The View from Pluto
Collected Sportswriting About Northeast Ohio
by Terry Pluto
- Format: Softcover, 352 pages, 5.5 x 8.5 inches
- ISBN: 978-1-886228-78-8
- Price: $14.95
Description
Now in paperback. The best columns from one of Northeast Ohio's most popular sportswriters ever. Terry Pluto has twice been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, has been named Ohio Sportswriter of the Year six times, and has won more than 50 national and state writing awards. This book collects his best Akron Beacon Journal columns about Northeast Ohio sports—Indians, Browns, Cavs, high school, and more—from the past decade. It's his first column collection. (He is author of 18 other sports books, including “The Curse of Rocky Colavito.”)
Book Excerpt:
Head says yes; heart says no
My eyes tell me that the Indians have their best team since 1954.
My head tells me that they will win the Central Division, that they will be playing baseball at Jacobs Field in mid-October.
My sense of history tells me that if any team is due for a great year, it is our beloved featherheads.
Then my heart says no.
My heart says don't fall for it. It says that being an Indians fan means expecting the worst, and don't forget Frank Lane's Law: The team may not be broken, but some lunkhead in the dugout or front office will try to fix it anyway.
It says Rocky Colavito for Harvey Kuenn. It says Pedro Guerrero for Bruce Ellingsen. It says Chris Chambliss for four New York stiffs.
My heart remembers Super Joe Charboneau, circa 1981— the year after he was Rookie of the Year. My heart remembers Herb Score being hit in the eye, and Pete Rose running over Ray Fosse at home plate.
My heart makes my head remember so many rotten things about the Tribe, it's enough to make me become a Crunch fan.
Then I remember something once said by that great philosopher Bill Belichick: “ I can only go by what I see.”
What do we see in the 1995 Tribe?
Let's start at the top. When was the last time the Indians had a heavyweight owner such as Dick Jacobs? He can strong-arm the city and the county . . . and taxpayers are just now learning how many pounds of flesh he extracted from the Gateway Corporation.
But he did help to get the stadium built, and Jacobs Field changed everything for this franchise. It was built, and they came— the fans and the big-name free agents.
No Dick Jacobs and there would . . . [ Read More Free Samples ]
Reviews
Sportswriting is often done by the numbers. Too many stats can drain the passion from the writing. But Terry Pluto rarely breaks out his calculator. In fact, the longtime Akron Beacon Journal columnist is one of the finest sports scribes in the country. — Scene Magazine
Terry Pluto, the Akron Beacon Journal's outstanding columnist, has just published his 19th book and it's a fine read. The View from Pluto is a compilation of his best pieces. There have been so many--how could he have picked the tops? — News Herald
Sports fans--particularly the long-suffering variety native to Cleveland--can identify with the perspective of Akron Beacon Journal columnist Terry Pluto, who presents the best in this volume. Not that you want to relive The Drive, The Shot and the ninth inning of the 1997 World Series, but if you must, do it with Pluto. The columnist has remained tickled with his job over the years and his straight-shooting style keeps sports fans equally enamored of him. — Northern Ohio Live
There's probably no better sportswriter than Terry Pluto. His writing is so textured; there's a lot in his head that comes to bear. He writes not just about sports, but about people what's important in their lives . . . His writing is not superficial. Terry Pluto deserves to win a Pulitzer Prize! — WKYC TV3
If you want to relive how it felt and how it continues to feel, to be a Cleveland sports fan, you can do no better than [this] book. It is called The View from Pluto, but the viewpoint is much much closer . . . Chronicles the past 10 years in Cleveland sports, and reader be warned, the stories will remind you why it can be so heartbreaking to be a Cleveland fan. But there are a lot of memories to be mined--and there is no better tour guide for the roller coaster ride that was the past decade in Cleveland sports than Pluto . . . Perfect for any Cleveland sports fan and anyone who likes a book that doesn't demand one long continuous reading. You can put it down and come back to it if you need to--if only you can put it down. — Cuyahoga Falls News Press
Having been a loyal reader of Pluto for years, [this] 352-page book was a review for us. However, for those who did not begin reading Pluto's columns for the Akron Beacon Journal until they began appearing in our sports section a few years ago, this is simply a must read. — Star Beacon
A nice piece of writing. [The View from Pluto] is a great history lesson for anyone new to Cleveland sports. Terry Pluto really knows how to connect with the people of Cleveland. He's a guy I really respect. — WEWS TV5
Terry Pluto doesn't pretend to be a know-it-all. You can really put yourself into his stories. He writes for all of us. — WGAR FM Radio
This book brings back a lot of memories about Northeast Ohio sports. It gives fans a great way to look back and re-live some of the memorable moments. Terry writes about things you might not have thought about in awhile, and it's really easy to read . . . Sports has more impact on this region than you might think. It's not just about the teams and players, but about the people and the economy too. Terry Pluto is one of the “big guys” who writes about these things. And, he writes about them in a way that everyone can understand. — WHLO AM Radio
Terry Pluto probably has more insight into local sports than anyone [writing] today. — WJW FOX 8 TV
Terry Pluto is one of my favorite sportswriters in the entire country. — WKNR AM Radio
Terry Pluto is maybe the best sports writer in Northeast Ohio. He doesn't just talk sports. He talks about the people behind the sports, where they came from, and what they're about. — WTAM AM Radio
About Terry Pluto
Terry Pluto is a sports columnist for the Plain Dealer. He has twice been honored by the Associated Press Sports Editors as the nation's top sports columnist for medium-sized newspapers. He is a nine-time winner of the Ohio Sports Writer of the Year award and has received more than 50 state and local writing awards. In 2005 he was inducted into the Cleveland Journalism Hall of Fame. He is the author of 23 books, including The Curse of Rocky Colavito (selected by the New York Times as one of the five notable sports books of 1989), and Loose Balls, which was ranked number 13 on Sports Illustrated's list of the top 100 sports books of all time. He was called “Perhaps the best American writer of sports books,” by the Chicago Tribune in 1997. He lives with his wife, Roberta, in Akron, Ohio. More About Terry Pluto
Contains References to:
Akron Beacon Journal, Art Model, Bill Belichick, Butch Davis, C.C. Sebathia, Charles Nagy, Charlie Manuel, Chief Wahoo, Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Indians, Eddie Murray, Jim Tressel, Kenny Lofton, LeBron James, Manny Ramirez, Michael Jordan, Omar Vizquel, Sports Articles, University of Akron,