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    Long Season: The Classic Inside Account of a Baseball Year, 1959
    Unavailable
    Long Season: The Classic Inside Account of a Baseball Year, 1959
    Unavailable
    Long Season: The Classic Inside Account of a Baseball Year, 1959
    Ebook390 pages5 hours

    Long Season: The Classic Inside Account of a Baseball Year, 1959

    By Jim Brosnan

    3.5/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    "One of the best baseball books ever written. It is probably one of the best American diaries as well." —New York Times

    A timeless classic from baseball's golden era, legendary pitcher Jim Brosnan's witty and candid chronicle of the 1959 Major League Baseball season, which set the standard for all sports memoirs to follow.

    The Long Season was a revelation when it was first published in 1960. Here is an insider's perspective on America's national pastime that is funny, honest, and above all, real. The man behind this fascinating account of baseball and its players was not a sportswriter but a self-proclaimed "average ballplayer"—a relief pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. Called "Professor" by his teammates and "Meat" by his wife, Jim Brosnan turned out to be the ideal guide to the behind-the-scenes world of professional baseball with his keen observations, sharp wit, and clear-eyed candor.

    His player's diary takes readers on the mound and on the road; inside the clubhouse and most enjoyably inside his own head. While solving age-old questions like "Why can't pitchers hit?" and what makes for the best chewing tobacco, Brosnan captures the game-to-game daily experiences of an ordinary season, unapologetically, "the way I saw it"—from sweating it out in spring training to blowing the opening game to a mid-season trade to the Cincinnati Reds.

    In The Long Season, Brosnan reveals, like no other sportswriter before him, the human side of professional ballplayers and has forever preserved not only a season, but a uniquely American experience.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateMar 15, 2016
    ISBN9780062454881
    Unavailable
    Long Season: The Classic Inside Account of a Baseball Year, 1959
    Author

    Jim Brosnan

    Jim Brosnan is the author of the critically acclaimed books The Long Season and Pennant Race. He was a Major League Baseball pitcher for nine years, playing for the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, and Cincinnati Reds. He went on to be a sportscaster and contributor to Sports Illustrated, Life, the Chicago Sun-Times, and the New York Times Magazine.

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    Reviews for Long Season

    3.5/5

    30 ratings17 reviews

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    • 3/5
      I found this to have some things in common with Where Love Has Gone by Harold Robbins. Maybe if I hadn't read both books in a short space of time I would have enjoyed it more. I shall read a few books then return to this one and see if I change my mind about it.
    • 4/5
      Olivia, a defence attorney, is asked to represent a former fiance, Jack, whose heart she broke 20 years ago. Three years ago Jack's wife Molly was the first victim of a mass shooting by a boy called Todd. Jack is now accused of shooting three people, including Todd's father. Olivia works on the bail hearing and defence case generally and learns things which begin to shake her faith in Jack's innocence. We learn more about exactly what happened between Jack and Olivia.This was an exciting read with twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. I worked out who the guilty party was towards the end, although the very last chapter where Olivia muses on said party's motivations and actions made it seems slightly less convincing somehow. Olivia's romance came a bit out of nowhere - I hope she is nicer to him the she was to Jack.
    • 4/5
      So they say truth is stranger than fiction. If you were Jack Harris’ friend in this novel, you may even think he was ‘off his rocker’. Can you imagine trying to convince the police that you were coincidentally in the same area as the father of the youth that took your wife’s life three years before in a mass shooting; that you had nothing to do with the shooting death of said ‘father’, that you were innocently bringing a picnic basket to meet a beautiful woman you didn’t know but had seen her one morning drinking champagne on the lawn, still dressed in her evening attire, reading a book. So, Jack is being held, questioned, and finally arrested. Buckley, his sixteen-year-old daughter, calls Olivia Randall, New York City DA and Jack’s ex, to find out what is going to happen to her father. Against the better judgement of the managing partner in her law firm, Olivia decides to defend Jack. Then, the police confirm that while Jack’s hands didn’t show gun residue, his shirt did.As Jack’s ex, Olivia feels she knows him well enough to know he couldn’t kill anyone. But, as evidence begins to build, she inwardly begins second guessing her judgement of him. Author Alafair Burke skillfully keeps the tension tight in this engaging suspenseful drama. As a prosecutor, she has experience in the legal system; that experience plays out well in her novel. Jack’s character is intricate, and the reader keeps pondering his guilt or innocence. I’d actually love to see more of Olivia as a brash New York DA if this were to be expanded into a series. Rating: 4 out of 5.
    • 4/5
      I don't even look at the flyleaf when I see Alafair Burke's name on the cover - I just know I'm going to enjoy it. Burke's latest is The Ex. The first few chapters of a book are always important to me - is my interest piqued? Do I want to know what happens next? Burke absolutely had me curious. The first few pages are the transcript of a police interview. Jack Harris believes he's helping the police with their investigation - he was in the vicinity when a shooter killed three people. Instead, it turns out they think Jack did it......Olivia Randall is a powerhouse criminal defense lawyer - tough, brash and dedicated to her clients. She's also the woman who broke Jack's heart twenty years ago when she walked out on him. When Jack's daughter approaches her to defend Jack, she immediately says yes. After all, the Jack she knows couldn't kill anyone...........could he?I liked the character of Olivia - flaws and all - she's someone you would want in your corner. The flaws and doubts made her believable. Jack was a tricky one - he comes across as likable, but there was just something about him. And that niggling doubt kept me reading another chapter...and another. Burke drops hints, teasers and memories as the book progresses. I did have my suspicions as the end neared, but Burke's gotcha at the end was well played.Burke herself is a lawyer - the legal and courtroom scenes in the book benefit from her expertise. I would love to see another book with Olivia - perhaps she'll get her own series?Burke has done it again - an excellent premise, great plotting and an entertaining, addictive, satisfying read.
    • 4/5
      Olivia Randall has few regrets in life, but she does regret the way her relationship with Jack Harris ended twenty years ago. When she receives a frantic phone call from Jack's daughter, Olivia does what she thinks is right and heads to the police department to help out her former fiancé in Alafair Burke's latest thriller, The Ex.Olivia Randall met Jack Harris in college. Their relationship went from being friends to lovers and eventually they became engaged. Unfortunately, Olivia wasn't quite ready to settle down and took advantage of Jack's kindness during the last year of their engagement. The end came after Jack discovered proof of one of Olivia's liaisons in their apartment. The engagement was over and Jack moved on. Then Jack's wife was murdered in a mass shooting at Penn Station. The general opinion was the father of the shooter should have been responsible for his son's actions since it was known the teenage boy had mental health issues and the father supported the boy's access to guns. Now that father has been found shot to death in a spot where Jack had been waiting for a date. The police feel they have the right man, but Olivia feels differently. Over the course of her investigation into Jack, his marriage, his wife's murder, and his life after, she uncovers one too many secrets that lead her to change her belief in Jack's innocence. Olivia begins to feel as if she never really knew Jack and fears she's being manipulated. Can she find answers to her burning questions about Jack and his past? I found The Ex to be an intriguing and engrossing fast-paced read. Ms. Burke has crafted a scenario that is not only wholly believable but tragically realistic. Olivia is a forty-something lawyer struggling with her guilt over past behavior. Jack is a forty-something author struggling to forgive Olivia and keep secrets. Buckley, Jack's teenage daughter, is overwhelmed with guilt over her mother's death (read the book to find out why) and wants to keep her father out of prison. The Ex is part legal thriller, part psychological thriller, part suspense thriller, and one darn good read. I enjoyed all of the characters and found most of them to be deeply flawed but likable. Just when you think you might have things figured out, Ms. Burke throws in a nice twist (or two) to keep you guessing. I can always count on Ms. Burke for a well-crafted and well-written story. If you enjoy suspense thrillers, legal thrillers, psychological thrillers, or are just looking for something a little different to read, then I strongly urge you to grab a copy of The Ex.
    • 5/5
      The EX by Alafair Burke is a 2016 Harper publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. The legal thriller has gone through many adjustments, especially over the last five or six years. Courtroom dramas appear to be dead in the water as fewer attorneys actually step foot into a courtroom anymore. Now, so called legal thrillers have lawyers doing all the crime solving, making them more like amateur sleuths than attorneys. No one ever sits on the stand, there are no judges or juries and the nuances of criminal court trials have disappeared entirely. But, that is not the case with this book and for that reason alone, I intended to give the book a solid rating, but as it turns out this was a very compelling read that went beyond the legal wrangling. Olivia had a five- year relationship with Jack, but the two were incompatible and she wound up hurting Jack very badly by making some very bad decisions. She hasn’t seen Jack in many years, but she knows he eventually married and has a daughter. However, his happiness was short lived due to the tragic shooting death of his wife. Now the man Jack holds responsible for the shooting has been shot and killed and of course Jack is suspect number one. Olivia agrees to take his case, despite the obvious conflict of interest, mainly due to her feelings of guilt about how things ended between her and Jack. Olivia is positive Jack could never do what he is accused of, but the more evidence that pours in, the more people who come forward with tales of Jack’s dark side, the more Olivia begins to suspect her client is guilty. I was riveted to this story from the get go. The plotting and planning is very rich in details, with several breathtaking twists and turns along the way. I have read many legal thrillers in my day, and I have to admit I had suspected what the outcome would be, but I was never over confident about that, always having a reasonable doubt about what really happened. Olivia is a character I couldn’t help but like, despite some things she did in her past that were really terrible. She still has some morally questionable traits when it comes to relationship choices and she drinks a lot, beats herself up over how she treated Jack, something I suspect has left her unsettled for many years, but she does her job exceptionally well. She grows as a person throughout this case, and I think maybe she was able to put some lingering demons to rest at last. This case is perhaps a little bit of a cautionary tale, proving cause and effect. One person’s actions can cause a chain reaction that not only affects their lives but many others. Despite what one might think, at the end of the day, the outcome really gave me something to think about. Of course, I can’t expound on that here without giving anything away, but I think this story has some deeper messages beyond what appears on the surface. The atmosphere was heavy and tense from the beginning and the conclusion is creepy, and left me feeling as though Olivia will have to deal with the fallout of this case for a long time to come and that someday another shoe will drop and when it does, it won’t be pretty. But, until then, I think Olivia came out of the situation a much more balanced person with a more settled life and at long last has put the past in its proper perspective and place. I wouldn’t mind seeing her in action again someday. Overall this one gets 4.5 stars.
    • 4/5
      A great legal thriller! I am looking forward to reading More of Alifar Burkes novels.
    • 4/5
      The Ex – A Great StandaloneThe Ex is a standalone thriller from the fantastic American writer Alafair Burke who has a wonderful writing style that allows you to enjoy the book throughout. The Ex really is a great mystery with a subtle twist that draws you in and will leaves you satisfied at the end.Olivia Randall is a highly successful criminal defence lawyer in New York who receives a call from the daughter of her former fiancé Jack Harris. She agrees with his daughter that there is no way Jack could be guilty of a triple murder. Olivia goes down to the Police Precinct to try and help him.We also see the complicated relationship that Olivia had with Jack and how their relationship broke down, we see the regrets. At the same time you are consistently asked to look at their interpersonal relationship and is he really telling the truth about what happened.As much as Jack protests his innocence the more that Olivia questions whether he will to right a wrong is blinding her. Is the ‘missed moment’ a red herring? All the evidence seems to be pointing to convict Jack, but she is sure that she is missing something.As with all Alafair Burke’s books the truth will out eventually, like Agatha Christie she lays out how things happen and why. Once again a great mystery story that with everything we are told about Jack Harris we are sure he is innocent but like any whodunit you have to wait for the reveal. With a few twists and turns this is a really great book.
    • 4/5
      Overall an enjoyable suspense novel. Olivia, an attorney, finds herself defending her ex, Jack, when he is accused of a triple murder. Olivia can't believe Jack would do such a thing but the evidence is piling up and she begins to believe that she may not know Jack as well as she thought. The story was fast paced and well constructed, there were plenty of twists along the way to keep it interesting. I wasn't particularly fond of either of the main characters which is why I lowered my rating of the book. I enjoyed the story but the characters kept me from loving the book.
    • 4/5
      Jack Harris lost his wife in an act of violence. He and his teenage daughter carry on as best they can. One day while out running, he meets an anonymous woman who he finally gets to meet through an online blog. They set up a date, but strangely enough, she does not show. Instead Jack finds himself being arrested for the triple homicide of people also in the park at the time of his date. He contacts his former girlfriend Olivia who agrees to represent him at trial. She does so zealously, initially believing him innocent. However, as evidence mounts against Jack, she comes to terms with his guilt. While things point in Jack’s direction, all is never as it seems. This was quite an entertaining tale.
    • 4/5
      When the daughter of Jack Harris begs lawyer Olivia Randall to defend him on a murder charge, Olivia is conflicted. On the one hand, although he has motive, Jack is her ex and she is positive he is innocent; on the other hand he is her ex and he has motive. But, partly out of guilt about how she treated him in the past, she agrees to take the case. However, the further she digs, the higher the evidence against Jack piles up. She begins to suspect that everything she thought she knew about her ex may be a lie, that, maybe, if you’ll pardon the pun, she really doesn’t know jack about Jack. The Ex is a legal thriller by author Alafair Burke and the first book I’ve read by her. Fortunately, this works as a standalone. The novel feels realistic as Olivia and her team wade through the evidence and as she deals with an uncooperative client who she has personal issues with as well as the prosecution’s tricks. My biggest problem with the novel was Olivia herself; she definitely seems like a lawyer, in fact almost stereotypically so, but she just isn’t particularly likeable at least for most of the novel. On the other hand, it is a sign of Burke’s talent as a writer that, as Olivia begins to have doubts about Jack, she develops insights about herself. That aside though, I quite enjoyed The Ex. It is a compelling and suspenseful thriller and, if it isn’t edge-of-your seat nail biting action, it is intelligent with complex characters. This may be the first book I have read by Burke but it definitely won’t be the last.
    • 3/5
      The Ex by Alafair BurkeAudio narrated by XE SandsA NYC attorney, Olivia Randall, represents a former fiance', Jackson Harris, after it appears he is framed for a triple murder. His alibi seems contrived and suspicious to the police; and one of the murder victims happens to be the father of a boy who had gone on a shooting spree and killed Jack's wife, among many others. Olivia and Jack's past history is slowly revealed and we learn of her past infidelities and the ultimate demise of their relationship decades before. As she works on his case, a difficult one in which a lot of evidence seems to have been planted in order to set him up for the fall, she starts to learn of his dark and troubled side as well, one she never knew existed. As her doubts about him increase and the case becomes more muddled, she realizes that her career and reputation may be on the line for believing in him. This has twists and turns in the plot line which keep you guessing. It is also interesting to see how people can present an image to the world which is quite different from what their personal life is like.
    • 4/5
      A real page turner. Attorney Olivia Randall is contacted by the daughter of the writer Jack Harris, whom she loved and wronged many years prior. Jack was near the scene of a murder and is being questioned aggressively by police. One of the victims was the father of the crazed teen who shot Jack's wife years ago. Jack is arrested and charged with three counts of murder. Motivated by guilt, Olivia agrees to represent Jack. We learn about their history gradually; the information is nicely paced throughout the story of the ongoing investigation. The book can be read as a meditation on how parents treat and affect their children, on how the poisonous fruit of old sins can be brought to life, on how the secrets we keep come to light, and how all three of these things interact to create a compelling story. The characters are well drawn: I enjoyed getting to know Olivia, Jack, and their friends and colleagues. My primary complaint is that the flap copy makes such a big deal of the twist that's coming at the end that I knew to expect one more shift, and in fact had guessed it rather easily. But Burke does a great job of keeping us guessing about Jack's innocence and what Olivia will do. It might be fun to see Olivia again.
    • 5/5
      A very enjoyable legal thriller set in NYC about a defense lawyer drawn into a murder case involving her ex-fiance. A fun look at how circumstantial evidence can bounce back and force -- and be interpreted in different ways, depending on the narrative. A classic, did he or did he not do it -- one that has the reader going back and forth and waiting for the big reveal -- or that one piece of evidence that shuts it down. Yes, a few unrealistic moments in the book, but I found it quite fun.
    • 4/5
      firmly 3.5. 3 is too low and 4 is too high but I really like Burke's writing so giving her & the book he benefit of the doubt.I figured out the case resolution, but I didn't actually like many of the characters. I think that's part of why I didn't rate this higher. The writing & plot development was excellent, I just wished they could all go for a ride in Old Sparky.
    • 4/5
      The first book that takes the reader into the locker room. First book to be irreverent and down-to-earth. Groundbreaking book. Can even read it now and enjoy it..
    • 3/5
      Fun baseball book. I can see why it was considered edgy when it came out in 1960, long before Jim Bouton's Ball Four. Lots of amusing stories and anecdotes, but almost nothing on baseball strategy or tactics. I think one gets a good sense of what major league baseball life was like in the late 1950s and early 1960s.