Steve Kettmann

Last updated

Steve Kettmann (born in 1962) is a Californian writer known for his political commentary, including New York Times articles like The Californization of U.S. Politics [1] and The Pirate Party Logs a New Politics, [2] and his Santa Cruz Sentinel columns in support of Christine Blasey Ford, such as I Believe Christine Blasey Ford [3] and Thank You, Dr. Ford. [4] He was a vocal and early critic of the presidency of Donald Trump, organizing and leading a live-reading of George Orwell's 1984 at Bookshop Santa Cruz in Northern California as a protest, and writing this cover article, Orwell in the Time of Trump, [5] in the Santa Cruz Free Weekly.

Contents

Biography

Kettmann, born in 1962 in San Jose, California, [6] earned a degree in English literature from UC Berkeley in 1985 and then worked for a year in New York as a general-assignment reporter for Newsday covering politics and other subjects.

Kettmann, despite having written on a wide variety of topics, is best known for his work on several baseball books, most recently Baseball Maverick: How Sandy Alderson Revolutionized Baseball and Revived the Mets [7] (Grove Atlantic, April 2015). The book explores Alderson's role as general manager of the Oakland A's in the 1980s and 1990s, including his role as a mentor to the young Billy Beane, who was later made famous in the movie adaption of the Michael Lewis book Moneyball . It also focuses on Alderson's years as general manager of the New York Mets starting in late 2010.

Kettmann was a sportswriter for the San Francisco Chronicle from 1990 to 1999, covering the Oakland A's for four seasons as a beat writer, and has also written on steroids and baseball for numerous publications, becoming one of the first to state openly that Mark McGwire had used steroids [8] in an August 2000 article in The New York Times and appearing on CNN as an expert on the subject. [9] The New Yorker magazine [10] reported in a 2005 article, Dr. Juice, that he was the ghost-writer of José Canseco's book "Juiced," which was a No. 1 New York Times best-seller, despite first being the subject of intense controversy. Some commentators contended that Kettmann's background reporting on steroids and baseball was helpful, with New York Daily News columnist Mike Lupica going so far as to contend, [11] "Canseco was only honest in his first book because his ghost writer, Steve Kettmann, made him be."

Kettmann's first book was "One Day at Fenway," which described a single game between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees on August 30, 2003, from a variety of perspectives. That book, nominated for a Quill Award [12] and featured in the Farrelly brothers film "Fever Pitch," [13] generated mostly positive reviews, but ESPN writer Rob Neyer was an outspoken critic. [14]

Previously, Kettmann edited "Game Time," [15] a collection of Roger Angell's baseball writing from the New Yorker spanning forty years. Originally published in early 2003, the book was reviewed on the front page of the New York Times Book Review. "Edited by the sportswriter Steve Kettmann," wrote Joel Conarroe, "the 29 selections could be thought of as 'Roger's Greatest Hits,' except that there is little reason to make distinctions among his scores of writerly four-baggers."

Kettmann has reported from more than 40 countries for publications including The New York Times , the Los Angeles Times , The New Republic , Foreign Policy , the Washington Monthly, GQ , Parade , The Village Voice, Salon.com and Wired.com, the Berliner Zeitung , Die Welt and Der Spiegel . [16] From 1999 to 2012 he was based primarily in Berlin [17] and from 2000 to 2001 wrote a weekly column for the Berliner Zeitung newspaper as an American in Berlin, appearing every Wednesday. A 1999 Arthur F. Burns Fellow, [18] he speaks German as well as some Spanish.

His past books include "What a Party!" co-written with current Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, which debuted in February 2007 at No. 5 on New York Times best-seller list, [19] and "Letter to a New President," [20] co-written with Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia, published in June 2008, book-length advice to whoever would follow George W. Bush. In an interview with The Hill newspaper in Washington, Kettmann described how he and Byrd worked on the book and said, "To him, history is a living, breathing presence in his life that he consults often, like a good friend that is always at his side." [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Angell</span> American writer (1920–2022)

Roger Angell was an American essayist known for his writing on sports, especially baseball. He was a regular contributor to The New Yorker and was its chief fiction editor for many years. He wrote numerous works of fiction, non-fiction, and criticism, and for many years wrote an annual Christmas poem for The New Yorker. Sportswriter Jane Leavy called him "the Babe Ruth of baseball writers."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bertelsmann</span> German multinational media, services and education company

The Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA, commonly known as Bertelsmann, is a German private multinational conglomerate corporation based in Gütersloh, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is one of the world's largest media conglomerates and is also active in the service sector and education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jose Canseco</span> Cuban baseball player (born 1964)

José Canseco Capas Jr. is a Cuban-American former professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). During his time with the Oakland Athletics, he established himself as one of the premier power hitters in the game. He won the Rookie of the Year (1986), and Most Valuable Player award (1988), and was a six-time All-Star. Canseco is a two-time World Series champion with the Oakland Athletics (1989) and the New York Yankees (2000).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Quisenberry</span> American baseball player (1953–1998)

Daniel Raymond Quisenberry, nicknamed "Quiz", was an American right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played primarily for the Kansas City Royals. Notable for his submarine-style pitching delivery and his humorous quotes, he led the American League in saves a record five times. Quisenberry retired in 1990 with 244 saves, then the fifth-highest total in major league history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ron Guidry</span> American baseball player and coach (born 1950)

Ronald Ames Guidry, nicknamed "Louisiana Lightning" and "Gator", is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees. Guidry was also the pitching coach of the Yankees from 2006 to 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John W. Henry</span> American professional sports team owner and executive (born 1949)

John William Henry II is an American businessman and the founder of John W. Henry & Company, an investment management firm. He is the principal owner of Liverpool Football Club, the Boston Red Sox, the Pittsburgh Penguins, The Boston Globe, and co-owner of RFK Racing. As of October 2024, Forbes estimated his net worth to be US$6 billion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandy Alderson</span> American baseball executive

Richard Lynn "Sandy" Alderson is an American baseball executive. He was most recently the president of the New York Mets. He previously served as the general manager of the New York Mets from 2011 to 2018, an executive in the Oakland Athletics and San Diego Padres organizations, and the commissioner's office of Major League Baseball. As a front office executive, Alderson led the Athletics to a World Series championship in 1989 and led the Athletics to the World Series in three straight seasons. Alderson led the Mets to the 2015 World Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gruner + Jahr</span> German publishing house

Gruner + Jahr GmbH is a publishing house headquartered in Hamburg, Germany. The company was founded in 1965 by Richard Gruner, John Jahr, and Gerd Bucerius. From 1969 to 1973, Bertelsmann acquired a majority share in the company and gradually increased it over time. After 2014, the company was a fully owned subsidiary of the Gütersloh-based media and services group. Under the leadership and innovation strategy of Julia Jäkel, Gruner + Jahr evolved into a publishing house producing cross-channel media products for the digital society.

The Oakland Athletics' 1997 season was the 97th season in franchise history. The team finished fourth in the American League West with a record of 65–97.

The 1988 Oakland Athletics season was the 88th season for the Oakland Athletics franchise, all as members of the American League, and their 21st season in Oakland. The Athletics won their first American League West title since 1981, with a record of 104 wins and 58 losses. In 1988, the elephant was restored as the symbol of the Athletics and currently adorns the left sleeve of home and road uniforms. The elephant was retired as team mascot in 1963 by then-owner Charles O. Finley in favor of a Missouri mule. The A's defeated the Boston Red Sox in the ALCS, but lost the World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games, including a dramatic, classic walk-off home run by the Dodgers' Kirk Gibson in game one.

Keith Law is an American baseball writer for The Athletic. He previously wrote for ESPN.com and ESPN Scouts, Inc from 2006 – 2019. He was formerly a writer for Baseball Prospectus and worked in the front office for the Toronto Blue Jays. He is a member of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sylvia Gerasch</span> East German swimmer

Sylvia Gerasch is a former swimmer who competed for East Germany and Germany.

Fenway Sports Group Holdings, LLC (FSG), is an American multinational sports holding conglomerate which owns Major League Baseball's Boston Red Sox, Premier League’s Liverpool, National Hockey League's Pittsburgh Penguins, NASCAR's RFK Racing, and TGL's Boston Common Golf.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lutz Hachmeister</span> German author, journalist and film director (1959–2024)

Lutz Hachmeister was a German media historian, award-winning filmmaker and journalist. He particularly gained international attention for directing the 2005 film The Goebbels Experiment, co-produced by the BBC and the Canadian History channel, and featuring Kenneth Branagh as the narrator for the Goebbels Diaries. In 2006 Hachmeister established the Institute for Media and Communication Policy (IfM) in Berlin and Cologne, which is strongly tied to the Anglo-American media scene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erich Böhme</span> German journalist and television presenter

Erich Böhme was a German journalist and television presenter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terrorism in Germany</span> Use of violence to achieve aims in Germany

Germany has experienced significant terrorism in its history, particularly during the Weimar Republic and during the Cold War, carried out by far-left and far-right German groups as well as by foreign terrorist organisations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bash Brothers</span> Duo of baseball teammates Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco

The Bash Brothers are a duo of former baseball players consisting of Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire. Both prolific home run hitters, the two were teammates in Major League Baseball (MLB) for seven seasons with the Oakland Athletics, helping the team win a World Series title in 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christine Blasey Ford</span> American professor of psychology (born 1966)

Christine Margaret Blasey Ford is an American professor of psychology at Palo Alto University and a research psychologist at the Stanford University School of Medicine. She specializes in designing statistical models for research projects. During her academic career, Ford has worked as a professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine Collaborative Clinical Psychology Program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emery ball</span> Illegal baseball pitch

An emery ball is an illegal pitch in baseball, in which the ball has been altered by scuffing it with a rough surface, such as an emery board or sandpaper. This technique alters the spin of the ball, causing it to move in an atypical manner, as more spin makes the ball rise, while less spin makes the ball drop. The general term for altering the ball in any way is doctoring. The emery ball differs from the spitball, in which the ball is doctored by applying saliva or Vaseline. Vaseline or saliva smooths the baseball, while the emery paper roughens it.

References

  1. ↑ Kettmann, Steve (Jun 2, 2018). "Opinion | The Californization of America". The New York Times. Retrieved Jul 22, 2020– via NYTimes.com.
  2. ↑ Kettmann, Steve (May 1, 2012). "Opinion | New Politics, Ahoy!". The New York Times. Retrieved Jul 22, 2020– via NYTimes.com.
  3. ↑ "Steve Kettmann, Cruzin': I believe Christine Blasey Ford". Sep 22, 2018. Retrieved Jul 22, 2020.
  4. ↑ "Steve Kettmann, Cruzin': Thank you Dr. Ford". Sep 29, 2018. Retrieved Jul 22, 2020.
  5. ↑ Kettmann, Steve (Mar 1, 2017). "What Can we Learn from George Orwell about Trump?" . Retrieved Jul 22, 2020.
  6. ↑ "Discover Your Next Read | HMH Books | HMH Books". www.hmhbooks.com. Retrieved Jul 22, 2020.
  7. ↑ Kettmann, Steve (2015). Baseball Maverick : How Sandy Alderson Revolutionized Baseball and Revived the mets. Atlantic Monthly Press. ISBN   978-0802119988.
  8. ↑ Kettmann, Steve (Aug 20, 2000). "BACKTALK; Baseball Must Come Clean on Its Darkest Secret". The New York Times. Retrieved Jul 22, 2020– via NYTimes.com.
  9. ↑ "CNN.com – Transcripts". transcripts.cnn.com. Retrieved Jul 22, 2020.
  10. ↑ McGrath, Ben (28 February 2005). "Dr. Juice". The New Yorker. Retrieved Jul 22, 2020.
  11. ↑ "Jose Canseco: Get me rewrite! – NY Daily News". New York Daily News . Retrieved Jul 22, 2020.
  12. ↑ "And the Nominees Are..." PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved Jul 22, 2020.
  13. ↑ "One Day at Fenway". www.kettmann.com. Retrieved Jul 22, 2020.
  14. ↑ Neyer, Rob (September 6, 2004). "Neyer, Kettmann, Davidoff, & Amazon". RobNeyer.com. Archived from the original on September 2, 2007. Retrieved February 1, 2011.
  15. ↑ Conarroe, Joel (May 25, 2003). "In Baseball, You Don't Know Nothing". The New York Times. Retrieved Jul 22, 2020– via NYTimes.com.
  16. ↑ SPIEGEL, DER (11 June 2009). "Interview with Palau President Johnson Toribiong: Accepting Uighurs a 'Gesture of Goodwill and Humanity' – DER SPIEGEL – International". Der Spiegel. Retrieved Jul 22, 2020.
  17. ↑ "Nachrichten aus Berlin, Deutschland und der Welt". Berliner Zeitung. Retrieved Jul 22, 2020.
  18. ↑ German Elections: An American View at the Wayback Machine (archived July 16, 2011)
  19. ↑ "BEST SELLERS: February 11, 2007". query.nytimes.com. Retrieved Jul 22, 2020.
  20. ↑ Byrd, Robert C. (Jun 24, 2008). Letter to a New President: Commonsense Lessons for Our Next Leader. Macmillan. ISBN   9780312383022 . Retrieved Jul 22, 2020– via Google Books.
  21. ↑ Rothstein, Betsy (Jul 14, 2008). "20 Questions with Steve Kettmann". TheHill. Retrieved Jul 22, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.