The Baseball 100

By: Joe Posnanski

Narrated by: Cary Hite

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Winner of the CASEY Award for Best Baseball Book of the Year

“An instant sports classic.” —New York Post * “Stellar.” —The Wall Street Journal * “A true masterwork…880 pages of sheer baseball bliss.” —BookPage (starred review) * “This is a remarkable achievement.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

A magnum opus from acclaimed baseball writer Joe Posnanski, The Baseball 100 is an audacious, singular, and masterly book that took a lifetime to write. The entire story of baseball rings through a countdown of the 100 greatest players in history, with a foreword by George Will.

Longer than Moby-Dick and nearly as ambitious, The Baseball 100 is a one-of-a-kind work by award-winning sportswriter and lifelong student of the game Joe Posnanski. In the book’s introduction, Pulitzer Prize–winning commentator George F. Will marvels, “Posnanski must already have lived more than two hundred years. How else could he have acquired such a stock of illuminating facts and entertaining stories about the rich history of this endlessly fascinating sport?”

Baseball’s legends come alive in these pages, which are not merely rankings but vibrant profiles of the game’s all-time greats. Posnanski dives into the biographies of iconic Hall of Famers, unfairly forgotten All-Stars, talents of today, and more. He doesn’t rely just on records and statistics—he lovingly retraces players’ origins, illuminates their characters, and places their accomplishments in the context of baseball’s past and present. Just how good a pitcher is Clayton Kershaw in the 21st-century game compared to Greg Maddux dueling with the juiced hitters of the nineties? How do the career and influence of Hank Aaron compare to Babe Ruth’s? Which player in the top ten most deserves to be resurrected from history?

No compendium of baseball’s legendary geniuses could be complete without the players of the segregated Negro Leagues, men whose extraordinary careers were largely overlooked by sportswriters at the time and unjustly lost to history. Posnanski writes about the efforts of former Negro Leaguers to restore sidelined Black athletes to their due honor and draws upon the deep troves of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and extensive interviews with the likes of Buck O’Neil to illuminate the accomplishments of players such as pitchers Satchel Paige and Smokey Joe Williams; outfielders Oscar Charleston, Monte Irvin, and Cool Papa Bell; first baseman Buck Leonard; shortstop Pop Lloyd; catcher Josh Gibson; and many, many more.

The Baseball 100 treats readers to the whole rich pageant of baseball history in a single volume. Engrossing, surprising, and heartfelt, it is a magisterial tribute to the game of baseball and the stars who have played it.

Critic reviews

"Not only is this a baseball lover’s dream book, but the casual listener can gain a great appreciation for the game’s greatest players through its words and Hite’s resonant narration."

Great book, great narrator

Loved it. Didn't agree with everything Posnanski says but I think he would agree that's part of the fun. Great stories from throughout the ages of baseball.

Phenomenal

One of the best books I e ever listened to. Posnanski’s writing style is very immersive, and the narrator does a fantastic job telling each story

A truly wonderful experience

Joe Posnanski delivers great tales and insight into some of baseball biggest and best figures

A must read

If you are a baseball fan, this book is a must read. The author gives his opinion of the 100 best Major League baseball players. Insightful, colorful just a joy to listen too.

When is 30 hours too short?

Joe Posnanski is an absolute treasure. If anything can rekindle your love of baseball, this will.

Overall, the performance was solid, although marred by several name mispronunciations that makes you soon realize the reader probably is not a fan of the game.

But that’s a small ding in an otherwise-transcendent experience. I’m ready for another 30 hours.