Sports & Recreation

The history of the Philadelphia Eagles spans multiple championships, many more near misses, and a cast of characters both on and off the field.

The passion of the game has flowed through the veins of generations of Philadelphians, and this book details the history of the Eagles from a unique fan perspective. Compiled from more than two dozen sources, The Philadelphia Eagles features rarely seen archival and personal photographs, including ones from Pete Pihos, Vince Papale, Upton Bell, Ed Mahan, and fans across the Delaware Valley.

Brian Michael is a college professor whose love for sports history led him to open Shibe Vintage Sports in Center City Philadelphia. Andrew Palagruto was born and raised in South Philadelphia near the sports complex and is Philly fandom personified. Andrew Weicker operates several digital properties related to Philadelphia sports from his fan cave in Northeast Philadelphia.

Between 1920 and 1964, the Bronx Bombers dominated the game of baseball. In this striking and nostalgic volume featuring many rarely seen photographs, we meet the heroes that were the New York Yankees.

It was a time when baseball players enjoyed an elevated status as national icons, a time when men wearing baggy, flannel uniforms and sporting pancake gloves played for little more than the love of the game. The Yankees won 29 American League pennants and 20 World Series during this golden era, their diamond exploits thrilling generations of fans and their statistical achievements becoming familiar numbers in the lore of the game: Babe Ruth's 714 home runs; Lou Gehrig's 2,130 consecutive games played; Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak; Casey Stengel's 5 straight world championships; Mickey Mantle's 565-foot home run; and Roger Maris's 61 round-trippers. The tradition of excellence began in the 1920s with the Murderers' Row teams, named for their killer batting lineups, and continued through the early 1960s, by which time the Bronx Bombers had established themselves as the most successful franchise in sports history.

The Philadelphia Phillies, one of the oldest teams in Major League Baseball, have maintained a strong, loyal fan base for over 125 years.

Despite historic set backs, the franchise has proven resilient and evolved into a perennial contender with consistently large attendance figures. In fact, the Phillies claim 37 Hall of Famers, two World Series championships, seven National League pennants, and nine division titles. The Philadelphia Phillies chronicles the greatness of Grover Cleveland Alexander, the remarkable career of Richie Ashburn, the perfection of Jim Bunning, and the teams of success and luster as well as those shining stars of the less successful eras.

It may not be the Kentucky Derby, but Saratoga Springs went to the horses long before Churchill Downs.

Since the inaugural meeting of August 1863, Saratoga Springs is home to one of the oldest sports venues in the country and has been the scene of memorable races, often featuring legends of the sport. Although some of the epic moments are still familiar today, such as Upset's defeat of Man o' War in the 1919 Sanford Memorial, many of the triumphs and defeats that were once famous have been forgotten. Few remember the filly Los Angeles, who thrived at Saratoga, winning sixteen stakes races, or the influential, sometimes suspicious, reasons why the track was closed three times for a total of six years. Authors Allan Carter and Mike Kane take a look back at these and other important but neglected stories and present statistics from the pre-NYRA years and a rundown of the greatest fields assembled at America's oldest track.

The Epicenter of Steel City Sports

From Forbes Field to Pitt Stadium, Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood has been home to some of the most iconic moments in sports history. Including the Fitzgerald Field House and the Duquesne Gardens, Oakland has drawn in both professional and college sports fans alike.

Local authors and sports historians David Finoli, Tom Rooney, Robert Healy III, Douglas Cavanaugh and Chris Fletcher celebrate the glorious victories and heartbreaking losses throughout the history of Pittsburgh's Oakland section, the epicenter of Steel City Sports.

Take a historical walking tour and see how the Federal City grew from farmland to world capital.

When it was passed in 1789, the Constitution set out the boundaries not only for a new government but for a new capital city as well. At the time, the new District of Columbia covered 5,000 acres and was dominated by marshland on the south, pastureland on the area that is now the Mall, farms near the White House and Capitol Hill, and undeveloped woods throughout. This engaging photographic history has striking images and detailed captions that tell the fascinating stories behind many of the famous and not-so-famous buildings and monuments that cover the D.C. landscape - from Union Station and the Capitol to the White House and the Watergate Hotel and many important sites in between!

No ballpark in Philadelphia was more revered than the one at Twenty-first Streetand Lehigh Avenue. A must-have for fans of Philadelphia and baseball history!

Originally called Shibe Parkand later Connie Mack Stadium, America’s first steel-and concrete stadium opened in 1909. When it closed in 1970, it had earned a special place in the hearts and minds of Philadelphia sports fans. Home of the Athleticsfor 46 years, the Philliesfor 32 and a half seasons, and the Eaglesfor 18 years, it was also the site of many boxing matches, Negro Leaguebaseball games, and college and high school baseball and football games. Over the years, as the area developed, Shibe Parkbecame known for its obstructed views, delicious hot dogs, Sunday curfews, absence of beer, and boobirds. Along with memorable teams and games, the ballpark played host to eight World Seriesand two All-Star Games.

Join Rich Westcott, baseball writer, historian, author and president of the Philadelphia Sports Writers’ Association, as he gathers archival photos capturing this legendary stadium’s exciting history.

Carroll's Island is one of many places along the Chesapeake Bay where vibrant stories of dogs, decoys, guns and waterfowl resonate up from the shoreline.

The stories from Carroll's Island Ducking Club, which was founded in the mid-nineteenth century, offer special insights about the Chesapeake Bay's waterfowling heritage. In this warm, informative book, C. John Sullivan Jr., one of the nation's

The Brooklyn Dodgers: The story of a baseball franchise that became family with its city.

If there was ever a place in America where a city and its baseball franchise were as close as family, it was Brooklyn. The legacy of this relationship chronicles childhoods spent at Ebbets Field to the stories of Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey, whose courage helped change the face of America. Baseball in Brooklyn goes back to the beginning of the sport, when a young city embraced a new game and, like missionaries, carried it to the nation. Brooklyn Dodgers carries us from the birth of baseball in the streets of Brooklyn through the decades in Flatbush when Ebbets Field was the center of the Brooklyn community during a time when the players lived in the neighborhoods not far from the ballpark, side-by-side with their followers. In additon to Robinson, Duke Snider, Pee Wee Reese, Gil Hodges, and Johnny Podres all make appearances in this exciting selection of photographs - a large part of which is dedicated to those teams of the 1950s and their irrepressible fans. Author Mark Rucker tells the story from that birth and concludes with the heart-wrenching move of the franchise to the West Coast after the 1957 season.

In 1911, the operators of Coney Island's Luna Park premiered a miniature, radically banked racetrack for staged automobile races that seemed to defy gravity.

For a fee, patrons would watch from the perimeter of the 85-foot wooden saucer as daredevil drivers raced on the steep angle of the tiny track. The attraction created a sensation and was quickly copied with a show that featured motorcycle riders performing breathtaking stunts. When portable versions were made available, every traveling carnival owner in the United States rushed to have one. Motordromes with perfectly vertical walls soon followed, which permitted riders on their Indian motorcycles to climb, sometimes to a height of 20 feet, with nothing but centrifugal force between them and a trip to the trauma ward. And when full-grown lions were added to pursue riders in the arena, no one could resist buying a ticket! The Wall of Death, a name these shows received in 1917, remained a staple attraction on American carnival midways until the 1970s.

Baseball’s Mr. Sunshine/

A beloved son of Western Pennsylvania, Chuck Tanner spent a career in baseball both as a player and manager. He lead the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1977 to 1985 and helped capture the 1979 World Series. Tanner was key in developing the relief pitcher through his work with Goose Gossage and he played a role in the careers of numerous players such as Willie Stargell, Dave Parker and more.  Through extensive research and interviews, author Dale Perelman presents the life and career of Chuck Tanner.

Baseball in Baltimore documents the rich and interesting history of this sport's beginnings.

Few cities can boast as rich a baseball history as Baltimore. With longtime entries in the majors, minors, and Negro Leagues, the city's core of faithful fans have seldom lacked a team to root for. They revel in the feats of their stars (Keeler, Ruth, Palmer, Ripken) and just as ardently support the endless line of everyday players who often determine the teams' fates. Minor leaguers such as Merwin Jacobson, Howie Moss, and Jack Ogden had little impact in the major leagues but will be remembered forever for what they did for Baltimore.

Pittsburgh has long been in the forefront of developing sports facilities, from Forbes Field, one of the first “modern” concrete and steel ballparks, and PNC Park, the best of the new millennium’s retro design movement, to Schenley Casino and Duquesne Garden, the first artificial indoor ice rinks, and the engineering marvel of the Civic Arena’s movable dome. Pittsburgh’s Historic Stadiums and Arenas chronicles Pittsburgh’s professional baseball, football, hockey, and basketball venues. Photographs cover the design and construction phases, the major changes as facilities expanded and aged, and eventually the demolition of some venues. The great players, teams, and moments are not the focus; there are many other books to tell their stories. Instead, the stadiums and arenas take center stage in this unique history of Pittsburgh sports and architecture.

Sports in the Steel City has never reached the highs and lows that fans in Pittsburgh experienced in the 1970s. Most remembered may be the multiple championships celebrated in city during the era, including two World Series titles, four Super Bowl victories and a NCAA football championship. Despite those successes, fans still recall major tragedies such as the deaths of Bob Moose, Roberto Clemente and others. Local authors present essays on the triumphs, tragedies and championships that defined the 1970s for the city of Pittsburgh and Steel City sports. 

In 1909, Pittsburgh Pirates president Barney Dreyfuss began construction on a new facility for his team in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh.

Dreyfuss decided to call his palace - the first concrete and steel facility built in the National League - Forbes Field, after the British general John Forbes, a hero in the French and Indian War. Opened on June 20, 1909, Forbes Field was a hit from the onset; the venue hosted large crowds that came to watch the Pirates win in their first World Series against the Detroit Tigers that year. As the years went on, Forbes Field became synonymous with the greatest sports memories in the city's history. Patrons saw the trials and tribulations of the Steelers as well as some of the greatest collegiate football teams in the history of the game. The University of Pittsburgh won three collegiate football national championships, and Duquesne University and Carnegie Tech also fielded many winning teams while calling Forbes Field home. Alongside football, boxing was a constant event at the famed facility, hosting some of the most memorable pugilists this city has ever produced. Above all else, it was a baseball mecca. While the field is no longer in use, the wall remains intact, reminding Pittsburghers of the field's rich history.

Deep in the woods of central Pennsylvania, off a winding two-lane road, sits an oasis—Knoebels Amusement Resort. With over 60 rides of all types, along with two campgrounds and a golf course, Knoebels advertises itself as America’s largest free-admission amusement park. 

It has come a long way since 1926, when Hartman Henry Knoebel first opened a swimming pool, restaurant, and carousel at his farm outside Elysburg. It was one of dozens of small picnic parks located in the region at the time. But unlike its onetime peers, Knoebels managed to thrive and grow under the careful stewardship of five generations of the Knoebel family, adding transformative attractions such as the Grand Carousel in 1942, Haunted Mansion in 1973, Phoenix in 1985, Twister in 1999, and Flying Turns in 2013. Today, Knoebels Amusement Resort is a beloved institution drawing countless visitors annually.

Jim Futrell, historian for the National Amusement Park Historical Association and International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, has passionately studied the amusement park industry for over 50 years and in that time has authored dozens of articles and 10 books on the industry.

In the early 1800s, Saratoga Springs was mostly a tourist destination because of its natural mineral waters and their healing powers.

But that changed in 1863 with the opening of the Saratoga Race Course. From then on, summers in the Spa City came alive with the excitement of the sport of kings. Since the victory of the great horse Kentucky in the introductory Travers Stakes, the racecourse has showcased the sport's greatest champions. Otherwise seemingly uncatchable thoroughbreds--including Man o' War and Secretariat--faced unexpected defeat on its turf, earning Saratoga the nickname the Graveyard of Champions. Author Kimberly Gatto chronicles the story of the oldest thoroughbred racetrack in the country, with tales of the famous people and horses that contributed to its illustrious history.

Baseball fans will be captivated with these stories and images of the sport in Delmarva, Maryland between 1922 and 1949.

Between 1922 and 1949, the citizens of Delmarva enjoyed watching baseball the way it was meant to be played. Loyal Eastern Shore baseball enthusiasts were blessed to witness three eras of professional class ""D"" baseball, supporting their favorite teams, including the Parksley Spuds, Salisbury Indians, and Dover Orioles. The local faithful cheered on homegrown legends such as Frank ""Home Run"" Baker and Jimmie Foxx, both destined for enshrinement in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

Wonderful photos of teams and players, going back to the first in 1947, a pictorial history of this iconic American sporting event!

Little League Baseball is a microcosm of American history, filled with countless anecdotes, good fortune, adversity, and hope. In 1947, when the first Little League Baseball World Series was played, there were seventeen leagues in two states. Since then, Little League has achieved global recognition and has touched the lives of children and families in more than one hundred countries. The World Series is the culmination of dedication and teamwork in more than sixteen thousand games ending in a sixteen-team tournament in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The Little League Baseball World Series remembers the history of the tournament and its role in bringing together communities. More than two thousand five hundred spectators witnessed the first championship game in 1947, when the Maynard Midgets took home the trophy, and the results were printed in newspapers around the country. Now, millions more tune in to ABC's Wide World of Sports and ESPN for live coverage of the final game. Little League Baseball has enriched the lives of more than thirty million boys and girls who have worn a Little League uniform. Well-known figures such as Derek Jeter, Kevin Costner, and Pres. George W. Bush were all Little League players. The Little League Baseball World Series celebrates this rich baseball history and the best teams the league has produced through the years.

Champion Race Horses of the Empire State

From Saratoga to Belmont Park, New York hosts some of horse racing's most important races, but many of the most successful thoroughbreds of the past five decades also have called the state home. Say Florida Say seemed to only improve with age, winning thirty-three times throughout a seven-year career that made him a regional favorite in the 1990s. The first ever New York horse to win the Kentucky derby, Funny Cide, rose to national prominence in 2003, winning both the Derby and the Preakness in incredible fashion. The thoroughbred Audible shared owners with triple-crown winner Justify, and though embroiled in some controversy as a result, was also an elite race horse during a brief career.

Author Allan Carter highlights the stories behind the greatest New York thoroughbreds of the past half-century.

The New York Rangers: Reliving the excitement, drama and triumphs from one of the world's most historic hockey franchises.

For more than three-quarters of a century, the New York Rangers have been delighting hockey fans-New Yorkers and suburbanites alike-with a classy brand of entertainment that has no equal. Commonly referred to as The Blueshirts, the team's history includes four Stanley Cups, magic moments and scores of individual stars, including arguably the best to ever do it, Wayne Gretzky. All of the excitement and drama of these triumphs is captured in The New York Rangers. Author John Halligan, who also serves as a historian and photo archivist for the team and National Hockey League, salutes not only the Rangers' tradition of excellence but also the masterful talents of the photojournalists who have chronicled the team since its birth in 1926.

Amid a series of three destructive floods that pounded little Johnstown, Pennsylvania, in less than a century, Cambria County residents somehow maintained their lofty expectations and big-picture foresight to begin what would become the oldest Christmas high school basketball tournament in the nation, as they would boast. Learn the amazing history behind an historic hardwood tournament.

Join author and hunter C.L. Marshall as he recounts more than forty years of stories and anecdotes chock-full of dogs, good friends and fast-paced waterfowl action.

It takes stubborn dedication and passionate optimism to brave the frosty, wet conditions for the chance to shoot ducks and geese. And yet the tradition continues every year as more than one million waterfowl occupy the waters of the Chesapeake. Whether you are setting decoys or watching the sun rise from a blind, hunting the bay is as challenging as it is rewarding. No one understands that better than the generations who have experienced it, from the goose pits of Rock Hall and Chestertown to the frothing whitewater of the Tangier Sound.

From the Niagaras to the Buffalo Bisons, baseball has been an important part of life  in Buffalo, New York. Read of the Queen City's rich baseball heritage.

Since the time of the Civil War, baseball has played an important role in Buffalo, New York. Though most of the area's baseball pioneers, including Ollie Carnegie and Luke Easter, are gone, they live on in the memories of fans, and some of their names have even graced the facades of facilities, like Offermann Stadium. In this book, Paul Langendorfer and the Buffalo History Museum have included each inning of the Queen City's rich baseball heritage, from the 19th-century Niagaras and the 1913–1915 Federal League to the Buffalo Bisons.

Author and sports historian David Finoli's inside look at the 50 greatest male and female athletes in Pittsburgh history.

Greatness in sport is both undefinable and immediately recognizable. Though it is rare, Western Pennsylvania has been graced with a long history of athletes who embody the essence of greatness. They have proudly represented the region in sports such as boxing, golf and track; carried their collegiate teams to victory; and worn the black and gold of the Steelers, Pirates and Penguins. Pittsburghers still recall how Mario Lemieux glided effortlessly through an opposing defense before befuddling the goalie or Arnold Palmer’s unique swing that made the everyday duffer feel like he was one of them. Fans debate whether Terry Bradshaw or Ben Roethlisberger is the better quarterback and what the legacy of Barry Bonds is, while keeping Roberto Clemente among their most cherished icons. Take a deep dive into all of that and more and re-discover the best of the best in Pittsburgh sports history.

The Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame (PABHOF) was established in 1958 to honor the elite performers of the state’s boxing history. The first five-person class of inductees included ring legends Billy Conn, Harry Greb, Tommy Loughran, Philadelphia Jack O’Brien, and Lew Tendler. The PABHOF continued to induct outstanding participants of the sport who either hailed from the state or had an impact on the Pennsylvania boxing story. By 2023, the list of honorees numbered 438 and included champions, contenders, club fighters, trainers, managers, promoters, cutmen, and other key members of the boxing community.

John DiSanto is a boxing historian and writer. He coauthored the books Boxing in Atlantic City and Grace and Grit: Boxing at Shuler’s Gym. DiSanto, the founder and editor of PhillyBoxingHistory.com, is a New Jersey Boxing Hall of Famer and is the chairman of the PABHOF. For this work, he has compiled photographs and profiles of many noteworthy PABHOF members as well as a complete listing of every person inducted from 1958 to 2023. 

Seton Hall Basketball: The story of how a sport grew in popularity and led to major success for this New Jersey institution.

Seton Hall Pirates: A Basketball History explores the emerging popularity of hoop action within the context of school history and development of the game at large. The hard-court history found at Seton Hall University as the program nears its 100th year of competition is a story highlighted by a host of top-notch players, brilliant coaches and memorable victories. Seton Hall Pirates: A Basketball History reflects on a sport that celebrates athletic prowess, school spirit, and spectator appreciation as it relates to the dramatic and colorful drama that is Pirate basketball.

Basketball began at Seton Hall in 1903, and success with the round ball soon followed for the white and blue. From Alumni Hall to the Meadowlands Arena, the tradition is alive in the memory of winning seasons under Frank Hill along with immortal squads including the "Wonder Five" of John "Honey" Russell in 1941, the National Invitation Tournament champions of 1953 and the 1989 Final Four contingent led by P.J. Carlesimo, which came within one game of winning a national title. The talents of such legendary figures as Bob Davies, Walter Dukes, Richie Regan, Nick Werkman, Terry Dehere, and several other performers and personalities who represented "Old Setonia" through the ages are also captured within this volume.

Author Jeff Mauro will keep you on the edge of your seat with stories and photographs of some of the biggest coaches, players, and teams in Pennsylvania high school hockey championship history.

Relive the Ups and Downs of the Storied Saga of the Nomadic Nets

The Nets have led a wandering existence spanning over five decades. The team has been known as the New Jersey Americans, New York Nets, New Jersey Nets and now Brooklyn Nets, while constantly relocating throughout the New York metropolitan area. Though often plagued by instability and futility, the franchise has celebrated iconic moments in the course of ABA and NBA history. Julius Erving's legendary play led the team to a pair of ABA titles in 1974 and 1976. The meteoric rise of European superstar Dražen Petrović followed by his tragic death in 1993 is etched into basketball fans' hearts worldwide. Jason Kidd's uncommon will steered New Jersey to back-to-back NBA Finals appearances in 2002 and 2003. An enlightening phone call from NBA commissioner David Stern in 1997 paved the way for the team's move to Brooklyn in 2012.

Author Rick Laughland charts the brutal lows and exuberant highs throughout the history of the Nets.

Baseball in Reading captures for the first time the images of the teams, players, and ballparks that have made the city one of minor-league baseball's true legends. Claiming the title Baseballtown in 2002, Reading has a baseball legacy that dates back to the late 1800s. Only three other minor-league teams have remained in the same location for a longer period of time. Players such as Charlie Wagner, Roger Maris, and Rico Petrocelli have contributed to the rich history that unfolds in Baseball in Reading.

Immerse yourself in the stunning flora and fauna, trails, ruins and other wonders the Patapsco Valley State Park provides.

Patapsco Valley State Park is nestled in four Maryland counties - Carroll, Baltimore, Howard, and Anne Arundel. From its humble beginnings in 1907 as a 43-acre forest reserve to its expansion to over 16,000 acres today, this hidden gem has become a refuge for wild animals and native vegetation and a retreat from suburban and city life. With its eight developed recreation areas and over 200 miles of trails, more than a million visitors annually explore this vast area rich with history. Visitors have discovered the park's National Historic Landmark, the Thomas Viaduct, which remains in use today with modern trains passing over the first multiple-arch stone railroad viaduct in the United States. Other marvels from the past include remains of 19th-century mills and mill towns, the Civilian Conservation Corps' Camp Tydings, and the popular and scenic swinging bridge. Visitors to the park today continue to experience the joy of the great outdoors like millions before them.

The First State of Delaware has a truly legendary history of automobile racing.

Since the first racers roared down the dusty Delaware State Fairgrounds track in 1915 at Wawaset Park, Wilmington, Delaware, auto racing has thrilled capacity crowds all over the state. Images of Sports: Delaware Auto Racing documents and explores the tracks, cars, and people that made racing what it is today. The history of racing can be seen in historic photographs from the legendary dirt tracks, like Delmar and Georgetown Speedways, to the high banked turns of Delaware's NASCAR track—Dover Downs. Rare images have been collected from drivers, car owners, fans, and historians to provide an insightful look into auto racing in Delaware. Many of the historic photographs have never been published.

Never before seen photographs depict the interesting history of Delaware Horse Racing.

Although Delaware is a small state, it has a rich history of horse-related activities, one of them being horse racing. From the early 1900s, horses have been used for various reasons, including farm work, means of transportation, pasture ornament, pleasure riding, and the popular sport of horse racing. Delaware Horse Racing takes the reader back decades to the good old days of popular tracks, such as Brandywine Raceway, Georgetown Raceway, Delaware Park Raceway, Dover Downs Raceway, and Harrington Raceway, where Standardbreds and Thoroughbreds raced hard and fast on half-mile and five-eighths-mile dirt tracks. Gathered from the collections of horsemen and horsewomen, previously unpublished historical photographs show legendary owners, trainers, drivers, and racehorses.

Hockey in Syracuse retraces the history of the eight professional teams that have taken the ice in Syracuse in six different leagues since 1930.

Each team has its own colorful story, beginning with the Syracuse Stars of the International Hockey League. The Twinklers have the distinction of capturing the first Calder Cup ever awarded. Other teams included the Warriors (1951–1954), the Braves (1962–1963), the Blazers (1967–1977), the Eagles (1974–1975), the Firebirds (1979–1980), and the Hornets (1980–1981). The present-day Crunch brought hockey back in 1994 and have provided Syracuse fans with thrills on the ice ever since. Salt City teams have won four playoff championships and have set several all-time professional hockey records that still stand today. Hockey Hall of Famers from these teams include Keith Bingo Allen, Gord Drillon, Phil Esposito, Syd Howe, and Dave Sweeney Schriner. Syracuse truly has a rich hockey heritage.

Read the remarkable story of one of the most unique and picturesque places in the Adirondacks, written by Sagamore's director, Beverly Bridger.

Great Camp Sagamore was built by renowned American architect William West Durant and bought by Alfred Vanderbilt in 1901 to be his family's Adirondack retreat. Vanderbilt and his wife, Margaret, welcomed family and friends, who enjoyed its sprawling grounds and elegant yet rustic buildings for decades. After Margaret's death, the camp changed hands and began to decline until it was rescued by preservationists, finally became a National Historic Landmark in 2000 after attentive restoration efforts. Today, visitors to the camp participate in maintaining its grandeur, learning about and preserving the past.

Baseball in Newark is a fascinating look at the city's local baseball tradition from the mid-nineteenth century through today. While the Bears of yesteryear merit considerable attention, the return of the team under the leadership of former Yankee Rick Cerone offers an added ingredient to the story. As part of the city's recent renaissance, the return of the Bears played a critical role in reviving the city's downtown district and attracting people to Newark for an evening's entertainment. Baseball in Newark features a variety of photographs culled from the Newark Public Library, the New Jersey Historical Society, and the collection of the Newark Bears.

Relive the most unforgettable moments - even those that diehards have longed to forget - of the New York Mets.

Since their inception in 1962, the New York Mets have not traveled the straight and narrow path. These top 10 lists chart the many highs and lows over that journey - from World Series victories in 1969 and 1986 through an injury-shattered 2017 season. The team's passionate fans lovingly embrace the triumphs, like when Mike Piazza's post-9/11 home run lifted a devastated city, just as they endure the frustrations, caused by such culprits as Chipper Jones and Chase Utley. From the greatest left-handed pitchers to the worst trades to the best single-game hitting performances, author Brian Wright ranks the most unforgettable memories in the history of New York's inimitable baseball franchise.

Sit back and buckle up for a fast-paced thrill ride into Delaware's rich racing history!

The earliest Delaware drivers raced on dusty tracks carved into a farmer’s field. Characters like Johnny Martin and Paul Walker helped establish racing in the state shortly after World War II. The latest generation races at the famed Georgetown Speedway and Delaware International Speedway, and drivers, owners and promoters like Ricky Elliott, Curt Michael and Brett Deyo make racing the thriving sport it is today. Through interviews and extensive research, author, Delaware native and racing historian Chad Wayne Culver has captured the stories of some of the state's best-known racing legends.

Join author C.L. Marshall as he weaves humorous and harrowing tales of the sporting life on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake.

Fish and fowl make their way to the Chesapeake Bay with the changing seasons, and sportsmen yearn for the hunt. Whether on the wing or water, stories of the chase are integral to life on the Eastern Shore. Thousands of fishermen turn out for the annual White Marlin Open, but not every boat comes close to winning the tournament's big money. Dedicated hunters brave the Bay on a cold January day to hunt waterfowl on the Pocomoke Sound. Only the most committed fishermen launch a brand-new boat from Saxis Island in the teeth of a summer storm.

This book charts the story of Navy football and steers readers through the reemergence of an iconic program representing our nation's finest.

Navy football holds a unique place in college athletics as one of the oldest and most prestigious programs the game has ever known. During the 1950s and 1960s, the Midshipmen were nationally recognized by the major bowl games they played and Heisman Trophy–winning players Joe Bellino and Roger Staubach. Although the program struggled mightily to maintain relevance in subsequent years, Athletic Director Chet Gladchuk kick-started the renaissance of Navy football by hiring Coach Paul Johnson in 2001. The team's current coach, Ken Niumatalolo, once fired by the academy in the dining room of a McDonald's in 1998, returned to become the winningest coach in school history. Cameron charts the story of Navy football and steers readers through the reemergence of an iconic program representing our nation's finest.

Philadelphia's Boxing Heritage: 1876-1976 retraces the legacy of determined battlers such as Joe Frazier, Benny Bass, Gil Turner, Bob Montgomery, and Bennie Briscoe. Philadelphia has also produced legions of highly skilled craftsmen such as Tommy Loughran, Jack O'Brien, Midget Wolgast, Harold Johnson, and Joey Giardello. In 1926, the Gene Tunney-Jack Dempsy heavyweight championship bout was witnessed by more than one hundred thousand fans. In 1956, Rocky Marciano brought his guns to town and won the heavyweight title from Jersey Joe Walcott. In 1971, Philadelphia-trained Joe Frazier won the "Fight of the Century" from Muhammad Ali at Madison Square Garden in New York. Philadelphia's Boxing Heritage: 1876-1976 showcases these legends and retraces their championship bouts through more than two hundred dazzling photographs.

The first baseball monument appeared at Green-Wood in 1862 to honor the game's first martyr and star, James Creighton Jr., initiating baseball's tradition of honoring its own with stone or bronze memorials. Green-Wood Cemetery has since served as a model for other tributes, including those found at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Yankee Stadium's Monument Park. Baseball Legends of Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery, through painstaking research, brings these baseball legends back to life with a compelling array of rare images that tell the story of the game's birth in Brooklyn, New York City, and Hoboken.

Few schools have a reverence for their hockey history as Cornell University. Perfect for fans of Cornell University, hockey, and New York sports history.

The tradition of Cornell University Hockeyis largely a winning one, punctuated by the only perfect season of the modern era, a 29-0 mark in the 1969-1970 season. Started on a frozen pond in 1900, Cornellhockey was revitalized in the late 1950s with the completion of the campus's first indoor facility, Lynah Rink. Since then, names like Ken Dryden, Ned Harkness, Lance Nethery, Joe Nieuwendyk, Daren Eliot, Mike Schafer, and David LeNeveu have won championship after championship.

Their stories are expertly recounted in Cornell University Hockeyby authors Adam Wodon, who has covered Cornell hockey since 1988, and Arthur Mintz, sports columnist for the Ithaca Times for seventeen years.

Experience life on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay.

A shoreman’s life revolves around nature’s inevitable changes. The tides of the bay parallel the seasonal outdoor opportunities that the Eastern Shore provides. From the chaos of hunting marsh hens over flooded marshes during a hurricane to the solitude felt standing over a fallen trophy buck, gain an insider’s look at this unique way of life. Feel the sea’s power. Smell the gunpowder. Appreciate the solitude.

Local author and outdoorsman C.L. Marshall tells the stories of the constant changes of the islands, the creeks and the bays.

At the turn of the 20th century, Long Island's North Shore, the so-called Gold Coast, was becoming the most desirable residential area in the United States.

Estates belonging to American captains of finance and industry lined the bluffs and bays from the city line to Eaton's Neck. Some of the nation's most renowned families—including the Astors, Bakers, Huttons, Morgans, Pratts, Sloans, Roosevelts, Whitneys, and Vanderbilts—used their yachts for racing, cruising, commuting, or epic voyages. These vessels regularly plied the waters of the North Shore and bolstered the development of yacht clubs like the New York and Seawanhaka Corinthian—city institutions that established stations at Glen Cove and Centre Island, respectively. These clubs served to provide many outlets for the social gatherings that accompanied this pastime. Although the Great Depression and then World War II would bring the era of the great yachts to an end, a wealth of images remain that can be marveled at a century later.

Steel City Sports as a Catalyst for Change

Though Pittsburgh athletics had many of the same barriers to equality and racial discrimination as the rest of the nation for far too long, the city has celebrated some of the most important moments in the integration of sports in the country.  

Pittsburgh was the only city with two Negro League teams, fielding such future Hall of Famers as Josh Gibson, Cool Papa Bell, Oscar Charleston and Satchel Paige.

Local high school basketball stars Chuck Cooper, Bill Nunn, Jr., Dick Ricketts, Maurice Stokes, and Jack Twyman held integrated pick-up games at local parks such as Mellon Park in Shadyside in the 1950s.

In college football, Connellsville native Jimmy Joe Robinson became the first African American player on Pitt’s football team in 1945 as the school continued to integrate its squad ahead of federal desegregation.

The Association of Gentleman Pittsburgh Journalists present the compelling, heartbreaking and courageous history of how Pittsburgh's integration of sport helped lead the nation.

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.

Ski historian Jeremy Davis chronicles the history of vanished ski areas of the Adirondacks.

The Adirondack region has long been a favorite of skiers, as its beautiful mountains and deep snow cover provide it with the perfect landscape. Downhill ski areas developed during the Great Depression, when New Yorkers looked for an affordable escape to beat the winter blues. Over the coming decades, ski areas expanded with new lifts, lodges and trails. Despite the popularity of the sport, many ski areas have disappeared, yet countless people still hold fond memories of them. Ski historian Jeremy Davis chronicles the history of these vanished ski areas with photographs and memories from those who enjoyed them, while also paying homage to restored and classic skiing opportunities still available in the Adirondacks.