Name: Spring Training in Sarasota 1924-1960:
Brand: Jeff LaHurd
SKU: 9781596290723
Price: 21.99 USD
Availability: InStock

Spring Training in Sarasota 1924-1960:

9781596290723

$21.99

The warm weather and easy-going lifestyle found in Sarasota, Florida has attracted visitors since the early twentieth century. It is not surprising that several professional baseball teams have also been lured to this beautiful destination to participate in their seasonal spring training. Spring Training in Sarasota, 1924 ? 1960, by longtime resident and author Jeff LaHurd, chronicles the coming of professional baseball to Sarasota beginning with the arrival of the New York Giants and eventually, after the Giants's departure, the coming of the Boston Red Sox. LaHurd revisits the joys and challenges the city faced while playing host to these teams and the larger-than-life personalities that filled the teams? rosters. Enjoyable and informative, this book returns the reader to a golden period in not only Sarasota's history, but baseball's as well. Features tales about greats like Giants fiery manager John J. McGraw and Boston's legendary slugger Ted Williams.

Gators and Seminoles

9781467123815

$24.99

The University of Florida and Florida State University are two of the best institutions of higher learning in the third most populous state in our country. They cooperate in many academic ventures and have joint programs, especially in the sciences. They do not, however, cooperate in athletic endeavors and, in fact, compete fiercely in all sports, especially football. Since 1958, when they first started playing football against each other, they have met 60 times, twice in postseason bowl games, one of which was for the national championship. The two teams have each had three Heisman Trophy winners and have won the national championship in Division I a total of 13 times: five for Florida and eight for Florida State. This then is the story of one of this country's fiercest football rivalries, complete with outstanding players and coaches, as well as controversies.

Racing in Daytona Beach

9781467142779

$21.99

Long before the Speedway was even a glimmer in Bill France Sr.'s eye, racers in Daytona Beach were careening along at the fastest possible clip. Cars were still a novelty in 1903 when Daytona Beach drivers were pushing for land speed records on a track near today's Granada Avenue beach entrance. A reputation was born here early, drawing racing pioneers like Sara Christian, who famously raced her husband on the combination dirt and paved track in 1949. From the brave forerunners who tore up the hard-packed sand to the modern vehicles blasting away at nearly two hundred miles per hour on Daytona Beach International Speedway, Robert Redd explores the driving tradition that has made Daytona Beach a racing mecca.

Fishing in the Florida Keys

9781467106634

$24.99

Before Ponce De Leon charted the 1,700 islands in 1513 now known as the Florida Keys, Calusa and Tequesta Indians were fishing with spears and nets for the cornucopia of fish species they survived on. Today, 30 islands make up the habitable areas, cobbled together by 43 bridges and surrounded by waters holding more than 600 varieties of fish. The fishing paradise has brought multiple presidents--Herbert Hoover, George H. Bush, John Kennedy, Harry Truman, and, more than 100 years ago, Teddy Roosevelt--to fish in the Florida Keys. Ernest Hemingway and Ted Williams, who were both avid fishermen, made their homes here. Movies stars like Lee Marvin fished the Keys for tarpon, bonefish, sailfish, marlin, and tuna. Today, millions make their pilgrimages to the "Fishing Capital of the World."

A History of Fishing in the Florida Keys

9781609499983

$21.99

Since the arrival of Ponce de Leon in the 1500s, the Florida Keys have evolved from a dense, nearly impenetrable jungle full of bears, pumas, snakes, alligators and crocodiles into America's Caribbean islands. And the fish in the region have made the Keys one of the nation's favorite playgrounds for anglers. The Keys are home to more saltwater fishing records than any other angling destination in the world and offer sportsmen an array of amazing fish, from tarpon and Spanish mackerel to mahi-mahi and bonefish. U.S. presidents, celebrities and the world's greatest fishermen and women have cruised the waters of South Florida. Join author Bob T. Epstein on a journey through the storied history of fishing in the Florida Keys.

A History of Fishing in the Florida Keys

Spring Training in Clearwater:

9781596292147

$21.99

This chronicle of baseball superstars and hardcore statistics careens Philadelphia Phillies and Clearwater Threshers fans from the early days of professional baseball to today's Grapefruit League. Accompanied by over seventy-five action-packed pictures, de Quesada describes the countless Phillies and Threshers stories that show the remarkable bond between Clearwater and the Phillies organization. Included are the tales of of the All-Girls Professional Baseball League, the first appearance of the Phillie Phanatic and the Tiki Bar at Bright House Networks field as well as the detailed exploits of Tug McGraw, Mike Schmidt and Paul "Pope" Owens.

Sport Lauderdale:

9781596291454

$21.99

Broward County, Florida's location, its climate and the facilities it offers athletes make it a natural training ground for winners in a variety of sports.

Broward County is a hotbed for athletic activity. From serious sluggers to hard-charging halfbacks, Fort Lauderdale and the surrounding area have produced superstars in a wide variety of sports--even ice skating and hockey. Featuring over thirty photographs of phenomenal area athletes, this fun, accessible history details the story of nearly every sport to touch the field, court, and ice of Broward County, covering youth and high school teams, NCAA and NJCAA, as well as professional teams. Golf pros, tennis aces, super swimmers and even the stars of soapbox derby all share some time in the sun in Sport Lauderdale.

Pompano Park Harness Track

9780738517506

$24.99

Known as the "Winter Capital of Harness Racing," Pompano Park has provided the only nighttime standardbred harness competition in Florida since its 1964 inaugural season. Prominent Kentucky horseman Frederick Van Lennep and his wife, Frances Dodge Van Lennep, built a $5.5-million track on the property of a failed 1926 thoroughbred track in Pompano Beach. Pompano Park has since hosted leading trainers, drivers, and champion horses, including Hall of Famers Stanley Dancer, Bill Haughton, and Delvin Miller and current leading drivers Bruce Ranger and Wally Hennessey. It also has been a mecca for celebrities who have enjoyed the racing action and entertainment.

Baseball in Tampa Bay

9780738500584

$24.99

Tampa Bay's interest in baseball spans from the sport's earliest days to the region's win of a national league franchise in the last decade of the 20th century. Hosting more major league spring training games than any other region inthe United States, Tampa has been home to a number of spring
training camps, for teams including the Chicago Cubs and the Washington Senators. St. Petersburg has played host for the Philadelphia Phillies and the Baltimore Orioles, among others. Not only does this region have a rich professional baseball history, but a thriving Little League and recreational league
tradition. Stars, both young and old, have played for these teams and have brought glory to their hometown. Both St. Petersburg and Tampa formed their own local teams when the minor league was created in 1919, but Tampa Bay's dream for a major league team of its own finally came true in 1995, when, at a meeting of baseball owners in West Palm Beach, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays became the thirteenth expansion
team in major league history.

Dodgertown

9780738529356

$21.99

The fields at Dodgertown are hallowed ground for future Hall of Famers and heaven for fans wanting to meet today's baseball greats and tomorrow's rising stars. The location is Vero Beach, Florida, the spring training home of the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers since 1948. The Dodgers first set up camp at the invitation of a local businessman, Bud Holman, after the city needed a tenant to occupy a former World War II naval air station. The camp is the most unique baseball training facility in the country, a destination for international baseball visitors, and it shares a special relationship with the community of Vero Beach.

Spring Training in Bradenton and Sarasota

9780738598680

$24.99

McKechnie Field in Bradenton, Florida, is the oldest active major-league spring-training facility in the country. Opened in the spring of 1923 with Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis in attendance, it has played host to six different major-league teams, with the Pittsburgh Pirates calling it home since 1969. The New York Giants traveled to Sarasota in 1924 as the first of five teams to venture to its confines. These two cities, both situated on the Gulf Coast of Florida, boast nearly a century of baseball history and have seen the game's all-time greats.

Spring Training in Bradenton and Sarasota

Sport Fishing in Palm Beach County

9780738553863

$24.99

Settled along 47 miles of beautiful Atlantic coastline, Palm Beach County has long been a mecca for sport fishing enthusiasts. Graced with a mild climate and bounded with waters nourished by the warm Gulf Stream current, Palm Beach's coastal waters host a rich reserve of marine life. Featured in this captivating retrospective is a history of the sport fishing industry and tales of legendary captains, devoted weekend anglers, and wealthy sportsmen. Bringing to life the sailfish tournaments, fish fries, beauty pageants, and parades of a bygone era, this work is a tribute to the hardworking men and women who built this seaside settlement into a haven for sport fishermen. Follow the evolution of fine fishing boats and learn about the advancements in marine conservation while enjoying the natural beauty of this tropical oasis. Showcased within the book are over 200 vintage images collected from the local library's historical archive, as well as rare photographs from over 30 local sources, including the West Palm Beach Fishing Club.

Fishing Florida by Paddle

9781467140638

$24.99

From Pensacola to Jacksonville to the Everglades, fishing by paddle craft in the Sunshine State offers seemingly endless journeys.

Whether in the cypress dugouts of the Calusa, Dimock's wood-and-canvas tarpon fishing canoe or modern fiberglass and plastic, humans have been paddle fishing in Florida for thousands of years. Sprinkling colorful history throughout, author John Kumiski highlights the state's best paddle fishing destinations, both freshwater and saltwater, including the bass of Farm 13, the redfish and trout along the Big Bend Paddling Trail and the snook and tarpon of the Everglades. Learn the locales and what to do when you get there, including launch points, shuttles, rentals, tackle, techniques and more.

Baseball in Pensacola:

9781609497828

$24.99

The Western Gate to the Sunshine State boasts an epic history of hardball, dating back nearly to the beginning of the sport. Sunshine, loyal fans and pristine beaches have attracted baseball's best athletes to Pensacola--from stars like Babe Ruth and Ted Williams to the Blue Wahoos, modern-day affiliate for the Cincinnati Reds. The city is home to major-league teams during spring training, minor-league teams during the season and baseball fanatics year-round. Whether it's following big-league icons or cheering high school future stars, Pensacola's love affair with baseball runs deep. Team up with local author Scott Brown as he details the area's greatest moments in America's oldest pastime.

Spring Training with the Mets in Port St. Lucie

9781634990196

$24.95

Since 1988 the New York Mets have used Port St. Lucie (a.k.a. "St. Lucie") as their spring training home. Loyal fans from Flushing and beyond have made an annual trek to the bucolic backfields of St. Lucie to literally walk in the footsteps of their baseball heroes. The theme of loyalty and patience fill these pages, as we take a pictorial history of the Mets in St. Lucie. Though undergoing some change through the years, the fields of St. Lucie have remained mostly unchanged, while the Mets have migrated through a variety of managing styles, ranging from the brashness of Davey Johnson, Dallas Green, and Bobby Valentine, to the humble demeanors of Jeff Torborg and Art Howe, to the humor-filled reign of Jerry Manuel, who became adept at substituting jokes for wins during his years managing the Mets. Today Terry Collins is at the helm of the team and for only the second time since training at St. Lucie, the team enters 2016 spring training fresh off an appearance in the World Series! While the post September 11th 2001 era ushered in increased privacy for the players, the St. Lucie complex still ranks extremely high in "fan friendliness." In turning these pages, you not only revisit the Mets of yesteryear, but you also get a glimpse of the changing nature of the game, as well as the changing face of the nation.

Spring Training with the Mets in Port St. Lucie

Spring Training with the Washington Nationals

9781634990028

$24.95

Viera, Florida, has been the spring training home for the Washington Nationals since the team's inception in 2005 and author Jim Maggiore has made the sojourn to Florida every year to watch the team get ready for the regular season. From Nick Johnson and Frank Robinson to Jayson Werth and Matt Williams, this book captures the Nationals in action through the years, not only on the diamond of Space Coast Stadium, but also on the backfields of the Nationals' spring training site. The enthusiasm, optimism, and insouciance of spring are delivered in these pages, as well as suggestions for getting the most out of a visit to Viera. Nationals fan or not, you will greatly appreciate this work; through its spring training stories and more than 200 photographs, it captures the intimacy and charm of baseball's spring training season.

Spring Training with the Washington Nationals

Central Florida Thoroughbreds:

9781626190757

$21.99

Back in the 1940s, when Florida was the Wild West of the East, a few hearty souls dared to think they might compete with the finest, blue-blooded racehorses and their breeders with their own stock raised among palm trees, sand and alligators. Florida was the cracker cowboy state, and cowponies were expected. But the scoffers failed to realize what the wealth of limestone, the power of warm sunshine year round and the cold, crystalline freshwater springs that are the gems of central Florida would mean to the raising of healthy, competitive animals. When the first Thoroughbreds produced in Florida, admittedly small and scrappy, began to outrun their pedigrees," the nation of Thoroughbred breeders had to take notice. Join author Charlene R. Johnson as she details the fascinating equine history of central Florida."

Surfing in New Smyrna Beach

9780738566979

$24.99

New Smyrna Beach is a lovely slip of island off Central Florida's east coast, an inlet below the bustle of Daytona and worlds away. Legend tells us Ponce de Leon landed here before sailing to St. Augustine to found North America's oldest city. Bordered on the west by the Indian River and Mosquito Lagoon, the south by Cape Canaveral, the north by the notorious inlet of Crane's The Open Boat, and the east by the Atlantic, New Smyrna is paradise found. The town has fostered more world-class surfers than any other on earth. Here surfing is not a sport, hobby, or pastime. Surfing is a way of life with its own rules, language, culture, and customs. Open these pages to meet the pioneers and the professionals, the grommets, and maybe a kook or two.

Florida's First Big League Baseball Players

9781596291164

$21.99

In recent years, Florida's playgrounds have produced an abundance of exceptional professional baseball players: Alex Rodriguez, Gary Sheffield, Luis Gonzales and Tino Martinez, to name only a few. Before 1950, however, only twenty-six Florida boys made it to the pros got their shot in the big leagues.

Players like Tampa's Al Lopez, a Hall of Fame member and baseball's first Hispanic manager, and Pensacola native Russ Scarritt, who set the Boston Red Sox record for most triples in a season his rookie year, blazed a trail that has opened the door for many of today's baseball superstars. Florida's First Big League Baseball Players, by baseball historian and enthusiast Wes Singletary, is a narrative journey into the early days of baseball in Florida before 1950.

When this project was undertaken only eight of the original twenty-six players were still living. Written from hours of interviews and presented in a narrative form that is engaging and informative, this collection allows the reader to journey back to a time when the game was more innocent and the heart of the men playing, a little bigger.