Recommend a book please

[kevarms]

Just finished reading 'Moneyball' after seeing it mentioned here quite a bit. Quite eye-opening, especially seeing how players are still traded like cattle. The one where the Cleveland pitcher was traded to the A's minutes before actually playing AGAINST them was unbelievable! How does he explain that to his missus back in Ohio? "Hi honey. The good news is you don't have to worry about that plumbing problem anymore....". There were some nice stories though. Hatteberg's home run for the winning streak record, Chad Bradford's succesful career in spite of (or because of) his unusual delivery, finding all those guys that were on nobody else's radar.
Anyway, I enjoyed the book a lot and I'm ready for something else to further my baseball education. Any recommends? I'd be interested to read a little history. The period when the Giants and Dodgers abandoned New York might be good. Or a player biography.

Preferably something available on Amazon please. Bookshops over here do not do baseball

Thanks in advance

[ohms_law]

I highly recommend The Numbers Game, by Alan Schwarz. Very good book.

[robinhoodnik]

Game of Shadows, the Barry Bonds centered book about the current steroid scandal.
The Umpire Strikes Back, Humorous stories from umpire Ron Luciano
You Gotta Have Wa ( About Japanese baseball and Americans who went to Japan to play, an older book, but still very interesting, and still current), I love this book and have read a few times.
Ball Four, by Jim Bouton, former pitcher for the Yankees, Pilots, etc.
The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty, about the failure of the Yankees to win after their last title. By Buster Olney who covered them for the New York Times and is now a senior writer for ESPN.
Men At Work (dated, but still some interesting stuff), by George Will.
The Boys of Summer, about the Dodgers, and at about the time you're interested in. By Roger Kahn.
The New Biographical History of Baseball, great stuff on everything from pioneers of the game to scoundrels, and the greatest players.
That should keep you busy for a while.

[DonnieBaseball]

Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball was a good one

[Swampdog]

If you want to know about baseball history...

The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract (1985), and...

The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract (2001).

If you only have 2 baseball books, those are the ones to read.

[disposablehero]

Ed Delahanty in the Emerald Age of Baseball is a great bio that includes a good look at turn of the century american history, especially in regards to Irish immigration and race relations.

The Catcher was a Spy is another good bio and centers around some interesting history about the second world war and the former OSS (now the CIA).

[boomboom]

The Book : a numbers book. Playing percentages in Baseball.
The Hardball Times, a good read, has various stories. Also they have their first season preview book. It is now available.
Bill James 2006 handbook.

[SunnydaleSpike]

Ball Four by Jim Bouton.
Absolutely my favorite book in the history of the written word.

[kevarms]

Thanks a lot guys! This is just what I'm looking for and I'm about to put in a big order to Amazon. Should keep me going well into the summer.

[bobert]

This is for more for playing the game but The Mental Game of Baseball was a great book. Juiced acctually wasn't all that bad. Moneyball is my favorite

[LankfordFanClub]

For my money, the Pitch that Killed is the best single-subject baseball book ever written.

[sayheykid]

If you are a stats freak, no library is complete without the Baseball Encyclopedia (not a book for reading in the general sense, but does give some info on Negro leagues, women's league in WWII, etc). the book weighs about 12 pounds (I think about 2100 pages) and gives careers stats for every player and pitcher that ever dressed for a game in the majors.

[ohms_law]

So does Baseball-Reference.com...

[sayheykid]

Fear Strikes Out, although it is more of a psychological book of a man's degeneration into madness, than a purely sports read. Still, it is quite captivating.

[robinhoodnik]

So what were the titles in the order?