- Paperback: 384 pages
- Publisher: HarperPerennial; 1st HarperPerennial Ed edition (April 1991)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0060973722
- ISBN-13: 978-0060973728
- Product Dimensions: 20.1 x 13.7 x 2.5 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,105,782 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Men at Work: The Craft of Baseball
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Synopsis
An analysis of the game of baseball profiles four key figures--Tony Gwynn, Orel Hershiser, Cal Ripken, Jr., and Tony LaRussa--and includes historical trivia, anecdotes, and conversations with players, managers, and coaches.
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First Sentence
On August 13, 1910, there was a baseball game of perfect symmetry. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
On August 13, 1910, there was a baseball game of perfect symmetry. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Paperback
A few disclaimers are in order on this review. As is generally known, George Will is a prominent conservative pundit, one of the apostles of the "free-market" ideology that lies in shambles at our feet, after Wall Street hit up Washington for a few trillion to tide them over their latest performance deficiencies; sufficient coins to buy quite a few food stamps. Will might not have reconsidered his position on the financial markets, but he does think, and has recently come out against the war in Afghanistan. In terms of baseball, I listened to all the Pirate games back "at the beginning of time," roughly when the Dodgers moved from Brooklyn to L.A. But I put baseball aside, along with my complete set of baseball cards, as a thing of early youth, and haven't been back. I have no idea who won the last World Series. The final disclaimer: Will's book is almost 20 years old, so what is the point?
The points are as numerous as fireflies on a summer evening in the country. For the willing, as it were, Will expands that small subset of people indicated by New York Giants catcher Wes Westrum who said that baseball is like church: "Many attend but few understand." Will eschews the cant and the marketing, and explains what baseball really is all about, in an intelligent way that confirms that the game is the most cerebral of America's sports. He presents the game from four different perspectives, and personifies those viewpoints in the person of key individuals of that area, thus, the Manger is represented by Tony La Russa, The Pitcher by Orel Hershiser, The Batter, Tony Gwynn and the Defensive Player by Cal Ripken. All these players are mere newcomers to one whose baseball "heroes" come from the `50's and `60', yet they are now all "old-timers" to today's players. One of Will's consistent themes is that those who reach the pinnacle in this game exert tremendous, focused energy attempting to gain the slight statistical advantage in any given situation, and therefore over the long-term, will turn that slender advantage into victories.
Will combines both philosophical perspective and a dry wit. For example, he says: "So there is an inevitable poignancy inherent in the careers of even the best professional athletes. They compress the natural trajectory of human experience--striving, attaining, declining--into such a short span." Will also discusses the classic baseball movie from the `80's, "Bull Durham." Annie is the heroine, who follows this minor league team, and lends more than solace to one player each season, as she teaches Whitman and Blake to English students at the community college, and says: "A guy will listen to anything if he thinks its foreplay."
There is one other book I would put in the same category as this one, Russell Chatham's "Dark Waters" which explained the mysteries of the appeal of fishing to someone who could never see the point, myself.
Finally, there is the "Say It Ain't So, Joe" aspect to this book. The quote, probably apocryphal, is attributed to a disillusioned street urchin who was a baseball fan, and confronted "Shoeless Joe Jackson," who was indicted for being in a scheme to fix the 1919 World Series when he played for the Chicago White Sox. We now know that all too often the struggle to gain that slight statistical advantage concentrated on the correct amount of steroids that one should take, and how best to mask the drug abuse. Say it Ain't So, Manny.
(Note: Review first published at Amazon, USA, on September 23, 2009)
The points are as numerous as fireflies on a summer evening in the country. For the willing, as it were, Will expands that small subset of people indicated by New York Giants catcher Wes Westrum who said that baseball is like church: "Many attend but few understand." Will eschews the cant and the marketing, and explains what baseball really is all about, in an intelligent way that confirms that the game is the most cerebral of America's sports. He presents the game from four different perspectives, and personifies those viewpoints in the person of key individuals of that area, thus, the Manger is represented by Tony La Russa, The Pitcher by Orel Hershiser, The Batter, Tony Gwynn and the Defensive Player by Cal Ripken. All these players are mere newcomers to one whose baseball "heroes" come from the `50's and `60', yet they are now all "old-timers" to today's players. One of Will's consistent themes is that those who reach the pinnacle in this game exert tremendous, focused energy attempting to gain the slight statistical advantage in any given situation, and therefore over the long-term, will turn that slender advantage into victories.
Will combines both philosophical perspective and a dry wit. For example, he says: "So there is an inevitable poignancy inherent in the careers of even the best professional athletes. They compress the natural trajectory of human experience--striving, attaining, declining--into such a short span." Will also discusses the classic baseball movie from the `80's, "Bull Durham." Annie is the heroine, who follows this minor league team, and lends more than solace to one player each season, as she teaches Whitman and Blake to English students at the community college, and says: "A guy will listen to anything if he thinks its foreplay."
There is one other book I would put in the same category as this one, Russell Chatham's "Dark Waters" which explained the mysteries of the appeal of fishing to someone who could never see the point, myself.
Finally, there is the "Say It Ain't So, Joe" aspect to this book. The quote, probably apocryphal, is attributed to a disillusioned street urchin who was a baseball fan, and confronted "Shoeless Joe Jackson," who was indicted for being in a scheme to fix the 1919 World Series when he played for the Chicago White Sox. We now know that all too often the struggle to gain that slight statistical advantage concentrated on the correct amount of steroids that one should take, and how best to mask the drug abuse. Say it Ain't So, Manny.
(Note: Review first published at Amazon, USA, on September 23, 2009)
Format:Paperback
Men at Work is a wonderful piece of writing that gives its readers a solid understanding of what it takes -- both physically and mentally -- to make it in the complex world of baseball. Some may find it a difficult, slow read, but compared to his political columns, Will really dumbs it down. I guess he realizes that baseball is not a sport enjoyed by Harvard-educated intellectuals. But the book itself is refreshingly intellectual, due to Will's dedicated study of the game and his (and the subjects' of the book) attention to detail. The only setback of the book is that, it may seem a little outdated. There is hardly any talk of free agency, revenue sharing, expansion, etc. Of course, this book was written before the big salary boom of the 1990s. Expansion was far off and the lack of competitive balance had yet to become an issue.
This book is excellent, nearly perfect, in fact. Subjects for Men at Work II might include Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Ivan Rodriguez, Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, Nomar Garciapara, or Joe Torre (Lou Piniella would most likely offer a wonderful look at modern managers). Hopefully, Will realizes that there is still much to be learned on the part of fans everywhere. We could use another book, George.
Format:Paperback
Will includes tons of fascinating insights and anecdotes, but the writing is ponderous. He seems unable to be agile in explaining anything. Statistics are frequently presented in far more volume than necessary to prove the point in question. There are misspellings and sentences which simply do not scan. This book seems to have lacked a strong, intervening editor. The result is a book at least 30% longer than it needs to be. In addition, although its 4 stars are still active in baseball, a great deal has changed since then including interleague play, smaller parks, the big home run totals, the even greater importance of the closer, the money -- this book is in big need of an update. It's also surprising that he never really addresses free agency. If he were writing it today, he would need to discuss salary cap and realignment.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A thought-provoking insight
George Will does a spectacular job of detailing the in's and out's of the game. This is an articulate, insightful book that every true baseball fan should read. Read more
Published on 25 Nov 1998
Must have for all knowing
This is not a book for the baseball illeterate, people who think the game is boring or communists. Will goes into microscopic detail about the intricacies of our national pastime. Read more
Published on 18 Nov 1998
a classic to be enjoyed by generations to come
This extraordinarily written masterpiece provides the reader with an insider look at our national pastime. Read more
Published on 24 Oct 1998
George Will can't write!
The book does provide some very interesting stories and the premise of the book is a good one, but George Will somehow manages to mess it up. Read more
Published on 1 Sep 1998
A Timeless Look at THE Game
Will's approach and in-depth analysis make this a tantalizing read for the fan. The reader will never look at a game the same way again. Read more
Published on 16 July 1998
An Intelligent Man's Guide to Baseball
Full of anecdote, analysis, and opinion, George Will offers an insightful guide to what baseball is really about. Read more
Published on 16 July 1998
An Intelligent Man's Guide to Baseball
Full of anecdote, analysis, and opinion, George Will offers an insightful guide to what baseball is really about. Read more
Published on 16 July 1998
George has found his calling
I'm sorry, but it's not my fault that George Will's political ideas are beyond right field, to the warning track, back, back, back, back - gone. Read more
Published on 25 May 1998
A Baseball Gem
If you have ever had any doubt that baseball is a slow paced, boring sport that withers in comparison to football, basketball, and hockey, then this book is definitely for you. Read more
Published on 18 Feb 1998
Very detailed
George Will does a great job of detailing great figures in the history of baseball and the changes over the last 100+ years. Read more
Published on 29 Oct 1997
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