Pirates Reader »

Richard "Pete" Peterson, professor emeritus of English at Southern Illinois University,  is the author of numerous books, and the editor of SIU Press’s Writing Baseball series. A Pittsburgh native, he attended his first Pirate game in 1948 and remains a lifelong fan.

The Pirates Reader is a tribute to the Pittsburgh Pirates, their fans nationwide, and to the franchise's rich history of baseball—Richard Peterson has collected the writing of baseball's greatest storytellers. Included are early pioneers of sports journalism, such as Henry Chadwick, the father of baseball statistics, and Alfred H. Spink, founder of The Sporting News.

Library Journal

Arranged chronologically, this book has a selection of the greatest writing through the years on the Pirates, one of baseball's oldest and most storied franchises. The writers include Roger Angell, Dave Barry, Thomas Boswell, Donald Hall, Ring Lardner, George F. Will, and others. Each selection begins with an informative paragraph by the editor. The great World Series moments and great heroes such as Roberto Clemente and Willie Stargell are beautifully captured along with the periods of drought and transition. Pirates fans and fans of good sports writing will revel in this. Copyright 2003 Cahners Business Information.