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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
An inside look into the game of baseball., July 4, 2001
If you have ever wondered how the players and managers prepare to do the amazing things we see every day of the baseball season this is the book for you! I have loved the game for my entire life, but I never realized so much preparation goes into every little aspect of the game. George Will covers each part of the game - pitching, hitting, and fielding - by observing and interviewing some of the greats of the game; Hershiser on pitching, Gwynn on hitting, Ripken on fielding, and Larussa on putting it all together. George Will quoted Wes Westrum in this book - "Baseball is like church. Many attend, but few understand." This book increased my understanding of the game and as a result has added to my enjoyment of baseball. I see things I didn't see before I read this book - the nuances of the game have become more clear. I did not believe I could love the game more, but after reading this book, I do! I would highly recommend this book to both students of the game and to newcomers looking to understand the game.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
THE book on watching and enjoying baseball, January 28, 2001
Although the characters are dated, this book is still the definitive look inside a baseball game. The players are all from the 80's and 90's (Cal Ripken, Tony Gwynn, Orel Hershiser) but the manager profiled is Tony Larussa who is still in business and you will see why. His game-prep is phenomenal!
I loved this book, and if you enjoy baseball, you will love this book as well. One of the few baseball books to read with a highlighter!!
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10 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
Verbose,overrated, January 20, 2001
there is a tendencey among well educated baseball fans to make this great game out to be more then it is. George Will is an extreme example of this. Much of this is overwritten,and overblown which is too bad, beacause the subjects written about{cal Ripken, Tony Gwynn and the overrated-underrated Tony La Russa}are quite interesting,though Mr Will turns this book, somehow into a polemic on American values,thereby losing any credibility. Strange. A far,far better example of baseball wriitng exists in Thomas Boswells collections or anything by Roger Angel. This is the equivalent of a $2,000,000 a year utility infielder:overpaid and not worth the money.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
Dense., July 22, 2001
I am a fan of baseball and an admirer of George Will. That he wrote such a comprehensive book on our National pasttime makes me smile. However, the book was a bit broader than it needed to be, and the term 'over-analysis' might apply.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
Is Spring Here Yet?, February 9, 2004
George Will shows his passion for the game in this work. As a baseball fan myself I can appreciate the technical aspects of the game and therefore this work. If you are no more than a casual fan I am not sure this is the book for you. If you are an avid fan, however, or wanting to learn more about the intricacies of the game then this book is for you. In lengthy detailed interviews from some of the games best you'll learn about all the little things that go on during a baseball game that you simply can't get from a box score. Pitching, coaching, managing, defense and hitting are all covered. Will addresses them all adequately and with quality, classy athletes. A must read for any true fan, old or new. While the players are retired now it is still worth any young baseball fans read. It will give you a much greater appreciation for the game as a whole. I can't wait for Spring Training.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
"There's a lot of stuff goes on"--Tony LaRussa, April 22, 2003
George Will's "Men at Work" was written out of his love for the game, and "the game inside the game." The book features extended interviews with baseball luminaries Tony LaRussa, Orel Hersheiser, Tony Gywnn and Cal Ripken jr. It is divided into sections on managers, pitchers, hitters, and defensive play. Will states that baseball is about paying attention, about the myriad details that make up each pitch, each play, each out.
At times the book bogs down into a tech manual, giving even the most enthusiastic readers a little too much detail; at other times Will's rightwing political bias does emerge in the guise of a discussion of a strong work ethic, individual initiative for personal gain, and nostalgic idealization of the past.But taken as a whole, "Men at Work" is a paean to what used to be called "America's favorite pastime". Will demonstrates why baseball appeals on many levels to a wide range of people. As a lifelong fan, someone who has never tired of the game because however lopsided the score, there is always something to pick up on (see Tony LaRussa's quote above), I recommend the book to readers of all ages.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
A Very Informative Look at Baseball, July 9, 2003
I originally picked up this book on the strength of Will's political writings. I didn't expect an awful lot, but was very surprised when I found that Will actually knows the game....better than most people, even. Delving into baseball's past and yet staying connected to the present and looking into the future, Will gives the reader a very clear picture of how the game is played at the professional level, detailing many of the subtleties and minutiae that must be mastered to attain that level. At times a little dry and over-statistical, the book is filled with many informative and amusing quotes and anecdotes which make the book an overall pleasure to read. Highly recommended for any semi-serious student of the game.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
A Book that Really Makes You Respect the Modern Ballplayer, September 2, 1999
Men at Work is a wonderful piece of writing that gives its readers a solid understanding of what it takes -- both physically and mentally -- to make it in the complex world of baseball. Some may find it a difficult, slow read, but compared to his political columns, Will really dumbs it down. I guess he realizes that baseball is not a sport enjoyed by Harvard-educated intellectuals. But the book itself is refreshingly intellectual, due to Will's dedicated study of the game and his (and the subjects' of the book) attention to detail. The only setback of the book is that, it may seem a little outdated. There is hardly any talk of free agency, revenue sharing, expansion, etc. Of course, this book was written before the big salary boom of the 1990s. Expansion was far off and the lack of competitive balance had yet to become an issue.This book is excellent, nearly perfect, in fact. Subjects for Men at Work II might include Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Ivan Rodriguez, Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, Nomar Garciapara, or Joe Torre (Lou Piniella would most likely offer a wonderful look at modern managers). Hopefully, Will realizes that there is still much to be learned on the part of fans everywhere. We could use another book, George.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
Excellent, February 27, 2006
This is a fascinating journey into the national pastime. George Will writes economically and wisely not only about what the game is, but also what it once was. The evolution of the sport - although that is certainly not the focus of the book - is illuminating for anyone who is interested in how institutions come to change. Will brings a deep explanation to the chief facets of the game - managing, pitching, hitting and defense. Ultimately they groove together to form a gorgeous tapestry of understanding. There's a word for this kind of non-fiction work: indispensable.
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1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
Don't confuse your genres, July 19, 2002
The point of this book - unlike Keith Hernandez's fine "Pure Baseball" - is not really to instruct the baseball adept in the subtleties of the game. It is to present "portraits of greatness" - the sort of thing John McPhee (to whose lofty prose standard Will comes admirably close) did for Bill Bradley in "A Sense of Where You Are". It's a genre that I particularly enjoy and I think Will makes a solid case for all four of his subjects. Very enjoyable reading.(As the title suggests, much of Will's hero worship here seems to be driven by a sense of his own inadequate masculinity. But what would you expect from a guy who wears a bow-tie?)
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