Photography

Name: As Good As It Got
Brand: David Alan Heller
SKU: 9780738531991
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As Good As It Got

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Chicago Cubs

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Baseball in Kennesaw

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Bridgeport Baseball

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Mexican American Baseball in Los Angeles

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Baseball in Broome County

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Chicago Sluggers

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Baseball in Erie

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Mexican American Baseball in the Pomona Valley

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Baseball at the University of Michigan

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Mexican American Baseball in the Central Coast

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Baseball in Greenville and Spartanburg

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Baseball in Wichita

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New Mexico's Pueblo Baseball League

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Baseball in Oklahoma City

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Mexican American Baseball in the San Fernando Valley

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Mexican American Baseball in El Paso

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Baseball in Columbus

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Baseball in Ventura County

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Mexican American Baseball in the San Gabriel Valley

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Baseball in Little Rock

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New York Sluggers

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The KOM League Remembered

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Baseball in Asheville

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Baseball in Trenton

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Chicago Aces

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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.

Baseball in Kennesaw

9781467105651

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The town of Kennesaw was officially incorporated in 1887 and organized a baseball team shortly thereafter. In June 1908, the Atlanta Journal Constitution ran a headline, "Hail to the Amateurs--Here's a Good Georgia Bunch," featuring a photograph of the team with "Kennesaw" emblazoned across their jerseys. Kennesaw's former semiprofessional team, the Smokers; its little league parks; four high schools; and Kennesaw State University have contributed to a robust regional baseball culture. These respected and diverse baseball programs have produced many college-level, minor-league, and major-league players.

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.

Mexican American Baseball in Los Angeles

9780738581804

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Images of Baseball: Mexican American Baseball in Los Angeles celebrates the flourishing culture of the great pastime in East Los Angeles and other communities where a strong sense of Mexican identity and pride was fostered in a sporting atmosphere of both fierce athleticism and social celebration. From 1900, with the establishment of the Mexican immigrant community, to the rise of Fernandomania in the 1980s, baseball diamonds in greater Los Angeles were both proving grounds for youth as they entered their educations and careers, and the foundation for the talented Forty-Sixty Club, comprised of players of at least 40, and often over 60, years of age. These evocative photographs look back on the great Mexican American teams and players of the 20th century, including the famous Chorizeros--the proclaimed "Yankees of East L.A."

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.

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 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.

Mexican American Baseball in the Pomona Valley

9781467132282

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This volume pays homage to the wonderful teams and players from Azusa, La Verne, Claremont, Pomona, Chino, Cucamonga, Ontario, and Upland. A common thread of all these diverse communities was the establishment of baseball teams and, later, softball teams. Baseball played a critical role in advancing civil and political rights, labor reform, gender equality, educational integration, and cultural legitimacy. These remarkable photographs revive the often-overlooked history of Mexican American baseball in the Greater Pomona Valley.

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."

Mexican American Baseball in the Central Coast

9781467130875

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Mexican American Baseball in the Central Coast pays tribute to the teams and players who brought joy and honor to their fans and communities in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. Baseball was played before enthusiastic crowds in Piru, Santa Paula, Fillmore, Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo, Ojai, Carpinteria, Santa Barbara, Goleta, Santa Maria, Guadalupe, Lompoc, and other communities. Players and their families helped create the economic infrastructure and prosperity that are evident today in the Central Coast. For women, softball was a social counterbalance to the strict cultural roles defined by society. Many former players dedicated their lives to the unrelenting struggle for social justice, while others devoted themselves to youth sports. This book remedies the glaring omission of baseball images and stories of Mexican American neighborhoods in the Central Coast of California.

Baseball in Greenville and Spartanburg

9780738515946

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Baseball, an important institution in every American town, takes centerfield in the histories of Greenville and Spartanburg, South Carolina. These two cities have hosted some of the most well-known players of all time, from Tommy Lasorda and Chipper Jones to "Shoeless Joe" Jackson, the man who will forever link Greenville and Spartanburg with America's game. Baseball in Greenville and Spartanburg chronicles the diamond game as it has been played in the Carolina Upstate. More than a century of games from the Minor League, Textile League, and Big League clubs, along with high school and collegiate teams, are showcased. An older Joe Jackson still plays ball, a patriotic Joe Anders impresses crowds in the 1940s, and the Greenville Spinners, Greenville Braves, and the Spartanburg Phillies bring the crowds to their feet. The greats teach the game to tomorrow's stars, while tomorrow's stars perfect their talent, all with the Blue Ridge Foothills rising in the distance.

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.

New Mexico's Pueblo Baseball League

9781467132800

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Baseball began in the New Mexico pueblos before 1900. The game was learned by watching soldiers and settlers and by playing in the Indian schools throughout the country. The first competition was with Albuquerque teams, mining teams, other pueblo teams, and the state penitentiary. Today, the game has evolved into a family and tribal tradition. The games are played on barren fields with enthusiastic spectator support. The players' objective is to win that game, with little thought of individual achievement; they are playing for family and tribe.

Baseball in Oklahoma City

9780738531892

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Oklahoma City is completing its first century of minor league baseball. Since 1904, organized professional teams called the Mets, Indians, Senators, Boosters, 89ers, and now the RedHawks have thrilled fans of all ages. Several fan-favorites who have graced the diamond for Oklahoma City have gone on to stardom in "The Big Show," including major league all-stars Lonnie Smith and Juan Gonzales. Legendary names like Rogers Hornsby and Bill Veeck have also played a part in Oklahoma City's baseball history. As the second century of baseball in Oklahoma City begins, the Oklahoma RedHawks continue the tradition of playing superb baseball in the "The Little Show," with perhaps another future major league all-star or two honing his skills before a capacity crowd at the Brick.

Mexican American Baseball in the San Fernando Valley

9781467134521

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Mexican American Baseball in the San Fernando Valley explores the teams and players that dotted the valley landscape throughout the 20th century. In a time and place where Mexican Americans were closed off from many city recreation centers, neighborhoods formed their own teams. Baseball and softball reinforced community and regional ties, strengthened family bonds, instilled discipline and dedication that translated into future professional careers, provided women opportunities outside their traditional roles in the home, and fostered lifelong friendships. These photographs serve as a lens to both local sports history and Mexican American history.

Mexican American Baseball in El Paso

9781467126601

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Mexican American Baseball in El Paso chronicles the vibrant and colorful history of baseball in the El Paso–Juárez border region. For more than a century, baseball along the border has served as a means of bringing together people of all backgrounds, races, and nationalities, from the fly-by-night teams of the Pancho Villa era to the fabled semiprofessional clubs of the Lower Valley League. For the area's Mexican and Mexican American citizens, storied teams like the Juárez Indios, Fabens Merchants, 1949 Bowie Bears, and El Paso Diablos served as both community rallying points and signposts of cultural identity. From the legendary semiprofessional players of decades past to the most recent major leaguers, this book presents the photographic history of baseball in America's largest border community.

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.

Baseball in Ventura County

9780738547398

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Baseball on the West Coast dates back to 1847, when the New York Volunteer Regiment stationed in Santa Barbara batted around a cowhide-covered ball with a stick made from a mesquite branch. By 1873, Venturans were playing baseball at Seaside Park. The first local player to reach the major leagues was Charley Hall, who pitched for the Cincinnati Reds in 1906, followed by Fred Snodgrass, who brought along his New York Giants and the Chicago White Sox to Ventura County in 1913. The county has produced a major-league Most Valuable Player in Terry Pendleton, who won the honor in 1991 as the leader of the Atlanta Braves, and a No. 1 overall draft pick in Delmon Young, who was selected by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2003. The county has also served as the home for minor-league teams affiliated with the Yankees, Braves, and Blue Jays.

Mexican American Baseball in the San Gabriel Valley

9781467129701

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Mexican American Baseball in the San Gabriel Valley puts on record the resounding and brilliant history of baseball and softball in this vibrant and colorful region. Since the early 1900s, baseball and softball have brought boundless joy and immense honor to their fans, families, and neighborhoods. The rich memories of baseball and softball serve as critical prisms to better understand community history; the struggle for social, educational, and cultural equality; the untold contributions of women; the critical role of immigration and labor movements; economic autonomy; political self-determination; and an unmatched love for sports. These breathtaking images and extraordinary stories shed unparalleled light on baseball and softball in this celebrated area of California.

Baseball in Little Rock

9780738533001

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Professional baseball in Little Rock dates back to 1895. Fans in Arkansas' capital city have been entertained by Travelers' baseball for parts of three centuries. Using only one team name and playing on just two home fields, the Travelers have displayed stability unique in minor league baseball. The team is fan owned, another rarity in professional sports. Baseball in Little Rock follows the team's long diamond history, from the struggles of the Southern Association through the triumphs of the Texas League.

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.

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 Asheville

9780738516103

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Baseball has served as the pastime of preference in Asheville, North Carolina, for more than a century. Nearly anywhere a flat lot can be found in the rolling hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, baseball has been played by locals and visitors alike, with many of the city's greatest thrills created by the hometown Tourists, who have been mainstays in the professional ranks for most of the past 80 years. Oates Park, where author Thomas Wolfe toiled as a batboy prior to attending the University of North Carolina, served as the home of the Mountaineers, Tourists, and the semi-pro Asheville Royal Giants during the first three decades of the 20th century until McCormick Field was built in the mid-1920s. The ballpark, just south of downtown Asheville, welcomed the likes of Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth during exhibition contests, while future Hall of Famers Eddie Murray and Willie Stargell and current standouts Todd Helton and Juan Pierre honed their skills in the mountains on their way to the game's top level.

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.