Sunday, July 29, 2012

Book review - 500 Ballparks.

The 386 page 500 Ballparks by Eric Pastore covers just what the title implies - 500 American and Canadian baseball parks.

Moving in alphabetical order through parks old and new, Mr. Pastore leaves few parks out as he provides at least a paragraph and information on each. From college ball through the minors, independent leagues, the Negro Leagues and on to Major League parks, the entries are interesting and informative. At least half of the parks have accompanying photos and drawings. I found the defunct or demolished parks to be among the most interesting. I was also startled to discover several Negro League parks still in existence.

Overall I found the book to be interesting and very informative. It did drag from time to time but that was attributable more to the reader than author. Mr. Pastore has performed a service to baseball fans everywhere. All in all 500 Ballparks is a must have book. Even if you don't read it from cover to cover you will want to browse through it from time to time. I plan to do so and to keep it on hand for future reference.