Some Recommendations by the Recreation Commission
Some Recommendations by the Recreation Commission
Mike Guadagnino, Recreation Chairman
School is out, summer is here and over the next couple of months many Oakland residents will be taking some down time. As you spend that occasion at the Jersey shore, by a pool, at some exotic location or just chilling at home, here are a few good sports books recommended by the Recreation Commission.
The 1998 Yankees by Jack Curry. It is hard to believe the summer of 125 wins was 25-years ago, but this book is a great look back at the era of Bernie, Tino and Jeter. It is a very easy read that talks about and interviews the players from the team. There is some behind the scenes info and a “where are they now” chapter. Success happens for a reason, and there is a lot to learn when you break down what it took for this legendary team to finish 75 games over .500. There is one chapter that makes the case for the ’98 Yankees being the greatest team of all time.
Blood in the Garden by Chris Herring. The New York Knicks of the 1990s were one of those teams, loud, flamboyant, combative, yet under achievers. They unfortunately, were up against the Michael Jordan Bulls and the Reggie Miller Pacers. Although the Knicks were one of the best teams from that era, and a team that went to two NBA Finals; they could not close the deal. This is a fun look back from how they were built with the drafting of Patrick Ewing and how the decade ended with their loss to the San Antonio Spurs. There is a lot of information supplied from closed practices to closed doors meetings with Pat Riley through Jeff Van Gundy.
When Shea was Home by Brett Topel. The year was 1975, construction on both Giant Stadium and the remodeled Yankee Stadium were a year away before completion. The Jets still called Queens home and the Mets always played in Shea. The Giant’s Yale Bowl experiment of 1974 didn’t work out and they wanted to come back to the city for one last season. As the Yankees and Mets shared Shea that summer, the Jets and Giants did the same for football season. There were four professional teams who called Shea home that year and it caused for a lot of chaos; shared locker rooms, scheduling mishaps and a field that became nothing but green painted dirt. Another fun book from an era where NYC was going broke and the fans needed to wrestle the Grand Central Parkway to see four major teams play.
Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer. A very heavy biography about Pat Tillman, the standout Arizona State and Arizona Cardinal football player who gave it all up after 9/11 to enlist and fight the terrorists. He became an Army Ranger and was shuffled between the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq where he perished by friendly fire in Afghanistan. As stated, this is a deep and sometimes a dark look into the life of what motivated Pat Tillman and the family he left behind.
Dynamic, Bombastic, Fantastic by Jason Turbow. This book is about the back-to-back-to-back 1970s Swinging A’s. It is a breakdown of the team, its players and over the top owner who chose to break up this great team rather than pay them. It’s very relevant to what is happening today with the Oakland A’s and their proposed move to Las Vegas. If you are old enough to remember this team, you will learn from the inside what was going on in the Oakland Coliseum.
If you enjoy reading and especially enjoy sports books, these are some well worth recommendations.
Have a Great Summer!