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Books & Authors

For the Love of Baseball

Everyone falls in love with the game for a different reason. Maybe someone is raised at the ballpark, the crack of the bat being one of the oldest sounds in their memory. Perhaps little league was one of their favorite childhood activities, practice after practice, game after game, a throwing arm growing stronger or a memorable win surrounded by best friends, sweating and jumping and shouting in shared glorious triumph. Or maybe someone never much understood the game until they were reluctantly dragged along to a Double-A affiliate field, brat in hand, unsure of what to expect. Perhaps they leave the game in fascination, with wonder for the amount of science, math, and statistics that make up nearly every player's action. Maybe someone falls in love with a player, or a team, or a ball park. Perhaps they're in love with a baseball town or city, the way an entire community can come together for one cause, one bursting with childhood giddiness and long-lost innocence. Maybe Mom or Dad were a fan, and loving baseball is about honoring their memory and their passions. Whatever the reason, many of us find ourselves wrapped up in watching, in checking the standings, or in bonding over our shared team affiliations or friendly rivalries.

Check out some of these nonfiction titles and biographies to honor our love of America's pastime! Simply click on a book cover if you're interested in putting a title on hold.

The JuJu Rules by Hart Seely  The Closer by Mariano Rivera A Nice Little Place on the North Side by George F. Will The Summer of Beer and Whiskey by Edward Achorn The Emerald Diamond by Charley Rosen One Shot at Forever by Chris Ballard The 34 Ton Bat by Steve Rushin The Devil's Snake Curve by Josh OstergaardThrowback by Jason Kendall and Lee Judge

 Winning Fantasy Baseball by Larry SchechterBaseball in the Garden of Eden by John Thorn

 

 

 

 

 

   

The Game Must Go On by John Klima 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Missouri is also home to two fantastic major league teams. Below you will find books related to both the St. Louis Cardinals and the Kansas City Royals.

St. Louis

 Beer, Brats and Baseball: St. Louis Germans by Jim Merkel The Ultimate St. Louis Cardinals BasebalL Challenge by David Nemec and Scott Flatow The St. Louis Baseball Reader edited by Richard Peterson Jack Buck: That's a Winner by Jack Buck with Rob Rains and Bob Broeg The Boys Who Were Left Behind by John Heidenry Stan the Man: The Life and Times of Stan Musial by Wayne Stewart

  One Last Strike by Tony La Russa

 

 

 

  The Matheny Manifesto by Mike Matheny

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kansas City

 Black Baseball in Kansas City by Larry Lester and Sammy J. Miller The Kansas City Monarchs: Champions of Black Baseball by Janet Bruce More Than a Season by Dayton Moore Out of the Blue: The Kansas City Royals' Historic 2014 Season by Matt FulksOne Man's Dream by Frank White Legacy of Blue: 45 Years of Kansas City Royals History and Trivia by Mark Stallard

Denny Matthews's Tales from the Royals Dugout by Denny Matthews with Matt Fulks 

 

 

 Run Home and Take a Bow: Storeis of Life, Faith and a Season with the Kansas City Royals by Ethan D. Bryan

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