Michael Lewis’ 2003 book “Moneyball” changed the way many baseball fans considered team management, much like how Billy Beane himself changed the GM position. In 2011, the book was adapted for Hollywood with superstar actor Brad Pitt taking on the lead role, but does he and director Bennett Miller do justice to this real-life story?

“The Art of Fielding” by Chad Harbach is a novel that captures more than just a summer of baseball. It tells the story of five individuals and their relationships around college baseball field, capturing everything from the funny moments to the sad ones to the fantastic and everything in between. Mark Milner explains more.

“The Glory of their Times” by Lawrence Ritter recounts baseball’s early days, from its speculative origins to the formation of the first professional leagues to the mid-1950s, when decades of tradition established the game as America’s pastime. Through exclusive interviews with players, Ritter gets first-hand accounts of baseball’s past and criticisms of where it’s gone since.

Buck Martinez had a lengthy baseball career spent with three teams. He chronicled his final season as a player with “The Last Out – The Toronto Blue Jays in 1986″ in which he talks about his team, his season and his life. The book captures moments in time, but fails to hit on all levels. Eric Rosenhek reviews why.

Rating: 8.5/10 I never cared about Cal Ripken. Ty Cobb is a name in the record books and Hank Aaron’s a grainy highlight reel of a man running the bases. Pete Rose exists to me only for the controversy, not for the phenomenal athlete he was. I care about Derek Jeter and I cared about [...]