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 enlarge | Author: Buzz Bissinger
Publisher: Highbridge Audio
Category: Book
List Price: $34.95
Buy New: $5.19
You Save: $29.76 (85%)
New (18) Used (10) from $4.44
Avg. Customer Rating:  96 reviews
Sales Rank: 340483
Format: Audiobook, Unabridged
Media: Audio CD
Edition: Unabridged
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 5.8 x 4.9 x 1.1
ISBN: 1565119762
Dewey Decimal Number: 796.3570977866
EAN: 9781565119765
ASIN: 1565119762
Publication Date: April 7, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 The Most Enjoyable Book I Have Read in Months February 21, 2006
0 out of 4 found this review helpful
When you combine my two favorite hobbies (baseball and reading), the result will likely be a success. This book satisfies my `itch' for both reading and baseball. The author is an excellent writer, and I thoroughly enjoyed his writing style. Often baseball is communicated with the flamboyance (what I really mean is drabness) of the box score. Yes, at times this author waxes philosophical, and he sometimes writes in a way that may be better suited for fiction, but I loved it. I value the statistical, dry, factual part of the game of baseball. But I also appreciate the author's ability to liven this book through good writing. Another great baseball book is Nine Innings, but unlike Three Nights in August, Nine Innings failed in the writing department. Baseball is a long season, with lots of numbers, players and repetition. People who effectively communicate the game (radio announcers, sports writers, and authors) do so effectively through flair and color.
In regard to my second `itch', the baseball in this book is great. Larussa (love him or hate him) is one of the most successful managers in history, and a look at his life is an excellent glimpse into the game itself. I consider myself a big baseball fan, but there was so much that I learned about the game through this book. It is clear that Larussa has a passion and commitment to his job that is rare, not only in baseball but in other professions as well. So strong is his passion and commitment, that I believe it is unhealthy. The author doesn't try and cover up the fact that Larussa hasn't been a very good father or husband. The question is, was this really a sacrifice for Larussa? I doubt he would have it any other way.
The book was great, I will read anything else this author writes.
Fear Factory: The Code of the Baseball Man February 18, 2006
2 out of 5 found this review helpful
The content of Bissinger's _Three Nights_ has been expansively glossed over now, so I'll just get straight to the point-no need for a Summary.
My interest in this book was sparked by Tony LaRussa, probably the most polarizing manager in baseball today. To some he's a master strategist, a commander pushing tactical boundaries (anybody else remember how he batted the pitcher 8th a few times to get McGwire more RBI chances?). To others, LaRussa is not nearly as smart as he acts and a poor manager of personalities. I can think of more than one player who left St. Louis disgruntled. He is also almost personally responsible for slow games from his unwavering reliance on matchups. Personally I placed myself in the He's Not As Good As He Thinks He Is camp. Still, from this book I wasn't searching for more reasons to criticize LaRussa the manager, rather I was hoping for a look at The Man LaRussa himself and an understanding of his motives. I wanted to see a human behind those sunglasses. Through the three-game series against Chicago, I was hoping to find reasons to like or respect LaRussa.
Under the general's mask is a man consumed by fear. Bissinger pulls away threads of LaRussa's wool armor, showing that behind every strength is a weakness, for every move a looming counterpunch. LaRussa has essentially left his family in the bullpen, which Bissinger is not judgemental about. Rather, this is presented as the downside to a passionate man. It's part of being a Baseball Man.
The most anticipated part of this book was LaRussa's attitude towards beanballs and brushbacks. Tony has, over the years, likely been involved in more beanball wars than any manager I've followed. It's part of what causes such polarizing views on him. Bissinger carefully details the conflicts that LaRussa endures when one of his players is hit. LaRussa is literally a "made" man in the dugout, adhering to the informal Baseball Man code of ethics, agonizing over what the consequences of his moves will be for his soldiers on the diamond.
Slightly less effective are instances when the book's focus strays from the three-game series. Specifically, on ocassion I feel that the editorializing about Modern Players is overbearing. The purpose of including the Modern Player discussion is to show another aspect of the game LaRussa must manage, but sometimes this discussion strays into Today's Players Aren't As Good As They Were in My Day arguments that have been made time immemorial. I'm not sure why "hit and run" is italicized; this is common parlance and suggests that Bissinger indeed fails to cleanly glove basic aspects of the game. And, why not just save us all the time and capitalize the "great" in "great Albert Puljols"?
What this book displays is that there is a human being behind those sunglasses, and that a manager's code of ethics leaves little room for sentimentality. LaRussa's faults aren't based on smugness, but rather his inability to transcend. His humanness rests in his imperfection, and in his attempts at forming graceful symmetry from an imperfect object. A Baseball Man is a wonderful thing, but every strength is made taught by the pulleys of weakness.
The game within The Game January 15, 2006
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
"3 Nights In August", is a very good book that is reminiscent of George Will's "Men At Work". Bissinger's case study here surrounds a three-game series between the archrival Cubs and Cardinals which takes place in St. Louis in August 2003. While holding La Russa in high regard, Bissinger presents a fairly balanced profile of one of the smartest and most respected managers in The Game today. He delves into the hours of discussion and analysis that La Russa and his pitching coach, Dave Duncan, go through in preparing for the Cubs series. Bissinger shows us the importance of strategy, technology, and statistics: video analysis, index cards, and tactics that evolve with the pitch count. But he also shows us the essential human side: how La Russa deals with prima donnas, slackers, schizophrenic pitchers, lengthy separation from his family, and even the death of one of his players.
The most casual of fans may find "3 Nights In August" to be a bit too in-depth, as Bissinger often provides pitch-by-pitch, inning-by-inning commentary. But there's more than enough high-level and background material to please most readers, and many will discover the game within The Game.
Best baseball book ever. January 10, 2006
0 out of 5 found this review helpful
Yes, I'm a Cards fan and thus a little biased. But, Bissinger nails the ballplayer atmosphere perfectly and this is just an outstanding read. As a former college & minor league player, I can say he's definitely captured things very well. The only way to improve this book would be to make it about 5x's longer. Ha!
Uptight Tony December 29, 2005
I enjoyed the book. A good and quick read for baseball fans to fill in The Void between the World Series and Spring Training. It is too long. The author needlessly falls in love with his descriptive abilities. It is sometimes repetitive. But the idea to focus on a single three-game series was brilliant. I think the picture that emerges of LaRussa helps to explain some of his failures in the postseason. The man is way too uptight for this game. His success is a product of his preparation, but in a short series (Post Season) the team that plays looser may be better off. It seems to me it would be hard to play loose with LaRussa at the helm. I think the Cardinals reflect his personality--a joyless club. A similar study of Ozzie Guillen would provide an interesting contrast.
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