Baseball Playoffs Readers’ Advisory

Football is back, political campaigns are turning in to high gear, leaves are beginning to change color, and the 2014 Major League Baseball playoffs are mere days away. This year’s playoffs are shaping up to be very intriguing with several different exciting plot points. Los Angeles Angels Mickey Mantle-replicate/baseball cyborg Mike Trout will be making the first playoff appearance of his career. After missing the playoffs last season, Bryce Harper and the Nationals will be back in the race to the Fall Classic. Clayton Kershaw will bring his Koufax-esque pitching stats along as the big-spending LA Dodgers make another run at October. Miguel Cabrera and the Detroit Tigers will try to atone for their streak of disappointing playoff finishes, and the St. Louis Cardinals will be back as the nearly dynastic team that everyone outside of the Midwest loves to hate.

 

Although there will be several fresh faces in the playoffs this year, baseball is a game steeped in history. Fans often make sense of new players by comparing them to the stars of the past. Baseball is also (arguably) the major sport that best lends itself to literary works. The following list contains some excellent fiction and non-fiction works in the UGL’s collection that you can read while enjoying the playoffs.

 

October 1964 by David Halberstam

 

Halberstam was one of our best chroniclers of American political and cultural history. He was also a damn good sportswriter. This 1994 book covers the 1964 World Series between the New York Yankees and the St. Louis Cardinals. Halberstam also explores the complex racial issues of America in the mid-60s through the lens of professional baseball.

 

The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach

One of the finest sports novels to come out in recent years, The Art of Fielding follows golden gloved college shortstop Henry Skrimshander at the fictional Westish College. Henry approaches the record for most consecutive errorless games by a shortstop, but a tragic accident derails his streak. This nuanced character study is especially recommended for fans of Melville’s Moby Dick.

 

Underworld by Don DeLillo

Although Don DeLillo’s magnum opus is not entirely about baseball, it opens with a fantastic novella-length section set in the Polo Grounds in 1951 on the day that the New York Giants famously captured the National League pennant on Bobby Thompson’s three run homer (aka The Shot Heard Round the World). In DeLillo’s novel we find out what happened to Thompson’s homerun ball (which in real life remains a mystery). Recommended for fans of baseball history, the Cold War, and postmodern literature.

 

Down to the Last Pitch: How the 1991 Minnesota Twins and the Atlanta Braves Gave Us the Best World Series of All Time by Tim Wendel

 

If you’re not old enough to remember the 1991 series, or if you’d like to refresh your memory, Wendel’s 2014 book covers the utterly bonkers series between the Twins and Braves. To get some context on just how crazy the series was, take a look at the following sentences: 4 games were won on walk-offs. 3 games went into extra innings. Recommended if you like thrillers, Kirby Puckett, and/or John Smoltz.

 

Wrigley Field: An Oral and Narrative History of the Home of the Chicago Cubs by Ira Berkow

Although Cubs fans have to suffer through another season of not even sniffing the playoff race, they can take solace in this book. An exploration of the storied history of Wrigley Field with accompanying photographs, the book includes interviews of many famous Cubs fans about their Wrigley experiences (including President Obama). Recommended if you like Chicago, architecture, and/or long suffering fanbases.

 

The UGL has all these baseball books, as well as many others in its collection on the lower level. If you’re looking for non-fiction baseball books check the GV section of our collection.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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World Cup 2014: Reader’s Advisory

It’s officially the season of pool parties, Summer II classes, and smoothies.  For those “futbol” fans among us, the summer of 2014 marks the most important event of the season, the World Cup. The first World Cup began in 1930 and takes place every four years and is hosted by a different country every time. This year, it is taking place in the Mecca of soccer, Brazil. Now, if you’re not familiar with the World Cup, or even soccer, have no worries, the UGL is here to the rescue!

We have compiled a list for the fans and for those who are starting to get familiar with the sport.

“A Beautiful Game” by Tom Watt

A Beautiful Game: The World’s Greatest Players and How Soccer Changed their Lives” by Tom Watt

Ever wonder how soccer can change the lives of kids? Well, read now read it from the players themselves. Lionel Messi, Landon Donovan, David Beckham, among others. An insight on how soccer affected and changed their lives, to become some of the greatest names in the sport.

The ESPN World Cup Companion: Everything you need to know about the planet’s biggest sports event

The ESPN World Cup companion : everything you need to know about the planet's biggest sports event

“The ESPN World Cup companion : everything you need to know about the planet’s biggest sports event”

Chips, check. Soda, check, the game is on the television, check. Now what? It’s time to sit back and enjoy the game. Have this handy guide next to you if you’re just getting to know the game. If not, it never hurts to have a guide to the game.

Why Soccer Matters” by Pele (AKA Edson Arantes do Nascimento)

“Why Soccer Matters” by Pele

A fascinating insight into the mind and thoughts of one of the greatest players of all time (in our humble opinion). Edson Arantes do Nascimento, a Brazilian player, also known as Pelé, is one of the greatest players to come out of Brazil. In this book, he explores the game of soccer from his perspective and also writes about working with charitable organizations all over the world. A great read for the soccer fan or for an inquiring mind.

Fear and Loathing in La Liga: Barcelona vs Real Madrid” by Sid Lowe

“Fear and Loathing in La Liga” by Sid Lowe

The rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid has been going on for years, but the conflict stems from the time of the Spanish Civil War. It’s much more than Messi vs. Ronaldo. Read all about this fascinating rivalry and why it’s more than just a game.

Solo: A Memoir of Hope” by Hope Solo

“Solo: A Memoir of Hope” by Hope Solo

A memoir of world-famous American Goalkeeper, Hope Solo. Follow her journey from a broken childhood to a world-class goalkeeper and an Olympic gold-medalist. She serves as a role model to not only Americans, but to people from all over the world.

The Girls of Summer: The U.S Women’s Soccer Team and how it changed the world” by Jere Longman

“The Girls of Summer” by Jere Longman

In July of 1999, the American Women’s soccer team defeated China in the Women’s Wold Cup. From this day forward, the popularity of women’s soccer increased and has been going strong ever since.

As a special treat, we have “1283” which is limited edition, 500 page book by Pele. This book was recently purchased by the International and Area Studies Library here at UIUC. It is available by request, so check it out!

Be sure to mark your calendars for any important games you don’t want to miss! When there aren’t any games being played, be sure to do some summer reading, after all, you wouldn’t want to get behind, would you?

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