Decided to hit a lighter note with my reading over the past month and go with a trio of books revolving around baseball! And even though they were “lighter” in theory, the three I read still dove in deeper to focus on parts of the game that go unseen.
Stealing Home dives into the story of how Dodger Stadium displaced hundreds of LA’s Mexican American families living in what is now Chavez Ravine, and all the crossing paths and personalities that led to their displacement. This book was so well researched and personal, and very much an LA book.
Doc was all about one of my favorite players to watch, Roy Halladay- and the way I read it, it shared so much about the human behind the hero, what happens when we make it hard for our heroes to be fully human, and how much of the sport and what happens beyond it is a mental game.
The Wax Pack had a real fun premise- opening a random pack of baseball cards from 1986 then taking a cross country road trip to find all those players and see what they’re up to now. Beyond all the fun, it’s also a good look at having a dream after a dream, and navigating a restart in life.