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Bush League Boys: The Postwar Legends of Baseball in the American Southwest
By Toby Smith. 2014
This loving tribute to the defunct minor league teams of New Mexico and west Texas resurrects a forgotten period of…
baseball history. Through oral histories of players, umpires, fans, sportswriters, and team officials, Toby Smith brings to life the West Texas–New Mexico League, the Longhorn League, the Southwestern League, and the Sophomore League from 1946 to 1961, when the last of them folded. Star players Joe Bauman and Bob Crues get special attention, along with assorted brawls, a fatal beaning incident, home runs, and marriages conducted at home plate. Anyone who loves baseball will enjoy this delightful book.
Ropes, Reins, and Rawhide: All About Rodeo
By Melody Groves. 2006
Heart pounding, blood pumping, the cowboy nods, chute gate opens, and his world begins. Eight seconds of adrenaline rush. Eight…
seconds of gripping, pulling, and holding on. The animal under him bucks and twists attempting to dislodge the cowboy's seat but the rider sticks like glue. The buzzer sounds, the cowboy dismounts, tips his hat to a cheering crowd, and nods at his proud fellow riders. Just another day at the office.--from Ropes, Reins, and RawhideMelody Groves, a native New Mexican and former bull rider, examines the sport of rodeo, from a brief history of the ranch-based competition to the rodeos of today and what each event demands. One of the first topics she addresses is the treatment of the animals. As she points out, without the bulls or horses, there wouldn't be a rodeo. For that reason, the stock contractors, chute workers, cowboys, and all the arena workers respect the animals and take precautions against their injuries.Groves writes for the rodeo novice, explaining the workings and workers (stock handlers, veterinarians, clowns, pick up men, event judges, etc.) seen in the arena and behind the scenes. She then describes the rodeo events: bull riding, saddle bronc riding, bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, tie-down roping, and barrel racing. Interviews with rodeo legends in every event round out the feel for this breathtaking sport. Over ninety photos depict what is described in the text to more fully explain the rodeo, with its ropes, reins, and rawhide.
Big Loosh: The Unruly Life of Umpire Ron Luciano
By Jim Leeke. 2025
Ron Luciano was a college football star, baseball umpire, TV broadcaster, and best-selling author. He barged through the world with…
an outsized personality, entertaining many, offending a few, and hiding behind a cheerful and outrageous persona until life somehow proved unbearable. Everyone knew him, but nobody really did. Once an All-American tackle at Syracuse University, Luciano turned to umpiring after an injury derailed his professional football career, and he quickly moved up the Minor League ladder to reach the Majors in 1969. As a big, likable loser—Oliver Hardy in blue—he became a fan favorite in the American League, &“shooting&” runners with his forefinger, conducting a legendary feud with Baltimore Orioles manager Earl Weaver, and entertaining writers with outlandish baseball stories—some of which were even true. Even as he added years to his umpiring career and was considered among the game&’s best, some players and managers thought his showmanship detracted from his abilities. He later became a baseball color analyst on national TV before coauthoring a series of rollicking best-selling sports books. Away from the game, he loved Shakespeare and birdwatching. But his upbeat public face was at odds with his private struggle with depression. His suicide at age fifty-seven shocked and puzzled friends, fans, and readers alike. In Big Loosh Jim Leeke recounts Luciano&’s unlikely career, detailing his life as athlete, arbiter, sportscaster, writer, and mythmaker while separating fact from fiction amid the fanciful stories he loved to spin. As a friend said of Luciano, &“If you didn&’t like this man, you didn&’t like people.&”
Jackie Robinson: Race, Sports and the American Dream (Routledge Revivals)
By Joseph Dorinson, Joram Warmund. 1998
There are defining moments in the life of a nation when a single individual can shape events for generations to…
come. For America, the spring of 1947 was such a moment, and Jackie Robinson was the man who made the difference." With these words, President Clinton contributed to Long Island University's three-day celebration of that momentous event in American history when Robinson became the first African American to play major league baseball.First published in 1998, Jackie Robinson: Race, Sports and the American Dream includes presentations from that celebration, especially chosen for their fresh perspectives and illuminating insights. A heady mix of journalism, scholarship, and memory offers a presentation that far transcends the retelling of just another sports story. Readers get a true sense of the social conditions prior to Robinson's arrival in the major leagues and the ripple effect his breakthrough had on the nation. Anecdotes enliven the story and offer more than the usual "larger than life" portrait of Robinson.A mélange of contributors from the sports world, academia, and journalism, some of Robinson's contemporaries, Dodger fans, and historians of the era, all sharing a passion for baseball, reflect on issues of sports, race, and the dramatic transformation of the American social and political scene in the last fifty years. This book is a must read for anyone interested in American Sports history and sports in general.
Phenom: The Making of Bryce Harper
By Rob Miech. 2012
Phenom: The Making of Bryce Harper presents a look back at the controversial college season that launched the 2010 MLB…
#1 draft pick's professional career and earned the then 17-year-old phenom the Golden Spikes Award for the nation's top player.Before Bryce Harper was the top pick in the Major League Baseball draft, before he signed the sport's biggest contract ever for a first-year pro, he gambled his future on one make-or-break season.The Las Vegas High School sophomore already had dominated the competition like Mickey Mantle on the playground and appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated, which dubbed him the "most exciting prodigy since LeBron James." Seeking greater tests as a hitter, the precocious phenom got his GED and enrolled at the College of Southern Nevada, where he could face pro prospects in a challenging wooden-bat league that prohibited the hitter-friendly aluminum bats used throughout college ball. Harper shattered the school's home run record with 31 (the previous mark was 12) and compiled a startling 1.513 OPS while leading his team to the Junior College World Series. For his heroics, the 17-year-old became the only position player from a junior college to win the Golden Spikes Award, given to the nation's best amateur baseball player. Las Vegas sportswriter Rob Miech was "embedded" with the Southern Nevada Coyotes team and brings us along for the ride—into the dugout and locker room and on team buses and in motel rooms, from the scorched fields to the snow-capped horizons of the Scenic West Athletic Conference—to deliver a warts-and-all account of a boy among men playing like a man among boys. Amid the media circus that descended upon team and town, we read fascinating personal stories including the dynamics between veteran coach Tim Chambers and Harper's protective father, the camaraderie with—and jealousies of—other players, the fans and autograph seekers (and girls) who all want a piece of the young star, and how Harper is suspended from the World Series after protesting an umpire's call, and the role his faith plays in his life. Phenom shows us a season in the life of baseball's top rising star, culminating in a dramatic conclusion when Harper is drafted #1 by the Washington Nationals and, after tense negotiations that go up until just seconds before the midnight deadline, signs a $9.9 million contract. Even more than this, Miech's book is the story of a team and its community, the hopes and aspirations of its players and coaches, and the spirit of pure baseball that lies at the heart of the American dream.
Ten Innings at Wrigley: The Wildest Ballgame Ever, with Baseball on the Brink
By Kevin Cook. 2019
The dramatic story of a legendary 1979 slugfest between the Chicago Cubs and the Philadelphia Phillies, full of runs, hits,…
and subplots, on the cusp of a new era in baseball historyIt was a Thursday at Chicago’s Wrigley Field, mostly sunny with the wind blowing out. Nobody expected an afternoon game between the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs on May 17, 1979, to be much more than a lazy early-season contest matching two teams heading in opposite directions—the first-place Phillies and the Cubs, those lovable losers—until they combined for thirteen runs in the first inning. “The craziest game ever,” one player called it. “And then the second inning started.”Ten Innings at Wrigley is Kevin Cook’s vivid account of a game that could only have happened at this ballpark, in this era, with this colorful cast of heroes and heels: Hall of Famers Mike Schmidt and Bruce Sutter, surly slugger Dave Kingman, hustler Pete Rose, unlucky Bill Buckner, scarred Vietnam vet Garry Maddox, troubled relief pitcher Donnie Moore, clubhouse jester Tug McGraw, and two managers pulling out what was left of their hair.It was the highest-scoring ballgame in a century, and much more than that. Cook reveals the human stories behind a contest the New York Times called “the wildest in modern history” and shows how money, muscles, and modern statistics were about to change baseball forever.
A Giant among Giants: The Baseball Life of Willie McCovey
By Chris Haft. 2024
Willie McCovey, known as &“Stretch,&” played Major League Baseball from 1959 to 1980, most notably as a member of the…
San Francisco Giants for nineteen seasons. A fearsome left-handed power hitter, McCovey ranked second only to Babe Ruth in career home runs among left-handed batters and tied for eighth overall with Ted Williams at the time of his retirement. He was a six-time All-Star, three-time National League home run champion, and 1969 league MVP, and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1986 in his first year of eligibility. Known as a dead-pull line drive hitter, McCovey was called &“the scariest hitter in baseball&” by pitcher Bob Gibson. Born in Mobile, Alabama, McCovey encountered daunting hurdles, such as Jim Crow laws that prevented him from playing organized ball as a youth and playing for Major League managers such as Tom Sheehan and Alvin Dark, who took a dim view of his abilities. But neither that nor other difficulties on the field—the platooning, the slights, the unrelenting injuries—seemed to affect McCovey, as he remained grateful to be playing baseball. McCovey was the most treasured Bay Area icon of all, a humble, approachable superstar who earned the admiration of seemingly everyone he encountered. McCovey&’s life wasn&’t measured in his home run and RBI totals, though those were impressive. His greatest significance lay in the warmth and respect he extended and which others reciprocated. These elements elevated McCovey to a pantheon where relatively few athletes reside. He remains synonymous with not just the team he ennobled but also the city he represented. In A Giant among Giants, the first biography of McCovey, who passed away in 2018 at the age of eighty, Chris Haft tells the story of one of baseball&’s best hitters and most-beloved players.
The greatest summer in baseball history: how the '73 season changed us forever
By John Rosengren. 2023
A rousing chronicle of one of the most defining years in baseball history that changed the sport forever. In 1973,…
baseball was in crisis.The first strike in pro sports had soured fans, American League attendance had fallen, and America's team?the Yankees?had lost more games and money than ever. Yet that season, five of the game's greatest figures rescued the national pastime. The season itself provided plenty of drama served up by a colorful cast of characters, including the Mets rise from last place to win the division under Yogi Berra's leadership, Pete Rose edging out Willie Stargell as the MVP in a controversial vote, Hank Aaron chasing Babe Ruth's landmark record in the face of racial threats, Reggie Jackson solidifying his reputation as Mr. October, Willie Mays hitting the final home run of his career, and future Hall of Famers Dave Winfield and George Brett playing in their first major league games
Charlie Finley: the outrageous story of baseball's super showman
By G. Michael Green. 2010
A profile of the colorful former owner and general manager of the Oakland A's describes the tuberculosis that ended his…
athletic ambitions, his contributions to the team's historic wins, and the contradictory personality that led to his controversial team breakdown. 2010. Adult
Baseball's Greatest Players: 10 Baseball Biographies for New Readers
By Andrew Martin. 2021
Introduce kids ages 6 to 9 to a century of baseball's biggest stars From legendary sluggers to civil rights heroes,…
the game of baseball has seen a lot of amazing players—and this book features 10 of the very best. Perfect for new fans or those who already know a thing or two about baseball, this kid-friendly guide is packed full of fun facts and essential stats that will teach them all about the incredible careers of these sports superstars.What sets this collection of baseball biographies apart:10 decades, 10 players—Starting in the 1920s, this book shows the ways players like Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, and Mike Trout have made history.Runners up—Each decade also includes a brief look at some of the other greats, including Bob Gibson, Ken Griffey Jr., and Ichiro Suzuki.A helpful glossary—All of the terms kids need to know are highlighted and defined in the back of the book.Super stats—Kids will see exactly how outstanding each player was with a quick breakdown of their career stats.Delight young fans and get them interested in the history of the game with this standout among baseball books.
Baseball for Kids: A Young Fan's Guide to the History of the Game (Biographies of Today's Best Players)
By Adam C. MacKinnon. 2020
Batter up! A complete history of baseball for kids 5 to 7Who invented baseball? How long has it been around?…
Who was the Great Bambino? Baseball for Kids answers all those burning questions and more as kids (ages 5-7) weave their way through the history of America's national sport through fun facts, stories, and legends.Your child will journey back to the beginnings of the game from the invention of the strikeout and foul ball to the integration of African-American ballplayers and the construction of iconic ballparks. They'll also learn about the sport's most famous personalities from big hitters like Lou Gehrig to heat-throwing pitchers like Bob Gibson.Baseball for Kids includes:Packed with fun—Children will revel in the cool information, trivia subjects, true or false challenges, and other tantalizing tidbits about the sport.From past to present—Baseball for Kids covers changes to the rules as well as adaptations to uniforms, mitts, bats, and other equipment.Get out there!—Use the Future Stars section to inspire your child to pick up a bat and a ball and swing for the fences.Hit a home run with your little one when you introduce them to our national pastime with Baseball for Kids.Help your child power up their reading skills and learn all about baseball with this fun-filled nonfiction reader carefully leveled…
to help children progress.DK Super Readers Level 3: Baseball will help children to learn all about their favorite ball game, baseball, and its star players! It is a motivating introduction to using essential nonfiction reading skills, proving ideal for children ready to enter the riveting world of reading.DK Super Readers take children on a journey through the wonderful world of nonfiction: traveling back to the time of dinosaurs, learning more about animals, exploring natural wonders, and more, all while developing vital nonfiction reading skills and progressing from first words to reading confidently.The DK Super Readers series can help your child practice reading by:Covering engaging, motivating, curriculum-aligned topics.Building knowledge while progressing Grades 3 and 4 reading skills.Developing subject vocabulary on topics such as sports.Boosting understanding and retention through comprehension quizzes.Each title, which has been leveled using MetaMetrics®: The Lexile Framework for Reading, integrates science, geography, history, and nature topics so there’s something for all children’s interests. The books and online content perfectly supplement core literacy programs and are mapped to the Common Core Standards. Children will love powering up their nonfiction reading skills and becoming reading heroes.DK Super Readers Level 3 titles are visually engaging, full of fun facts about exciting topics, and motivate children to improve their nonfiction reading skills. They are perfect for children ages 8 to 10 (Grades 3 and 4) who are newly independent readers ready to advance.
Who was roberto clemente? (Who Was?)
By James Buckley. 2016
Growing up the youngest of seven children in Puerto Rico, Roberto Clemente had a talent for baseball. His incredible skill…
soon got him drafted into the big leagues where he spent 18 seasons playing right field for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Who Was Roberto Clemente? tells the story of this remarkable athlete: a twelve-time All-Star, World Series MVP, and the first Latin American inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame
Before the 1950 World Series, the Philadelphia Phillies were infamous for a record-breaking lack of achievement that dated from their…
conception in 1883 through the 1940s. When twenty-eight-year-old Robert Carpenter Jr. took over in 1944, the Phillies had won only a single National League title in more than sixty years. For the next five years, Carpenter and the newly hired general manager, Herb Pennock, would overhaul the team&’s operations, building a farm system from scratch and spending a fortune on young talent to build a team that would gain immense popularity and finally bring a National League pennant in 1950. Nicknamed the &“Whiz Kids&” because they had so many players under thirty, the team caught lightning in a bottle for one season. Although they lost the World Series to the New York Yankees, the team became legendary in Philadelphia and beyond. The Whiz Kids is about a team that shocked everyone by winning, and then shocked everyone by never winning again. It includes a cast of characters and unusual storylines: a first baseman targeted for murder by a woman he had never met; a young catcher from Nebraska, Richie Ashburn, who became a Hall of Fame center fielder and later voice of the team for nearly three decades; a left fielder who lived and played in the shadow of his legendary father, then inspired Ernest Hemingway with the most legendary swing of a bat in franchise history; and a thirty-three-year-old bespectacled relief pitcher who won the Most Valuable Player Award with an undertaker as his personal pitching coach. The team succeeded under the watchful eye of its young owner, whose father handed him the team, and a college professor manager, only to see it slowly crumble as the slowest in the National League to integrate.The Whiz Kids recounts the history of a team that, though hand-built to be champions, fell short—yet remains legendary anyway.
Kent Hrbek's tales from the Minnesota Twins dugout
By Kent Hrbek. 2007
Major league star, Kent Hrbek, was not only Minnesota born and bred; he spent his entire career (1981-94) with the…
Twins, playing key roles in their 1987 and 1991 world championship seasons. Hrbek's baseball memoir includes a moving portrait of the late Kirby Puckett and absorbing recaps of the Twins' World Series triumphs. 2007. Adult
The bullpen gospels: major league dreams of a minor league veteran
By Dirk Hayhurst. 2010
Dirk Hayhurst believed in baseball enough to join the minor leagues while dreaming of the majors, and willing to put…
up with stories of scandals and steroids. Contains strong language. 2010. Adult
How the Red Sox Explain New England
By Jon Chattman. 2013
An examination of the unique affinity New Englanders have for their Red Sox, this work illustrates how the storied history…
of the franchise mirrors that of New England itself. Entertaining and informative, How the Red Sox Explain New England is sure to be popular among one of sports' most passionate and dedicated fan bases. Adult. Unrated
24: life stories and lessons from the Say Hey Kid
By Willie Mays. 2024
This biography of the legendary African American centerfielder includes interviews with the many players and non-players he inspired (including Barack…
Obama) and personal stories from Mays himself. Mays shares the inspirations and influences responsible for guiding him on and off the field. Some strong language. 2020
The Bryce Harper Story: Rise of a Young Slugger
By The Washington Post. 2012
Bryce Harper&’s unprecedented ascent to the major leagues, from a 17-year-old first overall draft pick to a headline-creating, 19-year-old rookie…
center fielder for the Washington Nationals, dropped him into the middle of the best season of D.C. baseball since the Great Depression. Washington Post sports reporters chronicled each moment on and off the field, from his first press conference in Washington, to watching him wash dishes after dinner at his parents&’ house, to his debut at Dodger Stadium. Nowhere was his journey detailed better than in these collected stories from the Post.No one had ever seen a player like Bryce Harper before, and perhaps never had a rookie lived up so completely to his billing. This newly updated e-book from The Washington Post has the stories, the photos and the jaw-dropping achievements as covered by The Post, whose sports journalists have been there for the entire ride. Get your story of a legend today.
Big Papi: My Story of Big Dreams and Big Hits
By David Ortiz, Tony Massarotti. 2007
The inspiring and dramatic story of Big Papi, from growing up poor to becoming one of the most popular and…
successful players in Major League Baseball.Raised in the Dominican Republic, signed by the Seattle Mariners, and released by the Minnesota Twins, David Ortiz landed in baseball-crazy Boston, of all places. Generally regarded as an underachiever to that point in his career, Ortiz blossomed into one of the most feared and adored sluggers in baseball while altering the course of the game's history, helping Boston win its first World Series in eighty-six years and thereby breaking the infamous "Curse of the Bambino."Along the way, Ortiz established his place as a truly Ruthian figure in the annals of our national pastime: an imposing figure in the batter's box, yet an endearing man to the young, particularly in his native Dominican Republic, where he has focused his charitable efforts on improving the health of children. The son of two caring parents, and a loving father of three, Ortiz is a hero to many.Now, in his memoir, the man affectionately known as "Big Papi" recounts his life from growing up in an impoverished area of the Dominican Republic (where baseball is king) to his ascension in Boston (where he became one). Ortiz discusses, in detail, his historic and record-setting performances as a member of the Red Sox, his exploding popularity, the challenges of playing in Boston, and life in the Red Sox clubhouse.Big Papi is a unique memoir by a charismatic man who appeals to young and old, on the baseball field or off.