Why We Love Baseball

A History in 50 Moments

De: Joe Posnanski

Narrado por: Joe Posnanski, Ellen Adair

NEW YORK TIMES bestseller

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

National Sports Media Association Sports Book of the Year

An NPR "Book of the Day"

#1 New York Times bestselling author Joe Posnanski is back with a masterful ode to the game: a countdown of 50 of the most memorable moments in baseball’s history, to make you fall in love with the sport all over again.

Posnanski writes of major moments that created legends, and of forgotten moments almost lost to time. It's Willie Mays’s catch, Babe Ruth’s called shot, and Kirk Gibson’s limping home run; the slickest steals; the biggest bombs; and the most triumphant no-hitters. But these are also moments raw with the humanity of the game, the unheralded heroes, the mesmerizing mistakes drenched in pine tar, and every story, from the immortal to the obscure, is told from a unique perspective. Whether of a real fan who witnessed it, or the pitcher who gave up the home run, the umpire, the coach, the opposing player—these are fresh takes on moments so powerful they almost feel like myth.

Posnanski’s previous book, The Baseball 100, portrayed the heroes and pioneers of the sport, and now, with his trademark wit, encyclopedic knowledge, and acute observations, he gets at the real heart of the game. From nineteenth-century pitchers’ duels to breaking the sport’s color line in the ’40s, all the way to the greatest trick play of the last decade and the slide home that became a meme, Posnanski’s illuminating take allows us to rediscover the sport we love—and thought we knew.

Why We Love Baseball is an epic that ends too soon, a one-of-a-kind love letter to the sport that has us thrilled, torn, inspired, and always wanting more.

Truly answers the titular question…

This. These. Moments like these are why we love baseball. Wonderfully written with care, respect, and humor, this is truly a wonderful book counting down 50 of the most “baseball” moments in the sport.

I’m not sure why they chose to change back and forth between the author and the other narrator. I prefer the former. With books like this I personally ALWAYS prefer the author. The narrator does a fine job, but like I said, I’m not 100% certain what the goal was in bringing her in.

Overall, great book! I will be adding this to my annual spring training reading list, alongside Moneyball, Shoeless Joe, The Curse of the Bambino, et al.

Not 50, more like 100 Reasons. Great Book

I guarantee you will be on YouTube the entire time you are reading this book. looking up all of these fantastic moments in baseball history. The author does such a good job telling the stories himself or quoting from sports writers who were there. it really is an engaging, interesting and fun book to listen to. This book does a great job showing why baseball is The Great American pastime.

Learned so much

Great collection of stories from baseball history. After listening to each story, I found videos of most of the events presented. Made me envious of those who were blessed to witness these amazing moments in the great game’s long history.

Ready For The Director's Cut

I only wish it was longer. Posnanski is our best baseball writer. Even if you know most of these moments (spoiler alert: There are more than 50), Posnanski puts such a new spin on them that you'll discover new opinions on them. I thought I knew everything there was to know about the Pine Tar Game, but here Joe brings up the fact that Royals Manager Dick Howser is oddly absent from being at home plate while the umpires discuss the call. It's now become a mystery I'm dying to solve. This whole audiobook is an all around joy.

Pure joy!

I can’t explain how much I enjoyed this book. From the awesome to the humorous, this book is filled with baseball memories, some of which are before my time, but still legendary.
The narration is great and so much of it just brought a smile to my face.
I don’t live and die by my favorite sports teams anymore, but this book reminded me of the times when I did.

Baseball IS the greatest sport!

Not only did I enjoy hearing about the great moments I remember growing up watching, I also enjoyed hearing about the greats from before my time! I have listened to this book on repeat so many times. It’s the book I chose to listen to when I just want to feel happiness!

So much to love, almost everything

Joe Posnanski has done it again, a great all-time baseball book with memories for everyone. So many stories I never have heard even as a huge baseball fan through the generations. Outstanding, funny, heartwarming, all of it. My biggest quibble is with the poor proofing done on the pronunciation of names by co-narrator Ellen Adair. It’s ok to get them incorrect - but not in the finished copy. And someone from the editing team should have had a listen - maybe Posnanski himself. It turned an A+ to an A-

Fun listen

The book is a series of essays about baseball that were really fun and well presented.

Splendid book

If you’re a fan of baseball…and I mean any team you’ll enjoy this book. I’m already an overall fan but if you’ve fallen out this will reinvigorate you.

A must read!!

As a baseball fan for over 40 years.. (Rabid Red Sox fan). Joe has weaved an epic that brings tears to the eyes. He gives you the good, bad, and the ugly; still this is why we love baseball.