Nine Innings

Rating:
Summary: A NICE READ
Review: A couple of things I was not thrilled about: 1. He mainly talked about the Milwaukee Brewers significantly more than the Baltimore Orioles. 2. He talked way too much about the management issue of the Brewers (how they were relocated, payroll). Other than that it's a fun book to read but there needed to be more baseball discussion rather than discussion of topics that isn't really baseball at the core.

Rating:
Summary: Utterly Fascinating
Review: As a young boy, I read Okrent's Ultimate Baseball book. As a much older man, I watched Okrent on Ken Burns' Baseball and enjoyed his witty thoughts. Finally, I came to 9 Innings. It is a terrific read. What a great idea to look at the world of baseball through the lens of one game. It was a fascinating look at the game and the Brewers in the their brief glory days. Everything from the grounds crew to the ownership books was noted. The game, between the AL Champion '82 Brewers and the soon to be World Champion '83 Orioles, was entertaining. But, the picture of life in a small market and behind the scenes stuff is the best. The updates at the end strangely gloss over a Brewers team that came within one win of the World Championship and ignore the Orioles championships (and Hall of Famers Murray and Ripken) entirely. That is ok. A brillant book by a real traditionalist. Not dated if you are a true fan.

Rating:
Summary: wonderful...for fans
Review: I love Daniel Okrent, the public editor of the NY Times. I find his column -- and the very existence of his job -- to be fascinating, and I am always interested in what he has to say. It turns out, however, that my love of Okrent goes deeper than just his current position. Last night I finished reading his book Nine Innings. The book covers the Brewers-Orioles game that took place on June 10, 1982. No, there's nothing special about that game, even though the Brewers managed to make it to the World Series that year. It's just one game in the middle of the season, and he covers it in excrutiating depth, using pitching changes and at-bats as excuses to ruminate on everything related to the history of the game, the biographies of the individual players, the city of Milwaukee, and oh so much more.

Unlike Moneyball, which I recommend that everyone reads whether or not they are baseball fans (and if you haven't read it yet, shame on you. go get it now), I don't think Nine Innings would appeal to anyone who is not already a baseball fan. Or maybe a Milwaukeean. But if you are, I suggest you find this book

Rating:
Summary: A Complete-Game Shutout by Okrent
Review: In this book, as other reviewers and the editorial reviews have stated, Daniel Okrent writes a play-by-play account of a single baseball game which, in its normality and relative unimportance, serves as a good setting. No one remembers this game now, as they would a famous playoff game or All-Star contest. This matchup between the Baltimore Orioles and the Milwaukee Brewers was simply one of the many games played on that late-Spring day and was nothing more or less.

But the game's meaninglessness, on the surface, would seem to make this a tediously boring read. To the contrary, it is a fascinating look into the world of baseball in any generation and makes you realize that the sport is made up of much more than the simple, routine actions that take place on the field. Okrent also makes clear the importance of each of these actions - individual pitches, defensive positioning and in-game managerial decisions - by discussing and analyzing the thought processes of making each crucial choice.

But the more interesting aspect of the book is the off-the-field components that Okrent deals with in similar depth and interest. He discusses the anatomy of an individual trade, delves into the art of player scouting, and writes much about the baseball media, including Milwaukee's beat writers and the club's radio network. As the book's introduction said, the on-field happenings are really nothing more than the tip of the iceberg and Okrent convincingly backs up this statement.

Additionally, his afterword, written in early 2000, is an incredibly insightful closing which will comfort those who have grown discontented with the changing face of baseball and will interest those who still love it for what it is.

Okrent did a teriffic job with Nine Innings and the product that he put out on the table is a book that any baseball fan will love and should step up to the plate to.

Rating:
Summary: A NICE READ
Review: NINE INNINGS IS ABOUT A GAME BETWEEN MILWAUKEE AND BALTIMORE DURING THE 1982 SEASON. IT ALSO COVERS ALOT OF FACTS INVOLVING THE BREWERS FRANCHISE AND HOW THIS TEAM WAS PUT TOGETHER. MOST OF THE INFO IS VERY INTERESTING AND SOME IS VERY TRIVIAL AND BORING. FOR THE MOST PART IT IS WELL WRITTENAND VERY DETAILED.
THE AUTHOR ADDS A LOT OF BEHIND THE SCENE FACTS BUT AT TIMES IS TOO CAUGHT UP IN TOO MANY SMALL DETAILS WHICH I THINK SLOW THE BOOK DOWN AND MADE ME BORED. BUT IS WORTH READING AND RECOMMENDED.

Rating:
Summary: Thumbs up from a female fan
Review: This is a fine book, recommended to all baseball fans. The book is structured around a single game in June 1982, with a description of the game and asides on players and events. Each chapter covers one inning, although the events of the inning may occupy only a few lines in each chapter.

By now (2000), most of the players and events are ancient history. But the game remains the same, and any fan would enjoy this book

Rating:
Summary: Great book
Review: This is my favorite baseball book. It's about the game and all the layers that go into it. You can do this with any sport, but I love baseball and Okrent dissects both pitch counts and player histories with care. I remember these players, but I've never rooted for either team and I still think that this book is fascinating. I often think of this book as I go to ballgames and strike up conversations with fellow fans about not only the situations of the game in front of us, but how this game connects to so many other games in the past.