Tag: Baseball

Book Tour and Review: The Luckiest Man Returns by R.F. Walden

BonnieReadsAndWrites9 Comments

Thank you to Zooloo’s Book Tours for a spot on the tour, which was supposed to be yesterday. Here is my late review of a special novella.

Book Description

Book Review

In this unique novella, Major League Baseball in 2039 receives a special gift. A young man shows up who looks just like Hall-of-Famer Lou Gehrig. He just wants to play baseball, and when they finally let him, they find out he swings like Gehrig too. He has a message for everyone. Be kind to each other. Appreciate life. Stop staring at your phones and talk to each other. And he has a goal. To win the World Series that year with the Yankees.

Immediately, this book had vibes of Shoeless Joe by W. P. Kinsella, which was made into the hit movie, Field of Dreams. Throughout The Luckiest Man Returns, the magic of baseball and the message of appreciating life and your fellow “teammates” on this earth resounds. The love of the game versus the business the game has become is a major theme too. The major question everyone is asking is, “Is he a fraud, a copycat, or the real Lou Gehrig, returned over a hundred years later?” For the answer, follow Gehrig in this magical story as he pursues his goal of winning the World Series, while reminding everyone, players and fans alike, to appreciate baseball for itself and what it has always been, not just for money or personal glory.

Goodreads | Purchase Link

About the Author

To learn more about R.F. Walden, visit his Website here.

Thank you to Zooloo’s Book Tours for a spot on the tour

Charlie Hustle by Keith O’Brien #baseball #PeteRose #HallofFame

BonnieReadsAndWrites9 Comments

I grew up in Cincinnati, and I was 11 and 12 years old when the Reds won the World Series in 1975 and 1976. It was a wonderful time. In school, we were shown Pete Rose as an example of how even mundane tasks, like running to an almost sure out at first, can make a difference if you put every effort you have into it, and “hustle.” It changed how many of us looked at even the little things we had to do. For that, plus his stellar body of work in Major League Baseball, he should go into the Hall.

The author makes a great case that Pete is not a nice guy. But that shouldn’t keep him out of the Hall. A lot of people didn’t like Pete, and apparently for good reason. But a lot of people didn’t like Ty Cobb, and he’s in the Hall.

It’s obvious Pete had a gambling problem and that he bet on the Reds, but he never bet against the Reds so he could not be accused of throwing a game. To me, there’s a difference.

Yes, Pete sounds like an asshole who cheated on his wife AND his mistresses, but that is not something that should keep him out of the Hall. I feel the Hall of Fame is about a player’s body of work on the field, and Pete has more than earned it.

For most of the book, the author seemed objective, but I feel that throwing in some unsubstantiated allegations about corking his bats was a low blow, possibly designed to argue against those of us who say that only Pete’s on-field work matters.

In the end, I got the feeling the author doesn’t want Pete in the Hall. I disagree. I originally gave this four stars because it is well-researched, but the author’s bias towards the end has swayed me to change it to three.

I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

PURCHASE LINKS

*Click on the cover to pre-order this book, which will be released 3/26/2024.