Even if you are not a huge baseball fan, you can still enjoy the photos of players, both male and female. In Every Pitcher Tells a Story (1999) by Seth Swirsky you will read the actual replies hand written or typed by the player who responded to a personal letter sent to each by the author.  Even though some players may not have been part of your personal history, take a few minutes and flip through the photos.  It is quite interesting.

You may find yourself stepping back into a time in your own life and recalling a baseball memory that impacted you.  My personal memory is about watching the Cleveland Indians play.  I had no real interest in the game, but I did watch anything that was on television.

Watching TV and time with my dad were the only two things that could get me in the house.  Rocky Colavito was a favorite of mine.  I liked the sound of his name.  Johnny Roseboro was from my hometown of Ashland, Ohio.  So that was something I could later brag about.

The Iowa Baseball Confederacy (1968) by W.P. Kinsella has been around for quite a few years.  But it was new to me and maybe to you also.  It is a quick pleasant and delightful read for all ages. The tale sort of takes place during the summer of 1908 when the Chicago Cubs played an amateur team. That team’s name?  The Iowa Baseball Confederacy.

This short novel is a stepping back in a time travel event.  It is filled with interesting characters and historical events in baseball, but not a lot of drama unless you count the flood during the 2,000^th yes, 2000th inning.  Sit back and enjoy the magic and the baseball.

The Final Season (2001) by Tom Stanton is a very true story. If you are from Michigan, you may already know some of the story behind this book.  Having never had the opportunity to experience a baseball game in a stadium until well into my 60s, WOW! Were my eyes opened as a first timer.  Loved the experience.

Stanton always dreamed of being a bat boy for the Detroit Tigers.  Watching the Tigers play in the stadium was something the author had done since he was quite young.  This was all thanks to his grandpa and his sons and their love for the game.

When the news about replacing Tiger Stadium, Stanton made a decision.  He was going to attend all 81 home games during its final season, beginning in April,1999 to the final game on September 17^th. His mission was accomplished.  Enjoy The Final Season, it is really worth reading.

The final at bat for this review is the novel Calico Joe (2012) by John Grisham.  It is set in the world of Major League Baseball, during the summer of 1973.  According to some information I found, this book was inspired by some personal experience Grisham had playing baseball, especially the aggressive, bad-mannered pitchers.

Calico Joe is a fast read, even for one who does not follow baseball closely, or not at all.  Do not be surprise if once you start reading, how quickly you find yourself turning the pages. The book is an ode to small towns, baseball, and heroes.