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Beyond Belief
By Josh Hamilton, Tim Keown. 2008
Josh Hamilton was the first player chosen in the first round of the 1999 baseball draft. He was known not…
only for his gargantuan homeruns, his speed on the bases and his fielding talent but also for his caring and humble character. He was destined to be one of those rare "high-character " superstars. But in 2001, working his way from the minors to the majors, all of the plans for Josh went off the rails in a moment of weakness. What followed was a 4-year nightmare of drugs and alcohol, estrangement from friends and family, and his eventual suspension from baseball. BEYOND BELIEF details the events that led up to the derailment. Josh explains how a young man destined for fame and wealth could allow his life to be taken over by drugs and alcohol. He will chronicle the details of the depths of his addiction. But Josh's story is one of redemption and triumph. It is inspirational, life-affirming and, since Josh credits his finding faith in Christ for saving his life, it is also the memoir of a spiritual journey that breaks through pain and heartbreak and leads to the rebirth of his major-league career. Josh Hamilton makes no excuses and places no blame on anyone other than himself. He takes responsibility for his poor decisions and believes his story can help millions who battle the same demons. "I have been given a platform to tell my story" he says. "I pray every night I am a good messenger."Pride of October: What It Was to Be Young and a Yankee
By Bill Madden. 2003
Legendary Yankees past and present sit down with award-winning columnist Bill Madden to offer a captivating portrait of what it's…
like to play for the Bronx Bombers. In his years of writing about the Yankees for the Daily News, columnist Bill Madden has earned the reputation as one of the premier journalists covering the team. Now, he combines his unprecedented access with his unique insight to provide an insider's look at America's most revered sports team. Madden sits down with 18 prominent Yankee players--from legends like Yogi Berra to recent greats like Paul O'Neill--and gets them to open up about what it's like to play for the sport's most loved, most hated, and most successful franchise. Introspective chapters include profiles of Phil Rizzuto, Whitey Ford, Don Mattingly, and Lou Piniella; Jerry Coleman, who explains why the Yankees to him are "not just a team but a religion"; and Ralph Houk, the manager of the 1961 Yankees team who rarely gives interviews. Other revealing portraits include Bobby Murcer, Reggie Jackson, and Joe Pepitone. A celebration of baseball at its best, this is the perfect book for anyone who ever dreamed of donning the blue pinstripes and winning one for the home team.Built to Win
By John Schuerholz. 2006
He lost two Cy Young winners in two years, signed a 47-year-old to be his starting first baseman, played 17…
rookies in 2005, and still took his team to the playoffs. Baseball is John Schuerholz's world--everyone is just playing in it. Now, in BUILT TO WIN, the legendary manager takes readers behind the scenes of the most successful franchise in recent history--and shows how his unique philosophies and leadership have helped the Atlanta Braves achieve something no team has ever come close to accomplishing. He candidly peels back the curtain, from his first World Series with the Kansas City Royals to his departure for the struggling Braves. No sooner did Schuerholz arrive than they won their first title in 1991...and the rest is history.El cerrador
By Wayne Coffey, Mariano Rivera. 2014
The greatest relief pitcher of all time shares his extraordinary story of survival, love, and baseball.Mariano Rivera, the man who…
intimidated thousands of batters merely by opening a bullpen door, began his incredible journey as the son of a poor Panamanian fisherman. When first scouted by the Yankees, he didn't even own his own glove. He thought he might make a good mechanic. When discovered, he had never flown in an airplane, had never heard of Babe Ruth, spoke no English, and couldn't imagine Tampa, the city where he was headed to begin a career that would become one of baseball's most iconic. What he did know: that he loved his family and his then girlfriend, Clara, that he could trust in the Lord to guide him, and that he could throw a baseball exactly where he wanted to, every time.With astonishing candor, Rivera tells the story of the championships, the bosses (including The Boss), the rivalries, and the struggles of being a Latino baseball player in the United States and of maintaining Christian values in professional athletics. The thirteen-time All-Star discusses his drive to win; the secrets behind his legendary composure; the story of how he discovered his cut fastball; the untold, pitch-by-pitch account of the ninth inning of Game 7 in the 2001 World Series; and why the lowest moment of his career became one of his greatest blessings.In The Closer, Rivera takes readers into the Yankee clubhouse, where his teammates are his brothers. But he also takes us on that jog from the bullpen to the mound, where the game -- or the season -- rests squarely on his shoulders. We come to understand the laserlike focus that is his hallmark, and how his faith and his family kept his feet firmly on the pitching rubber. Many of the tools he used so consistently and gracefully came from what was inside him for a very long time -- his deep passion for life; his enduring commitment to Clara, whom he met in kindergarten; and his innate sense for getting out of a jam.When Rivera retired, the whole world watched -- and cheered. In The Closer, we come to an even greater appreciation of a legend built from the ground up.El Cerrador: Edición Juvenil
By Wayne Coffey, Sue Corbett, Mariano Rivera. 2014
Mariano Rivera nunca soñó en llegar a ser un atleta profesional. Él nunca coleccionó tarjetas de béisbol, ni jugó en…
Pequeñas Ligas ni vitoreó a su equipo en una Serie Mundial. Él tampoco oyó hablar de Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio o Mickey Mantle.Pero un día, todo cambió.De ser un niño que jugaba con sus amigos en Panamá hasta ser un deportista exitoso con los Yankees de Nueva York, la vida de Mariano se convirtió en algo grandioso que jamás él pensó. Cuando él se para en el montículo no oye a la multitud, sólo oye la voz del árbitro gritando: "¡Strike!". Es el compañero de juego en el que puedes confiar, aun cuando las bases están llenas en la parte baja de la novena entrada. Sea que lo conozcas como Mo o como el "Sandman", Mariano es El cerrador y esta es su historia.Lleno de consejos para atletas jóvenes y anécdotas del equipo de los Yankees, El cerrador: Edición juvenil es una inspiradora historia de perseverancia, espíritu deportivo y dedicación que han definido la vida de una leyenda del béisbol.The Closer: Young Readers Edition
By Wayne Coffey, Sue Corbett, Mariano Rivera. 2014
Mariano Rivera never dreamed of becoming a professional athlete. He didn't grow up collecting baseball cards, playing Little League, or…
cheering on his home team at the World Series. He had never heard of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, or Mickey Mantle.One day, that all changed.From a childhood playing pickup games in Panama to an epic career with the New York Yankees, Mariano's rise to greatness has been anything but ordinary. He's the guy on the mound who doesn't hear the crowd, just the sound of the ump calling, Strike! The teammate you can rely on, even when the bases are loaded in the bottom of the ninth. Whether you know him as Mo or as the Sandman, Mariano is The Closer, and this is his story.Full of tips for young athletes and tales from the Yankee clubhouse, The Closer: Young Readers Edition is an inspiring story of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication that have defined the life of a baseball legend.Out of My League: The Classic Hilarious Account of an Amateur's Ordeal in Professional Baseball
By Jane Leavy, George Plimpton. 2016
The baseball classic that Ernest Hemingway called "beautifully observed and incredibly conceived," now repackaged and including a foreword from Jane…
Leavy and photographs from the Plimpton archives.The first of Plimpton's remarkable forays into participatory journalism, OUT OF MY LEAGUE chronicles with wit, charm, and grace what happens when a self-professed amateur has the chance to answer every fan's question: could he strike out a major league star? Plimpton's inspired idea--to get on the mound and pitch a few innings to the All-Stars of the American and National Leagues--begins as a fun-filled stunt and comes to a deeply hellish, nearly humiliating end. This honest and hilarious tale features Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Whitey Ford, Ralph Houk, and other baseball greats and is "a baseball book such as no one else ever wrote, and one of the best ever." --New York Herald TribuneOne for the Record: The Inside Story of Hank Aaron's Chase for the Home Run Record
By Bob Costas, George Plimpton. 2016
The inside story of Hank Aaron's chase for the home run record, repackaged and with a foreword by Bob Costas…
and new material from the Plimpton Archives.In ONE FOR THE RECORD, George Plimpton recounts Hank Aaron's thrilling race to become the new home run champion. Amidst media frenzy and death threats, Aaron sought to beat Babe Ruth's record. In 1974, he finally succeeded. A fascinating examination of the psychology of baseball players, ONE FOR THE RECORD gives an absorbing account of the men on the mound who had to face Aaron. But the book's true genius lies in the portrait of Aaron himself, and his discussions on his philosophy on hitting and the game of baseball.The Hall: A Celebration of Baseball's Greats
By Tom Brokaw, The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. 2014
A deluxe baseball treasury unlike any other, complete with essays, photos, and player bios from The National Baseball Hall of…
Fame and Museum.Everyone dreams of Cooperstown. It's a hallowed name in baseball, for players as well as their fans. It's a house where legends live; it's everything that's great about the game. Never before has the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum published a complete registry of inductees with plaques, photographs, and extended biographies. In this unique, 75th anniversary edition, read the stories of every player inducted into the Hall, organized by position. Each section begins with an original essay by a living Hall of Famer who played that position: Hank Aaron, George Brett, Orlando Cepeda, Carlton Fisk, Tommy Lasorda, Joe Morgan, Jim Rice, Cal Ripken Jr., Nolan Ryan, and Robin Yount.The House That Ruth Built: A New Stadium, the First Yankees Championship, and the Redemption of 1923
By Robert Weintraub. 2011
The untold story of Babe Ruth's Yankees, John McGraw's Giants, and the extraordinary baseball season of 1923Before the 27 World…
Series titles--before Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, and Derek Jeter--the Yankees were New York's shadow franchise. They hadn't won a championship, and they didn't even have their own field, renting the Polo Grounds from their cross-town rivals the New York Giants. In 1921 and 1922, they lost to the Giants when it mattered most: in October.But in 1923, the Yankees played their first season on their own field, the newly-built, state of the art baseball palace in the Bronx called "the Yankee Stadium." The stadium was a gamble, erected in relative outerborough obscurity, and Babe Ruth was coming off the most disappointing season of his career, a season that saw his struggles on and off the field threaten his standing as a bona fide superstar. It only took Ruth two at-bats to signal a new era. He stepped up to the plate in the 1923 season opener and cracked a home run to deep right field, the first homer in his park, and a sign of what lay ahead. It was the initial blow in a season that saw the new stadium christened "The House That Ruth Built," signaled the triumph of the power game, and established the Yankees as New York's-and the sport's-team to beat. From that first home run of 1923 to the storybook World Series matchup that pitted the Yankees against their nemesis from across the Harlem River-one so acrimonious that John McGraw forced his Giants to get to the Bronx in uniform rather than suit up at the Stadium--Robert Weintraub vividly illuminates the singular year that built a classic stadium, catalyzed a franchise, cemented Ruth's legend, and forever changed the sport of baseball.The World Series: Great Championship Moments
By Matthew F Christopher. 2007
For more than a century, the World Series has captivated baseball fans. From Babe Ruth's Called Shot in 1932 and…
Reggie Jackson's three-in-a-row home runs in 1977, to the "reverse the curse" wins by Boston in 2004 and Chicago in 2005--this action-packed volume is sure to please. Quotes from the star athletes, photos of the best plays, and a complete list of results since the first series in 1903 round out the book that young baseball fans will find is an out-of-the park home run!Great Moments in Baseball History
By Matt Christopher. 1996
Capturing the suspense and play-by-play action of nine major league plays and the personalities of the athletes that made them,…
a fan's treasury includes Willie May's 1954 World Series catch and Jim Abbott's no-hitter.Babe Ruth - Legends in Sports
By Matthew F Christopher. 2005
In a career that spanned over thirty years, George Herman "Babe" Ruth changed the way the sport of baseball was…
played. He was the first true power hitter, a strong pitcher, and in the outfield made some amazing game-saving catches. His love of the sport shined through in the way he laughed while jogging around the bases, in how he kidded and horsed around with teammates, and in his overall determination to win. But there was a darker side to Babe, one that nearly ruined his career - and his life. In the end, however, Ruth managed to overcome his personal demons, recapture his health, and go on to lead his beloved Yankees to championship status. Simply put, there has never been another player like the Babe. This comprehensive biography of one of baseball's most memorable legends also comes with photos."Richly layered ... An entertaining and informative portrait of two underappreciated teams in an unforgettable time."--Boston Sunday Globe. Which is…
the most surprising World Series ever? Many baseball fans would agree that it was the epic 1966 clash between the reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers and the perennial underdog Baltimore Orioles. The godlike Sandy Koufax had led the Dodgers to victory in two previous World Series, and had finished the season with twenty-seven wins, a personal best. Few outside Baltimore gave the Orioles - slugger Frank Robinson leading a young team of no-name kids and promising prospects - more than a fighting chance against such series veterans as Koufax, Don Drysdale, Maury Wills, and the rest. Experts were betting that Los Angeles would sweep it in four. What transpired instead astonished the nation, as the greatest pitching performance in World Series history capped a redemption beyond imagining. "Guaranteed to score a home run." Essence. "Astonishing ... Adelman goes way past the box scores to get information that makes the players more human and the games more dramatic." San Diego Union Tribune. "Black and Blue delivers good baseball action, ownerly perfidy, and social context." Boston Globe.“The best all-around catcher in black baseball history”—Cumberland Posey, Owner of the Homestead Grays National Baseball Hall of Fame catcher…
James Raleigh “Biz” Mackey’s professional career spanned nearly three decades in the Negro Leagues and elsewhere. He distinguished himself as a defensive catcher who also had an impressive batting average and later worked as a manager of the Newark Eagles and the Baltimore Elite Giants. Using archival materials and interviews with former Negro League players, baseball historian Rich Westcott chronicles the catcher’s life and remarkable career in Biz Mackey, a Giant behind the Plate as well as providing an in-depth look at Philadelphia Negro League history. Westcott traces Mackey’s childhood in Texas as the son of sharecroppers to his success on the baseball diamond where he displayed extraordinary defensive skills and an exceptional ability to hit and to handle pitchers. Mackey spent one third of his career playing in Philadelphia, winning championships with the Hilldale Daisies and the Philadelphia Stars. Mackey also mentored famed catcher Roy Campanella and had an unlikely role in the story of baseball’s development in Japan. A celebrated ballplayer before African Americans were permitted to join Major League Baseball, Biz Mackey ranks as one of the top catchers ever to play the game. With Biz Mackey, he finally gets the biography he deserves.The Big Chair: The Smooth Hops and Bad Bounces from the Inside World of the Acclaimed Los Angeles Dodgers General Manager
By Ned Colletti, Joseph A. Reaves. 2017
“An important contribution to 21st-century baseball literature. . . Mr. Colletti’s book might be even more groundbreaking [than Moneyball] in…
some ways: It’s a nearly unprecedented opportunity to see what running a baseball franchise looks like through the eyeballs of an actual general manager. . . [Colletti] has a gift for entertaining storytelling. . . These are stories modern general managers rarely tell, except in late-night gatherings at their favorite bars with people they know and trust. So to read them here, told in such colorful detail, makes you feel as if Ned Colletti has just invited you to plop down on the next bar stool.” --Wall Street Journal “Ned Colletti is a baseball treasure with fascinating stories to tell from inside the game. The Big Chair is your all-access pass. After reading this book, you will not only understand the job of a general manager better but also the game of baseball itself.”—Tom Verducci, author of The Cubs Way and co-author of The Yankee YearsAn unprecedented, behind-the-scenes look at the career of famed former Los Angeles Dodgers General Manager (a position also known as “The Big Chair”), whose tenure spanned nine of the most exciting and turbulent years in the franchise’s history. During his tenure with the Dodgers, Colletti had the highest winning percentage of any general manager in the National League. In The Big Chair, he lets readers in on the real GM experience from his unique vantage point—sharing the inner workings of three of the top franchises in the sport, revealing the out-of-the-headlines machinations behind the trades, the hires and the deals; how the money really works; how the decision-making really works; how much power the players really have and why—the real brass tacks of some of the most pivotal decisions made in baseball history that led to great success along with heartbreak and failure on the field. Baseball fans will come for the grit and insight, stay for the heart, and pass it on for the wisdom. Ned Colletti began his MLB career with his beloved hometown team, the Chicago Cubs, more than 35 years ago. He worked in Chicago for a dozen years and was in the front office when the Cubs won the National League East in 1984 and 1989, after which he moved on as director of baseball operations for the SF Giants. By 1996, he became the Assistant GM for the Giants, before being hired as the GM in Los Angeles in 2006. There he oversaw the Dodgers through the highly publicized and acrimonious divorce battle between Frank and Jamie McCourt that culminated in the equally highly publicized sale of the team. He was present at the press conference where Don Mattingly, having just watched his team eliminated from the playoffs, used the post-season conference to vehemently discuss his lack of a contract extension. He brought marquee names like Greg Maddux and Clayton Kershaw to LA, as well as marquee drama with the likes of Manny Ramirez and Yasiel Puig; hired future Hall of Famer Joe Torre as manager; and oversaw fourteen Dodgers playoff wins. And these are just a few of the highlights. Colletti serves up a huge dish of first-hand experiences with some of the biggest names in baseball history (Barry Bonds, Greg Maddux, Don Mattingly, Don Zimmer, Tommy Lasorda, Scott Boras, Vin Scully, and more). From his humble early years living in a Chicago garage to his path to one of the most prestigious positions in professional sports, his very public and illustrious career has left a permanent handprint in the history of America's sport—and now he's ready to share the insight only those who have sat in The Big Chair have ever seen.Fail better: Why Baseball Matters
By Mark Kingwell. 2017
Taking seriously the idea that baseball is a study in failure--a very successful batter manages a hit only three of…
every ten attempts--Mark Kingwell explores ways in which the game teaches us lessons on fragility, contingency, and community. Weaving elements of memoir, philosophical reflection, sports writing, and humour, "Fail Better" serves as an unofficial follow-up to "Catch and Release: Trout Fishing and the Meaning of Life", which won over readers by offering an intelligent but accessible look into the deep waters of angling. 2017.The Chicago Cubs: story of a curse
By Rich Cohen. 2017
Follows the Cubs' early days as the first powerhouse baseball team, winners of the 1907 and 1908 World Series; their…
storied players, such as Billy Sunday, the 2nd baseman who became the most popular preacher in America; their old stadiums; their owners, from chewing gum magnate William Wrigley to Thomas Ricketts, CEO of Ameritrade; and their time between the two World Wars; all of it leading up to the momentous last World Series appearance and the breaking of the famed curse. 2017.Playing for Keeps: A History of Early Baseball
By Warren Goldstein. 1985
In the late 1850s, organized baseball was a club-based fraternal sport thriving in the cultures of respectable artisans, clerks and…
shopkeepers, and middle-class sportsmen. Two decades later it had become an entertainment business run by owners and managers, depending on gate receipts and the increasingly disciplined labor of skilled player-employees. Playing for Keeps is an insightful, in-depth account of the game that became America's premier spectator sport for nearly a century.Reconstructing the culture and experience of early baseball through a careful reading of the sporting press, baseball guides, and the correspondence of the player-manager Harry Wright, Warren Goldstein discovers the origins of many modern controversies during the game's earliest decades.The 20th Anniversary Edition of Goldstein's classic includes information about the changes that have occurred in the history of the sport since the 1980s and an account of his experience as a scholarly consultant during the production of Ken Burns's Baseball.Negro League Baseball: The Rise and Ruin of a Black Institution
By Neil Lanctot. 2004
The story of black professional baseball provides a remarkable perspective on several major themes in modern African American history: the…
initial black response to segregation, the subsequent struggle to establish successful separate enterprises, and the later movement toward integration. Baseball functioned as a critical component in the separate economy catering to black consumers in the urban centers of the North and South. While most black businesses struggled to survive from year to year, professional baseball teams and leagues operated for decades, representing a major achievement in black enterprise and institution building.Negro League Baseball: The Rise and Ruin of a Black Institution presents the extraordinary history of a great African American achievement, from its lowest ebb during the Depression, through its golden age and World War II, until its gradual disappearance during the early years of the civil rights era. Faced with only a limited amount of correspondence and documents, Lanctot consulted virtually every sports page of every black newspaper located in a league city. He then conducted interviews with former players and scrutinized existing financial, court, and federal records. Through his efforts, Lanctot has painstakingly reconstructed the institutional history of black professional baseball, locating the players, teams, owners, and fans in the wider context of the league's administration. In addition, he provides valuable insight into the changing attitudes of African Americans toward the need for separate institutions.