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The books section details the few books dedicated to Sacramento baseball that have been published.
Several that are classics unfortunately are now out of print, but they are listed anyway. If
interested, you may get lucky and find them at a yard sale or on Ebay.
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Movie Review
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Movie Review by Editor, Rick Cabral
As a boy growing up in the
‘50s, I recall watching the black-and-white movie “The Jackie Robinson Story,”
starring the man himself. Shot just three years after Robinson “broke the color
barrier,” even as a child two things were immediately clear: Robinson clearly
was not an actor, but he was one helluva ballplayer.
In the new release
“42 – The Jackie Robinson Story” directed by Brian Helgeland
for Legendary Pictures in conjunction with Warner Bros. Pictures we see just the
opposite: Chadwick Boseman, cast as Jackie Robinson, is a pretty fair actor, but
certainly nowhere near as talented a ballplayer as Robinson.
Continue on to the
review and sidebar about
Jackie Robinson's first game in the Major Leagues.
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Read Our
Exclusive Interview
with
Branch Rickey III
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Branch Rickey III
President
Pacific Coast League
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"42" Comes In Spikes High in Debut
Weekend
"42", the new movie about Jackie Robinson, earned $27.3 million on its
opening weekend, eclipsing all other previous baseball films (see our review below).
The new release by Legendary Pictures easily bested the nearest contenders Benchwarmers
($19.7 million) and Moneyball ($19.5 million).
According to EW.com, 42 cost Legendary Pictures approximately $40 million to make. With this
exciting debut, 42 is sure to climb to the top of All-Time Baseball Films lists.
Prior to the release of 42, Baseball America, with the assistance of movie reviewer Gene
Shallit, rated the Top Ten Baseball Movies:
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#
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Title
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Year
Released
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1
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Bull Durham
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1988
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2
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Field of Dreams
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1985
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3
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Bang the Drum Slowly
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1973
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4
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Eight Men Out
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1988
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5
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The Pride of the Yankees
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1942
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6
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Bad News Bears
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1976
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7
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The Natural
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1984
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8
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A
League of Their Own
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1992
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9
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Sandlot
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1993
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10
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Major League I
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1989
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Here's our list of the Top 5 Fiction Baseball Movies and Top 5 Movies (Based on Real Events)
Fiction
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#
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Title
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Year
Released
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1
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Bull Durham
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1988
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2
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Field of Dreams
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1985
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3
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The Natural
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1984
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4
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Major League I
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1989
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5
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Angels in the Outfield
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1951
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Based on Real Events
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#
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Title
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Year
Released
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1
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42
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2013
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2
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Eight Men Out
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1988
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3
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61*
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2001
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4
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The Pride of the Yankees
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1942
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T5
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Babe Ruth (made for TV)
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1991
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T5
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Moneyball
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2011
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Here's a list of all baseball
movies:
http://www.baseballmovie.com/baseball-movies.php
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Non
Fiction
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Book
Title
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Author
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Summary
Notes
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Gold on the Diamond:
Sacramento’s Great Baseball Players 1886 to
1976
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Alan
O’Connor
2007
Note: SacBee.com ran
a fine feature on Alan. View it here
Also, to view a photo spread of Alan's
collectibles, go here
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In baseball historian Alan O’Connor’s book, the great players of
Sacramento’s past step up to take their place on the diamond. O’Connor shows
off his stunning collection of
Sacramento baseball memorabilia as well as his encyclopedic and
entertaining knowledge of the players, their records and their lives. Also
covered are a short history of Sacramento ballparks, highlights of each
decade and bios of managers and associates important to Sacramento
baseball.
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The 70-Year Road Trip:
The History of a PCL Franchise from Sacramento to Honolulu to Colorado
Springs
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Jim
Bainbridge
2007
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The 70-Year Road Trip provides a glimpse into
Minor League Baseball’s glorious past and provides insight into how much the
game and the business has changed. As Senators, Solons, Islanders and Sky Sox,
the franchise has been affiliated with 10 major league clubs and has even gone
long stretches with no affiliation at all.
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50 Years in a Kid's Game |
Harry Dunlop
2009 |
Sacramento High graduate and former major league
coach Harry Dunlop details his half-century in professional baseball.
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Stepping Up to the Plate: More
Inspiring Interviews with Major
Leaguers(2nd
Inning) |
David Kloser
2007 |
Kloser is a Jesuit High graduate and has
written two versions of his book, which is based on interviews with top
MLB players. Their responses, according to the author, yielded "endless pearls
of wisdom about the importance of leadership, a positive attitude and the proper
mindset it takes for achieving success, overcoming adversity and more for life on
and off the field."
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Baseball Comes Home: The Magic of Raley Field and the Sacramento River Cats'
Pre
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Bob Androvich and Will
James
2001
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Out of print.
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Sacramento Senators and Solons : Baseball in California's Capital, 1886 to
1976
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John E.
Spalding
1995
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Out of print.
(Click to read an
excerpt about the 1942 Solons Championship.)
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Friendly Trials of Skill : Sacramento
Baseball in the 1860s and '70s
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Frances J. Pendleton
1988
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Out of print.
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Fiction
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Book
Title
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Author
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Summary
Notes
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The Pitch: The Adventures of
Luther Woundup and His Magical Orange Ball
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R. A. Cabral
2004
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From the moment star voyager Luther Woundup launches the orange baseball over the
wall of Riders Field, Sacramento baseball fans are introduced to the most
intriguing mascot the game has ever seen. Luther’s ingenious, magical displays are
intended to win him a spot on the Riders’ team.
But
like a modern day Trojan Horse, it serves as a ruse to collect human brain waves
with an innocent-looking device invented by his father, the reigning scientist on
the planet, Spalding. The mission: convert the contents into cortesium, which is needed to save the people of
Spalding. At least, that’s what Luther is told. Eventually, he learns the true
purpose of his mission, pitting father against son in The
Pitch.
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Barnstormin' with the Babe
(A sequel to The Pitch) |
R. A. Cabral
2008
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(Click to read an excerpt from the unpublished
manuscript about Ruth in 1919) |
Barnstormin' with the Babe
(A sequel to The Pitch) |
R. A. Cabral
2008
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The Baseball Chronicle recently ran an excerpt from
the 1925 period of Barnstorming with the Babe in its
March
publication. You'll find it here. |
If you know of a book or other media that should be
included on the list, please shoot me an email with the title, author's name, year published and a
link where it can be purchased:
RAC (at) BaseballSacramento (dot)
com
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Updated 4/25/13
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