The Baseball 100

By: Joe Posnanski

Narrated by: Cary Hite

Length: 30 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times Best Seller

Winner of the CASEY Award for Best Baseball Book of the Year

“An instant sports classic.” (New York Post)
“Stellar.” (The Wall Street Journal)
“A true masterwork…880 pages of sheer baseball bliss.” (BookPage, starred review)
“This is a remarkable achievement.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

A magnum opus from acclaimed baseball writer Joe Posnanski, The Baseball 100 is an audacious, singular, and masterly book that took a lifetime to write. The entire story of baseball rings through a countdown of the 100 greatest players in history, with a foreword by George Will.

Longer than Moby-Dick and nearly as ambitious,​The Baseball 100 is a one-of-a-kind work by award-winning sportswriter and lifelong student of the game Joe Posnanski that tells the story of the sport through the remarkable lives of its 100 greatest players. In the book’s introduction, Pulitzer Prize-winning commentator George F. Will marvels, “Posnanski must already have lived more than 200 years. How else could he have acquired such a stock of illuminating facts and entertaining stories about the rich history of this endlessly fascinating sport?”

Baseball’s legends come alive in this book, which are not merely rankings but vibrant profiles of the game’s all-time greats. Posnanski dives into the biographies of iconic Hall of Famers, unfairly forgotten All-Stars, talents of today, and more. He doesn’t rely just on records and statistics - he lovingly retraces players’ origins, illuminates their characters, and places their accomplishments in the context of baseball’s past and present. Just how good a pitcher is Clayton Kershaw in the 21st-century game compared to Greg Maddux dueling with the juiced hitters of the '90s? How do the career and influence of Hank Aaron compare to Babe Ruth’s? Which player in the top 10 most deserves to be resurrected from history?

No compendium of baseball’s legendary geniuses could be complete without the players of the segregated Negro Leagues, men whose extraordinary careers were largely overlooked by sportswriters at the time and unjustly lost to history. Posnanski writes about the efforts of former Negro Leaguers to restore sidelined Black athletes to their due honor, and draws upon the deep troves of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and extensive interviews with the likes of Buck O’Neil to illuminate the accomplishments of players such as pitchers Satchel Paige and Smokey Joe Williams; outfielders Oscar Charleston, Monte Irvin, and Cool Papa Bell; first baseman Buck Leonard; shortstop Pop Lloyd; catcher Josh Gibson; and many, many more.

The Baseball 100 treats listeners to the whole rich pageant of baseball history in a single volume. Chapter by chapter, Posnanski invites listeners to examine common lore with brand-new eyes and learn stories that have long gone unheard. The epic and often emotional listening experience mirrors Posnanski’s personal odyssey to capture the history and glory of baseball like no one else, fueled by his boundless love for the sport.

Engrossing, surprising, and heartfelt, The Baseball 100 is a magisterial tribute to the game of baseball and the stars who have played it.

©2021 Introduction copyright ©2021 George F. Will. Copyright ©2021 The Athletic Media Company. All rights reserved. (P)2021 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Excellent

I’ve listened and read a number of books on baseball history and this is one of the best. Great storytelling!

Outstanding Baseball Book

Have been a baseball fan for over 70 years. This book was fascinating and an amazing compilation of baseball information. Written in a fun, interesting style. Thank you Joe Ponanski.

Great baseball book

I can listen to stories about our greatest players forever. The only bad thing bad thing about this book is that it ends…

Amazing

The best book i have ever read. From the first to the last chapter, this is going to be the book that i truly wish i could read again for the first time for the rest of my life.

Fascinating and thought provoking

You may not agree with the rankings, but there is no doubt that Joe P knows his baseball.

Intentionally controversial, he challenges us to see all players, especially those denied entry to MLB for so many years,, for their unique talents and think what might have been.

Great stuff.

One of the best Baseball books out there

I loved listening to this book. It made me feel like a kid again. Hearing stories about the all-time greats and learning history along the way. This is a must read for any and all baseball fans.

One of the best baseball books.

Posnanski's writing is a delight, Hite's performance make that writing intimate and accessible - and the insights into each player are incredibly compelling. Baseball writing is a mixed bag, excuse the metaphor, but this one is a home run.

Covers as much ground as Mays

Lots of great summaries of the greats of baseball. As a lifelong fan, I still learned plenty along the way.

Great Historical Review

Well written and covers players from just about every decade in baseball’s history. You may not agree with the “rankings”, however that’s part of the sports fan’s dilemma.

Favorite Baseball Book EVER

Absolutely my favorite book on baseball that I have ever found. Incredibly well researched, it blends statistics with human anecdotes to make this hard to put down. The author invites debate on his placement of some players within his list and offers persuasive advocacy for his selections. Don’t get distracted by some mispronunciations. The reader does an excellent job in conveying the authors obvious passion for baseball. I just wish the author had done the Baseball 200 because it was sad when the book was over. I can’t recommend this book more strongly than I do. If you love baseball, you will love this book!!!