It is not an overstatement to say that a good third of all fringe ideas come from books we have read or are currently reading. These ideas rarely come from the title page or even the main content within the covers. More often, they come from a brief footnote buried on page 328 of a 400-page book.
All of this is to say there is tremendous value in sports books, and not just if you are paid to turn strange and often inconsequential moments in sports history into articles. The amount of information you can learn about sports, and through a sports lens about American culture, history, and more, is staggering. There is more depth and breadth than ever in the world of sports writing, and access to it is easier than ever.
So go find something that interests you and read it. No idea where to start or need a recommendation? Good. That is what this article is for.
Sometimes it can be difficult to know where or even how to begin when searching for a new book, especially a sports book. There is no central website telling you what to read. Goodreads can be clunky, and there is no easy, consistent curator of sports titles. The London Review of Books or New York Review of Books might not have exactly what you are looking for either. So allow us to offer a few of our favorites.
First, we should establish that there is a sort of Mount Rushmore of sports literature. Anyone looking to read something great should make sure they have worked through each of these. Occupying that Mount Rushmore are Moneyball and Ball Four. Moneyball has taken on a life of its own beyond the book, but the original work is outstanding. Ball Four is as close as you will ever get to being inside a professional locker room and understanding the realities of an athlete’s life. If you have not read them, start there.
With that foundation in place, here are a few more personal recommendations.
American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback by Seth Wickersham
This may end up on that Mount Rushmore list after a few years of perspective. Wickersham weaves the story of the most important position in sports together with American political history dating back to FDR. It highlights how both the sport and the country have evolved and answers the question of why quarterbacks, above all other athletes, became so mythologized in American culture.
Don’t Put Me in Coach by Mark Titus
Long before he became a successful filmmaker, Cameron Crowe went undercover at a San Diego high school to write about student life. That book became Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Crowe later turned it into the screenplay and film that many of us still love today.
Don’t Put Me in Coach is a sports version of that story. Titus details his career as a backup on Thad Matta’s Ohio State teams with humor, honesty, and self-awareness. His only official honor was Academic All-Big Ten in 2007. When asked about Titus, Matta famously said, “Of all the players I’ve coached in my career, Mark Titus is one of them.”
The book is full of moments like that, and the praise it received speaks for itself:
“You want me to give you a quote? I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. You’ve been riding my coattails for years, so of course you want to put my name on your book to sell more copies.”
— Evan Turner
“If Mark Titus had been able to play basketball the way he can write, he would have joined his Ohio State teammates in the NBA. This is nothing less than a modern-day basketball version of Ball Four, a terrific look behind the locker room door, funny, profane, and real.”
— Leigh Montville
That “modern-day Ball Four” comparison is about as high as praise gets in sports writing, and Titus earns it.
Now I Can Die in Peace by Bill Simmons
This is not a traditional book. It is a collection of Page 2 and ESPN columns from Bill Simmons, but it is still an emotional and entertaining read. I considered The Book of Basketball here, and while that book had a massive influence on me personally, I landed on this one because of what it captures.
It bottles the feeling of being a sports fan in New England in the late 1990s and early 2000s, blending heartbreak, humor, pop culture, and obsession in a way only Simmons can. It also serves as a preview of where sports writing was headed at the time. Grantland was not far off, and you can see the foundation being built in these columns. It is fair to wonder whether the modern sports media space, including voices like Titus, would look the same without it.
The Last Manager: How Earl Weaver Tricked, Tormented, and Reinvented Baseball by John Miller
This is a fascinating look at one of the most memorable figures in baseball history. Weaver is often remembered for his ejections and one-liners, but this book shows him as one of the sharpest and most influential baseball minds of his era. The interplay between his strategic genius and his personality makes for a compelling read. The deeper look at his life before Baltimore and the long-term impact he had on the game makes this stand out among baseball biographies.
We hope you enjoy these recommendations and find something that sticks with you long after the final page.
If this was your kind of read, you’ll like what’s next. Get The Sandman Ticket, our free, weekly newsletter with picks, insights, and a little bit of everything we love about sports.
