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$21.99
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Chicago Cubs fans always will remember the beloved 1969 team. Yet the 1970 Cubs are, in many ways, more interesting. The Cubs added fascinating characters like Joe Pepitone and Milt Pappas to the legendary nucleus of Billy Williams, Ron Santo and Ernie Banks. The team came closer than in any year between 1945 and 1984—finishing only five games out of first place in one of baseball’s hottest pennant races. Offering a fast-paced look at the season month by month, William S. Bike moves beyond wins, losses and statistics to relive Ernie Banks’s 500th home run, the addition of “the basket” to the outfield walls and other iconic moments from a landmark year at Wrigley Field.
The 1906-1910 Cubs Dynasty
9781467156790
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$24.99
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A Cubs dynasty founded on fastballs and fisticuffs. Unlike today's Chicago Cubs, the Cubs of 1906-1910 were not at all lovable, and certainly did not always display traits customarily linked with a winning team. Their manager would brawl with his own players, and the players brawled with each other. Their second baseman and shortstop hated each other and didn't speak for years. Their best pitcher pitched with a mutilated hand. Their star catcher got into a spat with management and left the team for a year to play professional billiards. Their manager over time grew to despise the team owner. Yet, this group of brawlers, bickerers, and battlers dominated the National League and established a baseball dynasty, winning four National League pennants and two world championships in 5 years. Author Gary D. Santella follows the story of a team whose toughness and tenacity was a fitting reflection of early twentieth-century Chicago.
History of the Boston Braves, A
9781609498573
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$21.99
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Boston has been a proud baseball town for over a century. For those lucky enough to have passed through the turnstiles of Braves Field, the Boston Braves will forever live in the corridors of their collective memory. Baseball legend Babe Ruth finished his career on the historic diamond at Braves Field, while Hall of Famer Eddie Mathews was just getting started. When the franchise moved the team to Milwaukee in 1953, the Boston Braves helped usher in the modern age of Major League Baseball. Travel back to the Wig-Wam with author William J. Craig, to a time when players arrived at the ballpark by trolley car and a seat in the bleachers only cost sixty cents. From the astounding 1948 pennant season to the final inning, Craig pays tribute to a team that Boston fans will never forget.
Hidden History of Cleveland Sports
9781467146128
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$23.99
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Explore the hidden gems of Cleveland sports
Cleveland sports history goes well beyond The Shot, The Fumble, The Drive and so many other ignoble moments. Many of the city's most illustrious sports tales are long-forgotten chapters of tribulations and tragedy, of fleeting fame and enduring milestones. There are forgotten firsts, such as football's first pass and the invention of baseball's slider having ties to Cleveland. There are overshadowed tragedies like a fatal crash involving an Indians pitcher occurring the same year two of the team's hurlers were killed in a high-profile boating accident. And then there are the near misses--like George Steinbrenner coming within seconds of owning the Indians and a famous musician who almost became a Cleveland Brown.
From basketball to boxing, hockey to Heisman, journalist Marc Bona chronicles more than a century of unremembered tales.
Three Rivers Stadium
9781467145367
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$23.99
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Erected on the city’s Northside in 1970, Three Rivers Stadium was Pittsburgh’s home of champions for three decades. It hosted the first-ever World Series game played at night as the Pirates would win their last two titles there. The Pitt–Penn State rivalry in college football was never more heated than under the bright lights of Three Rivers. The Steel Curtain era of the Steelers brought Super Bowl wins and elevated the stadium to become one of the most feared venues in all of professional sports. Locally referred to as the “House that Clemente Built,” the stadium was the site of the beloved right fielder’s 3,000th hit. Join local sportswriters as they recall the roaring crowds, rocking stands and greatest moments of Three Rivers Stadium.
Where Pittsburgh Played
9781467151467
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$23.99
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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.
Wrigley Field
9781626190344
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$23.99
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One Hundred stories from the last century that salute the legacy of Wrigley Field and its beloved Cubs.
Charge through the turnstiles of this collection of personal stories about baseball's greatest ballpark and the sacred space it occupies in the hearts of Cubs fans and the soul of Wrigleyville. With contributors like Bob Costas, Rick Sutcliffe and Steve Stone, these 100 stories reflect the variety of millions of Cubs fans around the world, from those whose relationship with the Friendly Confines has lasted a lifetime to those who are taking their seats up close to the ivy for the very first time.
Chuck Tanner and the Pittsburgh Pirates
9781467154864
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$23.99
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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.
Cubs 100
9781467118026
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$24.99
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The Cubs have called Wrigley their home since 1916 and have treated their loyal followers with memories that have lasted for generations. From the legend of Babe Ruth's called shot to Kerry Wood's dominant twenty-strikeout performance, great games, notable names and a multitude of memorable moments have played out at Clark and Addison to create baseball's most recognizable relationship: the Cubs and Wrigley Field. The authors of Wrigley Field: 100 Stories for 100 Years return to celebrate this grand anniversary with Cubs 100: A Century at Wrigley, a new collection of baseball tales, including highlights from the exciting 2015 season, from storytellers such as Ryne Sandberg, Andre Dawson, Len Kasper and many others who know the symbiotic connection between the historic franchise and its iconic home.
Detroit Tigers Gone Wild
9781467143295
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$21.99
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The Detroit Tigers came out of the womb scratching and snarling. Early owner James D. Burns orchestrated the only known arrest of a journalist while covering a game. It's the only Major League franchise to sign a star player out of prison, which happened twice. Ex-Tigers have done time for crimes ranging from armed robbery to racketeering-and worse. One tried to burn and dismember a group of men after they kidnapped his mother. Another threatened to blow up a cruise ship unless he was paid a sizeable ransom. And Detroit legend Ty Cobb ran afoul of the law several times during his brilliant, tumultuous and often mischaracterized career. Join Detroit News writer George Hunter on a foray into the darkest, unruliest and sometimes funniest moments in Tigers history.
100 Years of Baseball on St. Petersburg's Waterfront
9781467152860
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$23.99
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Step onto the field and bear witness to baseball’s outsized impact on Florida’s Sunshine City.
Los Angeles Dodgers Pitchers
9781609497125
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$21.99
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The Los Angeles Dodgers have always fielded one of the best pitching staffs in the Major Leagues. With Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax, Fernando Valenzuela and Orel Hershiser and closers Mike Marshall and Eric Gagne, it's hard to imagine a more sterling roster. After their 1958 arrival from Brooklyn, the Dodgers won five World Series, competed in nine and made the playoffs in eleven other seasons--by leaning on their pitchers. The Dodgers have nine Cy Young Awards, more than any other franchise. In their fifty-three years in LA, the Dodgers have led the National League in team earned run average a staggering twenty times. Join author Don Lechman, a Los Angeles newspaperman for forty years, as he recounts the history of the team's aces.
Pittsburgh Sports in the 1970s
9781467155007
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$24.99
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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.
Red Sox in 5s and 10s
9781467145084
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$24.99
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The Boston Red Sox have blown hot and cold over the decades. These lists of Top 5s and 10s cover both the highs and lows of a team that has endured a long history of both joy and sorrow. They won the first World Series ever played and then five more pennants in the next fifteen years. Famously, from 1918 until the magical year of 2004, the Sox endured eighty-six seasons without a championship, although they lost pennants and world championships on the last possible day more times than fans care to remember. Finally, in 2004, they won it all. Loyal fans will always remember the joy of Mo Vaughn’s grand slam on opening day in 1998 and will likely never forget the agony of Game 6 in 1986. Through it all, unforgettable names like Buckner, Yaz, Tony C. and Big Papi still resonate in the shadows of Fenway Park. From the greatest pitchers to the worst opening days, author Bill Nowlin recounts the highs and lows of Boston’s most celebrated sports franchise.
The Texas League Baseball Almanac
9781626190658
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$19.99
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Since forming in 1888, the Texas League has produced some of the most beloved American baseball players and seen more than its fair share of colorful events. In 1931, Houston pitcher Dizzy Dean pitched and won both ends of a double-header in Fort Worth, throwing a three-hit shutout in the second game. In 1906, center fielder Tris Speaker pitched for Cleburne to beat Temple 10-3. In 1998, Arkansas' Tyrone Horne hit for the homer cycle in San Antonio, finishing to a standing ovation. The Texas League Baseball Almanac delivers day by day the record-breaking events, personal triumphs and memorable games that helped to shape baseball in the region. Join authors David King and Tom Kayser on a nine-inning trip down one of minor-league baseball's most historic institutions, both in season and off. .
Texas Baseball
9781609495985
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From pioneering superstars like Tris Speaker and Rogers Hornsby and Negro League standouts Smokey Joe Williams and Willie Well to present-day luminaries like Nolan Ryan, Texas has played a crucial role in the evolution of the national pastime. The Lone Star love of baseball stretches back to the Civil War. What began as friendly town games led to the formation of the Texas League in 1888, though it would be almost eight decades before the arrival of the Colt .45s, Texas's first major-league team, and another forty-three years until the Astros played in the World Series. From scrappers on the red dirt diamonds to the big-league stars of the Astros and Rangers, veteran sportswriter Clay Coppedge traces the state's long love affair with the sport in this first-ever comprehensive look at Texas baseball.
The Year St. Louis Became a Baseball Town
9781467171946
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Relive the World Series upset that gave rise to St. Louis's baseball obsession
With a legacy of eleven World Series wins, the Cardinals are intertwined with the culture of St. Louis. It all started in 1926 with a legendary World Series upset against Babe Ruth’s Yankees. But what goes untold are compelling stories—like Ruth charming the city into what became a tradition of cheering opposing players—that made St. Louis fans go baseball crazy for the first time. Meanwhile, early radio broadcasts helped turn the region into “Cardinal country.” These forgotten anecdotes made 1926 more than another championship season. The victory transformed St. Louis into a baseball town, putting in place practices, traditions, loyalties, and an energy that have been passed down through time.
Terry Lemons, a St. Louis native, brings a reporter’s eye to recover faded memories that shine new light on the story that began in 1926.
The Chicago Cub Shot For Love
9781467148481
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$21.99
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In the summer of 1932, with the Cubs in the thick of the pennant race, Billy Jurges broke off his relationship with Violet Popovich to focus on baseball. The famously beautiful showgirl took it poorly, marching into his hotel room with a revolver in her purse. Both were wounded in the ensuing struggle, but Jurges refused to press charges. Even without their star shortstop, Chicago made it to the World Series, only to be on the wrong end of Babe Ruth's legendary Called Shot. Using hundreds of original sources, Jack Bales profiles the lives of the ill-fated couple and traces the ripple effects of the shooting on the Cubs' tumultuous season.
St. Louis Baseball History
9781467151245
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$23.99
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St. Louis has a well-deserved reputation for the best fans in baseball and a rich baseball history that stretches back to before 1860. Visit the Musial Statue and learn the history of an iconic city landmark. Tour the final resting places of baseball Hall of Famers such as George Sisler and “Cool Papa” Bell. Stop by the building Curt Flood used to create his paintings when he was off the field. Travel to a funeral home owned by a player nicknamed “Bow Wow.” Author Brian Flaspohler takes you on a tour of the best baseball sites in the Gateway to the West.
Jacobs Field
9781626195097
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$21.99
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The sports landscape changed in the spring of 1994 when the Cleveland Indiansmoved into their new stadium at the corner of Carnegieand Ontario.
No longer the joke of the league, The Jakemade the Cleveland Indiansthe jewel of baseball and helped revitalize a city and a fan base. For the first time ever, these interviews and stories from the players, managers and front office personnel give the inside scoop on what happened on the field, in the dugout and behind the scenes of this exciting time in Cleveland sports history.
Vince McKee is the author of Heroand Cleveland's Finest. Cleveland sports icon Joe Tait called Cleveland's Finest one of the best Cleveland sports books ever written. Get the best seat in the house for the most recent addition to the Tribe'scelebrated legacy.
Baseball in Evansville
9781467145589
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$21.99
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Baseball exploded in Evansville after the Civil War. Early clubs like the Resolutes, Blues, Brewers, Hoosiers and Blackbirds played, built ballparks, struggled financially and suffered scandals until the early 1900s. A near tragic event fueled the 1915 construction of Bosse Field, now the third-oldest professional ballpark in operation and the host to Major League Spring Training and the filming of A League of Their Own. After World War II, college baseball returned after lying dormant since the 1920s. In the late 1960s, a local entrepreneur attempted to build a third major league. When he failed, the city ascended to the minor leagues' highest level. Join sportswriter and Evansville native Kevin Wirthwein as he recounts baseball's illustrious history in the River City.
Spring Training in Clearwater
9781596292147
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$21.99
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This chronicle of baseball superstars and hardcore statistics careens Philadelphia Phillies and Clearwater Threshers fans from the early days of professional baseball to today's Grapefruit League. Accompanied by over seventy-five action-packed pictures, de Quesada describes the countless Phillies and Threshers stories that show the remarkable bond between Clearwater and the Phillies organization. Included are the tales of of the All-Girls Professional Baseball League, the first appearance of the Phillie Phanatic and the Tiki Bar at Bright House Networks field as well as the detailed exploits of Tug McGraw, Mike Schmidt and Paul Pope Owens.
Baseball in Hawai'i
9781626193130
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$21.99
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Alexander Cartwright, who invented the game of baseball in New York in the 1840s, soon took his bag of tricks to Hawai'i--where adoption of the pastime predates most other American locales. Pineapple plantation teams played rival sugar refinery clubs with Chinese, Korean and Japanese teams. Barnstorming big-leaguers landed during the winter, and Pearl Harbor brought the biggest names in the sport to paradise: Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig, John McGraw and many more. Barry Bonds and Tony Gwynn played for the Hawai'i Islanders before heading up to the Show. Homegrown talents are on display here along with the legends, as author Jim Vitti shows that Hawai'i's baseball history is as rich and diverse as anywhere on the mainland..
Minnesota Twins Baseball
9781626193819
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$21.99
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For more than half a century, Minnesotans have been treated to the memorable players and teams of the Minnesota Twins. From the Ruthian blasts of Harmon Killebrew and Kirby Puckett to a successful brand of small ball, the Twins have fielded competitive teams at Metropolitan Stadium, the Metrodome and Target Field. But prior to its arrival in 1961, the team also had a storied past in Washington that included Walter Johnson, the greatest pitcher of the Deadball Era, if not all time. Sports historian Stew Thornley highlights the lesser-known events in the club's history, from the area's attempts to lure a major-league team to town in the 1950s to then-owner Calvin Griffith's campaign to regionally rename the team. He also pays tribute to the rich heritage of baseball before the Twins, marked by minor-league teams such as the St. Paul Saints and Minneapolis Millers, which produced future Hall of Famers Willie Mays, Duke Snider, Ted Williams and Roy Campanella.
Black Baseball in Alabama
9781467170338
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$24.99
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Welcome to the wild, true history of Black baseball in Alabama.
From the gritty fields of Birmingham and Montgomery to the national stage of Cooperstown, Black Baseball in Alabama uncovers the real-life drama, danger, and determination that built one of America’s most important sports legacies. Author Shane Earnest explores how Black players, managers, and entrepreneurs navigated racism, segregation, and economic hardship. They transformed baseball into a thriving entertainment business alongside politicians, musicians, gamblers, gangsters, and bootleggers. These men and women took baseball from Alabama’s cotton fields and coal mines all the way to Cooperstown. Whether you’re a Negro Leagues historian, a Black sports history buff, or a fan of Alabama baseball heritage, this book is packed with powerful, rarely told stories that shaped the soul of American baseball, complete with many rare photos of a historic era in baseball.
Baseball in Pinellas County
9781467159487
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$24.99
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A Florida Home to Baseball Stars
Pinellas County is known for hosting spring training for Major League Baseball teams, as well as the hometown Tampa Bay Rays. Yet there is another side to the county’s baseball history—its local people and teams. Some made it to the Majors, such as Howard Johnson, Casey Kotchman and Toby Hall. Several coached or scouted in the pros, including Tom Kotchman, Tom Zimmer and Tim Wilken. Hundreds of Pinellas ballplayers have been drafted by Major League Baseball, forty-four alone out of Seminole High School. And then there is the tragic tale of Steve Georgiadis, whose life ended during routine surgery. Author Dan Hirshberg brings the heroes of Pinellas County baseball to the forefront.
The Galveston Buccaneers
9781626198371
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Galveston survived the Great Depression with a healthy dose of baseball, boll weevils and bootleg business. Farmers like future Galveston Buccaneers star Buck Fausett fled the insect infestation of North Texas for the city's sunny shores along with throngs of visitors eager to visit Sam Maceo's clubs and catch a ballgame. Galvestonians had a long love affair with America's favorite pastime, fielding the first game played in the state. Cotton heir Shearn Moody purchased the Buccaneers in 1931 and turned the languishing squad into a dominating force that won the 1934 Texas League Championship. Author Kris Rutherford weaves a captivating history of the Moody family, a team of talented players and the island that claimed them.
Mets in 10s
9781467139687
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$24.99
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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.
Historic Ballparks of the Twin Cities
9781467146340
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$21.99
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From the rickety to the palatial, ballparks have grown up with and defined baseball in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Some old-timers have vivid memories of cheering for Willie Mays and Roy Campanella at Nicollet and Lexington. Others marveled at a majestic Killebrew home run at the Met. Many a lucky resident celebrated two world championships in the Metrodome and witnessed one of the greatest pitching performances in World Series history. More recently, fans have enjoyed the return of sunshine and even raindrops at Target Field. Described by City Pages as "the most respected local baseball historian," Stew Thornley leads a tour of where we--as well as our grandparents and now our children--discovered baseball.
Gotham Baseball
9781467141635
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$21.99
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Baseball may be the great American pastime, but in New York, it is a religion. Names like Ruth, Mays, Gehrig, Wright and Robinson live in the hearts and minds of New York fans like apostles. From the street corner to the subway car, debates about which Yankee, Giant, Dodger or Met is better than another have raged on for more than one hundred years. Now, the best of the best are chosen for each position as New York’s all-time greatest team is imagined. Shoo-ins like the Babe and Jackie have their stories told with a fresh perspective. The compelling case for Mike Piazza, not Yogi Berra, as catcher is sure to spark arguments. Sportswriter Mark Healey crafts the Gotham baseball team through captivating tales of the legends of the New York game.
Rhode Island Baseball
9781596294967
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$21.99
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Woonsocket native Gabby Hartnett set the world record by catching a baseball thrown from a blimp eight hundred feet above him. Then he did it again. Rhode Island Baseball possesses the same knack for astonishing you time after time with stories of baseball legends you thought you knew (like Nap Lajoie) and teams you might never have heard of (like the OSRC: Orcutt's Sure Rheumatism Cure). As you slide back into an era when men and women played professional ball barehanded and a rabbit hole could change a game, you will discover how large a role America's smallest state played in the nation's favorite pastime.
Oregon State University Baseball
9781609498047
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$21.99
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In the postseasons of 2005, 2006 and 2007, the Oregon State Beavers baseball team achieved a seemingly impossible dream and forever changed the culture of Northwest sports. After nearly a century of dismissal as a wet-weather team, unable to compete with the southern baseball belt on the national stage, a run of three College World Series appearances and back-to-back titles earned the Beavers national respect. Inspired by his own coverage of the dramatic seasons, Corvallis Gazette-Times sportswriter Cliff Kirkpatrick recounts the program's rise to prominence and lasting legacy. Filled with firsthand insights from players and coaches and photos of pivotal moments and stands filled with orange and black, this retrospective captures the magic of Oregon State's three-season run.
Baseball in Huntsville
9781467152693
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$23.99
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The Rocket City Trash Pandas, who made their Class AA South debut last summer, rekindled the interest in professional baseball in this area. As a journalist, it rekindled my interest in looking at the team with some historical context, to the first baseball team in the area (in 1903, with Ty Cobb as a visiting player) to the arrival of the first affiliated team (in 1985) and its ultimate demise. I discovered interesting characters of the early days (the first “graduate” from Huntsville to the majors once placed a dead rat in a sportswriter’s bed, perhaps a precursor to the horse’s head in The Godfather). The Huntsville Stars era was populated with some legendary players, like Jose Canseco, who was the league MVP in the first year of the franchise, Mark McGwire, Tim Hudson, Ryan Braun and Nelson Cruz. The Huntsville area also produced some fascinating players like Gabby Street, famous for catching a ball dropped from the top of the Washington Monument, Jimmy Key, Craig Kimbrel and our “Mr. Baseball,” Don Mincher, who homered in his first World Series at-bat, enjoyed a 14-year career in the majors, became a team general manager, owner and, ultimately, president of the Southern League. Even as people embrace the freshness of the Trash Pandas, so often the conversation will turn to “I remember when…” moments from the Stars’ era.
Baltimore Baseball & Barbecue with Boog Powell
9781626195783
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$21.99
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Since he started smacking long balls for the Baltimore Orioles, John Boog Powell has enjoyed the gustatory delights of his adopted hometown. A four-time All-Star and a fixture in two World Series, Boog also knows how to make one heck of a pit beef sandwich. Backyard barbecues at Boog's Baltimore row house were once a post-game tradition for the team. After hanging up his spikes, the former MVP set up his now iconic barbecue operation at Camden Yards. Baltimore author Rob Kasper takes a behind-the-scenes look at the life of this smoky slugger from his Florida boyhood through his rise to major-league glory and beyond. Told in Boog's colorful style, this rollicking journey is spiced with recipes and topped off with interviews from former teammates like Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson and Jim Palmer.
Gamecock Encore
9781609495992
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$21.99
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The Gamecocks baseball team's surprising, heart-pounding run to the 2010 College World Series title seemed to many as if it could not be paralleled, in its excitement or its overall meaning to the school and the state of South Carolina. In 2011, though, they topped what they had already done, returning home champions and parading in style to the State House steps. In 2010, they honored the life of 7-year-old Bayler Teal, a cancer victim who died during the College World Series. In 2011, they celebrated the life of Omaha native Charlie Peters, a 13-year-old cancer survivor who served as a batboy for the team. The Gamecocks celebrated with a traditional dogpile near the pitcher's mound, Peters jumped on top of the mass of players and coaches.
Connecticut Baseball
9781596295520
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$21.99
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Whether Connecticut fans were cheering on Connecticut teams in baseball's major and minor leagues or watching their native sons participate in America's favorite pastime all across the country, they have taken satisfaction in the contributions of the Nutmeg State. As former Commissioner of Baseball Fay Vincent notes in his foreword, Don Harrison has lovingly assembled the best selections from a lifetime spent covering Connecticut's corner of the game. Read twenty-five interviews from his own forty-three-year career and discover even older traditions that date back to Hartford's entrance into the majors in the 1870s. You might disagree with Harrison's choices for a Connecticut All-Time Team—that's half the fun—but you will find it hard to resist the enthusiasm that has united so many fans of the sport.
Kansas Baseball
9781467158749
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$24.99
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Baseball has long been synonymous with Kansas. Go back to the late 1800s and the birth of Walter Johnson and George Sweatt, Humboldt kids who played baseball at the highest level but in different leagues due to racism. Learn about the sixteen-year-old signed by the Kansas City Athletics, who left the University of Kansas campus to play his first game at Municipal Stadium the next day. Read about pioneers in the game named Joyce, Katie and Alex, determined and talented women who are part of our national pastime. Author Michael Travis shares his love for the game, rounding the bases from its beginnings in Wichita with League 42 to the Major Leagues.
Marietta College Baseball
9781609494643
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$24.99
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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.
Japanese American Baseball in California
9781626195820
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$24.99
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Four generations of Japanese Americans broke down racial and cultural barriers in California by playing baseball. Behind the barbed wire of concentration camps during World War II, baseball became a tonic of spiritual renewal for disenfranchised Japanese Americans who played America's pastime while illegally imprisoned. Later, it helped heal resettlement wounds in Los Angeles, San Francisco, the Central Valley and elsewhere. Today, the names of Japanese American ballplayers still resonate as their legacy continues. Mike Lum was the first Japanese American player in the Major Leagues in 1967, Lenn Sakata the first in the World Series in 1983 and Don Wakamatsu the first manager in 2008. Join Kerry Yo Nakagawa in this update of his 2001 classic as he chronicles sporting achievements that doubled as cultural benchmarks.
Baseball in Pensacola
9781609497828
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$24.99
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The Western Gate to the Sunshine State boasts an epic history of hardball, dating back nearly to the beginning of the sport. Sunshine, loyal fans and pristine beaches have attracted baseball's best athletes to Pensacola--from stars like Babe Ruth and Ted Williams to the Blue Wahoos, modern-day affiliate for the Cincinnati Reds. The city is home to major-league teams during spring training, minor-league teams during the season and baseball fanatics year-round. Whether it's following big-league icons or cheering high school future stars, Pensacola's love affair with baseball runs deep. Team up with local author Scott Brown as he details the area's greatest moments in America's oldest pastime.
The Louisville Baseball Almanac
9781596299948
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$24.99
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Though long associated with fine bourbons, riverboats and champion Thoroughbreds, Louisville, Kentucky, is home to another icon--the Louisville slugger. The Louisville Baseball Almanac presents the first-ever comprehensive look at the rich history of professional teams, ballplayers and managers, a history that runs deep within the city. Originally a major-league city that won a pennant in 1890, the early Louisville teams gave rise to a host of legends and eccentrics, in equal measure. And ever since, Louisville has maintained a strong position in baseball history as a top-flight minor league city. Red Sox, Yankee, Dodger, Reds and Cardinals fans--baseball fans --have Louisville to thank for launching the careers of some of the game's most memorable players. Louisville baseball historian Philip Von Borries recounts the breadth of Louisville's ballplaying heritage, his text complemented by numerous vintage photographs.
Ross Youngs
9781626191105
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$21.99
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Though Ross Youngs has been enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame since 1972, few have given his remarkable career its due. Born in Shiner and raised in San Antonio, Youngs played his first game as a professional at the age of sixteen, and just three years later, his contract was purchased by the New York Giants, one of baseball's elite teams in the early twentieth century. Tragically, his promising career ended when he died from an illness at age thirty in 1927. Join author David King in a journey to discover the amazing Youngs as he was and the incredible legacy he left behind.
Spring Training in Sarasota 1924-1960
9781596290723
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$21.99
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The warm weather and easy-going lifestyle found in Sarasota, Florida has attracted visitors since the early twentieth century. It is not surprising that several professional baseball teams have also been lured to this beautiful destination to participate in their seasonal spring training. Spring Training in Sarasota, 1924 ? 1960, by longtime resident and author Jeff LaHurd, chronicles the coming of professional baseball to Sarasota beginning with the arrival of the New York Giants and eventually, after the Giants's departure, the coming of the Boston Red Sox. LaHurd revisits the joys and challenges the city faced while playing host to these teams and the larger-than-life personalities that filled the teams? rosters. Enjoyable and informative, this book returns the reader to a golden period in not only Sarasota's history, but baseball's as well. Features tales about greats like Giants fiery manager John J. McGraw and Boston's legendary slugger Ted Williams.
Baseball in Long Beach
9781609499969
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$23.99
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More than two hundred Major League Baseball players have hailed from Long Beach and its suburbs. This hotbed of horsehide heroics includes Hall of Famers Bob Lemon, Duke Snider and Tony Gwynn, as well as longtime stars Ron Fairly, Bob Bailey, Bobby Grich, Chase Utley and Jered Weaver. Negro League and Pacific Coast League clubs enjoyed Long Beach connections. Many players whose cleats tore up legendary Rec Park and Blair Field are enshrined in the city's baseball/softball hall of fame. The winning tradition continues as Long Beach State's Dirtbags sent more players to the bigs in 2010 and 2011 than any other college. Join baseball historian Bob Keisser as he recounts Long Beach's greatest baseball stars, teams and stories.
Babe & the Kid
9781596292673
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$21.99
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On the eve of game four of the 1926 World Series, Ruth heard that a young New Jersey boy, Johnny Sylvester, was laid up with a deadly illness. Ruth autographed a ball for Johnny, inscribing it, I'll knock a homer for you in Wednesday's game-Babe Ruth. The rest was history. Ruth delivered on his promise, and Johnny made a miraculous recovery. In Babe & the Kid, author Charlie Poekel traces the story behind the sensational headlines. Picking up in the aftermath of Ruth's incredible feat, he follows Johnny's remarkable life story.
Newport Baseball History
9781626194526
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$21.99
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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.
Brown University Baseball
9781609495015
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$21.99
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This book will chronicle the history of baseball at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown has earned the distinction of being the most influential institution regarding baseball in Rhode Island. Fields, players, coaches are also included. Perhaps the most interesting parts of the book are the stories revolving around students and baseball games. Racial Integration on the ball field at Brown University is also explored, as well as women who played baseball at Pembroke College (Brown's sister college prior to integration of female and male students).
Cleburne Baseball
9781467137010
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$21.99
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Shortly after Cleburne landed the largest railroad shops west of the Mississippi, it set its sights on securing a professional baseball team. Against the odds, Cleburne became a Texas League town in 1906. After the first championship, the Railroaders loaded a train and left Cleburne. The town's professional teams would amass two championships, three pennants and several legendary major league players, including Tris Speaker, before disappearing. Despite lacking a professional club, the town continued to field teams at all levels, until the Railroaders made their triumphant return in 2017. Scott Cain shares a century of Cleburne baseball, including the cowboys who gunned down fly balls to intimidate umps, the pro team that played the Chicago White Sox and the city councilman who was a scorekeeper for the Negro Leagues in the 1950s.
Baseball in Alabama
9781467138789
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$24.99
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Although football may first spring to mind when talking about sports in Alabama, the state has certainly made its mark with the national pastime. Thirteen players with Alabama roots are enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, including all-time greats like Hank Aaron, Ozzie Smith and Satchel Paige. Bob Veale of Birmingham led the National League in strikeouts in 1964. Superstars and former players like Bo Jackson and Britt Burns give back to their home state by organizing charities and coaching Alabama's next generation of players. Author and baseball historian Doug Wedge explores stories from this rich history.
Montana Baseball History
9781626199828
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$21.99
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The Wild West had nothing on Montana's first baseball games. Fights, booze, cheating and gambling fueled the state's inaugural professional league in 1892. The turn of the century brought star-studded barnstorming tours and threats of bloodshed. Big Sky Country embraced a distinctly different version of the old ballgame, and Montana players who made their way to big league diamonds helped change the sport on and off the field. From the Lewis and Clark expedition to Dave McNally's historic career, award-winning journalist Skylar Browning and researcher Jeremy Watterson reveal Montana's relationship with America's pastime.
Racine's Horlick Athletic Field
9781626194441
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$23.99
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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.
Baseball on the Prairie
9781609499358
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$21.99
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At the close of the nineteenth century, railroad expansion in Texas at once shrank the state and expanded opportunities, including that of Texas League Baseball. Previously, the major cities monopolized Texas minor-league ball, but with the rails came small-town teams without which the league may have floundered. Sherman, Denison, Paris, Corsicana, Cleburne, Greenville and Temple teams produced some of the Texas League's greatest players and provided unprecedented statewide interest. The 1902 Corsicana Oil Citys was one of the most successful teams of the time, claiming the second-best winning percentage and baseball's most lopsided victory, 51-3 over Texarkana's Casketmakers. In its only year in the league, Cleburne won the league championship and team owner Doak Roberts discovered the great Tris Speaker. Kris Rutherford pieces together the Texas League's early days and the people and towns that made this centuries-old institution possible.
Gamecock Glory
9781609492540
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$21.99
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After more than one hundred years of craving a champion, the University of South Carolina finally has one. The 2010 Gamecock baseball team won six consecutive games over eight summer nights to take the College World Series and lay claim to the school's first major national championship. From dancing around in a dark locker room to singing Silent Night� on the team bus after every victory in Omaha, these Gamecocks were as fun-loving as they were talented. And they did it all in the name of one special boy, seven-year-old Bayler Teal. Bayler passed away before he could see his beloved Gamecocks triumph, but the team's victory is a tribute to their number one fan. Join the Post and Courier's Travis Haney as he recounts this incredible team's historic season.
Wichita State Baseball Comes Back
9781626193826
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$21.99
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There were no bats or balls on the campus of Wichita State University in the spring of 1977. Five years later, the resurrected varsity baseball program was in the final game of the College World Series, fulfilling the seemingly impossible promise made by Gene Stephenson when he began recruiting players to a place that didn't even have a practice field. Stephenson would lead the Shockers for over three decades, but those first five years with the team set him on the course that put him among the winningest coaches in college baseball history..
A History of Professional Baseball in Asheville
9781596291768
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$21.99
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So many greats have appeared in Asheville within McCormick Field's white lines: Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Ty Cobb, manager Cal Ripken Sr. and batboy Cal Ripken Jr. As player Tom Nevers said, When you think of all the great people that have played on this field before us, it's kinda neat being a part of history. Asheville, North Carolina, is not widely recognized as a baseball crazy city. However, for a small town where flat land is hard to find and everything is far removed from the bright lights of the big cities, Asheville's part in professional baseball is remarkable. In these pages you'll find little-known stories of baseball's stars, the ups and downs of the national pastime in the Land of the Sky and a number of local heroes. Meet Struttin' Bud Shaney, a pitcher from the 1920s who served as athletic director, umpire and the McCormick Field groundskeeper at various times in the diamond's past. Despite his inexperience, gritty Tourists general manager Ron McKee's efforts revived the flagging franchise in the 1980s. Most recently, fiery skipper Joe Mik Mikulik has helped bring record numbers of fans to McCormick to cheer the Tourists to victory.
Iconic Moments in Nashville Sports
9781467171373
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$24.99
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Unearth the Hidden History of Nashville Sports
Long before the Titans arrived, Nashville’s sports story was already rich with unforgettable moments—many lost to time, now revived through deep research and rare interviews. Bill Traughber brings to light the city’s forgotten athletic past. From Tennessee’s first pro football team in 1938 to how events like Pearl Harbor and President Kennedy’s assassination shaped the local sports landscape, this book is a must-read for sports history lovers and Nashville natives alike. Read about Chuck Connors, star of The Rifleman, hitting a home run at Sulphur Dell Ballpark, and enjoy personal stories from entertainer Pat Boone and U.S. Senators Fred Thompson and Lamar Alexander. Packed with little-known facts, historic photos, and vivid storytelling, this book is perfect for readers who crave the golden era of American sports and its impact on Nashville’s cultural history. A treasure trove of memories, moments, and milestones—rediscovered and retold.
Baseball in the Mahoning Valley
9781467151986
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$23.99
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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.
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.