Cooperstown Confidential
Heroes, Rogues, and the Inside Story of the Baseball Hall of Fame
By Zev Chafets
June 2009
$25.00
256 pp
6.125 x 9.25 in
Hardcover
By Zev Chafets
A shadow history of baseball and its most extraordinary and outrageous characters, told through the story of the Hall of Fame.
Advance praise for Cooperstown Confidential
"The Baseball Hall of Fame has long been viewed as some sort of pristine baseball palace, a hardball Mecca where the ghosts of greats walk the corridors. In Cooperstown Confidential, Zev Chafets does not merely humanize the Hall and its inhabitants—he paints a fascinating, in-depth, occasionally outlandish portrait to be hung alongside the busts of the Babe and Hammerin' Hank. Chafets knocks this one over the Green Monster."
—Jeff Pearlman, author of Boys Will Be Boys and The Bad Guys Won
"Red Smith suggested blowing up the Hall of Fame and starting over, and Zev Chafets has planted the bomb. This smart, tough, funny history uses the flawed temple of the game as a prism to examine the nation as well as its pastime - sex, steroids, stats, and all."
—Robert Lipsyte
"The story of the Hall is baseball and politics, lust for fame and gain, ridiculous ballyhoo and deadly serious business. Somehow, Zev Chafets got it all -- and told it with toughness, humor, and grace."
—Richard Ben Cramer, author of Joe DiMaggio: The Hero's Life
"Put in a couple of dead bodies, an inquisitive professor who looks a lot like Tom Hanks and maybe a car chase or two and Zev Chafets would have sports' answer to 'The DaVinci Code.' Oh, well, we'll have to settle for a literate and provocative climb through the cobwebs, misconceptions and flat-out prejudices that exist behind the shiny exhibits at the Baseball Hall of Fame. Nice work. Maybe Tom Hanks can play Zev Chafets in the movie."
—Leigh Montville, author of The Big Bam: The Life and Times of Babe Ruth
"Cooperstown Confidential is not the standard collection of rosy anecdotes about Hall of Fame baseball players. It is a fascinatingly hard-edged look inside the hallowed institution, and that makes it all the more delightful and revealing."
—David Maraniss, author of Clemente and When Pride Still Mattered
Reviews/Media for Cooperstown Confidential
“Mr. Chafets’s main conclusions are hard to argue with. [His] approach throughout is breezy and anecdotal, rather than exhaustive or earnestly finger-wagging. [He] saves the subject of steroids — which makes his book particularly timely, with the looming elections of Bonds and Clemens — for the very end. His discussion is smart and provocative.” —Charles McGrath, New York Times. Read full review.
Zev taped an interview for NPR’s Only a Game with Bill Littlefield, the best national radio sports show period! Read the show's transcript and on the site's next page you can actually listen to the show.
New York Times Freakonomics blog got on the bandwagon. As did Page Six of the New York Post.
Here's a feature/review in Austin American Statesman.
“Cooperstown Confidential is bold, intelligent, and gutsy.” –—Allan Barra, Village Voice Read blogpost. Allan Barra's review was picked up by the Philadelphia Inquirer and The Columbus Star Ledger.
Zev Chafets helped out on this "Explainer" column for Slate last week and Cooperstown Confidential (just out in paperback) was mentioned: Read column.
Op Ed: “Let Steroids Into the Hall of Fame” by Zev Chafets in the New York Times
Zev wrote an OpEd for the Wall Street Journal. Enjoy the OpEd
Here's a great feature from Reuters.
Zev Chafets, author of Cooperstown Confidential was so funny on The Colbert Report.Watch the video.
Minneapolis Star Tribune review runs Allan Barra’s rave review –
Op Ed: “Can baseball avoid an error on Latino players?” by Zev Chafets in the Los Angeles Times. Also appears in Zev’s LAT op ed gets picked up by the Miami Herald .
Excellent Allan Barra review has now appeared in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Minneapolis Star Tribune, and should continue to pop up elsewhere. Read review.
“Despite its flaws, it's a good book, if not a great one. It's the fullest argument against Rule 5 I've ever seen, and Chafets does a very effective job making his case.” —Hardball Times Read full review.
"Chafets brings both a fan’s affection and a social critic’s eye to his examination of the Cooperstown, N.Y. institution...amusing, sardonic and convincing."—Kirkus Reviews
“Chafets (A Match Made in Heaven) briefly explores the history of how the Hall of Fame came to pass, but the real good stuff comes as he dives into the politics of the museum and how race has played a role in who has received election and who has received the shaft. He looks at the “monks” who oversee the hallowed halls, the writers who act as gatekeepers to the Hall of Fame, and explains how election can make what was once a player's worthless memorabilia into a gold mine. Much of Chafets's subject matter is sure to strike a chord with baseball fans…” —Publishers Weekly
Favorable response to the ESPN Magazine piece Journal Gazette
Not so favorable response to the ESPN Magazine piece Sports Central
“Cooperstown Confidential is bold, intelligent, gutsy.” –Allen Barra, Washington Times, Read full review.
“The cover of Cooperstown Confidential: Heroes, Rogues, and The Inside Story of The Baseball Hall of Fame (Bloomsbury) features four circa 1920 players with their heads cropped off. How appropriate, since a lot of what Zev Chafets has to say turns conventional wisdom on its head.” –Ron Kaplan, NJ Jewish News, Read full review.
Mention in Worcester Telegram
Sports Radio Tour
Sports Radio Tour continues...
Tuesday, July 21st (Format: General Interest) 8:40a-8:50a ET—WPTF-AM (Raleigh, NC—RALEIGH, NC). (Format: General Interest) 1:00p-1:20p ET—WFLF-AM (Orlando, FL—SYNDICATED). (Format: General Interest) 6:05p-6:15p ET—WFMB-AM (Springfield, IL—SPRINGFIELD, IL). Wednesday, July 22nd (Format: NPR) 8:15a-8:35a ET—WGVU-AM (Grand Rapids, MI—GRAND RAPIDS, MI). (Format: General Interest) 8:35a-8:45a ET—WVTL-AM (Amsterdam, NY—ALBANY, NY). (Format: General Interest) 9:35a-9:45a ET—WBFM-FM (Sheboygan, WI—MILWAUKEE, WI). (Format: Sports) 7:00p-7:15p ET—KNBR-AM (San Francisco, CA—SAN FRANCISCO). Thursday, July 23rd (Format: Sports) 10:30a-10:45a ET—WGFX-FM (Nashville, TN—NASHVILLE). Friday, July 24th (Format: News) 7:15a-7:25a ET—WCBS-AM (New York, NY—NEW YORK). (Format: General Interest) 8:20a-8:30a ET—WLNA-AM (Beacon, NY—NEW YORK). (Format: General Interest) 9:40a-9:50a ET—KMOX-AM (St. Louis, MO—ST. LOUIS). (Format: Sports) 4:45p-4:55p ET—WKRD-AM (Louisville, KY—LOUISVILLE). (Format: Sports) 10:50p-11:00p ET—FOX Sports Radio (SYNDICATED). Saturday, July 25th (Format: Sports) 9:10a-9:35a ET—WLIU-FM (Southampton, NY—NEW YORK). Sunday, July 26th (Format: Sports) Noon ET Hour—KMOX-AM (St. Louis, MO—ST. LOUIS). Monday, July 27th (Format: General Interest) 7:15a-7:30a ET—WTKF-FM (Morehead City, NC—GREENVILLE, NC). (Format: News/Sports) 10:00a-10:15a ET—WYRQ-FM (Little Falls, MN—MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL). Monday, August 3rd (Format: NPR) 9:45a-10:00a ET—WLIU-FM (Southampton, NY—NEW YORK). Tuesday, August 4th (Format: General Interest) 8:20a-8:30a ET—WTIC-AM (Hartford, CT—HARTFORD) Thursday, August 6th (Format: General Interest) 10:15a-10:35a ET—WREL-AM (Lexington, VA—CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA).  Previous radio show interviews Friday, June 19th (Format: Sports) 10:05a-10:20a ET—KCQL-AM (Farmington, NM—ALBUQUERQUE, NM). (Format: Sports) 1:00p-1:15 ET—ABC Radio (New York, NY—NATIONAL). (Format: Sports) 5:15p-??? ET—KFNI-AM (Indianapolis, IN—INDIANAPOLIS). (Format: Sports) 9:30p-????p ET—Sporting News Radio (Syndicated—NATIONAL). Monday, June 22nd (Format: General Interest) 3:10p-3:25p ET—WTVN-AM (Columbus, OH—COLUMBUS). (Format: Sports) 7:35p-???? ET—KFXX-AM (Portland, OR—PORTLAND, OR). Tuesday, June 23rd (Format: Sports) 12:15p-12:30p ET—KEX-AM (Portland, OR—PORTLAND). Wednesday, June 24th (Format: Sports) 9:00a-9:15a ET—KNBR-AM (San Francisco, CA—SAN FRANCISCO) (Format: General Interest) 9:30a-9:50a ET—WTPL-FM (Bow, NH—BOSTON) (Format: Sports) 12:15p-12:30p ET—KEX-AM (Portland, OR—PORTLAND) (Format: Sports) 2:45p-3:00p ET—WIP-AM (Philadelphia, PA—PHILADELPHIA Thursday, June 25th Format: Entertainment) 8:00a-8:10a ET—WOCM-FM (Ocean City, MD—SALISBURY, MD). (Format: News/General Interest) 8:20a-8:25a ET—WBZ-AM (Boston, MA—BOSTON). (Format: Sports) 8:40a-8:55a ET—WXGI-AM (Richmond, VA—RICHMOND, VA) (Format: General Interest) 9:30a-9:40a ET—WBSM-AM (Fairhaven, MA—PROVIDENCE). Friday, June 26th (Format: General Interest) 7:15a-7:30a ET—WGUF-FM (Naples, FL—FORT MYERS/NAPLES, FL). (Format: NPR) 10:00a-10:10a ET—WMNF-FM (Tampa, FL—TAMPA/ST. PETERSBURG, FL) (Format: Sports) 10:25a-10:40a ET—WCCP-FM (Clemson, SC—GREENVILLE, SC/ASHEVILLE, NC. (Format: Sports) 6:25p-6:35p ET—WTSO-AM (Madison, WI—MADISON, WI). (Format: Sports) 7:40p-7:55p ET—WLAV-AM (Las Vegas, NV—SYNDICATED Monday, June 29th (Format: Sports) 10:05a-10:15a ET—WHTK-AM (Rochester, NY—ROCHESTER, NY) (Format: NPR) 10:30a-10:40a ET—WVXU-AM (Cincinnati, OH—CINCINNATI). (Format: News/Sports) 10:42a-10:52a ET—KMA-AM (Shenandoah, IA—OMAHA, NE). (Format: Sports) 11:05a-11:35a ET—KZNE-AM (College Station, TX—WACO, TX). (Format: Sports) 11:45a-Noon ET—WAMN-AM (Bluefield, WV—BLUEFIELD/BECKLEY, WV). (Format: Sports) 4:45p-4:55p ET—WXGI-AM (Richmond, VA—RICHMOND (Format: Sports) 6:05p-6:15p ET—WSCO-AM (Appleton, WI—GREEN BAY/APPLETON, WI). (Format: Sports) 6:35p-6:45p ET—KGEO-AM (Bakersfield, CA—BAKERSFIELD, CA) Tuesday, June 30th (Format: General Interest) 1:30p-1:50p ET—WFLF-AM (Orlando, FL—SYNDICATED).
