Archive of SportingNews.com's old SOM Baseball forum

I just got the book "As They See 'Em: A Fan's Travels in the Land of Umpires" by Bruce Webber from Paul Wootten. He sent it to me even though I didn't win a league to earn the book (see: Big Hair/Artificial Grass league, where my second place finish earned me a copy of the George Steinbrenner biography by Bill Madden). He just did it because he thought it was a book I would enjoy reading (and he is right, with Spring Training just a month away and a foot of fresh snow on the ground, I could use a good book about baseball). Thank you, Paul! You are a true friend and an awesome guy.

Fred

As the winner of the "Plastic Hair / Big Grass" league, I've read that book, which I would have missed, in addition to a number of other recommendations by Paul (a.k.a. P-Woot, Paulie Walnuts, Wootster Cogburn, Wootie Toot Toot) Wootten.

Inspired me to offer up two copies of "The Last Boy: Mickey Mantle and the End of America's Childhood" as prizes in our Yankee Haters/Lovers theme league!

I just finished reading "The Baseball Codes". Great book. Really interesting. Especially if you are interested in how pitchers and hitters "cheat".

http://www.amazon.com/Baseball-Codes-Beanballs-Bench-Clearing-Unwritten/dp/0375424695

I keep the Baseball Codes on our coffee table. Everyone in the family picks it up and reads a chapter now and then. My wife has finished it before me!

Other baseball titles that you should pick up:
Once More Around the Park - Roger Angell
Ball Four - Jim Bouton
The Bad Guys Won - Jeff Pearlman