Sunday, December 4, 2011

Review # 72: Mad Ball- The Bartman Play by Walter J. Yurkanin, R. Thomas Hoffman

Description:
     Mad Ball: The Bartman Play recounts the madness that was unleashed upon Wrigley Field during the 2003 MLB Playoffs after Chicago Cub's fan, Steve Bartman, deflected a foul ball and prevented the Cub's outfielder, Moises Alou, from catching it. The book is based on the Yurkanin-Hoffman Commision Report on the Bartman Play.
Review:

     First, I must admit that I am not a baseball fan in the least. I only decided to review this book because I recalled hearing about the famed Bartman Play and wanted to know what really transpired. I was surprised to find that the book was really easy to get into, fun, and full of quirky facts. Even though some of the terms were lost on me, I still picked up on the major points of discussion, and also learned quite a lot about baseball. Who knew the Cubs hadn't won a playoff series since 1908? Well, I didn't. The quotes, facts, and story-quality writing style made this book feel more like a overview than an analysis at some points. That was really appreciated, because, as I stated, the facts of baseball aren't my strong suit, so I didn't want to have to muddle through statistical mumbo-jumbo for 225 pages. Overall, I found the book enjoyable, but it wasn't really my cup of tea. I recommend this book to sports fans, especially fans of the Chicago Cubs, or anyone interested in baseball and it's associated topics.

Rating: Bounty's Out (3/5)

*** I received this book from the authors (Bostick Communications) in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

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