Book Description
Golf is a Scottish game. It has been played by the Scots for centuries, and Scotland is its spiritual and cultural home. This is a book devoted to one nation's devotion to a game of stick and ball which today casts its enchantment over the entire world. The beginnings of golf and its early development are shrouded in mystery and are part fact and part fable. The Scottish Golf Book separates one from the other as it traces the early history of golf to the multimillion-dollar, worldwide obsession it has become today. Images from the earliest days of Scottish photography recall titanic battles between the early superstars of the game, while the modern lens takes the reader on a spectacular and magical journey around the historic, the classic, and the hidden treasures of Scotland's finest courses.
Customer Reviews:
Very complete guide to golf in Scotland.......2002-02-27
I bought this book "on site" in Scotland in 2000. A really great book. I agree with the descriptions of the courses, at least the dozen of the I've played. A funny thing is that the chapter about scottish players, the players of the future does NOT include Paul Lawrie, who soon after the book was printed became the first Scot to win the Open for a long time. But despite that, the book is great. You will find all the inspiration you need here.
Book Description
In "Brooklyn Remembered: The 1955 Days of the Dodgers, Allen has captured the emotion, the drama and the sweet reverie of what many baseball people and fans consider the greatest sports triumph ever, the 1955 Brooklyn Series win over the Yankees. It was the one and only Brooklyn championship for the team filled with Hall of Famers like Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese, Roy Campanella, Duke Snider, Sandy Koufax and even fringe lefty Tommy Lasorda. Two years after the title the team moved from Brooklyn's cozy Ebbets Field to laconic Los Angeles. All of the 11 surviving members of that historic baseball team contributed their poignant and personal recollections of that season that warmed the baseball world and sent millions of memorable moments across America, memories that last to this day in millions of homes across the country. Two game winner Johnny Podres, the handsome bachelor, recalls how he drove to the game from his aunt's home in nearby Staten Island a few days after his 23rd birthday and promised his aging teammates a World Series victory. He delivered with a 2-0 triumph. Historic baseball figure Jackie Robinson and supportive teammate pee Wee Reese, knowing their time for titles was short, reached their ultimate goal. Duke Snider, Carl Erskine, Clem Labine, Don Newcombe and all the rest of Dem Bums eased the pain of Brooklyn's millions with that emotional victory. Allen has talked to all of the Brooklyn 1955 survivors and to the women who carry the torch today for the fallen Dodgers, such as Rachel Robinson and Joan Hodges, for memories of that moment and the impact on their lives half a century later. Other significant figures, such as broadcaster Tom Brokaw, opera legend RobertMerrill, opponents Willie Mays, Whitey Ford and Stan (The Man) Musial recall their days as Brooklyn fans, opposing players or just Ebbets Field fanatics. This is the stirring, funny, romantic, touching, historic story of one team in one town in one time that has lasted across the decades. The Brooklyn Dodgers of 1955 were an epic collection of talented athletes and heroic men.
Customer Reviews:
A VERY NICE READ.......2006-12-26
AUTHOR MAURY ALLEN TAKES US BACK TO 1955, THE YEAR THE BROOKLYN DODGERS FINALLY WON THE WORLD SERIES. HE INTERVIEWS THE 11 REMAINING PLAYERS AND BRINGS BACK SOME GREAT NOSTALGIA. SOME OF THE SURVING PLAYERS ARE KOUFAX, NEWCOMBE, SNIDER AND GAME SEVEN WINNER PODRES. THE STORIES ARE INTERESTING AND ENTERTAINING. I ENJOYED THIS AND RECOMMEND IT FOR ALL DODGER FANS AND FOR BASEBALL FANS WHO WANT TO LEARN ABOUT A SLICE OF BASEBALL HISTORY.
Great Subject, Mediocre Book.......2006-02-04
This book was a big disappointment, starting with its awkward subtitle. At first reading it looks like "the one-thousand-nine-hundred-and fifty-five days of the Dodgers," as if the team had only lasted that long! "The Days of the 1955 Dodgers" would have been better.
But the big problem with this book isn't the title-- it's Maury Allen's slapdash and dull writing. Hard to believe this guy was a successful sportswriter for so many years. His prose is careless, rambling, repetitious, and lack-luster. There are even some spelling errors-- the kind of thing we've come to expect from 20- and 30-something sportswriters, but that you don't expect to find in a writer of Allen's generation.
What saves the book and makes it worth reading-- and the reason I gave it three stars rather than two-- are the many extensive quotations of surviving Dodger players from the 1955 team, and others associated with the team that season. Thanks to Allen's long-established credentials as a sportswriter, he was able to get "face time" with many former players and team officials who are difficult or impossible for others to interview. Ever try to set up an interview with Yogi Berra or Willie Mays? As they say in Brooklyn, "Fuggeddaboudit!"
This is a pleasant enough read for Brooklyn Dodger lovers, but that wonderful team and that magical year deserve better than they get in this so-so volume.
Good Read.......2006-01-17
For those of us still in the Brooklyn area and those who ventured far away, this book takes you back to the care-free days of the "Brooklyn Bombers." Go for it!
A LOOK BACK AT THE MAGICAL 1955 BROOKLYN TEAM.......2005-10-18
THE BOOK GIVES YOU INSIGHT INTO THE 1955 SEASON AND WHAT WINNING THE WORLD SERIES WAS LIKE, THROUGH THE MEMORIES OF THE SURVIVING ELEVEN MEMBERS OF THAT TEAM AND OTHER FOLKS WHO RECALL THE STRUGGLE AND EUPHORIA OF WINNING THE FALL CLASSIC AT LAST!BBOOKLYN DODGER FANS AND BASEBALL HISTORIANS WILL ENJOY THE STORY OF THAT MAGICAL SEASON!
The 1955 Dodgers Revisited.......2005-07-01
Respected baseball writer Maury Allen has provided us with an update on the 11 surviving members of the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers' championship team on its 50th anniversary. The book is just over 200 pages long and Allen discusses his visits with the former players and the wives of some of the deceased players. I found several of the stories told in other books on Brooklyn's beloved team, but there were a few stories I hadn't heard before. One involved Gil Hodges who has received more votes than any other player who has not been elected to the Hall of Fame. Supposedly Veterans Committee member Ted Williams has been instrumental in keeping Hodges out not because of his playing ability, but because Hodges was more popular as a manager in Washington than Williams was. Dodgers' executive Buzzie Bavasi felt Jackie Robinson should not have retired as a player when he was traded to the Giants following the 1956 season. He felt Robinson could have become a possible assistant who could one day become the general manager of the Dodgers. That never would have happened with Walter O'Malley owning the team due to the tension that existed between O'Malley and Robinson. Although the 1955 team won Brooklyn's only championship the 1952 and 1953 teams were better than the '55 version. The team was on the way down agewise by 1955 while the 1952 and 1953 team (Roger Kahn's Boys of Summer gang) were in their prime. Author Allen also recounts an incident with manager Walter Alston over some unaccounted soft drinks that hadn't been paid for by the players. Allen wrote a column about what he felt was a petty issue, and Alston invited Allen into his office to discuss it. It resulted in Alston physically attacking Allen. Traveling secretary Lee Scott heard the ruckus and came to Allen's rescue. Several of the members of this team keep their championship ring in a safety deposit box to pass down to succeeding members of their family after they are gone. I find it too bad the ring can't be worn and enjoyed, but they feel the risk of robbery is too great. The book also includes a recap of each of the seven World Series games. No team had ever come back from being down two games to none and won a seven game World Series before. I did find one minor mistake. Allen mentioned that Pirates' slugger Ralph Kiner was traded to the Cubs in 1952 when the correct year is 1953. I'm old enough to remember this team and Kahn's 1953 team as well, and I was happy to read their will be a reunion party for the 1955 team in Brooklyn in the fall of this year, 2005.
Product Description
Long before Hank Greenberg earned recognition as baseball's greatest Jewish player, Jews had developed a unique, and very close, relationship with the American pastime. In the late nineteenth century, as both the American Jewish population and baseball's popularity grew rapidly, baseball became an avenue by which Jewish immigrants could assimilate into American culture. Beyond the men (and, later, women) on the field, in the dugout, and at the front office, the Jewish community produced a huge base of fans and students of the game. This important book examines the interrelated histories of baseball and American Jews to 1948-the year Israel was established, the first full season that both major leagues were integrated, and the summer that Hank Greenberg retired. Covered are the many players, from Pike to Greenberg, as well as the managers, owners, executives, writers, statisticians, manufacturers and others who helped forge a bond between baseball and an emerging Jewish culture in America. Key reasons for baseball's early appeal to Jews are examined, including cultural assimilation, rebellion against perceived Old World sensibilities, and intellectual and philosophical ties to existing Jewish traditions. The authors also clearly demonstrate how both Jews and baseball have benefited from their relationship.
Book Description
In Game of My Life: 20 Stories of Yankees Baseball, everyone from stars to supersubs offers personal stories revealing the obstacles they had to overcome in order to succeed on sports' biggest stage. Some of the biggest names to ever don the pinstripes are captured in personal portraits here, from Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera to Don Mattingly, Reggie Jackson, Ron Guidry, and all the way back to Yogi Berra and Tommy Henrich, the first Yankee to grow up dreaming of the big ballpark in the Bronx. Along with taking readers behind the scenes of the greatest moments in Yankees history--from Bucky Dent's home run to David Wells's perfect game--the book offers a glimpse of what helped the stars reach their peak. Jorge Posada made up for the dream his father lost as a political prisoner in Cuba. Ron Guidry hunted from the time he was a boy to help his hard-working father put food on the table. Mel Stottlemyre, who lost a son to leukemia, picked a seemingly meaningless regular-season game because "my boys didn't think I could do it." Joe Torre first started organizing games in the park as he took refuge from his "bully" of a father. Don Mattingly recounts the thrill of proving he could perform on the October stage and the decision to walk away from the game without a World Series ring so he could spend time with his family. Reggie Jackson details his difficulty in adjusting to the Yankees, from his battles with Billy Martin to his eventual triumph in making World Series history. Award-winning writer Dave Buscema, who covers the Yankees on a regular basis, paints a personal picture of the Yankees' biggest stars and captures the joy of those who rose from obscurity to history. The game accountsspark memories of the most exciting moments in Yankees history. The players personal stories show that, for many of them, the "Game of My Life" was often about more than just a game.
Customer Reviews:
Brian Doyle, Yankee, review.......2005-10-11
Very entertaining because I have been associated with Brian Doyle for 45 years. The author, Dave, wrote that Brian was from Cave City, KS not KY. Although very entertaining it contained grammatical errors which bother a former school teacher. When I looked past those and realized Dave was using "interview" - "newspaper" style I really enjoyed the book. It contained personal insights into each "character" or ball player. They are a strange breed unto themselves.
Good stories, but...........2005-03-31
As a baseball fan reading this book and not particularly a Yankee fan I found it an enjoyable read that invites a question and a comment.
How do you write a book about individual Yankees and omit Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris? I would think that even current Yankee players who might read this would be surprised by that.
The book was written pre-2004 and several ties mention was made of "The Curse" (over the Red sox) staying in place. Considering "The Curse" obviously didn't work the season after the book was written, that tends to cancel out some of the obvious obnoxious Yankee fan statements in the book. The author shows that attitude of "Well, he's not a Yankee so he's not the best player at his position". Typical.
Buscema Scores Big!!! A Must-have for Yankee fans.......2005-02-19
This book was really a treat for my family and I, Yankee fans for our entire lives. Just re-living the great names, moments and games that Buscema described made the book worth reading, but the inside scoops and exclusive interviews made it awesome. Buscema is also clearly a sports fanatic and a skillful storyteller. Recommended to one and all.
Joseph
A superb giftbook for baseball fans in general.......2004-12-13
Game Of My Life: 20 Stories Of Yankees Baseball brings together personal testimonies of 20 of the greatest Yankees baseball players. In their own words, big names such as Yogi Berra, Phil Rizzuto, Reggie Jackson and more tell of the tension, the severe training, the little frustrations and the indefinable rewards that come with life in professional sports. Black-and-white photographs pepper this superb giftbook for baseball fans in general, and Yankees fan especially.
Book Description
America's parks-and their architectural companion, the log cabin-hold a powerful grip on our imagination. Harkening back to a simpler time, these rustic structures serve as a reminder of America's frontier spirit, and serve as a popular source of inspiration for contemporary architecture, in everything from simple vacation homes to the mansion "lodges" favored by today's wealthy elites. This classic three-volume survey, first published in 1938 by the National Park Service, details in photographs and measured drawings the rich legacy of America's park structures. In over 500 illustrations, Park and Recreation Structures documents picnic tables, dams, drinking fountains, trail signs, storage sheds, bridges, boathouses, lodges, and inns from the glory days of park construction. Reproduced in its entirety in a single volume, this book will serve as a source of ideas, details, and imagery for architects, landscapists, gardeners, and anyone interested in America's national parks.
Customer Reviews:
Great "Catalogue" of American Log Construction.......2005-11-18
The golden era of handcrafted log construction was 1920's and 30's, and this wonderful book details, in project after project, the structures that had been built in America's National and State parks during that time. Cabins, lodges, visitor centers, even bridges, drinking fountains, fire pits, outhouses, and log benches-they all get photos, drawings, and commentary in this encyclopedic work.
Albert H. Good wrote several books as Architectural Consultant for the National Park Service, and 3 of them are bound into one huge book here--it is the size of a library dictionary. More than 600 pages, and countless photos and drawings, the publisher used high quality paper and library binding. It feels like an expensive book!
For me, the drawings are the gems. B&W photos must be difficult to scan and reproduce from the original, and some of the photos in this book, while generally very good, have suffered just a little. But this is nit picking.
This book is a treasurehouse of handcrafted stone and log structures--these were craftsmen working at the peak of their abilities. And the designs are superb-they have the human scale, the warmth, and the charm that current architects could learn from. Great log homes don't need to be 4000 square feet, or have 20-foot ceilings. This book is proof of that.
Save up and buy this book. Use it when designing your own log home or cabin. Share it with friends. I have been building log homes, and writing about log home construction, for 23 years and each time I browse this book I learn something new.
Robert W. Chambers, author, Log Construction Manual
great reference.......2005-09-25
This is a beautiful book and an excellent reference. It is a reprint of the three volume set published in 1938. "Patterns From the Golden Age" is a cheaper reprint of the same thing - but the quality of the photos in this version is well worth the extra money.
Buildings and sites of the WPA and CCC era........1999-08-08
This is the best source book for the architectural projects and site concepts produced during the 1930's for the Works Projects Administration (WPA)and Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Albert Good's narrative provides insight into the motivating forces that employed thousands of out of work architects, engineers, skilled craftsmen and laborers to produce projects that now form the core of our national and state park systems.
Most of the work produced under this program is enjoyed by today's tourist as the premier and most desirable destinations for outdoor experiences. Few new park facilities can duplicate the environments created by these dedicated workers on superbly selected and planned sites during the darkest days of the "Great Depression". The hand crafted, and sometimes intricately decorated, architecture and natural landscape planning evolved from talented designers and often unskilled laborers who lavished their work with love that only the lack of deadlines, the motivation of an empty stomach, a belief in the benefit for their fellow countrymen and the need to build with on site materials can produce. These buildings are truly "green buildings" before the term and recent politically correct notion became fasionable.
Any architect, engineer, conservation and environmental supporter or depression era historian can benefit from this publication which brings one in contact with a nation faced with financial ruin and the effect on the hopes and spirit of its citizens. It demonstrates that when given a chance, the work ethic that has and hopefully will always exist in this nation produces fantastic results..........that we can roll up our shirt sleeves and pull on our boots to produce marvelous and lasting accomplishments even under great adversity.
I recommend this book not just for the professionals whose vocations it represents but also for those who wish to understand the mountains that can be moved with a little sweat and perseverance.
Book Description
In his Minnesota Twins career, Kent Hrbek hit 293 home runs and helped his team to two World Series titles. But fans remember the hulking first baseman for much more than his solid play. Hrbek is a Twin Cities lifer, starring at Kennedy High School in nearby Bloomington, Minnesota before signing with the Twins. In fourteen major-league seasons, the only uniform Hrbek wore was the Twins. And since his retirement in 1994, Hrbek has remained visible in the Twin cities, whether assisting charity functions or hosting his locally broadcast outdoors show. In Kent Hrbeks Tales from the Twins Dugout, the fan favorite looks back at his playing career in Minnesota. Many stories revolve around the championship seasons of 1987 and 1991. Hrbek also shares his memories of the late Kirby Puckett, the star of those championship teams. He tells of his close friendshipand the sudden end of that relationshipwith third baseman Gary Gaetti. Kent Hrbeks Tales from the Twins Dugout is a humorous, insightful, and at times heartbreaking story of one of the most memorable eras in team history, from one of Minnesotas very own.
Customer Reviews:
Great Book by an even Better Guy.......2007-07-28
I really enjoyed this book for a couple of reasons. First, Kent Hrbek is a really likable guy who isn't out to impress anyone. He is a truly genuine individual, which is admirable and refreshing. He is also very interesting. No, this book isn't written on a graduate level, but who cares? It's about baseball, a team full of good guys, and one fun loving guy in particular. I read this book right before I read the book written by John Schuerholz. Wow, talk about opposites. The "genius" Schuerholz has no clue about things like the Hrbek charm.
Kent Hrbek... A Credit to the Integrity of Baseball.......2007-06-14
As a Minnesota Twins fan for some forty years, this may be perceived as a somewhat biased view...but I truly don't believe it is. Most of those who follow the game closely, and appreciate its significance on the national psyche for more than a century, will respect this straight-arrow summary--of Kent Hrbek's team, in particular; but, even more importantly, for the significance and integrity of the game in general. Though an unsung hero in terms of individual awards, he was, in the eyes of many objective baseball observers, as good as any--and better than most--first basemen to play the game. And he was an excellent clutch hitter (e.g., his grand slam homerun in the sixth game of the 1987 World Series) who knew the strike zone, and rarely swung at a bad pitch. But, as he emphasizes in his book, his two World Series rings, and the undying support of true baseball fans in the upper Midwest, and throughout the country, totally overshadow the fact that he was, inexplicably, overlooked for the individual honors which, in the view of many, he so richly deserved. He and others refer to his approach to the game as that of a throwback...the type of player from the game's glory days. This is arguably as high a tribute as can be given a player. And, because these qualities are, sadly, in short supply in today's go-for-the-money atmosphere, Kent Hrbek--nearly thirteen years after his early retirement--is still missed by those who love the game... for the game. And for all of those, "Kent Hrbek's Tales from the Minnesota Twins Dugout" is highly recommended. --Ron Howe / Erskine, Minnesota
Hrbek keeps you hooked and entertained.......2007-06-14
After reading 'Tales', I felt like I had actually been in the dugout with the Twins. The book keeps moving, doesn't well on any point too long and provides just the right amount of detail. Hrbek and Brackin have delivered a baseball classic.
Hrbek's antics and honesty come through as genuine. He seems like a guy were he your neighbor you could just walk up to and have a nice, casual conversation. His views on baseball provide insight for the fan from the other side of the stadium fence. I remember watching him as a kid whenever the Twins came to Seattle, and he was always an impressive player. We ran into Hrbek on the street in downtown Seattle one day and he lived-up to his friendly guy image in person too.
I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it for anyone with an interest in baseball or the Minnesota Twins in particular.
Must Read for Minnesota Twins Fans!!!.......2007-05-28
This book was a great, quick read of antecdotes from Hrbek's career as a Twin. He reveals a lot of suprising off-the-field information that baseball players rarely reveal in career retrospectives. If you were a Twins fan in the glory year runs of 1987 and 1991, you have to check this out.
Book Description
The 1967 Red Sox defied their critics and emerged victorious in that summer's pennant race. Petrocelli, a major force on the T67 team, gives long-time fans an opportunity to relive that magical, unforgettable season, and younger fans a chance to learn about one of the most popular organizations in sports.
Book Description
In this highly original history of the world's most famous bicycle race, Christopher S. Thompson, mining previously neglected sources and writing with infectious enthusiasm for his subject, tells the compelling story of the Tour de France from its creation in 1903 to the present. Weaving the words of racers, politicians, Tour organizers, and a host of other commentators together with a wide-ranging analysis of the culture surrounding the event--including posters, songs, novels, films, and media coverage--Thompson links the history of the Tour to key moments and themes in French history. He argues persuasively that this hugely popular sporting event has been instrumental in French attempts to grapple with the great challenges they have confronted during their tumultuous twentieth century--from World Wars, political divisions, and class conflict to economic modernization, women's emancipation, and threats to public health. Examining the enduring popularity of Tour racers, Thompson explores how their public images have changed over the past century. He concludes with a discussion of the longstanding practice of doping and considers the complex case of the seven-time champion Lance Armstrong.
Book Description
The true story of basketball lives as much off the court as on the hardwood; it is about politics and race and cultural clashes as heated as a final-four buzzer-beater. This story unfolds in all its gritty and colorful detail in Under the Boards. From the birth of the Larry Bird legend to the ascendancy of a hip-hop-infused NBA to the backlash against bling and the contemporary American game, Jeffrey Lane traces the emergence of a new culture of basketball, complete with competing values, attitudes, aesthetics, and racial and economic tensions.
The revolution Lane describes resonates in the way Latrell Sprewell’s assault on his coach forever changed NBA power relations; in legendary coach Bob Knight’s entanglement in high school basketball history; in the dramatic shift in attitude toward European players; in the impact of the deaths of two rappers on rookie Allen Iverson’s career; and in conflicting cultural models rooted in ideals of black masculinity and white nostalgia. In these moments Lane’s book documents a profound change in basketball and in American culture over the last thirty years.
Customer Reviews:
If you love basketball..........2007-06-04
Buy this book! I'm not even a huge fan of the sport, but Jeff Lane manages to make it interesting. I might actually start watching the NBA!
a great young author.......2007-05-13
Jeffrey Lane scores big with this riveting look at how the sport of basketball has evolved into something many of us do not recognize from it's heyday of the 1980's. It is a fascinating read that will enlighten even the non-basketball fan amongst us.
Average customer rating:
- A great book for studying and teaching about masculinity
- A great book for studying and teaching about masculinity
- Finally something intelligently written!
- Acadamia runs amok, to make sensational, exaggerated point
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A House of Cards: Baseball Card Collecting and Popular Culture (American Culture (Minneapolis, Minn.), 12.)
John Bloom
Manufacturer: University of Minnesota Press
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Instant Expert: Collecting Baseball and Other Sports Cards (Instant Expert (Random House))
ASIN: 0816628718 |
Customer Reviews:
A great book for studying and teaching about masculinity.......2000-06-29
Bloom's well-researched study of baseball collectors in the 1980s is a wonderful text for studying and teaching about masculinity and popular culture. His book raises important questions about the crisis of masculinity in the latter part of the twentieth century, and the ways that popular culture practices like baseball card collecting both challenged and, ultimately, shored up traditional gender boundaries between men and women. Bloom's work also focuses extensively on the issue of nostalgia, particularly the idealized memory of 1950s American boyhoods. An accessible and engaging tone makes this a fine text to use in popular culture classes or in gender studies classes.
A great book for studying and teaching about masculinity.......2000-06-29
Bloom's well-researched study of baseball collectors in the 1980s is a wonderful text for studying and teaching about masculinity and popular culture. His book raises important questions about the crisis of masculinity in the latter part of the twentieth century, and the ways that popular culture practices like baseball card collecting both challenged and, ultimately, shored up traditional gender boundaries between men and women. Bloom's work also focuses extensively on the issue of nostalgia, particularly the idealized memory of 1950s American boyhoods. An accessible and engaging tone makes this a fine text to use in popular culture classes or in gender studies classes.
Finally something intelligently written!.......1999-02-01
As a baseball card collector for over 20 years, I have read countless articles in countless publications about baseball cards and card collecting. Almost every one of the has focused on either the financial aspects of the hobby or on how great it is to be a collector. John Bloom has written a thought provoking and academic book which examines WHY we collect.
While I do not agree with some of the authors positions, specifically about race and homoerotocism, I feel that they are well thought out and presented. His description of the MCC, a card collectors club, is very similar to my own experiences in the two clubs to which I have belonged in the past, and offers a unique look at the pettiness and power struggles that often arise in these organizations.
Many collectors and hobby writers came out very strongly against this book, but I think that many of them looked at Blooms' conclusions as an attack on the hobby of card collecting. They are not.
While the academic tone of the book can make it difficult to read at times, the insights that it offers and the fact that it at least makes the reader THINK about the nature of collecting are reason enough to read "House of Cards".
Acadamia runs amok, to make sensational, exaggerated point.......1997-08-23
Collecting baseball cards evokes memories of crisp wax paper; the assault of a preadolescent nose with the aroma of sickly sweet, often stale, powder-sugar coated bubble gum; the thrill of your first Ted Williams card; and of clothes-pinning your sixth Pedro Ramos in your bicycle spokes.
In stark contrast, Bloom's book portrays collectors in the angry, white man role; discusses the collector's insecurities about their rapidly declining social position; their disturbing attitudes toward blacks and women; and their apparent inability to get a date in high school. Why is Bloom saying such disparaging things about the people who collect baseball cards?
Bloom spent some time in the late 1980s attending baseball card shows in Minnesota. His observations at the shows, sports card shops, interviews with hobbyists, and secondary research, form the basis for this adaptation of his doctoral thesis.
Baseball card collecting can evolve from a children's hobby to an adult's business. But the hobby took on an entirely new dynamic during the Reagan years. Many American boys collected cards, and in the economic boom of the 1980s, price's escalated, and collectors found (if mom hadn't gotten there first) treasure troves in long-forgotten, old shoe boxes. Unfortunately, many believed, including Bloom, that the newfound wealth corrupted the hobby.
Bloom's typical adult collector is white, male, and lower-middle class. In turn, Bloom blames these card collectors for failed marriages, deceit, deception, the manipulation of children, the exclusion and derision of women, and distancing the races.
But is the assertion valid that adult collectors are sexist, merely because the majority are male? Similarly, are they racist because a majority are white? Is the fact that Mickey Mantle's 1952 Topps rookie card sells at a higher price than Willie Mays' 1952 card, justifiable evidence of racism among the collecting enthusiasts as the author brazenly maintains?
The impact and social ramifications of collecting baseball cards appear to be stretched beyond the realm of plausibility to make an alarming, though questionable, point. Is it possible that collecting bits of cardboard, emblazoned with the images of childhood heroes, really be the cause of this much social discord?
But the author has missed a critical point. Bloom states that the cards, in and of themselves, "are of no real consequence." Most collectors would vehemently disagree. Baseball cards derive their value by resurrecting the reminiscences of the collector's youthful heroes. There is a collective social memory which envelops the collectors and their cards. The fact that trade guides indicate that selected cards may have some extrinsic value is nice, but for the majority of collectors, not paramount. The same native affinity does not permeate collecting spoons, stamps or coins, or even football or basketball cards. The fact that these collectibles are baseball cards matters a great deal.
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- Thugs And The Women Who Love Them
Scottish Golf Links: A Photographer's Journey
Blasted Heaths and Blessed Green: A Golfer's Pilgrimage to the Courses of Scotland
Golf in Scotland: A Travel-Planning Guide with Profiles of 68 Great Courses
A Season In Dornoch: Golf and Life in the Scottish Highlands
Scotland's Golf Courses
