Bottom of the 33rd is a book about Baseball’s Longest Game. The full title of the book is Bottom of the 33rd: Hope, Redemption and Baseball’s Longest Game by author Dan Barry. It is obviously a book about baseball but it’s so much more than that.
Bottom of the 33rd is a book about life, life in baseball, life around baseball and how life is for everyone involved in the game of baseball from the owners, general managers and players of the teams to the employees who make the games happen all the way down to the fans that come to the games and cheer their teams on. All of these people have lives outside the game and reasons for being around the game.
I was told about the book by a fellow Twins fan at a game so I read the book not knowing the teams involved or even the year the game was held. All of that would be revealed as I read the book and that may be the best way to read it anyways. You find out who the teams are, who the players are and what got them to this point in their careers and what will become of them in the rest of their careers as you read the book.
Do they become Hall of Famers or do they only get a cup-of-coffee in the major leagues? Do they play for your favorite team? What do they do after their careers are finished? You may see a name that reminds you of another player and wonder if they are related or if they were teammates with one of your favorite players. You will be reminded of why you love the game of baseball.
We all love reminiscing about the past especially when it comes to sports. We love to remember stories of when we were kids and baseball was fun no matter what the outcome of the game. We were able to go and experience a professional game in person and I always thought I might see something special whenever I went to a game. It could be a no-hitter, someone could hit for the cycle or hit three home runs or make the greatest defensive play you’ve ever seen OR it could be the longest game in professional baseball and you were there and you stayed for the whole game.
We hear “It’s just a game!” all the time when it comes to sports. Author Dan Barry does an excellent job showing the reader that baseball is more than a game. Baseball is life to these players, coaches and umpires. For the majority of the fans, it’s just a game and doesn’t affect their lives too much. The players, coaches and umpires sacrifice so much time it can affect every relationship in their life. It’s their livelihood so it means everything to them. Winning and losing or success and failure can literally change those lives!
I highly recommend Bottom of the 33rd: Hope, Redemption and Baseball’s Longest Game.* It’s like being there and might be even better because of the history revealed about the lives surrounding the game.
*This is an affiliate link. That means I make money off of any sale that comes from that link. That’s not why I’m reviewing this book though. I put this review on my site because I want everyone who comes to my blog to get something good out of it and if you buy this book, I think you will thank me for turning you on to it.
That’s my take, what’s yours?
Robb
