I have always been a reader, and a reader of baseball books. A couple of seasons ago I started reading exclusively baseball titles during the season. I guess I figured that I needed to delve deeper into the game than I already have. Here is a list of my favorite baseball books from over the years:

Shoeless Joe by WP Kinsella
Hollywood based the movie Field of Dreams on this novel. If you’ve seen the movie then you know the basic concept of the book. A great read that might be more about a man’s struggles with life than about baseball, but any book that has Shoeless Joe Jackson and JD Salinger as major characters is going to be interesting.

Ty and The Babe by Tom Stanton
The rivalry between Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth was fierce, intense and forgotten by many until Stanton shed some light on it with this amazing book. For those that only know Cobb through the biography written by Al Stump, and Ruth through the legends you should definitely pick this book up. Your ideas of these two men may change by the end. Also check out The Final Season written by Stanton.

We Are The Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson
This is the newest book on the list with it just being released earlier this year. Nelson is well-known as a children’s picture book artist, but this book is not just for children. Nelson worked for over eight years on the beautiful images contained within We Are The Ship while also researching the league. His hardwork has paid-off, and this title should be considered one of the best books to come out this year.

The Catcher Was a Spy by Nicholas Dawidoff
Moe Berg was a big-league catcher from 1923-1939, and he also worked for the OSS as a spy. A rare big-leaguer who was Ivy League educated Berg spoke twelve languages, and was considered a baseball genius. Berg was also mysterious and reclusive, and with this book Dawidoff opens some doors that have been shut.

I Was Right On Time by Buck O’Neil
I don’t know if baseball had a better storyteller than Buck O’Neil, and his storytelling abilities are in full effect here. Filled with stories of Buck’s time in the Negro leagues, and his struggles afterwards to get those great players recognized this book is a must-read. Just go out and buy this book now you will not regret it.

The Teammates by David Halberstam
Boston Red Sox teammates Dom DiMaggio, Johnny Pesky, Bobby Doerr, and Ted Williams had a bond on and off the field. Heading to visit Williams for the last time in 2001 DiMaggio and Pesky recollect many of their favorite memories from their years of friendship. A quick read, but definitely worth it.

Clemente by David Maraniss
This is my favorite baseball book ever. Filled with stories that prove that Clemente was a great baseball player, but an even better man away from it. Having great material to work with Maraniss may have made his job easier, but it should not be said that Maraniss is not a great writer. In other hands this book may have ended up as a love letter to Clemente.