Three Nights in August
From SoSH
Author: Buzz Bissinger
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Date Published: 2005
Summary: Buzz Bissinger allows us a glimpse into the minute-by-minute workings of a ballclub in the heat of a pennant race, as well as an up-close view of manager Tony La Russa's strategy in a three game series between the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals. Reading this book will teach even the most knowledgeable fan a few things about managing, and the player profiles in this book are revealing and insightful. A few sample tidbits:
- Kerry Robinson is a role player who thinks he should be starting, and who consistently fails to execute baseball fundamentals
- J.D. Drew is a talented but enigmatic figure, with little outward passion and an inability to stay healthy
- Albert Pujols deference and humility make him an even more likeable superstar
- La Russa had just obtained his law degree when he was offered his first managing job
There are stories of players La Russa has coached in the past (including, of course, Mark McGwire, Rickey Henderson, and Jose Canseco, among others), as well as a detailed account of La Russa's managing history. Most informative is a pitch-by-pitch account of the entire three game series, including La Russa's decisions of whether to bunt vs. steal vs. hit-and-run (and why), reasons for bringing in particular relief pitchers, and the mind games that managers play with each other.
Every baseball fan will learn quite a few things from this book, and one cannot read the book without developing a deep respect for Tony LaRussa, both as a person and as a manager. An eminently readable account of three days in August, this book provides both baseball action and strategy. An excellent read for baseball novices and experts alike!
