Sunday January 22, 2012  Posted by MLB reports

“Garlic Fries and Baseball: The Book” –  By Ronni Redmond  (2011)

MLB reports – Jonathan Hacohen:  From baseball blogger to author. This is the story of Ronni Redmond and her website: “Garlic Fries and Baseball.”  As you have probably guessed from the title, Ronni loves ballpark food. Heck, she loves everything baseball. I had no idea what to expect from this book. Perhaps a list of top ballpark foods. A ballpark recipe book. It could have gone in many directions. It turned out to be a bit of everything. Probably one of the easiest and funniest baseball reads you will ever find. Garlic Fries and Baseball: The Book, turned out to be an enjoyable baseball journey. Ronni threw just about everything but the kitchen sink into this one and produced a book to be proud of.

Ronni Redmond is not the Shakespeare or Hemingway of the baseball writing world. Nor does she profess to be. Ronni is a baseball fan, pure and simple. She loves talking about the game and sharing her insights. She does some deep level baseball thinking and likes to share her questions with the readers. GF&B is a book born from her website. From logging a baseball trip on-line (and you know I LOVE baseball trips), the website was born. In the book, Ronni shares the details of the road trip, from the parks she visited, the food she ate, to the hotels she stayed at. For anyone who has ever attempted or completed a baseball vacation, Ronni’s story will be one that you will appreciated. But once the trip was done, Ronni didn’t stop writing about baseball and her website exploded. It grew so much, that she felt the need to write this book.  I am certainly glad she did.

A San Francisco Giants fan, Ronni is not afraid or apologetic for sharing the love of her favorite team. That is an art that is missing sometimes in baseball writing. Even if a person writes and analyzes baseball, there is nothing wrong with having an allegiance to a certain team and/or players. Most, if not all, baseball writers are deeply rooted baseball fans from birth. We can love something and still be objective. It is an acquired skill, but definitely can be done. In GF&B, Ronni talks about her team’s climb to the World Series championship in 2010.  To hear the story from a fan’s point of view was interesting and heartwarming. Baseball fans live to see their teams go all the way. In 2010, Ronni got to experience those emotions and I enjoyed the ride through her eyes.

From baseball trips and a World Series win, Ronni then covers many more baseball topics. Derek Jeter. Stephen Strasburg. George Steinbrenner. Joe Mauer and shampoo. Recipes. Ronni has a little bit of everything in this one. If I could consider this book in Seinfeld terms:  it is a baseball book about nothing that seems to talk about everything. Sometimes I like reading autobiographies. Sometimes historical pieces. Other times give me statistical analysis manuals. But when I have had a hard day and just want to read, laugh and enjoy myself, GF&B was a good comfort book. A little chicken soup to the baseball soul.

Ronni Redmond: when I finished this book, I had a smile on my face. I laughed. I smirked. Sometimes I agreed with you. Sometimes I shook my head. But you got me thinking and talking baseball. Thus your book, Garlic Fries & Baseball is a success in my estimation. Well done for a first-time author. It will be enjoyed by baseball fans of all levels and ages. Also…I can’t wait to get my hands on some garlic fries. I love baseball food and they sound delicious!

***Garlic Fries and Baseball: The Book is available to purchase as a kindle e-book and can also be found on the GF&B website:  https://garlicfriesandbaseball.wordpress.com.  Be sure to pick up your copy today and let us know your thoughts and comments. Half the fun of reading a baseball book is to share your experiences with our fans and readers!***

Jonathan Hacohen is the Lead Baseball Columnist & Editor for MLB reports:  You can follow Jonathan on Twitter (@JHacohen)

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