Books by splitShops
Death in the Strike Zone: The Mystery of America's First Baseball Hero - Hardcover
$27.95
In stock - Ready to be shipped
Current availability: available to order. Shipping charges, applicable taxes, the final order total, and available payment methods are shown during checkout before payment. Delivery timing varies by item and fulfillment origin. Standard U.S. returns are by mail for eligible new, unopened items within 30 days of carrier delivery. Customers pay standard return shipping; there is no restocking fee. Approved refunds are issued within 5 business days after the return is received and inspected. Standard exchanges are not offered.
by Thomas W. Gilbert (Author)
"A fascinating must-read for baseball history buffs."--Publishers Weekly
He threw the first fastball. The first curveball. He was baseball's first star--and its first tragedy. In Death in the Strike Zone, acclaimed historian Thomas W. Gilbert uncovers the forgotten life of James Creighton, the first American ballplayer to become a national sensation. On the eve of the Civil War, Creighton invented something utterly new in baseball - modern pitching. Creighton was so dominant, so mesmerizing, that the game had to rewrite the rulebook to catch up with him. He is the reason we have a strike zone. Then, in one fateful game he collapsed--and four days later, he was dead at the age of twenty-one. Was it a freak injury or was baseball somehow to blame? Was there a cover-up? Why has Creighton been denied the credit he deserves? Death in the Strike Zone is part biography, part detective story, and part time machine. With vivid storytelling and groundbreaking research, Gilbert revives a vanished era of barehanded fielders, heroes and gamblers, and the strange, thrilling beginnings of America's pastime and sports stardom itself. Death in the Strike Zone is a remarkable journey into the past that will keep you on the edge of your seat and profoundly change how you see the game of baseball.
Author Biography
Thomas W. Gilbert is the author of How Baseball Happened: Outrageous Lies Exposed! The True Story Revealed (winner of the Casey Award for Best Baseball Book of the Year) and many other books, including Baseball and the Color Line, Roberto Clemente, and Playing First. From his Greenpoint, Brooklyn, stoop he can throw a baseball to the former site of the Manor House tavern, where members of the Eckford Baseball Club enjoyed a post-game drink or two in the 1850s.
Pay with
Your transaction is protected with advanced security measures to keep your information confidential
Clear Information Before You Order
Cindi Book is the trade name of Cindi Book LLC, a Texas-registered online-only retailer. We provide clear contact, shipping, return, and checkout information so customers can make informed purchasing decisions.
Business & Customer Care
Cindi Book LLC
2124 Cactus Ct, Keller, TX 76248
Administrative office only; no storefront or local pickup.
214-308-1733 · info@cindibook.com
Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM CT
Shipping Transparency
Orders ship within the United States. Most delivery estimates fall within 5–11 business days, depending on the item and fulfillment origin. Shipping charges are displayed at checkout before payment.
Returns & Refunds
Standard U.S. returns are accepted for eligible new, unopened items within 30 days of carrier delivery. Returns are by mail. Customers are responsible for standard return shipping, there is no restocking fee, and standard exchanges are not offered. Once an approved return is received and inspected, the refund is issued to the original payment method within 5 business days. Damaged, defective, or incorrect items are handled at no return-shipping cost to the customer.
Payment & Checkout
Checkout is processed securely through Shopify. Shipping charges, applicable taxes, the final order total, and available payment methods are shown before you submit payment.
Order Responsibility
Some items may ship from Cindi Book or U.S.-based publishing, manufacturing, or distribution suppliers that fulfill orders for Cindi Book. Cindi Book LLC remains the customer-service contact for order questions, delivery support, returns, and refunds.