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Feeding the Monster reviewed in the NYT
2006-08-13 21:27
by Bob Timmermann

Charles McGrath reviewed Seth Mnookin's Feeding the Green Monster (Illustrated. 433 pp. Simon & Schuster. $26.) in the New York Times Book Review.

McGrath, like a lot of us, wonders just how much we have to read about the Red Sox.

Not the least of the many trials inflicted upon the Boston Red Sox has been a torrent of verbiage. Surely no team in recent memory has been so scrutinized, complained about and then elegized. At least since the 1950's, the Sox have received a daily ration of scolding, hand-wringing and second guessing from the Knights of the Keyboard, as Ted Williams dubbed the scribes at the Boston papers. Thanks to John Cheever, who once said that "all literary men are Red Sox fans," the team has also inspired reams of gaseous memoirs from authors eager to recount their first visit to Fenway....

I can't say I'm going to run out to get this one. I'm still waiting for an in-depth look at the trials and tribulations of a team like the Tampa Devil Rays or the Texas Rangers.

Comments
2006-08-13 22:00:45
1.   popup
Bob, if you want a book about the Texas Rangers might I suggest, Seasons in Hell. I read it a long time ago and have forgotten the author's name. The author was a beat writer for the Rangers and his book was very funny in spots. Poor guy had to put up with Bob Short, Billy Martin, Whitey Herzog and the Dallas heat. I imagine it took him about 10 seconds to arrive at a title for his book.

Stan from Tacoma

2006-08-13 22:09:52
2.   Philip Michaels
The author is Mike Shropshire, and Stan is right: Seasons in Hell is a fun read. I read it during the offseason as part of my Teams of the Damned series (bookended by "Damned Yankees" by Bill Madden/Moss Klein and "The Bad Guys Won" by Jeff Pearlman), and enjoyed it thoroughly.
2006-08-13 22:23:07
3.   Linkmeister
Any book about the Red Sox has descended into hagiography at this point, as far as I'm concerned. I think it's because there are so many book writers who live in New England. Books about the Dodgers (other than Brooklyn's version) are probably written by screenwriters, so they're shorter.
2006-08-14 10:42:27
4.   nickb
I was a little reluctant to read "Feeding the Monster" as I'd already read "Mind Game" and 8,000 other articles about the 2004 Red Sox. But it was an interesting read as the angle he took was from the ownership/front office perspective. I realize another Red Sox book seems like overkill, but I enjoyed the unique point of view. I'd recommend it.

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