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Gil Hodges
By Tom Clavin. 2012
Due to his achievements as a player and manager, as well as his sterling character, Gil Hodges deserves to be in the…
Hall of Fame as much as any player honored by the institution. A towering figure during the Golden Era of the 1950s, Hodges was the Brooklyn Dodgers’ powerful first baseman who, alongside Jackie Robinson, helped drive his team to six pennants and a thrilling World Series victory in 1955. Dutifully following the Dodgers to Los Angeles in 1958, Hodges longed to return to New York City, and in 1962, joined the original Mets. He took over the manager’s spot on their bench in 1968 and transformed the team from a joke to World Champions in 1969#151;the Miracle Mets. Yet behind his stoic demeanor lay a man prone to anxiety and scarred by combat during World War II. His sudden death in 1972 shocked his friends and family and left a void in the hearts of baseball fans everywhere. Acclaimed authors Tom Clavin and Danny Peary delve into one of baseball’s most overlooked stars, shedding light on a fascinating life and career that even his most ardent fans never knew.Baseball as a Road to God
By John Sexton. 2013
For more than a decade John Sexton has taught a wildly popular New York University course about two seemingly…
very different things religion and baseball Yet Sexton argues that one is actually a pathway to the other A fan can appreciate baseball through a favorite team the avalanche of statistics a cherished cliff-hanging game or season or the simple joy of sitting in a ballpark Baseball s broad appeal lies in its improbable moments Joe DiMaggio s fifty-six-game hitting streak home runs in the bottom of the ninth and teams finally winning it all after decades of frustration In these magic moments baseball can transcend cognition We can dissect and analyze and argue about what we are watching but the experience of it puts us in touch with forces that go beyond ourselves Baseball as a Road to God is about touching that something that lies beyond logical understanding Sexton illuminates the surprisingly large number of mutual concepts shared between baseball and religion faith doubt conversion miracles and even sacredness among many others Structured like a game and filled with riveting accounts of baseball s most historic moments Baseball as a Road to God will enthrall baseball fans whatever their religious beliefs In thought-provoking beautifully rendered prose Sexton elegantly demonstrates that baseball is more than a game or even a national pastime It can be a road to enlightenmentWherever I Wind Up
By R A Dickey. 2012
With a new epilogue by author R A Dickey winner of the 2012 Cy Young award …
An astounding memoir--haunting and touching courageous and wise - Jeremy Schaap bestselling author Emmy award-winning journalist ESPN In 1996 R A Dickey was the Texas Rangers much-heralded No 1 draft choice Then a routine physical revealed that his right elbow was missing its ulnar collateral ligament and his lifelong dream--along with his 810 000 signing bonus--was ripped away Yet despite twice being consigned to baseball s scrap heap Dickey battled back Sustained by his Christian faith the love of his wife and children and a relentless quest for self-awareness Dickey is now the starting pitcher for the Toronoto Blue Jays he was previously a star pitcher for the New York Mets and one of the National League s premier players as well as the winner of the 2012 Cy Young award In Wherever I Wind Up Dickey eloquently shares his quintessentially American tale of overcoming extraordinary odds to achieve a game a career and a life unlike any otherWherever I Wind Up
By Wayne Coffey, R. A. Dickey. 2012
With a new epilogue by author R.A. Dickey, winner of the 2012 Cy Young award "An astounding memoir--haunting and touching,…
courageous and wise." - Jeremy Schaap, bestselling author, Emmy award-winning journalist, ESPN In 1996, R.A. Dickey was the Texas Rangers' much-heralded No. 1 draft choice. Then, a routine physical revealed that his right elbow was missing its ulnar collateral ligament, and his lifelong dream--along with his $810,000 signing bonus--was ripped away. Yet, despite twice being consigned to baseball's scrap heap, Dickey battled back. Sustained by his Christian faith, the love of his wife and children, and a relentless quest for self-awareness, Dickey is now the starting pitcher for the Toronoto Blue Jays (he was previously a star pitcher for the New York Mets) and one of the National League's premier players, as well as the winner of the 2012 Cy Young award. In Wherever I Wind Up, Dickey eloquently shares his quintessentially American tale of overcoming extraordinary odds to achieve a game, a career, and a life unlike any other.Las Estrellas Orientales
By Mark Kurlansky. 2010
"Este es un clásico de Kurlansky: erudito, impredecible, compasivo, y se lee compulsivamente. . . . Una reveladora meditación sobre…
el deporte, la nación, y también sobre el mundo". -Junot Díaz, autor de La breve y maravillosa vida de Oscar Wao "¿Qué tienen en común Rico Carty, Alfredo Griffin, Pedro Guerrero, George Bell, Julio Franco, Juan Samuel, Sammy Sosa, Alfonso Soriano, y Robinson Canó? Que todos proceden de San Pedro de Macorís, la pequeña ciudad azucarera en la República Dominicana. ¿Una coincidencia? Difícilmente". -National Public Radio Al final de la temporada de 2010, más de ochenta y seis jóvenes y hombres de la empobrecida ciudad de San Pedro de Macorís jugaban en las Grandes Ligas -lo que significa que uno de cada seis dominicanos de las Grandes Ligas vinieron de los mismos equipos locales de los ingenios azucareros, y acudieron en masa a los Estados Unidos en busca de oportunidades, de riqueza, y de una vida mejor. Pero este viaje es también una crónica del racismo en el béisbol, de la necesidad de cambiar las costumbres sociales del deporte en la República Dominicana y en los Estados Unidos, y de las historias personales de los hombres que han buscado escapar de la pobreza jugando béisbol. En Las Estrellas Orientales, Mark Kurlansky revela el amor de dos países por un deporte, y descubre unos significados más profundos sobre lugar y identidad, tenacidad y supervivencia, colonialismo y capitalismo, pero especialmente sobre el béisbol. .The Game
By Robert Benson. 2001
In the spirit of Field of Dreams, a remarkable book about baseball and the meaning of life. A game between…
the Iowa Cubs and the Nashville Sounds at an AAA park in Nashville provides the lens through which Robert Benson explores the game of baseball and the meaning of life in The Game. It is an ordinary week night game in the early part of the season between two teams that will finish far out of first place in the Pacific League. But Benson shows us how in this average game of baseball, just as in our everyday lives, the routine plays-the seemingly minor yet vital moves, empty of bravado-eventually win the game. In beautifully measured prose, Benson links events in his life to the innings in this baseball game. Married to a woman who can quote baseball stats with the best of them, and with two children who share his love for the game (his teenage daughter made the decision early on that she would be the first woman to play for the Yankees), Benson explores the ways in which baseball has always somehow shaped and defined his life. The Game is an extraordinary testament to the everlasting wonder and magic of the great American pastime. .Fantasyland
By Sam Walker. 2006
Every spring, millions of Americans prepare to take part in one of the oddest, most obsessive, and most engrossing rituals…
in the sports pantheon: Rotisserie baseball, a fantasy game where armchair fans match wits by building their own teams. In 2004, Sam Walker, a sports columnist for the Wall Street Journal, decided to explore this phenomenon by talking his way into Tout Wars, a league reserved for the nations top experts. The result is one of the most sheerly entertaining sports books in years and a matchless look into the heart and soul of our national pastime. .Wrigleyworld: A Season in Baseball's Best Neighborhood
By Kevin Kaduk. 2006
It was a glorious day when the Chicago Cubs won the World Series. . . . a glorious day in…
1908, to be precise. Since then, the Cubs-and their awesomely devoted fans-have eagerly awaited another taste of victory. Included among them is Kevin Kaduk, who, in a fit of heartfelt (and possibly insane) loyalty to the team quit his job as a sportswriter and moved back to the Windy City to find the heart and soul of what has come to be known as "Wrigleyville. " In this rollicking exploration of baseball and blind faith, Kaduk weaves a riveting tale of the team that stole his heart-and the life of the neighborhood surrounding baseball's most historic ballpark.The Eastern Stars
By Mark Kurlansky. 2010
Perfect
By Lew Paper. 2009
"If you want to live inside the most famous statistical afternoon in baseball history, Perfect is. . . well, let's…
just say 'ideal'. " -Chuck Closterman, Esquire On October 8, 1956, New York Yankees pitcher Don Larsen took the mound for game five of the World Series against the rival Brooklyn Dodgers. In an improbable performance that the New York Times called "the greatest moment in the history of the Fall Classic," Larsen, an otherwise mediocre journeyman pitcher, retired twenty-seven straight Dodger batters to clinch a perfect game and, to date, the only postseason no-hitter ever witnessed in major league baseball. Here, Lew Paper delivers a masterful pitch-by-pitch account of that fateful day and the extraordinary lives of the players on the field- seven of whom would later be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Meticulously researched and relying on dozens of interviews, Paper's gripping narrative recreates Larsen's feat in a pitching duel that featured legendary figures such as Mickey Mantle, Jackie Robinson, Yogi Berra, and Roy Campanella. More than just the story of a single game, Perfect is a window into baseball's glorious past.'78: The Boston Red Sox, A Historic Game, and a Divided City
By Bill Reynolds. 2009
Now in paperback: the inside story behind a crucial chapter in Red Sox lore-and a turbulent time in a troubled…
city. George Steinbrenner called it the greatest game in the history of American sports. On a bright October day in 1978, the Boston Red Sox met the New York Yankees for an epic playoff game that would send one team to the World Series-and render the other cursed for almost a quarter of a century. Award-winning sports columnist Bill Reynolds masterfully tells the dramatic story of the rival teams and players at this pivotal moment, and explores the social issues that divided Boston that summer and their influence on one game beyond the realm of sports.They Called Me God
By Peter Golenbock, Doug Harvey. 2014
In the pageantry of baseball, one select group is virtually unknown in the outside world, derided by fans, faced with…
split-second choices that spell victory or defeat. These men are up-close observers of the action, privy to inside jokes, blood feuds, benches-clearing brawls, and managers' expletive-filled tirades. In this wonderful memoir, Hall of Fame umpire Doug Harvey takes us within baseball as you've never seen it, with unforgettable inside stories of baseball greats such as Willie Mays, Sandy Koufax, and Whitey Herzog. Doug Harvey was a California farm boy, a high school athlete who nevertheless knew that what he really wanted was to become an unsung hero--a major league umpire. Working his way through the minor leagues, earning three hundred dollars a month, he survived just about everything, even riots in stadiums in Puerto Rico. And while players and other umps hit the bars at night, Harvey memorized the rule book. In 1962, he broke into the bigs and was soon listening to rookie Pete Rose worrying that he would be cut by the Reds and laying down the law with managers such as Tommy Lasorda and Joe Torre. This colorful memoir takes the reader behind the plate for some of baseball's most memorable moments, including: · Roberto Clemente's three thousandth and final hit · The "I don't believe what I just saw" heroic three-and-two pinch-hit home run by Kirk Gibson in the '88 World Series · The nail-biting excitement of the close-fought '68 World Series, when Doug called St. Louis Cardinal Lou Brock out at home plate and turned the trajectory of the series But beyond the drama, Harvey turned umpiring into an art. He was a man so respected, whose calls were so feared and infallible, that the players called him God. And through it all, he lived by three rules: never take anything from a player, never back down from a call, and never carry a grudge. A book for anyone who loves baseball, They Called Me God is a funny and fascinating tale of on- and off-the-field action, peopled by unforgettable characters from Bob Gibson to Nolan Ryan, and a treatise on good umpiring techniques. In a memoir that transcends sport, Doug Harvey tells a gripping story of responsibility, fairness, and honesty.Raceball
By Rob Ruck. 2011
From an award-winning writer, the first linked history of African Americans and Latinos in Major League BaseballAfter peaking at 27…
percent of all major leaguers in 1975, African Americans now make up less than one-tenth--a decline unimaginable in other men's pro sports. The number of Latin Americans, by contrast, has exploded to over one-quarter of all major leaguers and roughly half of those playing in the minors. Award-winning historian Rob Ruck not only explains the catalyst for this sea change; he also breaks down the consequences that cut across society. Integration cost black and Caribbean societies control over their own sporting lives, changing the meaning of the sport, but not always for the better. While it channeled black and Latino athletes into major league baseball, integration did little for the communities they left behind. By looking at this history from the vantage point of black America and the Caribbean, a more complex story comes into focus, one largely missing from traditional narratives of baseball's history. Raceball unveils a fresh and stunning truth: baseball has never been stronger as a business, never weaker as a game.The Yankee Years
By Joe Torre, Tom Verducci. 2009
Written as a third-person narrative with "Sports Illustrated" senior baseball writer Tom Verducci, "The Yankee Years" is a thoughtful, utterly…
honest, and gripping behind-the-scenes look at the Yankees' organization from Joe Torre, the most successful--and most respected--baseball manager of the modern era.Up, Up, and Away
By Jonah Keri. 2014
The definitive history of the Montreal Expos by the definitive Expos fan, the New York Times bestselling sportswriter and Grantland…
columnist Jonah Keri. 2014 is the 20th anniversary of the strike that killed baseball in Montreal, and the 10th anniversary of the team's move to Washington, DC. But the memories aren't dead--not by a long shot. The Expos pinwheel cap is still sported by Montrealers, former fans, and by many more in the US and Canada as a fashion item. Expos loyalists are still spotted at Blue Jays games and wherever the Washington Nationals play (often cheering against them). Every year there are rumours that Montreal--as North America's largest market without a baseball team--could host Major League Baseball again. There has never been a major English-language book on the entire franchise history. There also hasn't been a sportswriter as uniquely qualified to tell the whole story, and to make it appeal to baseball fans across Canada AND south of the border. Jonah Keri writes the chief baseball column for Grantland, and routinely makes appearances in Canadian media such as The Jeff Blair Show, Prime Time Sports and Off the Record. The author of the New York Times baseball bestseller The Extra 2% (Ballantine/ESPN Books), Keri is one of the new generation of high-profile sports writers equally facile with sabermetrics and traditional baseball reporting. He has interviewed everyone for this book (EVERYONE: including the ownership that allowed the team to be moved), and fans can expect to hear from just about every player and personality from the Expos' unforgettable 35 years in baseball. Up, Up, and Away is already one of the most anticipated sports books of next year.Whatever Happened to the Hall of Fame
By Bill James. 1995
Arguing about the merits of players is the baseball fan's second favorite pastime and every year the Hall of Fame…
elections spark heated controversy. In a book that's sure to thrill--and infuriate--countless fans, Bill James takes a hard look at the Hall, probing its history, its politics and, most of all, its decisions.The Only Game in Town
By Fay Vincent. 2006
In this delightful book that every baseball fan will cherish, ten outstanding ballplayers remember the heyday of the game in…
the 1930s and 1940s. It was the era of Gehrig and DiMaggio; of Foxx, Greenberg, and Williams; of Grove and Feller. Elden Auker, Tommy Henrich, Dom DiMaggio, Johnny Pesky, and Bob Feller recall some great rivalries: Auker pitched to Ruth and Gehrig, then faced Dizzy Dean in an unforgettable World Series; Henrich was a clutch player for the Yankees who alertly turned a passed-ball third strike into a World Series victory; Dom DiMaggio was a superb center fielder who batted .298 lifetime and nearly ended his brother Joe's hitting streak; Pesky, a Red Sox mainstay, was blamed for Enos Slaughter's dash home that was the most memorable play of the 1946 Red Sox-Cardinals World Series; and Feller was a teenager when he faced -- among others -- Foxx, Greenberg, and Joe DiMaggio. But this was also the era of great Negro Leagues stars who never had the opportunity to play in the major leagues. Buck O'Neil remembers the outstanding players of his day who never got their chance or whose turn came too late -- Oscar Charleston, Cool Papa Bell, Josh Gibson, and Satchel Paige among them. Two great events happened in the 1940s, and one of them would change the game forever. World War II took some of these great players off the diamond and put them into a different kind of uniform. Warren Spahn pitched his first game in 1942 and didn't pitch again until the war ended, getting his first victory in 1946 (nonetheless he won more games than any other left-hander in history). As he recalls here, he served his country memorably in the war. Then in 1947 Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, followed only a few months later by Larry Doby, the first African-American in the American League, who vividly describes what it felt like to be the only black ballplayer in the clubhouse -- and the league. The game began to change after integration, and home run king Ralph Kiner remembers how some clubs were quick to sign African-American players and thrive. Meanwhile, some Negro Leagues stars, such as Monte Irvin, itched for the opportunity to face the major leaguers and prove that, like Robinson and Doby, they could compete with the best. All of these ballplayers recall their favorite memories: the games that mattered most, the players they all admired, the childhood experiences that shaped their lives, and the deep affection for the game that has always remained with them. Illustrated throughout, The Only Game in Town is a fascinating trip through two decades when baseball changed profoundly. Like The Glory of Their Times, it is a book that will find a permanent place on every fan's bookshelf.One Day at Fenway
By Steve Kettmann. 2004
Saturday, August 30, 2003 -- Yankees versus Red Sox, Fenway Park. Not just a special day in a great rivalry…
but also a unique one in the long tradition of baseball writing. For on that day, Steve Kettmann worked with a team of top reporters to chronicle everything that happened, from the point of view of everyone involved. So here are Red Sox owner John Henry and CEO Larry Lucchino, privately second-guessing Grady Little's managing moves during the game; here is Joe Torre, the Yankees skipper, worrying on the bench about his closer, Mariano Rivera, who can't find home plate; here's Theo Epstein, Red Sox General Manager, playing guitar until his fingers bleed the night before the game; here's Hideki Matsui, Yankees slugger, surprised that no Japanese reporters turn up to greet him at the ballpark; and here's Bill Mueller, Red Sox third baseman, driving to the game, hoping he can get a hit to help Boston win. But it's not just the famous voices we hear. Let One Day at Fenway introduce you to Theo Gordon, who's told his girlfriend, Jane Baxter, forty-five lies, and watch as Marty Martin does what all good Red Sox fans should do, only to find himself thrown out of the ballpark. Taken together, these and a myriad of other voices reveal a day in the life of baseball unlike ever before, showing in this unique project the human side to America's pastime.Book of Baseball Stuff
By Ron Martirano. 2009
This book hits a grand slam right out of the park No diehard devotee of the diamond will be…
able to resist this completely out-of-the ordinary look at the sport It s rich in anecdotes about team superstitions from the black cat that haunted the Cubs to the Curse of the Bambino the antics of the superstars and other stuff that comes out of left field Think today s umpires have a temper Wait till you read about the 19th century New Jersey ump who pulled out a gun and shoved it in the face of a player who came at him with a bat Or about the time three Brooklyn Dodger runners found themselves at third base togetherIn this wonderful page-turner, veteran sports journalist Mike Vaccaro brings to life a bygone era in cinematic and intimate detail--and…
re-creates the magic and suspense of the world's first classic series. Despite a major presidential election, the near-assassination of Teddy Roosevelt, and the most sensational trial of the young century, baseball dominated front-page headlines in October 1912. The Boston Red Sox and the New York Giants of that year--two of the finest ball clubs that had ever been assembled--went head-to-head in a thrilling eight-game battle that ultimately elevated the World Series from a regional October novelty to a national obsession.