NSR Reviews: Anatomy of Baseball
Blame my expectations.
When presented with the opportunity to review Anatomy of Baseball, I immediately jumped at it thinking how great it would be read some sabremetrician/Bill James influenced attempt at explaining the inner workings of the game I love (it is called the Anatomy of Baseball after all).
But that’s not what this book is about. Far from it, in fact.
What it is is a collection of 20 essays edited by Lee Gutkind and Andrew Blauner that have less to do with baseball and more to do with creative non-fiction. While each piece has at least something to do with the game – some more than others – you won’t find out any information about the inner workings of the baseball, but instead well written essays on why these authors love the game.
That’s not to say there isn’t something in Anatomy of Baseball for a geek like myself. The opening piece, At the Park by Kevin Baker, is a fascinating look at the older ballparks - mostly in New York - that any fan interested in the history of the game will enjoy.
My Glove: A Biography by Stefan Fatsis is also a worthwhile read. The story centers around the restoration of his childhood glove and includes interviews with Craig Biggio, Russ Springer and some classic quotes from Frank Robinson.
The highlight of the book is The Southworths, a piece by Michael Shapiro about former St. Louis Cardinals manager Billy Southworth and his son Billy, Jr., a minor league ballplayer turned captain in the Army Air Corps.
The very compelling story is really about the long-distance relationship of the manager and son, with the occasional mention of the 1940s Cardinals dynasty sprinkled in. In less than 10 pages, Shapiro not only expertly sets up the story but puts the reader through a wide range of emotions.
Rick Harsch’s The Inherent Human Transgression That Is Umpiring: A Slovene Case Study is a humorous look at the relationship between manager and umpire, or at least something many baseball fans will find funny. Add in the fish-out-of-water comedy factor – an American writer in Slovenia – and it’s taken to the next level.
The main negative in this collection is the recurring theme of nostalgia. Fatsis’ piece isn’t the only essay about gloves, there are multiple ones and it gets to a point where reading about someone’s favorite piece of leather from their childhood is just annoying.
Actually, most of these essays deal with childhood memories of baseball. That’s absolutely something many of us can relate to, but at the same time I don’t need to read about it over and over again. Perhaps that’s the fault of my relative youth, but I feel it’s a point many others will agree with.
The nostalgia card is played so often I feel like Anatomy of Baseball almost becomes specific for a generation. But out of 20 essays, percentage-wise there’s surely something for any baseball fan (after all, a 30 percent success rate is acceptable in the sport). And if you just happen to be as big a fan of creative non-fiction, then dare I say this book is perfect for you.
Want more information on the book? Visit its website here.
Tags: Anatomy of Baseball, Andrew Blauner, Billy Southworth, book review, Kevin Baker, Lee Gutkind, Michael Shapiro, Rick Harsch, Stefan Fatsis
Share This Article
1 Comment
Comment On This Article
From The Gallery
Image Gallery Is Empty!
Website Poll
[…] * The Anatomy lesson 5 05 2008 The Anatomy of Baseball anthology is getting a good deal of press these days. Here’s a critique from the National Sports Review. […]
Pingback by * The Anatomy lesson « Ron Kaplan’s Baseball Bookshelf on May 5, 2008