The Greatest Baseball Stories Ever Told edited by Jeff Silverman (a Yankees fan but I tried not to hold that against him)

“People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.”  – Rogers Hornsby

So what do I do during the long, long winter? Read about baseball. Editor Jeff Silverman has cobbled together some of the best stories, both fact and fiction, about America’s national past time. It includes classics like Abbott & Costello’s “Who’s on First” routine and memories of greats like Ted Williams, Jackie Robinson and Mickey Mantle. There are fictional tales from the likes of W.P. Kinsella, author of “Shoeless Joe” which would become the movie “Field of Dreams” and my (admittedly biased) favorite, Vin Scully’s call of the last three outs of Sandy Koufax’s perfect game. Baseball has all the makings of good storytelling – poetry, characters and drama – as evidenced by the many great stories are gathered together in this book. It brings back, if only for a moment, the feeling of summer days at ballpark and the sights, smells and sounds of America’s greatest game.

Pitchers & Catchers report in 8 days!