It’s that time of year, a time that means the world to many people and absolutely nothing to others: baseball season.

I’m among the former and have been waiting for months to mention my friend Alan Schwarz’s new book, Once Upon a Game: Baseball’s Greatest Memories , a book of highly personal stories from a creatively chosen group of the game’s greats: Derek Jeter remembering his decision at age 10 to become a big leaguer. Mike Piazza reliving a hitting lesson with Ted Williams. And it wouldn’t be a baseball book without a little sumptin’ from Yogi Berra. The intro? By a baseball fan named George Will. We’ll even let Schwarz off the hook for including Kevin Costner (you gotta do what you gotta do).

Schwarz, who just recently was hired as a staffer at The New York Times, has had an incredible year. His reporting on the ugly, unfortunate and unreported post-career brain trauma some ex-football players face has been front-page news in the Times. Back to his first love, baseball, he recently wrote a delightful piece (also p1) about the ambidextrous pitching wonder Pat Venditte. And his personal site is a must read for any baseball junkie. I’ve known Schwarz since our college newspaper days; it’s at once satisfying and unsurprising to see him doing work that’s both big and a blast to read.

Bonus baseball round: Just out in paperback is former MLB commissioner Fay Vincent’s The Only Game in Town, the first in a series of oral histories of players from back in the day. In Volume 1, Vincent talks to the likes of Dominic DiMaggio, Bob Feller and Ralph Kiner (among other players from the thirties and forties). The book, and audio interviews (found at the Hall of Fame), are manna for students of the game—and an ideal way to preserve its history.

Side note: My folks met Commissioner Vincent during a recent trip to Florida; they’re still buzzing over what a brilliant and warm man he is. Always nice when people you admire don’t disappoint you when you meet them in the flesh.

p.s. I hate the Yankees.

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