Jeff Katz is the former Mayor of Cooperstown, the “Birthplace of Baseball” and home to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. As a sportswriter, Katz had his first short story published alongside legendary baseball writers such as Bill James and Rob Neyer in Play It Again, edited by Jim Bresnahan (McFarland, 2006) and was featured in reviews as the highlight of the book. In 2007, Katz’ first full-length book, The Kansas City A’s & The Wrong Half of the Yankees (Maple Street Press) was released in 2007 and received notable mentions in The New York Post, The Kansas City Star and other daily newspapers. Split Season was released in May 2015 by Thomas Dunne Books and received much national attention and praise (see Press), earning a Casey Award nomination in 2016.

 

Lately Katz has been having a ball writing (mostly) weekly posts at the SABR Baseball Cards Blog. 

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Katz has also authored two blogs. Maybe Baby (or, You Know That It Would Be Untrue), a series of 52 historical fiction pieces on the near-misses, accidental deaths and roads not taken in rock and roll history) and Mission of Complex, a blog about raising his autistic son, who, after years of struggling, has graduated from college and started a successful career in art. He was also music editor for Ragazine.

 

Once upon a time, Katz lived in Chicago and traded options at the Chicago Board Options Exchange. With his wife Karen and their three sons (Nate, Rob and Joey), he headed east in 2003 for a new life and never looked back.

 

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