The coronavirus has wreaked havoc on many facets of our daily happenings here in the United States. Lives have been lost, the country has seen people lose their jobs at an alarming rate, and there's really not a whole lot to look forward to as far as events and hangouts are concerned in the short term. One of the lesser problems we've seen as a country is the complete dissipation of professional sports. Basketball and hockey saw their seasons suspended indefinitely, while Major League Baseball couldn't even get out of spring training before the league shut things down. If you're like me, not having baseball on during this time of year is a tough pill to swallow. While it's not at the top of the list of problems the world's got at the moment, it still creates a void in me, along with countless other fans across the country.

However, hope for baseball is not entirely lost. ESPN has been absolutely killing it this past week with their live coverage of the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO). You bet your bippy that I've been following that league, as South Korea has deemed their country's conditions safe enough to start up professional baseball. In addition to the KBO action, there have been rumblings and rumors that MLB does have some kind of plan in mind to start up an abbreviated season come July. Hopefully the league is able to do so, whilst keeping all players and personnel safe. But for now, baseball is being missed by people, no question about it. July isn't exactly around the corner. So in the interim, let's take a look at some of the New York Public Library's digital offerings, that cover the great sport of baseball.

New York Yankees books

The Captain: The Journey of Derek Jeter by Ian O'Connor

We'll lead it off with a guy who was no stranger to leading off (or hitting 2nd, depending on what season) in batting orders throughout his career: Derek Jeter. Jeter was in the news recently with the announcement that his Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be rescheduled from this summer to 2021's due to the pandemic. This is an older book, published in 2011, and a lot has happened to Jeter since the book's release. In addition to his Hall of Fame election over the winter, he'd join the 3000 hit club in 2011, bow out of the 2012 postseason with a gruesome ankle injury (which by and large represented the beginning of the end for him), marry and have two daughters, and become a minority owner and the CEO for the Miami Marlins organization. But prior to all that, it was evident that Jeter was going to be a special player since being a first-round draft pick way back in 1992.  In this book, Ian O'Connor details just how Derek Jeter would become the superstar he developed into, and the idol for many men, women, and kids all over the world.

 

Pinstripe Empire: The New York Yankees from Before the Babe to After the Boss  by Martin Appel

Do you know when the New York Yankee organization as we know it today actually started up? The answer to that question would be way back in 1901! That's right! The Yankees spent 1901 & 1902 actually in Baltimore, with the team being named the Orioles. Now this isn't to be confused with the present-day Baltimore Orioles. They evolved from another franchise, the St. Louis Browns...who evolved from another franchise...oh I digress! What you should know is that those 1902 Orioles ended up getting purchased by two men, a baseball executive named Frank Farrell and a retired New York City Police chief named William Devery. Together they relocated the franchise to New York, renamed them the Highlanders, later renamed them the Yankees, and the rest is history. Literally! With a century plus in the record books now, the Yankee organization has had countless unforgettable moments and larger than life figures wear their duds and enter their ranks. In Marty Appel's Pinstripe Empire, he brings to your fingertips decades and decades' worth of New York Yankees history and lore.

 

The Baby Bombers: The Inside Story of the Next Yankees Dynasty  by Bryan Hoch  

While we traveled in our book-time machine way back to the 1900s with the last selection, this next book however brings us back to just a couple of years ago. From 2013-2016, the New York Yankees were sort of in a position they hadn't been in in a long time: they were flat out mediocre. Those years saw the retirements of long-time Yankee stalwarts Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, and Alex Rodriguez; they saw the team average just 85 wins, and play in just one single, solitary playoff game. But the end of '15, saw the debuts of Luis Severino and Gary Sanchez. Then in '16, Aaron Judge came along. And once the calendar flipped to 2017, all three of these men had stellar years, leading to both a big time playoff run that October, as well as a new nickname: The Baby Bombers. Next came Gleyber Torres in a trade with the Cubs, and one just couldn't help but think, "All right, this is a pretty solid core of players the Yankees have stockpiled here." Will they in time achieve the feats the 'Core Four' Yankee dynasty did in the 1990s/2000s? Only time will tell, but for now, enjoy Bryan Hoch's book, chronicling just how the Baby Bomber Yankees of today were constructed and assembled.

New York Mets books

Can't Anybody Here Play This Game? The Improbable Saga of the New York Mets' First Year  by Jimmy Breslin

Let's pivot our attention now to New York's other MLB franchise, the Metropolitans of Queens. Established in 1962, the Mets went through growing pains like you couldn't imagine before finally getting their ducks in a row in 1969, becoming the first expansion team to win a World Series title. Those 1962 growing pains have become a part of baseball lore, with fans and baseball pundits alike wondering just how inept a Major League ballclub could be. The answer to that...pretty darn inept! The '62 Mets, nicknamed the Lovable Losers, went 40-120, an all-time worst mark for baseball's modern era that still stands today (only the notorious 1899 Cleveland Spiders boasted a worse win-loss record). Those Mets were so bad, manager Casey Stengel in a fit of anger remarked aloud, "Can't anybody here play this game?!", a quote that's become quite famous. In the legendary, late journalist Jimmy Breslin's book, he, for worse or better (let's go with better), chronicles the entire infamous 1962 New York Mets season.
 

They Said It Couldn't Be Done The '69 Mets, New York City, and the Most Astounding Season in Baseball History by Wayne R. Coffey

As you probably already know, the Mets were an absolute train wreck for the bulk of the 1960s. From 1962-1967, they averaged 108 losses, firmly settled into the role as National League doormat for all opposition. 1968 was a little bit better for them—they only lost 89 of their 162 contests (can you detect the sarcasm?). 1969, however, everything changed. Their rise to the top can only be described as meteoric. After losing season after losing season, with seemingly no end in sight, the '69 Mets (more appropriately known as the Miracle Mets) won an even 100 games. From there they ran roughshod over the Atlanta Braves in the National League Championship Series, before defeating the overwhelmingly-favored Baltimore Orioles in the World Series. The Mets had done what was said could not be done. To me, this truly is the greatest story in all of sports history, a miracle. Read this book to relive those glory days.
 

Amazin' Again: How the 2015 New York Mets Brought the Magic Back to Queens by Greg W. Prince

You know, going into 2015, I can honestly say I was hyped up about the Mets chances at a playoff run. Yes, they had a 6-year streak of seasons where their win total never got out of the 70s. And yes, the last two winning seasons they had, 2007 & 2008, ended in 'late-season collapse' fashion. But the pieces were in place for 2015, especially in the young pitching department. And I, along with many other fans, did feel good about their chances. After a solid April, the club finished both May and June with sub-.500 records, leading us Met fans to think it was going to be another typical 2010s Mets year. Well, were we wrong. What transpired in July and beyond was a total roller coaster, and looking back now, I'm glad I was along for the ride. 2015 was arguably the most fun I'd ever had watching the New York Mets day in and day out, and Greg Prince does a fantastic job in Amazin' Again narrating the season month by month. Highly recommend this one for all you Mets fans!

General Interest Baseball Books

Change Up: An Oral History of 8 Key Events That Shaped Baseball  by Larry Burke

Baseball's been around a long time. Historians have traced its origins all the way back to over two centuries ago. But of course baseball, like everything else in life, goes through periods of evolving. The game today in 2020 (when it comes back that is!) doesn't entirely look like the game I watched as a kid in the 1990s, let alone how it looked the 70s, the 40s, the 1910s...you get my drift. Baseball has had to roll with the punches, and inside Larry Burke and Peter Thomas Fornatale's book Change Up, they take us through some of the historic moments baseball has seen, that has shaped the sport as we see it today. 

 

Swing Kings: The Inside Story of Baseball's Home Run Revolution by Jared Diamond

One of baseball's more current trends is the new obsession players have with launch angle. Certain ballplayers have remodeled their swings to resemble a bit of a ferris-wheel-esque motion, and as a result have seen their home run numbers skyrocket. It's not a perfect philosophy however, as these players have also seen quite an uptick in strikeouts. Any baseball fan who watches on a regular basis will tell you that there's virtually no upside to you striking out as a batter. You don't put the ball in play, thus there's no chance of the opposing defense committing an error that could open the door for rallies and the like. But nevertheless, the launch-angle-swing is in vogue right now. With the potential for eye-popping home run numbers coming as a result, the art of such a swing is being taught to kids at an early age to try and max out their power numbers at as early a stage possible. In Swing Kings, Jared Diamond dives into this enticing new trend amongst players in today's game, and examines just how feasible it can be.
 

Wits, Flakes, and Clowns: The Colorful Characters of Baseball by Wayne Stewart

Last but not least, let's hone in on some of the kookier characters that have graced baseball's history books. While baseball occasionally gets a bit of a reputation for being a stuffy sport, where the players are discouraged from showing too much emotion on the field, we've got to keep in mind that this is a game! It's fun! It's meant to be entertaining to those watching it! And this book reminds us of some of baseball's infamous jesters, leaving their mark on the game in ways that only they can. Who can forget all of Yogi Berra's classic Yogiisms? Or what seemed to be Casey Stengel's own language, Stengelese? Those two may be the poster boys for baseball's colorful characters, but there are tons more! Turk Wendell was fascinating with all of his superstitions. The short career of Joe Charboneau saw him do a whole mess of zany things, including fixing a broken nose with a pair of pliers! Tug McGraw was widely-known for the pranks he'd pull on his teammates, especially when it came to hot foots! The sport was, and still is littered with colorful characters, and this book outlines them all for you!

Please stay safe everyone! And in the meantime, enjoy getting your KBO on!