Baseball

by Peter Kurz (Author), Adi Kurz (Cover Design by)

"Where Traditions Meet" will tell the story of how Israel baseball, and one man's vision and persistence, overcame all odds to reach the precipice of greatness in the small world of international baseball.

"Where Traditions Meet" forges together the illustrious tradition of Judaism and Israel, with the legendary tradition of baseball. It shows that victory is not always inspirational, and that defeat is not always heartbreaking, but perseverance is crucial. Fight on and endure, to fight once again. As Yogi Berra once said, "Baseball is 90% mental, and the other half is physical."

This book will provide the inside story of all the events, first-hand, from the establishment of the Israel Association of Baseball; the initial ineptness of our national teams; the first, last and only season of pro-ball, so far; the World Baseball Classic agony of defeat to Spain and ecstasy of victory over Great Britain; the visit to Israel that resulted in the documentary movie, "Heading Home"; shocking the world at the WBC in Korea and Japan; and the ultimate quest for gold through Bulgaria, Lithuania, Bonn and Bologna, to the covid tainted and delayed Olympic Games in Tokyo. The context of life in Israel, making Aliyah, fielding a team in the midst of missile attacks, and the Jewish identity and character of the players and coaches involved is explored and documented.

"Where Traditions Meet" will tell my story, from my perspective and point of view, but will be supported by quotes, articles and material collected over the years - I have a house full of artifacts that will complement my recollections. This book will take the reader from the New York City diamonds of the 1960's to the land of milk and honey, a journey borne of Zionism and idealism. As reality hits and baseball grows from a hobby to a passion, the voyage continues and expounds, and the IAB, with 750 players, one true baseball field, and no federation office, finds itself squarely on the international baseball map, as one of only six countries to play baseball in the Olympic games. A miraculous achievement.

"Where Traditions Meet" will appeal to people who love baseball, who love Israel, and who love a story of resolve, tenacity, and devotion, with a few timely hits thrown in.

by Phil Coffin (Author)

Card by card--all 572 of the '59 Topps set--this book contemplates the lives and times of mid-20th century baseball. That season was in the heart of a period of turmoil: milestones in integration, franchise shifts to the West Coast, a potential rival league, the major leagues' expansion, and labor issues that included paying young prospects not to play.

The cards help tell the players' stories, too. The slugger who had a date with Marilyn Monroe (no, not Joe DiMaggio), and the minor leaguer better known than Marilyn. The nephew of a Black Sox player, and the target of a bribery attempt. The lefty catcher. The pitcher from Mayberry. The only player to pinch-hit for Ted Williams. Strikeout kings and wildmen. Religious stalwarts and hell raisers. The stripper's husband. The coolest socks in baseball. Ballplayers who were also basketball players--including the NBA's No. 1 pick one year. Satchel's Six Rules and Twig's Six Rules. Coot, Rip, Turk, Puddin' Head, Whammy, The Rope and Captain Midnight. Pick any card, and you'll find another engaging tale about baseball.

Author Biography

Phil Coffin is a longtime editor at The New York Times and has been a member of the Society for American Baseball Research since 1994. He lives at the Jersey Shore.

by Bernard a. Weisberger (Author)

A fascinating look at the storied World Series of 1906--a thrilling contest between the Chicago Cubs and their upstart crosstown rivals, the Chicago White Sox.

The local press nicknamed the Sox the "Hitless Wonders"--a team that emerged as American League champs without a productive offense. But player/manager Patsy Dougherty led a team that knew when and where the hits were needed, and the hits were never needed more than in their first World Series appearance. The Sox took off with a stunning Game One victory, and never looked back.

A Chicago that had rebuilt itself from the Great Fire that had left it in ashes only 35 years earlier was now the focal point of an entire baseball-loving nation. The city, the fans, and the players were on display, and for six thrilling nights in fall, baseball fans everywhere were on the edge of their seats, and the Second City was, most certainly, the First City of Baseball.

Back Jacket

In 1906 the baseball world saw something that had never been done. Two teams from the same city squared off against each other in a World Series that pitted the heavily favored Cubs of the National League against the hardscrabble American League champion White Sox. Now, more than a century later, noted historian Bernard A. Weisberger tells the tale of a unique time in baseball, a unique time in America, and a time when Chicago was at the center of it all.

When Chicago Ruled Baseball brings to life a dazzling epoch in a land of the self-made man--where A. G. Spalding helped establish baseball as both a national pastime and a thriving business, where Mordecai "Three-Finger" Brown overcame a horribly disfiguring injury and pitched his way into the Hall of Fame . . . and Tinkers-to-Evers-to-Chance proved that you could use teamwork to stand out as stars. Weisberger brings to life an unforgettable story of how a city that had rebuilt itself from the ashes of the Great Fire thirty-five years earlier became the focal point of an entire baseball-loving country, and one grand sporting contest staked its claim as one of the most remarkable and electrifying World Series ever to be played.

by George Pawlush (Editor), Marshall Adesman (Associate Editor), Mike Huber (Associate Editor)

When Minor League Baseball Almost WentBust is about the epic transformation the minor leagues underwent from the end of World War II to the onset of America's space race with the Soviet Union. By 1949, the minors' boom would reach its peak, with 59 leagues and 448 teams, but their downfall was just around the corner.

This book, three years in the making, with contributions from 39 SABR members, contains stories about minor-league teams, individuals, and leagues that thrived, struggled, and mostly went defunct, because of changing cultural and economic trends beyond their controlfrom 1946 through 1963. The fabled Newark Bears of the International League announced after the 1949 season that they would leave New Jersey for Springfield, Massachusetts, because of poor attendance. This was a sign of things to come as fans in medium-sized cities began fleeing to the suburbs.

Few minor-league teams made money during this era. Most teams traveled by bus, and owners, scrimping and saving, compromised the safety of their players by buying buses from their second or third owners, some beyond their normal life span. There were many reports of carbon monoxide poisonings and brake malfunctions. Tragic accidents in 1946 and 1948 claimed the lives of 14 players.

There were bright spots and historic feats, of course. Jackie Robinson would integrate an affiliated team for the first time when he played for the Montreal Royals in 1946. Phenom Ron Necciai, playing for Bristol of the Appalachian League, accomplished a pitching feat on May 21, 1952, that most likely will never be challenged-pitching a nine-inning no-hitter in which he struck out all 27 batters. Unfortunately for Necciai, his arm went dead the next season, ending his career.

By 1963, hundreds of minor-league teams had folded and minor-league baseball was at a critical crossroads. The American and National Leagues couldn't afford to let such a key resource for player development disappear. After extensive meetings, the AL and NL introduced a Player Development plan in which each major-league team would provide and pay the salaries of a full player and coaching roster to at least five minor-league teams. This stabilized the minors and set the way the minors would operate for the rest of the twentieth century and until 2020.

by Jason Johnson (Author)

Understanding Fantasy Baseball - No Longer Just for Nerds provides insights into not only the basics of fantasy baseball, but also delves into complex strategies and statistical analysis to help you succeed. In each section, I first present a topic and then discuss how understanding it in detail will help you as a fantasy baseball team owner. I'm certain that even savvy fantasy baseball players will be able to take away at least a few insights to improve their overall fantasy baseball experience. In one section in particular, Relative Draft Value, I provide original, self-developed formulas and strategies that you simply can't get anywhere else. I focus primarily on season long leagues; however I also have a section dedicated to daily games which have become extremely popular and deserve discussion. In short, this book goes into almost everything you need to know to start yourself down a path to fantasy baseball success.

by Yogi Berra (Author), Dave Kaplan (Joint Author)

An exciting new collection of sublimely simple wisdom from a bestselling author, celebrated athlete, and a true American hero.

• "A nickel ain't worth a dime any more."
• "It ain't over til it's over."
• "You can't think and hit at the same time."
• "I didn't really say everything I said."
• "The future ain't what it used to be."

Author Biography

YOGI BERRA was one of America's most beloved sports personalities. On the field, his exploits with the New York Yankees made him a vital part of the most successful sports franchise ever. Off the field, his wit and humor made him a unique and ubiquitous part of American culture.

by Robert K. Fitts (Author), Daniel K. Inouye (Foreword by)

Wally Yonamine was both the first Japanese American to play for an NFL franchise and the first American to play professional baseball in Japan after World War II. This is the unlikely story of how a shy young man from the sugar plantations of Maui overcame prejudice to integrate two professional sports in two countries. In 1951 the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants chose Yonamine as the first American to play in Japan during the Allied occupation. He entered Japanese baseball when mistrust of Americans was high--and higher still for Japanese Americans whose parents had left the country a generation earlier. Without speaking the language, he helped introduce a hustling style of base running, shaking up the game for both Japanese players and fans. Along the way, Yonamine endured insults, dodged rocks thrown by fans, initiated riots, and was threatened by yakuza (the Japanese mafia). He also won batting titles, was named the 1957 MVP, coached and managed for twenty-five years, and was honored by the emperor of Japan. Overcoming bigotry and hardship on and off the field, Yonamine became a true national hero and a member of Japan's Baseball Hall of Fame. In addition to the foreword by Hawaiian senator Daniel K. Inouye, this Nebraska Paperback edition features a new preface by the author, commemorating Yonamine at his death in early 2011.

Author Biography

Robert K. Fitts is the author of Remembering Japanese Baseball: An Oral History of the Game, for which he won the 2005 Sporting News-SABR Award for best baseball research.

by Kadir Nelson (Author), Kadir Nelson (Illustrator)

In this New York Times bestselling classic, Caldecott Medal-winning artist Kadir Nelson tells the incredible story of baseball's unsung heroes--with stunning, larger-than-life paintings and lively, accessible prose.

Author Biography

Kadir Nelson is a highly acclaimed painter and the illustrator of many books for young readers, including the Caldecott Medal winner The Undefeated, written by Kwame Alexander; the New York Times bestseller We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball, winner of the Coretta Scott King Author Award and Illustrator Honor as well as the Sibert Medal; Basket Ball: The Story of the All-American Game; and Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom, written by Carole Boston Weatherford, which was an NAACP Image Award winner, Caldecott Honor Book, and Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award winner. His work has appeared in many publications, including Rolling Stone, Sports Illustrated, and The New Yorker. Kadir's original paintings are in the permanent collections of the US House of Representatives and the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery and National Museum of African American History and Culture. A recipient of the Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement, he has also been inducted into the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame. He lives in Southern California.

by James R. Crockett (Author)

In 2021 Madison Central High School's baseball team was named by Baseball America the High School Baseball Team of the Year. Mississippi State University won the Men's College World Series and were crowned the 2021 NCAA Division I National Baseball Champions. Pearl River Community College won the 2022 National Junior College Athletic Association Division II College World Series. Ole Miss capped off a 13-month run in June of 2022 by winning the Men's College World series and another baseball championship for the state of Mississippi. This book includes brief historical information about the baseball programs of each institution and details how they won their championships. The author James R. (Jim) Crockett loves all things Mississippi and is a life-long baseball fan.

by Burt Solomon (Author)

In the 1890s, the legendary Baltimore Orioles of the National League (sic) under the tutelage of manager Ned Hanlon, perfected a style of play known as "scientific baseball, " featuring such innovations as the sacrifice bunt, the hit-and-run, the squeeze play, and the infamous Baltimore chop. Its best hitter, Wee Willie Keeler, had the motto "keep your eye clear and hit 'em where they ain't" -- which he did. He and his colorful teammates, fierce third-baseman John McGraw, avuncular catcher Wibert Robinson, and heartthrob center fielder Joe Kelly, won three straight pennants from 1894 to 1896. But the Orioles were swept up and ultimately destroyed in a business intrigue involving the political machines of three large cities and collusion with the ambitious men who ran the Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers. Burt Solomon narrates the rise and fall of this colorful franchise as a cautionary tale of greed and overreaching that speaks volumes as well about the enterprise of baseball a century later.

Front Jacket

In the 1890s, the legendary Baltimore Orioles of the National League [sic] under the tutelage of manager Ned Hanlon, perfected a style of play known as "scientific baseball," featuring such innovations as the sacrifice bunt, the hit- and-run, the squeeze play, and the infamous Baltimore chop. Its best hitter, Wee Willie Keeler, had the motto "keep your eye clear and hit 'em where they ain't"--which he did. He and his colorful teammates, fierce third-baseman John McGraw, avuncular catcher Wibert Robinson, and heartthrob center fielder Joe Kelly, won three straight pennants from 1894 to 1896. But the Orioles were swept up and ultimately destroyed in a business intrigue involving the political machines of three large cities and collusion with the ambitious men who ran the Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers. Burt Solomon narrates the rise and fall of this colorful franchise as a cautionary tale of greed and overreaching that speaks volumes as well about the enterprise of baseball a century later.

Author Biography

BURT SOLOMON has been a staff correspondent for the National Journal since 1985, where he has covered the White House, lobbying, and ideas. A native of Baltimore and a lifelong Orioles fan, he lives in Arlington, Virginia.

by Mitchell Nathanson (Author)

Winner of the 2025 Sporting News-SABR Baseball Research Award

Author Biography

Mitchell Nathanson is a professor of law in the Jeffrey S. Moorad Center for the Study of Sports Law at the Villanova University School of Law. He is the author of several books, including Bouton: The Life of a Baseball Original (Nebraska, 2020), God Almighty Hisself: The Life and Legacy of Dick Allen, and A People's History of Baseball.

by Ryan A. Swanson (Author)

An important piece of sports history, his work also offers a better understanding of Reconstruction, race, and segregation in America.

The story of Jackie Robinson valiantly breaking baseball's color barrier in 1947 is one most Americans know. But less recognized is the fact that some seventy years earlier, following the Civil War, baseball was tenuously biracial and had the potential for a truly open game. How, then, did the game become so firmly segregated that it required a trailblazer like Robinson? The answer, Ryan A. Swanson suggests, has everything to do with the politics of "reconciliation" and a wish to avoid the issues of race that an integrated game necessarily raised.

Author Biography

Ryan A. Swanson is an associate professor and the director of the Lobo Scholars Program in the Honors College at the University of New Mexico. He is the author of The Strenuous Life: Theodore Roosevelt and the Making of the American Athlete.

by Kevin Cowherd (Author)

The date is April 29, 2015. Baltimore is reeling from the devastating riots sparked by the death in police custody of twenty-five-year-old African American Freddie Gray. Set against this grim backdrop, less than thirty-six hours after the worst rioting Baltimore has seen since the assassination of Martin Luther King in 1968, the Baltimore Orioles and the Chicago White Sox take the field at Camden Yards. It is a surreal event they will never forget: the only Major League game until COVID ever played without fans. The eerily quiet stadium is on lockdown for public safety and because police are needed elsewhere to keep the tense city from exploding anew.

Author Biography

Kevin Cowherd is an award-winning sports columnist and features writer who worked for the Baltimore Sun for thirty-two years. He is the New York Times best-selling author of Hothead, The Closer, and four other baseball novels for young readers written with Cal Ripken Jr. Cowherd is also the author of five books of nonfiction, including U Must Be Cinderella! Inside College Basketball's Greatest Upset Ever and the Audacious School that Pulled It Off.

by Yogi Berra (Author), Dave Kaplan (With)

An exciting new collection of sublimely simple wisdom from a bestselling author, celebrated athlete, and a true American hero.

• "A nickel ain't worth a dime any more."
• "It ain't over til it's over."
• "You can't think and hit at the same time."
• "I didn't really say everything I said."
• "The future ain't what it used to be."

Author Biography

YOGI BERRA was one of America's most beloved sports personalities. On the field, his exploits with the New York Yankees made him a vital part of the most successful sports franchise ever. Off the field, his wit and humor made him a unique and ubiquitous part of American culture.

by Lisa Doris Alexander (Author)

This book analyzes how sportswriters have discussed issues of race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual identity, age and class within professional baseball from 1998 to the present. Each chapter looks at the media representations of a specific controversy--the 1998 home-run chase, Alex Rodriguez's historic contract signing, Barry Bonds' home runs, Mike Piazza's "I am not gay" press conference, Effa Manley's Hall of Fame induction, the celebration of Jackie Robinson's legacy, as well as the various incidents involving performance-enhancing drugs. The author puts it together and reveals what messages are being conveyed by the issues.

Front Jacket

This book analyzes how sportswriters have discussed issues of race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual identity, age and class within professional baseball from 1998 to the present. Each chapter looks at the media representations of a specific controversy--the 1998 home-run chase, Alex Rodriguez's historic contract signing, Barry Bonds' home runs, Mike Piazza's "I am not gay" press conference, Effa Manley's Hall of Fame induction, the celebration of Jackie Robinson's legacy, as well as the various incidents involving performance-enhancing drugs. The author puts it together and reveals what messages are being conveyed by the issues.

Author Biography

Lisa Doris Alexander is an assistant professor of Africana studies at Wayne State University in Detroit. Her research focuses on issues of race, class and sexual identity in sports, film and television. She lives in Warren, Michigan.

by Len Bergantino Ed D. (Author)

Len:

I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your book. The stories about the players, managers and owners of our youth were great. What made the book so enjoyable was that some stories brought our wonderful memories and some events that I didn't know about. It's a bit of history from a time when "Baseball" was the only sport.

It was a great read.

-Frank Catapano

by Brad Balukjian (Author)

A Los Angeles Times Best Seller
A 2020 NPR Best Book of the Year

Author Biography

Brad Balukjian is an entomologist and is faculty in the Natural History and Sustainability Program at Merritt College. He is also a freelance writer who has published in Rolling Stone, Slate, National Geographic, and other publications. He lives in Oakland, California, with his VCR.

by J. B. Manheim (Author), Lawrence Knorr (Author)

Thomas Edison was a long-time baseball fan. In his younger years, he once proclaimed, he could have named the players on the roster of every major league team, and even later he followed the press accounts of each day's games. It was an interest he seems to have passed on to his youngest son, Theodore, known to many as Ted.

In the summer of 1909, Ted, age eleven, began to collect baseball cards which he kept in a ratty old wallet. These were not just any baseball cards. Over the following months, Ted Edison collected sixty-one cards, featuring fifty-eight players, from the now much-prized T206 series published and distributed in packs of cigarettes from the American Tobacco Company. His collection included nine players who would, beginning some thirty years later, appear on plaques in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Ty Cobb. Christy Mathewson. Walter Johnson. Frank Chance. He had them all, and more.

When Ted passed away in the 1990s, his family donated many of his personal effects, his personal papers, his archive of Edison Company corporate papers, and more to the Thomas Edison National Historical Park. Included in the donation was a well-worn old wallet dating to 1909, complete with Ted's collection of T206 cards. He had held onto those cards for more than eight decades.

The authors came across the cards while doing archival research on Edison and baseball. This book is their effort to share with readers both the cards themselves and the story surrounding them.

by Scott C. Roper (Author), Stephanie Abbot Roper (Author)

In the early 20th century, immigration, labor unrest, social reforms and government regulations threatened the power of the country's largest employers. The Amoskeag Manufacturing Company of Manchester, New Hampshire, remained successful by controlling its workforce, the local media, and local and state government. When a 1912 strike in nearby Lawrence, Massachusetts, threatened to bring the Industrial Workers of the World union to Manchester, the company sought to reassert its influence. Amoskeag worked to promote company pride and to Americanize its many foreign-born workers through benevolence programs, including a baseball club.

Textile Field, the most advanced stadium in New England outside of Boston when it was built in 1913, was the centerpiece of this effort. Results were mixed--the company found itself at odds with social movements and new media outlets, and Textile Field became a magnet for conflict with all of professional baseball.

Author Biography

Scott C. Roper is a professor of geography at Castleton University. He specializes in North American cultural, historical, and ethnic geography and material-culture studies. Stephanie Abbot Roper is a senior instructor at Rivier University and an adjunct professor at Nashua Community College, where she teaches a variety of courses in U.S. history and cultural geography.

by Bobby Bramhall (Author), Nate Headley (Author)

From tee ball to pro ball, this book is the ultimate baseball career advisor. Written by current and former professional baseball players and coaches, it is a game-changer for baseball players and their parents. Competing in America's pastime not only requires skill development and willpower to meet the challenges of the game, but also the wisdom to navigate the industry and exercise sound judgment with every decision. Combining expert baseball knowledge with first-hand accounts from Major League Baseball players, Who's on First? explains how to succeed and find fulfillment in the baseball journey - on and off the diamond.

Who's on First? is divided into three distinct parts to allow you to focus independently and process all the information you will need for each phase of the baseball journey.

Part I: Development and Competition. This part covers everything you need to know about private baseball instruction, recreation and travel leagues, camps and showcases, middle school, high school, junior college, NCAA Division I, II, III, NAIA, and all levels of professional baseball, including the recruitment process, agent and advisor representation, scouting, and parent etiquette. This section contains exclusive interviews from current and former big league players who reached the pinnacle of this career journey. The personal stories shared in this section are what bring meaning to the game, humanizing even the stars, and providing an inside perspective from players who progressed through each level.

Part II: Foundational Essentials. Regardless of what you think you know, pursuing the right development path is crucial as a ballplayer develops their career-determining playing habits and skill sets. If you are already in the middle of the journey, evaluate your current learning processes, coaching options, and development choices with the information we share to understand the aspects you should be aware of with respect to training. With insights into the necessities of failure and advice on developing athleticism prior to specializing in baseball, you will gain a foundational understanding of the best paths to take for long-term improvements. The Throwing Insider and Hitting Insider chapters that follow provide the most credible resources in the game to maximize the time and effort you will invest in this journey.

Part III: Performance and Wellness. This section will undoubtedly be part of the athlete's future, whether the journey ends before high school or at the Major League level. Building the foundation for success starts early. We first dive into baseball nutrition, strength, conditioning, and recovery, to build explosive, injury-free power, as well as prime the mental practices that separate the winners from the losers. Next, we provide industry-leading insight regarding common injuries, injury prevention, and injury rehabilitation. We include the latest medical practices and research on recovery remedies with surgical and non-surgical considerations. Trust this section to answer your questions, address common misconceptions, and provide relevant information when making decisions on general wellness, performance tools or injury prevention and recovery. Part III concludes with industry-leading insight regarding performance aides and state-of-the-art evaluation technologies, such as launch monitors, that will give the athlete the best chance at a long and prosperous journey.

There isn't another book on the market that speaks truth and paves the way for baseball players and their parents to achieve and find fulfillment in the baseball journey.

by Dr Len Bergantino Ed D Ph D (Author)

The Reverend Dr. Len Bergantino is a multi-faceted individual who achieved

international prominence in the areas of psychoanalysis, psychotherapy, clinical

psychology, and music. His other fields include education and religion, with a

precursory knowledge of medicine and law. He is a weathervane in terms of knowing

the right thing to do and has the temperament of Che Guevarra in getting it done!

When the Reverend Dr. Len Bergantino grew up, the first thing he has in mind Was

to wear number 22 and take over for Allie Reynolds, the Super Chief, as the Mainstay

of the Mound Sta of the NEW YORK YANKEES!!! e New York Yankees won

5-world series in a row. (1949 - 1953)!!!

by Tom Gamboa (Author), David Russell (Author)

Tom Gamboa played baseball professionally, coached, scouted, managed in the minors and in Puerto Rico and coached in the majors with the Cubs and Royals. Scouring the country for talent, he discovered Jesse Orosco and helped develop Doug Glanville and Jose Hernandez in Puerto Rico and in the Cubs organization. Before Jim "The Rookie" Morris made it to the majors, Gamboa coached him on a title team in the Brewers organization. Sammy Sosa promised him a fist-bump for each home run Sosa hit--Tom didn't suspect he was due 60 of them over each of the next two seasons. With a lot of humor, Gamboa takes his readers well inside the dugouts and clubhouses.

Author Biography

David Russell is a graduate of St. John's University and Queensborough Community College. He lives in Forest Hills, New York.

by Spencer Muirhead (Author)

Turn 2 Healthy Eating is a guidebook for the baseball student athlete. Through three fictional characters, the author explores common problems encountered by student athletes and provides strategies for overcoming these problems. With over 35 recipes that are easy to make and economical, Turn 2 Healthy Eating provides practical solutions for student athletes.

Author Biography

SPENCER MUIRHEAD is a graduate of the University of Toronto. He is a certified Healthy Eating & Weight Loss Specialist with the Canadian Fitness Professionals Inc.

He has played baseball at the university level and played in summer collegiate leagues in the United States as well as Europe.

Spencer is very proud to have been part of the coaching staff of the Greek National Baseball Team in 2018. He looks forward to joining the coaching staff of Hellas Baseball again in the future.

Currently, he is an assistant university baseball coach in Ontario.

by Elven Lindblad (Author)

Tulsa's longest relationship with any professional sport has been with baseball. And that love affair with its minor league teams has endured its share of peaks and valleys, of passionate embraces, periods of frustration and despair and joyous celebrations.

Baseball and Tulsa are currently living "happily ever after" with record-setting season attendance figures, more frequent appearances in postseason playoffs, having one of the finest stadiums on the Double-A level and its new partnership with one of baseball's most prestigious organizations, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Ten major league teams, from powerhouses such as the Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals to the woeful St. Louis Browns, have placed developmental teams in Tulsa with varying degrees of success.

This book tells the stories of not only the men who wore the uniforms of Tulsa's professional baseball teams but also of opposing players along with others who came through town and left their mark on the sport, for better or for worse.

You can read about ...

How a crude invention by the manager of the 1966 Tulsa Oilers opened up baseball to be played and enjoyed by young boys and girls around the world.

How a fan got fed up with constant booing from others nearby and his response was a yell that became a battle cry for Tulsa baseball fans.

How the 1921 Oilers and their home stadium were involved in one of America's darkest hours, the Tulsa Race Massacre.

What happened when future Hall of Fame players and managers visited the Oil Capital of the World for exhibition games.

How the Tulsa Drillers were the stepping stone for superstars with the Texas Rangers, Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame with connections to Tulsa.

And how the 1966 Oilers lost nine games in a row and, incredibly, strengthened its hold on first place.

by William H. Brewster (Author)

Professional baseball in the late 1890s was at a dangerous crossroads.

Attendance was low, team rosters were unstable, and monopolistic major league owners were shrinking the game to avoid losing money. Meanwhile, players were refining their craft and organizing themselves in order to expand the game and improve their prospects. The roots of the players' efforts were on the minor league fields of southern New York and northern Pennsylvania amidst bitter disagreements over the economics of anthracite coal and the justice of racial and ethnic integration. In Waverly, NY, and neighboring towns, former and future major leaguers played alongside common laborers. Their experiences as working men reflected the era, a time when economic dislocation, racial and labor strife, and record-high immigration levels led many to question whether instability was a permanent part of the American experience. In many ways, it was a transitional era very similar to our own.

by Robert C. Cottrell (Author)

As the first great Jewish player in the major leagues and the first African American to play major-league baseball during the twentieth century, respectively, Hank Greenberg and Jackie Robinson are forever linked because of the barriers they encountered, the discrimination they endured, the athletic gifts they exhibited, and especially the courage and dignity they displayed. Both suffered ridicule and abuse as they participated in the national pastime. Nevertheless, each excelled. Greenberg became one of the preeminent sluggers of the 1930s and 1940s who took a break from baseball to serve in the war. Robinson, from the mid-1940s into the following decade, helped bring back speed and a thinking man's approach to the game, both of which had largely been discarded for a generation.Two Pioneers presents these remarkable players' experiences while competing in a nation that was deeply divided on social issues such as anti-Semitism and racism. Both men earned nearly as much attention off the field as they did on it. Greenberg called into question the idea of a "master race" as Adolf Hitler rose to power and gained supporters all over the world. Likewise, Robinson contested racial notions regarding the supposed inferiority of people of African ancestry, even though segregationists proved determined to maintain social barriers separating blacks and whites. It is only fitting that when Robinson finally crossed baseball's color line, Greenberg was one of the first players to welcome him publicly.Robert Cottrell's well-researched work shows how two baseball superstars became important figures in the civil rights crusade to ensure that all Americans, no matter their religion or race, are given equal opportunity.

by Duane A. Smith (Author)

Over one hundred and thirty years ago, pioneers arriving in Colorado during the Civil War era brought the game of baseball to the high and dry Rocky Mountains frontier. From the days of games in pastures with no gloves to the high drama of Coors Field and the Colorado Rockies, baseball and Coloradans have had a love affair that has continued to flourish over the decades.

In They Came To Play: A Photographic History of Colorado Baseball, historians and avid baseball fans Duane Smith and Mark Foster have collected the finest historic baseball photographs of teams, players, and games from around the state. They are all here, the town teams, company teams, early professional clubs, and the ethnic teams that made baseball an integral part of the life and times in Colorado's mountain towns, prairie hamlets, and bustling frontier cities. Combined with the wonderful photographs and captions is an essay that brings baseball's rich heritage in Colorado to life for the reader.

Author Biography

Duane A. Smith is a professor of history at Fort Lewis College in Durango, and is the author or coauthor of more than fifty books on Colorado and the West. He also serves as chair of the Durango Parks and Forestry Board and on the Anima School House Museum Board. Mark S. Foster is a professor of history at the University of Colorado at Denver. He is the author of numerous books and articles on Colorado history. His unpromising baseball career was nipped in the bud forty years ago by a sore arm, but he continues to toil on the diamond for the Colorado Vintage Baseball Association.

by Stephen Jay Gould (Author), David Halberstam (Foreword by)

Science meets our national pastime in this vibrant, entertaining, and instructive collection of baseball writing by the late, best-selling, evolutionary biologist Stephen Jay Gould. With candor and insight Gould explores the complexities of childhood streetball, spring's joyful opening day, and the golden era of the subway series.

by Ron Filipkowski (Author)

Whether you're an experienced coach or a parent eager to help your child get the best experiences with a newly-formed team, you'll get everything you need from Ron Filipkowski's "Travelball: How to Start and Manage a Successful Travel Baseball Team". Filipkowski, named the 2010 13-U Coach of the Year by Travelball Select, brings more than a decade of personal expertise to this comprehensive handbook. He not only knows what it takes to keep a group of kids moving ahead toward top-level tournament goals-- he also shares amazing insights into the psychology of motivation and team management. Along the way, Ron Filipkowski shares unabashedly personal stories of his many experiences as the coach of a championship team. Some of his tales will have you splitting your sides with laughter; others will simply melt your heart. But throughout the book the author repeatedly makes one thing clear: if your team is going to be a consistent success on the baseball field, then you have to be at the top of your game when your players are off the field, too. While some travelball coaches may find themselves severely challenged by the competing needs of young players, demanding parents, petty rivalries, scheduling conflicts, hotel logistics, unethical competition, and all the other wild and unpredictable factors that go into the potentially overwhelming world of high-level travelball competition, Ron Filipkowski makes it all seem easy. Although "Travelball" features a massive amount of practical, hands-on information that will help you coach your team to peak levels of performance, this book doesn't stop there. Ron Filipkowski also takes you off the playing field, out of the dugout, past the locker room, and into the hearts and minds of anxious parents, overbearing tournament officials, and the umpires who never seem to get the respect they deserve. This is the real world of competing egos, unintentional goof-ups, and big-league stupidity that can make even veteran coaches pull their hair out-- and Filipkowski not only captures it elegantly in print; he also tells you exactly how to survive in this super-charged culture of crazy little things that all somehow make a big difference! If you're serious about being all the coach you can be, get this book and read every word. Then read it a second time, and keep a copy with you every time you get ready for a practice or head out for a tournament. And if you really want your team to succeed, make sure all your assistant coaches have their own copies, too! Here's just some of what you'll find in the exciting pages of "Travelball: How to Start and Manage a Successsful Travel Baseball Team": * Dealing with parents that are unhappy with playing time or positions. * How to handle and approach youth umpires to get them on your side. * Crazy little strategy tips that make a huge difference in travelball tournaments. * Why you should consistently treat each player different. * Creative offensive and defensive plays. * Recruiting new players from rec ball leagues and other travelball teams. * Tournament and game strategies adapted for travelball rules and formats. * Why doing things by "The Book" doesn't always work in the youth game. * Keeping other coaches from recruiting your players. * Managing playing time in tournaments to keep everyone happy while winning. * How to make travelball coexist with rec ball, school ball and other sports. * Baseball-specific strength, speed & conditioning exercises tailored for youth players. * Why home runs are evil in the youth game. * Curveballs and kids. * Why Bill Walsh-style practices are best for young players. * How to keep your team together over several seasons. * Teaching plate discipline and the mental approach at the plate. * The ethics of sign-stealing. * Why you should remove the word "umpire" from your team vocabulary. * Dealing with difficult parents of outstanding players. * Hosting tournaments as fundraisers. * And much, mu

Author Biography

Ron Filipkowski has coached the "Meteors" travelball teams from 2002 through 2011. He started his first team when his oldest son was nine years old and continued to coach that team until his boys were ready to start high school after their 14U year. Ron then started over with a new Meteors team in 2007, when his third son was eleven years old. Ron compiled a 640-217 record in tournament games. His teams have won 53 travelball tournaments and six state championships in in Florida. The Meteors were ranked in the top 25 in the nation by Travel Ball Select for four consecutive years, and were ranked Number One in the country in 2010. Ron was awarded 13U National Coach of the Year by Travel Ball Select. All of the players from Ron Filipkowski's first Meteors team started for their high school teams. Twelve of these players have signed full baseball scholarships to major Division I programs like the University of Florida and the University of Miami. One player was drafted in the third round of the 2010 MLB draft and several other players are professional prospects for the 2011 MLB draft, with one player projected to go in the first round.

by Kenn Marshall (Author)

Tomorrow's Game captures the essence of baseball as a vessel for cherished memories. It begins with a young boy, dreaming of becoming a major leaguer while throwing a rubber ball against his porch, emulating legends like Roberto Clemente and Bill Mazeroski. As he matures, his passion for the sport drives him to visit every major league ballpark, sharing these adventures with his family. The narrative vividly recounts his first game at Forbes Field, where he witnessed a thrilling Pirates victory, and the playful chaos of his backyard "Field of Dreams," filled with mud and flames.

The story also delves into his experiences as a Pirates intern, where he encounters colorful personalities, including a grumpy Dave Parker and the comedic "Squiggy" from Laverne and Shirley. Family road trips to iconic stadiums are enriched by delightful detours to quirky attractions, such as a small Illinois town with oversized landmarks and a diner famous for its "mile high pie."

No baseball experience is complete without the iconic hot dog, and Tomorrow's Game celebrates the unique varieties found at each stadium, from the legendary "Dodger Dog" to a surprising Cleveland creation topped with mac and cheese and Froot Loops. This narrative is a nostalgic exploration of baseball, family connections, and the joy of shared experiences, embodying the spirit of Americana throughout its pages.

by Wayne Coffey (Author)

"One of sports' most storied championship teams gets its proper due" (Tom Verducci) in this definitive history of the 1969 Miracle Mets from the New York Times bestselling author of The Boys of Winter.

"If you want to know what it was like to live and witness a baseball miracle in tumultuous times, this book is for you."--Ron Darling, former New York Mets All-Star and bestselling author of Game 7, 1986

The story of the 1969 New York Mets' season has long since entered sports lore as one of the most remarkable of all time. But beyond the "miracle" is a compelling narrative of an unlikely collection of players and the hallowed manager who inspired them to greatness. For the fiftieth anniversary, renowned sports journalist Wayne Coffey brings to life a moment when a championship could descend on a city like magic, and when a baseball legend was authored one inning at a time.

Author Biography

WAYNE COFFEY is one of the country's most acclaimed sports journalists. A former writer for the New York Daily News, he cowrote R. A. Dickey's bestselling Wherever I Wind Up and Carli Lloyd's bestselling When Nobody Was Watching, and is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Boys of Winter.

by John A. Wood (Author)

Following up on Professor Wood's 2016 Beyond the Ballpark: The Honorable, Immoral, and Eccentric Lives of Baseball Legends, which was listed in Sport's Collector Digest's top forty baseball books of 2016, he examines twenty-five additional legends. Included are such notables as the lovable Yogi Berra, Stan Musial, and Gil Hodges, the feisty Billy Martin, the complex Ted Williams, the tragic Shoeless Joe Jackson, the delightful Pepper Martin, and the crook Hal Chase. Wood tracks down how these players acted away from the ballpark, and the circumstances surrounding their deaths. The author also includes his pictures of all the gravesites, except for two who were not interred. There is much funny and sad stuff here.

by Frank M. White (Author), Dave Winfield (Foreword by)

A tale of unsung heroes and forgotten stars who battled discrimination and other hardships to play the game they loved, told by the son of one such legend of Minnesota black baseball.

by Baseball Notebooks (Author)

This composition notebook is perfect for students and professionals, taking notes in class, writing journals and essays. This college rule or medium ruled notebook has a cool and trendy cover designs for baseball fans and sports lovers

by Robin Roberts (Author), C. Paul Rogers (Author), Stan Musial (Foreword by)

With a seemingly effortless motion, pinpoint control, a blazing, dancing fastball, and an unequaled competitive spirit, Robin Roberts enjoyed one of the most celebrated careers in baseball history. He made his Major League debut in the summer of 1948 and became one of the most notable sports figures of the fifties. His many accomplishments on the mound helped to make him one of the more distinguished residents of Cooperstown, and he will always be remembered as the most dominant National League pitcher of his time.

In addition, Roberts was as impressive a storyteller as he was an athlete, and his experiences and encounters leading up to, throughout, and following his incredible nineteen-year career made for an extraordinary life. Throwing Hard Easy is Roberts's own account, recalling his childhood, his playing days, and life after baseball. This edition features new photographs and a new foreword by his son, James Roberts, as well as a new introduction by his coauthor and lifelong fan, C. Paul Rogers III.

Author Biography

Robin Roberts (1926-2010) was a Major League pitcher who spent most of his career with the Phillies and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976. He is the coauthor of The Whiz Kids and the 1950 Pennant (with C. Paul Rogers III). C. Paul Rogers III is the coauthor of several books, including Lucky Me: My Sixty-Five Years in Baseball (with Eddie Robinson).

by Baseball Notebooks (Author)

This composition notebook is perfect for students and professionals, taking notes in class, writing journals and essays. This college rule or medium ruled notebook has a cool and trendy cover designs for baseball fans and sports lovers

by Carroll Conklin (Author)

These were the heroes who owned the summers of the 1960s. Al Kaline and Denny McLain. Bill Freehan and Jim Bunning. Mickey Lolich and Norm Cash. Gates Brown and Rocky Colavito.During the summers of the 1960s, the heroes of Detroit wore Tigers uniforms. On their best days (which were, admittedly, too few except for 1968), they were entertaining and inspiring. They smote hated rivals and sent plenty of their best to the All-Star game, in the decade when that mid-summer classic moved under the lights ... and into prime time.On their worst days, these Tigers heroes could break our hearts, squandering late-inning leads and pre-season hopes ... but they never lost our devotion.They were the heroes of our youth. Now their stories are collected in Tigers Heroes: Remembering the Detroit Tigers Who Helped Make the 1960s Baseball's Real Golden Age. The book profiles the best (and a few of the worst) of the Detroit Tigers of the 1960s. In all, there are 58 profiles of the infielders, outfielders, catchers and pitchers who played for the Detroit Tigers in the 1960s.Do you remember ...The left-handed fireballer who won 3 dramatic games in the 1968 World Series, the last on 2 days' rest? (page 80)The slugging outfielder who was traded to Detroit for the reigning batting champion? (page 31)The 1962 ERA champion who may have been the worst hitter in major league history (lifetime batting average: .085)? (page 62)The 11-time All-Star catcher who won 5 Gold Gloves and batted .300 in 1964? (page 55)The Cy Young award winner who won 31 games in 1968 and was out of baseball 3 years later? (page 81)The first baseman who posted the highest batting average in the 1960s? (page 10)The pitcher who "owned" the New York Yankees with a 28-13 lifetime record against the Bronx Bombers? (page 78)The second baseman whose superb defense kept him in the major leagues for eight seasons despite a .213 lifetime batting average? (page 19)The slugging left fielder who smashed 29 home runs as a rookie and 325 in his career? (page 37)The Hall of Fame right fielder who collected 3,007 hits, 10 Gold Gloves and 15 All-Star appearances? (page 38)Their stories are here. Enjoy the memories.

by Roni Mahler (Author), Caroline O'Connor (Author)

Roni Mahler spent her formative years in a ballet studio under the tutelage of Madame Maria Yurieva Swoboda and at Yankee Stadium, where she cheered for her idol, Mickey Mantle. At age 18, Mahler joined the corps de ballet of the renowned Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and later became Principal Dancer at the National Ballet of Washington, D.C., under the guidance of NYCB founder George Balanchine. In 1969 she returned to New York City as a soloist with American Ballet Theatre in principal roles like the high-flying Queen of the Wilis in Giselle.

Known for her singular approach to cross-training while teaching ballet to football players, Mahler has taught around the world and, as the Artistic Associate of Cleveland Ballet/Ballet San Jose, dedicated over three decades to teaching, coaching, and performing. Written in collaboration with her ballet disciple and friend, this intimate account details her journey from the ballet stage and the baseball diamond to the gridiron and beyond.

Author Biography

Roni Mahler began her performing career with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and went on to perform principal roles with the National Ballet of Washington (D.C.) and American Ballet Theatre. She was the Artistic Associate of Cleveland Ballet/Ballet San Jose, where she taught, coached, and performed for over three decades before moving to San Francisco. While she experienced success in her performance career, it was her groundbreaking approach to cross-training that truly set her apart. She continues to teach across the U.S. and abroad. Caroline O'Connor is an author and screenwriter who loves dancing and writing about ballet. She lives in New York City.

by Carlis Wright Robinson (Author)

by Anne Trowbridge (Author)

Sometimes you get what you want...and sometimes you get thrown

Zeke Hiller's little brother Zach has been living the dream...pitching for the New York Yankees as their ace. But what his little brother doesn't know is that Zeke has always had that same dream burning inside him too. In fact, all he ever wanted was to pitch for the Yankees. That was it. And when fate steps in and gives him not just one but two chances, it looks like that dream might finally be within his reach-or is it?

Kerry's life hasn't exactly played out the way she'd dreamed since the day she angrily ripped into her mother and boarded a bus to anywhere. She had dreams of independence and love, but who has time for dreams when survival doesn't even feel within reach?

They both have known a whole lot of disappointment, pain, and regret. Simple survival has meant letting go of dreams and changing courses. But can they discover that there's more to life than simply surviving? And could being together be the key to finding more happiness than either of them ever dreamed?

Readers who want stories that pack an emotional punch, but who love happily-ever-afters that couples truly earn, will love this book!

Baseball romance with swoony chemistry and emotions, but closed-door spice level.

by Angela M. Bartel (Editor), Edward C. II Bartel (Contribution by), Dodie J. Williams (Contribution by)

This book is a compelling account of Arthur "Art" Williams and his unbelievable journey from sharecropping in Arkansas to breaking baseball's color lines, ultimately becoming the First Black Umpire in the National Baseball League. The story, as told by his youngest brother, delivers a true account of the highs and lows that helped shape Art's life and cement his place in history.

by Miles Wolff (Author)

The "father of Independent Baseball," Miles Wolff recounts his 50-year career in the game and how his experiences lead to the founding of the modern independent game, with some opposition from the existing major and minor leagues. Along the way, he describes how the movie Bull Durham came to be made and covers the history of minor league ball's growth from mom-and-pop operations to major business endeavors.

Author Biography

Miles Wolff is the former owner of the Durham Bulls, the Quebec Capitales, the Burlington Royals, and ten other minor league, independent and summer collegiate teams. He is the former publisher and owner of Baseball America, and Total Baseball named him among the top 100 most important individuals in baseball history. He lives in Durham, North Carolina.

by Carroll Conklin (Author)

These were the heroes who owned the summers of the 1960s. Harmon Killebrew and Jim Kaat. Tony Oliva and Camilo Pascual. Jim Perry and Bob Allison. Zoilo Versalles and Earl Battey. During the summers of the 1960s, the heroes of Minneapolis and St. Paul wore Twins uniforms. On their best days (which were, admittedly, too few), they were entertaining and inspiring. They smote hated rivals and sent their best to the All-Star game, in the decade when that mid-summer classic moved under the lights ... and into prime time. On their worst days, these Twins heroes broke our hearts, squandering late-inning leads and pre-season hopes ... but they never lost our devotion. They were the heroes of our youth. Now their stories are collected in Twins Heroes: Remembering the Minnesota Twins Who Helped Make the 1960s Baseball's Real Golden Age. The book profiles the best (and a few of the worst) of the Minnesota Twins of the 1960s. In all, there are 51 profiles of the infielders, outfielders, catchers and pitchers who played for the Minnesota Twins in the 1960s. Do you remember ... The curve-balling right-hander who 3 times led the American League in strikeouts, shutouts and complete games? (page 87) The slugging third baseman who was an 11-time All-Star and drove in 100 or more runs 9 times? (page 16) The shortstop who was a 2-time All-Star and led the American League in doubles, triples and runs scored in 1965? (page 29) The 8-time All-Star outfielder who 3 times led the American League in hits during the 1960s? (page 44) The workhorse left-hander who won 190 games in 15 seasons with the Twins? (page 75) The Gold Glove catcher who became an All-Star after the team moved to Minnesota? (page 54) The journeyman reliever who started his career with the Dodgers and saved 76 games (while winning 25) in 4 seasons with the Twins? (page 116) The hard-hitting outfielder-first baseman who was a 3-time All-Star and was American League Rookie of the Year in 1959? (page 8) The right-hander who won 21 games in 1965 and led the American League with 6 shutouts? (page 73) Their stories are here. Enjoy the memories.

Author Biography

Carroll Conklin combines a life-long passion for baseball with a three-decade career as a professional writer. A graduate of Ashland University and Bowling Green State University, Carroll has spent more than 20 years as an advertising copywriter and marketing strategist. He has taught copywriting and brand theory at The Ohio State University and the Columbus College of Art & Design. A prolific author, Carroll has also written books on topics ranging from marketing management to fear elimination. He preaches the "gospel" of the 1960s as baseball's real golden age at www.1960sBaseball.com.

by Sayuri Guthrie-Shimizu (Author)

Baseball has joined America and Japan, even in times of strife, for over 150 years. After the "opening" of Japan by Commodore Perry, Sayuri Guthrie-Shimizu explains, baseball was introduced there by American employees of the Japanese government tasked with bringing Western knowledge and technology to the country, and Japanese students in the United States soon became avid players. In the early twentieth century, visiting Japanese warships fielded teams that played against American teams, and a Negro League team arranged tours to Japan. By the 1930s, professional baseball was organized in Japan where it continued to be played during and after World War II; it was even played in Japanese American internment camps in the United States during the war.
From early on, Guthrie-Shimizu argues, baseball carried American values to Japan, and by the mid-twentieth century, the sport had become emblematic of Japan's modernization and of America's growing influence in the Pacific world. Guthrie-Shimizu contends that baseball provides unique insight into U.S.-Japanese relations during times of war and peace and, in fact, is central to understanding postwar reconciliation. In telling this often surprising history, Transpacific Field of Dreams shines a light on globalization's unlikely, and at times accidental, participants.

Author Biography

Sayuri Guthrie-Shimizu is professor of history at Michigan State University and author of Creating People of Plenty: The United States and Japan's Economic Alternatives, 1950-1960.

by George W. Young (Author)

Just like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, talented college athlete Bobby spends his days with those he loves and stays close to home. But unlike Dorothy, when Bobby's "tornado" bushwhacks his world, it doesn't move him into a fantastical realm of color and delightful beasts; rather, he is propelled into a complicated past, where his dreams come true through a somewhat mystifying, somewhat terrifying wrinkle.

by Kevin Kennedy (Author), Bill Gutman (Author)

For fans of Men At Work, Baseball for Brain Surgeons and Other Fans, and Moneyball, respected baseball insider Kevin Kennedy offers fresh and engaging appraisal of major league baseball.

Kevin Kennedy knows baseball inside and out, as a fan, player, manager, and analyst. In this intelligent and lively book, the FOX Sports commentator and host offers an original look at big-league baseball today, exploring a wide range of issues, including:

• How major league teams and individual players try to best the competition, from doctoring infields to using performance-enhancing drugs
• The little-known world of the South American winter leagues
• The politics behind managerial hirings and firings
• A manager's eye-view of the game, from pre-game preparation to the final out
• The elements that create the Perfect Hitter, Perfect Pitcher, and Perfect Player, and more

Lively and down-to-earth, this insightful, honest book offers a deeper appreciation of the game for every fan.

Back Jacket

Nobody knows baseball like Kevin Kennedy!

Kevin Kennedy was a catcher and a Montreal, coach in the minors, a farm director for the Expos and a bench coach for Felipe Alou before moving on to manage the Texas Rangers and the Boston Red Sox. Now one of the sport's most respected analysts and commentators, he offers a fresh look at baseball from the viewpoint of a "lifer," capturing the intricacies of the professional game with a sharp analytical eye and unabashed candor, including:

• The lengths to which teams and players will go to gain the competitive edge -- from doctored playing fields to performance-enhancing drugs
• The politics and egos that keep the managerial carousel spinning
• The often delicate balance when managing superstar players like Roger Clemens, Pudge Rodriguez, and Jose Canseco
• The little-known world of the Latin American winter leagues

Intelligent, insightful, and engaging, Twice Around the Bases is a treat for anyone who truly loves the game.

by John Schulian (Author)

A report from the true heart of baseball, this anthology leaves behind the bad boys and big names of the major leagues to take readers to the places where the spirit of America's game resides. These are a veteran sportswriter's dispatches from the bush leagues and the sandlot, his tributes to the Negro leaguers, mining-town dreamers, and certifiable eccentrics who give baseball its heart and soul, laughter and tears. John Schulian, a long-time Sports Illustrated contributor and former Chicago Sun-Times sports columnist, puts together a portrait of a disappearing America--a place inhabited by star-crossed Negro Leagues slugger Josh Gibson; by a vagabond player still toiling for the Durham Bulls at thirty-six; by the coach who created the Eskimo Pie League for kids in a Utah copper-mining town. When he does venture into the big leagues, Schulian gives us the underdogs and the human touches, from Bill Veeck peg-legging toward retirement as the game's last maverick team owner, to musings on Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe at Christmas, to Studs Terkel's reflections on baseball. In the end, though, this collection belongs to the kid at a tryout camp, the washed-out semipro following the game on his car radio, the players who were the toasts of outposts from Roswell to Wisconsin Rapids--and to the readers who keep the spirit of the game alive.

Author Biography

John Schulian is the author of Writers' Fighters and Other Sweet Scientists, the writing in which has been compared to that of Red Smith and A.J. Liebling. His widely anthologized work has been included in The Best American Sports Writing 1994, ten editions of Best Sports Stories, and Sports Illustrated's Fifty Years of Great Writing.

by Thomas D. Phillips (Author)

Around 1863, William "Candy" Cummings discovered he could make clamshells curve when thrown--a skill he transferred to baseball as a pitcher for the New York Excelsiors. In 1869, the Cincinnati Red Stockings became the first team in baseball to place all of their players on salary. And in 1945, the St. Louis Browns recruited a one-armed outfielder to the majors. These stories and much more are brought to life in Touching All the Bases: Baseball in 101 Fascinating Stories, an all-encompassing look at the game of baseball.

Author Biography

Thomas D. Phillips lectures on baseball history to a wide variety of audiences. His writings about baseball have appeared in Elysian Fields Quarterly: The Baseball Review, Spitball: The Baseball Literary Journal, and other publications.

by Jeff Wagner (Author)

Frank Robinson, Juan Marichal, Hack Wilson, Rickey Henderson, Ernie Lombardi and Greg Maddux. Some of the greatest players to ever play Major League Baseball. All Hall-of-Famers. But did you know they each have one other thing in common? They all played baseball for the Dodger franchise at some point in their career! Whether at the beginning, end or somewhere in between, they all were "Boys in Blue", and will always be considered members of the Dodger family.

They Played Baseball for the Dodgers? explores these and over thirty-five other players that you may have forgotten or didn't know donned a Dodger uniform, including a popular country-western television star, a United States Senator, and five members of the 500 home run club! So whether their tenure lasted several years or several months, explore the fascinating stories surrounding how these players became a Dodger, and what they did while they were with the team.

by Scott Kingdon (Author)

Tony Gwynn spent his entire professional baseball career with the San Diego Padres. He stands second only to Ty Cobb in batting titles and consecutive .300-plus seasons. As a coach, he preached the Gwynn gospel to his players: do it right, do it with class, and respect others and the game.

An extrovert with an unforgettable laugh and wry sense of humor, he was often the center of attention. Yet during off-seasons he retreated to Indianapolis to avoid the glare of publicity. He overcame disparities in his personality with an intense focus on preparation and commitment to professionalism, and frequently contributed to community projects. This first full-length biography traces the remarkable career of a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Author Biography

Scott Kingdon has written for law journals and other magazines and periodicals. He lives in Punta Gorda, Florida.