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Bissinger, acclaimed author of Friday Night Lights (see review), takes an eloquent and in-depth look at the nuances of St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa's job by following the Cards through the 2003 season and then specifically chronicling an important three-game series with the arch rival Cubs. Bissinger has an amazingly intimate view of the players, clubhouse, and storyline in a remarkable period of Cardinal history with a storied manager (one of my childhood heroes while he was in Oakland). That said, Bissinger sometimes gets carried away with his flowery language and suddenly sounds like a stilted baseball outsider, just looking to drum up drama where none exists. Lastly, Bissinger is something of an antithesis to the Michael Lewis "Moneyball" school of baseball, with intentional comments whose ignorant tone undermine his credibility. I'd cautiously recommend this book to a serious baseball enthusiast or Cardinals fan, and few others.

2022-10-29 03:13