Author:Bob Gibson & Reggie Jackson
Title: Sixty Feet, Six Inches
Publication Info: New York : Doubleday, c2009.
ISBN: 9780385528696
Summary/Review:
One of baseball’s greatest pitchers and one of baseball’s greatest hitters – and ones known as great baseball thinkers – sit down and talk about baseball and you have a front row seat. Sounds like a great concept and Gibson and Jackson do tell a lot of great stories and offer some great insight and analysis of the game. Gibson even admits he used a spitball once in a game against the Mets (like he really needed too!). I found the book disappointing though because they seemed to fall back on old cliches and baseball accepted wisdom than really offering a unique perspective. And don’t get me started on all the Yankees glurge and Jeter-love (especially from Jackson). I think this book would be better if there was a third person there – someone from outside the game, say, Bill James – to stir things up and keep Gibson & Jackson honest. Good but not great baseball writing, and baseball fans should enjoy reading it and enjoy critiquing it.
Recommended books: The Game From Where I Stand by Doug Glanvile, Watching Baseball by Jerry Remy, and Why Time Begins on Opening Day by Thomas Boswell.
Rating: **1/2
Panorama of the Mountains 