Monday, August 8, 2011

I am a disgrace...

Howard Bryant
Senior Writer
ESPN.com and ESPN the Magazine
Cellular: (413) 695-8142
Office: (413) 628-4544

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

6 comments:

the Gumby chronicles said...

Dear Mr. Howard, I've been reading your biography of Henry Aaron and really emjoyed it. I will be proud to put it on my bookshelf with my collection of David Halberstam's books. I was especially impressed with the examination of Mr. Aaron's character, specifically his being quiet and thoughtful and how in modern day America, that is seen as being a "flaw." I too have had to put up with moronic comments because I am quiet by nature and am more than happy to spend a day by myself. I also liked the depiction of his family's history and how his grandfather and his father Herbert's character had such a huge positive effect on the family. Other than the "Hammering Hank" paperback I bought in grammar school and Henry Aaron's post Home Run record biography, there just isn't anything else out there that depicts Mr. Aaron's life. Thank you for filling that void.

Howard Bryant said...

Hi John, Thank you for the note, and I apologize for my access issues which prevented me from seeing this sooner. Henry is a real treasure, a great man I seriously came to admire.

Rich Sigberman said...

Dear Mr. Bryant - Back in 1961 and '62, my friends would all be talking about who's best, Mantle or Mays. I was the one who said, "wait a second; this guy Aaron in Milwaukee hits .320 with 40 homers and 120 RBIs ever year. He's better!" At the time, we lacked National League baseball, so it was impossible to view Henry until the Mets came into being.
I remained a Henry Aaron fan throughout, and read any books on or by him, thinking I know about all there was to know.
Your book, "The Last Hero..." has been a revelation to me, as it digs deep into the background of this country's attitudes toward black people since the days of slavery, as well as the behind the scenes business dealings in baseball. Best of all is your depiction of Henry Aaron's transformation from uneducated 18 year old from the deep south, to the highly dignified, intelligent spokesman for civil rights he became. The articles on Jackie Robinson and the rivalry with Willie Mays also deepened the picture.
This is a great book. Thank you.
Rich Sigberman

Rich Sigberman said...

Last comment: I just happened to pick up "The Last Hero..." in a bookstore (yes, there are still a few left) while I was killing time, waiting for my wife's appointment to end. The book totally drew me in. Every page I turned to was highly interesting, and very entertainingly written.

Matt said...

Hey Howard. You make your living from Baseball writing. Can you explain your 2015 HOF ballot. No Piazza? No Smoltz? In fact, according to ESPN you only voted for 3 candidates this year.

Unknown said...

Mr. Howard - I agree with Matt's comment above. Your HOF Ballot needs some explanation and validation. The ballot is so stuffed this year that most writer's are having difficulty limiting themselves to 10 names, yet you only chose 3...with one of those votes going to Tim Raines, who's a borderline case at best.

What gives?

I have thoughts...

At Broadside Bookshop in Northampton, talking about The Heritage. Full house, great questions...sold a bunch of books, too. Bonus! Thank you...