As I try and find new and exciting ways to fill my free time without any sports, I’ve been revisiting some of my favorite sports books and thought I’d provide a few recommendations of good ones to fill some time with.
Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball’s Last Hero by David Maraniss
This book has been one of my favorites for a very long time and having the opportunity to re-read it has been awesome.
Maraniss captures Clemente both as the baseball player and as the humanitarian; and paints a complete picture of one of the greatest players in the history of the game.
There’s been an argument made through the years that Clemente’s No. 21 should join Jackie Robinson’s No. 45 as the only numbers retired league-wide and this book makes it easy to see why.
As with all good biographies, it captures the struggles he faced as well both personally and in dealing with the racism he faced from some both in Pittsburgh and around the league.
Basketball and Other Things by Shea Serrano:
This is one of the most fun books I’ve read in recent years. Serrano, who also works for the Ringer, addresses one of the most pressing questions you didn’t know you had in each chapter.
Some, are serious, and others deal with questions such as “What’s the most disrespectful dunk in NBA history?”
It’s full of incredible illustrations from Arturo Torres, to boot. If you’re in the market for some light reading, this would be a good choice.
