Mike Shannon and I go way back.
One of the first book reviews I ever had published was with Spitball Magazine, where he serves as editor-in-chief.
He is also one of the only Bookshelf Conversation guests I have ever broken bread with. A few years back, I had the opportunity to attend a CASEY Awards ceremony in Cincinnati when Joe Posnanski (a BC mainstay) was honored for Why We Love Baseball. Shannon hosted a few people at his house and I was impressed with — and envious of — his baseball basement, full of books and memorabilia.
It was a real hoot to get together with some knowledgeable baseball book lovers, as well visiting the Great American Ballpark and fulfilling my requirements in getting a Reds cap.
By the way, Posnanski is — along with Kostya Kennedy (yet another BC guest) — the only author to win three CASEYs. Howard Bryant and Marty Appel are the only other multiple winners, with two apiece.
Shannon is the author of more than twenty baseball books, including two of my favorites: Diamond Classics: Essays on 100 of the Best Baseball Books Ever Published and Baseball: the Writers’ Game. Make that three, with the addition of his latest, Diamond Classics II: The Best Baseball Books Since 1989.
We recently had a chance to chat about what makes for a “classic” and other baseball literary issues.
And here’s the audio-only version:
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