Prospects : A Portrait of Minor League Baseball

Rating:
Summary: Great look into the world of the Minor Leagues
Review: I bought this book for two reasons. First and foremost, my undying love for the game that, as a girl, I was forced to give up at the age of 15. Secondly, my love of black and white photography. Not only does David Deal capture the essence of the sport itself, but he captures the character of the "boys" who play it. Throughout the book, between pictures, are his personal accounts of travelling with the team, the interactions between teams and between teammates and more importantly of life at the minor league level. But I think the pictures tell more than the words, capturing a catcher's throw to second, the dirty ball in the hands of a player that could be anyone at any level, the joking between teammates, the pride on the face of the rookie and the catcher sitting in the dugout after a tough game. The pictures are phenomenal, all captivating in their own way. It's amazing how well Deal has captured the true nature of the game.

Rating:
Summary: A strong and stirring book
Review: This is a beautiful book, a celebration of baseball and a tribute to those who strive and struggle in any this or any other endeavor. What amazes me about Mr. Deal's portraits is his ability to capture his subjects with such vigor and HONESTY. These young ballplayers seem to meet the camera in all their raw self-hood. They don't pose for the camera. Rather, the camera seems to draw out of them something true and strong and wonderful. It's hard to describe. Unless you are holding the book in your hands it probably won't make much sense. But this is an extraordinary celebration of baseball, a remarkable and powerful tribute to those who play the game. Wish I could say it better. There is something very moving in this work.

Rating:
Summary: Powerful
Review: You may not have heard of David Deal, but you will. Prospects: A Portrait of Minor League Baseball, cements him as one of the great photographic geniuses of our time. In this powerful, moving book Mr. Deal captures the bygone allure and glory of what was once America's favorite sport. His original photographs take us back to a day when sandlots all over America were teaming with kids dreaming of the big leagues. What's amazing is that this is not an anthology of old photographs - just the opposite. In this wholly original work, Mr. Deal captures tomorrow's big leaguers...today. His lens invites us into the world of minor league baseball and does so with ease and brilliance. These players are seldom noticed, rarely acknowledged. Mr. Deal does more than notice and acknowledge - he celebrates, elevates and glorifies them. And you will be moved to do the same. But this is more than a baseball book - it's a book about life, about dreams, about hope. Buy this book. Read this book. Share this book.