Red Sox Essential: Everything You Need to Know to Be a Real Fan!

From the time the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004 through the end of 2005, I added 39 books on the Red Sox to my collection. Right! Enough already! This year, the pace has slackened. I really enjoyed reading Jim Prime's new book, RED SOX ESSENTIAL. What did I like about it? A) it wasn't essential. It wasn't overly serious. But it was fun! Besides, the author approaches the matter of "essential-ity" with tongue in cheek. B) that with all the angst and anguish lifted from the shoulders of overly-burdened Boston Red Sox fans, it was a relief to be able to read a book that didn't feel compelled to delve deeply into all the darkness that has haunted the Sox for so long. Yes, it's possible to just read this book light-heartedly and feel good about the world. That's what winning a World Series can do for you. The book does provide a primer for those wanting to learn about the Red Sox, but in an easy-to-digest, breezy fashion. It doesn't go into nearly as much depth as Leigh Grossman's RED SOX FAN HANDBOOK, but it doesn't intend to. This is a book that's meant to be easy to handle, easy to afford (under $20 for a hardcover), and easy to digest. You actually will learn a lot about the Red Sox if you read the book - even if you thought you already knew it all, you're bound to find a few new tidbits here. But - you notice a theme in this review - even if you really do know almost everything about the Red Sox, you'll still enjoy it because it's FUN. The Top Ten lists sprinkled throughout the book add a good measure of fresh entertainment. There's also trivia, and a nice feature called "By the Numbers" which lets you learn the average speed of a Tim Wakefield fastball, as well as the more familiar numbers like 406, 521, and 502. So, this year, remember: we Red Sox fans have suffered enough. We can relax a bit and enjoy a book like this one. We earned it.

If you think you know everything there is to know about the Boston Red Sox, think again. This book reveals facts that even diehard fans might not know. For example, did you know that former Red Sox catcher Birdie Tebbetts secretly called balls and strikes in a game against the White Sox? Turns out he did it to help out umpire Red Ormsby who had been gassed in WW1 and was suffering from blurred vision. Do you agree with the author's ranking of the 50 greatest players of all time? Should Pedro be ahead of Rocket Roger? Yaz ahead of Ted? Did you know that Ted Williams openly lobbied for Dom DiMaggio's admittance to the Hall of Fame? Ted's letter to the Veteran's Committee is in this book. Did you know that 1983 was a "lemon chicken season" for Wade Boggs? What Red Sox pitcher issued the following statement: "My first foray into Lower Guk was a lot of fun..."? What Sox first baseman accused Johnny Damon of "throwing like a girl?" This book is a mixture of facts and fun and the concoction is addictive. This really is an essential book for Red Sox fans if all ages. Teddy Ballgame