"Yes, Booklist, there is a MUCH better volume on baseball than this one and (in particular) the Baseball Encyclopedia. It is Total Baseball!!! For that matter, I found the books "Ball Clubs" and "Baseball Uniforms of the Twentieth Century" to be better books. Nevertheless, this book is still a good one. It's just not THE greatest. . ."

I am familiar with these books and am stunned with this perspective. These books are great if you're interested in dry and boring facts and figures. They read like history text books.

The strength of this book is that is it about people. Their feelings, their passions, their loves, their hates, their strength, weaknesses, histories, successes, and failings. Oh, and by the way, all these people also happen to love and play baseball.

The Ward/Burns is unique in that it reads like a novel not another boring collection of jock stories with stats and pictures pasted here and there.

Case in point. I always thought that Babe Ruth was greatly over rated as a player until I read this book. Now I understand why he is the greatest baseball player to ever lived and why he ever shall be so.

I also finally understood why my intense primal hatred of the Giants and Yankees. I now understand that I am firmly in the tradition of the Dodger faithful from time immortal. In honoring the traditions of the game - like this one - I honor every player baseball fan and player who has ever loved the game as I do. I too am part of the baseball story. I am part of the ongoing saga.

If stats and boring facts are your thing then by all means pass on this book. However, if you love people and love life this book will make your heart sing, break, quiver, and fly like a Mark McGwire home run or a Wally Moon moonshot.

/fwa