Vintage Baseball Glove Forum

Not a movie or book, but if you don't own the CDs Baseball's Greatest Hits Volume 1 and 2, you need to get them. These two discs have a great assortment of tunes, etc. - my brothers and I grew up wearing out the tapes during the late 80's and early 90's - we even made our own "music" videos with songs. Personal faves include "A Dying Cubs Fans Last Request" by Steve Goodman, "Van Lingle Mungo", and "D-O-D-G-E-R-S Song" - I always thought it would be a cool collection to get endorsed gloves from all the guys in the Van Lingle Mungo song.

You really need to get these discs so go to Amazon and buy disc one for cheap:

http://www.amazon.com/Baseballs-Greatest-Hits-Various-Artists/dp/B0000032LO/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1205193431&sr=8-1

Disc two must be out of print now so it's a little more expensive:

http://www.amazon.com/Baseballs-Greatest-Hits-Various-Artists/dp/B0000032LO/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1205193431&sr=8-1

Why didn't I think of that? Baseball's greatest songs ... from contemporary radio singles to stadium anthems ... hmmm ... maybe a new thread!

Some books I picked up today at the local used bookstore ...

1. All My Octobers:My Memories of 12 World Series When the Yankees Ruled Baseball, by Mickey Mantle. I have read this one before, and found it thoroughly enjoyable! Bought this copy for my own bookshelf.

2. My Favorite Summer: 1956, by Mickey Mantle (published in 1991). Just started this one today, but this one seems like a great read.

3. Iron Horse: Lou Gehrig in His Time, by Ray Robinson. I have always had a soft spot for Larrupin' Lou.

4. Faithful: Two Diehard Boston Fans Chronicle the Historic 2004 Season, by Steven King and Stewart O'Nan. Yes, THAT Steven King. The subject of the book intrigued me, but the picture on the dust jacket of Jason Varitek shoving A-Rod's nose back into his face sold me!

5. Chasing the Dream: My Lifelong Journey to the World Series, an autobiography by Joe Torre, with Tom Verducci. I kind of like that Torre fella. He knows a little baseball!

Finally, I have the answer to a previous question: The Teammates, by David Halberstam. A bittersweet look at some of the greatest friendships in baseball, the friendships between Ted Williams, Dom DiMaggio, Johnny Pesky, and Bobby Doerr. Rough and halting in some places, tear-jerking in others, but WOW the baseball memories!

Did you guys know that Van Lingle Mungo invented the Mungo bat? You know to hit practice balls with?
What's that? I've got it all wrong?
Anyway his is one of my favorite baseball names along with Pop Corkhill and Bugs Holiday. (no kidding)

A quick recommendation:

Read Chasing the Dream: My Lifelong Journey to the World Series, an autobiography by Joe Torre, with Tom Verducci. It chronicles the life of Joe Torre from his childhood through the '96 championship. Kind of a whirlwind read: Not a lot of detail in any one place but enough to make me really appreciate what a classy and special gentleman Joe Torre is. He really had to bust his hump to get to the big leagues, overcoming long odds and numerous obstacles. His relationships with his brothers is especially endearing to me. I am now a Joe Torre fan!

Hi All,

Here is a list of my top five Baseball Movies, of which of course there are many more that I love as well, as well as a note why I am drawn to them.

1) Field of Dreams: It really does feel like this could be Heaven and I would love to visit there one day. This is my all time Favorite Movie.

2) The Sandlot (the original version): It reminds me of Playing Baseball with kids in the Neighborhood. Plus I love how Benny was kind to Smalls and took him under his wing.

3) Bull Durham: I used to be be an Independent Pro Wrestling Manager, so although it is not Baseball, there are many simularities I can indentify with.

4) The Bad News Bears (the original version): Similar to The Sandlot it reminds me of a more pure time when kids got together simply for the love of Baseball.

5) The Natural: I suppose I appreciate most the aspect that with time and patience there is still a chance that potential can be realized and dreams can come true.

All My Best,
John

Hi everyone,
I really enjoyed this thread, as I'm still in the process of making my own very little baseball library, I picked some of the references mentioned above to increase the amount of books that are piling up on my bedside table (which is actually THE pile of books...). Anyway, there are two things I'd like to bring to your attention.

The first one is something I noticed when I watched Field of Dreams for the umpteenth times last week. In the novel, the writer (called Salinger) whose pain Ray Kinsella is trying to ease is a former fan of the New York Giants, in the movie he would have liked to play with Jackie Robinson at Ebbets Field (and he's now called Terence Mann). Do you have any idea why they would change this detail in particular? Were the Brooklyn Dodgers more popular than the NY Giants? Or is it just a choice the director made just because HE was a Dodgers fan?

The other thing is another great book I stumbled upon while checking some of the references you mentioned. It's called "Baseball Guide Field", you can preview the book at amazon.com here:

http://www.amazon.com/Baseball-Field-Gu ... 074&sr=8-1

or there :

http://www.baseballfieldguide.com/Home.html

I think it can help any lover of the game. There's still so much I'm not sure to understand quite well about the game, this book holds many precious answers to my ceaseless wanderings.

Your coffee table won't be complete with out Smithsonian Baseball: A Look Inside the World's Finest Collections

http://www.amazon.com/Smithsonian-Baseball-Inside-Private-Collections/dp/0061121215/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208300379&sr=8-1

They made kids version too - I have a copy in my library at school and the kids love it!

http://www.amazon.com/Baseball-Treasures-Stephen-Wong/dp/0061144649/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208300379&sr=8-3

Thanks for sharing the information. You should see the long list of books I still have to buy... some day! Now I have two more titles to add to it. It seems I'll never get enough of them! So much to learn and discover! I love it! I'm currently reading Baseball - An Illustrated History by Ken Burns and Geoffrey C. Ward. Amazing read!

http://www.amazon.com/Baseball-Illustra ... 455&sr=1-1

I believe, but am not sure, to venture an answer to Moonlight's question about Salinger, the movie producers couldn't get Salinger's permission to use his name for the movie.
On books, I've read about a half dozen on or by Mantle. I think it was in the Mantle book by Mickey Herskowitz that Mantle mentioned how excited he was in one of his early Christmases and his dad had bought him a Bill Doak glove for a present.
Speaking of books, Scott Calev and I are at work on a guide to Mickey
Mantle store gloves. Man, Scott has owned and poured over the various Mantle models, and this should be a big addition to the hobby. I still remember interviewing the Rawlings official who was at Mantle's signing with Rawlings in 1953-54. "I want the same deal Stan Musial's got."
I got a little insight into the Mantle family when I played softball for two years with Mickey Mantle Jr., a guy who could have made it to the majors perhaps if he'd started baseball a little sooner.
Books have sure helped us on our glove journeys.

Joe, I'm disappointed you didn't make any wagers with Mantle Jr. to win his father's glove while playing softball with him.

I read All My Octobers, Mantle's reminiscences of his World Series' experiences years ago. Having read that, I was excited to come across My Favorite Summer: 1956, another Mantle memoir, at the local used paperback store. With his co-author, Mantle tells the story of how he finally fulfilled his promise as an all-around player in 1956, proving up on Stengel's predictions for him.

http://www.geocities.com/deadcaulfields/Allusions.html

for more on the connections between WP Kinsella and JD Salinger, check out the link above. Kind of interesting to literature teachers and baseball geeks ... of which I am both ...

Pssst! I did get Mickey Jr.s glove that belonged to his dad while playing softball with the guy. I traded a Johnny Walker import glove that he wanted to get it. I then traded it off to a guy in Virginia for a Bob Riverboat Smith Nokona.
You know I don't remember ever actually asking Jr. about his glove or looking at it. I do recall one of the guys saying he got any glove from Rawlings that he wanted through his dad.
One night at Fritz Park in Dallas, we had a practice and all four of the Mantle boys were there, Mick Jr., David, Danny and Billy. Now that had to be one for the memory books. Two of those brothers have since died. I've had one conversation with David Mantle since then. Some truly sad tales of the boys. Mickey Sr. left them with a vault of his signed bats for their inheritance.

Cowboy7130 wrote:http://www.geocities.com/deadcaulfields/Allusions.html

for more on the connections between WP Kinsella and JD Salinger, check out the link above. Kind of interesting to literature teachers and baseball geeks ... of which I am both ...

Literature teacher and a baseball geek, yet no love for On Days Like This?