Only literary All-Stars crack this lineup
With two out in the home half of the ninth, Ramirez hammered an 0-and-2 Rivera cutter off The Wall, plating Damon with the winning run.
Gripping, isn't it? If you think so, steer clear of this book, because it could prove hazardous to your sports-page literary standards.
''The Best American Sports Writing 2005" offers none of the bread-and-butter nourishment such as above. It's strictly haute cuisine, a 29-course feast served by Mike Lupica from ingredients provided by Glenn Stout. There's no fruitcake on this holiday menu (though there are some stories about fruitcakes).
Stout, who has presided over this anthology for 15 years, submits it as an annual rebuttal to the marginalization of sports as journalism's sandbox. He believes that the general label for the craft -- ''sportswriting," one word -- is demeaning in itself (when was the last time you saw the term ''politicalwriting"?). In fact, Stout is almost evangelical in his insistence on the use of ''sports writing."
His point is both obvious and profound. The common denominator of fine writing is narrative skill; the subject is relevant only in terms of the audience's interests, not the story's quality. The only limitation is the writer's talent, not the topic.
The 2005 edition, whose entries were selected by Lupica from thousands of candidates throughout the continent culled by Stout, may be the most persuasive argument yet in this crusade.
There is a delightful surprise before you even get to the leadoff spot in the lineup. Lupica's introduction is a poignant reflection on his days as a novice sports writer.The ubiquitous Lupica now surfaces on so many TV and radio shows that he's risking FCC sanctions against media monopolies.
But the New York Daily News columnist is emphatically clear, and sincere, in maintaining that his lifelong love is the printed word. He then presents 29 supporting exhibits. It's impossible to sort out the highlights; a random sampling must suffice.
Gary Smith (Sports Illustrated) delivers a passion play about a group of Mexican-American cross-country runners and the selfless coach who guides them to domination of California high school events -- and potential escape from impoverished depths. Steve Coll (
Why, there even are two inclusions (by novelist Thomas McGuane in Sports Illustrated and Pat Belluck in the New York Times) that make fishing fascinating; that's not an accomplishment, it's a miracle.
If those don't appeal to you, keep looking. Something will. I dare you to come up empty.
Here's a shoppers' alert. This isn't the ideal gift for the sports fan. It's the ideal gift for the reading fan.
