Q: Does umpire Joe West have a real short fuse? He seems to always be in the center of controversies, usually started by him. — Dave, Cincinnati.
A: West has never been known for a placid demeanor. Challenge him and you'll be asking for the soap in the shower with whomever challenged West with you. Could be my imagination, but I think West might crave attention so that announcers and writers will plug the country songs West records on CDs. My suggestion for one of his songs: "I Blew the Call and What Are You Gonna Do About It?"
Q: What is your suggestion for the best book on the Cincinnati Reds? — Mike, Oakwood.
A: I'd humbly and blushingly suggest my two books on The Big Red Machine, The Relentless Reds and The Royal Reds, but both are out of print and one has to scour eBay to find them. Seriously? The best book I've read came out this year, The Machine, by Joe Posnanski. It is about the 1975 World Series. I covered the World Series and the '75 season and Posnanski wrote about some things I didn't know. An outstanding read.
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