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 | In His Own Write |
 | "Fun and Nostalgic" | 2009-08-20 |
Reading this short, vintage collection of John Lennon's offbeat writings is like taking a trip back to a simpler time. It feels like Beatlemania all over again, but viewed in retrospect and with knowing what we now know about John, you can really get a feel for him as a person, warts and all. Irreverent, politically incorrect, outspoken, quirky and very funny are good words to describe his writing style and what he writes about. The cartoons look a lot like James Thurber's.
He wasn't a genius but he was a very, very talented man.
Well worth reading, even essential, for Beatles fans, Lennon fans and those who feel (like myself) a desire to return to a simpler time. Put on some Beatles music and enjoy the read!!
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 | Veeck--As In Wreck : The Autobiography of Bill Veeck |
| "The coolest owner ever." | 2009-02-04 |
Bill Veeck was a true maverick before that term got tossed around by crazed hockey moms/ vp wannabee's. Anyway... the story of this man who was known for sending a midget to bat in the majors and, later in life, the disco demolition fiasco in Chicago, was more than those events. He was the kind of guy who "got it" about pro sports. He knew that the fan should come first and that this should be fun. Aftert reading this, you'll want to give the rest of the owners, agents and prima donna athletes a copy in hope that they too will "see the light". The book is his autobiography of sorts that tells more about his philosophy about the game and business than it does about the facts of his life. A fun read, essential for baseball fans, about the coolest owner ever. A hall of fame read, from a hall of famer.
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 | Cobb |
| "Amazing!" | 2008-03-28 |
"Cobb" is simply the best baseball biopic ever. Tommy Lee Jones and Robert Wuhl are excellent as Cobb and his annointed biographer Al Stump. The recreated baseball scenes of the deadball era are right up there with "Eight Men Out" as far as realism goes. Jones is "scary" good in his portrayal of Cobb, arguably the greatest ballplayer ever (I'm pretty convinced he was). This movie is an underappreciated classic of the sports movie genre and a great profile of the genius/madness that was Ty Cobb. The extras are short but interesting. Recommended!!
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 | The Pride of the Yankees |
 | "Corny but essential" | 2008-03-28 |
"Pride of the Yankees" is "the" baseball movie from the "golden age" of Hollywood. If for no other reason it can be called that becauise it has Babe Ruth (as himself) along with Bill Dickey (as himself). Gary Cooper is a legend on the screen but a pretty embarassing batter on screen. Teresa Wright is wonderful as Eleanor Gehrig, as is Walter Brennan as a sportswriter. The shots of Yankee Stadium from before its remuddling in the mid 70's are also wonderful. Cooper still brings a tear to the eye in his farewell speech. If you want to get this movie buy the 2008 re-release which has some extras in it, the lack of which is the only downside to the long standing dvd release. Even though I can't stand the modern day Yankees this movie is a classic!
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 | Cobb |
| "Amazing!" | 2008-03-28 |
"Cobb" is simply the best baseball biopic ever. Tommy Lee Jones and Robert Wuhl are excellent as Cobb and his annointed biographer Al Stump. The recreated baseball scenes of the deadball era are right up there with "Eight Men Out" as far as realism goes. Jones is "scary" good in his portrayal of Cobb, arguably the greatest ballplayer ever (I'm pretty convinced he was). This movie is an underappreciated classic of the sports movie genre and a great profile of the genius/madness that was Ty Cobb. The extras are short but interesting. Recommended!!
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