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Name: Florida's First Big League Baseball Players
Brand: Wes Singletary
SKU: 9781596291164
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Florida's First Big League Baseball Players

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Bridgeport Baseball

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Newport Baseball History

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Baseball at Ball State

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Baseball in Chillicothe

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Hoosier Hitmen

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As Good As It Got

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Chicago Cubs

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Marietta College Baseball

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Chicago Sluggers

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Baseball at the University of Michigan

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Baseball in Wichita

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Baseball in the Mahoning Valley

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Baseball in Columbus

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Racine's Horlick Athletic Field:

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Akron-Canton Baseball Heritage

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Women's Baseball

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The KOM League Remembered

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Chicago Aces

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Baseball in Broome County

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Baseball in Erie

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Baseball in Indianapolis

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Baseball in Washington, D.C.

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New York Sluggers

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Baseball in Trenton

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Baseball in Fort Wayne

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Mexican American Baseball on the Westside of Los Angeles

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Florida's First Big League Baseball Players

9781596291164

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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.

Bridgeport Baseball

9780738512013

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Bridgeport, Connecticut, owns a rich and diverse baseball history. People from varied backgrounds stepped up to the plate in Bridgeport's early years-sons of Irish immigrants, laborers and merchants, Asian and Latino players, and some of the first African Americans to play professional ball. Local baseball truly blossomed with "Orator" Jim O'Rourke, who returned from the big leagues and organized the Connecticut State Baseball League in 1895. Numerous Bridgeport teams evolved, including the Victors, Mechanics, Bolts, Americans, and Bears. Bridgeport Baseball traces the game from the post-Civil War era to today. Baseball beneath the roaring smokestacks of industrial Bridgeport included visits by barnstorming Major League and Negro League teams, future Hall of Famers, and a train wreck that almost killed the St. Louis Cardinals. The smokestacks are silent now, yet the legacy of Bridgeport baseball continues to evolve with the city's first professional club in nearly half a century-the Bridgeport Bluefish. The team, owners, staff, fans, and stadium have all contributed to restoring the living history that is Bridgeport Baseball.

Newport Baseball History

9781626194526

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The City by the Sea boasts an ambitious baseball history dating back to the early days of America's favorite pastime. In 1897, the Newport Colts became the first professional baseball team to ever tie in a playoff series. By the 1900s, baseball was being played daily on open fields and diamonds throughout Newport. The city has sported six major ball fields, including Cardines Field, host to the oldest continuously running amateur baseball team in the country. Discover the humble beginnings of players like Newport native Frank Corridon, who allegedly invented the now outlawed spitball, and the legacy of the great Trojans baseball club. Team up with baseball historian Rick Harris and walk through the history of Newport baseball from amateur games to the major leagues and all the strikes, homers and grand slams in between.

Baseball at Ball State

9780738523019

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In 2002, Ball State pitcher Bryan Bullington became the No.1 selection, in the Major League Baseball draft, elevating the Cardinals' baseball, program into the national limelight. But Ball State baseball has drawn, national attention in the past, enjoying some outstanding teams, such, as Coach Ray Louthen's 1969 squad, which defeated both the Big Ten, and the Mid-American Conference champions on the same day at the, NCAA Regional, and Coach Rick Maloney's powerhouse teams that, won four division titles and three league crowns from 1998 to 2001., Through the more than eight decades of baseball at Ball State,, the Cardinals' diamond exploits have steadily lifted the BSU program, toward becoming one of the most respected in the Midwest. With over, 180 images, John Ginter chronicles how baseball at Ball State began in, 1919, when the institution's fledgling sports teams were known as the, Hoosieroons, through the 2002 season, by which time the Cardinals, were known as a rich source of professional baseball talent.,

Baseball in Chillicothe

9780738533568

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The Chillicothe Paints play baseball the way it was meant to be played--talented young men chasing their dreams to play pro ball before sell-out crowds in small town America. A charter member of the Frontier League, the team has thrilled local fans at historic V.A. Stadium for over a decade. It was from Chillicothe that the Frontier League sent its first alumnus, pitcher Brian Tollberg, in 2001, up to the big leagues. And major league legends from Reds Country--Johhny Bench, Pete Rose, Marty Brennaman--have become a regular part of promotional evenings at the V.A., attracting a packed house every time. All this local baseball excitement has deep roots in Chillicothe, dating back to the city's entry into the Ohio State Association in 1884.

Hoosier Hitmen

9780738531960

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For nearly 140 years, Indiana University baseball has thrived on the unexpected. For instance: Coach Bob Morgan missed his Gatorade bath, but not his 1,000th career victory. Mike Smith rocked college pitching to win the first Triple Crown in NCAA Division I history. An ill-fated shower cost the Hoosiers a 1949 run at NCAA tourney success. Bob Lawrence made more with his 1958 pro baseball signing bonus ($50,000) than 1950s superstar slugger Ted Kluszewski ever made in a season ($40,000). Mike Crotty came to the plate looking like a middle aged man-until blasting future major league star Matt Anderson's first pitch off the scoreboard for IU's most memorable post-season home run. Bob Lawrence could have begun his head-coaching career with any patsy in the country; instead, he chose top-ranked Miami of Florida.

As Good As It Got

9780738531991

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World War II threatened to ruin Major League Baseball. By 1945, over 500 major leaguers and 3,000 minor league prospects had been enlisted for the war effort, leaving a dearth of talent for the Big Leagues. The St. Louis Browns, like other AL and NL clubs, would be forced to fill holes in their roster with scrubs-4-F players (those dismissed from the military due to physical ailments), retired major leaguers, and youngsters not yet ready to leave the minors. But there were still some top level players to be had, and 1944 Browns manager Luke Sewell assembled the franchise's most successful team ever, taking the St. Louis ball club to its first and only Fall Classic.

Chicago Cubs

9780738539812

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The Chicago Cubs of the mid-1920s through 1940 were one of the most talented and exciting ball clubs the city ever produced. The Northsiders enjoyed 14 consecutive winning seasons and claimed the National League pennant four times (1929, 1932, 1935, and 1938), but fell to a dominant American League club in each World Series appearance. Four legendary baseball names led these Cub teams during this amazing stretch. Three eventually landed in Cooperstown (McCarthy, Hornsby, Hartnett), and many believe the fourth (Grimm) should have joined them. This was also the era when Cubs Park was transformed into Wrigley Field, under the guidance of Bill Veeck Jr., with its trademark bricks and ivy, hand-operated scoreboard, and outfield bleachers.

Marietta College Baseball

9781609494643

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Nestled at the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio Rivers in the first permanent settlement in the Northwest Territory resides one of the most dominant college baseball dynasties in the nation. The Marietta College Pioneers--known as the 'Etta Express for the way they've barreled over opponents for half a century--own a record five NCAA Division III National Championships, including 2011. Finally, the best-kept secret in college sports springs to life as author Gary Caruso digs into the personalities behind this incredible success story to reveal the compelling human drama that's made Marietta College baseball a treasure all readers are sure to enjoy.

Chicago Sluggers

9780738533940

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The Chicago White Stockings--later renamed the Cubs--won the inaugural National League Pennant in 1876 with a barrage of offensive numbers. Ross Barnes led the league at a .421 clip, and three other Chicago batters finished among the league's top five hitters. Even pitcher Al Spalding hit an impressive .312. Thus began the "northsiders" tradition of producing some of the major leagues' greatest sluggers--including "Cap" Anson, "Gabby" Hartnett, and "Hack" Wilson.

The Chicago White Sox--still named the White Sox--won the inaugural American League Pennant in 1901, led by Fielder Jones' .311 average for a team built more around pitching than hitting--a team that won its first World Series title in 1906 with the nickname "The Hitless Wonders." But the "southsiders" also put up some lofty offensive numbers with the likes of Shoeless Joe Jackson and Eddie Collins.

Baseball at the University of Michigan

9780738532219

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Baseball at the University of Michigan has had a long and rich tradition. Base ball, to use the contemporary vernacular, began as a club sport during the 1860s. By the dawn of the 20th century, the sport had evolved into the most popular spring leisure event in which students participated. Crowds of greater than 500 were not unusual, at a time when enrollment at the university was approximately 2500 students. Each class and college fielded a team. Prominent names in UM baseball history include the legendary Walker brothers, the first African Americans to play major league baseball, and Branch Rickey, who developed the powerful Dodger teams of the 1940s and integrated baseball with the signing of Jackie Robinson. George Sisler, among the greatest in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, began his career as a Michigan pitcher. And of course there was Ray Fisher, who coached Michigan for 38 years. The end of the century was marked by scandal, but it also brought major league stars such as Hal Morris, Jim Abbot and Barry Larkin, as well as David Parrish and Jake Fox, potential stars of the future.

In the shadow of UM football and basketball, baseball is sometimes considered the "other" sport. But in terms of excitement and accessibility to the students, it is still "Number One."

Baseball in Wichita

9780738533162

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The art of baseball is evident at Wichita State University's Eck Stadium. The bronze sculpture, "Put Me in Coach," overlooks the stadium entry. Behind it a 70-foot mural, the longest of its kind at any university ballpark, depicts WSU's storied baseball history. The art of baseball has also been evident on Wichita's playing fields for well over a century. During and after the Civil War, baseball quickly spread across the nation. When Wichita was incorporated in 1870, the town and the game were ready for each other, and Wichita had its first professional nine the following decade. Baseball in Wichita tells the story of local baseball at all levels-amateur, collegiate and pro-in words and images dating from the 19th century to the present day.

Baseball in the Mahoning Valley

9781467151986

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Around the horn in the Mahoning Valley The history of baseball in Ohio's Mahoning Valley has been, to say the least, eventful. Murder, the Civil War, the hot dog, a presidential assassination and one of the deadliest known volcanic eruptions all shaped America's pastime in the Valley. African American baseball pioneer and Hall of Fame inductee Bud Fowler began his professional baseball career in the area, and the first ceremonial celebrity first pitch came from the arm of a prominent local. The area also contributed to Cleveland professional ballclubs like the enigmatic 1883 Blues and the 2016 Believeland Indians, which included numerous players from the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, a minor-league team with its own rich heritage. Digging up little-known facts about Fowler and sundry other colorful stories, local author and creator of Eastwood Field's Days Gone By exhibit PM Kovach celebrates the proud history of baseball in northeast Ohio.

Baseball in Columbus

9780738523026

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In the spring of 1865, the first spring after the end of the Civil War, three baseball clubs were founded in downtown Columbus. This local enthusiasm for the game reflected the national trend during the post-war era, when baseball, or "base ball" as it was called, was spreading rapidly throughout the United States. Baseball in Columbus begins with these earliest baseball pioneers and tells the story of the national pastime in the capital city right up to the present-day Columbus Clippers of the International League. Columbus first made the "big leagues" in 1883 with the Columbus Buckeyes of the American Association, and local fans have embraced the city's teams and players ever since. Several of baseball's greats once wore a Columbus uniform during their minor league careers, including Enos Slaughter, Joe Garagiola, Harvey Haddix, Willie Stargell, Derek Jeter, and Bernie Williams.

Racine's Horlick Athletic Field:

9781626194441

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Launched in 1919 by William Horlick, the inventor of malted milk, Horlick Athletic Field has hosted two NFL teams, the Racine Belles professional women's baseball team (immortalized in A League of Their Own)" and thousands of semiprofessional- and industrial-league games. But it is the drum and bugle corps shows that have made the stadium one of the most iconic landmarks in its corner of the state. From an archive of fond recollection and painstaking record, Alan Karls has pieced together a history of Horlick Athletic Field that justifies the reverence that drum and bugle corps have felt for the place for almost a century."

Akron-Canton Baseball Heritage

9780738551135

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Baseball has a strong presence in the Akron-Canton area dating back to its formative years in the late 1880s with such teams as the Akron Acorns (1887), the Akron Akrons (1890), and the Canton Nadjys (1889). In the 1920s, manufacturing companies such as Goodyear and Firestone fielded baseball teams that battled for local bragging rights and opportunities for players to make the big leagues. Along with these industrial leagues, professional baseball found its way to the Akron-Canton area with minor-league teams including the Akron Yankees (1935-1941), the Canton-Akron Indians (1989-1996), and the Akron Aeros (1997-). In addition to teams affiliated with major-league ball clubs, this area gave birth to independent teams such as the Canton Crocodiles (1997-2001), the Canton Coyotes (2002), and others. Besides professional baseball gracing local fields, nearby universities have storied baseball programs of their own. These schools have turned out such major-league greats as Eugene Michael, Thurman Munson, and 1980 Cy Young winner Steve Stone. Akron-Canton Baseball Heritage offers a unique look into the history of baseball in the region with historic and present-day photographs.

Women's Baseball

9780738533803

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In 1866, just one year after the end of the Civil War, the first documented female baseball players took to the field at Vassar College.

Those early pioneers paved the way for women who would play baseball as both amateurs and professionals up to the present day. Some were headlining stars on barnstorming teams, while others organized and operated their own teams, and from the 1890s through the 1930s they were known as Bloomer Girls, due to the baggy pants created by Amelia Bloomer. In 1988, the American Women's Baseball Association began play in the Chicago area. With play starting in 1990, the Washington (DC) Metropolitan Women's Baseball League is now the oldest operating women's amateur baseball league in the country. In 2001, a true baseball World Series was held in Toronto, Canada, with women's baseball teams from the United States, Canada, Japan, and Australia. That event will celebrate its fifth season in 2005.

The KOM League Remembered

9780738533407

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The late 1940s and early 1950s was the Golden Age for minor league baseball. The National Pastime thrived in small town America with hundreds of professional teams in over 50 leagues playing at every level. The lowest rung of professional baseball--Class D, the "bush leagues"--was an exciting mix of returning soldiers and recent high school grads, all with dreams of climbing up the ladder to make it to the "big show." For seven seasons (1946-1952) the Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League offered some of the most memorable bush league baseball of the era. Of the 1,588 young men who donned a KOM League uniform, in places like Independence, Kansas and Ponca City, Oklahoma, 30 made it to the majors and one made it to the Hall of Fame.

Baseball in Broome County

9780738534848

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Throughout the years, scores of players have polished their skills in Broome County with the Crickets, the Bingos, the Triplets, and today's Binghamton Mets. Professional baseball began in the area in 1871, and the highlights came quickly. The early stars included an eighteen-year-old future Hall of Famer, Montgomery Ward; the first known black player in professional baseball, Bud Fowler; and Hall of Famer "Wee Willie" Keeler.

By 1923, the Triplets were playing in Johnson City. They soon became affiliated with the Yankees and sent that franchise some of their best players, including Whitey Ford, Vic Raschi, and Thurman Munson. From 1969 to 1991, professional baseball disappeared from Broome County, but it was back with a bang in 1992, featuring a new stadium and a firm relationship with the New York Mets. Baseball in Broome County recounts this great story with more than one hundred eighty photographs and engaging text.

Baseball in Erie

9780738536910

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Erie has had a love affair with professional baseball since the 1880s, though it has been an on-again off-again relationship. Whatever they were called--the Olympics, Blackbirds, Sailors, or SeaWolves--the Flagship City's teams have thrilled fans and won championships. However, many of those local nines faded away, leaving behind memories and empty ballparks. Baseball in Erie is a tribute to the men who brought baseball to this region of Pennsylvania: ambidextrous pitcher Tony Mullane; infielder Louis Bierbauer, the "original" Pittsburgh Pirate; Sam "the Jet" Jethroe; "Turkey" Mike Donlin; Todd Zeile, the record-setting nomadic major-leaguer; and Jose Guillen, the first SeaWolves hero. Through photographs and memorabilia, Baseball in Erie reaches out to fans of the national pastime, especially those who were jammed into the rafters of Ainsworth Field and now bask in the beauty of Jerry Uht Park.

Baseball in Indianapolis

9780738523101

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Victory Field, built in 1996 as home to the Indianapolis Indians, is considered by many today as the best minor league ballpark in the nation. But baseball has deeper roots in the Circle City, as fans of the Tribe will discover in the pages of Baseball in Indianapolis, which tells the story of the American pastime in the state capitol from the post-Civil War era up to the present day. Legends like Rube Marquard, Oscar Charleston and Roger Maris are all a part of Indianapolis' baseball heritage. So too are present-day stars like Randy Johnson, Larry Walker and Aaron Boone. Even Hank Aaron had a stint with the barnstorming Indianapolis Clowns in 1952, en route to his record-breaking career.

Baseball in Washington, D.C.

9780738514208

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Dubbed ""America's Game"" by Walt Whitman, baseball has been enjoyed in our nation's capital by young boys playing street stickball and Presidents throwing each season's inaugural pitch.

Just 13 years after Alexander Cartwright codified baseball's rules, the Washington Nationals Baseball Club formed and in 1867 toured the country spreading the ""baseball gospel."" By 1901 the team became one of the first eight major league teams in the newly formed American League. Players such as Walter Johnson, probably the greatest pitcher of all time, and other Senators under the stewardship of owner Clark Griffith successfully led the club in 1924 to what many consider to be the most exciting World Series in baseball history.

Later, the Homestead Grays played at Griffith Stadium and fielded a team featuring legendary Negro League greats such as Josh Gibson and Buck Leonard. The powerhouse Grays, during a ten-year span, won nine Negro League World Championships, a record that may never be equaled in any team sport again.

When the Grays disbanded, the original Senators left for Minnesota in 1960, and the expansion Senators of the 1960s relocated, the city was left without a professional baseball team. While many feared that baseball in D.C. was over, a spirit remained on the diamond and is still felt today as children and adults team up in one way or another to play the national pastime in the nation's capital. Hopes for a new professional team linger, and those remembering baseball's heyday will enjoy this extensive and unusual collection of historic photos that celebrate a time when the crowds roared and Washingtonians believed that the summer game would never end.

New York Sluggers

9780738537856

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New York City was the original hotbed of baseball, so it is not surprising that fans in the five boroughs are very knowledgeable about the game. It did not take long after baseball was established in the city in the late 1850s for heavy hitters to rise in popularity. New York has continued to set the standard. When thinking about hitting, or better yet, smashing or crushing a baseball, the first team to come to mind is always the New York Yankees. Slugging was actually invented by the Yanks and was most prominently demonstrated by Babe Ruth. When Lou Gehrig joined the team in 1923, a one-two punch was established that set a standard seldom equaled in major-league history. Meanwhile, across the East River, the Giants manufactured lots of hitting, and the New York Nationals rattled the walls in the Polo Grounds. This book is a pictorial story of the sluggers that made history in New York, in both the American and National Leagues.

Baseball in Trenton

9780738513102

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Professional baseball in Trenton, New Jersey, stumbled through the twentieth century with sporadic success. The state capital seemed lost amid the professional sports world in New York and Philadelphia. Years later, minor-league baseball returned to the city and to a fan base exceeding most in Double-A baseball.

Baseball in Trenton follows the spurts of success that saw the Senators, Dodgers, Phillies, and Giants place farm teams in the city, producing Hall of Famer Willie Mays and base stealer George Case. In 1993, a group of New Jersey entrepreneurs decided to bring minor-league baseball back to Trenton. The ambitious result was the Trenton Thunder, who became the most successful and consistent minor-league baseball team in the country. Baseball in Trenton is the first history of this incredible rise to glory.

Baseball in Fort Wayne

9780738541297

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The Fort Wayne Wizards' 1993 arrival marked the beginning of professional baseball in northeast Indiana for many. However, the city boasts a rich baseball heritage that traces its roots to the very origins of the game. In fact, baseball and its record books begin with Fort Wayne. Over more than 135 years, dozens of teams have called Fort Wayne their homefield, making players into local legends and stars who excelled in the spotlight of baseball's biggest stage. Baseball in Fort Wayne recounts the sport's presence in the city, from the earliest days of 1871's Kekiongas to today's Wizards, as well as those who took the field in between.

Mexican American Baseball on the Westside of Los Angeles

9781467103312

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Mexican American Baseball on the Westside of Los Angeles pays homage to the teams, players, coaches, and umpires in Santa Monica, Culver City, Venice, West Los Angeles, and other surrounding communities who brought immeasurable respect and nonstop enjoyment to their loving families, unwavering fans, and pride-filled neighborhoods. From the 1920s to the present, baseball and softball have provided far-reaching educational opportunities, reaffirmed ethnic identity, restructured gender roles for women, promoted political self-determination, and developed economic autonomy. Games were exceptional times when Mexican Americans found safe haven from exhausting labor and blatant discrimination. These unparalleled photographs and significant stories spread extra light on the bountiful history of this distinctive region of Los Angeles.