⚾Four baseball books to get you in the mood for Opening Day⚾

All Sports Books #3 of 2025

It’s less than a month until Opening Day and the return of Major League Baseball. I’ve spent the last while reading a bunch of new and upcoming baseball books to whet my appetite. Here are 4 worth checking out.

‘A Baseball Gaijin: Chasing a Dream to Japan and Back’ by Aaron Fischman

A Baseball Gaijin chronicles the journey of Tony Barnette, an American baseball player, who took the unorthodox part of playing professional baseball in Japan and managed to ultimately make it to MLB.

Languishing in the Arizona Diamondbacks minor league system, Tony accepted an offer to play for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in Japan. Over 6 years in Japan he evolved from a minor league starter to an MLB quality reliever.

Fischman is an ideal chronicler of Tony’s story. The combo of detailed research and close collaboration with Barnette bring authenticity to the narrative. I picked up the book primarily for the insight into baseball in Japan but enjoyed it mostly for the character study of a player willing to take chances to achieve his dream. The challenge of a bio like this is figuring when to zoom in and when to zoom out - Fischman is clearly fascinated by the detail but does a good job of striking a balance between the baseball and the wider story.

The strength of the book is its honesty, openness and balance of story within the broader context of baseball both in US and Japan. It's a story of perseverance, of taking risks, of culture shock, and of what it takes to make it in sport. A great addition to any baseball library.

‘Homestand: Small Town Baseball and the Fight for the Soul of America’ by Will Bardenwerper (out on March 11th)

Major League Baseball’s decision to shutter dozens of minor league teams in 2022 brought an end to decades of professional baseball in small towns across America. Homestand is Will Bardenwerper’s exploration of what this decision meant for those towns. It tells the story of one town’s attempt to keep baseball alive in the amateur leagues.

Homestand zooms in on the lives of some of the fans who attend the games and finds meaning in the routine, the community, and the simple act of getting together to watch some ball. Bardenwerper clearly formed deep connections with, and sought to understand, those he met. He depicts the meaning that baseball has for the Muckdog fans in a way that is powerful and memorable

Bardenwerper is deeply critical of MLB’s growing distance from the minor leagues and the very roots of the game. The story however is more broadly about the meaning of community and the erosion of a shared civic life in towns across the US. It’s a celebration of sports ability to bring people together and highlights what is really lost when monetary value and real value don’t align. It’s also an invitation for us all to focus on what unites people rather than what divides them.

Homestand is ultimately hopeful, showing how people can find a way to come together and celebrate their passions without a corporate overlord. It might be harder, but it may ultimately be more worthwhile.

‘Diamond Duels: Baseball's Greatest Matchups’ by John Nogowski (out today)

Dimond Duels by

John Nogowski

is exactly what it claims to be - a look at baseball’s greatest matchups. The book goes beyond the box scores to highlight the wonderful variety of factors and outcomes when great pitchers and great hitters face off. What elevates the book from the routine is Nogowski’s eye for both an interesting angle on the well known and a sense of what lesser known stories deserve a wider audience.

The book is a love letter to baseball told with charm and wit. Nogowski is clearly excited to share the stories - he definitely had a blast researching it. It’s an interesting and fun way to tell some baseball history and some quirky anecdotes. I found it hard not to get excited for MLB’s return when leafing through the various chapters.

John, whose son and namesake made it to the Show in 2020, also has an interesting and entertaining newsletter here on Substack. Check it out at

John Nogowski

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A Time for Reflection: The Parallel Legacies of Baseball Icons Willie McCovey and Billy Williams by Jason Cannon

Jason Cannon’s latest book, A Time for Reflection: The Parallel Legacies of Baseball Icons Willie McCovey and Billy Williams, is a deeply researched exploration of the lives and careers of two baseball Hall of Famers. Serendipitously, Cannon found himself considering two different projects on McCovey and Williams before releasing the merits of a combined approach. In A Time for Reflection Cannon tells the stories of their lives from their births in 1938 as they grew up in the same area, faced similar obstacles to both became left-handed power hitters in the major leagues and both make the baseball Hall of Fame.

The book provides a deep dive into the cultural and historical context of the times in which they lived and played. I was fascinated how Mobile, Alabama proved to be a remarkable breeding ground for baseball talent. As well as McCovey and Williams, both Hank Aaron and Satchel Paige grew up in the area. Cannon examines how the social and cultural environment of Mobile contributed to the development of these legends.

Cannon’s previous work, Charlie Murphy: The Iconoclastic Showman Behind the Chicago Cubs, showcased his ability to bring historical figures to life with depth and nuance and combining a scholarly take with a readable style. In A Time for Reflection, Cannon manages this difficult task again providing a detailed and engaging portrait of both McCovey and Williams. Neither player gets lost or subsumed into the other with both men’s talents and personalities shining through. This is a really solid biography.