The Soul of Baseball

“One of the best baseball books in years”—a journey with Negro League legend Buck O’Neil by the New York Times–bestselling author of The Baseball 100 (Cleveland Plain Dealer).

Winner of the Casey Award for Best Baseball Book of the Year

When legendary Negro League player Buck O’Neil asked award-winning sports columnist Joe Posnanski how he fell in love with baseball, that simple question eventually led the pair on a cross-country quest to recapture the love that first drew them to the game. This book recounts their emotional quest to find the heart of America’s beloved sport that still beats despite the scandal-ridden, steroid-shooting, money-hungry athletes who currently seem to define the sport.

At its heart is the story of 94-year-old Buck O’Neil—a man who truly played for the love of the game. After an impressive career in the Negro Baseball Leagues in which he earned two hitting titles and one championship, O’Neil made baseball history by becoming the first African-American coach in major league baseball. Posnanski writes about that love and the one thing that O’Neil cherishes almost as much as baseball: jazz. This heartwarming and insightful tour of the country is an endearing step back in time to the days when the crack of a bat and the smoky notes of a midnight jam session were the sounds that brought the most joy to a man’s heart.

“Engaging and spirit-lifting . . . much like Mitch Albom’s Morrie.” —Sports Illustrated

“You won’t read a better baseball book this year.” —Newsday

“A moving elegy for both the Negro Leagues and one of the game’s biggest personalities.” —Entertainment Weekly

“How good is [this] book? It’s right there with Robert Creamer’s Babe.” —Toronto Sun

“Poignant, very funny, and ultimately inspiring.” —Dave Barry

“Document[s] in loving detail the story of a man who figured out early how to live every day with joy.” —Boston Sunday Globe