Take yourself out to the ball game with these 10 baseball books – Modern Mrs Darcy
I haven’t made it to a Major League Baseball game in several years, to my chagrin, but at least I’ve had baseball books to keep me company. The best ones make you feel like you’re experiencing a game. You can almost hear the crack of a bat or see a ball whiz toward the stands. You remember how it feels to sit in the crowd and cheer on your team. There’s nothing quite like it.
Hope springs eternal in baseball. There are good games and bad games and at any point, they could turn it all around. The question is: will they? After the terrible season the Chicago White Sox had last year, you’d best believe I was clinging to “there’s always next year.” Anything is possible at the start of a new season.
I’m a White Sox fan by choice. I decided to root for the team simply to get under the skin of my Cubs fan cousins. I didn’t take it seriously until college when I met my friend Brooke, who is a born and raised Sox fan. I went to every Home Opener with Brooke’s family from 1999 through 2010 and only stopped because I moved out of state. From 2005 to 2009, Brooke and I bought partial season tickets, 13 games under the Ozzie Plan. As you may recall, the White Sox won the World Series in 2005 so it was especially great timing for us. Over the years, my friends and I made commemorative t-shirts and Brooke and I even bought a legacy brick when the World Series memorial was built at The Cell. I love this team.
Because my immediate family didn’t follow baseball and because the sport has a lot of obscure rules, I always feel like I have more to learn. I love finding fiction where it’s apparent the author is a huge fan and nonfiction that introduces me to some aspect of the sport I hadn’t considered before.
In honor of the 2025 season kicking off tomorrow, I wanted to share some of my favorite baseball books. I’ve read plenty more than this and have even more on my TBR—The Resisters by Gish Jen is at the top—but these are my MVPs, if you will. It seems like more and more baseball books are being published these days. I can’t figure out what’s inspiring this trend but I’m delighted by it and hope it continues for a long time to come.
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I didn’t know anything about baseball summer leagues so I was thoroughly fascinated by this nonfiction account of the Chatham A’s 2003 season and the Cape Cod Baseball League. Collins covers the world of college prospects, major league scouting, how minor league teams work, and what players must endure in order to go pro. A must-read for any baseball fan. More info →
An epic family saga set in the 1960s and 70s that covers everything from baseball to politics to religion. Hugh Chance was a promising minor league baseball player until he suffered an industrial accident. Meanwhile, his wife Laura becomes more indoctrinated in the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. They have four sons and identical twin daughters, each of whom have their own crosses to bear. The family faces the trials and tribulations of war, first love, loss, and, yes, baseball. I completely understand why so many people say this is their favorite novel. Stunning. More info →
This literary novel might not seem like a baseball book on the surface but the sport plays a pivotal role. When Owen Meany is 11 years old, he hits a foul ball that has unforeseen and devastating consequences. Narrated by Johnny, Owen’s best friend, we watch their friendship grow and evolve over the years to an unforgettable conclusion. There’s never been a character quite like Owen. This is my all-time favorite novel. The rich characters, compelling plot, and religious undertones—I cry nearly every time I read it. More info →
“Because perfection can happen at any time, at any place, to any pitcher. Isn’t that part of why we keep coming back to the ballpark?” A perfect game consists of 27 consecutive outs, no hits, no errors, no walks, no hit batters, and no catcher’s interference. Just thinking about White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle’s perfect game in 2009 makes me happy all over again. As of Opening Day 2017 shortly after this book was published, there were only 21 perfect games. (That number is up to 24 as of 2024.) Cox profiles 16 pitchers who came *thisclose* to a perfect game and missed it, taking us through the games and detailing the players’ childhoods, personal lives, and careers. This is a great choice for baseball fans and those who want to learn more about the game. More info →
What I really want to know after reading this impressive collection is how on earth Posnanski narrowed down all of baseball history to these 50 moments. We’ve got players in the Majors, Minors, Negro League, college, overseas, and even female players. Did he magically retain all these plays in his head?? If so, I’m impressed. This captures the many unexpected things that can happen during a game, not to mention rarely used rules that come out of nowhere. There are the players you’d expect (Babe Ruth, Willie Mays) but also those who never got their due. It’s indeed a love letter to the sport, one that makes me proud to be a baseball fan. More info →
An incredibly well-researched biography of not only Pete Rose and his banishment from Major League Baseball but the way baseball evolved over the decades that he played. O’Brien knows how to write exciting baseball scenes, truly bringing the game to life. Rose lived and breathed baseball and he played to his strengths. This led to somewhat of a god complex where he felt he didn’t need to follow the same rules as everyone else. He may have been an incredible player but he was also a serial cheater and neglectful father, on top of having a gambling problem, going so far as to bet on baseball, including his own team. He never owned up to any of it, making him persona non grata during my childhood. This book gave me full context for just how far he fell. More info →
Eddie loses his swing after an unexpected trade to the NY Robins in this historical romance set in 1960 NYC. Meanwhile, Mark continues to work at the newspaper, even though he resigned his position after the death of his partner one year ago because while he doesn’t need the work, he needs the routine. He’s assigned to ghostwrite columns for Eddie and hopefully build some better publicity for both player and team. First problem: he’s not a sports writer. Second problem: he doesn’t like most people. However, grumpy Mark finds himself drawn to sunshiney Eddie against his will and Eddie is just as fascinated by Mark. (Open door.) More info →
A delightful debut contemporary romance focused on minor league baseball. Gene is the first openly trans professional baseball player and a shortstop for the Beaverton Beavers. That is, he’s the shortstop until his rival Luis is traded to the Beavers and takes his position, leaving Gene to play second base instead. Gene thinks Luis is a miserable grump when Luis is actually dealing with severe anxiety…and a secret crush on Gene, just as Gene has been secretly crushing on him too. I loved watching these two fall for each other and then figure out how they can make it work as players who could potentially get traded at any time. This doesn’t shy away from the hard topics, like figuring out how or when to come out and systemic transphobia in the baseball world. But the camaraderie of the Beavers also shines a light on how inclusive baseball could become. (Open door.) More info →
A fun Black romance featuring a baseball player HEROINE! Geffri grew up playing baseball but life takes her in other directions until a chance exhibition at an MLB game leads to being recruited for Team USA. Sports blogger Noah has a few too many opinions about Geffri and challenges her to a competition. Bless his heart. Rounding out this low-angst story is a great cast of secondary characters, from Geffri’s friends to her supportive father. (Open door.) More info →
An enjoyable tale of two guys who visit 30 baseball stadiums in 30 days. It is enjoyable, in part, because of their friendship and because Ben reveres the sport while Eric loathes it. Interesting facts are peppered in, as well as insights about the numbers of baseball. Some chapters center more on travel logistics than the games themselves; I personally wished they’d offered more commentary on their White Sox game. Still, baseball fans will appreciate their adventure and muse on their own love of the game. More info →
Are you a baseball fan? What are some of your favorite baseball books? Please share in the comments.
