The audiobook paints a definitive portrait of a topic baseball fans will enjoy.
Appel, a longtime public-relations man for the New York Yankees, has written a comprehensive history of the team, a chronological approach tracing the ownership, players, managers, and moments from the 19th century to present day. While many listeners will be familiar with several of the famous moments and players, Appel brings a sage eye to the subject, incorporating interesting tidbits and historical knowledge. Narrator Christopher Ragland brings emotional inflections that reflect the team’s historic and dramatic moments over more than a century. His pacing is fine. Unfortunately, Appel’s excellent research and writing is marred by Ragland’s repeated mispronunciations of many subjects’ names.
The audiobook paints a definitive portrait of a topic baseball fans will enjoy.Pub Date: Oct. 28, 2025
Duration: 32 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781639739578
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2026
More books have been written about baseball than any other sport, and audiobooks such as this allow the genre to flourish. Former pitcher Ron Darling, now a broadcaster, had a distinguished career, primarily with the New York Mets. Darling has met just about everyone in the sport for nearly four decades and demonstrates his knowledge and connections with the anecdotes in this entertaining memoir. Narrator Malcolm Hillgartner's relaxed delivery sounds as though he is in the broadcast booth with Darling. Like most audio sports memoirs, this book succeeds because of the narrator's engaging style. Hillgartner recognizes that even the duller moments in baseball are bolstered by the legacies of so many who have played the game, and were fortunate to have crossed paths with the author.
Pub Date: April 2, 2019
Duration: 7 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781721342457
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Willie Mays's baseball life was a long and rich one, worthy of multiple biographies. Known as a five-tool player--he could run, field, throw, hit, and hit for power--Mays enjoyed a long career. The tag-team narration here fits wonderfully: Larry Herron speaks in a serious and deep tone that is commanding, with appropriate doses of emotion. Julian McWilliams uses a higher voice for Mays who, in fact, does have a slightly high voice. Often, when people are quoted--like President Obama--imitations are used and fit seamlessly within the story. Off- and on-the-field anecdotes are interspersed with brief pieces of advice and mini-mantras from the baseball great.
Pub Date: May 12, 2020
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781250240231
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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