Why We Love Baseball

A History in 50 Moments

By: Joe Posnanski

Narrated by: Joe Posnanski, Ellen Adair

Length: 11 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

NEW YORK TIMES bestseller

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

#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.

©2023 Joe Posnanski (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

WALL STREET JOURNAL BETSELLER

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

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

Named One of the Best Baseball Books of 2023 by Sports Collectors’ Digest

One of AARP's "Books to Give and Get"

Kirkus' Best Nonfiction Book Out This Week

A Kirkus Most Anticipated Book of the Fall

"Mr. Posnanski is a bit like the guy telling baseball stories at a bar—if that guy is clever, funny, not averse to hyperbole, sentiment or numerology, willing to go to great lengths to track down a fact and possessed of a way with words...if you were that kid who felt a surge of gladness when Baseball Digest turned up in the mailbox, and if the game has continued to hold a place in your heart, well, I’ve got just the book for you."—Wall Street Journal

“Joe Posnanski is baseball’s greatest modern-day storyteller, and his passion and expertise leap through every page of this book.”—Jonathan Abrams, NYT Editors Recommendations

"Reading Why We Love Baseball is a joy beyond description. Read it, treasure it and share it with your baseball fan friends. It's what baseball was meant to be."—Illinois Times

wonderful story, mediocre narration

Posnanski has hit another home run - or at a double to the gap. I liked Baseball 100 a little better, but this is still chock full of fun stories from throughout baseball's history.

My only request for Joe: in the future, please leave the narration to a professional. Joe's voice isn't terrible, but to me it's a clear step down from the quality of people who do this for a living.

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.

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.

Awesome listen

Really informative and fun for any baseball fan. And the excitement for the game comes through in the joyful voices of the narrators. Highest recommend.

A wonderful baseball read

This is a great mix of the famous and the obscure. All are fun stories with context and reminders of why baseball is beloved.

Loved it!

Francisco Cabrera’s hit and Sid Bream’s slide home in ‘92 should be #1. ;). Otherwise, great!

Awesome

If you love baseball, a must read. Thought I knew a lot, learned so much more. The ending unreal.

Terrific Listen

Despite Joe’s anti-Yankee bias, a thoroughly enjoyable listen. Very good blend of moments and the asides were just as good. Had me running to YouTube to watch highlights many times during my listening.