Dan's World

Book Review - The Game From Where I Stand

Monday, 14 June 2010 10:58 | Author: Administrator |

The Game From Where I Stand by Doug Glanville

I've read a LOT of baseball books and Doug Glanville's The Game From Where I Stand is one of the best I've read.

I was interested in reading this book because I remember Doug Glanville from his brief stay with the Texas Rangers.
As you might expect he recounts his career in the big leagues but this book is different. He details many aspects of the
game that have rarely been looked into in a book like this. He talks about getting called up to the majors, the big league clubhouses,
how different players wear their uniforms, how rookies are treated in the clubhouse.
He describes the emotions of the game - before, during and after. He talks about the stresses of the game, dealing with new found fame
and wealth and how hard this is for many young players. He talks about relationships and how players deal with them, not in a
"tell-all" fashion but the pressures of groupies approaching them, the unspoken rules about girlfriends in the clubhouse.
The diversity in the game is a very important aspect of the game to him and he talks about the integrity of the game,
including the steroids, but it's a different take than you've likely read. He also describes the end of his career,
how it feels to realize you're slowing down. He tells about finally retiring and the adjustment to not being in the game anymore.

All in all it's a very good read and I highly recommend it not only to a fan of the game but it would be an enlightening read
for players planning and hoping to make it to the big leagues one day.

Book Review - Zen Babe

Saturday, 08 May 2010 09:46 | Author: Administrator |

Zen Babe by Steve Farrel

Babe Ruth, Moe Berg, anti-American terrorists, spies, and Baseball - what more could you ask for?

Babe takes an All-Star team on a barnstorming tour of Japan in the 1930's. Sounds innocent enough, but relations between Japan and the US are tense, Moe Berg is a spy and is and taking lots of photographs for the US Government. They run into the Sons of Shogun, a terrorist group who have sworn to assassinate the Babe and the local inspector of the Japanese secret police doesn't trust any of the Americans.br>
Mr. Farrel has written a short, fun story filled with adventure, mishaps and a fair amount of baseball. I enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good, quick read.

Last Updated ( Saturday, 08 May 2010 09:50 )

Book Review - Shining City

Wednesday, 07 October 2009 11:21 | Author: Administrator |

Shining City by Seth Greenland

Marcus Ripps is a middle-aged man who works for a toy company and is struggling to make ends meet. His son is almost ready for his bar mitzvah and is expecting a lavish one. His mother-in-law has moved in and needs eye surgery but has no insurance. She smokes pot for her eye condition AND she wants to bea pole dancer! His wife owns a small, not very profitable clothing store with a friend who seems interested in lots of thing OTHER than selling clothes.

With all of this going on he and his wife don't seem to have much in the way of intimate relations anymore.

As the story opens his boss announces he's moving the company to China and Marcus can either move to China or he's out of a job. Could things get any worse?

Marcus is really struggling over whether to move to China, his wife is definitely against it, but what will he do if he doesn't go?

Things liven up when his black sheep brother dies of a heart attack and leaves him his dry cleaning business. He begins to think this might not be so bad - dry cleaning could be a nice, steady business, but little does he know that it's actually a front for one of the most popular escort services in West Hollywood!

Life really gets interesting from there! The characters are well developed and the story moves right along at a nice pace. With the crazy cast of characters and the unexpected chain of events this makes for a really entertaining read.

this makes for a really entertaining read.

Last Updated ( Wednesday, 07 October 2009 11:24 )

Book Review - Jack's Last Promise

Thursday, 15 October 2009 09:50 | Author: Administrator |

Jack's Last Promise by Richard W. Neumann, Jr.

This is a really enjoyable tale, filled with nostalgia and inspiration. It tells the story of Nick Adams, who has a nice life; he's happily married ,their first child is due at any time, and he's a fighter pilot for the Marines. As the story opens he's preparing to travel back to his hometown for a twenty-year reunion of his pony-league baseball team, which won the state championship. The majority of the novel consists of Nick's thinking back and retelling the summer when they won the championship and all that he and the rest of the team went through, both on and off the field. An underlying theme throughout is Nick's relationship with his uncle Jack, who he idolized, and who taught him his motto "Always do your best and always keep you promises."

I really enjoyed this book. There is a lot of good baseball action and the characters are really well developed. What Nick and his friends go through and how they deal with life's challenges is compelling and very inspirational.
Definitely recommended!

Chronicles of a Comeback Trumpet Player, Part 2

Tuesday, 29 September 2009 11:19 | Author: Dan |

Wow, weird high school flash back!

I did indeed go to the audition.

I was the last person to audition. I felt just like I did back in junior

high and high school - standing out in the hall, listening to the person

in front of me auditioning, thinking "what am I doing here?"

Finally, my turn came, so there I was, standing in front of two ladies,

ready to play (part of) my old high school solo. At least I didn't have to

have it memorized!

It went ok. They said they could tell I was rusty but definitely had the range

and technical skills and would get back up to speed quickly.

They said I could be the lead/only trumpet in the Prepatory Orchestra if I wanted

to start slowly or join the Progressive Orchestra. I decided to join the Progressive,

so here I am! There are 3 of us (trumpets) a lady who I think said she joined last season,

after not playing for about 10 years, a high school kid, and myself.

We practice every Tuesday evening and I've started practicing almost every day, doing

drills in addition to actually practicing the music we're working on. I'm also looking

for a trumpet teacher to take a few lessons to at least evaluate where I really am and

get a plan for what I should work on.

Our first concert is coming up next month, so stay tuned and I'll update about the concert

and my search for a teacher.

--Next up: The First Concert--

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