The Soul of Baseball: A Road Trip Through Buck O’Neil’s America
- ISBN13: 9780060854041
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Product Description When legendary Negro League player Buck O’Neil asked Joe Posnanski how he fell in love with baseball, the renowned sports columnist was inspired by the question. He decided to spend the 2005 baseball season touring the country with the ninety-four-year-old O’Neil in hopes of rediscovering the love that first drew them to the game. The Soul of Baseball is as much the story of Buck O’Neil as it is the story of baseball. Driven by a relentless optimism and his two g. . . More >>
The Soul of Baseball: A Road Trip Through Buck O’Neil’s America
I can’t help but wonder if the 22 reviews — all giving this book 5 stars — are some of the author’s closest friends. I am not saying I didn’t like the book, but the writing was drab. Through the first few chapters, I got it, Buck O’neal was a good man. So, I’m just saying that the stories were not told in a way that made me connect with Mr. O’Neal –he was just a nice guy and then he died. There are a few editing errors as well, which made it confusing. I am by no means a critic of writing, but I just don’t see the amazing book everyone else here did — anyone agree with me?
Rating: 3 / 5
I found the book very readable and never really got bored with it. I would have liked more in depth stories from when Buck played and managed. Most of the reminisces were short and sweet versions. All and all, I did enjoy the book and consider it a good book, not a great book.
Rating: 3 / 5
I love this book! I also love Jo Po’s awesome blog and his keen sense of off-beat humor. Great stuff! I also really love the turkey and swiss market fresh combo at Arby’s. Man, that’s good. My idea of heaven would be to spend an hour eating the aforementioned sandwich while drinking free refills of Coke and reading this book. Yes!
Rating: 5 / 5
I have been reading Posnanski for years and have read every word he has written about Buck. Thus, I really didn’t expect to learn anything new in this book. I was wrong. It is fresh material and as is always the case with Posnanski, incredibly well written. I felt like I was along for the ride as Joe traveled the nation with O’Neil toward the end of this amazing man’s life. The book really gets to O’Neil’s soul and makes us all pause to think about what is truly important in life. Incredible read for anyone. Lots of great baseball stories, but so much more.
Rating: 5 / 5
Do not pass up the opportunity to read this book, because it is a heart-warming collection of stories and memories written by Joe Posnanski on the life of the late Negro Baseball League star Buck O’Neil. Posananski “tags along” with Buck for a year as he travels and attends civic events, baseball games, elementary schools, and the Negro Baseball League museum in Kansas City. O’Neil provides a litany of stories and adages he learned while he was a player, manager, scout and coach in the formative years of baseball.
I WAS RIGHT ON TIME by Buck O’Neil, Conrads, Burns, and Wulf was a much better book due to its historical happenings, amusing stories, and novelty. The book was published following Ken Burns’ tremenous mini-series on baseball, and the interviews of Buck O’Neil in the anthology. However, THE SOUL OF BASEBALL is still a very touching, insightful, and interesting read for someone who desires an entertaining book on baseball.
Individuals in the Kansas City area were blessed by the humor and stories of Buck O’Neil as he was interviewed and related his experiences in the Negro Leagues. Quite often he was a storyteller/commentator on the Kansas City Royals broadcasts, and we found him quite interesting in his memories. Furthermore, we Kansas Citians are blessed with the Negro League Baseball museum, one any baseball fan would enjoy.
THE SOUL OF BASEBALL is a very interesting, thought-provoking and entertaining book as Posnanski follows O’Neil on his travels in the twilight of his life. It is unfortuanate O’Neil was not elected to Baseball’s Hall of Fame as he was a superb ambassador and example of character, diligence and dreams.
Rating: 4 / 5