I'm gonna keep kicking this baseball book club thing for a while until it magically forms of its own accord and takes a life of its own. In the meantime, why don't we gather together the list of books that are deemed "essential" for a well-read baseball fan and maybe something will really strike us as being a must read. Here's my list off the top of my head. I'm sure I'll have forgotten a few gems
The Natural by Bernard Malamud
Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella
Moneyball by Michael Lewis
The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract by Bill James
Ball Four by Jim Bouton
Veeck as in Wreck by Bill Veeck
Bang the Drum Slowly by Mark Harris
The Glory of Their Times by Lawrence S. Ritter
Also, Fantasyland by Sam Walker is very close for me, but I might have to revisit in a couple of years. And, I've never read it, but I keep getting told it's essential... The Book - Playing the Percentages in Baseball by Tango, Lichtman and Dolphin.
What did I miss? Does this inspire the book club to start bookin' and or clubbin'?