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| Customer Reviews: | | Average Customer Review: ( 30 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 13 found the following review helpful:
 A wonderful inside look and a valentine to America's Game... Jan 24, 2005
By Robert Wellen
This is a terrific book. It balances nicely between an inside look (and it is quite honest about the players and other characters, showing their true human qualities--it does not pretty them up) and an ode to the one of the last places where the true spirit of the game lives. I had long known of the league, but mostly through the reports of Peter Gammons and Baseball America. It was all numbers and thumb nail scouting reports. This book added layer after layer of humanity to these guys. It also captures quite beautifully the connection of the game and the mythical qualities and the small town virtues. It doesn't overdo it either. The touches are excellent. The narrative is a bit meandering at times, but that is ok, so is the game. A beautiful tribute to the men (mostly Pauly, D'Antona, and Stauffer) and a game that is timeless. Thank you Jim Collins.
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
America's pastime simple and pure (mostly) Jun 16, 2006
By Art
An enjoyable work that captures the feel of the Cape Cod Baseball League. The Cape league remains popular due to its simplicity and reminder of earlier times. Despite showcasing the best NCAA baseball talent, the league's free admission and small time atmosphere make it a vital part of summer on Cape Cod. The author correctly focuses on a groups of players for the Chatham A's vice a play by play of every game. He tells stories of the big league hopes of a select group of players, from the son of a grocer who loves to fish, to the rich son of a corporate executive who is out to raise his own signing bonus. Despite being future stars/heroes most come off as average college guys, more into beer and girls than anything else.
While the players are interesting, the real story is the team itself and how its long time manager epitomizes everything about the league. He receives little pay, spends thousands of hours recruiting players, and builds his life managing a team in a short season league, that is a mere pit spot for future major leaguers. It was amazing how these young 19 year old children already have agents, personnel trainers, and specialist doctors, but with signing bonuses often in the millions, the smell of big money corporate baseball lies just below the surface of the simple hometown Cape Cod league.
The book reads well and weaves a good story. The author's access to the 2002 team and locals really capture the moment. Certain parts of the book wax sentimental and are a bit heavy on the symbology of baseball and its role in American culture, but most baseball books fall prey to this. The author's love for the game is obvious. I learned much about how young players are prepped for the major leagues. Any fan of good baseball writing will enjoy the book, especially those who have been lucky enough to grab a Cape League game.
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
 Great book about the Cape Cod League Jul 13, 2004
I worked for several years in baseball operations for two Major League Baseball franchises, and to this day, one of my greatest experiences was spending three weeks scouting at the Cape Cod League. Jim Collins does an excellent job of portraying the league, its management, scouts, fans, coaches and players. He brings several angles to the book, showing that not all players get along, that there are "classes" of players, and that 20-year old boys will act like, well, boys. For the casual baseball fan, this is an excellent look at something other than the Major Leagues. For the die-hard fan, it is a must read.
7 of 8 found the following review helpful:
Thanks for the memories May 14, 2004
By ED BAIRD
I was fortunate to have played 3 summers (1965-1967) for the Chatham A's of the Cape Cod Baseball League - An experience that far overshadows all of my other baseball accomplishments - I fell in love with the town & the league from the minute I first arrived.But as the years have past, the memories have dimmed, until I read Jim Collin's book "The Last Best League" I have to admit that I personally know many of the key characters, which alone would indicate that I should enjoy reading the story, but Jim's easy flow writing style invited me in and I didn't want to leave. As bizarre as it may seem, as the story developed, I found myself totally absorbed as if I was actually there being a part of the scene. Whether it was in the dugout, at coach Schiffner's house discussing strategy or just walking around Chatham. If you are a baseball fan this book is a must. It clearly takes the reader for a ride as the best college baseball players in the country begin to feel the pressure, as the competition mounts, and their dreams of playing major league baseball may either be achieved or shattered based on their summer's performance in the Cape Cod Baseball League. Thanks for the memories Jim - I enjoyed the ride Ed Baird
9 of 11 found the following review helpful:
Last best baseball book Jun 09, 2004
By B. Jacobsen
"whsy82"
The author clearly loves his subjects: athletes with their chance to make it to the bigs. In particular, he loves baseball at its purist. Pure because there are no guaranteed contracts, no established stars, just college players who see their goal so close and so badly want to make the next step. Each game, and each athlete, is an adventure. It will be fun over the years to see which of the players chronicled in this book become stars in the years to come.
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