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I’ve got an idea for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Put Al Eschbach on the radio broadcast team.

I’m serious. When Clay Bennett announced Wednesday that his team’s broadcasts would be heard on the Animal, I immediately thought of Eschbach.

A generation or two of Oklahomans know Eschbach only as the Jersey-accented Animal talk-show host, but in a previous life, 1976-85, Eschbach teamed with John Brooks on OU basketball broadcasts and was very entertaining and informative. Eschbach left the Sooner broadcasts when he changed radio stations; KTOK, his former station and the holder of the OU rights, understandably didn’t want a competitor on its Sooner broadcasts.

Eschbach would need to get up to speed on the NBA, but that can be done. I know, because I did it when the Hornets were here. And frankly, Eschbach needs a new challenge. He’s good on the radio but has been coasting for awhile. He needs something besides OU football and basketball to charge his batteries.

Eschbach would bring personality and a great history of the NBA. He grew up in Jersey City and would take the train to Knickerbocker games in the early ’60s. Who else in OKC was watching live NBA games 45 years ago?

Full disclosure: I do a 40-minute radio segment with Eschbach. We’re friends — known each other more than a quarter century — but we’re not close friends. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten a meal with Eschbach. So this isn’t some kind of buddy campaign. No one asked me to do this. In fact, I hit Eschbach with this idea 15 minutes after Bennett’s Animal announcement Wednesday. He seemed intrigued by the idea.

The Sonics last season didn’t use a color man on its radio broadcasts. Matt Pinto went solo on the broadcasts. Bennett said Pinto would be part of the OKC broadcast, but it’s not determined whether Pinto will do radio or TV. Bennett also said he thought adding a color man, even if Pinto returns to the radio side, is a good idea.

Al Eschbach could be that man.

Did you see the drawings for the new-look Ford Center? Or read the upcoming changes to Oklahoma City’s arena? Those are exactly the kinds of things I was talking about a few years ago when I was less than kind to the Ford Center.

In August 2002, I wrote a column that pointed out all the great things about the new Oklahoma City, how we had gone from “sleepy frontier town to progressive New West city in a decade, with change to spare.” Bricktown and its ballpark. The new downtown library. The Oklahoma City Art Museum. The renovated Civic Center. “They all send the same message. The message we want the world to know: OKC is a first-class city.”

But the Ford Center was different. It was built on the cheap. Forget bells and whistles. There weren’t even doors on the bathrooms. The Ford Center was functional, nothing more.

History has justified the city fathers who produced the Ford Center. The Ford Center’s functionality proved to be cost-effective and proved to be just fine for what we needed. The humdrum Ford Center landed plenty of concerts, the Big 12 Tournament and even the temporary Hornets.

But history also has justified the critics who said OKC deserved something better. The Ford Center renovations — the first phase of which were approved by the city on Tuesday — will turn the now-6-year-old building into a jewel that can stand proudly by the Civic Center and art museum.

The restrooms will be made plush, according to city projects manager Tom Anderson. Future work is planned for the concourses, with new restaurants added. Finally, the exterior will include a grand entrance befitting Oklahoma City.

I’m not saying critics of the Ford Center should take credit for the upgrades. In fact, this is one more sign that our city leaders made superb decisions, then and now. Here’s a quote from then-OKC mayor Kirk Humphreys in 2002: “We spent $90 million for a sports arena and got one of the best deals in America. Could we have had a nicer building? Of course. That becomes a value decision for voters, and I think the majority would agree with the course of action we’ve taken.”

Absolutely true. OKC spent wisely, which means it had the means to spend wisely again, and is doing so.

What the Ford Center brought to OKC initially, the people could be proud of. Now we can be proud of the city itself. The same should be said of the voters and decision-makers, who seem to keep getting it right.

I saw Joe Castiglione today, and the OU athletic director is sporting a new look. He’s got a sharp goatee growing. He termed it a summer diversion.

Castiglione had a moustache when he first arrived at OU but lost it to an NCAA championship. Joe C. agreed to shave off his moustache if the 2002 Sooners won the national title. Those Sooners did indeed deliver, and on the victory stand, they all reached into their warmups and pulled out disposable razors. Castiglione went into the locker room and shaved it off.

That was the first of five (and counting) NCAA titles won by OU under coach Mark Williams.

A new batch of emails, but primarily the same old subject. The NBA nickname. Some comment on Thunder, others still cling to the notion of running through another name and some just want to have fun.

Ralph asked, “If the local NBA team takes the name, ‘The Wind,’ would not that open up the rest of the country to perceive Oklahoma City as being a flatulent society?”

I don’t know, but it would open up the rest of the country to perceive us as very unimaginative.

Lou is campaigning for thunderlizard as the mascot for the Thunder. “Years ago Gary England used to refer to his thunderlizard as part of the forecast. For some reason, he stopped, whether it was requested by the station or what, but it was funny.”

I like it. I like it a lot. Of course, I’d like the Oklahoma City Lizards even better.

Todd admitted that “it is absolutely too late to get a name in for the team. I just think the OKC Dirt Devils sound so much better than the Thunder, and you could actually come up with a mascot with that. I don’t know how many Oklahomans know what a dirt devil is, but it is a mini twister that happens out in the open plains or fields of Oklahoma.

Devils of any kind doesn’t have staying power. That said, I sort of like it.

Steve said the six finalists for the NBA name “are an embarrassment to the state. Let’s make this a simple decision for Clay and the boys. The team name: Twisters. Team song: The Twist by Chubby Checker. The dance team: Twistettes: How simple can this be?”

Well, Twistettes is pretty simple. Simple-minded. That being said, the idea of the Ford Center rocking to “The Twist” makes me rethink my original denouncing of the Twisters idea.

David wrote, “I gotta love the name Oklahoma City Marshalls, one of the names the NBA slapped a trademark on. The team is to be named not for the old western lawkeepers, who sported but a single “L” in their title. The double “L” clearly indicates the team is to be named for my alma mater: John Marshall. YIPPEE! Take that, U.S. Grant and Northwest Classen.”

Settle down, David. I think more likely, the department store. And most likely, someone didn’t spell check.

Terry wrote, “Why is everyone so surprised it’s taking so long to release the team name? Stop and think. What is the club marketing right now? Practice jerseys and caps. What do these things sell for, $30, $40 each? Once they are all gone and college football starts dominating the sports talk and pages, the name will be released. These owners aren’t dummies and as long as there is a buck to be made, they’ll let this linger. Also they can steal a little of football’s thunder, pun intended, by waiting until practice kicks off and get the team back in the spotlight for awhile. Whatcha think?”

I think they will sell a ton more Thunder stuff than generic OKC stuff.

Brock wrote, “Here is my question: Why do we have to have a nickname, at least right now? Why rush to pick a nickname for the sake of having one? Why not take the time to do it right instead of rushing into something prematurely? There’s nothing worse than trying to rebrand five or 10 years later. Is there some NBA rule that says you have to have a nickname? I’ll admit I’m a little bit of a sucker for the romantic notion that the best nicknames seem to be the ones that just kind of developed over time like the Red Sox (who didn’t have an official nickname until 1908). For a year, every can just know the team as Oklahoma City. I like hearing the city’s name everywhere. I think the two shirts the NBA has for sale that just say “OKC” and “Property of Oklahoma City basketball” are cool. Then people (sportswriters and fans) can just start calling them a variety of nicknames and if something seems to stick then use it. It will have the feeling of tradition more than marketing. Of course this won’t happen. I know how the world works.”

Well, interesting theory. Reminds me of when I was a kid, and the pastor of our church left, and some woman told my dad she didn’t know why we even needed a pastor. Because without a pastor, everything falls apart. And without a nickname, you can’t market for beans. This isn’t studying for medical school; if something good hasn’t come to us by now, it’s not going to.

Ron wrote, “How about War Chiefs for the NBA team? War Chiefs is a position equal to a general, not at all racist.”

War Chiefs had no more chance than Injuns.

Mercedes wrote, “I’m still waking up at night with ideas. Now, a new song is ringing in my ears. Looks like the Thunder and Lightning and Storms were left in Seattle. They’ll find blue skies in Oklahoma City. I remember singing a lively song of optimism and enthusiasm. Could be an entry song: ‘Blue skies smiling at me. Nothing but blue skies do I see. Blue days, all of them gone. Nothing but blue skies from now on. Never saw the sun shining so bright. Never saw things going so right. Noticing the days hurrying by. When you’re in love, my, how they fly.’ Then cheers: We love Oklahoma City! We love the (New Team Name)! Yeah! Come on - let’s go! We’re ready for the show! Followed by that yodeling woman I heard on the newscast the other day. Did you catch that? I never heard anything like it. I didn’t even need my hearing aids. Wonder if a yodeling woman with that much talent and spirit could be a mascot?”

Mercedes, I say this with all due respect. Get some sleep.

Ray wrote, “The NBA team name we have not seen: Harvesters. The majority of people in Oklahoma look forward at least once a year to the harvest. Wheat farmers depend on the harvest. Those who do the deed are the Harvesters. Peach growers, watermelon, corn, baby calves even spiritual leaders teach us about the harvest. Sports recruiters who succeed have a great harvest. I personally would love to watch my team have a great HARVEST every year. They could be the best HARVESTERS ever in the league.”

Years ago, there was a gospel music group called the Harvesters. I thought it was sort of a clunky name. But an NBA team called the Harvesters would be even clunkier.

Joel asked, “Does one of the majority owner’s daughter have a horse called Thunder? That would be the only reason to name a team that! When I was young, all the little girls’ horses were named Thunder. Now really, isn’t that a little hick? Barons or Oil Barons would be better than that, maybe a little too close to where the money come from to buy the team! 89ers or something, please!”

I guess it could be worse. I guess they could have selected the Black Beauties.

Josh wrote about my suggestion for Garth Brooks’ The Thunder Rolls as an anthem at Thunder games. “You do know that The Thunder Rolls is about adultery, domestic violence and, in a 1991 video, glamorized murder as a solution to both, correct? On second thought, it is the NBA! Probably a proper fit. But I’d still have gone with Thunder Road by Bruce Springsteen. And if they call the arena The ThunderDome, then fans can chant ‘TWO MEN ENTER! ONE MAN LEAVES!’ before every game, an allusion to the 1985 Golden-Globe nominated Mad Max movie. THAT would be the coolest chant in pro sports.”

No, I plead ignorance on Garth Brooks’ song. But I’m all over this TWO MEN ENTER stuff.

John wrote, “Now that I think about it, there are scores of better names for the NBA team here. Just a few examples: Noodlers, Flatheads, Bluecats, Sodbusters, Dusters, (Civilized) Tribesmen, Mezocyclones, High Pressure Ridges, Land Rushers (or just Rushers), Natives, Wind and, of course, the Gunslingers, Outlaws, Criminals and maybe even The Bassmasters. I’ll send more as I think of them. Hopefully it isn’t too late.”

Hopefully, it is.

Matt wrote, “It will be disappointing to have the new NBA team name be on par with Wild, Magic, Lightning and Storm. Thunder will not sell t-shirts, jerseys or hats outside of Oklahoma unless OKC is lucky enough to get the next Michael Jordan. There are three directions to go with a team name. Classic (Steelers, Celtics, Dodgers…even Nationals). New: (Thunder, Avalanche, Rays). Funny/Endearing (Banana Slugs, Gorillas, Tree Frogs, etc). If classic wasn’t possible, then funny is the way to go. New is neither classic or funny…well, it’s funny for people outside of Oklahoma.”

No major-league franchise ever has done funny. I’m sort of glad Oklahoma City isn’t the first.

Russ wrote that he likes Thunder better than my Thunderbirds: “What’s so uniquely Oklahoman about Thunderbirds? It’s a car that rolled out of Detroit for decades, it’s the U.S. Air Force demonstration fighter jet team based in Las Vegas, it’s a mythological bird from Native American cultures all across the North America, not just Oklahoma. Thunder is a very uniquely Oklahoman name and concept. You see, around here it’s not just a weather term, it’s far more than that to us. I’ve heard thunder even in New Jersey, but it sounds nothing like thunder rolling across the open Oklahoma plains, and it certainly sounds nothing like the pounding feet, hooves and wagon wheels of stampeding thousands scrambling to stake their claims! That’s an entirely different kind of thunder rolling across our red earth, one not heard before or since. The first crack of thunder means a new beginning, with hope. It’s a sign that rain is coming, and with rain there blossoms new life and new hope. Thunder wells up hope within us that when it rains it pours, refreshing the land. Like a land run, thunder signifies the beginning of what we are and are becoming. We hold hope that this NBA team is a symbol of a bigger, brighter, major-league future for Oklahoma City and the state. When Thunder rolls in Oklahoma, we bring in the cattle, shutter the windows, and look anxiously across the fields; something serious is coming. When Thunder shakes our land we know there is lightning and the promise of a powerful storm on the way. In Oklahoma, Thunder even rolls across the plains on a dry sunny day, the power of people creating something new, something grand. We know that thunder is unstoppable, whether it echoes across the sky or stampedes across the ground. It is the way we see our people, our land, our future, and linked to that future, our NBA team … you see, the reason Thunder won The Oklahoman’s name bracket in the spring and the reason it’s growing on you, too, is because Thunder is not merely another ’singular name thing,’ as you put it. It’s a solid metaphor for our state, our city.”

Thunderbirds is uniquely Oklahoman because of the 45th Infantry. As for the speech about thunder, it reminded me of Oliver Wendell Douglass on Green Acres, when he would make a corny speech about farmers and America. Funny stuff.

Gail wrote, “OK Berry, don’t be trying to get on my good side. Usually I’m plotting my e-mails in reaction to your columns. But I actually had a laugh about the Thunder article. I also have been visualizing claps of thunder in the arena (the Thunderdome) with lightning shooting across our new lighting system (thanks, taxpayers). My only fear is that there will be a BEEP …. BEEP …. BEEP … This is a Weather Alert! There is Thunder on the horizon…BEEP…BEEP…BEEP! We interrupt this basketball game to warn the Lakers of imminent danger. Take your weather precautions. Thunder is approaching. BEEP…BEEP…BEEP.”

There’s absolutely no way we’re going to be able to keep the weathermen out of this.

But not all the emails concerned the NBA. Some were good old-fashioned college football takes. Paul didn’t like my rankings of the 96 Big 12 games this year. “Real Norman Transcript stuff. I think you become more of an OU homer every year. Ten of the OU games rank in the top 50 compared to OSU’s three (and of course one of those is against OU, so it might as well be two).”

I hate it when I have to explain something so elementary, but a team that is picked fourth in the South Division is going to play far fewer marquee games than a school picked fourth in the nation.

Richard took exception to my jeering of OU and Texas Tech for leaving quarterbacks Sam Bradford and Graham Harrell home for Big 12 Media Days. “Probably the reason some of the star quarterbacks were missing was because the coaches know that eventually they’d be subjected to the same inane questions asked every week by the same group of sportswriters sharing the same brain. This is so the sport writers can write those stirring articles we all want to read; such as who was the best dressed coach at the Big 12 football media days.”

Excellent point. Just go cry on somebody else’s shoulder come awards time, if Bradford and Harrell are overlooked.

David wrote, “You once wrote that you no longer voted in the AP football poll, saying something to the effect that you felt writers should be reporting the news instead of creating the news. Over the years, your writings concerning the rankings indicate that you would be casting one of the more intelligent votes; so I wish you would reconsider. This requires a quick rebuttal of the ‘creating vs. reporting the news’ issue. My main point would be that sports writers (and fans) are an integral part of the sport. To say that sports writers shouldn’t create the news would mean that if all followed your example, there would not only be no rankings at all, but no all-conference or all-America teams. Since there is no playoff in Division I, no national crown would have been rewarded at all, even a mythical one. How could one possibly argue that the sport isn’t enriched by these things that journalists add to the sport? And if rankings and all-everything teams are to exist, who better than the writers to conduct them? Bob Stoops may not respect a writer’s knowledge of the sport — but you guys have built your careers around knowing sports, which makes you the most knowledgeable possible voters. Really, what are sports writers? You are the people who speak to and for the fans; you are our tribunes. Journalists in other areas are such: who would tell Woodard and Bernstein that they should only be reporting, rather than creating the news? Watergate would never have come to light. To separate writers from the news of sports is to eliminate fans as a part of the game. WE want rankings; WE want all-America teams. And you, Berry, are the closest we have to a representative to cast our vote. And as for representing the fans of Oklahoma, the best example of that role for you came in the Not-the-Sonics wars we just went through. People around the country read your stuff and even wrote about you as representative of what Oklahomans thought, for right or wrong. Personally, I not only liked what you wrote about Bennet and the Sonics, I was proud of it — proud thinking that you were speaking so well on our behalf. In short, sports writers don’t just enrich the sport by writing about the blue-gray October sky that Grantland Rice gave us 80 years ago, wonderful as those things are. Sports writers gave us the AP poll 72 years ago, and a wonderful gift it was. To vote in it is an honor. One that I wish you would accept again.”

Thanks, David, but it’s a pass. I will, however, soon announce my candidacy for governor, with you as campaign manager.

Now we know why Clay Bennett chose Thunder. It’s clearly the best pick among the six finalists that Oklahoma City’s NBA team has filed for trademark rights.

Thunder. Barons. Marshalls. Energy. Wind. Bison.

Yuch. Thunder is fine, and Barons would be acceptable in another economic setting.

But Bison? Just go with Buffaloes, which notably is not the name of any major-league franchise. Marshalls? Misspelled or not, doesn’t really dazzle anyone. Wind? You’ve got to be kidding. Energy? Quit being silly.

Barons was the pick of a lot of people, but of the three major kinds of barons — cattle, land and oil — only one doesn’t inflame passions negatively. Cattle barons is OK. But land barons is no more politically correct than Sooners, which never could pass inspection today. And oil barons is worst of all. How do you name a team the Barons in the same summer gas reaches $4 a gallon?

There wasn’t much thinking outside the box, past Thunder. No Spiders, which the longer it goes the more I like. No Thunderbirds, with its Oklahoma connections. No Wildcatters or Dirt Devils or any one of hundreds of suggestions fans have trotted out.

Give me those six options, and I’ll run like crazy to Thunder.

Norman North’s Beau Blankenship says he will sign a football scholarship letter of intent with Iowa State. Blankenship isn’t the first star tailback from Norman to become a Cyclone.

Gary King was one of the greatest players ever produced by Norman High School. A star tailback as a junior on Norman’s 1961 state championship team, King was even better in 1962 and set several school records that stood well into the 1980s.

King grew up a huge OU fan, and later in life he would pen “An Autumn Remembered,” a nostalgic book about growing up in Norman and following Bud Wilkinson’s legendary Sooners, particularly the undefeated 1956 team.

But not all dreams come true. King spent a year at OU but transferred to Iowa State after his freshman year. He played for the Cyclones, graduated and became a history professor at Rose State College. He’s now retired in Norman and a good friend of mine. We have lunch on occasion.

Maybe soon, or even in February around signing day, I’ll write a column about another Norman-to-Ames migration.

I don’t really get into preseason predictions much. I’ll glance at where teams are picked to finish, but I never participate in those preseason polls, conference or otherwise.

But after three days of wall-to-wall football talk, I’ll weigh in on the Big 12 outlook. Sometimes, something a coach says can change your mind about a team. So here’s my Big 12 outlook for 2008:

SOUTH

1. Oklahoma: Nothing changes here. The Sooners have the most returning talent and a favorable schedule. Missouri is gone from the schedule, and Kansas plays in Norman. OU has four conference road games. At A&M, at OSU, at K-State, at Baylor. College Station and Stillwater could be dicey.

2. Texas Tech: Red Raiders, too, get Missouri off the schedule but have to go to Norman. If OU went to Lubbock this year, things would get very interesting.

3. Texas: Can the Longhorns thrive in the underdog role? OU has.

4. Oklahoma State: Cowboys’ season comes down to three games. Home against A&M, at Colorado, home against OU. That’s not such a bad spot to be; two of three at home amid the games that will determine the season.

5. Texas A&M: Just not a lot of excitement over the Aggies.

6. Baylor: I like Art Briles, but I liked Guy Morriss, too.

NORTH

1. Missouri: Don’t look now, but Gary Pinkel is becoming a heck of a coach.

2. Nebraska: I’m a big believer in Bo Pelini. He will lose most interviews but win most games.

3. Kansas: The blessing of 2007 (easy schedule) turns around in 2008. KU has a very tough slate. OU, Tech, Texas.

4. Colorado: If Dan Hawkins could run the program and Gary Barnett could coach ‘em up, CU would have a powerhouse.

5. Iowa State: The Cyclones changed my mind more than any other team. Gene Chizik’s team showed great improvement the last half of the season. Respectable losses to OU and Missouri, victories over Kansas State and Colorado.

6. Kansas State: I was big on Ron Prince. Heck, he’s beaten Texas two straight years. Quick story. Wednesday, Mack Brown was standing around chatting, and someone told him Prince really had good things to say about Brown. Mack laughed. “He ought to,” Brown said. “I’ve been really good to him.” But still; 19 juco transfers? That’s ridiculous. I’m worried about the Kansas State program. Really worried.

Mark Mangino walked off the elevator Tuesday morning at the Marriott Hotel and smiled big. Mangino always has been a friendly sort. There are people who will tell you of Mangino’s not-so-amiable side, and sometimes he displays in the public forum of a gridiron, but one-on-one, he’s always been gregarious with me.

Anyway, here came Mangino. We shook hands and I did something I can’t remember ever doing with a football coach. I slapped him on the back. Said, “Mark, haven’t seen you since the Orange Bowl. How about that?”

He knew what I meant. After five years of Mangino treading water and trying to build KU into a decent football school, the Jayhawks jumped the level of respectability and went straight to spectacular, with a 12-1 record.

Mangino smiled at me and said simply, “Ya gotta believe.”

It’s really not any more complicated than that. Most every coach, every good coach at least, starts there. Belief in his system. Belief in himself. Belief in his players.

Later, in the press conference, Mangino would say, “You know, coming off a pretty good season last year, expectations are very high for our program in Lawrence, in the state of Kansas and around the country.

“And we’re extremely excited about that. We embrace those expectations, because there was a time when I first arrived here that there were no expectations for Kansas’s football program.”

Kansas, the home of Dorothy and Toto, now believes.

Texas Tech didn’t bring Graham Harrell or Michael Crabtree. OU isn’t bringing Sam Bradford and isn’t even bringing Juaquin Iglesias (Manny Johnson instead). Texas A&M didn’t bring Stephen McGee, who came to this event after his freshman year.

The Big 12 football media days could be known as much for who didn’t come as for who did.

The year of the quarterback in the Big 12? Can’t tell it in Kansas City. Only six of the league quarterbacks are here. In a league that is supposed to go nine deep, in already-proven star quarterbacks, that’s not much of a promotional move.

Some teams get it. Missouri’s Chase Daniel was in California on Sunday for the Elite 11 Quarterback Camp. He played golf Sunday with QBs including Georgia star Matthew Stafford. Then Daniel caught an early flight to Kansas City, made it to the Marriott Hotel for Missouri’s media session and was back off to California to resume the camp.

I don’t know if July omissions affect things like Heisman voting or All-American selections. But I know the Big 12, including the Sooners, missed some major public-relations points.

It’s possible the coaches don’t understand what this even is about. This isn’t some kind of spa, some kind of reward for good behavior and solid citizenship. This is where national and regional media can interview Big 12 players and get a jump on the season.

The Oklahoma media doesn’t need to talk to Bradford. We get to do that in a week or so, and then quite often. But the Kansas City Star and Houston Chronicle and ESPN.com and Fox Sports Net would like to spend some time with Bradford, and Harrell, and Crabtree.

That opportunity is gone. Everybody loses.

My annual week in Colorado has multiple missions. Recharge the batteries for the football (and now NBA) push. Escape the heat and soak up the 68-degree afternoons in the mountains. Eat like a horse. Play with my granddaughter all day long. And read as many books as I can consume.

My goal is three books in Colorado and I always take four, because I’m an optimist. I’m learning that my granddaughter has moved quickly into the front seat of priorities. She’s two; we play and read and sing, and when she’s tired, then I start thinking of that other Colorado stuff I used to do.

Anyway, last week I topped out at two books — I’m just finishing the second — and as usual, the books were baseball. I don’t really care to follow baseball much anymore; I check the standings and read the paper, but in terms of watching games or keeping up with the rosters and who are the great young players, not going to happen.

But the history, I still can’t get enough. This year, my first book was “Ball Four.” I’ve probably read 500 baseball books in my life, but never this classic. I had read excerpts and heard stories, but never fully read Jim Bouton’s 1970 masterpiece. His diary of the 1969 season with the Seattle Pilots and reminisces about his Yankee days in the early ’60s.

Bouton was a baseball pariah after writing the book for his frank look at the baseball culture. Read it now and it’s tamer than the sports page. But in 1970, when Bowie Kuhn was commissioner and baseball had its head in the sand, you can see why Bouton’s book was scandalous.

Here’s what I like about “Ball Four.” It’s flat-out funny. I laughed out loud 25 times. And it reads smooth and fast. The best books read that way. The pages just flow. “The Color Purple,” the best book I’ve ever read, is that way. And so is “Ball Four.”

Some things from almost 40 years ago don’t hold up. Fashion. Television. Mores. Even some books. Some of the books I read years ago, when I look at them now, they can’t hold my interest in this 21st-century world. But “Ball Four” still packs a punch.

The other book is “Joe DiMaggio: The Hero’s Life,” by Richard Ben Cramer, written in 2000. No American sports hero is as mysterious as the Yankee Clipper, and Cramer’s 515-page book attempts to explain the strange days and ways of DiMaggio. From DiMaggio’s upbringing on San Francisco’s North Beach to his magic ride with the Yankees to his mob connections to his romance with Marilyn Monroe, this book is a fascinating look at the tortured superstar.

Alex Rodriguez and Jose Canseco and contemporary stars with their celebrity shenanigans are laughably inconsequential to the life led by DiMaggio, who was both colleague and enemy of the biggest names in America: Mickey Mantle, Frank Sinatra, John F. Kennedy.

Cramer didn’t entitle his book by chance. This is a discussion of heroship; what it takes to be a hero, and the cost at hand.

You won’t laugh out loud at “Joe DiMaggio: The Hero’s Life.” But you will come away with a far better understanding of the way America was, and the way New York City was, and the way the Yankees were, and the baseball was, and the way the son of an immigrant fisherman became our country’s greatest hero, at great cost to himself.