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Sports Illustrated Baseball's Greatest
Who's the greatest slugger of all time, Babe Ruth or Ted Williams? Where do Derek Jeter and Cal Ripken Jr. rank on the list of the best shortstops? At third base, would you rather have Mike Schmidt or Brooks Robinson? Is Fenway or Wrigley the better ballpark?
This book will end many arguments-and start some new ones. Sports Illustrated's has polled its Major League Baseball experts to determine the ultimate Top 10 in more than 20 categories. The rankings appear alongside stunning photography and classic stories from SI's archives. This is the best of the best in the major leagues, or, more simply, Baseball's Greatest.
This book will end many arguments-and start some new ones. Sports Illustrated's has polled its Major League Baseball experts to determine the ultimate Top 10 in more than 20 categories. The rankings appear alongside stunning photography and classic stories from SI's archives. This is the best of the best in the major leagues, or, more simply, Baseball's Greatest.
- GenresSportsBaseballNonfiction
288 pages, Hardcover
First published October 8, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
February 21, 2020
This review is actually of two different issues of Sports Illustrated weekly periodical.
The first is Issue 2/2020 Vol 131 #1. The Super Bowl, inside are the usual categories under the title Line Up. Gambling, Prospects, Tennis, Outdoor, Soccer and Adventure. The Editor's letter is regarding the relationship of Sports Illustrated to the Super Bowl, highlighting its common past and looking to the future. The pictures and discussion about the greatest 100 NFL players was good.
The second issue was Dec 16-23,2019 Double issue with the Sportsperson of the Year - Megan Rapinoe on the cover. This also had the Lineup, with the year in pictures, sportsperson of the year, Youth and Simone Biles. This issue was focused on women in sports. I enjoyed the two great articles about equal pay for equal pay and how Adidas mistreated females athletes when they took maternity leave.
SI was first published in 1954 and has twice won the National Magazine Award for general excellence.
There are also online versions of this magazine. The magazine is generally about sports and is for teens/young adults/adults. The two issues I read were interesting for both men and women. The yearly Swimsuit issue is geared toward men. The editorial content is middle of the road and usually portrays both sides of an issue, but has also explored sports darker side. THere is a Sports Illustrated for Kids, geared to ages 8 to 14, but was not available for my review.
The first is Issue 2/2020 Vol 131 #1. The Super Bowl, inside are the usual categories under the title Line Up. Gambling, Prospects, Tennis, Outdoor, Soccer and Adventure. The Editor's letter is regarding the relationship of Sports Illustrated to the Super Bowl, highlighting its common past and looking to the future. The pictures and discussion about the greatest 100 NFL players was good.
The second issue was Dec 16-23,2019 Double issue with the Sportsperson of the Year - Megan Rapinoe on the cover. This also had the Lineup, with the year in pictures, sportsperson of the year, Youth and Simone Biles. This issue was focused on women in sports. I enjoyed the two great articles about equal pay for equal pay and how Adidas mistreated females athletes when they took maternity leave.
SI was first published in 1954 and has twice won the National Magazine Award for general excellence.
There are also online versions of this magazine. The magazine is generally about sports and is for teens/young adults/adults. The two issues I read were interesting for both men and women. The yearly Swimsuit issue is geared toward men. The editorial content is middle of the road and usually portrays both sides of an issue, but has also explored sports darker side. THere is a Sports Illustrated for Kids, geared to ages 8 to 14, but was not available for my review.
November 20, 2013
A beautiful book! A sports must-have for baseball fans
November 22, 2013
A nice addition to my books. Ideal to leave on coffee table for others to enjoy. Would make a nice present for anyone that enjoys baseball. One of those hard to put down once you start.
September 2, 2024
4.1/5: the writing is the best part
"Hey Paul, why did you read an ostensibly coffee table book that's mostly just pictures of good baseball players?" Because I'm a Chicago White Sox fan and, therefore, have to remind myself what non-trash baseball looks like. We've lost 11 in a row again, by the way. Kill me.
Anyway, this ostensibly coffee table book is not necessarily good because of what coffee table books should be (glossy photos, which are mostly pretty above average, admittedly). Nor is it the rankings themselves, which are generally smart but can lean into disagreements with my personal biases (Cubs fans like Boomer Attorney Fred are trash and Frank Thomas should be ranked higher) and impersonal slights (Japan is not mentioned anywhere in the book, even though Ichiro and Koshien Stadium exist). There's also the fact that, even within 10 years, you'll get notable changes in baseball history like the ascents of Trout, Ohtani, and Verlander. But the point of rankings is that they are subjective, personal, and fun to argue over at the bar, so that's still worth it.
The best parts, though, are the exact spots people (including me) overlook in coffee table books: the writing. Each player and team and stadium in here get a box of Sports Illustrated classic, a small pull quote or paragraph, or even full article, of some genuinely good sportswriting. There's a description of a knuckleball pitch in here that curves and turns as much as the pitch it describes. Sections about Ted Williams is not fawning, but cares instead. This writing, picked from the archives, blows the last two baseball-related fiction novels I've read out of the water, instead putting itself on a level of narrative beauty like Friday Night Lights.
"Hey Paul, why did you read an ostensibly coffee table book that's mostly just pictures of good baseball players?" Because I'm a Chicago White Sox fan and, therefore, have to remind myself what non-trash baseball looks like. We've lost 11 in a row again, by the way. Kill me.
Anyway, this ostensibly coffee table book is not necessarily good because of what coffee table books should be (glossy photos, which are mostly pretty above average, admittedly). Nor is it the rankings themselves, which are generally smart but can lean into disagreements with my personal biases (Cubs fans like Boomer Attorney Fred are trash and Frank Thomas should be ranked higher) and impersonal slights (Japan is not mentioned anywhere in the book, even though Ichiro and Koshien Stadium exist). There's also the fact that, even within 10 years, you'll get notable changes in baseball history like the ascents of Trout, Ohtani, and Verlander. But the point of rankings is that they are subjective, personal, and fun to argue over at the bar, so that's still worth it.
The best parts, though, are the exact spots people (including me) overlook in coffee table books: the writing. Each player and team and stadium in here get a box of Sports Illustrated classic, a small pull quote or paragraph, or even full article, of some genuinely good sportswriting. There's a description of a knuckleball pitch in here that curves and turns as much as the pitch it describes. Sections about Ted Williams is not fawning, but cares instead. This writing, picked from the archives, blows the last two baseball-related fiction novels I've read out of the water, instead putting itself on a level of narrative beauty like Friday Night Lights.
April 26, 2025
For the most part, good book. A lot of great pictures, but some of the inclusions are absolute jokes.
Pete Rose a better right fielder than Tony Gwynn? Please.
Not even mentioning Richie Ashburn in the “best defenders” section? In mlb history there were 7 seasons where an outfielder had more than 500 putouts and 4 of those seasons belong to Ashburn.
Cal Ripken jr the second best shortstop ever? In what universe?
But don’t expect much from SI, it’s a magazine known mostly for a swimsuit issue.
Enjoy the book for its pictures but mainly the lists are basic with jokes thrown in
Pete Rose a better right fielder than Tony Gwynn? Please.
Not even mentioning Richie Ashburn in the “best defenders” section? In mlb history there were 7 seasons where an outfielder had more than 500 putouts and 4 of those seasons belong to Ashburn.
Cal Ripken jr the second best shortstop ever? In what universe?
But don’t expect much from SI, it’s a magazine known mostly for a swimsuit issue.
Enjoy the book for its pictures but mainly the lists are basic with jokes thrown in
December 22, 2017
It's all about baseball. What could be better.
January 25, 2019
It is all about the greats baseball players of all time. I liked is but if you are not into sports then this is not the book for you.To all the sports people out there I recommend this to you.
January 14, 2020
Very fun book. Gives some wonderful insights into the history of baseball, both Major and Negro Leagues, as well as their biggest stars.
December 22, 2023
Enjoyable book on the best 10 players, by position, in baseball. Great pictures in this coffee table size book. The best thing is I bought it at a garage sale for a buck!
December 15, 2013
Copy received through Goodreads’ First Reads program.
Baseball is a game of time-honored traditions, and this book is a tribute to its fans’ greatest tradition: listing the greatest players of all time. Here, SI creates a whole bunch of Top Ten Ever lists, from players at every position (including separate lists for each outfield position, relievers, and left- and right-handed pitchers) to ballparks, franchises, and base runners. Each person/field on the list gets a huge, full-page (and these are some BIG pages) beautiful glossy picture with a few key stats and a short description (or clip from an era-appropriate SI story). There are a few articles woven throughout as well that provide a little more texture, but the focus here is on the images and the rankings, making this accessible to even the youngest of fans.
The layout and design are great - it’s very aesthetically pleasing, and its format makes it very accessible whether you’re looking to flip through it for a few minutes (at random, or looking for a particular player) or if you want to spend a while reading/looking it over. Visually arresting and approachable even for non-fans, this is an excellent, high-quality coffee table book that I’ve really enjoyed having around, and found hard to put down.
Baseball is a game of time-honored traditions, and this book is a tribute to its fans’ greatest tradition: listing the greatest players of all time. Here, SI creates a whole bunch of Top Ten Ever lists, from players at every position (including separate lists for each outfield position, relievers, and left- and right-handed pitchers) to ballparks, franchises, and base runners. Each person/field on the list gets a huge, full-page (and these are some BIG pages) beautiful glossy picture with a few key stats and a short description (or clip from an era-appropriate SI story). There are a few articles woven throughout as well that provide a little more texture, but the focus here is on the images and the rankings, making this accessible to even the youngest of fans.
The layout and design are great - it’s very aesthetically pleasing, and its format makes it very accessible whether you’re looking to flip through it for a few minutes (at random, or looking for a particular player) or if you want to spend a while reading/looking it over. Visually arresting and approachable even for non-fans, this is an excellent, high-quality coffee table book that I’ve really enjoyed having around, and found hard to put down.
November 20, 2013
I won this book as part of Goodreads' First Reads program in exchange for my honest review.
As a huge fan of baseball and it's history, I was thrilled to get this book. I was even more thrilled once I opened it and paged through it. This is a huge coffee table book full of amazing pictures and Top 10's (catchers, ballparks, managers, relievers, franchises, etc). It's a great book to just pick up and read a random page or two in between commercials or whenever you have time to kill. You might disagree a lot (the Cubs are the 8th best franchise? Kenny Lofton isn't one of the greatest base stealers?) but that's one of the joys of baseball history, arguing about the greats.
I gave this book 5 stars as it is a visually stunning book full of baseball's greatest stars.
As a huge fan of baseball and it's history, I was thrilled to get this book. I was even more thrilled once I opened it and paged through it. This is a huge coffee table book full of amazing pictures and Top 10's (catchers, ballparks, managers, relievers, franchises, etc). It's a great book to just pick up and read a random page or two in between commercials or whenever you have time to kill. You might disagree a lot (the Cubs are the 8th best franchise? Kenny Lofton isn't one of the greatest base stealers?) but that's one of the joys of baseball history, arguing about the greats.
I gave this book 5 stars as it is a visually stunning book full of baseball's greatest stars.
December 31, 2013
Amazing! Not sure there are words for this other than AMAZING! It is the GREATEST baseball book ever, really! It has so much info, great pictures and so much more. You want it, this book has it...top 10 in over 20 categories. For fans of baseball it may contain more than just facts, but arguments between you and your buddies...Who is the greatest? Sports Illustrated knocked it out of the park with this 5 star book! A MUST have!
November 21, 2013
I won this book on Goodreads and the book is really neat. As a baseball fan and a fan of its history I was impressed. The photographs are well done and the profiles of the players listed with their top 10 list had some great stories/informations.
This book will cause true baseball to question their own "Top 10 Players" and give you some great knowledge along the way!
This book will cause true baseball to question their own "Top 10 Players" and give you some great knowledge along the way!
July 17, 2015
Excellent book for any fan of baseball's rich history to own, lavishly illustrated and well-written, filled with anecdotes, key statistics, great players, games and memories. Mostly accurate although a few players can feel hard done by - Barry Bonds is rated too low and Jim Palmer, Mark Belanger, and Paul Blair deserve a mention for pitching and defence.
September 22, 2014
I really enjoyed this book because it tells me about the top 10 best players in baseball for every position. The book also tells the reader about stats of some of the greatest ball players alive. this book also it tells you about the top 10 stadiums and the nicknames and the rivalries and other cool things.
January 19, 2016
Absolutely gorgeous Sports Illustrated photography accompanied by rankings of everything and articles pulled from the magazine archives. A beautiful coffee table book and fantastic gift for baseball lovers.
Note: I received this book for free from a GoodReads giveaway!
Note: I received this book for free from a GoodReads giveaway!
November 22, 2013
Great baseball book with amazing photos. Nice snapshot of baseball history
September 1, 2014
It's a coffee table book. Oooh shiny. Lots of nice pictures.
March 28, 2014
Great read for the off-season
September 2, 2016
An awesome book that ever baseball fan should read
Read
January 4, 2017it is a great book with lists of top ten players, ball parks, francises, rivals, and jerseys all and all its a great book.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews