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Joe Posnanski

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The Baseball 100 Kindle Edition

by Joe Posnanski (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.8 2,121 ratings

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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Winner of the CASEY Award for Best Baseball Book of the Year

“An instant sports classic.” —New York Post * “Stellar.” —The Wall Street Journal * “A true masterwork…880 pages of sheer baseball bliss.” —BookPage (starred review) * “This is a remarkable achievement.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

A magnum opus from acclaimed baseball writer Joe Posnanski, The Baseball 100 is an audacious, singular, and masterly book that took a lifetime to write. The entire story of baseball rings through a countdown of the 100 greatest players in history, with a foreword by George Will.

Longer than Moby-Dick and nearly as ambitious, The Baseball 100 is a one-of-a-kind work by award-winning sportswriter and lifelong student of the game Joe Posnanski. In the book’s introduction, Pulitzer Prize–winning commentator George F. Will marvels, “Posnanski must already have lived more than two hundred years. How else could he have acquired such a stock of illuminating facts and entertaining stories about the rich history of this endlessly fascinating sport?”

Baseball’s legends come alive in these pages, which are not merely rankings but vibrant profiles of the game’s all-time greats. Posnanski dives into the biographies of iconic Hall of Famers, unfairly forgotten All-Stars, talents of today, and more. He doesn’t rely just on records and statistics—he lovingly retraces players’ origins, illuminates their characters, and places their accomplishments in the context of baseball’s past and present. Just how good a pitcher is Clayton Kershaw in the 21st-century game compared to Greg Maddux dueling with the juiced hitters of the nineties? How do the career and influence of Hank Aaron compare to Babe Ruth’s? Which player in the top ten most deserves to be resurrected from history?

No compendium of baseball’s legendary geniuses could be complete without the players of the segregated Negro Leagues, men whose extraordinary careers were largely overlooked by sportswriters at the time and unjustly lost to history. Posnanski writes about the efforts of former Negro Leaguers to restore sidelined Black athletes to their due honor and draws upon the deep troves of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and extensive interviews with the likes of Buck O’Neil to illuminate the accomplishments of players such as pitchers Satchel Paige and Smokey Joe Williams; outfielders Oscar Charleston, Monte Irvin, and Cool Papa Bell; first baseman Buck Leonard; shortstop Pop Lloyd; catcher Josh Gibson; and many, many more.

The Baseball 100 treats readers to the whole rich pageant of baseball history in a single volume. Engrossing, surprising, and heartfelt, it is a magisterial tribute to the game of baseball and the stars who have played it.

From the Publisher

A Q&A with author Joe Posnanski

Can you talk a little bit about how this project came about? For almost a decade, I’d been thinking about the ultimate baseball project, something that would allow me to tell the story of baseball and why it has had such a powerful hold on me and my life. On a different track, I started a countdown of the 100 greatest players, then started another countdown of the 100 greatest players. And then it hit me: Both of these projects — telling baseball’s story and counting down the 100 greatest players — are really the same project, and that’s what led to The Baseball 100.

Have any of your picks or rankings proven controversial to readers? I would say only 99 of the 100 have been controversial. Everybody disagrees about which players are on this list, which players are not on this list, where the players are ranked. But that’s why it’s fun, right?

This book is longer than Moby Dick—what is it about the game of baseball that inspires so much passion in you and so many others?

Baseball is unique in so many ways. It’s the only game where the defense controls the ball. It has a leisurely pace that is different from other games. Its history, as Ken Burns will tell you, runs an almost perfectly parallel track to America’s history. And, I think, it is the sport that best mixes the individual with the team; by that I mean that the batter, the pitcher, even the fielder, all of these people are doing individual things, they can’t rely on anybody else to help them, but all of it is inside a team game.

What is some of the most interesting research you did for the book?

I think and hope there’s interesting research everywhere … I did spend a lot of time on each of the players. But my favorite research involved the Negro Leagues players on this list. I’m hoping that people will really enjoy learning more about Oscar Charleston and Buck Leonard and Bullet Rogan and players they might not know that much about.

You’ve ranked the players here—what do you think is the best baseball team in history?

I’m afraid that you’ll have to wait for The Baseball Team 100.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for The Baseball 100 and Joe Posnanski

“I love baseball, I know baseball, and this book is baseball. It’s the whole story of baseball told through the 100 greatest players of all time . . . But what really makes me say, 'Give this to the baseball people in your life,' is that it’s a book that, when you read it, you fall in love with the game all over again. . . . Every sport needs great players, but it also needs great writers, and Joe Posnanski has done something great for the game of baseball with this book.”
—Tony Dokoupil, CBS This Morning

“Stellar . . . Always fun . . . A book for the moment but also for the bookshelf of the future, an old friend that will bring back old times and old arguments again and again. . . . The rankings were all made by Mr. Posnanski, who is contemporary sports writing’s biggest star. He writes with grace and wit, combining an old-time sense of style with the mountains of numbers and factoids and observations that can be found on the internet.”
—Leigh Montville, The Wall Street Journal

“Posnanski knocks it out of the park with this fascinating deep dive into the careers of those he considers baseball’s 100 greatest players. . . . Will surprise even devoted followers of the sport . . . This is a remarkable achievement.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Major League Baseball fans, you just won the lottery. . . . Posnanski presents 880 pages of sheer baseball bliss . . . It’s a true masterwork, and his writing is so good that it’s likely to engross even those who know nothing about the sport.”
—BookPage (starred review)

“Posnanski skillfully weaves statistics into the narrative without spilling into geekdom, and he searches baseball history for his candidate pool while combing the records for just the right datum or quote. . . . Red meat, and mighty tasty at that, for baseball fans with an appreciation for the past and power of the game.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Posnanski offers manna for baseball geeks with his selection of the 100 all-time greatest baseball players, melding the sabermetrics chops of a Bill James with the eloquence and droll humor of a Roger Angell. . . . . Posnanski also nobly, and rightly, casts a wide net, embracing Japanese legends Ichiro Suzuki and Sadaharu Oh, and, more important, long-neglected Negro leagues players, such as Oscar Charleston. . . . Most important, these selections will bring to the mind’s eye of any baseball fan a vision of how singularly great each of these athletes have played—or, in the case of the old-timers, might have played—the game. Recommended.”
—Booklist

“You can quibble with some of Joe Posnanski's judgements. And so what? That's always been part of the fun for baseball fans. And Posnanski on Baseball has always been fun. . . . This book is a baseball feast that can be consumed in small bites or large gulps. Either way, it's a book we fans will return to often. To spark or settle debates, sure. But especially for the endless pleasure of the history of our greatest game as delivered by one of its finest chroniclers.”
—Bob Costas

"Posnanski is an outstanding journalist, arguably the best pure long-form sportswriter in the land."
—Chicago Sun-Times

"Joe Posnanski is a terrific writer."
—Entertainment Weekly

"One of the best sportswriters in America."
—Washington Times

About the Author

Joe Posnanski is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of seven books, including The Baseball 100, Paterno, and The Secret of Golf. He has written for The Athletic, Sports Illustrated, NBC Sports, and The Kansas City Star and currently writes at JoePosnanski.com. He has been named National Sportswriter of the Year by five different organizations and is the winner of two Emmy Awards. He lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his family.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08VJLW2JH
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster (September 28, 2021)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 28, 2021
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 41095 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 868 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #61,823 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #5 in Baseball Essays & Writings
- #7 in Baseball Biographies (Kindle Store)
- #12 in Baseball History

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4.8 2,121 ratings

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Joe Posnanski

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Joe Posnanski is the New York Times bestselling author of Paterno, The Machine, and The Secret of Golf. He is currently the founder and editor of Joe Blogs at JoePosnanski.com as well as co-host of "The PosCast" podcast with television producer Michael Schur. Joe served as Senior Writer for The Athletic, MLB, NBC Sports, and Sports Illustrated, and co-founder of Passions in America. He was named national Sportswriter of the Year by the Sports Media Hall of Fame and was twice named the best sports columnist in America by the Associated Press Sports Editors. He is a two-time Emmy winner as part of NBC Sports Olympic coverage, and his first book "The Soul of Baseball," won The Casey Award as best baseball book. He was recently honored with the Tony Kubek Award by the National Polish American Sports Hall of Fame, and he was given the Buck O'Neil Award by the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. He is the author of six books and has been anthologized widely. He lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife Margo, daughters Elizabeth and Katie, and standard poodle Westley.

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4.8 out of 5

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David Mitchell

Great book

Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2024

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If you are a baseball junkie, nerd, or just like history, this book has it all. I may argue a bit with the order of the players, but it was a super fun read.

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Grammy T

Fascinating and very readable!

Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2024

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While this book is formidable in terms of the number of pages (827!) one must remember there are one hundred stories - and each story is unique unto itself. I especially appreciated the wide range of baseball greats remembered in this book - many I did not know but came to appreciate. I am passing this book on to my thirteen year old grandson who LOVES and plays baseball and is already a fountain of knowledge on the sport and many of the players. I am sure he will devour this book! highly recommend.

2 people found this helpful

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M. Marino

A Fun Read

Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2024

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Though the book is very long, it's not like you need to sit down and read it from cover to cover. I read before bed each evening and I found that if I read an essay or two at a time it was a great way to wind down and always with a smile. It is also well researched and well written. I learned a lot about players that I have never heard of, and also learned a lot about many that I thought I knew.

3 people found this helpful

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Lee Munson

Excellent

Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2024

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I’m really enjoying this well written book. Love the stories of the players. Hope another comes out.

One person found this helpful

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J. Groen

Great History of Baseball but Faulty Rankings of Players

Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2021

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This is a great book of the history of baseball with excellent stories over the last 120 years represented by the 100 players that the author highlights. Being an individual who enjoys reading about the older players, I was especially drawn to the stories about Alexander, Wagner, Cobb, Hornsby, Ruth, Foxx, Gehrig and Johnson. But, there are also excellent stories about the recent players if you like the recent baseball history. And, at the times, especially in the Mays and Ruth chapters, the writing is so good, it is almost poetic.

Then, though there is the ratings. Unlike Bill James who spends most of a chapter, pages and pages defining his tools and process of determining the ratings, this author uses less than one page rattling off a number of terms and then writing the following:
- Mariano Rivera is ranked 91 because of Psalm 91 (the protector psalm),
- Joe DiMaggio is ranked 56 because of 56 consecutive game hitting streak,
- Jackie Robinson is ranked 42 because that is his jersey number.
Robinson and DiMaggio should have been ranked in the top 20 and Mariano Rivera should have been higher. He was the only player to get 100% of the Hall of Fame to vote for him.

And, then there is the three PED players: Alex Rodriquez, Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds. They are all rated in the top 20 and because all of them cheated, they don't belong there. (Barry Bonds is actually ranked 3rd. Wrong.) In the Barry Bonds chapter, the author breaks the review into the people who think that Barry Bonds is great and those that despise him. I belong to neither. These three players belong in the top 100 but definitely not in the top 20.

If you are looking for a objective ranking, I recommend Bill James and after this book I still go by his rankings because they are not subjective or potentially biased like this book. His rankings of the top 10 are:
1. Babe Ruth
2. Honus Wagner
3. Willie Mays
4. Oscar Charleston
5. Ty Cobb
6. Mickey Mantle
7. Ted Williams
8. Walter Johnson
9. Josh Gibson
10. Stan Musial

I recommend this book for baseball history and stories. If you want an objective ranking, I recommend Bill James' books.

54 people found this helpful

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andrew larson

Loved it!

Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2024

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Great read. Don’t always agree, but that’s expected

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wayne varner

One of the best baseball books ever.

Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2024

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This is a great book from the best baseball writer
I have ever read. I highly recommend.

Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2024

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I have only read 100 pages but this is an incredible book on the history of the game thru the Authors selection of Baseballs Best 100. I generally stay away from books that rate the best whatever. But this Book is history first and the ratings are just the way to present that history. Incredibly well done and incredibly researched. Buy It. Treasure It. If you love Baseball… You will love this Book.

2 people found this helpful

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H Ray

Don’t miss this exceptional book on baseball!

Reviewed in Canada on January 18, 2024

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I thoroughly loved reading The Baseball 100. Wonderful writing on baseball’s greatest players. It’s celebrates the players and the game while also fully recognizing baseball’s history and all it should be shameful for. Filled with mind-blowing stats as well as the stories of incredible human beings (and controversial ones too). Would love to read it a second time.

dutheil nicolas

Chef d oeuvre

Reviewed in France on July 17, 2022

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Maîtrise de l anglais correct suffise

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George

Good read

Reviewed in Canada on July 23, 2023

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I'm not much of a reader. Took me until a boring day to open book. But once in good to know many of the past stars.

Max Piltz

Just Awesome

Reviewed in Canada on December 20, 2021

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Joe Posnanski is incredible.

His knowledge of baseball is so vast, his ability to tell stories is such an incredible talent and they work in perfect harmony in this book.

Joe has taught me so much about the history of the game through his books and this is no exception. As a jays fan it was great to read about a couple of the guys that played for us as well as many of the guys that played against us. Additionally I learned about the history and stories of the Negro Leagues and their value and importance in telling the story of this great game.

Keep up the great work Joe and thank you for all the stories!

2 people found this helpful

Robert Schachter

Awesome!

Reviewed in Canada on April 30, 2023

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This is one if my favorite baseball books of all time! Every one of those 99 stories filled with fascinating facts and information.

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From the Publisher

A Q&A with author Joe Posnanski

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About the Author

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Joe Posnanski

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