CAL RIPKEN,
JR. said . . .
“It Takes More
Than Balls is a unique and fun book that lends a whole new
perspective on our national pastime. Congratulations to Deidre and
Jackie for presenting the game in such a wonderful and informative way.
This book is a great tool and a good read for all baseball fans of any
age.”
***
". . . fun, easy-to-read and staggeringly informative. . ." MLB.com
***
SportsIllustrated.com
"Sportswriters, editors and publishers of sports books may still
largely be men, but sports fans are just about equally becoming women. Silva
and Koney thought someone should speak to those women, someone who didn't
patronize. . .I think they're right."
***
". . . a grand slam of information and
entertainment. . ."
Asbury Park Press
***
"...it is a guide to the intricacies and history
of the game that every woman should have, and frankly some men too...
It likely will go down as a keeper.
After all, it may be that death and taxes are the only certainties in life,
but mothers, sons, daughters, and Little League are next in line..."
Contra Costa Times
***
". . . this is
NOT a baseball book 'for dummies'. . . "
SportsTalk New York
***
". . .
Almost anyone should be able to pick up
something from this book - regardless of
how much you know - or think you know - about
baseball. . ."
Baseball Book
Review
***
More reviews/interviews
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In 2009....Enjoy The Game
Like Never Before!
BUY THE BOOK

Visit the Interactive Table of Contents
for book excerpts and other links!
***
LADIES DAY with the
TACOMA RAINIERS!

View the Event Flyer
***
WHEW!
That was one
heck of a dream.
Check out last summer's Tour
Schedule
 |
As many of
you know, pitchers and catchers reported to
spring training last weekend. When I noted that
to a friend in my neighborhood, she told me the
date has been on her household calendar for
months.
Of course,
I thought to myself. That makes perfect sense:
She’s a baseball fan and we all know that women
control the household calendars. That would be
what goes on it, what doesn’t go on it and –
perhaps more importantly – what gets erased when
something else better comes along.
And
Marjorie had put “pitchers and catchers” on
hers. She’s not alone. Women across this country
keep their families operating like a well-tuned
battery (in the baseball sense) by noting on the
calendars things such as the true beginning of
baseball season. For fans, spring training is
the bellwether (in the literary sense, not
agricultural sense) of springtime and,
ultimately, summertime.
That’s
what it’s been about since we were all in
grammar school, right?. I don’t think it ever
stops. Even my grandfather, who turned 97 last
week, relishes the coming of spring. He and
Nana, 90, live in New Hampshire. This means that
not even stubborn New Englanders turn their
backs on the promise of spring. As much as
they’d like to.
Nana is a
big Red Sox fan. So this means that even the
regional obstinate gene can’t stand a chance
when it comes to The Sox. And, yes – in case you
were wondering – Nana controls the household
calendar … and the remote, and the map and the
Bingo dauber pen and…well, I could go on.
(And,
speaking of control, that’s exactly why pitchers
and catchers show up to training camp before the
other guys. If it were me, after all, I’d want
to make sure that my pitcher has brushed the
cobwebs off of his fastball before hurling one
mere inches from my chest – or worse, my ear…
which is exactly where it would go if he didn’t
get in a few days extra practice.)
All this
talk about the promise of the season reminds me
of something: I have to call one of my friends.
You see, we share season tickets with her
husband and he wants to get together to figure
out which games he’ll take for the upcoming
season. Problem is, he doesn’t really know his
schedule . . . She’s got the calendar.
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