The Glory of Their Times

The Glory of Their Times: The Story of the Early Days of Baseball Told by the Men Who Played It
Lawrence S. Ritter - 2010 HarperCollins Publishers

This book is hands down one of the most incredible sports books of all times.

The format for this book are interviews with baseball players who played ball at the turn of the century.   The game and the players have changed since then but the players' accounts of those times are honest and enjoyable.

Look out for great parts including: Germany Schaefer's stealing first from second and his home run exploit that follows and pictures of Tris Speaker and Smokey Joe Wood as roommates.

A fantastic read and absolute must for baseball fans.

Forever Blue

Forever Blue: The True Story of Walter O'Malley, Baseball's Most Controversial Owner, and the Dodgers of Brooklyn and Los Angeles
Michael D'Antonio - 2009 Riverhead Hardcover

This book is very well written and pretty interesting but the story itself is not very dynamic or exciting.  It better serves as a historical account than as a "baseball" book.

As the title says, the book is really about Walter O'Malley and the circumstances and decisions that led him to bring one of New York's historic franchises to California.  Mention of the players, team, managers, or seasons happen in passing and generally to fill in the story of O'Malley.

Although some may argue about the validity of this statement, the book is more about Walter O'Malley than about the Dodgers.

The Blueprint

The Blueprint: How the New England Patriots Beat the System to Create the Last Great NFL Superpower
Christopher Price - 2007 Thomas Dunne Books

Although it is interesting to about how the Patriots went from the bottom of the league to a perennial superpower this book comes across more as a fan's praise than anything else.  In general, the book is more about the growth and evolution of the team as a whole and the owner-manager relationships than about specific players, games, or great moments.

A nice book but not highly recommended for anyone not a big Patriot fan.