Baseball's Best Short Stories

Overview

“Staudohar has hit it out of the park.” —Publishers Weekly

No other sport has inspired as many great writers as baseball and this exceptional anthology brings together 34 short stories about the national pastime. The stories span several decades and are written by some of America's favorite writers, including Zane Grey, James Thurber, Robert Penn Warren, T. C. Boyle, and Michael Chabon, among others. Many of the stories are about the game itself, while others use baseball as a backdrop for timeless themes, such as morality, greed, and love. Nine new stories have been added for this new edition and include "Bullet in the Brain" by Tobias Wolff, in which baseball is the surprising last memory of a dying man; George Plimpton's "The Curious Case of Sidd Finch," a story about a fictional baseball player who throws a 150-mph fastball and was a notorious April Fools' Day hoax in Sports Illustrated; and Leslie Pietrzyk's "What We All Want" about a pitcher's wife's concern for her aging husband. This collection is for all baseball lovers—long after the season is over.

Reviews

"You needn't be a sports fan to enjoy these 34 hugely entertaining tales."  —Reader's Digest

"A thoroughly enjoyable addition to any library, whether or not the original is still on the shelves."  —Booklist

"An exciting collection of some of the best 20th-century writers venturing into some unexpected venues."  —Arizona Daily Star

"This delightful collection, running from photographic realism to fantasy, is baseball at its best. Truth may be stranger than fiction, but these stories demonstrate that fiction can be truer than fact. If you like baseball, you owe yourself this treat."  —Leonard Koppett, Hall of Fame Sportswriter

"Staudohar has hit it out of the park."  —Publishers Weekly

"[Baseball's Best Short Stories] brings back a lot of good memories of my playing days. Also, great stories of old-time players."  —Stan Musial, former player for the St. Louis Cardinals

"Baseball fans and those who appreciate its cultural impact will welcome this. Highly recommended."  —Library Journal

"The classic collection for the 21st century . . . Every American home needs a bookcase devoted to baseball literature, from Bernard Malamud's The Natural to Elliot Asinof's Eight Men Out. Make a little more room for this one."  —Creative Loafing Tampa

Author Biography

Paul D. Staudohar is the editor of 10 anthologies of short stories including Best Dog Stories, Fishing’s Best Short Stories, Football’s Best Short Stories, Golf’s Best Short Stories, Hunting’s Best Short Stories, and Murder Short and Sweet. He lives in Lafayette, California.