Touching All the Bases by Ned Garver

[Twinfan90]

How is this book? Today I got a letter back from him and he asked me if I wanted to buy his book. Is it a good read? Something a 16 year old might be interested in? Any help is much appreciated. Thanks!

Tyler

[KCGHOST]

Ned Garver?? You talking about the 80+ year old former pitcher for the Browns, Tigers, and A's?? If so it might be able to get a youngster the flavor of what the game and the players were like back then.

[Captain Cold Nose]

Ned Garver is selling his book directly? I am always interested in an oldtimer's take. How much is he charging?

[Twinfan90]

Ned Garver?? You talking about the 80+ year old former pitcher for the Browns, Tigers, and A's?? If so it might be able to get a youngster the flavor of what the game and the players were like back then.

Thats the one. I sent him some cards to get signed, and he wrote me a note asking if I'd like to buy his book. Its about his time playing baseball in the late 40s through the 50s. He told me he thinks I would enjoy reading what baseball was like back then.

The cost varies, there are 3 versions. There is the regular version (not sure if its hardcover or paperback, hardcover I would assume) for $20. An autographed hardcover edition for $25, and a limited edition #d to 100. I guess in the limited edition there is a special page found only in that version where he writes the number out of 100.

I think I might buy it though. Id like to learn more about the history of the game, and in my opinion there is no better way than getting it from a player himself.

[KCGHOST]

As a person who reads lots of history I will tell you that the worst source of info is a book written by a person who is also in the book.

[Twinfan90]

As a person who reads lots of history I will tell you that the worst source of info is a book written by a person who is also in the book.

Yeah I suppose I could see that. Maybe a little bit of stretching the truth in his book? Id still like to read it however, learn about if from his perspective. Im kind of waiting to purchase it though, I want to talk to somebody who has read the book. I looked for a review online and found nothing.

[Dalkowski110]

"As a person who reads lots of history I will tell you that the worst source of info is a book written by a person who is also in the book."

I wouldn't make blanket statements like that. For example, although not baseball-related, the book We Were Soldiers Once...And Young by Lt. General Harold G. Moore, USA (Ret.) and Joseph L. Galloway features both guys in what was one of our first regular engagements in the Vietnam War. It is truly a wonderful book (and inspired Mel Gibson to make a sub-par movie about it) with the facts right. In fact, I can think of a few other military history books written by men who indeed were there that got the facts right (can't remember who wrote My Hitch in Hell, but it was a truly searing look into the Japanese POW camps by someone who was in fact in a Japanese POW camp...the author's in it, and it's generally regarded as one of the best books on the subject). And getting back to baseball...what about Ball Four? That's a horrible source of info?

[GaryL]

As a person who reads lots of history I will tell you that the worst source of info is a book written by a person who is also in the book.

I agree about not making a blanket statement. I also read a lot of baseball history...and still my all-time favorite baseball book is Nice Guys FInish Last by Leo Durocher. Leo was actually a teammate of Babe Ruth and the book covers his life in baseball from the '20's into the '80's. I've read the book three times.