Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Heart-Pounding, Jaw-Dropping, and Gut-Wrenching Moments from Cleveland Indians History Book

This book is quite painful. Obviously the title does not exactly promise a pleasant trip down memory lane, but this is sports masochism at its finest. Cleveland Indians faithful need read this only if they are looking to pour lemon juice into old wounds.

Rather confusingly, the 'Good,' 'Bad' and 'Ugly' chapters of the book comprise only a third of the total, while the remaining chapters easily could have been inserted into the first three. The 'Good' is rather disproportionate to the others. (We are after all, talking about a franchise that has won only two World Series championships, most recently in 1948.) But even the good is frequently framed unhappily. Case in point: The section regaling in the Tribe's record-tying 12-run rally on 8/5/01 ends by noting that the team lost the subsequent game. Is it really necessary to muddy even the happy memories?

There certainly are many interesting and exciting bits of lore that were meticulously researched. It is wonderful to read about the former players like Bob Feller who put their careers on hold to serve in the military during World War II, and others who went on to unique and unusual careers post-baseball. And you can never learn enough about icons who broke race barriers like Larry Doby and Frank Robinson (not to mention the lesser-known Louis Sockalexis). For pieces like those, this book actually is an excellent educator.

All in all this is a chronicle of the franchise's highs and (mostly) lows. Your best indicator of the mood this volume intended to foster is this: the final section is about the players who tragically died while with the team. If that doesn't cast a pall over your ballpark, nothing will.