Little Green Book of Baseball Wit and Wisdom is a compilation of quotations that was published in 1992 by The Moving Press. It is a fantastic reference for baseball fans. It also contains quotations from several notable people, including actresses, authors, and presidents.
As such, Little Green Book of Baseball Wit and Wisdom should appeal broadly. The book should be used as a reference as it is small enough to fit in your pocket. Do not be fooled by the size of the book; it has over 100 quotations about baseball. Is there any other sport that evokes as great a quotation as baseball?
Green Book Quotations
“In the beginning, there was no baseball, But ever since, there have been few beginnings as good as the start of a baseball season. It is the most splendid sport.” B.J. Philips Time (1981) This quotation from Little Green Book of Baseball Wit and Wisdom seems apropos for the start of a baseball season.
“I see great things in this game of baseball. It’s our game – the American game. It will take our people out of doors. Fill them with oxygen and give them a larger physical stoicism. It tends to relieve us from being a nervous, dyspeptic set. Repair these losses. And be a blessing to us.” Walt Whitman Poet (1819-1892). It is often the case that the who said the quote is more important than the quote itself.
“Ninety feet between bases is the nearest thing to perfection that man has yet achieved.” Red Smith, sportswriter (1908-1982). On a crisply hit ground ball to the shortstop, a speedy batter will be out at first base by a step every time. “I believe in the Rip Van Winkle theory of baseball. That a man from 1910 must be able to wake up after being asleep for seventy years, walk into a ballpark, and understand baseball perfectly.” Bowie Kuhn, Commissioner of Baseball (1969-1984).
“Baseball is the only thing besides the paperclip that hasn’t changed.” Bill Veeck, Indians Owner (1946-1950). “The great American game should be an unrelenting war of nerves.” Ty Cobb, Tigers Outfielder (1905-1926). There have only been two geniuses in the world Willie Shakespeare and Will Mays: Tallulah Bankhead, Actress (1903-1968).
” I would walk through hell in a gasoline suit to keep playing baseball.” Pete Rose, MLB infielder (1963-1986). There is no way he bet on his team to lose. “I ain’t never had a job. I just always played baseball.” Satchel Paige, Negro League and MLB pitcher (1926-1965). “Baseball is like church. Many attend, but few understand. Wes Westrum, Mets Manager(1965-1967).
“Last year, more Americans went to symphonies than baseball games. This may be viewed as an alarming statistic, but I think both baseball and the country will endure.” John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States. “If people are not going to the ballpark, how are you going to stop them?” Yogi Berra, MLB Manager (1964-1985).
“You spend a good piece of your life gripping a baseball, and in the end, it turns out it was the other way around all the time.” Jim Bouton, Ball Four (1970).
This may be the best quotation in Little Green Book of Baseball Wit and Wisdom. “When I was a small boy in Kansas, a friend of mine and I went fishing. I told him I wanted to be a real Major League baseball player, a genuine professional like Honus Wagner. My friend said that he’d like to be President of the United States. Neither of us got our wish.” Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States.
Conclusion
The book contains great quotations about baseball from almost every imaginable walk of life, as seen above. It is a great reference for baseball fans and non-baseball fans alike. What is better is that Little Green Book of Baseball Wit and Wisdom is small enough to fit in your pocket, another advantage. There are so many great quotations in the book that it was a struggle to select the few that were included.
