Over Time

My Life as a Sportswriter
Frank Deford - 2012 Grove/ Atlantic, Inc.

Frank Deford can well be considered the Yankees of sports writers, not just because he's so good but also because he's just that good.

What strikes me the most about Deford is not so much what he writes about but how he writes about it.  Unlike many from the myriads of sports writers today, Deford has a unique writing style, at once humorous, nostalgic, intellectual and endearing, that turns his work into literature.

Over Time is highly recommended for any fan of good writing and that it is about sports, the old days of sports writing and offers a perspective on the present state of affairs is an added benefit to such a good book. 

Driving Mr Yogi

Yogi Berra, Ron Guidry, and Baseball's Greatest Gift
Harvey Araton - 2012 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

There have been many books about Yogi Berra and Yankees baseball and this one is no different in it's admiration and fandom of the two.   This book is not a celebrated account of Berra's early years but of the years since he came back to the franchise and reclaimed his stature as the great number 8.  The specific focus is on his 11 year spring training relationship with the great Ron Guidry, and the general atmosphere he brings to the Yankee clubhouse there.   The book recounts the quirks and nuances that endear Berra to fans and players alike and is a tribute to what he means to the Yankee organization.

It's a  great read because it's hard to think about Yogi Berra and baseball without smiling...

The Big Miss

My Years Coaching Tiger Woods
Hank Haney - 2012 Crown Publishing Group

As one of the most famous athletes ever, Tiger Woods is also one of the most talked about and often over talked about athlete ever.   Although, this book is just more Tiger Woods, it is written by his former swing coach, Hank Haney, and the perspective that is offered is unique and revealing.

The book contains a lot of detail about the actual mechanics of Woods' swing but there are other details there as well.  The book is not about getting even, but a simple revelation about a man who is human and yet not like the rest of us.  The more interesting parts of the books are the accounts of Tiger's actions and attitude that are telling in the mentality it takes to be at the top.  That we do not have lives anything like Tiger's is obvious but this book confirms why.