Customer Reviews (1)

very cool Book on Reggie Jackson
what can you say about Mr. October Reggie Jackson that hasn't already been said? He was a Hitter that I always enjoyed watching hit. he was One of a Kind. the Man spoke his mind and His Bat did alot of talking as well.He was a WInner no matter where he played. this Book is cool in that it covers a good section about Reggie's career and whatnot. ... Read more

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A biography of the Yankee batter who broke Babe Ruth's record by hitting three home runs in a row in the 1977 World Series. ... Read more

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Chapters: Arizona State Sun Devils Baseball Players, Reggie Jackson, Barry Bonds, Ian Kinsler, Dustin Pedroia, Rick Monday, Paul Lo Duca, Bob Horner, Duffy Dyer, Floyd Bannister, Sal Bando, Fernando Viña, Jeff Duncan, Travis Buck, Kevin Tillman, Hubie Brooks, Alvin Davis, Lenny Randle, Paul Runge, Oddibe Mcdowell, Mel Stocker, Doug Henry, Jamie Allen, Major League Baseball Players Who Played for Arizona State University, Brett Wallace, Ed Vande Berg, Gary Allenson, Zechry Zinicola. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 149. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: MLB Records Barry Lamar Bonds (born July 24, 1964) is a Major League Baseball player who is currently a free agent. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds. He debuted in the Major Leagues with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1986 and joined the San Francisco Giants in 1993, where he stayed through 2007. Bonds' accomplishments during his baseball career place him among the greatest baseball players of all-time. He has a record-setting seven Most Valuable Player awards, including a record-setting four consecutive MVPs. He is a 14-time All-Star and 8-time Gold Glove-winner. He holds numerous Major League Baseball records, including the all-time Major League Baseball home run record with 762 and the single-season Major League record for home runs with 73 (set in 2001), and is also the all-time career leader in both walks (2,558) and intentional walks (688). Bonds has led a controversial career, notably as a central figure in baseball's steroids scandal. In 2007, he was indicted for perjury and obstruction of justice concerning the government investigation of BALCO, a case which is still ongoing as of January 2010. Born in Riverside, California,...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=4375 ... Read more

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Chapters: Reggie Jackson, Barry Bonds, Ian Kinsler, Dustin Pedroia, Rick Monday, Paul Lo Duca, Bob Horner, Duffy Dyer, Floyd Bannister, Sal Bando, Fernando Viña, Jeff Duncan, Travis Buck, Kevin Tillman, Hubie Brooks, Alvin Davis, Lenny Randle, Paul Runge, Oddibe Mcdowell, Mel Stocker, Doug Henry, Jamie Allen, Major League Baseball Players Who Played for Arizona State University, Brett Wallace, Ed Vande Berg, Gary Allenson, Zechry Zinicola. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 160. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: MLB Records Barry Lamar Bonds (born July 24, 1964) is a Major League Baseball player who is currently a free agent. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds. He debuted in the Major Leagues with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1986 and joined the San Francisco Giants in 1993, where he stayed through 2007. Bonds' accomplishments during his baseball career place him among the greatest baseball players of all-time. He has a record-setting seven Most Valuable Player awards, including a record-setting four consecutive MVPs. He is a 14-time All-Star and 8-time Gold Glove-winner. He holds numerous Major League Baseball records, including the all-time Major League Baseball home run record with 762 and the single-season Major League record for home runs with 73 (set in 2001), and is also the all-time career leader in both walks (2,558) and intentional walks (688). Bonds has led a controversial career, notably as a central figure in baseball's steroids scandal. In 2007, he was indicted for perjury and obstruction of justice concerning the government investigation of BALCO, a case which is still ongoing as of January 2010. Born in Riverside, California, Bonds grew up in San Carlos, California an...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=4375 ... Read more

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Chapters: Baseball Teams in Puerto Rico, Baseball Venues in Puerto Rico, Puerto Rican Baseball Players, Reggie Jackson, List of Major League Baseball Players From Puerto Rico, Francisco Coimbre, Edgar Martínez, Cangrejeros de Santurce, Bob Thurman, Puerto Rico Baseball League, Emilio Navarro, Rubén Gómez, Rusty Torres, Iván Dejesús, Jr., Carlos Manuel Santiago, Jorge Padilla, Federación de Béisbol Aficionado de Puerto Rico, Hiram Bithorn Stadium, Dickie Thon, Josué Matos, Roberto Clemente, Jr., Puerto Rico Baseball Academy and High School, Latino Legends Team, Jesús Feliciano, Luis Rivera, David Dejesus, Isidoro García Baseball Stadium, Julio Navarro, Armando Ríos, Mako Oliveras, Luis A. Canena Marquez Stadium, Edgard Clemente, Coco Laboy, Luis Atilano, Francisco Montaner Stadium, Orlando Sánchez, Iván Maldonado, Miguel Negrón, José Meléndez, Tony Rodríguez, Juan Ríos, Roberto Vargas, Roberto Clemente Stadium, Candy Sierra, Bobby Muñoz, Nestor Morales Stadium, Estadio Municipal Pedro Román Meléndez, Parque Yldefonso Solá Morales, Estadio Luis Rodríguez Olmo. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 182. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Puerto Rico currently has the second-most active players in Major League Baseball (MLB) among Latin-American countries, behind only the Dominican Republic. More than two-hundred players from the archipelago have played in the major leagues since 1942. This includes players who were born in either one of the archipelago's islands and immigrants of Puerto Rican heritage who have represented Puerto Rico in international competition. Only those players who have worked in the league are listed, not those active in the minor leagues. The first player from Puerto Rico to play in MLB was Hiram Bithorn. After the baseball color line was abandoned following Jackie Rob...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=777175 ... Read more

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Baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson earned the nickname "Mr. October" for the crucial clutch hitting that led his teams to the World Series six times and won him two series MVP awards, and this skill at the plate is perhaps what he is best remembered for. But behind the bat was a man many don't know—a man struggling to find his place in the world, at home, and in the sport that made him a star. Now, in the first biography of Jackson in more than twenty-five years—and the first to cover his entire career as a player—FOXSports.com columnist Dayn Perry provides an intimate, honest, and never-before-seen glimpse into the life and times of one of baseball's all-time greats.

Customer Reviews (7)

Entertaining, Well-Written Account of the Life & Career of Mr. October
The author's gifts for language and wit are displayed throughout this work about one of the most talented and complicated baseball players of his time.Reggie Jackson's athletic feats and outrageous personality are thoroughly covered in this book.At times the words allow the reader to almost feel like a fly on the wall on the field and in the dugout.What distinguishes this book from the garden variety biography is the author's look at the cause(s) of Jackson's deep insecurities and personality flaws.Most baseball fans who followed the game during Jackson's career knew him as a narcissistic and caustic individual with great baseball talent.Perry's book looks beyond the surface to discuss why Jackson is who he is.At times the author is justifiably critical, but he also defends Jackson when appropriate.The book is a fair and fun depiction of one of the most flamboyant and gifted baseball players of the 1970s. Having read several baseball biographies recently, I'd select Perry's offering as my favorite.

First Real Introduction to Reggie Jackson
I grew up with sport fanatics as my best friends and somehow avoided becoming one myself.Nevertheless, my regular brushes with their fanaticism left me respectful of their religion and marginally aware of their gods.Reggie was one of the biggest.I bought this book having almost no exposure to baseball, so this review is simply on my enjoyment reading the book as a biography that humanizes celebrity.

Basically, I could not put the book down. For me, everything was new information but it wasn't that fact that made the book so enjoyable.Yes, I could have likely accumulated some of the book's information from 20 years of miscellaneous articles and news reports, but why?Dayn Perry has done the research and created a book that is more that just a grouping of facts.He actually tells an engaging story about Reggie's life that left me, the reader, emotionally invested in Reggie: hopeful for him to turn his relationships around; sad for his turmoil; disgusted at the bigotry; and prideful of his thunderous homers.For a baseball book to accomplish this for a guy with only passing interest in the sport should signal the quality of the author's work and his connection to his subject.

extremely enjoyable.........
I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge and reward of Reggie Jackson: The Life and Thunderous Career of Baseball's Mr. October (it only took a week to breeze through..), Almost all of the stories had me rapt, they were intelligent at times & funny at others. True, there is a lot of repetitiveness of Reggie's actions, but the facts are the facts and Perry does a great job keeping the flow of the story.But being a child of the 70's, I found the flash backs to these times very compelling.

Perry's uses an awesome selection of words to entertain and apparently Reggie presented no lack of source code. I enjoyed the way the words in the story fit exactly as they should, not to say that there aren't surprises and loops where I couldn't help but laugh at the audacity of Reggie the `superstar' or the owners from Charley O to `Big' Stein.

If you wonder how we got to today of over the top athletes in all major sports - this is an excellent start.Get a great view of how poorly the baseball owners actually treated the players - even the stars of the team.Players couldn't help but demand more monies as their individual popularity grew.Excellent read for the baseball fan base.Check it out

The Straw That Stirred the Baseball World
For a guy who only hit .300 once in his career (1980; right on the nose), and only drove in more than 100 runs six times over the course of twenty-plus big league seasons, Reggie Jackson certainly created quite a "stir" on and off the baseball field.What else would you expect from the self-proclaimed "straw that stirs the (Yankees) drink"?

If nothing else, Jackson was one of the most flamboyant performers the game has ever known; he put on quite a show, especially during his volatile stay in the Big Apple, as an integral part of that great Yankees team that won back to back World Series championships (1977 & '78).Who could forget his frequent run-ins with practically everyone in the organization; from Thurman Munson to Billy Martin to George Steinbrenner?It was baseball's version of "Dallas"; better yet, "Dynasty".

It's been quite some time since the last biography of Reginald Martinez Jackson was written (over 25 years), and Dayn Perry laudably captures the essence of Jackson's iconoclastic impact on the game.Jackson stormed through his career, saying whatever was on his mind; never wavering to any sort of politically correct approach to his opinions.At times, he was misunderstood or misquoted.Other times he was unsettling to the baseball establishment.

In the end, he changed the game, for better or worse.His cocksure demeanor brought a certain zest to a sport that was becoming a bit too bland and predictable for many fans; although some of the players that emulate his swashbuckling style today, are guys who couldn't carry his jockstrap when he was in his prime.Indeed, Mr October had an impact on the game far beyond his career numbers; and that impact is still being felt today.

Excellent read on a one of sports great personalities
Excellent book that really dives into Reggie Jackson the man and not Reggie Jackson the hot dog. I thought it brought out much I didn't know about Reggie's time in the South during the civil rights bombings, the role Reggie played in establishing free agency and his unbalanced relationship with Charlie Finley (everyone explores Reggie's relationship with Steinbrenner.)

More a book about a man and a time than about the athlete. Shows how players now feel the freedom to express themselves anyway they want, but it was athletes like Reggie Jackson, Walt Frazier and Dick Allen that paved the way for this to be so. A great read whether or not baseball is your thing. Reggie was the most entertaining American athlete before Jordan and Magic and this book does much so show why he captivated the national eye for more than a decade. ... Read more

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Chapters: Reggie Jackson, Joe Dimaggio, Frank Robinson, Yogi Berra, Mark Mcgwire, Don Mattingly, Jim Rice, Lou Piniella, Gene Tenace, Terry Pendleton, Willie Stargell, Eddie Murray, Rod Carew, Johnny Pesky, Alan Trammell, Kirk Gibson, Tony Oliva, Dave Parker, Rocky Colavito, Dave Magadan, Hensley Meulens, Bobby Doerr, Ted Kluszewski, Tony Pérez, Bobby Bonds, Clint Hurdle, Gary Matthews, Tommy Henrich, Mickey Vernon, Don Baylor, Harvey Kuenn, Art Howe, Chris Chambliss, Billy Williams, Dwayne Murphy, Harry Walker, Bob Watson, Nellie Fox, John Mclaren, Steve Henderson, Jack Clark, Walt Hriniak, Lloyd Mcclendon, Denny Walling, Tony Muser, Gary Gaetti, Jim Frey, Jesse Barfield, Lenny Harris, Lefty O'doul, Hal Mcrae, Lee Elia, John Vukovich, Dale Sveum, Carney Lansford, José Morales, Jim Lefebvre, Manny Mota, Charley Lau, Deron Johnson, Mike Cubbage, Rick Down, Brook Jacoby, Butch Wynegar, Lee May, Tim Wallach, Kevin Seitzer, Gene Clines, Bob Skinner, Dave Clark, George Hendrick, Rudy Jaramillo, Alan Cockrell, Hank Sauer, Luis Salazar, Billy Demars, Bill Robinson, Mike Easler, Ron Jackson, Minnie Mendoza, Dave Engle, Rick Schu, Mike Aldrete, Thad Bosley, Doug Rader, Scott Ullger, Mickey Hatcher, Jay Ward, Jack Howell, Denis Menke, Terry Crowley, Ralph Rowe, Tommy Mccraw, Ty Van Burkleo, Joe Vavra, Kevin Long, Gerald Perry, Merv Rettenmund, Sean Berry, Jim Presley, Joe Sparks, Bruce Fields, Deacon Jones, Greg Biagini, Harry Spilman, Clarence Jones, Rick Renick, Mike Barnett, Greg Walker, Mitchell Page, Don Slaught, Jeff Pentland, Ben Hines, Jim Skaalen, Rick Eckstein, Al Vincent, Derek Shelton. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 525. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Reginald Martinez "Reggie" Jackson (born May 18, 1946), nicknamed "Mr. October" for his clutch hitting in the postseason, is a ...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=59396 ... Read more

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Barry Bonds. Outfielder, Free agent, Bobby Bonds, Reggie Jackson, Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award, Major League Baseball All- Star Game, Rawlings Gold Glove Award, Game of Shadows, Legal problems of Barry Bonds, List of milestone home runs by Barry Bonds, List of Barry Bonds' 73 home runs during the 2001 season ... Read more

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Chapters: Major League Baseball Designated Hitters, Reggie Jackson, George Brett, Paul Molitor, Dave Winfield, Carl Yastrzemski, Matt Stairs, Jose Canseco, Mike Sweeney, Harmon Killebrew, Orlando Cepeda, Juan González, Frank Thomas, David Ortiz, Jason Giambi, Julio Franco, Pat Burrell, Dave Kingman, Al Oliver, Jim Thome, Travis Hafner, Rafael Palmeiro, Edgar Martínez, Al Kaline, Tony Oliva, Rusty Staub, Jonny Gomes, Harold Baines, Dmitri Young, Ron Blomberg, Cecil Fielder, Tommy Davis, Jack Cust, Chili Davis, Willie Horton, Carl Everett, Don Baylor, Raúl Ibáñez, Ken Phelps, Frank Catalanotto, Jay Gibbons, Ellis Burks, Tim Salmon, Cecil Cooper, Josh Phelps, Jack Clark, Rubén Sierra, Dave Hostetler, Andre Thornton, Steve Balboni, Mlb Designated Hitter Statistics, Hal Mcrae, Scott Hatteberg, Josh Rabe, Shawn Wooten, Gorman Thomas, Jim Dwyer, José Morales, Darrell Evans, Greg Norton, Ron Kittle, Jeff Burroughs, Don Money, Ike Brown, Adam Lind, Dave Bergman, B. J. Surhoff, Brian Downing, Lee May, Ted Simmons, Greg Vaughn, Bernie Carbo, Morgan Burkhart, Oscar Gamble, Gates Brown, Ted Cox, Bob Hamelin, Jeff Clement, Brian Daubach, Greg Luzinski, Roy Smalley, Dick Davis, Tom Grieve, Rondell White, Joe Charboneau, Doug Ault, Lew Ford, Mike Stanley, Al Bumbry, Tony Solaita, Craig Kusick, Kevin Maas, Alvin Davis, Garrett Jones, Midre Cummings, John Wockenfuss, Luis Medina, Jason Kubel, Rusty Kuntz, Jorge Orta, Chip Hale, Gerónimo Berroa, Michael Ryan, Paul Sorrento, Chad Allen, Eric Crozier, Gene Larkin, Calvin Pickering, Mickey Brantley, Jason Botts, Mike Stenhouse, Benny Ayala, Jim Walewander, Mickey Hatcher, Alex Johnson, John Lowenstein, Rich Mckinney, Glenn Braggs, Terry Crowley, Jim Wilson, Cliff Johnson, Luis Polonia, Orlando Palmeiro, Kevin Reimer, Reggie Jefferson, Wayne Nordhagen, Steve Stroughter, Kevin Witt, Bárbaro Garbey, Simon Pond, Juan Díaz, Steve Braun, Juan Bernhardt, Sam Ewing, Matt Alexander, Randy Bush, Keith Hugh...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=310171 ... Read more

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Chapters: Reggie Jackson, George Brett, Paul Molitor, Dave Winfield, Carl Yastrzemski, Matt Stairs, Jose Canseco, Mike Sweeney, Harmon Killebrew, Orlando Cepeda, Designated Hitter, Juan González, Frank Thomas, David Ortiz, Jason Giambi, Julio Franco, Pat Burrell, Dave Kingman, Al Oliver, Jim Thome, Travis Hafner, Rafael Palmeiro, Edgar Martínez, Al Kaline, Tony Oliva, Rusty Staub, Jonny Gomes, Harold Baines, Dmitri Young, Ron Blomberg, Cecil Fielder, Tommy Davis, Jack Cust, Chili Davis, Willie Horton, Carl Everett, Don Baylor, Raúl Ibáñez, Ken Phelps, Frank Catalanotto, Jay Gibbons, Ellis Burks, Tim Salmon, Cecil Cooper, Josh Phelps, Jack Clark, Rubén Sierra, Dave Hostetler, Andre Thornton, Steve Balboni, Mlb Designated Hitter Statistics, Hal Mcrae, Scott Hatteberg, Josh Rabe, Shawn Wooten, Gorman Thomas, Jim Dwyer, José Morales, Darrell Evans, Greg Norton, Ron Kittle, Jeff Burroughs, Don Money, Ike Brown, Adam Lind, Dave Bergman, B. J. Surhoff, Brian Downing, Lee May, Ted Simmons, Greg Vaughn, Bernie Carbo, Morgan Burkhart, Oscar Gamble, Gates Brown, Ted Cox, Bob Hamelin, Jeff Clement, Brian Daubach, Greg Luzinski, Roy Smalley, Dick Davis, Tom Grieve, Rondell White, Joe Charboneau, Doug Ault, Lew Ford, Mike Stanley, Al Bumbry, Tony Solaita, Craig Kusick, Kevin Maas, Alvin Davis, Garrett Jones, Midre Cummings, John Wockenfuss, Luis Medina, Jason Kubel, Rusty Kuntz, Jorge Orta, Chip Hale, Gerónimo Berroa, Michael Ryan, Paul Sorrento, Chad Allen, Eric Crozier, Gene Larkin, Calvin Pickering, Mickey Brantley, Jason Botts, Mike Stenhouse, Benny Ayala, Jim Walewander, Mickey Hatcher, Alex Johnson, John Lowenstein, Rich Mckinney, Glenn Braggs, Terry Crowley, Jim Wilson, Cliff Johnson, Luis Polonia, Orlando Palmeiro, Kevin Reimer, Reggie Jefferson, Wayne Nordhagen, Steve Stroughter, Kevin Witt, Bárbaro Garbey, Simon Pond, Juan Díaz, Steve Braun, Juan Bernhardt, Sam Ewing, Matt Alexander, Randy Bush, Keith Hughes, Dan Pasqua, Alvis W...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=310171 ... Read more

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High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike out (denoted by SO or K[1]) occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters. Pitchers want to throw as many strikeouts as possible, while batters attempt to minimize striking out themselves. While strikeouts are associated with dominance on the part of the pitcher, it is recognized that the style of swing that generates home runs also leaves the batter somewhat susceptible to striking out. Some of the greatest home run hitters of all time? such as Reggie Jackson and Sammy Sosa? were notorious for striking out. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A VERY INTERESTING BOOK
THIS IS A VERY NICE BOOK TO READ. I DIDN'T KNOW BIRDIE PERSONALLY SO I CAN'T COMMENT ON WHETHER HE WROTE THIS OR NOT. BUT I AM FROM CLEVELAND, AND REMEMBER HIM AS MANAGER DURING THE MIDDLE 1960'S. HE DID A GOOD JOB AND WAS WELL RESPECTED BY THE PLAYERS AND MEDIA. I ENJOYED THIS TALE OF HIS LIFE IN AND OUT OF BASEBALL. I AGREE WITH ANOTHER REVIEWER THAT I THINK MORE TIME WAS NEEDED ON HIS MANAGING CAREER. ALSO I WOULD HAVE RATED THIS 5 STARS IF THIS BOOK WAS LONGER. BUT VERY WELL DONE AND QUITE INTERESTING.
VERY RECOMMENDED.

Catch this Birdie
Unlike a couple of other reviewers (....), I never knew Birdie, and cannot attest whether these pages seem written by the real man. What does stand out, however, is that any fan of baseball before the present - swing for the fences, no strategy needed - era will enjoy this book. James Morrison has culled many, many delicious stories from Birdie's diaries. Some stories are not brand new to baseball literature, but Birdie's viewpoint on them is worthwhile. Except for some quotes using swear words, I cannot see what Birdie's friends can object to here. The player-manager-scout's humanity and delightful humor ring out on every page. Perhaps the best chapter reviews player-umpire relations in the "old days," but the anecdotes throughout make it hard not to read out loud to others.

My only regret is that short space was given to Birdie's managing years. I suspect he was too busy then to post lengthy diary entries. Perhaps Birdie would have edited the finished product differently, had he lived, but this book will stand out with that of his Tiger teammate, Elden Auker's, as one of the best books on baseball from the '30s through the 50s.

I couldn't agree more
...I knew Birdie well and know a lot of people who also knew Birdie well and none of us believe that Birdie authored this book.The man we all knew is not represented by the words on these pages. For example, Birdie wrote an article titled, "I'd Rather Catch".This was written by Birdie himself and Birdie spoke about it many times.In the article he praised Newhouser.Having known the man, I never heard him ever criticize another player.On the contrary, he was one of baseball's biggest fans.And he most certainly did not talk like the blue collar, swaggering, swearing person represented on these pages.This is a book published many years after his death.I would keep that in mind as the pages are turned.

Birdie Speaks His Mind
Birdie Tebbetts' career in baseball covered nearly his entire life and he expresses his opinions on a number of things, oftentimes in strong terms.A New England native Birdie says his best years in baseball were with the Boston Red Sox.After having spent a number of years in Detroit with the Tigers, Birdie says he was booed out of Detroit.Tebbetts says pitcher Hal Newhouser of the Tigers begged his way into the Hall of Fame.Newhouser, he says, had his best years when the stars were off fighting WWII.Could this be sour grapes for his not being in the Hall of Fame himself?As an executive for the Milwaukee Braves during the 1960's Birdie says it was a job he detested.Such things as deciding on a hospitalization plan for the groundscrew and who is to get the contract for paving the parking lot at County Stadium were meetings he had to sit in on.He does provide us with some interesting tidbits in regard to what scouts look for in baseball prospects. I may be wrong, but at times Birdie seems to come across as a braggert.I also didn't feel it was necessary for him to be so flippant in using God's name in vain so many times.

Not the Birdie I knew
Birdie was a great storyteller.This book was not written with Birdie's sense of humor,intelligence, or respect for the people in the baseball industry.I knew him well and do not believe that he wrote it.Unfortunately, since he died three years before he supposedly wrote this book, we can't hear his side of the story.This book is just not worth the paper it's printed on. ... Read more

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Reggie Jackson and Bob Gibson offer a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to understand America's pastime from their unique insider perspective.

Legendary. Insightful. Uncompromising. Candid. Uncensored.

Mr. October and Hoot Gibson unfortunately never faced each other on the field. But now, in Sixty Feet, Six Inches, these two legends open up in fascinating detail about the game they love and how it was, is, and should be played. Their one-of-a-kind insider stories recall a who's who of baseball nobility, including Willie Mays, Alex Rodriguez, Hank Aaron, Albert Pujols, Billy Martin, and Joe Torre. This is an unforgettable baseball history by two of its most influential superstars. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Two Greats Talking Baseball
If a World Series were on the line, who would I want to pitch and who would I want to hit?For me, there is no question that Bob Gibson would pitch.And Reggie is one of handful of truly great post-season hitters I would want at the plate (his peers include Gehrig, Ruth, Aaron, George Brett, Manny Ramirez, Clemente, Foxx, and Jeter).Bringing these two great players together to talk baseball is a stroke of genius, particularly given their very different personalities.

Given Reggie's overbearing personality, loud talk, and insecurities, and given the nature of baseball as a team game, I was not a fan of Reggie until the end of his great post-season run.It was only when he single-handedly beat the Brewers in Game 5 of the 1981 special division series did it finally dawn on me:how many times does this guy have to put a team on his back and carry it before you appreciate him as a great player?And all of the literature that has come down since then does tend to confirm that Reggie was a good team-mate.This book will also help raise Reggie in your esteem.He was a careful student of the game.

Gibson is Gibson, and this book conveys his enormous heart, skill, and fierce competitiveness.Gibson is sometimes criticized as a bean-baller, but this book does a good job of rebutting this and conveying Gibson's point of view.Gibson owned the outside of the plate.To do that he could not let players lean over the inside, and he had no problem with the brushback.

Gibson and Reggie speak eloquently on their struggles against racism in the 60s and 70s.It's not possible to understand these two without the context provided by these struggles.

It is a testament to Gibson's honesty that Gibson admits he "doesn't know" whether he would have taken steroids during the 90s.If batters were doing it and other pitchers were doing it, how else do you compete?This sentiment explains exactly why so many got caught up with performance enhancing drugs -- including someone as fundamentally decent as Andy Pettite or as Bob Gibson for that matter had he been born 30 years later.

Lots of inside baseball stuff for the true baseball aficionado -- but also interesting for the more casual fan.

Inside the Minds of Two Legends
To the casual fan, the duel between a pitcher and an opposing batter seems mundane.The pitcher tries to throw his best pitch and the hitter tries to make solid contact to reach base safely.Historically, the pitcher wins these match-ups well over 70% of the time; yet in game situations, those odds mean nothing.This is where the crucial strategies are engaged, and greatness is now measured by how well each player handles the pressure.

Two Hall of Fame greats, Bob Gibson and Reggie Jackson have collaborated on a fascinating perspective of what really goes on between the sixty feet, six inches that separates pitcher from batter.In a most engaging and entertaining manner, we are treated to the entire thought process that goes on in the minds of the great hurler and the great slugger, with each at bat; with each pitch.The end result is a unique perspective from a couple of outspoken superstars, and their recollections will entertain and inform, in a way that's rarely been captured.

Perhaps this will debunk the myth that Gibson was a ruthless head-hunter; an angry competitor who seemed to despise the opposing batter.Not really; certainly Gibby took umbrage to anyone violating a certain code of conduct when batting against him; rarely did that happen.For the most part, he went about his business, trying to set the batter up in a strategic manner to expedite his trip back to the bench.Usually, that meant keeping his pitches out of the hitter's "wheel house"; low and away, with varying degrees of velocity or break to the pitches.If he felt the hitter was taking the liberty to predict this course of action too frequently, Gibby would deliver a wake up call with a screaming fastball well inside.

Jackson, of course, was no slouch at the plate; especially when the spotlight was on in key situations.They didn't call him Mr October for nothing.His thought process was well devised and quite successful over the years.When he outfoxed the opposing battery, the results were usually tape measure shots to another zip code.At times, he'd concede a certain portion of the plate to look for a pitch he could handle; one he could extend his powerful arms and take a healthy cut.

The only regret baseball fans might have is that these two legendary performers never faced each other during regular season or post season play.There may have been a time or two when they squared off during an All-Star Game, but alas, when the real competition ensued, each player performed their October magic against other foes.

This particular work is as close as it gets to big time pressure situations, and for any true fan of the game, it's certainly worth the price of admission.

Great inside view
Great for a serious baseball fan.The casual fan may not enjoy it as much.But if you are a big time baseball fan (and not necessarily of either player or their respective teams), you'll get a lot out of this book.There's a lot of humor in it, too, as the two players banter back and forth a little, showing the difference in perspective between the plate and the mound.You'll especially love this book if you appreciate "old-school", hard-nosed baseball the way it used to be played.

Eavesdropping In Copperstown
"Sixty Feet, Six Inches" is a spellbinding dialogue about baseball between two of the game's greatest, Bob Gibson and Reggie Jackson.Gibson gives the perspective from the mound, while Jackson gives the view from the plate.This book immerses the reader into the game to a depth that few have never known.For a casual baseball fan like me, the finer points of the game hold the interest from start to finish.Listening to them both orate on the importance of the count, the type of pitch to throw or how to pick the right pitch to hit shows the baseball to be much more of a mind game than I had ever imagined.

After leading the reader through strategy and tactics, the two stars express their views on a variety of factors affecting the national pastime.We hear their views on the stars they faced, umpires, fans, owners, managers, the press, free agency, the reserve clause, salaries, race, steroids and changes in the game since their playing days, just to name a few.

This is a great book for any baseball fan.Bob and Reggie obviously have a high respect for each other.There are no dirty secrets revealed here.It is like sitting in the lobby of the Otesaga Hotel in Cooperstown during induction week, eavesdropping on the greats as they share old times.Don't miss it.Pick up and read.

Sixty Feet Six Inches
Amazon books were to be $9.99.I will buy this at Borders before I will pay Amazon more than the prices it promised when I got my 3 KindlesSam Carter San Francisco. ... Read more