The BASEBALL 100 is a book by Joe Posnanski, my brother‘s favorite baseball writer.
Brother Jack gifted me the book last Christmas. I just finished it and will say this: The Baseball 100 might have to move into my top five books’ list. Of all time! Because it checks all the boxes of what makes a book great. Let’s get into it.
My Top Five Books:
- War and Peace (1868) Leo Tolstoy
- The Call of The Wild (1903) Jack London
- Gone With the Wind (1936)Margaret Mitchell
- Sometimes A Great Notion (1963) Ken Kesey
- Infinite Jest (1996) David Foster Wallace
The Boxes
or, what makes a book great (in my opinion).
- Aesthetically well written
- Historically informative
- Complex characterization
- Thought provoking thematically
- Subjectively interesting (to me)
In other words, the book must be about something I’m very interested in and well written (with language, and structurally). It must be honest and true (even though fictional). Additionally, the characters have to be realistic (no super or magical powers).
Posnanski’s book
hits a home run. 🙂 This book is about baseball, American history, and different personalities. All subjects that fascinate me. Moreover, Joe P is a great story teller. Furthermore, his research regarding the 100 ballplayers that make his list is incredible.
Do I agree? No. My list would be different. However, I’m not, in the least, qualified to cover the subject and time frame. Like I said, it’s a history book of America. Starting from the 1880’s. There is racism for sure. And alcoholism, child abuse, greed, meanness, kindness, lying, cheating, and just about everything else that makes up the human condition. With the exception of romance – there’s not much about that. Mothers, wives, sisters, and girlfriends, it turns out, don’t have much influence on what makes a great baseball player.
Dominating, perhaps, is the Father-Son relationship. Which plays such a big part in baseball. (As it did in my life.) However, there is not one type of, or style, of a father that precipitates making a boy into a great baseball player – a superstar. Regardless of the time or place in history.
There is no formula. It appears, as with most everything, it is a confluence of factors. You could say – a perfect storm.
My Top Five vs. Joe’s
greatest-of-all-time baseball players is different from Posnanski’s; but not by a lot. Here’s my top five with Joe P’s rank in parenthesis:
- Babe Ruth (2)
- Mickey Mantle (11)
- Ted Williams (6)
- Willie Mays (1)
- Roger Clemens (13)
As you can see, we’re in the ballpark. One stand-out difference is Posnanski’s top five has four of the five – black players. (I’m not going to disclose his because, well … . He doesn’t list them either, you have to read the book page by page.) Joe is aware of his bias, and speaks to it in the chapter on Oscar Charleston. (One of his writer techniques that make this such a great read.)
Who? Yeah.
In Conclusion
I can’t recommend this book enough. Even if you’re not a fan of baseball. It is such a fascinating look at the last 150 years of American history – through the lens of baseball and the men who play the game.
My one complaint is so many stats. Posnanski lives in Kansas City, as does his good friend Bill James. James changed the game in 1985 with his analysis and book BASEBALL ABSTRACT (1985). Which, by the way, was a gift from my father to my brother, who then gifted it to me. 🙂
Great review, great post. Thanks for the recommendation, Mark!
Thanks, Jane. Knowing your love of history and people, I think you’d enjoy this book. If you do read it? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Will do. I’m going to have my husband read it too.
Looking forward to it. Thanks. Hopefully fun for you two.
Is it weird that we pretty much have the same taste in books?
I don’t think so. What a person reads says something about them; and I think you and I are very curious souls, and adventurous, among other things. Take care. Smooth sailing, friend. 🙂
Briefly on racism. There’s a clip on Youtube of “Mickey, Willie, and the Duke” together on a talk show. Reportedly the only time the three famous, great, contemporary New York centerfielders had a recorded conversation.
They sit on a typical 7-foot couch. Mickey comes in first and sits at the west end. Duke follows and sits down next to the Mick. Touching up against him! Almost in the crack between cushions. Willie comes in next and sits at the east end. There’s a gap between the Duke and Willie of about 18 inches. It’s weird. Nobody, of course, says anything about that.
I don’t know much of Duke Snider, even though he was my brother’s favorite player. This was in the 80’s I think, long after they all had retired and the song was a big hit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFJeMxtsZcE
“Talkin baseball” the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWKA9Zi5-_Y