Baseball is dying, or so they say. But for Ron Gieseke, longtime fan, former United Hebrew Congregation president and now author, baseball is alive and well. And if you ask him, it’s more than just a game—it’s a conversation.
Gieseke is bringing that conversation to St. Louis with his new book, “Baseball Bench Coach.” Adapted from his long-running blog of the same name, the book compiles 30 of his best essays from six years of Monday morning deep dives into the sport. He’ll be signing copies and talking baseball on May 3 at Barnes & Noble Chesterfield.
From Cincinnati to St. Louis to Chicago: A baseball journey
Though Gieseke is bringing his book to Cardinals country, his baseball roots start elsewhere.
“I was raised in Cincinnati during the Big Red Machine era, the greatest lineup ever assembled,” Gieseke says. “My college years were in Chicago at Northwestern University where I began attending Cubs games at Wrigley.”
St. Louis became home when Gieseke moved to the city to attend Washington University School of Law. He and his wife Jeanne raised their three daughters in Chesterfield, where they joined UH in 1992. Gieseke later served as the synagogue’s president from 2006 to 2007.
After retiring from Ameren in 2016, he and Jeanne moved to Chicago to be closer to their children and grandchildren. There, his baseball world expanded again.
“My fondness for the Cubs was bolstered in 2018 when I became a tour guide at Wrigley Field,” he says. “I am currently the director of tours at Wrigley. Don’t ask me which MLB team my heart resides in.”
What’s a bench coach—and why does it matter?
In baseball, the bench coach is the trusted strategist standing beside the manager, whispering the right calls at the right time. He’s the one thinking two steps ahead, deciding when to steal, when to shift and when to pull a pitcher.
“Joe Maddon might be the most famous bench coach,” Gieseke explains. “He was a bench coach long before he managed the Rays, Cubs and Angels. In 2002, Mike Scioscia had Maddon as his bench coach because he was known for his in-game strategy. That year, the Angels won the World Series in just Scioscia’s third year as a manager. Scioscia became known as one of baseball’s great strategists, but Maddon doesn’t get much credit for his role in that development.”
From blog to book: Why now?
Baseball has always been Gieseke’s passion, but in 2018, he found a new way to express it.
“I decided to begin a weekly blog that looks at a current issue in the game and provides historical and personal perspective,” he says. “I have written over 150 articles to date.”
The book, “Baseball Bench Coach,” collects some of his best writing, allowing fans to reflect on the sport in a way that’s both insightful and personal.
“I heard someone say recently that retirement allows you to begin anew, but make sure you tell your story in some way. ‘Baseball Bench Coach’ tells my life story in so many ways.”
Baseball’s evolution: Better or worse?
With new rules like the pitch clock, larger bases and restrictions on defensive shifts, baseball purists and modernists continue to debate the sport’s future. But Gieseke sees progress.
“I think the pitch clock especially has given baseball a real boost,” he says. “The speed of play and reduction in the times of the games are important steps in the right direction. Baseball is not dying, but thriving anew. That’s another key point of my blog and my book.”
For more of Gieseke’s thoughts on the rule changes, he suggests checking out his blog post “Pizza Boxes” (July 31, 2023), which also appears in the book’s “Around the Ballpark” chapter.
A baseball memory to last a lifetime
Of all the games Gieseke has attended, one stands out above the rest.
“My favorite memory is when I was 13 years old attending Game 5 of the NLCS between the Reds and the Pirates,” he recalls. “It is detailed in my blog post ‘Row 13, Seat 13,’ which is also in my book under the chapter ‘Family Memories.’”
On Oct. 11, 1972, at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium, Gieseke watched from right-center field as Johnny Bench tied the game in the bottom of the ninth—with a home run hit right at him. The Reds won the pennant later that inning.
“I still remember the high school girl in seat 14 kissing my cheek when the Reds won.”
Meet the author in Chesterfield
St. Louis baseball fans have a chance to talk shop with Gieseke at his book signing on May 3 at Barnes & Noble Chesterfield. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or just getting into the sport, he’s got a story—or a debate—waiting for you.
“My love of the game is reflected in so many of my own memories and I think everyone has similar stories,” he says. “One of my blog followers who contributed to the foreword of the book wrote, ‘As a lifelong baseball fan, I always learn something from the Bench Coach and each story usually evokes a smile as I welcome a fond memory.’
“Baseball is good for your soul and readers of my book will welcome their own memories of the game.”
What: Ron Gieseke Author Signing
When: Saturday, May 3, at 1:30 p.m.
Where: Barnes & Noble, 1600 Clarkson Road
Info: For more on the book and upcoming events, check out BaseballBenchCoach.com.
