Scan barcode
codyisreading's review against another edition
4.0
Loved it. I watched most of the 2013 season so a lot of the game recaps were easy to breeze through. The locker room insight and player tidbits were the most interesting. Confirmed a few things I thought about Puig but ultimately humanized him a bit more too. I wish some of the players hadn't given quotes on the condition of anonymity, but I understand the workplace politics involved. Definitely made me respect Kershaw and AGon even more. Those guys are class acts.
I'd say the book is worth reading if you're a Dodgers fan or have a passing interest in the NL West. Otherwise it might not appeal to the general baseball fan.
I'd say the book is worth reading if you're a Dodgers fan or have a passing interest in the NL West. Otherwise it might not appeal to the general baseball fan.
queenbee31's review against another edition
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
As someone who is only peripherally interested in baseball- married to someone for whom it's their favorite sport, I felt like this book was so well written and engaging. It made me care more about baseball in general and it was fun to see the names of a couple former Twins players. I hope that the author writes more books because I would love to see what else she has in store.
wescovington's review against another edition
5.0
A well-done book that will leave you admiring Clayton Kershaw more, shaking your head at Yasiel Puig a bit more, respecting Don Mattingly more, and trying to forget about Matt Carpenter.
sandin954's review against another edition
3.0
I am by no means a close follower of baseball anymore and really only watch at playoff time but found this an entertaining look at the Los Angles Dodgers organization during the 2013 and 2014 seasons. My favorite part was the beginning and the details of the sale of the Dodgers but the in season parts were well written enough that I never became lost in the details.
nakenyon's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
angieinbooks's review against another edition
4.0
It took me a long time to get through Molly Knight's The Best Team Money Can Buy. And that's not a criticism of the writing, but as a life-long Dodgers fan who followed the 2013 Dodgers with a close and hopeful eye, it was painful to relive the season the Dodgers should have won it all.
Knight, a Dodgers fan first and reporter second, goes up close and personal with this storied team, revealing anecdotes and episodes that even someone who watched all the Dodgers games and listened to talk radio and read blogs and newspapers could never have ever known without reading this book. Things that were fodder of rumor mills are either proved correct or completely debunked. And what a crazy ride that season was for the Dodgers, especially one breaking in a post-McCourt nightmare era.
The portraits of the players, the coaches and manager, the front office and, of course, Vin Scully are really well done. I felt like I got to know these players, for better or worse, really well—almost too well. Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke and Juan Uribe emerge as stars. Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Hanley Ramirez and the instantly infamous Yasiel Puig, its flawed heroes. Knight doesn't hold back, and the book's the better for it.
For Dodgers fans, this book is a must-read. It's hard, at times, to relive such painful memories. It's sad to know that Juan Uribe, at the time of this review, wears another team's uniform or that Zack Greinke's time with the team may be dwindling to a close or that the Cardinals, who have owned the Dodgers in the playoffs, are as good or better than they always are, but Knight gives us access to a team in ways no other source will and leaves us with a bit of hope that the organization is moving into the right direction.
For Dodgers haters, of which there are many, this book will provide endless amusement, as you get to see the highest paid team in baseball with the best pitcher in this generation implode and leave the last few seasons empty handed.
For baseball fans, this book reminds us how hard baseball really is and how much has to go right for a season to be a success. It also reminds us that the men we see on our TVs, who brandish so much talent are still human men who are also flawed and overly sensitive and not always the heroes we want them to be. It also reminds us to appreciate, while we still have him, the gift that Vin Scully is to this sport.
Knight, a Dodgers fan first and reporter second, goes up close and personal with this storied team, revealing anecdotes and episodes that even someone who watched all the Dodgers games and listened to talk radio and read blogs and newspapers could never have ever known without reading this book. Things that were fodder of rumor mills are either proved correct or completely debunked. And what a crazy ride that season was for the Dodgers, especially one breaking in a post-McCourt nightmare era.
The portraits of the players, the coaches and manager, the front office and, of course, Vin Scully are really well done. I felt like I got to know these players, for better or worse, really well—almost too well. Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke and Juan Uribe emerge as stars. Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Hanley Ramirez and the instantly infamous Yasiel Puig, its flawed heroes. Knight doesn't hold back, and the book's the better for it.
For Dodgers fans, this book is a must-read. It's hard, at times, to relive such painful memories. It's sad to know that Juan Uribe, at the time of this review, wears another team's uniform or that Zack Greinke's time with the team may be dwindling to a close or that the Cardinals, who have owned the Dodgers in the playoffs, are as good or better than they always are, but Knight gives us access to a team in ways no other source will and leaves us with a bit of hope that the organization is moving into the right direction.
For Dodgers haters, of which there are many, this book will provide endless amusement, as you get to see the highest paid team in baseball with the best pitcher in this generation implode and leave the last few seasons empty handed.
For baseball fans, this book reminds us how hard baseball really is and how much has to go right for a season to be a success. It also reminds us that the men we see on our TVs, who brandish so much talent are still human men who are also flawed and overly sensitive and not always the heroes we want them to be. It also reminds us to appreciate, while we still have him, the gift that Vin Scully is to this sport.
timhoiland's review against another edition
4.0
Having suffered through the past few baseball seasons here in Phoenix – where the Dodgers are positively loathed – it was fascinating to read this account of the Dodgers' lavish spending, Hollywood-sized ego clashes, and dismal October performances in 2013 and 2014 (the book was published prior to the team's annual meltdown last fall). Now that the team that can afford to buy whatever it wants is moving to embrace advanced metrics, it'll be interesting to see if that, at last, is a formula that can garner a championship.