Buck

The Soul of Baseball by Joe Posnanski

Now that I’ve finished reading it, I can’t really classify The Soul of Baseball. It’s not really a baseball book. It’s certainly not a biography. I can’t even say it’s a portrait of a man. The Soul of Baseball is so much more than any of that. I guess that, more than anything, I can call it a gift. A gift. Yes. I like that.

The Soul of Baseball is the result of sportswriter Joe Posnanski spending a little more than a year traveling the United States with Buck O’Neil. Buck, a man I’ve never met but felt like I’ve known my whole life, was widely known as America’s ambassador to baseball and, especially, the Negro Leagues. Although he never played in the Major Leagues, Buck O’Neil was the first Black man to coach at that level. He was also a longtime scout. More importantly, though, he was a fun, charismatic, and loveable guy who made you laugh, cry, and think.

At the book begins, Buck is 93 going on 94, and still maintaining a full schedule of promotions, interviews, public appearances, and campaigning on behalf of other former Negro League players for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Posnanski does an excellent job of weaving poignant stories from O’Neil’s past into the present day’s story. There are also references to past stars like Josh Gibson, Satchel Paige, Ernie Banks, and others. And it all seems natural—because it is all natural.

Posnanski shows Buck to be an example of how free and easy a man can live when he doesn’t hold onto the negatives in life. By painting the portrait of O’Neil that we see in The Soul of Baseball, we readers can see how much our burdens bring us down. And Buck shows us that we don’t have to be that way.

Going in, I knew how the story would end. Still, The Soul of Baseball made me feel good. Buck O’Neil’s words and life are good life lessons that come across in an impactful way without the slightest bit of preaching. The further I read, I kept thinking that I want to have that man’s disposition when I get that old.

The Soul of Baseball was an excellent, excellent read. I’m pretty sure I’ll reread this one every couple of years for the rest of my life. You should, too.

A

Kennedy and Nixon

Kennedy and Nixon: The Rivalry that Shaped Postwar America by Christopher Matthews

My initial reaction to reading Kennedy and Nixon: The Rivalry that Shaped Postwar America is that Christopher Matthews, the author, was not really a fan of either former President. It is clear that he prefers Kennedy to Nixon, but I don’t get the sense that he particularly liked either. That is not a complaint. Matthews’ writing came across as close to unbiased as any political book can. I felt I was reading facts, not conjecture and propaganda.

Kennedy and Nixon was an excellent read. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so to children of the 1960s, but I found it to be very insightful. The perspective was a learning experience for me. While I had already known that Kennedy and Nixon had entered Congress together and had been friendly before the 1960 Presidential race, I did not know how much losing that race affected Nixon’s life path. And that’s the heart of the story. Matthew’s book shows Nixon’s transformation from a generally likeable guy to a man filled with hate and paranoia. From 1960 through 1962, 1963, and 1968, Nixon grew more and more hateful and all consumed with anything Kennedy. Due to the presence and influence of Ted Kennedy, even rising to the Presidency did not stop Nixon from that path.

It’s fascinating on so many levels. And it left me with dozens of unanswered questions—again, this is not a complaint; a factual, unbiased account shouldn’t take sides and provide speculation to things that are unanswerable. For instance, what would Nixon’s politics had been throughout the 60s and 70s had Kennedy thoroughly thrashed him in 1960 instead of defeating him by way of cheating (I must say that most sensible people must agree that Illinois and Texas were stolen from Nixon)? What would Nixon have been like had he won in 1960? What if Jack had lived? What if Bobby? What if both? What if Ted Kennedy had been taken down by Chappaquiddick? What if America had not been so gullible as to believe in the Camelot myth?

What is clear is that Richard Nixon was not the President he would have been had the Kennedy’s not haunted him. I am certain he never knew how much they affected him. We will never know.

It also seems to me that Kennedy and Nixon was a tale of jealousy. They were the Ali and Foreman of American politics. Nixon wanted so much for the people to love and admire him the way they did Jack. It was never going to happen, and he knew it. He just didn’t know why, didn’t know what Kennedy had that he didn’t.

In the end, he was brought down by his desire to become and destroy the Kennedys.

I tell you, it’s fascinating. And it’s a really good read.

B+