Legends

Starred review from December 15, 2014
A sports fan's delight: historical highlights (and lowlights), tributes to great players and lots of "Top Ten" lists ripe for vigorous second guessing.ESPN columnist and NPR sports correspondent Bryant leads off with Babe Ruth and seals the win with the dramatic 2011 Cardinals/Rangers World Series. Using a seasonal organization, he lines up first a select set of players ("Spring"), then teams ("Summer") and finally memorable World Series ("Fall"). In between the essays (a half-dozen per season) he offers lists of statistical leaders or of personal choices for most dominant players in an era, best nicknames and other hot-stove topics. He often angles his spotlight away from the usual feats and milestones to focus, for instance, not on Jackie Robinson's entry into the major league in 1947, but on his career year of 1949 or on teams that won hearts and minds if not always games. An account of the sensational but steroid-spoiled home-run race between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa is at once exhilarating and thought-provoking. A woefully stingy set of photos highlighting a few players and triumphs is the only whiff here. A terrific gathering of heroic hacks and legendary near misses, ideal as a companion for systematic histories such as Lawrence Ritter's ripe-for-updating Story of Baseball (3rd edition, 1999). (timeline, index) (Nonfiction. 11-14)

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March 1, 2015

Gr 3-6-This collection of short pieces outlines the history of baseball. The text is divided into three sections: "Spring," which showcases standout players; "Summer," which focuses mostly on teams; and "Fall," which highlights memorable playoffs and the World Series. A sports writer with ESPN and formerly with the Boston Herald and Washington Post, Bryant often takes a big picture view, considering events in a historical context. But there are plenty of moments of individual glory, such as Pee Wee Reese putting his arm around Jackie Robinson when the latter was being showered with racial epithets and Willie Mays's "perfect catch" over his shoulder in game one of the 1954 Series. Bryant doesn't shy from the darker chapters in the game's history, including the 1998 steroid scandal, which destroyed the reputations of sluggers Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, and the player strike of 1994. An upbeat, exuberant tone runs through this work. Some sections are thick with statistics, but this is clearly a book for sports lovers, who likely won't be dissuaded. The volume concludes with 12 pages of photos and a time line of key moments. VERDICT A strong choice for rounding out sports collections, this work knocks it out of the park.-Bob Hassett, Luther Jackson Middle School, Falls Church, VA

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2015
Grades 4-7 Baseball fans are known for their mental repositories of statistics, facts, and figures, and this book will attract all manner of analysis and discussion among lovers of America's favorite pastime. Designed to provide a more fleshed-out narrative than box scores can provide, the book offers a chronology of the most formative moments in baseball. Bryant, a regular on ESPN and a noted sportswriter, includes major players and teams, but he also touches on more obscure contributions, comebacks, and accomplishments. Each chapter closes with a countdown list of topics, such as the best base stealers, the teams who have done the most good for their cities, and the best five-tool players. The top moments, games, and players are designed to be discussed and debated as only true lovers of the game can, and a thorough index and photos contribute nicely. Fans of other sports will cheer: this is only the first in a series devoted to sports legends, and a second volume, about football, will come out this fall.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)