By Budd Bailey
I read about a sports book a week in coming up with reviews for this space. If my math is still good, that means I usually have about 51 books under my belt when the end of the year arrives. This particular week is saved for a review of my favorites. All of the reviews go on my blog, and then are eventually printed here.
Here are the 10 books (in alphabetical order) that I thought were the best, at least of the ones I read.
Charlie Hustle – Keith O’Brien – The author does a great job of combining information from all sorts of sources to come up with this biography of Pete Rose. The key point may be – since Rose always had been excused for bad behavior in the past, he was shocked that the same rule didn’t apply to betting.
The Formula – Joshua Robinson & Jonathan Clegg – The world of Formula 1 racing is a mystery to many, including me. This explains the sport extremely well and how it all works, and does so in easy-to-understand language.
The Golf 100 – Michael Arkush – Picking the 100 best golfers in history is a tall task, but Arkush clearly did a lot of work to come up with some educated guesses at the rankings.
The Greatest Comeback – John U. Bacon – I’ve read plenty of books on the 1972 Canada-USSR hockey series, but this one ranks with the best. Bacon remains a fine writer on every subject that he touches.
It’s Hard for Me to Live with Me – Rex Chapman – You might know Rex Chapman’s name from his basketball days. His life always has been on the unlikely side, and he fills in the gaps with some fascinating details.
The Last Manager – John W. Miller – Earl Weaver certainly deserves a solid biography, and Miller gives him that and then some here. The reader really finds out what made the Earl of Baltimore so special.
The Lions Finally Roar – Bill Morris – This might be my favorite book of the year. The Lions had not been relevant in the NFL for forever until the last couple of years came along. Morris goes deep into team history and finds an ownership tale worthy of Shakespeare.
Making Waves – Shirley Babashoff with Chris Epting – I wasn’t aware that this book was a few years old when I picked it up. Still, Babashoff’s story of her swimming days and the fight against the dopers of East Germany remains fascinating.
The Real Hoosiers – Jack McCallum – You don’t have to live on a farm to play basketball in Indiana. This story of an Indianapolis high school essentially stars Oscar Robertson, and mixes sociology and hoops beautifully.
The Why is Everything – Michael Silver – Coaching trees are an interesting if under-reported part of football. Silver makes up for that with a behind-the-scenes look at Kyle Shanahan and his pals. It’s amazing that the author got the participants to open up so much.
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