous quotes from his writings makes one wonder if anyone actually understood Giamatti's abstruse points.
Rose, by contrast, had a more one-dimensional life but emerges as the more interesting person.
It would have been better if Reston had focused on the years of conflict between the two and flashed back to past biographical events to explain how the actions taken by the principals were shaped by those past events.Had Reston examined why Rose handled the pressure better than Giamatti would have been a shorter, tighter and punchier book.Writing chronologically slowed the book down and I was glad to have reached the end and be done with it.
The author's reseach is quite good although trivial errors (Dick Cavett's wife is Carrie Nye, Whitey Ford coined the nickname "Charley Hustle"), are annoying.
I expected more.

Very interesting book
The book is an interesting biography of two very different people.

Pete Rose is a real jerk.The guy could play baseball, but that's it.

As a person, he is a jerk.

As least he will never get into the baseball hall of fame. If Pete Rose got into that sacred place, it would be a shame.

Strikes out
I never finished it.I wanted to read a story of Pete Rose's suspension from baseball and instead got a history of Giamatti's life.

If you aren't a diehard, you may want to give this one a miss.

Engaging Sports History
An excellent profile of two persons striving to be outstanding in their field (no pun intended).It shows how talented players who were friends of Rose melted into other professions, lacking the single-minded drive that he had.

I want my daughter to read it because it's also an excellent profile of eastern private schools and the politics of getting admitted, being a student and professor.Reston believes that both men at their peak represented the best of their profession.(I can't tell my daughter that's the other side that she'd find interesting because it would be as well-received as a lecture.)

The book goes through the childhood of both men and their professional development.The details on Rose's gambling are convincing: you literally see how Pete self-destructed.I think that it was a cab driver who sums up how Pete could have saved himself right up to the end (the paraphrasing is mine: "apologize, indicate that he'd never bet for or against Cincinnati, and gotten away from gamblers") but was so ego-centric that he was self-destructive.As for betting on the Reds, it's clear that he did.

A well-told story, but Reston is not as crisp a writer as his father. His transitions are often awkward, leaving you wondering what topic he's on.And there's a factual error so glaring that I wondered how a sportswriter or editor could let it get by -- he refers to the Chicago Cubs as the "Southsiders." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Charlie Hustle Knows Hitting
This is a great book for teaching a hard-nosed, common-sense approach when digging in at the plate. No one knew the situation at the plate than Charlie Hustle. Pete Rose thought going 2-4 was an off day. Now THAT's a tough mental approach that I can respect.

The chapters dealing with the mechanics of a solid swing are great. Perhaps even better are the numerous mental tips on how to approach an at-bat for all situations and hitting styles. My wife and I are expecting a son in February and this will be his first book I buy him...right after the Bible, of course.

Hitting Student's Self Help Manual
Excellent job of explaining the most important fundamentals succintly with inspiring mental approach to the game. Great large format pictures accompany the text.Advanced topics include details on the two strike stroke, practical reasons for a hitchless compact swing, and other useful "insider" tips. Text should be easy to read by any player 12+. ... Read more

Product Description
A biography of the hometown boy who became a well-known player for the Cincinnati Reds. ... Read more

Product Description
A biography stressing the baseball career of the star outfielder of the Cincinnati Reds, Pete Rose. ... Read more

Product Description
A biography stressing the baseball career of the star player of the Cincinnati Reds. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

wow
great event: rose passing cobb on the all-time hits list.
great book 4 any baseball fan.
no cussing!!!

A middling first rate account
This book is Rose's day by day account of his record breaking 1985 season. The most unintentionally funny moment is when he mentions being tempted togo to the dogtrack while on a road trip but ultimately containing hisurges.Yeah, right! ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 700 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Signed essays ranging from 500 to 2,500 words, written by subject experts and edited to form a consistent, readable, and straightforward reference. Entries include subject-specific bibliographies and textual cross-references to related essays. ... Read more

Product Description
Pete Rose led both a stellar and controversial career over his decades of playing, coaching and eventual retirement. Newspaper cartoonist, Jerry Dowling was there for virtually Pete's whole career, documenting highs and lows of this amazing athlete's exploits. With a foreward by hall of fame sportswriter, Hal McCoy, this book provides both the history of Pete's career and commentary from one who was there to witness Pete making history over and over again. ... Read more