under wildcard, I'll take
Ted Williams: The Biography of an American Hero by Leigh Montville
An excellent read on one of the greatest players ever to swing the bat. He was an ornery old cuss, but at least he was honest. Missed 5 whole years of his career due to military service or his numbers would have been even more amazing. Hit a home run in his last at bat, a prefect end to a career. Circled the bases and didn't even come out to tip his cap. He said later that he thought about it but it "just wouldnt' have been me".
One of my favourite quotes from his Hall of Fame induction speech:
"I've been a very lucky guy to have worn a baseball uniform, and I hope some day the names of
Satchel Paige and
Josh Gibson in some way can be added as a symbol of the great Negro players who are not here only because they weren't given a chance."
I've also read other Leigh Montville books and would recommend them highly.