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The Bibliophile

To many, the call “play ball” heralds the beginning of spring. For fans in the nation’s capital, opening day no longer ushers in a season of dashed expectations. This year, it marks revisiting the memory of a cherished achievement.

Fight to the Finish: How the Washington Nationals Rallied to Become 2019 World Series Champs, by the Washington Post, 128 pages, Triumph Books paperback, 2019

Nats fans are sure to treasure this keepsake of last year’s championship. The introductory essay is by the venerable Washington Post columnist, septuagenarian Thomas Boswell. The book includes several of his contemporaneous columns that were published during the astounding season. Read again coverage by beat reporter Jesse Dougherty.

The one-game wildcard playoff, five-game National League Division Series, four-game sweep in the National League Championship Series and seven-game World Series are recapped with box scores. Alongside are color photographs of the action.

Scan the season and postseason statistics of every Nationals batter and pitcher. Check out a chart of the team’s yearly history since 2005 and every game of the 2019 season. Concluding the book are the 12 pivotal moments of the 162-game regular season.

Full-page drawings by sports illustrator Cristiano Siqueira depict stars Ryan Zimmerman, Max Scherzer, Anthony Rendon, Juan Soto, Sean Doolittle and World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg.

The book is a remembrance of an impossible dream fulfilled; a campaign replete with an astounding number of baseball firsts. Relish them all in these pages.

Ballpark: Baseball in the American City, by Paul Goldberger, 384 pages, Knopf hardcover, 2019

Architecture critic Paul Goldberger has written an exquisite history in homage to baseball parks. With more than 135 historic photos of the edifices, stars and sportsmen, as well as illustrations of souvenirs and newspaper clippings, Ballpark describes the fields that house the beloved American pastime.

Baseball fans will appreciate learning more about the history of early franchises and the evolution of baseball from game to civic institution to entertainment enterprise.

The genesis and development of local Baltimore and D.C. ballparks are well told. You’re sure to learn new details that will enrich your love of the sport.

Recall with fond nostalgia Griffith Stadium, the Astrodome, Memorial Stadium, Ebbets Field, Candlestick Park, RFK Stadium, Comiskey Park and old Yankee Stadium among many others. You may even find yourself adding a few of the current parks to your bucket list.

Many teams, including the Nats and Orioles, offer tours of their ballparks for fans to gain behind-the-scenes access beyond where they may venture with game-day tickets. Check mlb.com/nationals/ballpark/ tours or mlb.com/orioles/ballpark/tours for details.

As Humphrey Bogart said, “A hot dog at the ballgame beats roast beef at the Ritz.”

Just Show Up: And Other Enduring Values from Baseball’s Iron Man, by Cal Ripken Jr. and James Dale, 208 pages, Harper hardcover, 2019; paperback May 2020

Hall of Famer baseball great Cal Ripken Jr. has written an advice book. Since 1995, he has held the Major League record for consecutive games played, thus earning the moniker Iron Man.

Cal Ripken Jr. and his wife Laura, an Anne Arundel County Circuit Court judge, reside in Annapolis. Co-author James Dale is a business consultant.

Ripken played his entire career with the Baltimore Orioles, with whom he won a World Series crown. As such, he is well positioned to proffer advice. As a living legend, he has the potential to influence young people and contemporary culture.

In his post-playing career, he mentors young people as co-owner of Ripken Baseball, which operates youth baseball facilities in Aberdeen, Maryland, and other locations.

What Ripken preaches — and the values he wishes to impart — are music to the ears of the older generation and anyone with a desire to pass on time-honored truths. Be dependable, work hard, don’t be easily discouraged, be loyal, keep your friends, don’t value wealth, stay honest even when no one is looking.

Ripken draws these lessons from his own experiences and provides real-life examples of the lifestyle he advocates. He includes many reminiscences from his storied career on the diamond.

For those liberated from the daily grind, here’s a worthwhile corollary to contemplate: Show up for others.