Books about Baseball
Baseball season is in full swing again, and we put together a list of books about America’s favorite pastime, grouped for adults, teens and children.
Adult
Dynasty: The Inside Story of How the Red Sox Became A Baseball Powerhouse
By Tony Massorati
A unique look at the inner workings of a major league baseball team and how the Red Sox went from perennial losers to baseball’s next dynasty. Author Tony Massarotti has been covering the Red Sox since the 1991 season and in Dynasty , Massarotti provides an in-depth and probing look at how the Red Sox became the most successful franchise in baseball.
Scoring from Second: Writers on Baseball
Why do accomplished writers (and grown-ups) like Ron Carlson, Rick Bass, and Michael Chabon (to name but a few of those represented here) still obsess over their baseball days? What is it about this green game of suspense that not only moves us but can also move us to flights of lyrical writing? In Scoring from Second: Writers on Baseball some of the literary lights of our day answer these questions with essays, reminiscences, and meditations on the sport that is America’s game but also a deeply personal experience for player, observer, and fan alike.
The Eastern Stars: How Baseball Changed the Dominican Town of San Pedro De Macorís
By Mark Kurlansky
The intriguing, inspiring history of one small, impoverished area in the Dominican Republic that has produced a staggering number of Major League Baseball talent, from an award-winning, bestselling author.
The League of Outsider Baseball
By Gary Cieradkowski
From an award-winning graphic artist and baseball historian comes a strikingly original illustrated history of baseball’s forgotten heroes, including stars of the Negro Leagues, barnstorming teams, semi-pro leagues, foreign leagues, and famous players like Shoeless Joe Jackson, Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays, and Joe DiMaggio before they achieved notoriety.
Satchel: The Life and Times of an American Legend
By Larry Tye
A portrait of the Negro League pitcher and pioneer in the integration of baseball evaluates the role of discrimination in limiting his career, the Jim Crow biases that prevented his signing with the big leagues until he was in his forties, and his lasting legacy.
Calico Joe
By John Grisham
In the summer of 1973 Joe Castle was the boy wonder of baseball, the greatest rookie anyone had ever seen. The kid from Calico Rock, Arkansas, dazzled Cyubs fans as he hit home run after home run, politely tipping his hat to the crowd as he shattered all rookie records. Calico Joe quickly became the idol of every baseball fan in America, including Paul Tracey, the young son of hard-partying and hard-throwing Mets pitcher. On the day that Warren Tracey finally faced Calico Joe, Paul was in the stands, rooting for his idol but also for his dad. Then Warren threw a fastball that would change their lives forever….
Teen/Young Adult
Under the Baseball Moon
By John Ritter
Andy and Glory, two fifteen-year-olds from Ocean Beach, California, pursue their respective dreams of becoming a famous musician and a professional softball player.
Ted & Me: A Baseball Card Adventure
By Dan Gutman
When Stosh travels back in time to 1941 in hopes of preventing the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor that brought the United States into World War II, he meets Ted Williams, one of the greatest hitters in baseball history. Includes notes about Williams’ life and career.
Remember My Name: My Story, From First Pitch to Game Changer
By Mo’ne Davis
Mo’ne’s story is one of determination, hard work, and an incredible fastball. Mo’ne is a multisport athlete who also plays basketball and soccer and is an honor-roll student at her school in Philadelphia.
Faithful in Fenway: Believing in Boston, Baseball, and America’s Most Beloved Ballpark
By Michael Ian Borer
Chronicles the history and significance of Boston’s Fenway Park through interviews with Red Sox players, management, groundskeepers, vendors, and fans.
Rickey and Robinson: The Men Who Broke Baseball’s Color Barreir
By Harvey Frommer
A dual biography tracing the convergence of the lives of two of baseball’s most influential individuals in a special moment in sports and cultural history.
Born to Play
By Dustin Pedroia
The inspirational story of Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia — a giant talent in a small package — who defied his critics with hard work, relentless determination, and a looks-can-be-deceiving attitude to become one of the greatest players in the game today.
Children
Baseball Saved Us
By Ken Mochizuki
A Japanese American boy learns to play baseball when he and his family are forced to live in an internment camp during World War II, and his ability to play helps him after the war is over.
Rhinos Who Play Baseball
By Julie Mamano
Baseball-playing rhinos crack dingers out of the park, rip grass-cutting grounders across the field, and rally in the bottom of the ninth. Includes a glossary of “catch phrases.”
Catching the Moon
By Crystal Hubbard
A picture book biography highlighting a pivotal event in the childhood of African American baseball player Marcenia “Toni Stone” Lyle Alberga, the woman who broke baseball’s gender barrier by becoming the first female roster member of a professional Negro League team”.
Baseball Crazy: Ten Stories That Cover All The Bases
Ten stories about the love of baseball, the fear of baseball, and everything in between.
Players in Pigtails
By Shana Corey
Katie Casey, a fictional character, helps start the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, which gave women the opportunity to play professional baseball while America was involved in World War II.
Margret & H.A. Rey’s Curious George at the Baseball Game
By Laura Driscoll
Curious George and the man in the yellow hat attend a baseball game to cheer on the Mudville Miners.
¡Beisbol! Latino Baseball Pioneers and Legends
By Jonah Winter
Readers learn stats and anecdotes about fourteen players including Dolf Luque, the Cuban pitcher who became the first Latin American star in the major leagues; Roberto Clemente, the legendary Puerto Rican outfielder of the 1950s and 1960s; and Felipe Alou, the first full-time Dominican star in the majors who later became the first Latin American Manager of the Year.
Baseball For Everyone: Stories from the Great Game
By Janet Wyman Coleman
An illustrated history of baseball, covering the origins of the game, some of its best-known players, and significant changes in rules and practices throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Hammerin’ Hank: The Life of Hank Greenberg
By Yona Zeldis McDonough
Hammerin’ Hank dominated baseball from 1933 to 1948 and was eventually inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. But Hank Greenberg was more than an amazing athlete. While Jews had been playing baseball since the 1800s, Hammerin’ Hank was baseball’s first Jewish superstar.
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