Baseball Books

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book tells the fascinating stories of the baseball rebels who were influenced by, and in turn influenced, America's political and social protest movements throughout historyincluding battles over labor, anti-trust, corporate power, immigration, and America's wars and military interventions worldwide.

Read more less

Book SynopsisPlay, watch, and understand America''s favorite pastime Baseball continues to be a popular game both as a spectator sport and as a pastime. Since the publication of Baseball For Dummies, 3rd Edition, baseball teams have changed, new MLB stadiums have been built, and rules have been updated. This updated 4th Edition brings you the latest information on the players, the places, and above all, the game. Baseball For Dummies is for baseball fans at all levels, from players and coaches to spectators who love the game. Baseball Hall of Fame player Joe Morgan explains baseball with remarkable insight, using down-to-earth language so everyone from the casual observer to the die-hard fan can gain a fuller appreciation of the sport. Improve your hitting, pitching, and fielding Find a baseball team to play on, from Little League on up Evaluate stats, players, and records Coach baseball or umpire effectively Get more oTable of ContentsIntroduction 1 Part I: Getting Started with Baseball 5 Chapter 1: The Lowdown on Baseball 7 Chapter 2: Suiting Up: Equipment 15 Chapter 3: Tackling the Rules of Baseball 31 Part II: Taking Your Swings — Playing Offense 43 Chapter 4: Preparing to Swing the Lumber: Life in the Batter’s Box 45 Chapter 5: Hitting Like a Major Leaguer 61 Chapter 6: The Science of Baserunning 83 Part III: The Ball in Play — Playing Defense 107 Chapter 7: Knowing the Players and Plays 109 Chapter 8: Winning the Arms’ Race: Pitching Like a Major Leaguer 123 Chapter 9: Behind the Plate: The Catcher 145 Chapter 10: Playing Infield 159 Chapter 11: Playing the Outfield: Where Fly Balls Go to Die 183 Part IV: From Little League to the Major Leagues — Organized Baseball 193 Chapter 12: T-Ball to College Baseball and Everything in Between 195 Chapter 13: The Majors, the Minors, and Other Leagues 205 Chapter 14: The Rest of the Field: Managers and Coaches 223 Chapter 15: Identifying the Rest of the Cast of Characters in the Ballpark 231 Chapter 16: Measuring Performance: Calculating Baseball’s Statistics 241 Chapter 17: Going All the Way: MLB Postseason Play and the World Series 249 Part V: The View from the Stands — A Spectator’s Guide 255 Chapter 18: Following the Bouncing Baseball 257 Chapter 19: Tackling Baseball’s Steroid Controversy 281 Chapter 20: Keeping Up Online, on the Air, and on the Newsstand 289 Chapter 21: Playing Fantasy Baseball 301 Part VI: The Part of Tens 311 Chapter 22: Joe Morgan’s Top Ten Toughest Pitchers He Batted Against 313 Chapter 23: Joe Morgan’s Ten Smartest Players 319 Appendix: Baseball Speak: A Glossary 325 Index 347

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn Tumultuous Times in America’s Game: From Jackie Robinson's Breakthrough to the War over Free Agency, Bryan Soderholm-Difatte provides a comprehensive examination of major developments and key figures in Major League Baseball from the integration of Jackie Robinson in 1947 to the owners-instigated catastrophic players’ strike of 1994-95. While many fans will recall those decades with fond remembrances of the baseball stars who played then—from Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle, and Willie Mays to Roberto Clemente, Pete Rose, Reggie Jackson, and Cal Ripken—they were also a time of substantial challenges that upended more than half a century of tradition that was the backbone of the major leagues. Tumultuous Times in America’s Game includes histories of each of the major league franchises, presented alongside Soderholm-Difatte’s detailed examination of the controversies, developments, and innovations from these significant decades in professional baseball. Recaps of several of baseball’s most exciting pennant races round out the narrative, making this book a valuable read for fans and historians of the national pastime.Trade ReviewThe maturity of Major League Baseball fell between Jackie Robinson and Marvin Miller. It wasn't always smooth, and Bryan Soderholm-Difatte sorts it all out in this engaging journey through the detours and triumphs. -- Marty Appel, author of Pinstripe Empire, Munson, and Casey Stengel

Read more less

Book SynopsisDespite his outstanding pitching record, James Francis “Pud” Galvin (1856-1902) was largely forgotten after his premature death. During his 17-year career pitching for Pittsburgh, Buffalo and St. Louis, he was one of the best-paid players in the game. This book offers the first comprehensive telling of Galvin's story, covering his complete record.

Read more less

Book SynopsisToday's baseball catcher stolidly goes about his duty without attracting much attention. But it wasn't always that way, as Peter Morris shows in this lively and original study. In baseball's early days, catchers stood a safe distance back of the batter without protective gear. Then the introduction of the curveball in the 1870s led them to move up directly behind home plate, even though they still wore no gloves or other protection. Extraordinary courage became the catcher's most notable requirement, but the new positioning also demanded that the catcher have lightning-fast reflexes, great hands, and a throwing arm with the power of a cannon. With so great a range of required skills, a special mystique came to surround the position, and it began to seem that a good catcher could single-handedly make the difference between a winning and losing team.Trade Review[Morris] gives us a sense of how changes on the baseball field reflected changes in America. * Christianity Today *Nobody is better at recapturing how and why Americans played baseball. * History News Network *

Read more less

Book SynopsisUnfortunately, Jackson's legend was interrupted by his alleged involvement in baseball's darkest chapter, the Black Sox Scandal of 1919, which ultimately banished him to participation in outlaw baseball leagues.Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Chronology of Joe Jackson's Life and Career Introduction Milltown Boy City of Brotherly Love Traded to Cleveland, 1910-1911 Cleveland Naps, 1912-1914 Changes in the Air, 1915-1917 World Series and a War, 1917-1918 Tangled Alliances Webs of Treachery Getting a Little "Jazz" Say It Ain't So, Joe! From Square Deal Verdict to Outlaw Ball Shadowed by Paradoxes Epilogue: Life's Legacy Appendix: Joe Jackson's Career and World Series Statistics Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom its modest beginnings in rural America to its current status as an entertainment industry in postindustrial America enjoyed worldwide by millions each season, the linkages between baseball's evolution and our nation's history are undeniable. Through war, depression, times of tumultuous upheaval and of great prosperity baseball has been held up as our national pastime: the single greatest expression of America's values and ideals. Combining a comprehensive history of the game with broader analyses of America's historical and cultural developments, National Pastime encapsulates the values that have allowed it to endure: hope, tradition, escape, revolution. While nostalgia, scandal, malaise and triumph are contained within the study of any American historical moment, we see in this book that the tensions and developments within the game of baseball afford the best window into a deeper understanding of America's past, its purpose, and its principles.Trade ReviewHistorians Babicz and Zeiler (both, Univ. of Colorado) set out to connect baseball to US history by developing a chronological framework that allows them to intertwine the game of baseball with the larger currents of US history. Beginning in the 19th century, the game and institution of baseball developed right along with the larger cultural themes of the country. As industrialization became dominant in the US, it affected the game of baseball. Babicz and Zeiler apply this paradigm to the labor movement, WW I, the 1920s, WW II, and civil rights. The final chapter is dedicated to the globalization of baseball and serves to tie the different periods of history together. This book, part of the American Ways series, meets its goal of connecting specific topics to the major events of US history. Along with George Vecsey's Baseball: A History of America's Favorite Game (2006), historians now have two sources that place baseball in a historical US context. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All public and academic levels/libraries. * CHOICE *In their first book, Babicz and Zeiler, professors of history at the University of Colorado, Boulder, offer a sharp analysis of the history of baseball. The authors first introduce New York City businessman Alexander Cartwright, considered to be the father of modern baseball, who founded the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club in the 1840s with members of the Knickerbocker Fire Engine Company. After the Civil War, baseball’s popularity spread to the Midwest, and the number of paid athletes increased (most significantly with the Chicago White Stockings) along with the number of new ballparks. The Black Sox scandal of 1919 dampened the sport’s popularity, but, as the writers note, dynamic personalities such as Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth helped to revive it. In a chapter called 'Jackie Robinson and Civil Rights,' the authors focus on the color ban, which relegated African-American players to the Negro Leagues until 1947, when Jackie Robinson broke into the majors with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Using graphs and photos, the authors provide a precise, multidimensional story of how the sport evolved through the advent of radio, television, franchise shifts, free agency, the influx of Latin athletes, and corporate sponsorship. Babicz and Zeiler’s baseball history informs and entertains. * Publishers Weekly *National Pastime belongs on the shelf of every baseball historian right alongside Jules Tygiel's landmark Past Time: Baseball as History and Benjamin Rader's comprehensive Baseball: A History of America's Game. * NINE: A Journal of Baseball History & Culture *National Pastime is a comprehensive and authentic history of baseball. Accomplished historians Martin C. Babicz and‎ Thomas W. Zeiler tell the story of America’s national sport and pastime from the beginning and how it emerged from a game known as rounders. In a chronological order, they talk about each and every phase of the sport since the early 19thcentury. Packed with the knowledge of baseball history, National Pastime is more interesting and exciting than a national baseball match. If not the best book on the history of baseball, it surely is one of the best books. If you like watching a baseball match, you will surely enjoy reading National Pastime. * The Washington BookReview *“National Pastime is thoughtful and impressive. It deftly weaves baseball’s complex past into American history, providing both an innovative study of the United States, and an entertaining analysis of baseball and its place in society.” -- Joel Wolfe, University of Massachusetts“By skillfully placing baseball’s story within its appropriate historical context, the authors take fans, students and scholars alike on a memorable baseball road trip through American history.” -- Steven K. Wisensale, Ph.D., University of Connecticut“Babicz and Zeiler easily weave the chronological history of baseball among broad political, social, and cultural touchstones in this accessible text. National Pastime can serve as both reference material and an introduction to the complex history of an American institution.” -- Meg Frisbee, Metropolitan State University of DenverTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Foreword Chapter 1: Baseball in Tocqueville’s America (To 1870) Chapter 2: The Industrialization of Leisure (1871 to 1883) Chapter 3: Color and Global Barriers (1865 to 1918) Chapter 4: The American Labor Movement & the Players’ League (1884 to 1891) Chapter 5: Progressivism and the American League (1892 to 1903) Chapter 6: Normalcy and the Black Sox Scandal (1904 to 1922) Chapter 7: Babe Ruth and the Roaring Twenties (1920 to 1929) Chapter 8: Segregation and the Negro Leagues (1896 to 1949) Chapter 9: Baseball and the Great Depression (1929 to 1940) Chapter 10: Baseball Goes to War (1941 to 1945) Chapter 11: Jackie Robinson and Civil Rights (1946 to 1987) Chapter 12: The Postwar American Century (1945 to 1964) Chapter 13: Change and Revolution (1960 to 1975) Chapter 14: Baseball in Post-Industrial America (Since 1975) Chapter 15: A Global Game (Since 1865) Epilogue: Traditions Bibliographic Essay

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhen most baseball fans think back to the 1988 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Oakland Athletics, they probably remember Kirk Gibson’s dramatic home run off Dennis Eckersley, Orel Hershiser’s shutout streak and dominant postseason pitching that got them there, or perhaps the fact that it remains, to this day, the last World Championship for the Dodgers. In The 1988 Dodgers: Reliving the Championship Season, K. P. Wee tells the story of this incredible year. More than just Gibson or Hershiser, the team’s success came from a true collective effort in which all 25 players on the roster made significant contributions throughout the season. Featuring dozens of interviews with players—including those lesser-known Dodgers who were just as important to the team as the stars—coaches, scouts, and general manager Fred Claire, Wee provides a refreshing view of the 1988 season, sharing personal stories and little-known anecdotes told to him by the players and staff. The players also reflect on the importance of the entire team that season, their careers following the World Championship, and life after baseball, giving readers a complete inside look at a season and team to remember.Trade ReviewOrel Hershiser IV…Kirk Gibson…the irrepressible Tom LaSorda…you know all about them. But Rick Dempsey, Mickey Hatcher, and Danny Heep—aka “The Stuntmen”—not so much. Now, thanks to K. P. Wee’s The 1988 Dodgers: Reliving the Championship Season, you will. This is the story of a very improbable and, yes, lovable bunch, the last LA Dodger squad to win a championship. -- Bob Ryan, Boston Globe, ESPNK. P. Wee brought back great memories for every Dodgers fan. This book is very informative and gives fantastic insight by interviewing the players and general manager Fred Claire. I highly recommend this book for all baseball fans! -- Tom Candiotti, television analyst for the Arizona Diamondbacks, former major-league pitcherWith thorough input from a variety of sources—star players, scouts, a third-string catcher, bat boys, broadcasters—Wee takes the reader on a candid journey through the Los Angeles Dodgers' 1988 season. It's a must-read for hardcore fans, and for anyone whose memories have been reduced to Orel Hershiser's scoreless-inning streak and Kirk Gibson's home run. The lost moments, colorful characters, and behind-the-scenes drama all come alive. -- J. P. Hoornstra, MLB reporter for the Southern California News Group and author of The 50 Greatest Dodger Games of All TimeThe 1988 Los Angeles Dodgers were overloaded with big, bold personalities, with the likes of Kirk Gibson, Rick Dempsey, Mickey Hatcher, Jesse Orosco and, of course, manager Tommy Lasorda. K. P. Wee makes you feel like you have snuck into a corner stall in their clubhouse for their magical run to the World Series. -- Steve Ewen, sports reporter for the Vancouver Province/SunTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction Lineup Part One: The 1988 Season 1: Spring Training ’88: The Gibson-Orosco Incident 2: The Stuntmen of L.A. 3: The Forgotten Guys 4: Regular-Season Memories 5: Hershiser’s Consecutive Scoreless Innings Streak Part Two: The Mets Series 6: Mets Series Moments: More Mets Magic 7: Scioscia’s Forgotten Homer—and the Forgotten Holton 8: Tommy the Motivational Leader Part Three: The A’s Series 9: Gibson’s Home Run 10: Scout’s Honor: The Dodgers Scouts Come Through 11: A’s Series Moments 12: Claire the Architect Part Four: After 1988 13: Saying Goodbye to L.A. 14: Gone Too Soon: The Forgotten Reliever and All-Star Infielder 15: Talking Rings & What ’88 Means 16: Where Are They Now? Epilogue Notes Bibliography Index About the Author

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis comprehensive survey of major league baseball looks at the national pastime’s legendary figures, major innovations, and pivotal moments, from the beginning of the twentieth century through World War II. In America's Game: A History of Major League Baseball through World War II, Bryan Soderholm-Difatte provides a comprehensive narrative of the major developments and key figures in Major League Baseball, during a time when the sport was still truly the national pastime. Soderholm-Difatte details pivotal moments—including the founding of the American League, the 1919 Black Sox scandal, and navigating the Great Depression and two World Wars—and concludes with a chapter examining the exclusion of black ballplayers from the major leagues. Central personalities covered in this book include baseball executives Judge Landis and Branch Rickey, managers John McGraw and Joe McCarthy, and iconic players such as Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb. America’s Game isn’t simply about celebrating the exploits of great players and teams; it is just as much about the history of Major League Baseball as an institution and the evolution of the game itself. With significant changes taking place in baseball in recent times, this book will remind baseball fans young and old of the rich history of the game.Trade ReviewAmerica’s Game is an ambitious and impressive work of history, full of sharp analysis and sure-handed storytelling. Ruth, Cobb, Shoeless Joe, and the rest of the boys are here, but Bryan Soderholm-Difatte is at his best in explaining how the game they played evolved as an institution and became part of our nation’s DNA. -- Jonathan Eig, New York Times best-selling author of Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou GehrigBryan Soderholm-Difatte brings a nuanced, stimulating, and enlightening perspective to baseball over the first half of the twentieth century. Casual baseball fans and hardcore historians alike will enjoy this highly engaging, well-written story. -- Daniel R. Levitt, author of The Battle that Forged Modern Baseball: The Federal League Challenge and Its LegacyThis is a thorough and well-documented account of a specific period of American baseball history. * CHOICE *

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewHensler presents a narrative of professional baseball from the late 1970s through the 1980s that is both analytical and readable. His focus on the economics of the game adds great depth to the standard histories of the game on the field. -- Andy McCue, author of the Seymour Medal-winning Mover and Shaker: Walter O’Malley, the Dodgers and Baseball’s Westward ExpansionWhatever else one might say about the era that spans 1977 to 1989, for baseball fans it might be the game's most colorful, and we're not even talking about the uniforms. Baseball gave itself a makeover during those dozen years and Paul Hensler's fantastic Gathering Crowds shows how it was done. Fun and informative, Gathering Crowds is a must for any fan of the game's polyester era. -- Mitchell Nathanson, author of Bouton: The Life of a Baseball Original, and God Almighty Hisself: The Life and Legacy of Dick Allen

Read more less

Book SynopsisA fascinating history celebrating Black players in Major League Baseball from the 1800s through today, with special insight into what the future may hold.In Beyond Baseball's Color Barrier: The Story of African Americans in Major League Baseball, Past, Present, and Future, Rocco Constantino chronicles the history of generations of ballplayers, showing how African Americans have influenced baseball from the 1800s to the present. He details how the color line was drawn, efforts made to erode it, and the progress towards Jackie Robinson’s debut—including a pre-integration survey in which players unanimously promoted integration years before it actually happened. Personal accounts and colorful stories trace the exponential growth of diversity in the sport since integration, from a boom in participation in the 1970s to peak participation in the early 1990s, but also reveal the current downward trend in the number of African American players to percentages not seen since the 1960s. Beyond the Color Line not only explores the stories of icons like Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Satchel Paige but also considers contributions made by players like Vida Blue, Mudcat Grant and Dwight Gooden. Exclusive interviews with former players and individuals involved in the game, including the President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, add first-hand expert insight into the history of the topic and what the future holds.

Read more less

Book Synopsis The St. Louis Cardinals, despite winning more World Series than any Major League franchise except for the New York Yankees, have seen their share of dry spells when they were shut out of the postseason. Like the American economy, the Cardinals have seen their fortunes cycle through prolonged ups and downs, with booms in 1885-1888, 1926-1946, 1964-1968, 1982-1987 and 1996-2011, and busts in 1889-1925, 1947-1963, 1969-1981 and 1988-1995. Drawing on years of research, this book chronicles the Cardinals'' periods of success and failure and explains the reasons behind them.Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsForeword by Jeffrey Kittel: Roots of Early St. Louis Ball-Playing PrefaceIntroduction: St. Louis and the Midwest and the Frontier of MLB 1. The Cardinals' Family Robison 2. Branch Rickey, Sam Breadon and Creation of the Farm System 3. The Rajah's Redbirds of 1926 4. Managerial ­Merry-Go-Round 5. Rise and Decline of the Gas House Gang 6. St Louis Swifties 7. Slicing the Baloney Too Thin 8. Bing Devine Ends a Pennant Drought 9. El Birdos10. Vern Rapp, Ken Boyer and Whitey Herzog11. Exit ­Anheuser-Busch, Enter Tony La RussaEpilogue: St. Louis Cardinals Baseball, 2012–2019Appendix A: St. Louis Cardinals Baseball Franchise Records, 1882–2019Appendix B: ­Single-Season and Career Leaders for Cardinal Franchise, 1882–2019Appendix C: Noteworthy AchievementsChapter NotesBibliographyIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisDelve into the history of this storied baseball field, which served as home to the Cincinnati Reds for more than 50 years!The Cincinnati Reds played at Crosley Field from 1912 through 1970. The ballpark remains an iconic part of the city's history and is still beloved throughout Reds Country. Cincinnati's Crosley Field, by Greg Rhodes and John Erardi, presents the field through text and over 150 vintage photographs. A favorite ballpark in all of Major League Baseball, Crosley Field hosted the first night game, the first of Johnny Vander Meer's back-to-back no-hitters, two all-star games, and four World Series. From the outfield terrace to the Moon Deck, from Lombardi's snooze to Big Klu's biceps, from Blackwell's whip to Rose's belly-flop slides, from the Redlegs to the Big Red Machine, Cincinnati's Crosley Field has all the memories covered in words and pictures.The authors also present the great Negro Leagues (baseball leagues formed by Black baseball players after they were excluded from the Major Leagues due to systemic racism) teams that played at Crosley, as well as the field's many colorful characters, such as longtime announcer Waite Hoyt and the top-hatted vendor known as Peanut Jim. This wonderful coffee-table book is a must-have for any baseball fan in Ohioand beyond.What a book! The photographs bring Crosley Field back to life and put you right back in your seat at the old ballpark. If you care about great ballparks and what made them special, this is the book for you. An inside-the-park home run!Joe Nuxhall, Cincinnati Reds legend

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe only book ever to win both the Seymour Medal and the Casey Award as the best baseball book of the year, Peter Morris's magisterial encyclopedia of the national pastime will surprise, delight, and educate even the most knowledgeable fan. With its thousand-odd entries, A Game of Inches illuminates the origins of items ranging from catcher's masks to hook slides to intentional walks to baseball's reserve clause. Now with new material and completely redesigned in a one-volume paperback, the book remains endlessly fascinating, impeccably researched, and engagingly written.

Read more less

Book Synopsis At six-feet-six, the hulking Martin Leo Boutilier (1872-1944) was hard to miss. Yet the many books written about Babe Ruth relegate the soft-spoken teacher and coach to the shadows. Ruth credited Boutilier--known as Brother Matthias in the Congregation of St. Francis Xavier--with making him the man and the baseball player he became. Matthias saw something in the troubled seven-year old and nurtured his athletic ability. Spending many extra hours on the ballfield with him over a dozen years, he taught Ruth how to hit and converted the young left-handed catcher into a formidable pitcher. Overshadowed by a fellow Xavierian brother who was given the credit for discovering the baseball prodigy, Matthias never received his due from the public but didn''t complain. Ruth never forgot the father figure who continued to provide valuable counsel in later life. This is the first telling of the full story of the man who gave the world its most famous baseball star.Table of ContentsAcknowledgments ixPreface 1 1. Time for Reflection 7 2. A Farewell to Nova Scotia 16 3. St. Mary's 29 4. Birth and Rebirth 43 5. "He always built me" 58 6. A Star Begins to Twinkle 69 7. A Big Deal 82 8. A Homer for a Babe 95 9. Playing to Empty Seats 10810. First Steps on the Big Stage 12111. A Real Major Leaguer 13312. Making History 14813. The Peak and Past It 164Epilogue 176Appendix I: Brother Matthias Speaks 185Appendix II: Statistics—Batting 188Appendix III: Statistics—Pitching 189Chapter Notes 191Bibliography 205Index 209

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis For the reader interested in learning more about working in sports--or the fan that wants a look at what those inside the radio booth go through day-to-day--this book contains the secrets and successes of minor league baseball broadcasters with a combined century of experience telling the story of America''s pastime. A host of decorated industry veterans discuss their careers, sharing tales of baseball greats from before they were famous, players who didn''t make it past Class-A, the zaniest promotional exercises to hit the market, some of small-town America''s greatest cuisine, the highs of winning a championship and the lows of being stranded on the highway for hours.Table of Contents Table of Contents Acknowledgments Foreword by Benjamin Hill Preface  1. John Kocsis, Jr.  2. Adam Marco  3. Joe Block  4. Jesse ­Goldberg-Strassler  5. Terry Byrom  6. Robert Ford  7. Josh Whetzel  8. Scott Kornberg  9. Jay Burnham 10. Joshua Suchon 11. Zack Bayrouty 12. Alex Cohen 13. Emma Tiedemann Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisA fascinating tour of baseball’s greatest moments and iconic stadiums, told through the reminiscences of 50 play-by-play broadcasters.With careers spanning two to three times that of an average player, baseball’s best broadcasters have no shortage of history to offer. They have witnessed opening days, no hitters, slugfests, and perfect games, all from arguably the best seats in the house. Broadcasters know their clubs, their stadiums, and their teams in a way that no one else can.In The Voices of Baseball: The Game's Greatest Broadcasters Reflect on America's Pastime, Updated Edition, Kirk McKnight provides an in-depth look at each of Major League Baseball’s thirty ballparks from the perspectives of the game’s longest-tenured storytellers. Fifty broadcasters reflect on their most iconic calls, fondest memories, what makes their ballparks unique, and more. This updated edition includes 14 additional broadcasters, two new stadiums, the latest World Series calls from the booth, and a special tribute to the recently-departed Vin Scully.With decades of broadcasting between them, their stories encapsulate some of Major League Baseball’s biggest moments. Generations of baseball fans will all enjoy the historic and triumphant memories shared by some of the game’s greatest broadcasters in The Voices of Baseball.Table of ContentsIntroduction: In a Word, “Theatrical”1Joe Castiglione & Ken “Hawk” Harrelson at Fenway Park (Boston Red Sox)2Chip Caray, Pat Hughes, Len Kasper, Bob Costas, & Steve Stone at Wrigley Field (Chicago Cubs) 3Vin Scully & Charley Steiner at Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles Dodgers)4 Dick Enberg, Terry Smith, & Rex Hudler at Angel Stadium of Anaheim (Los Angeles Angels)5Ken Korach at RingCentral Coliseum (Oakland Athletics)6Denny Matthews, Ryan Lefebvre, & Rex Hudler at Kauffman Stadium (Kansas City Royals)7Mike Wilner at Rogers Centre (Toronto Blue Jays)8Ken “Hawk” Harrelson & Steve Stone at Guaranteed Rate Field/Field of Dreams (Chicago White Sox)9Jon Miller & Gary Thorne at Oriole Park at Camden Yards (Baltimore Orioles)10Eric Nadel at Globe Life Park in Arlington/Globe Life Field (Texas Rangers)11Tom Hamilton & Jim Rosenhaus at Progressive Field (Cleveland Indians/Guardians)12Jack Corrigan & Wayne Hagin at Coors Field (Colorado Rockies)13Dave Wills, Andy Freed, & Charlie Slowes at Tropicana Field (Tampa Bay Rays)14Greg Schulte & Tim McCarver at Chase Field (Arizona Diamondbacks)15Rick Rizzs & Aaron Goldsmith at T-Mobile Park (Seattle Mariners)16Jon Miller at Oracle Park (San Francisco Giants)17Bill Brown & Robert Ford at Minute Maid Park (Houston Astros)18Dan Dickerson at Comerica Park (Detroit Tigers)19Greg Brown at PNC Park (Pittsburgh Pirates)20Bob Uecker, Brian Anderson, & Jeff Levering at American Family Field (Milwaukee Brewers)21Marty Brennaman at Great American Ball Park (Cincinnati Reds)22Tom McCarthy & Jim Jackson at Citizens Bank Park (Philadelphia Phillies)23Ted Leitner, Dick Enberg, & Jesse Agler at Petco Park (San Diego Padres)24Dan McLaughlin, Joe Buck, & Tim McCarver at Busch Stadium (St. Louis Cardinals)25Charlie Slowes at Nationals Park (Washington Nationals)26Howie Rose & Wayne Hagin at Citi Field (New York Mets)27John Sterling & Michael Kay at Yankee Stadium (New York Yankees)28Dick Bremer at Target Field (Minnesota Twins)29Dave Van Horne at LoanDepot Park (Miami Marlins)30Jim Powell & Chip Caray at Truist Park (Atlanta Braves)31This Was a Parking Lot, Now It’s Turned into an Outfield32And That’s a Life: A Tribute to Vin ScullyBibliographyIndexAbout The Author

Read more less

Book SynopsisLike many American boys, Tony Barnette yearned to one day make it to The Show, playing baseball professionally. The Arizona State pitcher was drafted in 2006 by the in-state Diamondbacks. Gradually ascending the minor-league ladder, it looked like this was the beginning of a blessed life, where he could play the game he loved on the grandest of stages in front of family and friends. But things don't always work out the way we want. On the verge of achieving his lifelong dream after notching a league-high 14 wins in Triple A, Tony looked ahead to 2010 with optimism. That's when Japan came calling, offering a significant salary hike in exchange for forgoing a likely forthcoming big-league debut. The Diamondbacks agreed to release Tony so he could play for Tokyo's Yakult Swallows, the renowned Yomiuri Giants' intra-city rivals. At the time, the only thing he had in common with the country was a love for baseball. He did not know the language and was unfamiliar with Nippon Prof

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn the winter that followed the 1926 season, baseball became enveloped in scandal. Two of baseball’s biggest stars, Ty Cobb and Tris Speaker, were accused of fixing and betting on games. Sportswriters called the scandal worse than that of the infamous “Black Sox.” The reputation of baseball was in tatters. In Baseball at the Abyss, Dan Taylor reveals the behind-the-scenes story of how baseball was saved after the banishment of Cobb and Speaker. It was all set in motion by one unlikely individual—Christy Walsh, the business manager for Babe Ruth and baseball’s first player agent. Taylor follows Walsh and Ruth as the agent arranges for the Babe to star in a motion picture and presses for Ruth to hire a fitness guru, change his habits, and train while in Hollywood. The results were astonishing. A reinvigorated Babe Ruth enjoyed his greatest season in 1927, slugging 60 home runs and powering his New York Yankees to heights never seen before.Baseball at the Abyss features fascinating details of the 1926 scandal and the incredible resurgence of the national pastime when it seemed the game was permanently tarnished. It’s the story of a remarkable year in baseball history and the men who restored glory to a troubled game.Table of ContentsAcknowledgementsIntroduction 1 Sour Grape Grower 2 Landing the Big One3 Tarnished Stars4 The Very Important Hero5 Ty Swings Away6 Baseball at the Abyss 7 Decision Day8 The Red Faced Cardinal 9 Stealing the Show 10 Reinvigorating Babe Ruth 11 Digesting a Cobb Salary 12 That’s a Wrap 13 The Plan Goes Awry 14 A Different Babe 15 Dawn of a New Day16 Move Over Babe17 Reviews Are In18 Rewrite the Record Book19 The Greatest Season20 From Disdain to AcclaimBibliographyAbout the Author

Read more less

Book SynopsisGo to the Head of the Class with a Baseball Legend Baseball legend Casey Stengel is considered by many to be the greatest manager in baseball history. He was certainly one of the most successful. He managed the fabled New York Yankees from 1949 to 1960 and compiled ten American League pennants and seven world championships during that time. He was also without question one of the game''s all-time characters, best known for conversing in a mangled form of English that came to be known as Stengelese."" Beyond the comedy and the world championships, however, his baseball life spanned the ages, from the dead-ball era to Astro Turf. He began his big league career by playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1912 and ended it by managing the hapless New York Mets in 1965. Between the first and last stop, Stengel was a World Series hero; a failed manager with the Brooklyn Dodgers and Boston Braves; a washed-up, aging manager in the minors; and the wacky interloper who took over the stuffy, staid Yankees in 1949 and reformed them into a dynasty. In Casey Stengel: Baseball''s ""Old Perfessor, "" dozens of former players, friends, and associates recall the Stengel myth and the Stengel reality. They explore his managing style with great teams and with horrible teams; his pioneering, controversial techniques; his humor, his edginess, and his weaknesses; why some players hated him while others loved him; why some think he was a genius and others think he was merely the right man in the right place at the right time. What emerges is a fascinating ride through baseball history and a thoughtful look at the life of a man who was counted out, mocked, and underestimated--and yet he never gave up, finally findingsuccess in his later years.""

Read more less

Book SynopsisLights, Camera, Fastball is a fascinating look at the Hollywood Stars, a glamour-shrouded baseball team with a star-studded fan base during the Golden Age of Hollywood. Throughout their glorious twenty-year run in the Pacific Coast League, the Stars were an inventive team whose innovations are still seen in professional baseball today.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less