Amazon Digging - 9/20/2015 edition

Let's make this a regular occurrence.  I'm always digging through Amazon trying to find the upcoming titles that have been announced for pre-order.  We've seen a good number of new ones come through since our last post a month or so ago.  Here's some of the new stuff!

Tim Kurkjian hasn't put anything out since 2008, but I remember loving his first book when it came out.  He's got a new title coming out in May - 'I'm Fascinated by Sacrifice Flies: Inside the Game we All Love'. I wouldn't say I'm fascinated by them, but I'll definitely give this a read when it comes out.

Ron Darling is one third of the best broadcast trio in baseball and wrote the wonderful book 'The Complete Game' back in 2010.  He and co-author Daniel Paisner have a new title coming out in time for baseball season next year called 'Game 7, 1986: Failure and Triumph in the Biggest Game of my Life'.

After reading Molly Knight's wonderful 'Best Team Money Could Buy', I can see myself getting on a bit of a Dodgers kick.  The Dodgers teams from the 50's seem to be well documented, but author Michael Leahy is tackling the 60's with 'The Last Innocents: The Los Angeles Dodgers of the 1960's.  I haven't seen his name pop up too many times for baseball writing, so this should be an interesting one to read.

'The Baseball Meat Market: The Stories Behind the Best and Worst Trades in History' by Shawn Krest seems as if it will be a fun (and unpleasant for those impacted by the worst trades) read for baseball fans who love to get behind the scenes in the front office.  It promises to tell stories about affected GM's and even teams that have been uprooted as a result of them.

I've already mentioned a couple of these before, but they've seemed to gain some traction and look like compelling reads:

'The Cardinals Way' by Howard Megdal (for Mets fans who haven't read his 'Wilpon's Folly', you should definitely do that, too)

'Finley Ball' by Nancy Finley

'Baseballism: Life Lessons from the Greatest Game Ever Played' by Travis Chock

Currently Reading (baseball) - 'Intangiball' by Lonnie Wheeler
Currently Reading (non-baseball) - 'Junkyard Planet' by Adam Minter

Oregon Baseball Reading

Work has brought me this weekend to Portland, Oregon.  After watching the brilliant Netflix documentary 'Battered Bastards of Baseball' and wondering if there was any baseball-relevant sightseeing to do in Portland or the surrounding area, I did a quick bit of research on some required reading if you want the history of Oregon baseball.

It was a big news story this past June when Civic Stadium in Eugene burned to the ground.  The former home of the Emeralds and others had a long and storied history and was best captured in the book 'Eugene's Civic Stadium' by Joe Blakely.

Terry Simons gives a comprehensive history of baseball in Portland with 'The Children of Vaughn: The Story of Professional Baseball in Portland, Oregon'. From the Mavericks, to the Beavers, then the Rockies and then back to the Beavers, the city has certainly seen it's share of franchises and attempts to revive baseball in a borderline MLB town.

While I won't be able to get out and see the sights this weekend - there is still plenty of reading to do!