Product Description
Chronicling the twenty-seven-year career of Nolan Ryan, otherwise known as the Ryan Express, reveals the competitive work ethic that made him the most intimidating pitcher of his time and earned him a record seven no-hitters. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A good description of a great player that is devoid of unnecessary superlatives
As a baseball fan, I watched Nolan Ryan pitch on television several times, once in particular when he was flirting with a no-hitter. That happened many times in his career, the most amazing thing about him was his longevity. Not only in terms of the number of years in the majors, but in terms of the mileage. As a strikeout pitcher, Ryan often went to 3 and 2 counts on batters, so he threw a lot of pitches, more than most other pitchers. Furthermore, in general, his pitches were heat, which takes greater effort to deliver. It is amazing that he was still pitching while in his mid-forties.
In this book, Nicholson does an excellent job in describing the career of this great player. Nolan Ryan was also admirable in his approach to life, never seeming to become full of himself; he was always approachable by fans. I am old enough to remember when Ryan entered the major leagues and followed baseball throughout his career. Nicholson describes him well while avoiding the unnecessary superlatives that other authors seem to feel obligated to use.
... Read more

Product Description
What if Studs Terkel wrote a book with Bill James? You'd have a book on what it's really like to make a living in the world of baseball.

For everyone who ever dreamed of making their love of baseball into their vocation, Working at the Ballpark will provide a view at their lives that might have been, with interviews with more than 50 people who make a living in major league baseball. Each is asked the same questions: What is your job? How did you get into this line of work? What does this job mean to you? From peanut vendors and equipment managers to general managers and star players, from John Guilfoy, who sells sausages at Fenway, to Chris Hanson, who plays "Bernie Brewer" in Milwaukee, to Omar Vizquel, who anchors the infield at AT&T Park, this is an insider's perspective on the enormous scope of the game. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A Fun, Entertaining Read
This is a delightful book. Tom Jones has collected a series of interviews with those people who make their livings in baseball, from players to peanut vendors, general managers to batboys. The interviews are presented as-is, with little rhetorical flourish or editing. The subjects relate the day-to-day goings-on in the world of baseball that exists just outside the sight of the average fan in the stands. Tom Jones takes you beyond the usual sportswriting and takes you deep inside the inner workings of the game.

Tom Jones hits a home run with his delightful new book.
Although he had never written a book before aspiring author Tom Jones had a marvelous idea.Why not ask people involved in all aspects of the baseball industry these three simple questions:"What is your job?", "How did you get into this line of work?" and finally "What does this job mean to you?"It seems like a simple enough premise but would enough people actually be willing to take the time to sit down and talk about their careers in our great national pastime?Thankfully, the answer turned out to be a resounding "yes"!
In the pages of "Working At The Ballpark" you will meet 50 individuals who ply their trade at major league ballparks all across America.The stories of what these people do and how they wound up working in baseball arevaried and fascinating.You will meet a few stars, several journeyman ballplayers, coaches, a manager, an umpire, play-by-play announcers, beat writers, front office personnel and even some of the vendors who patrol the stands during the game.What makes "Working At The Ballpark" so compelling is that most of these people were very willing to open up to Tom Jones and reveal why working in and around baseball is a very special way to earn a living.
As Nolan Ryan observes in the Foreward what is really neat about "Working At The Ballpark" is that you can either choose to read the book cover to cover or just pick and choose the interviews that interest you the most.I would concur with that observation.While "Working At The Ballpark" might be a great bathroom book I chose to read it cover to cover.And while I found a few of the stories to be less than scintillating the overwhelming majority were really quite captivating. What comes through loud and clear to me is that it matters not whether you one of the highly paid athletes, involved in club administration, or are toiling as an attendant in the visitors clubhouse: just about everyone who was interviewed in this book has a love affair with the game of baseball.
After reading "Working At The Ballpark: The Fascinating Lives of Baseball People-From Peanut Vendors and Broadcasters to Players and Managers" you will come away with a new appreciation of what it takes to make that yearly trip to your favorite major ballpark so enjoyable and so memorable. There are so many people involved that you just never see or hear about.You will never look at the game of baseball quite the same way again.Highly recommended!

TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME
I recommend this five star book by author Tom Jones.My brother did a phenomenal job interviewing the people he selected in telling there stories behind the scenes.
I also find it amazing he had the ability to seek out his interviees in all situations and exposing the fact that most people that like baseball only know what they see on tv and in the media concerning the sport.Tom gives the reader a rare inside look of the dedicated lives of people working at the ball park.


Greg Jones
SUNNNYAVLE,CA
[...]

Real Baseball, Real People
Tom Jones is apparently this author's real name, and he has an ear for the real people who bring us the real game of big-league baseball. Done in a Studs Terkel style, "Working at the Ballpark"lets us know what it's really like behind the scenes on game day in the voices of the people who make the games possible. A must for any baseball fan.

Unique and Fascinating
This is an entertaining book. I like how the author preserves the speaking styles of the 50 baseball people interviewed. This makes for very enjoyable reading. I especially enjoyed reading about batting, hitting, and coaching techniques from people like Leo Mazzone, Ron Jackson, and Mike Hargrove. I also enjoyed peeking into clubhouses to see what really goes on, to read about the tensions between ballplayers and the media, and to read how plain folks like ushers, beer vendors, and mascots make their living. I recommend this book strongly.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in readking about baseball from a different perspective. If Studs Terkel had written a baseball book, this is probably what it would have read like. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Perfect connection with perfect games
I felt what it felt like to be on the mound for the compelling moments when the outcome of the sixteen games in question remained in doubt. Sure, there are many details about many of these games that would be great were they included in the narrative, however finding boxscores and post-game interviews should be relatively easy for any really discerning baseball fan.

"Perfect" is easily accessible; anyone reading this book can immediately relate to every scenario and interaction, even if they have never participated in a perfect game. This is a great way to interact with the history of America's pastime at its pinnacle.

See Spot Pitch
Good writers should be able to make their work suitable for all ages (especially younger readers) without making their prose sound overly simplistic or juvenile. This should be especially easy for books on baseball, since there's "a lot of little boy" in both the writers and readers - it should come naturally. Perfect, unfortunately, is just plain bad. How these writers can take some of the most dramatic stories of baseball and make them uninteresting and virtually unreadable leaves me (nearly) speechless. Even Ken Burns' Baseball series' mention of some of the perfect games in far less space is far more compelling. In addition, I found that there was really very little information - even with the recent games - that isn't already readily available in the briefest of articles found elsewhere. At most a few known quotes and dugout/clubhouse anecdotes can be found for each game, amid a wash of overly simplistic and juvenile text. Book should have been titled "See Spot Pitch". Can't recommend it, sadly.

Perfect :The Inside Story of Baseball's Sixteen Perfect Game
I just have to say that the writing in this book was very bad, and the best part that someone pionted out as the "nearly perfect" section in the back was written by someone else.

do not buy it.

PERFECTLY ENTERTAINING
If a "PERFECT GAME" is a flawless pitching effort, well, author James Buckley didn't pitch one here. Good solid outing, however, by one of the most knowledgeable writers of the Diamond Arena. The research here is as respectable as the writing itself, with the latter being a bit simplistic for the mature reader. Especially rewarding for the student of the game are the earlier pieces and Buckley does a fine job of recalling those faded days when the game was young and fresh and Americans everywhere just could not get enough of it. Highly recommended, especially if, like myself and probably every true baseball fan, you love stats.

Perfect: Perfectly Penned
Buckley explores each game individually with all its twists and turns and captures these nuances with his vivid writing. He fleshes out all the personalities of the pitchers, hitters and coaches, bringing a personal dimension to the baseball statistics that are a mainstay of sports writing. However, I think the "Nearly Perfect" games that he outlines in the book's appendix are just as captivating as the perfect games. Don't miss this section. ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Nolan Ryan, Bud Selig, Ted Turner, Walter O'malley, Bo Schembechler, Tom Schieffer, Branch Rickey, Ken Harrelson, Marge Schott, Al Rosen, Mike Ilitch, Dallas Green, Buzzie Bavasi, Bing Devine, Bob Howsam, Paul Godfrey, Jim Finks, E. Michael Burke, Gabe Paul, Neal Huntington, John Mchale, Larry Macphail, Peter Bavasi, Bill Dewitt, Peter Magowan, Derrick Hall, Dave Dombrowski, Peter O'malley, Stan Kasten, John Schuerholz, Bob Quinn, Warren Giles, Chuck Armstrong, Kevin Mcclatchy, Sam Breadon, Tal Smith, John Mcdonough, Nick Mileti, Sandy Alderson, Dan O'brien, Sr., Paul Beeston, Larry Lucchino, Larry Dolan, Fred Wilpon, Ruly Carpenter, Hank Peters, Mark Lamping, Andy Macphail, Gerald Nugent, Jim Lites, Keli Mcgregor, Jim Campbell, William Bartholomay, Francis L. Dale, Carl Barger, Frank Coonelly, Stephen Mckeever, Ted Bonda, Ed Mckeever, David Montgomery, Matthew Silverman, Frank York, James Keelty, Jerry Mcmorris, Terry Mcguirk. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 292. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Walter Francis O'Malley (October 9, 1903 August 9, 1979) was an American sports executive who owned the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers team in Major League Baseball from 1950 to 1979. He served as Brooklyn Dodgers chief legal counsel when Jackie Robinson broke the racial color barrier in 1947. In 1958, as owner of the Dodgers, he brought major league baseball to the West Coast, moving the Dodgers from Brooklyn to Los Angeles and coordinating the move of the New York Giants to San Francisco at a time when there were no teams west of Missouri. For this, he was long vilified by Brooklyn Dodgers fans. However, neutral parties describe him as a visionary for the same business action, and many authorities cite him as one of the most influential sportsmen of the 20th century. His detrac...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=1333861 ... Read more

Product Description
ISSUE 69, DECEMBER 1990 OF BECKETT BASEBALL CARD MONTHLY. COVER FEATURES NOLAN RYAN OF THE TEXAS RANGERS. ... Read more

Product Description
Nothing in baseball keeps fans on the edge of their seats like a magical pitching performance. The anticipation of a no-hitter is unlike any other emotion in sports, and the realization of such a feat can be a life-altering moment. Unhittable: Reliving the Magic and Drama of Baseball’s Best-Pitched Games accurately reenacts the roller-coaster rides that have made up the game’s most memorable pitching performances of all time. From Cy Young to Randy Johnson, Johnny Vander Meer to Don Larsen, Ernie Shore to Harvey Haddix, every historically significant and emotionally gut-wrenching moment is captured in this visually stimulating book and multiplatform DVD package. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A MUST FOR ALL FANS
THIS IS A COMBINATION DVD AND BOOK CELEBRATING SOME OF THE PERFECT GAMES, NO HITTERS AND SPLENDIDLY PITCHED GAMES IN BASEBALL HISTORY. THE MASTERPIECES OF KOUFAX, RYAN, PEDRO AND MANY MORE ARE SEEN IN THEIR EXCITING AND DRAMATIC MOMENTS. THE BOOK IS ALSO AN EXCELLENT TOOL AS IT GIVES THE READER A MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EVENT. WITH THE GREAT VISUALS OF THE DVD ALONG WITH THE WELL WRITTEN BOOK WHICH ALSO HAS SOME GREAT PHOTOS AND THE BOX SCORES MAKES THIS COMBO A PERFECT GAME OF IT'S OWN. A GREAT BUY.

It has everything you're want and need
This book was bought for me as a Christmas present, and I love it.

First and foremost, it's a breakdown of the history of baseball's no-hitters and perfect games.From the late 1800s to present day, the book chronicles various great performances, and seemingly Herculean efforts of some of early baseball's workhorses.

Some of the content:
-The clutch work of Don Larsen's no-no in the World Series
-The domination of Rick Wise who hit two HRs during the game he pitched a no-no
-The sad and heart-warming story of Wilson Alvarez pitching his no-hitter one year - to the day - after losing his baby boy
-The inspiring Jim Abbot, who played in the majors with one hand, throwing his gem for the Yankees
-Johnny Vander Meer's amazing back-to-back no-hitters
-Even the unfortunate players like Harvey Haddix, who threw 12 perfect innings and lost the game

The book is outstanding, with huge, full-page color photos, history of the game, the impact of pitching and no-hitters, box scores from various no-hitters/perfect games, and assorted tidbits about most of the games.

What's great is the DVD that accompanies the book.There are cross generational interviews, going back to the old days and including some modern players.There are highlight reel catches and defensive gems that allowed some of the pitching performances to become no-hitters or perfect games.There are several appearances of the old, hideously designed, bright rainbow jerseys of the Astros, which, cause nausea, but seem to cause an equal amount of nostalgia related love.

What's more, the DVD includes a workout segment from Major League Baseball where they interview Nolan Ryan.And as an extra to the DVD, the ninth inning of six no-hitters is on the DVD (including Nomo's gem for the Red Sox and Gooden's perfection with the Yankees).

This book, and DVD, is a great buy for any baseball lover.You can't go wrong with this book if you are giving it to an avid sports fan who loves to read and watch sports shows. ... Read more

Product Description
11" x 8"; Vol. 77 No. 4; April 1990 issue. ... Read more