Reading Baseball

Over 100 years after he broke into Major League Baseball, Babe Ruth is still one of the most revered names in the history of the game.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson reviews two new books about the legendary figure.
            

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author, with his son, Stephen, of  The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of  The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

January 1969 turned out to be a momentous time for the SIU-Carbondale Department of English and for a future professor from western Pennsylvania.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson tells us about the golden anniversary of his first trip to southern Illinois.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author with his son, Stephen, of  The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of  The St. Louis Baseball Reader.
 

Christmas is coming, so that means it's time for Pete Peterson's annual holiday edition of Reading Baseball.

The self-proclaimed, fashion challenged retired SIU-Carbondale professor tells us about a certain piece of neckwear he's sure to get under his tree again this year.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author, with his son Stephen of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

The 2018 World Series is underway featuring the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox.

The City of Boston has enjoyed plenty of success with all four of its major professional sports teams having won championships in the past ten years. Pittsburgh enjoyed similar success four decades ago. In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pittsburgh native Pete Peterson explains why a World Series win is more fulfilling for him than a Super Bowl title.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author with his son Stephen, of  The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and editor of  The St. Louis Baseball Reader.
 

The St. Louis Cardinals failed to make the playoffs this season, but maybe the franchise's biggest loss was when Red Schoendienst passed away in June after 67 years with the organization.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson tell us about the unlikely way in which Schoendienst became the team's manager in the mid-1960's.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author with his son Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Baseball's familiarity makes it a great subject for American literature.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson tells us about two decorated, baseball-loving writers who passed away earlier this year.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author with his son Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

Former St. Louis Cardinal and Los Angeles Dodger player Wally Moon passed away earlier this year. The Arkansas native took advantage of the oddly configured Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to hit dozens of home runs.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson talks about how ballplayers at all levels are used to playing on uniquely shaped diamonds.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author with his son, Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader. 

Anyone can get caught up in the excitement of a Major League Baseball game.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson tells us about how his wife, Anita, let loose at a recent trip to a Pittsburgh Pirates game.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co–author with his son Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star–Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

The organizers of Illinois' bicentennial celebration say it's a time to celebrate the state's influence on music, art, transportation, agriculture and more. In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson says it's also a good time to recognize the state's impact on sports writing, especially on America's national pastime.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author with his son Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.

July 6 is the 85th anniversary of the very first Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

In this edition of Reading Baseball, Pete Peterson explains how a Chicago man thought of the idea as a way to help revive a struggling sport.

Reading Baseball is a series of essays and commentaries by Richard "Pete" Peterson, co-author with his son Stephen, of The Slide: Leyland, Bonds and the Star-Crossed Pittsburgh Pirates and the editor of The St. Louis Baseball Reader.