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I’ll never forget where I was when the Cleveland Cavaliers won the 2016 NBA Championship (yes, I realize Steph Curry’s book released this month so it’s a weird thing to bring up). That was something I’d never been able to experience before; one of our city’s major professional sports teams winning it all! But — something happened this year that made me step back and think about what a lifetime of following a sports team really looks like. This year, the MLB’s Cleveland Guardians’ radio announcer, Tom Hamilton, was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. I love baseball and especially listening to baseball on the radio. I used to listen with my grandmother, later I listened while walking my dog when I lived far from home, and now, it’s just a regular part of my spring, summer, and fall. After the Hall of Fame induction, I ended up going down a video rabbit hole watching compilations of Hamilton’s best calls. I exclaimed to my partner: “I remember that game!!” and “Oh yeah that was an amazing play” for games that happened dozens of years ago. When you follow any professional sport for a lifetime, these small moments, amazing single games, and once-in-a-lifetime witnessed plays can become a treasure trove of memories of a life lived and enjoyed. Think of the sports fan reader as a lover of a player’s trajectory, a fan of a particular team’s special brotherhood or sisterhood, or a knowledge-seeker on the history of a sport and the advancements in inclusivity, tech, and more. Yes, sometimes it’s about one moment, but it’s really all about the collection of moments throughout the years. I hope these featured titles hit it as far out of the park as Jim Thome’s home run in Cleveland on July 3, 1999.
Books You Should Know About
The Game by Ken Dryden
From your OverDrive DCL: Ken Dryden, NHL Hall of Fame goalie, team executive, lawyer, author, member of Canada’s parliament, and all-around well-loved human being passed away on September 5 of this year. Dryden led Montreal to six Stanley Cups before he put away his gear at the peak of his playing career and moved on to sportscasting, writing, and more. Widely acknowledged as the best hockey book ever written and listed in Sports Illustrated as one of the Top 10 Sports Books of All Time, The Game is a captivating and thoughtful look at a life in hockey. Dryden captures the essence of the sport and what it means to all hockey fans. He gives vivid portraits of the characters Canadiens fans know and love who made the Montreal team of the 1970s one of the greatest hockey teams in history. But what’s beyond these recollections is what really makes this title stand out as a seminal work in sports writing. Dryden reflects on life on the road and being an athlete in the spotlight in addition to offering a rare inside look at the game of hockey. The 30th Anniversary edition we have for sale in Marketplace is from 2013 and includes new photography and a new chapter, “The Game Goes On.” There is something for every type of fan in this wonderful personal sports memoir.
The Last Manager: How Earl Weaver Tricked, Tormented, and Reinvented Baseball by John W. Miller
Buy The Last Manager: How Earl Weaver Tricked, Tormented, and Reinvented Baseball ebook
Buy The Last Manager: How Earl Weaver Tricked, Tormented, and Reinvented Baseball audiobook
From your OverDrive DCL: The game of baseball is a game so old that it has undergone several transformations over its century-and-a-half existence. Earl Weaver, manager of the Baltimore Orioles from 1968-1982, was a pioneer for both the game and for the role of a club’s manager as they are today. Managers before Weaver were mostly seen as “teachers” and inspirational-type coaches, acting as a personal leader on the team. Weaver came in as manager and became a strategist; he was the first to use a radar gun for pitching speed and pioneered the use of analytics to make more game-affecting decisions. His “new way” of doing things led the Orioles to four World Series during his tenure, including winning it all in 1970. Not only was Weaver changing the way the game was played, he was also changing how a manager acted. He was a feisty individual who would have legendary outbursts against umpires. He knew that part of professional sports is show business, and he would put on a show with these outbursts and get the fans fired up. Miller’s portrait of Weaver is holistic; the manager’s big personality led to drinking problems and less entertaining to the public emotional outbursts. However, Miller balances this by talking about Weaver’s upbringing in St. Louis that gave him the resilience and adaptability to manage for so long under high-pressure situations in the big leagues. The Last Manager is a fantastic read about a pivot for the game of baseball, and one of the big personalities who contributed to it all.
The Race to be Myself Young Readers Edition by Caster Semenya
Buy The Race to be Myself Young Readers Edition ebook
Let’s be real; it’s 2025 and my attention span is sometimes lacking. Enter Young Readers editions of nonfiction titles! They aren’t just for youths; they are a fantastic way to learn about a person or topic when you just can’t imagine getting through a full-length adult nonfiction work.
From the publisher: Caster Semenya is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and a three-time world champion in track from South Africa. Since her first spectacular performance at the 2009 World Championship in Berlin, she has been at the center of a growing debate about female eligibility rules in professional athletics because of her naturally high testosterone levels. After she was forced to take devastating hormone-altering drugs in order to continue competing, this debate has moved to center stage in the future of inclusivity for professional athletes. In this middle grade adaptation of her debut adult memoir, Caster recounts her childhood growing up in a small village in South Africa, the love for and acceptance of her identity from her community, and her trailblazing fight for the right to compete in professional sports. Semenya’s Young Readers edition of The Race to be Myself is a middle grade adaptation of her adult memoir, and it’s a fantastic intersection of sports, gender, and social justice.
Shot Ready by Stephen Curry
From your OverDrive DCL: I’ve already revealed myself to be a Cavs fan, so it may seem funny that I’m choosing to highlight Stephen Curry’s book. But rival fans and home fans alike can agree; Curry is one of the game’s most successful players. Shot Ready combines Stephen’s philosophy of success with stories of his life growing up. Curry’s road to success was not only filled with practice and preparation, but with creativity and mindfulness. Attending a Montessori school that his mother started in North Carolina taught him that play and creativity are just as important as the mastering of skills. By being prepared and being so adept at these skills, Stephen says he is able to achieve a kind of “flow state” on the court, where he can let that creativity and joy come through. As a basketball viewer, it does always look like he’s at ease on the court, even when playing against the best of the best in the NBA. Shot Ready is a great combination of personal improvement and sports star story, and will appeal to anyone who likes to have takeaways to apply to their own life when reading personal memoirs.
The Warrior: Rafael Nadal and His Kingdom of Clay by Christopher Clarey
Buy The Warrior: Rafael Nadal and His Kingdom of Clay ebook
Buy The Warrior: Rafael Nadal and His Kingdom of Clay audiobook
With both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal retired from tennis, an era has come to an end. Let’s relive it in fantastically written fashion, shall we? While this book is technically a biography, it’s really about many things: The French Open, the punishing game of professional tennis, and a primer on Nadal’s approach to the game.
From the publisher: In The Warrior, Clarey centers his biography on Rafael Nadal’s most mind-blowing achievement: 14 French Open titles. Nadal has won big on tennis’s many surfaces en route to becoming one of the greatest players of all time: securing two Wimbledon titles on grass and four U.S. Open titles on cushioned acrylic hardcourts. But clay, the slowest and grittiest of the game’s playgrounds, is where it all comes together best for his tactical skills, whipping topspin forehand and gladiatorial mindset. Clarey draws on interviews over many years with Nadal and his team and with rivals like Roger Federer. Not just a book about tennis, The Warrior draws much wider lessons from Nadal’s approach to competition.
Uncommon Favor: Basketball, North Philly, My Mother, and the Life Lessons I Learned from All Three by Dawn Staley
Buy Uncommon Favor: Basketball, North Philly, My Mother, and the Life Lessons I Learned from All Three audiobook
“Everyone watches women’s sports” takes on new meaning when you hear the relatively private Dawn Staley, women’s basketball cornerstone, open up about her life and road to success.
From the publisher: A three-time Olympic gold medalist, six-time WNBA All-Star, and the first person to win the Naismith College Player of the Year award as both a player and coach, Staley has shattered expectations at every level of the game. While her name resonates with both longtime WNBA fans and newcomers, she has kept her personal life private. Uncommon Favor reveals the journey that led to Staley’s success, including the challenges she faced. From dealing with sexism on the court to feeling isolated in new environments, Staley honed her skills and learned valuable life lessons about mental fortitude and maturity that have grounded her throughout her career. Beginning with her humble origins on the North Philadelphia basketball court and her rise to national fame at the University of Virginia—where she led her team to three Final Fours—Staley recounts the key moments that shaped her winning mindset. Staley’s iconic career in the WNBA and her groundbreaking coaching journey at the University of South Carolina highlight the milestones and turning points that have defined her success, both on and off the court. Fearless and authentic, Uncommon Favor shares the rewards of leading with conviction and the courage to redefine the limits of what is possible.
American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback by Seth Wickersham
From your OverDrive DCL: The titles highlighted so far center around an individual and their experiences, road to success, and influence on their respective games. But not every nonfiction sports book needs to be a memoir or biography. Books about teams, position players, and the sport as a whole can often be just as engaging and unique reads. Let’s dive into some of them!
New York Times bestselling author Seth Wickersham is not new to writing about football. In American Kings, Wickersham takes a unique approach by zooming out to examining football’s Quarterback lifecycle: high school, college, the NFL, and retirement. The quarterback for some is the equivalent of American royalty. Not only is the quarterback a spotlight as a position on the field, they are also looked at to be an example for the team and an ambassador to fans. From the backyard to high school, then college, and onto the NFL, becoming the country’s ultimate football personality requires single-minded focus while navigating a maze of insecurities, pressure, and fame. Wickersham’s goes deep into the quarterback journey, measuring the distance between what the men who have traveled it expected and what they found at the end. Through diving into the lives of generational greats such as John Elway, Peyton Manning, and Warren Moon, as well as the quarterbacks striving to be remembered, Wickersham reveals how this position has become a beacon of success in American life. American Kings is a must-read for football fans and anyone who wants to understand what it takes in the quest for achievement and status.
The Soccer 100 by Oliver Kay & James Horncastle with The Athletic Soccer Staff
Another unique way to experience the history of a sport is through its top players through the years.
From the publisher: The Soccer 100 is a celebration of the beautiful game and its 100 greatest players, from the pre–World War II exploits of Dixie Dean to the modern-day genius of Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi. These players left legacies, redefined the game with trademark skills, and grew into national icons. They have their stats—the goals, the wins, the trophies—but, more importantly, they have their stories. One World Cup winner owned a nightclub that briefly transformed a corner of industrial Germany into one of the hippest places around. An Austrian forward’s death is still shrouded in mystery. A striker who might have become a telephone technician had he not been spotted playing soccer was eventually elected president of his country. And there are unanswered questions. How did Pelé’s Brazil shirt from the 1958 World Cup quarterfinal go missing in a Welsh school? Which goalkeeper was so good that one opponent considered scoring against him akin to “winning a trophy”? Through extensive research and interviews, The Athletic soccer staff, led by Oliver Kay and James Horncastle, discovered angles and tales that shine a new light on the sport’s most compelling characters. They faced an impossible riddle, too: Of the thousands of players to hit the pitch, who is the best? Their efforts to find the answer took the foremost sports newsroom on a journey, and what emerges is more than a ranking. Through all-new, vivid portraits of each athlete, The Soccer 100 is a tribute to the greatest players to have ever graced the most popular sport on the planet.
If you’re interested in exploring more titles that center around sports, you can explore more of our lists below:
Everyone Reads about Women’s Sports
Books on Ice: Hockey and Winter Sports
There are Only Two Seasons: Winter and Baseball
Hot Off The Press
We have loads of Sports magazines in our Magazine collection, but I specifically wanted to highlight the vast array of cycling magazines we have for fans, enthusiasts, and competitors alike! Here are just a few of our more popular cycling magazines:
Must-Watch Film
John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection, 2018
Watch John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection on Kanopy
From the studio: This unique film revisits the rich bounty of 16-mm-shot footage of the left-handed tennis star John McEnroe, at the time the world’s top-ranked player, as he competes in the French Open in 1984. Close-ups and slow motion sequences of McEnroe competing, as well as instances of his notorious temper tantrums, highlight a “man who played on the edge of his senses.” Far from a traditional documentary, Faraut probes the archival film to unpack both McEnroe’s attention to the sport and the footage itself, creating a lively and immersive look at a driven athlete, a study on the sport of tennis and the human body and movement, and finally how these all intersect with cinema itself. Winner of the Most Compelling Living Subject of a Documentary Award at the Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards. Official Selection at the Berlin International Film Festival.
A Little Extra Something
Support your community by diversifying your Libby offerings with Libby Extras. Today we’re highlighting ArtistWorks.
Like sports, it takes a lot of practice and perseverance to master a musical instrument. And you’re never too old to start on that path!
ArtistWorks provides players world-class instruction from Grammy Award-winning music professionals. ArtistWorks for Libraries offers users a guided path of video lessons containing everything they need to reach their musical goals. All levels of players are welcome!
Test run Libby Extras to see how each service can entertain and educate your patrons.
Thank you for joining us on this week’s round up of professional sports reading material! Reach out to your Digital Content Librarian or Account Manager for more information on how to provide the best content for your community.
About the author: Maria earned her MLIS from The University of Pittsburgh, and also holds Music Performance degrees from Mount Union and Youngstown State University. Before joining OverDrive in 2018, Maria worked in both public and academic libraries. She enjoys a wide variety of books, but some of her favorite genres are romance, fantasy, and sci-fi. In her spare time, Maria plays cello, keeps up with Cleveland sports, and loves to sit anywhere with a patio with her husband and their dog, Ducky.