Discover Baseball Humor, A Collection of Stories from Master Storytellers, gathered and narrated by Ward Paxton
Hello again, dear audiobook friends! Today’s spotlight article is dedicated to Baseball Humor, A Collection of Stories from Master Storytellers, gathered and brought to life in audiobook format by Ward Paxton.
The audio production is a little over 10 hours in duration and I can’t wait to familiarize myself with this sport, its stories, and its players. From the Publisher’s Summary, we find out that humor is the best part of baseball. To survive a long season, the everyday schedule, and the failure that is inherent in the game, people have always needed a good laugh about a ballgame from time to time. The stories in Baseball Humor: A Collection of Stories by Master Storytellers poke good fun at the struggles, ambition, greed, romance, envy, wisdom, and quirks of the players, managers, wives, and fans. Included are “The Pitcher and the Plutocrat” by P G Wodehouse, “Horseshoes” and “Alibi Ike” by Ring Lardner, “The Red-Headed Outfield” and “The Rube” by Zane Gray, and many others. These 14 rib-tickling tales were originally published in the 1910s and 1920s when Major League baseball was the only professional sport and newspapers and magazines were a huge source of entertainment. While the material is from a hundred years ago, the human spirit that comes out still rings true today.
I have to admit that I’m not that familiar with baseball, aside from a few matches that I watched before going blind, but I’m always open to learning more and with these stories being available now in the public domain, this is my chance to better myself and hopefully even crack a smile from time to time while doing it.
Ward Paxton is a storyteller who has narrated over 50 audiobooks including the award-winning biography of former Major Leaguer Cy Williams. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in broadcast journalism, he embarked on a career spanning radio & TV, theatre, voice-over, film, and audiobook narration.
He grew up a Cub fan in the Chicago area at a time when the Wrigleys owned the team and high school baseball players could win a season’s pass to Wrigley Field for “meritorious service to baseball”, which was fortunate in that it wasn’t based on his hitting statistics. From spending that time at Wrigley Field, baseball got a lifelong hold on him. Baseball fiction is his favorite read with its unique blend of action and emotion told through the inimitable banter of baseball. He works from a home studio in Madison, WI, on beautiful Lake Monona.
I will return with a full review for Baseball Humor in the upcoming weeks, but until then, take care, stay safe, and don’t forget, always listen with your heart.
Victor Dima
Latest posts by Victor Dima (see all)
- Review: Toxic Minds, written and performed by Anthony Lee - July 7, 2025
- Review: Shadow of the Dragon, written by Amy Daniels, narrated by Phillip Nathaniel Freeman and a full cast - July 4, 2025
- Review: My Friends by Fredrik Backman, performed by Marin Ireland – Editor’s Choice Award for Excellence in Entertainment - July 3, 2025
