The Baseball Thesaurus, from broadcaster and author Jesse Goldberg-Strassler, is a finalist in the Recreation/Sports category of the 25th Anniversary Midwest Book Awards. The Baseball Thesaurus was published in 2014 by Lineup Books, an imprint of August Publications.
The competition, sponsored by the Midwest Independent Publishing Association, is judged by experts from all aspects of the book world, including publishers, writers, editors, librarians, teachers and book designers. They select award winners and finalists based on overall excellence.
“It was a pleasure to publish The Baseball Thesaurus,” said publisher Kevin Reichard, August Publications. “We already knew the book was a success, going through two editions and multiple printings, and it’s gratifying to see Jesse rewarded with this honor.”
Goldberg-Strassler is currently in the midst of the baseball season as the Voice of the Lansing Lugnuts (Low Class A; Midwest League). He’s also the author of the upcoming The Football Thesaurus, also from August Publications, and a Ballpark Digest columnist in the offseason. In The Baseball Thesaurus, Goldberg-Strassler delves into the language of the national pastime: from Vin Scully’s philosophy on no-hitters to Red Barber’s classic turns of phrase to a definitive listing of broadcasters’ trademark home-run calls.
The language of baseball is unmatched in both its color and its poetry. The Baseball Thesaurus is for the beat writer, the radio listener, the blog reader, the talk-show caller, the minor-league diehard, the Strat-O-Matic devotee, the seventh-inning stretcher, the crank, the t-ball coach, the baseball Annie, the purist, the casual rooter who has no need to attend both games of a doubleheader, and the fan who takes pride in scoring the game and teaching the tradition to others.
The winner will be announced at the Midwest Book Awards Gala to be held on May 13, 2015, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Olson Campus Center at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota.
REVIEWS OF THE BASEBALL THESAURUS
“For fans old and new, Jesse Goldberg-Strassler’s thesaurus is a romp. On first glance, it’s a primer on baseball’s peculiar taxonomy and traditions, but open any page and you’ll find lots more, including amusing anecdotes and witty wordplay from the game’s great characters. Goldberg-Strassler has built a dugout in which Al Capone, James Earl Jones, and George Carlin lounge happily alongside Dizzy Dean, Cool Papa Bell, and Zoilo Versalles. A lollygagger’s delight!”–John Lott, baseball writer, National Post, Toronto
“What an incredible resource. I can’t get over the amount of work and the detail that went into this book. A great window on baseball’s lexicon from the days of yore to the game today. This book won’t be far from my side next season.”–Dan Dickerson, Voice of the Detroit Tigers
ABOUT LINEUP BOOKS/AUGUST PUBLICATIONS
Based near Madison, Wisconsin, August Publications (www.augustpublications.com) specializes in websites and books for sports, travel and active-living enthusiasts, including the Lineup Books imprint. Other publications include Ballpark Digest, Spring Training Online, Arena Digest, Soccer Stadium Digest, Yellowstone Insider, and New West.
ABOUT MIPA
The Midwest Independent Publishing Association serves the Midwest publishing community in a collaborative sharing of publishing, production, promotion and marketing information. Through educational programming and other cooperative efforts, MIPA assists members in their publishing initiatives and ongoing endeavors. MIPA serves a 12-state region: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
THE BASEBALL THESAURUS
By Jesse Goldberg-Strassler
ISBN: print, 978-1-938532-12-2; eBook, 978-1-938532-13-9
254 pages, trade paperback (5.4 x 8.4)
Price: $18.95 paperback, $9.99 ebook