Sommer, Shelley. Hammerin' Hank Greenberg

Sommer, Shelley. Hammerin' Hank Greenberg       

Calkins Creek (Boyd's Mills)   

2011 135p  17.95 978-1-59078-452-5  

ms/hs             E-BN   

Hank Greenberg was the American League’s two-time MVP, five-time All-Star, and the first Jewish player to be named to baseball’s Hall of Fame.  This engaging narrative is filled with fascinating historical details and baseball statistics and highlighted by wonderful black-and-white archival and personal photographs.      

  Hank Greenberg was the American League’s two-time MVP, five-time All-Star, and the first Jewish player to be named to baseball’s Hall of Fame.  Son of Romanian immigrants, he grew up in New York City and spent most of his long and incredible career with the Detroit Tigers during the 1930s and ‘40s.  This fascinating account traces Greenberg’s personal life and baseball career season by season.  It offers a look into the both the successes and the difficulties he faced both on and off the field through his own words and those of his contemporaries. 

      

He grew up during the Great Depression, became a professional player at 19, and served abroad in the Army Air Force during World War II before returning to baseball.  

At first taunted for his Judaism from both fans and fellow players, he later

became known as “the Jewish Babe Ruth.”  This engaging narrative is filled with

fascinating historical details and baseball statistics and highlighted by

wonderful black-and-white archival and personal photographs.  It ends with a

copious bibliography, chapter notes, and an index.    Ogintz,Susan

Darling, Ron with Daniel Paisner. The Complete Game: Reflections on Baseball and the Art of Pitching

Darling, Ron with Daniel Paisner
The Complete Game: Reflections on Baseball and the Art of Pitching
Vintage see Random 2009 272p 15.00
978-0-307-39058-5 hs/adult VG

Darling describes the highs and lows of baseball through the eyes of a pitcher. Any baseball fan, in particular those who have pitched a game, will find insight into the strategies of pitchers, their mindset, their fears and triumphs. For grades 8 and up. Any baseball fan will enjoy this up close and personal look at the game of baseball from a pitcher’s perspective. An easy read that is tough to put down, Darling provides insight into the mind, strategies, and life of a professional baseball pitcher. The book is divided into chapters starting with pre-game warm-up, followed by replays of various games from the 1980’s to 2008 in an inning to inning format, with the concluding chapter being about post game/retirement. Reflections on the differences between high school, college and professional ball show the intensity growing with each increasingly selective roster. There are laughs as he relates his rookie year after being called up to the majors from the minor league. There are the moments when he felt triumphant, even if his team did not win the game, moments when he was psyched out by an opponent, and the toughest when let go. His mentors get equal attention, whether coaches, managers or fellow teammates. Darling does not focus on the honors he achieved, but on how the game was played, how baseball affected his personal life, and how much pressure is on a pitcher since the pitcher is the one who is often given credit with winning or losing the game. A must read for any potential pitcher or fan of baseball in the 1980’s-1990’s. For high school students and adults. Recommended for public library collections and some high school libraries where baseball technique and baseball nostalgia are well received. A fantastic look at the psyche of a baseball pitcher. McNicol,Lois