In the hyper-analytical landscape of 2026, we have grown accustomed to a game played on spreadsheets before it ever reaches the grass. We track bat speed, calculate spin efficiency, and debate the merits of load management. Yet, whenever the modern … Read more
Author: Avery Collins
By Avery Collins Originally Published: 2012 Updated: March 19, 2026
In the landscape of 2026, where every swing is decomposed into a series of biomechanical data points and exit velocities, reading Bernard Malamud’s 1952 masterpiece, The Natural, feels like … Read more
We’re not just eating hot dogs; we’re enjoying the luxury of literary box seats. The real question is not if baseball novels make great films, but why they excel. They offer a treasure trove of material.
Take Jim Bouton’s Ball … Read more
What does a box score tell you about Kirk Gibson’s 1988 World Series home run? It shows it was a walk-off in Game 1. But it doesn’t tell you about Gibson’s injured legs or the crowd’s roar. The story is … Read more
By Avery Collins Books on Baseball January 26, 2026
The verdict is in, and appropriately for a subject who hated bunting, the judges of the 43rd annual CASEY Award have swung for the fences.
Spitball Magazine has officially named John … Read more
By Avery Collins Originally Published: 2011 Updated: January 26, 2026
Fifteen years ago, when I first reviewed Peter Morris’s magnum opus, A Game of Inches, the baseball world was a different place. We were still arguing about the “purity” … Read more
While many chase rare cards and signed balls, true collectors build vast libraries. These collections would make ancient Alexandria proud. There’s a thrill in collecting knowledge, unlike chasing after cardboard.
Experienced collectors value books like Spink’s National Game as key … Read more