Baseball Books

Book SynopsisThe Iconic Jersey: Baseball x Fashion explores the design and aesthetics of the iconic baseball jersey both on and off the sandlot. Featuring over 35 historic and contemporary jerseys and baseball-inspired fashion, this ground-breaking volume also examines wider sociological issues: why do we care so much about sports attire, and what do such clothes mean to us and the wider world? The Iconic Jersey is packed with images: often controversial baseball-inspired fashion— flannel wool fabrics, vibrant technicolour, button-up bib fronts, even ties and collars— drawn from the Baseball Hall of Fame, Cooperstown; the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, Washington, D.C.; and the Boston Red Sox; baseball magazines; fashion magazines; and archival photographs, including Terry O’Neill’s famous photos of Elton John at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium in 1975 in a Bob Mackie-designed Dodger’s uniform, and Nike’s 2020 designs for the Major Leagues. An essay by Erin R. Corrales-Diaz explores the jersey as an entry point into 170 years of baseball uniforms and examines the relationship between aesthetics and athletics, fashion and function, the collective and the individual, regional and national impulses, and nostalgia and modernity.Table of ContentsDirectors’ Foreword; Acknowledgments; Rooting for Laundry; Behind the Seams; Plates: The Modern Jersey; Experimental Design; Off the Field; Notes; Selected Bibliography; Photography Credits; Index

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Book SynopsisRobert Elias is Dean's Scholar and Professor of Politics and Legal Studies at the University of San Francisco. His most recent baseball books include Baseball Rebels: The Players, People, and Social Movements That Shook Up the Game and Changed America and Major League Rebels: Baseball Battles Over Workers' Rights and American Empire (both with Peter Dreier). His baseball essays have appeared in Nine, Jacobin, Baseball Research Journal, American History Magazine, Pacific Historical Review, Diplomatic History, International Journal of the History of Sport, and the Cooperstown Symposium on Baseball and American Culture. He is a longtime Society for American Baseball Research and Baseball Reliquary member. He lives in Mill Valley, CA, near San Francisco.

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Book SynopsisThe history of baseball is rife with colorful characters. But for sheer cantankerousness and will to win, very few have come close to Leo 'the Lip' Durocher. This work tells the story of his life in the game. It is baseball at its best, brimming with personality and the fights and feuds, triumphs and tricks that made Durocher such a success.Trade Review"The delight of the book is its exuberance, its sense of a life lived at full tilt.... Durocher is a first-class raconteur." - New York Times Book Review "Mr. Durocher has somehow managed to be involved with more than his fair share of baseball's mythic moments and situations.... This is Leo Durocher talking straight as a low line drive." - New York Times"

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Book SynopsisA revealing look at the history of women's exclusion from America's national pastimeTrade ReviewA Choice Outstanding Academic Title, 2010. "Sharp, thoroughly researched examination of gender discrimination in [baseball].--Los Angeles Times"Throwing 'like a girl' is an age-old taunt, and Jennifer Ring has had enough of it."--Washington Post“An extraordinary account of the rejection of female players from baseball. . . . [Ring] searches for ways to reclaim baseball’s nickname, 'the people’s game,' and encourage females who want to play a game they are passionate about. Highly recommended.”--Choice"The story Ring tells is outrageous. Her title is accurate: baseball has been stolen from girls."--Women's Review of Books“An important work. . . . Ring traces over a 100 years of issues arising from individuals, cultural biases, legal arguments, and the like to develop a full picture.”--Cave 17.com"By examining the systematic exclusion of women from baseball, this compelling book goes into depth about a topic that most historians do not even question. With a gripping storyline and strong, clear prose, Stolen Bases contains some of the best sportswriting I have seen."--Susan K. Cahn, coeditor of Women and Sports in the United States: A Documentary Reader"This book blends history, political economy, sociology, and biography to form an engaging narrative about the place of women in baseball. Jennifer Ring offers fresh insights, focusing on the game's maternity and the development of efforts to preclude women from playing baseball or acknowledging their place in the game's past."--Adrian Burgos Jr., author of Playing America's Game: Baseball, Latinos, and the Color LineTable of ContentsAcknowledgments ix Prologue: Entitlement and Its Absence 1 1. Introduction: A Quick and Dirty History of Baseball 15 2. The Girls' Game 31 3. A. G. Spalding and America's Needs 47 4. Enter Softball 59 5. How Baseball Became Manly and White 73 6. American Womanhood and Athletics 91 7. Cricket 102 8. Stolen Bases 116 9. Collegiate Women's Baseball 134 10. The Invisibility of Bias 151 Epilogue: What Does Equality Look Like? 169 Notes 183 Index 197

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Book SynopsisDefies conventional wisdom to explain why the unanimous Supreme Court opinion authored by Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, which gave rise to Major League Baseball's exemption from antitrust law, was correct given the circumstances of the time.Trade ReviewLarry Ritter Book Award, Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), 2015. Finalist, Seymour Medal, Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), 2015. David J. Langum Sr. Prize for American Legal History/Biography, Langum Charitable Trust, 2014. "Grow explains that the afterlife of Federal Baseball is more remarkable than the conclusions in the case itself. With careful and measured scholarship, Grow urges later reader of Federal Baseball to recognize that the case was heard before widespread interstate radio coverage, and before the broad interpretation of 'commerce' in the New Deal decisions."--Western Legal History"Using newly released attorney correspondence, court records, and newspaper accounts of the time, Grow presents in stunning detail the background, characters, arguments, events, tactics, (and mistakes) leading to the Federal Baseball decision. showing that 'many of the common criticisms. . . are unjust, as the decision was consistent with the prevailing judicial precedents of the day'. . . . Recommended.'"--Choice"Federal Baseball, the shorthand name of the case, is still the law of land. Here is a baseball book in which the major on-field action is the serving of various contract-jumping players with court orders. But if a reader is interested in how the business of baseball developed, the case is crucial; and Baseball on Trial can explain how and why."--Nine "Grow's book is impressively comprehensive and exhaustive. . . . for the reader interested in a comprehensive account of a seminal moment in baseball's legal history, Grow's Baseball on Trial is an excellent choice."--Law and History Review"Grow undoubtedly succeeds in shining a light on the buildup to and background of the Federal Baseball decision."--Sport in American History"[A] thoughtful and provocative analysis of one of the most controversial topics in sports law: Baseball's antitrust exemption. Grow adroitly connects recent disclosures from the Baseball Hall of Fame to advance his argument that the Federal Baseball holding made much more sense ninety years ago than contemporary commentators tend to regard it. As baseball's antitrust exemption continues to face legal challenges--including whether the Oakland A's can move to San Jose--Grow's book will undoubtedly play an influential role."--Michael McCann, Sports Illustrated legal analyst"The lawsuits arising from the Federal League's challenge to Major League Baseball and their aftermath defined much of the way baseball has evolved over the past century. Bolstered by original research, Grow explains both the broader picture and the intriguing behind-the-scenes machinations, and he does so in a clear and entertaining fashion."-- Daniel R. Levitt, author of The Battle that Forged Modern Baseball: The Federal League Challenge and Its Legacy"An outstanding book based on previously unused materials, Baseball on Trial makes a truly significant contribution to the fields of baseball and the law, sports law, antitrust law, and legal history. Anyone discussing the trilogy of Supreme Court cases that created baseball's antitrust exemption needs to read this book."--Edmund P. Edmonds, co-editor of Baseball and Antitrust: The Legislative History

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Book SynopsisMarvin Miller changed major league baseball and the business of sports. Drawing on research and interviews with Miller and others, Marvin Miller, Baseball Revolutionary offers the first biography covering the pivotal labor leader''s entire life and career. Baseball historian Robert F. Burk follows the formative encounters with Depression-era hard times, racial and religious bigotry, and bare-knuckle Washington and labor politics that prepared Miller for his biggest professional challenge--running the moribund Major League Baseball Players Association. Educating and uniting the players as a workforce, Miller embarked on a long campaign to win the concessions that defined his legacy: decent workplace conditions, a pension system, outside mediation of player grievances and salary disputes, a system of profit sharing, and the long-sought dismantling of the reserve clause that opened the door to free agency. Through it all, allies and adversaries alike praised Miller''s hardnosed Trade Review“The first comprehensive biography of Miller, the former steelworkers union official who transformed the toothless Players Association into what may be the nation’s most powerful private-sector union.”--Wall Street Journal “A must-read for anyone interested in how MLB salaries went from an average of $11,000 in 1966 to $3,386,212 in 2013.”—Library Journal"This sound biography is required reading for those interested in sports and in 20th-century history and labor."--Choice"Burk writes gracefully and insightfully, chronicling the life of one of baseball's most significant figures. He succeeds admirably in illuminating the evolution of Marvin Miller's intellect as well as his soul, in placing Miller's life in its historical context and in explaining how this frail man from Brooklyn with a bum arm was able to reshape the landscape of our national pastime." --Andrew Zimbalist, author of In the Best Interests of Baseball? Governing Our National Pastime"Whether he ever gets into the Hall of Fame, Marvin Miller revolutionized the business of sport. Along with Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey, Kenesaw Mountain Landis and Babe Ruth, Miller belongs among the handful of true baseball immortals. No one transformed the national pastime more significantly. Robert F. Burk provides a book worthy of its subject."--Aethlon: The Journal of Sport Literature"A welcomed contribution that serves as required reading for anyone interested in exploring the complexities of baseball, economics, or labor history in the 1960s through 1980s."--Journal of Sport History"The Baseball Hall of Fame is not a hall of fame without Marvin Miller. As Robert F. Burk and others have written, Miller belongs on baseball’s Mount Rushmore. In Marvin Miller: Baseball Revolutionary, Burk has written a book worthy of Miller the man, the communicator, the strategist, the labor leader, and the baseball visionary. Every big league player and baseball fan should read it."-- Brad Snyder, author of A Well-Paid Slave: Curt Flood’s Fight for Free Agency in Professional Sports"Burk knows the business of baseball inside and out, making him the ideal person to write about Miller. His research is impeccable and his writing is straightforward. The compelling aspect of the book is the story of Miller's role in transforming Major League Baseball, and that Burk tells with confidence and focus."--Randy Roberts, author of Joe Louis: Hard Times Man

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"These essays deliver intelligent analysis, brilliant insights, wit, laugh-out-loud hilarity, and a disarmingly serious look at David Zang's passion for sport and its place in his life and ours."--Richard Crepeau, author of NFL Football: A History of America's New National Pastime"Funny, poignant, smart, and crisply written, I Wore Babe Ruth's Hat reminds us why we care so much about sports--and why we keep telling its stories."--Aram Goudsouzian, author of King of the Court: Bill Russell and the Basketball Revolution

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Book SynopsisIn 2007, the Mitchell Report shocked traditionalists who were appalled that drugs had corrupted the pure game of baseball. Nathan Corzine rescues the story of baseball''s relationship with drugs from the sepia-toned tyranny of such myths. In Team Chemistry , he reveals a game splashed with spilled whiskey and tobacco stains from the day the first pitch was thrown. Indeed, throughout the game''s history, stars and scrubs alike partook of a pharmacopeia that helped them stay on the field and cope off of it: In 1889, Pud Galvin tried a testosterone-derived elixir to help him pile up some of his 646 complete games. Sandy Koufax needed Codeine and an anti-inflammatory used on horses to pitch through his late-career elbow woes. Players returning from World War II mainstreamed the use of the amphetamines they had used as servicemen. Vida Blue invited teammates to cocaine parties, Tim Raines used it to stay awake on the bench, and Will McEnaney snorted it bTrade Review"Stimulating. Clearly the most comprehensive 'baseball and drugs' book that I've read or am aware of. There are other books that cover specific scandals, such as BALCO, but none that dig as deeply into the history of the relationship between baseball and drugs."--Mitchell Nathanson, author of A People's History of Baseball"Nathan Michael Corzine goes past the mythology and digs deep to reveal a game splashed with spilled whiskey and tobacco stains from its origins, where substances of various stripes were valued for the supposed ability to help athletes play better."--Alternet"Corzine presents a more nuanced meaning of professional baseball's post steroid era. . . . Books like this one can help guide both scholars and fans toward appreciation, understanding, and perhaps even reconciliation with the game's past."--Journal of Sport History "A succinct, thoughtful, readable review of alcohol and drug abuse in baseball from 1870 to the present. Recommended." --Choice"Corzine's well-crafted chronology of the history of drug and alcohol use in Major League Baseball is a good read for fans and scholars alike. Team Chemistry offers new insights and analytic modes to address both of baseball's substance problems--its problem with both legal and illegal drugs and its problem of relying on the romanticized memory of the sport, rather than the reality of its clubs and players."--Sport in American History"Team Chemistry is a fascinating and compelling story of drugs in Major League baseball. Utilizing a vast array of sources and with great insight, Corzine traces the use of both legal and illicit drugs in a sport always thought of as our National Pastime. In the process, we gain a more nuanced and far deeper understanding of the mythology surrounding baseball and American culture."--David K. Wiggins, author of The Unlevel Playing Field: A Documentary History of the African American Experience in Sport

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Book SynopsisDisapproving scolds. Sexist condescension. Odd theories about the effect of exercise on reproductive organs. Though baseball began as a gender-neutral sport, girls and women of the nineteenth century faced many obstacles on their way to the diamond. Yet all-female nines took the field everywhere. Debra A. Shattuck pulls from newspaper accounts and hard-to-find club archives to reconstruct a forgotten era in baseball history. Her fascinating social history tracks women players who organized baseball clubs for their own enjoyment and even found roster spots on men''s teams. Entrepreneurs, meanwhile, packaged women''s teams as entertainment, organizing leagues and barnstorming tours. If the women faced financial exploitation and indignities like playing against men in women''s clothing, they and countless ballplayers like them nonetheless staked a claim to the nascent national pastime. Shattuck explores how the determination to take their turn at bat thrust female players into narrativTrade Review"This work fills a noteworthy gap in the scholarship and will be of importance to any individual interested in sport, women's history, and gender studies. Recommended."--Choice"It is safe to say that Bloomer Girls may be considered the definitive book on women's baseball in the nineteenth century. Shattuck's research shows on every page, and she masterfully decodes primary sources and constructs a satisfying answer for anyone who has ever wondered why baseball is a man's game."--Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society"Bloomer Girls would be a helpful resource for researchers interested in social history, particularly regarding gender roles and sports, and for baseball fans interested in the history of the sport."--FGS Forum"Shattuck sets out to discover how a gender-neutral game became so masculine by researching women's organized baseball from antebellum American through the turn of the century. . . . This volume belongs in many public library sports-history and gender-studies collections."--Booklist"Bloomer Girls is definitely worth your time."--MLB.com"Bloomer Girls is a thoughtful book for true baseball historians and those fans whose appreciation of the game includes its darker history. It is also a valuable source of material for those interested in the future of women's sports."--Illinois Times"Bloomer Girls: Women Baseball Pioneers fills a huge void in sports literature regarding women baseball players. . . . Shattuck’s book is definitely a must read for all baseball researchers, serious fans, those interested in the history of the game and gender historians."--Sport in American History"Debra Shattuck knocks it out of the park with her first book. . . . Definitely a must read for all baseball researchers, serious fans, those interested in the history of the game and gender historians."--Sport in American History "Bloomer Girls is a thoughtful book for true baseball historians and those fans whose appreciation of the game includes its darker history. It is also a valuable source of material for those interested in the future of women's sports."--Illinois Times "Bloomer Girls is significant in restoring females to their rightful place in America's baseball history." --Pacific Historical Review "Shatuck's work is in many ways an exemplar of sports history and the potential contributions studies of sport can make to other historiographies, including gender and national history." --Reviews in American History "This well-written work illuminates an understudied aspect of American women's history and deserves a wide readership." --The Journal of American History "Bloomer Girls makes an unprecedented contribution in its field (the endnotes alone are worth the price of admission). Anyone with a prior interest in women's baseball or the burgeoning field of 'Outsider Baseball'--which includes the non-MLB experiences of ethnic minorities, racially segregated leagues, and novelty baseball--must own this book."--John Thorn, Historian of Major League Baseball "Debra Shattuck has written a page-turner, uncovering a long-hidden backstory of America's national sport. There's formidable historical research here, embedded in lively writing about pioneering athletes, corrupt promoters, and formidable businessmen, who together reshaped understandings of the capacities of men and women, on the field and off. Give this important book to every baseball fan you know, (couch potatoes included)."--Linda K. Kerber, author of No Constitutional Right to Be Ladies: Women and the Obligations of Citizenship "Not only does Debra Shattuck insert women back into the narrative of baseball history, but she also offers us the fullest account yet of how the early game threw varied gender meanings into sharp relief. A stunning achievement."--Benjamin G. Rader, author of Baseball: A History of America's Game "Paints a meticulous picture of the social and political forces which advanced the lie of baseball as 'a man's game,' and documents how Bloomer Girl baseball emerged, a benchmark for all who support equality."--Barbara Gregorich, author of Women at Play: The Story of Women in Baseball

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"An entertaining tale of two cities with big league dreams and ambitions. Balancing civic identity and cohesion against unsustainable expenses and diverted funds is a circle most American cities have failed to square. While there are no 'solutions' to these challenges, Ehrlich analyzes the responses of Oakland and Kansas City in a balanced and informed way, offering lessons for other cities--and there are many of them--in similar positions."--Jerald Podair, author of City of Dreams: Dodger Stadium and the Birth of Modern Los Angeles"What a wonderful book for the sports fan or urban historian! Kansas City and Oakland were two second-class cities struggling for respect. This book tells the story of the competition between their big-league teams. Both baseball and football had exciting and high-profile rivalries, with expansion, free agency, the building of new stadiums, and strikes claiming attention in each town. The author also integrates the sports history with the dramas of the long 1960s--civil rights confrontations, labor troubles, cultural clashes over Vietnam, and urban problems. This is a great and informative read."--Bruce Kuklick, author of To Every Thing a Season: Shibe Park and Urban Philadelphia, 1909–1976

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Book SynopsisExamines the myths and the realities, symbols, and rituals of "America's favorite pastime." This book details the relationships among urban politics, communities, and baseball, exploring how debates over issues such as Sunday games, ballpark construction, and the promotion of the game were shaped by Progressive Era sensibilities.Trade Review"Riess asks and answers fundamentally important questions about urban America as well as baseball in the early twentieth century. . . . Touching Base, the most ambitious and exhaustive case study of urban professional baseball yet written, clearly demonstrates not only the vast potential for understanding American history through baseball, but also the value of utilizing sociological theory and municipal archives in researching baseball history."--Larry Gerlach, Journal of Sports History"Well-received in many quarters in its original version, Touching Base provides a massive fund of information extremely valuable to any baseball scholar. The bibliography and the opening essay on the state of baseball history alone justify this revised version."--Richard C. Crepeau, author of Baseball: America's Diamond Mine, 1919-1941"Touching Base not only tells the story of baseball in its formative period; it explains how the game fit into a much larger pattern of social and cultural development. The original edition of Touching Base was an important work of sport history, and the new revised edition adds even more to our knowledge of how and why baseball became our national pastime. This is fine history."—Elliott J. Gorn, author of The Manly Art: Bare-Knuckle Prize Fighting in America

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Book SynopsisA revealing look at the history of women's exclusion from America's national pastimeTrade ReviewA Choice Outstanding Academic Title, 2010. "Sharp, thoroughly researched examination of gender discrimination in [baseball].--Los Angeles Times"Throwing 'like a girl' is an age-old taunt, and Jennifer Ring has had enough of it."--Washington Post“An extraordinary account of the rejection of female players from baseball. . . . [Ring] searches for ways to reclaim baseball’s nickname, 'the people’s game,' and encourage females who want to play a game they are passionate about. Highly recommended.”--Choice"The story Ring tells is outrageous. Her title is accurate: baseball has been stolen from girls."--Women's Review of Books“An important work. . . . Ring traces over a 100 years of issues arising from individuals, cultural biases, legal arguments, and the like to develop a full picture.”--Cave 17.com"By examining the systematic exclusion of women from baseball, this compelling book goes into depth about a topic that most historians do not even question. With a gripping storyline and strong, clear prose, Stolen Bases contains some of the best sportswriting I have seen."--Susan K. Cahn, coeditor of Women and Sports in the United States: A Documentary Reader"This book blends history, political economy, sociology, and biography to form an engaging narrative about the place of women in baseball. Jennifer Ring offers fresh insights, focusing on the game's maternity and the development of efforts to preclude women from playing baseball or acknowledging their place in the game's past."--Adrian Burgos Jr., author of Playing America's Game: Baseball, Latinos, and the Color LineTable of ContentsAcknowledgments ix Prologue: Entitlement and Its Absence 1 1. Introduction: A Quick and Dirty History of Baseball 15 2. The Girls' Game 31 3. A. G. Spalding and America's Needs 47 4. Enter Softball 59 5. How Baseball Became Manly and White 73 6. American Womanhood and Athletics 91 7. Cricket 102 8. Stolen Bases 116 9. Collegiate Women's Baseball 134 10. The Invisibility of Bias 151 Epilogue: What Does Equality Look Like? 169 Notes 183 Index 197

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Book SynopsisDefies conventional wisdom to explain why the unanimous Supreme Court opinion authored by Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, which gave rise to Major League Baseball's exemption from antitrust law, was correct given the circumstances of the time.Trade ReviewLarry Ritter Book Award, Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), 2015. Finalist, Seymour Medal, Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), 2015. David J. Langum Sr. Prize for American Legal History/Biography, Langum Charitable Trust, 2014. "Grow explains that the afterlife of Federal Baseball is more remarkable than the conclusions in the case itself. With careful and measured scholarship, Grow urges later reader of Federal Baseball to recognize that the case was heard before widespread interstate radio coverage, and before the broad interpretation of 'commerce' in the New Deal decisions."--Western Legal History"Using newly released attorney correspondence, court records, and newspaper accounts of the time, Grow presents in stunning detail the background, characters, arguments, events, tactics, (and mistakes) leading to the Federal Baseball decision. showing that 'many of the common criticisms. . . are unjust, as the decision was consistent with the prevailing judicial precedents of the day'. . . . Recommended.'"--Choice"Federal Baseball, the shorthand name of the case, is still the law of land. Here is a baseball book in which the major on-field action is the serving of various contract-jumping players with court orders. But if a reader is interested in how the business of baseball developed, the case is crucial; and Baseball on Trial can explain how and why."--Nine "Grow's book is impressively comprehensive and exhaustive. . . . for the reader interested in a comprehensive account of a seminal moment in baseball's legal history, Grow's Baseball on Trial is an excellent choice."--Law and History Review"Grow undoubtedly succeeds in shining a light on the buildup to and background of the Federal Baseball decision."--Sport in American History"[A] thoughtful and provocative analysis of one of the most controversial topics in sports law: Baseball's antitrust exemption. Grow adroitly connects recent disclosures from the Baseball Hall of Fame to advance his argument that the Federal Baseball holding made much more sense ninety years ago than contemporary commentators tend to regard it. As baseball's antitrust exemption continues to face legal challenges--including whether the Oakland A's can move to San Jose--Grow's book will undoubtedly play an influential role."--Michael McCann, Sports Illustrated legal analyst"The lawsuits arising from the Federal League's challenge to Major League Baseball and their aftermath defined much of the way baseball has evolved over the past century. Bolstered by original research, Grow explains both the broader picture and the intriguing behind-the-scenes machinations, and he does so in a clear and entertaining fashion."-- Daniel R. Levitt, author of The Battle that Forged Modern Baseball: The Federal League Challenge and Its Legacy"An outstanding book based on previously unused materials, Baseball on Trial makes a truly significant contribution to the fields of baseball and the law, sports law, antitrust law, and legal history. Anyone discussing the trilogy of Supreme Court cases that created baseball's antitrust exemption needs to read this book."--Edmund P. Edmonds, co-editor of Baseball and Antitrust: The Legislative History

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Book SynopsisBaseball is much more than the national pastime. It has become an emblem of America itself. From its initial popularity in the mid-nineteenth century, the game has reflected national values and beliefs and promoted what it means to be an American. Stories abound that illustrate baseball's significance in eradicating racial barriers, bringing neighborhoods together, building civic pride, and creating on the field of play an instructive civics lesson for immigrants on the national character.In A People's History of Baseball, Mitchell Nathanson probes the less well-known but no less meaningful other side of baseball: episodes not involving equality, patriotism, heroism, and virtuous capitalism, but power--how it is obtained, and how it perpetuates itself. Through the growth and development of baseball Nathanson shows that, if only we choose to look for it, we can see the petty power struggles as well as the large and consequential ones that have likewise defined our nation.By offering a fTrade Review"Chronicles the historic power struggles among those seeking to define and regulate pro baseball. . . . A fine book."--Library Journal"A People’s History of Baseball provides vigorous and fascinating challenges to the ways in which fans have related to a game that [Nathanson] says has been ‘virtually synonymous’ with America for well over a century.”--The Boston Globe"Nathanson's arguments are intriguing throughout."--The Journal of American History"Nathanson has researched thoroughly, writes persuasively, and does not shy away from challenging even the most revered narrative in baseball: Branch Rickey, Jackie Robinson, and the integration of Major League Baseball."--Journal of Sport History"A valuable and vibrant contribution to an expanding scholarly literature on American baseball."--The Historian"Mitchell Nathanson's A People's History of Baseball is a historical corrective. It examines Major League Baseball (MLB) through an "alternative lens" (219), one that provides a useful, critical perspective. The book's six chapters cover a lot of ground. A thoughtful, substantive exploration of some aspects of MLB's unsavory past and present, A People's History of Baseball is a welcome alternative to the far more numerous baseball romances published every spring."--Nine"An excellent social critique that tells provocative and overlooked back stories about baseball in American history and culture. A People's History of Baseball goes beyond the game itself and examines larger issues of nationalism, mass media, legal history, and race relations."--Robert Elias, author of The Empire Strikes Out: How Baseball Sold U.S. Foreign Policy and Promoted the American Way Abroad"Armed with convincing and creative arguments that challenge the many myths surrounding America's national pastime, A People's History of Baseball provides ample fodder for debate among sport history scholars as well as general readers interested in exploring the game's meaningful role in shaping the American identity."--Samuel O. Regalado, author of Viva Baseball! Latin Major Leaguers and Their Special HungerTable of ContentsAcknowledgments ix Prologue xi 1 A Game of Their Own 1 2 The Sovereign Nation of Baseball 28 3 Rickey, Race, and "All Deliberate Speed" 67 4 Tearing Down the Walls 108 5 "Wait 'Til Next Year" and the Denial of History 146 6 The Storytellers 180 Notes 221 Bibliography 261 Index 271

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Book SynopsisIn 2007, the Mitchell Report shocked traditionalists who were appalled that drugs had corrupted the pure game of baseball. Nathan Corzine rescues the story of baseball''s relationship with drugs from the sepia-toned tyranny of such myths. In Team Chemistry , he reveals a game splashed with spilled whiskey and tobacco stains from the day the first pitch was thrown. Indeed, throughout the game''s history, stars and scrubs alike partook of a pharmacopeia that helped them stay on the field and cope off of it: In 1889, Pud Galvin tried a testosterone-derived elixir to help him pile up some of his 646 complete games. Sandy Koufax needed Codeine and an anti-inflammatory used on horses to pitch through his late-career elbow woes. Players returning from World War II mainstreamed the use of the amphetamines they had used as servicemen. Vida Blue invited teammates to cocaine parties, Tim Raines used it to stay awake on the bench, and Will McEnaney snorted it bTrade Review"Stimulating. Clearly the most comprehensive 'baseball and drugs' book that I've read or am aware of. There are other books that cover specific scandals, such as BALCO, but none that dig as deeply into the history of the relationship between baseball and drugs."--Mitchell Nathanson, author of A People's History of Baseball"Nathan Michael Corzine goes past the mythology and digs deep to reveal a game splashed with spilled whiskey and tobacco stains from its origins, where substances of various stripes were valued for the supposed ability to help athletes play better."--Alternet"Corzine presents a more nuanced meaning of professional baseball's post steroid era. . . . Books like this one can help guide both scholars and fans toward appreciation, understanding, and perhaps even reconciliation with the game's past."--Journal of Sport History "A succinct, thoughtful, readable review of alcohol and drug abuse in baseball from 1870 to the present. Recommended." --Choice"Corzine's well-crafted chronology of the history of drug and alcohol use in Major League Baseball is a good read for fans and scholars alike. Team Chemistry offers new insights and analytic modes to address both of baseball's substance problems--its problem with both legal and illegal drugs and its problem of relying on the romanticized memory of the sport, rather than the reality of its clubs and players."--Sport in American History"Team Chemistry is a fascinating and compelling story of drugs in Major League baseball. Utilizing a vast array of sources and with great insight, Corzine traces the use of both legal and illicit drugs in a sport always thought of as our National Pastime. In the process, we gain a more nuanced and far deeper understanding of the mythology surrounding baseball and American culture."--David K. Wiggins, author of The Unlevel Playing Field: A Documentary History of the African American Experience in Sport

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Book SynopsisDisapproving scolds. Sexist condescension. Odd theories about the effect of exercise on reproductive organs. Though baseball began as a gender-neutral sport, girls and women of the nineteenth century faced many obstacles on their way to the diamond. Yet all-female nines took the field everywhere. Debra A. Shattuck pulls from newspaper accounts and hard-to-find club archives to reconstruct a forgotten era in baseball history. Her fascinating social history tracks women players who organized baseball clubs for their own enjoyment and even found roster spots on men''s teams. Entrepreneurs, meanwhile, packaged women''s teams as entertainment, organizing leagues and barnstorming tours. If the women faced financial exploitation and indignities like playing against men in women''s clothing, they and countless ballplayers like them nonetheless staked a claim to the nascent national pastime. Shattuck explores how the determination to take their turn at bat thrust female players into narrativTrade Review"This work fills a noteworthy gap in the scholarship and will be of importance to any individual interested in sport, women's history, and gender studies. Recommended."--Choice"It is safe to say that Bloomer Girls may be considered the definitive book on women's baseball in the nineteenth century. Shattuck's research shows on every page, and she masterfully decodes primary sources and constructs a satisfying answer for anyone who has ever wondered why baseball is a man's game."--Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society"Bloomer Girls would be a helpful resource for researchers interested in social history, particularly regarding gender roles and sports, and for baseball fans interested in the history of the sport."--FGS Forum"Shattuck sets out to discover how a gender-neutral game became so masculine by researching women's organized baseball from antebellum American through the turn of the century. . . . This volume belongs in many public library sports-history and gender-studies collections."--Booklist"Bloomer Girls is definitely worth your time."--MLB.com"Bloomer Girls is a thoughtful book for true baseball historians and those fans whose appreciation of the game includes its darker history. It is also a valuable source of material for those interested in the future of women's sports."--Illinois Times"Bloomer Girls: Women Baseball Pioneers fills a huge void in sports literature regarding women baseball players. . . . Shattuck’s book is definitely a must read for all baseball researchers, serious fans, those interested in the history of the game and gender historians."--Sport in American History"Debra Shattuck knocks it out of the park with her first book. . . . Definitely a must read for all baseball researchers, serious fans, those interested in the history of the game and gender historians."--Sport in American History "Bloomer Girls is a thoughtful book for true baseball historians and those fans whose appreciation of the game includes its darker history. It is also a valuable source of material for those interested in the future of women's sports."--Illinois Times "Bloomer Girls is significant in restoring females to their rightful place in America's baseball history." --Pacific Historical Review "Shatuck's work is in many ways an exemplar of sports history and the potential contributions studies of sport can make to other historiographies, including gender and national history." --Reviews in American History "This well-written work illuminates an understudied aspect of American women's history and deserves a wide readership." --The Journal of American History "Bloomer Girls makes an unprecedented contribution in its field (the endnotes alone are worth the price of admission). Anyone with a prior interest in women's baseball or the burgeoning field of 'Outsider Baseball'--which includes the non-MLB experiences of ethnic minorities, racially segregated leagues, and novelty baseball--must own this book."--John Thorn, Historian of Major League Baseball "Debra Shattuck has written a page-turner, uncovering a long-hidden backstory of America's national sport. There's formidable historical research here, embedded in lively writing about pioneering athletes, corrupt promoters, and formidable businessmen, who together reshaped understandings of the capacities of men and women, on the field and off. Give this important book to every baseball fan you know, (couch potatoes included)."--Linda K. Kerber, author of No Constitutional Right to Be Ladies: Women and the Obligations of Citizenship "Not only does Debra Shattuck insert women back into the narrative of baseball history, but she also offers us the fullest account yet of how the early game threw varied gender meanings into sharp relief. A stunning achievement."--Benjamin G. Rader, author of Baseball: A History of America's Game "Paints a meticulous picture of the social and political forces which advanced the lie of baseball as 'a man's game,' and documents how Bloomer Girl baseball emerged, a benchmark for all who support equality."--Barbara Gregorich, author of Women at Play: The Story of Women in Baseball

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"An entertaining tale of two cities with big league dreams and ambitions. Balancing civic identity and cohesion against unsustainable expenses and diverted funds is a circle most American cities have failed to square. While there are no 'solutions' to these challenges, Ehrlich analyzes the responses of Oakland and Kansas City in a balanced and informed way, offering lessons for other cities--and there are many of them--in similar positions."--Jerald Podair, author of City of Dreams: Dodger Stadium and the Birth of Modern Los Angeles"What a wonderful book for the sports fan or urban historian! Kansas City and Oakland were two second-class cities struggling for respect. This book tells the story of the competition between their big-league teams. Both baseball and football had exciting and high-profile rivalries, with expansion, free agency, the building of new stadiums, and strikes claiming attention in each town. The author also integrates the sports history with the dramas of the long 1960s--civil rights confrontations, labor troubles, cultural clashes over Vietnam, and urban problems. This is a great and informative read."--Bruce Kuklick, author of To Every Thing a Season: Shibe Park and Urban Philadelphia, 1909–1976

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Highly entertaining with useful appendices." --Spitball Magazine"Provides a wealth of detail about the origins of the Illinois game and the teams who played it from Chicago down south to Cairo and nearly every town in between." --St. Louis Post-Dispatch"A delightful collection of history and baseball anecdotes for both casual and serious baseball fans." --Illinois Times"Ballists, Dead Beats, and Muffins makes clear that there was a simplicity, innocence, and freshness to baseball in Illinois in these years, even as Sampson details the movement—probably inevitable—toward a more competitive and more professional level of play." --Third Coast Review"Effectively blends history and nostalgia, sparking an appreciation of the National pastime. . . . This 250-page gem by Robert D. Sampson is an exhaustive focus on baseball's early style and sweep when gentlemanly players, civic leaders, and hosts of spectators stressed the bliss more than the score." --Community Word“Detailed studies of baseball during these crucial years are rare, with ones that focus on a single state even more so. Bob Sampson’s Ballists, Dead Beats, and Muffins is thus both timely and valuable, confirming some long-accepted assumptions and forcing reexamination of others. Highly recommended!”--Peter Morris, author of Baseball Fever: Early Baseball in MichiganTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Prologue A Dying Ember First Inning Baseball Fever and Pioneers Second Inning Organizing Clubs, Funding, Travel, and the Game’s Rituals Third Inning Playing Fields, Gambling, and Injuries Fourth Inning The Game and Its Players Fifth Inning Sharing the Fun Sixth Inning Barriers of Race and Gender Seventh Inning Trouble in Baseball’s Eden Eighth Inning Representative Teams Ninth Inning The Thrill Departs Epilogue Ghosts Appendix A Illinois Baseball Teams, 1865-70 Appendix B Bloomington’s Fifth Ward School-Grounds Neighborhood Appendix C Illinois Baseball Players, 1865-70 Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisAfter the Major League Baseball players walk off the field, washout ball player Jake Standen gets a second chance to chase his dream. But Jake and his new teammates have just six weeks to learn how to play like never before.Trade Review"Baseball famously is the one sport played without a clock. Brett Baker's timeless and timeful novel Chasing the Big Leagues is steeped in pastoral passion of the national pastime. This book is in love with the amateur, in love with the pure love of the game that lies in the heart as the clock runs down over the far horizon of the furthest outfield and the sun is always nostalgically setting, turning the diamond into a bright enduring tarp of diamond-tipped and dusty words. This book is a gem, and Baker is the next new Natural."—Michael Martone, author of Michael Martone and The Moon Over Wapakoneta"Brett Baker's Chasing the Big Leagues is set during the now famous 1994–95 baseball strike and the protagonist is called up to play as a scab for the Toronto Blue Jays.Baker knows his baseball . . . the hitting, the fielding, the feel of the ball, what makes a team tick, the coaching.The book is filled with wonderful and arcane baseball details, and it's a good read, a page turner, but of course the setting is during one of the worst of times for baseball so there's a strong element of melancholy in it, too.I strongly recommend it."—John Keeble, author of Yellowfish and Broken Ground

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Book SynopsisCrammed full of rare images and little-known anecdotes, Hoosier Beginnings tells the story of Indiana University athletics from its founding in 1867 to the interwar period.

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Book SynopsisCrammed full of rare images and little-known anecdotes, Hoosier Beginnings tells the story of Indiana University athletics from its founding in 1867 to the interwar period.

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Book SynopsisThis practical and in-depth guide provides the latest material on the design, construction, and maintenance of baseball and softball fields. It covers a wide range of topics from stadium and field design, bleachers, fences, amenities for spectators (such as concession stands and restrooms), water drainage, soil selection, turf management, and more.Table of ContentsPreface. Acknowledgments. PART I. DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION. Chapter 1. Field Design. Chapter 2. Irrigation, Drainage, and Covers. Chapter 3. Soil. Chapter 4. Turfgrass Selection. Chapter 5. Construction and Reconstruction. PART II. RENOVATION AND MAINTENANCE. Chapter 6. Renovation. Chapter 7. Skinned Area (and Warning Track) Maintenance and Management Procedures. Chapter 8. Turfgrass Maintenance and Management Procedures. Chapter 9. Field Aesthetics. PARTT III. ANCILLARY INFORMATION. Chapter 10. Fences, Backstops, Dugouts, and Bullpens. Chapter 11. Rules and Regulations. About the Authors. Index.

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Book SynopsisBaseball has been Japan's most popular sport for over a century.The Sportsworld of the Hanshin Tigers analyzes Japanese baseball ethnographically by focusing on a single professional team, the Hanshin Tigers.For over fifty years, the Tigers have been the one of the country's most watched and talked-about professional baseball teams, second only to their powerful rivals, the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants.Despite a largely losing record, perennial frustration, and infighting among players, the Tigers remain overwhelming sentimental favorites in many parts of the country. This book analyzes the Hanshin Tiger phenomenon, and offers an account of why it has long been so compelling and instructive. Author William Kelly argues that the Tigers representwhat he calls a sportsworld a collective product of the actions of players, coaching staff, management, media, and millions of passionate fans. The team has come to symbolize a powerful counter-narrative to idealized notions of Japanese workplace relations. The Tigers are savored as a melodramatic representation of real corporate life, rife with rivalries andoffice politics familiar to every Japanese worker. And playing in a historic stadium on the edge of Osaka, they carry the hopes and frustrations of Japan's second city against the all-powerful capital.Trade Review"The volume is a must-read for those with even a passing interest in Japanese baseball." * Monumenta Nipponica *"[T]his book will be essential to readers who seek to learn more about . . . baseball and sport in Japan." * Contemporary Japan *"The Sportsworld of the Hanshin Tigers is strongly recommended to students, scholars, and general readers interested in baseball and/or Japanese culture and history." * Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments A Note on Terms and Japanese Language 1. Introducing Hanshin Tigers Baseball 2. The Rhythms of Tigers Baseball: Stadiums and Seasons 3. On the Field: Players, from Rookies to Veterans 4. In the Dugout: Manager and Coaches 5. In the Offices: Front Office and Parent Corporation 6. In the Stands: Fans, Followers, and Fair-Weather Spectators 7. In the Press Box: Sports Dailies and Mainstream Media 8. Baseball as Education and Entertainment 9. Workplace Melodramas and Second-City Complex 10. A Sportsworld Transforming: The Hanshin Tigers at Present Endnotes Appendix: A Note on the Research and Writing Glossary of Key Japanese Terms References Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"The volume is a must-read for those with even a passing interest in Japanese baseball." * Monumenta Nipponica *"[T]his book will be essential to readers who seek to learn more about . . . baseball and sport in Japan." * Contemporary Japan *"The Sportsworld of the Hanshin Tigers is strongly recommended to students, scholars, and general readers interested in baseball and/or Japanese culture and history." * Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments A Note on Terms and Japanese Language 1. Introducing Hanshin Tigers Baseball 2. The Rhythms of Tigers Baseball: Stadiums and Seasons 3. On the Field: Players, from Rookies to Veterans 4. In the Dugout: Manager and Coaches 5. In the Offices: Front Office and Parent Corporation 6. In the Stands: Fans, Followers, and Fair-Weather Spectators 7. In the Press Box: Sports Dailies and Mainstream Media 8. Baseball as Education and Entertainment 9. Workplace Melodramas and Second-City Complex 10. A Sportsworld Transforming: The Hanshin Tigers at Present Endnotes Appendix: A Note on the Research and Writing Glossary of Key Japanese Terms References Index

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Book SynopsisDuring the Civil War, Americans from homefront to battlefront played baseball as never before. This work gives us a commentary of the growth and transformation of baseball. It shows that the game was a vital part of the lives of many a soldier and civilian - and that baseball's popularity had everything to do with surging American nationalism.Trade Review"Kirsch examines the emerging organizational sophistication of urban and collegiate baseball on the home front, and he sketches out the social and racial contours of what was already often seen as the national game... A careful scholar, he savors using evidence to demolish myth."--Choice "The book is a pleasure to read, and deserves numerous votes for the current literary All-Star Game."--David Wee, American Historical Review "George P. Kirsch has written an interesting, readable book about the sport's growth during the Civil War that teaches readers how the game evolved into the national pastime."--Jeff Diamant, Newark Star-Ledger "Although baseball shares the public stage with other sports nowadays, it is still the professional sport most prominent in American historical consciousness. George B. Kirsch's book offers an intriguing look at the very early years of baseball, which were intertwined with the crucible of the Civil War... Overall, this is a solid examination of the subject and will be of interest to sports and baseball historians, in particular, but also those scholars and general readers interested in the social history of the Civil War."--John Sickels, Civil War HistoryTable of ContentsPREFACE ix CHAPTER ONE: The Rise of Baseball 1 CHAPTER TWO: Battlefront 28 CHAPTER THREE: Home Front 48 CHAPTER FOUR: Players and Clubs 66 CHAPTER FIVE: Championship Competition and Commercialization 93 CHAPTER SIX: The War's Legacy 113 EPILOGUE 131 BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY 137 INDEX 141

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Book SynopsisHere is a comprehensive, practical resource that makes building a successful baseball program considerably easier for both the new and the experienced coach. Included are proven techniques and ready-to-use materials for virtually every aspect of the coach s job, from recruiting to training talent for each position.Table of ContentsAbout This Resource VII Section 1 Getting Started 1 Setting Goals 1 Establishing Standards 3 Maintaining Positive Relationships 5 Communications 7 First Steps for a New Coach 12 A Note to Walk-On Coaches 13 Evaluating Your Performance 15 Fund Raising 17 How to Do It 18 Other Ways to Raise Money 18 Other Considerations in Fund Raising 22 Section 2 Recruiting and Tryouts 25 Announcing the Tryouts 25 Developing as Many Athletes as Possible 29 The Plan for Tryouts 29 Keeping Large Rosters 30 Player Development 31 The Coaching Staff 32 Avoiding Legal Problems 32 Section 3 Game Control from Start to Finish 35 Winning 35 Controlling the Situation 35 Practice 37 Individual Practice Goals 37 Schedules and Goals 37 Game Day 39 Scouting 44 The Game 44 Offensive Signals 49 Sample Signal System 49 Getting the Players Involved in Offense 52 When to Work on Signs 53 Game Notes 53 Charting the Pitcher's Progress and Performance 58 Defensive Signals 82 Calling the Pitches from the Dugout 82 Defensive Alignment 83 Postgame 84 Section 4 Pitching 85 Overview of the Five Most Important Pitching Skills 85 Downhill Plane--The Goal in Mechanics 87 The Pitching Sequence 87 The Pitch 92 Right Hander's Stretch Move 94 Left Hander's Stretch Move 97 Control 97 Section 5 The Pitches 99 Fastball 99 Movement and Velocity 100 Change-Up 101 Curve Ball 103 Other Breaking Pitches 106 The Pitching Plan 108 Identifying Hitters and Attacking Their Weaknesses 111 Warming Up 115 Fielding Techniques for the Pitcher 122 Controlling a Known Fielding Situation 126 Holding Runners on Base and Identifying Running Situations 126 Basic Holding Situations 127 Left-Handed Pitchers Holding Runners on First 130 Arm Soreness 133 Post-Pitching Arm Exercises 135 Section 6 Catching 143 Signal Stance 143 Giving Signals 144 Going from Signal to Receiving Stance 145 Receiving Stance 146 Receiving Techniques 151 Remedies for Dropping Pitches 157 Throwing 158 Step-Catch-Throw Technique 160 Throwing Runners Out at Second 162 Throwing Runners Out at Third 164 Situational Throwing 165 Catcher's Picks 167 Blocking Balls in the Dirt 168 Tag Plays at Home Plate 169 Catching Extras--Receiving Throws 172 Catching Extras--Hit Balls 174 Catcher's Game Performance 175 Section 7 General Infield Play 179 Positioning 179 Fielding the Hit 183 Thinking in the Field 185 Drills to Develop Ground Ball Skills 186 The Little Things in Infield Play 189 Defending the Hit and Run 190 Some Thoughts for the Third Baseman 192 Some Thoughts for the First Baseman 192 The Double Play 194 Drills for Double Play Techniques 198 Section 8 Outfield Play 199 Thinking Before the Pitch 199 Reacting to the Ball 201 Communication 203 Playing the Hit 204 Throwing Fundamentals 205 Additional Tips 208 Throwing Drills 208 Section 9 Defensive Strategy and Positioning 213 Positioning 213 Defensive Focus 214 Defensive Positioning 215 Making Adjustments 217 Individual Skills 218 Other Factors 218 Section 10 Team Defense 219 Cutoffs and Relays 219 Outfielder's Role 236 Short Man 238 Bunt Defense 242 First and Third Defense 254 Pop-Up Priority 262 Section 11 Hitting 267 The Stance 267 Positioning in the Batter's Box 269 The Eyes 270 Hitter Momentum 271 Stride 271 The Swing 273 The Hitting Game Plan 276 Two-Strike Hitting 277 Situation Hitting 278 Five Hitting Zones for the Advanced Hitter 278 Taking Pitches 279 Batting Practice 280 Hitting Drills 281 Hitting Drills with the Aid of Equipment 286 Live Batting Practice 288 Section 12 The Short Came 291 Sacrifice Bunt 291 Base Hit Bunt 295 Base Hit Bunt to Third Base 296 Base Hit Bunt to Second Base 298 Base Hit Bunt to First Base 299 Base Hit Bunt to Shortstop 300 Fake Bunt, Fake Hit and Bunt 300 Section 13 Base Running 301 Pregame and During-Game Homework 302 Batter/Runner Technique 303 Leads at First Base 305 Returning to First Base 307 Using the Stopwatch 308 Secondary Leads 309 Fake Break 310 Stealing Second Base 310 Stealing Against a Right-Handed Pitcher 311 Primary Leads vs. Left-Handed Pitchers 312 Stealing Against Left-Handed Pitchers 313 Delay Steal 316 The Shade--An Aid to Stealing Second 316 Extra Innings at First Base 316 Leads at Second Base 317 Three Methods of Stealing Third Base 319 Leads at Third Base 321 Stealing Home 321 Forcing a Balk 322 Ball in the Dirt at Third 322 Sliding 323 Other Tips for Base Running 323 Section 14 Offensive Strategy and Techniques 325 Plan for Today's Game 325 The Hitter's Plan 327 Big Inning Offense 327 Batting Order 330 Controlling the Tempo 331 Offensive Techniques 332 Hit and Run 332 First and Third Short Game Techniques 335 Stealing a Run--First and Third Offense 338 Section 15 Scholarships and professional baseball 343 Approaching a Career in Baseball 343 Evaluating a Pathway 345 Getting Help with the Decision 347 Appendices Appendix A Baseball Terms 349 Appendix B Score Card (sample: front and back) 350

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Book SynopsisThe story behind the mainstream press’s efforts to preserve baseball’s color line and the efforts of Black and communist newspapers to end it. Trade Review“Everyone—casual fans, journalists, and even the most knowledgeable baseball expert—will find something of interest in this significant contribution to our understanding of civil rights and baseball.”—John Paul Hill, NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Cultures "Lamb . . . brings all his scholarly tools to the project. . . . The author has documented a story of immense cultural importance."—Kirkus Starred Review"[Conspiracy of Silence] is a valuable resource for students of baseball history and for readers concerned with the history of race relations and the media in this country."—Robert Bruce Slater, Library Journal"Conspiracy of Silence represents a significant contribution to the study of baseball, race, and the press."—Trey Strecker, Journal of Sport History"Conspiracy of Silence offers overwhelming evidence of the effectiveness of the black press in advancing integration in this country."—Dorothy Seymour Mills, New York Journal"Lamb's thorough journalistic exposé chronicles the drama and history behind the game, while tracing how the desegregation of baseball parallels the story of the civil rights movement in the United States."—Kathleen Gerard, Shelf Awareness"Lamb's research shows the struggle that took place in the media had a lot to do with the tug-o-war of ideals and practicality of all the issues involved in the decision. It's as good a book on the subject as we've ever come across."—Tom Hoffarth, Farther Off The Wall "Though it covers some familiar ground, this solidly researched study introduces new faces to the picture to broaden the context. The clear, bold writing makes the book a joy to read."—L. A. Heaphy, Choice"This is important, overdue work."—Gene Sapakoff, Post and Courier"Everyone—casual fans, journalists, and even the most knowledgeable baseball expert—will find something of interest in this significant contribution to our understanding of civil rights and baseball."—John Paul Hill, NINETable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsPart 1 1. White Sportswriters and Minstrel ShowsPart 2 2. The Color Line Is Drawn 3. Invisible Men 4. “Agitators” and “Social-Minded Drum Beaters” (written with Kelly Rusinack) Part 3 5. “L’affaire Jake Powell” 6. Major League Managers and Ballplayers Call for End of Color Line Part 4 7. The Double V Campaign 8. “The Great White Father” Speaks 9. Black Editors Make Their Case for Desegregation 10. “Get Those Niggers Off the Field” Part 5 11. Robinson Becomes the Chosen OnePart 6 12. “I Never Want to Take Another Trip Like This One”Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“At last Gil Hodges is a Hall of Famer. Now that the leader of two of the most iconic baseball teams of all time, the 1955 Dodgers and 1969 Mets, is enshrined in Cooperstown, his fascinating life story deserves greater appreciation. Mort Zachter delivers a book worthy of the great player, manager and American.”—Tom Verducci, senior writer for Sports Illustrated “Zachter’s account of Hodges’s exploits is thorough and entertaining, and his case that his favorite player probably ought to be in the Hall of Fame is convincing.”—Bill Littlefield, NPR’s Only a Game "Mort Zachter captures the essence of Hodges in his biography."—Bob D'Angelo, Tampa Tribune"Fans who remember the Brooklyn Bums and the Miracle Mets will find this a must-read."—Jim Burns, Library Journal“The definitive and wonderfully told tale of a baseball icon. Mort Zachter has given Gil Hodges the biography he has long deserved.”—Michael Shapiro, professor of journalism at Columbia University and author of The Last Good Season: Brooklyn, the Dodgers and Their Final Pennant Race Together “Exhaustively researched.”—Christian Science Monitor “Whether focusing on Hodges the Hoosier, the marine on Okinawa, the home run–hitting slugger, or the Brooklynite on Bedford Avenue, Mort Zachter has given us Gil, right down to the nub of his Marlboro. His mincing steps to the mound are remembered along with the candles lit in church and the day Brooklyn’s heart skipped a beat with his. This one spikes high into your heart; the Hodges epic is a lesson in humanity for all seasons.”—Bob McGee, author of The Greatest Ballpark Ever: Ebbets Field and the Story of the Brooklyn Dodgers “Zachter brings the same grace and precision to the page that Hodges brought to first base at Ebbets Field and with methodical research, insight, and pure affection gives life to the man behind the astounding stats, proving once and for all that Hodges truly belongs in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Kudos to Mort Zachter for giving a beloved Brooklyn legend his due.”—Marty Markowitz, former Brooklyn Borough president "[An] excellent biography."—Jacqueline Cutler, Newark Star Ledger“Absolutely fantastic. It was truly a pleasure to read.”—Josh Lewin, New York Mets broadcaster Table of ContentsList of IllustrationsPrefacePrologue: His Reputation Preceded HimHOME—Princeton and Petersburg (1924–43)1. Coal Miner’s Son2. The Twig, the Branch, and the LipAWAY—The Pacific (1944–45); Newport News (1946)3. Okinawa4. Newport NewsHOME—Brooklyn (1947–57)5. Hanging On6. Breaking Through7. Four in One, One for Four8. Great Expectations9. A Bitter Uniqueness10. Say a Prayer11. The Day Next Year Arrived12. Where in America Would You See That?13. The Last SeasonAWAY—Los Angeles (1958–61)14. The Worst Place Ever15. World ChampionsHOME—Manhattan (1962)16. CaseyAWAY—Washington DC (1963–67)17. In the Cellar18. Off the Floor19. On the Doorstep of RespectabilityHOME—Queens (1968–72)20. The Mets Get Serious21. Contenders22. Miracle23. Struggles in the Spotlight24. Easter SundayEpilogue: A LifeAfterword: Hodges and the HallAcknowledgmentsNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisA biography of Branch Rickey, the man who signed Jackie Robinson, and invented baseball's farm system.Trade Review"Lowenfish's take is detailed and nuanced, balancing the issue of integration with the economic and competitive imperatives of running a professional baseball team... Where Lowenfish is at his best is in explicating the complex and often contradictory impulses that drove his subject, as well as his almost evangelical sense of self... All this leaves us with a question-or a set of questions-about who Rickey really was. To Lowenfish's credit, he doesn't look for simple answers; despite his own abiding admiration, he never sugarcoats or presents Rickey in anything other than a three-dimensional light... Without him, baseball would not exist as we know it. America would be a different place as well. In these pages Lowenfish traces the evolution of that America through the filter of a remarkable life."-David L. Ulin, LA Times Book Review Los Angeles Times Book Review "Branch Rickey: Baseball's Ferocious Gentleman, by Lee Lowenfish, provides a thorough account of the life, character, and exploits of this teetotaler Ohio farm boy, the grandson of a horse trader, and a true 'conservative revolutionary.'"-Katherine A. Powers, Boston Globe Boston Globe "[O]ur heartiest recommendation: Branch Rickey - Baseball's Ferocious Gentleman by Lee Lowenfish. A fitting and admirable tribute to the 60th anniversary of Jackie Robinson's breaking of the color line. Lowenfish, a respected baseball scholar, reportedly spent 10 years researching and writing this book that, at 600 pages, is chock full of revelations and great anecdotes on Rickey's life."-Bill Madden, NY Daily News New York Daily News "It's an impressive achievement in historical reporting on a unique character and will serve scholars for decades to come."-Neil Best, Newsday Newsday "If you read one baseball book this summer, make it Branch Rickey: Baseball's Ferocious Gentleman by Lee Lowenfish. The author did a remarkable amount of research in bringing to life this incredible baseball man... Lee Lowenfish is to be congratulated for this monumental work... [O]ne of the best baseball books I've read."-Tom Knight, Brooklyn Spectator Brooklyn SpectatorTable of ContentsIntroductionList of IllustrationsAcknowledgmentsList of AbbreviationsProloguePART I. THE MAKING OF A BASEBALL BRAIN, 1899-19181. Diamond in the Rough2. From Catcher to Coach3. Branch Rickey and the St. Louis Browns4. "War Overshadows Everything"PART II. THE ST. LOUIS PRIME OF BRANCH RICKEY, 1919-19425. Necessity Is the Mother of Invention6. Years of Contention and Frustration7. That Championship Season8. The Near-dynastic Years and a Place in Who's Who9. Another Championship Season and Then Decline10. Prelude to the Gashouse Gang11. The Triumph of the Gashouse Gang12. Years of Frustration13. More Years of Loss, and Farewells to Dizzy Dean and Charley Barrett14. Going Out on TopPART III. THE BIRTH OF THE MAHATMA, 1943-195015. A Branch Grows in Brooklyn16. The Secret Path to the "Young Man from the West"17. An Historic Meeting in Brooklyn18. Prelude to a Pennant19. When All Hell Almost Broke Loose20. When Most of Heaven Rejoiced21. A Year of Disappointment, Odd Choices, and an Adieu to Leo22. A Branch Bends in Brooklyn23. A Branch Is Chopped in BrooklynPART IV. "MY GREATEST THRILL IN BASEBALL HASN'T HAPPENED YET," 1951-196524. A Branch Doesn't Grow Fast Enough in Pittsburgh25. Mr. Rickey Prepares to Do the Continental26. The Continental Dance Card Goes Blank27. Meet Me in St. Louis, Final ChorusNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisFrom the sandlots of San Francisco to the power centers of baseball, this book tells the story of Joe Cronin, one of twentieth-century baseball's major players, both on the field and off. This book follows Cronin from his humble beginnings to his position as one of the most powerful figures in baseball.Trade Review"This is a rich account of one of the 20th century's great player-managers, his rise from modest beginnings all the way to Cooperstown, and presidency of the American League."—Margaret Heilbrun and Gilles Renaud, Library Journal"Mark Armour has produced a grand and deep biography of one of the sport's central figures. I approached it with very high expectations, and came away fully satisfied."—Steve Treder, Hardball Times"Well written and well worth owning."—frommersports.blogspot.com"Cronin emerges as a larger-than-life figure, and Armour's biography is a fitting tribute."—D. R. Danbom, Time Out for Entertainment"This readable, well-documented biography of Cronin, who became an elder statesman of the national pastime, is candid, honest, and reverential."—S. Gittleman, Choice"In writing this biography, Mark Armour has done a great service not only to those interested in Joe Cronin, but also to future researchers interested in any of the multitude of facets of baseball that Joe Cronin impacted."—Richard Puerzer, NINETable of ContentsList of IllustrationsAcknowledgmentsPrologue1. San Francisco2. Pittsburgh and Other Places3. Washington4. Player-Manager5. Rich Kid6. Comeback7. Winding Down8. War9. Bench Manager10. General Manager11. Opportunity Lost12. Youth Movement13. Power and Glory14. Mr. President15. New Order16. Unrest17. At RestNotesIndex

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Book SynopsisNot only was it probably the most cutthroat pennant race in baseball history; it was also a struggle to define how baseball would be played. This book re-creates the rowdy, season-long 1897 battle between the Baltimore Orioles and the Boston Beaneaters. Bill Felber brings to life the most intensely watched team sporting event in the US’s history to that time.Trade Review“Felber . . . excels at demonstrating the dissimilarities between these two evenly matched opponents. . . . [He] gives a spirited retelling of the season, giving life to greedy owners, rabid fans, drunken ballplayers and terrorized umpires, all the while bringing to life an era of baseball when home runs were a rarity, players fielded with no gloves and starting pitchers threw almost 400 innings a season.”—Publishers Weekly“Bill Felber has woven a picturesque tale of how baseball was played more than 100 years ago in the rowdy days of the 1890s. The story, although concentrating on the 1897 pennant race between Baltimore and Boston, vividly describes the atmosphere of the game on and off the field, and in doing so creates a rollicking good tale to boot.”—Pete Palmer, coeditor of ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia, 4th edition“This book is a hoot from start to the cliff-hanging conclusion.”—John Linsenmeyer, Greenwich Time (CT) “A fine source of stories about the days when . . . Boston fans celebrated victories by tossing into the air beans that they had carried to the games in their pockets for that purpose, and when an umpire could be arrested twice in one season without losing his job.”—Bill Littlefield, WBUR-FM Radio, NPR’s “Only a Game”Table of ContentsList of IllustrationsForeword by Senator Edward M. KennedySources and AcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Baseball's Original Evil Empire2. The Royal Rooters3. Spring Thunderbolts4. Parade of Champions5. Suspected Criminals6. Streaks of June7. Sunday Misdemeanors8. The Rise and Fall of Louis Sockalexis9. Day Job for Garroters10. Don't They Keep Warm?11. Fall in BaltimoreAfterwordAppendixNotes

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Book SynopsisIn the decade after the Civil War, baseball became segregated because its leaders wanted to grow its presence and appeal to Southerners and to professionalize the sport. As a result, Black players were excluded until 1947.Trade Review"A boon to scholars of both the early development of baseball and race relations after the Civil War."—Library Journal"When Baseball Went White is an intriguing, insightful, and provocative book that opens exciting possibilities for future researchers."—David Welky, Journal of Sport History"Lively and engaging."—Dain Tepoel, Sport in American History“Ryan Swanson's carefully researched and wonderfully nuanced study of baseball’s declining race relations during Reconstruction sheds considerable light on this oft-neglected topic. A must-read.”—Peter Morris, author of A Game of Inches and Level Playing Fields“Deeply researched and well written, Ryan A. Swanson’s When Baseball Went White carefully examines ‘the mechanics of segregation’ that racially cleansed organized baseball during Reconstruction and in the process helped the game become our ‘national pastime,’ at the expense of civil rights and racial justice. Swanson reveals, in fine detail, how a sport that would become a truly meaningful cultural practice and institution nevertheless became something less than it might have been.”—Daniel A. Nathan, president of the North American Society for Sport History and author of Saying It’s So: A Cultural History of the Black Sox ScandalTable of ContentsList of IllustrationsIntroductionProminent Players and ClubsPart 1. The War’s Over, 1865–671. Washington DC: A Game to Be Governed2. Richmond: Make It a Southern Game3. Philadelphia: Baseball’s BoomtownPart 2. Sorting Out New Divisions, 1867–694. Philadelphia: Setting Precedent5. Washington DC: Nationalizing Separation6. Richmond: Calibrating a ResponsePart 3. New Realities Entrenched, the 1870s7. Philadelphia: Permanent Solutions8. Richmond: The Final Tally9. Washington DC: Professional SeparationEpilogueAcknowledgmentsNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisProvides a balanced, nuanced, and carefully documented look at radio and baseball over the past one hundred years, focusing on the interaction between team owners, local and national media, and government and business interests, with extensive coverage of the television and Internet ages, when baseball on the radio had to make critical adjustments to stay viable.Trade Review"Crack of the Bat will give you insight into the nostalgic power of baseball on the radio, and make you realize what you missed."—Hunter M. Hampton, Sport in American History"[Crack of the Bat is] a valuable resource for sport and media scholars alike that should encourage more work on sports radio's woefully under examined history."—Travis Vogan, Historical Journal of Film, Radio, and Television"Informed by the literature on the subject and the beneficiary of deep research in archival sources and oral histories, this book is based on sound scholarship, engages the general reader's interest, and will enlighten scholars in their study of the symbiotic relationship between radio and baseball."—John E. Miller, Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society"Well researched, and equally well written and footnoted, Crack of the Bat is not only a welcome addition to electronic media research but would make an excellent addition to a history of sports in the media classroom."—Roger Heinrich, American Journalism"Crack of the Bat deserves to be on the reading list for courses in broadcast history and mass communication history."—Dave Ogden, Journalism & Mass Communication Educator“Once upon a time you had to go to a ballpark to experience a ball game. Today most of us enjoy baseball across several media, and almost always alone. A game on radio—or via television or Internet or news account—is not as good as being part of the crowd at the ballpark, but what is? This book. James Walker traces the history of baseball on the radio with unmatched love and erudition.”—John Thorn, official historian of Major League Baseball and author of Baseball in the Garden of EdenTable of ContentsForeword Acknowledgments Introduction: A Game in Words and Sound Part I. The Formative Years, 1920–36 1. Early World Series Coverage 2. The Local Game Begins 3. Inventing a New Craft 4. The Baseball-Radio War 5. The World Series Triggers a National Obsession 6. Advertisers Expand Baseball Coverage Part II. The Age of Acceptance, 1937–60 7. Re-Creating Baseball 8. Baseball Reluctantly Embraces Radio 9. An Explosion in National Coverage Part III. The Television Years, 1961–Present 10. Radio in the Age of Television 11. The Modern Baseball Announcer 12. Baseball Broadcasts in the Digital Era Epilogue Appendix: Number of Team Radio Stations by Year, 1936–2001 Notes Index

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Book SynopsisThis book, based on extensive interviews and Alexander's journals, is filled with memorable characters, pithy lessons, snapshots of American life, and a big picture of America's pastime from one of its great off-the-field players.Trade Review“Baseball’s Last Great Scout was a great pleasure for me to read. Hugh Alexander was one of the most interesting and unique men I ever met. As far as baseball: his best quality was enthusiasm for the game along with confidence and desire to make his teams better. He was a great help to me and everyone else he worked with over the years.”—Jim Frey, former Major League Baseball coach and manager“‘Uncle Hughie’ was truly an icon, a legend, and, as the book shows, a super scout. I’ve always felt the scouting profession in baseball has been underappreciated because so few fans really understand the trials and tribulations of the people who are the lifeblood of any organization. Dan’s book delves into one of the real old-time scout’s daily efforts to find the next Major League Baseball player. Hughie’s efforts played out in every change in scouting from true free agency to several changes in the draft rules. And because of his efforts and shrewdness in adapting to these changes, he helped all his teams get better. A fun read about a true character that I know you’ll enjoy.”—Dallas Green, senior advisor to the general manager of the Philadelphia Phillies"Dan Austin's appreciation of Alexander provides baseball fans with a sense of how scouts discovered and cultivated players before the advent of the Major League Scouting Bureau."—Bill Littlefield, Only a GameTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. A Stick of Dynamite2. Enter Cy Slapnicka3. On the Road Again and Again4. Striking Gold in His Own Backyard5. You Gotta Have a Plan6. Scouting in Wartime7. After the War, the Show Goes On8. Watch, but Don't Pick9. Miles Behind, Miles Ahead, but No U-turns10. First Brooklyn, Then Dodging His Way to the West Coast11. A Mythical Combination12. A Three-Traffic-Light Town and Loads of Talent13. Hondo Hits Them High and Deep14. Getting a Twofer15. He Made Me Keep Coming Back16. From No Prospect to Future Hall of Famer17. Where There's a Tryout Camp, There's Hope18. Make Way for Tomorrow19. Building a New Dream20. Let's Get Real about Rebuilding This Club21. Trading Who, and Trading When22. You Can Lose If You Don't Know the Rules23. Finally a Winner24. Looking at Another Scoreboard25. History Repeats Itself26. Overcoming Pitfalls in Seeking Certainty

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Book SynopsisIf an umpire could steal the show in a Major League game, the author might well have been the one to do it. Tough but fair, in his thirty years as a professional umpire he took on some of baseball's great umpire baiters, while ejecting any number of the game's elite - once tearing a hamstring in the process. This book tells his story.Trade Review“Clark, having called well over 3,000 MLB games, offers a perspective that is engaging as well as steeped in personal experience. It will be of interest to any baseball fan.”—Brian Renvall, Library Journal “Enjoy some great baseball stories from a man who once had a front-row seat in our great game.”—Chris Wheeler, Phillies broadcaster “Al Clark never threw me out of a game, but Billy Martin wasn’t so fortunate. I not only witnessed his confrontations with Al but enjoyed remembering them in this book.”—Ron Blomberg, first designated hitter“Everything about Called Out But Safe is personal, and thank goodness for it.”—Don Laible, Utica Observer-Dispatch “Books from umpires are infrequent and refreshing. . . . It is baseball’s timeless field of vision that offers the vantage where Clark made a living for more than twenty-five years. From a reader’s perspective it’s a point of view worth sharing.”—The Plain Dealer (Cleveland) Table of ContentsForewordPrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. The Family Clark2. Getting Started3. The Art of Umpiring4. Dressing the Part5. My Office6. Names and Games7. Wives, Women, and Song8. The Yiddishe Umpire9. Billy, Earl, and a Few Dicks10. Bucky F. Dent11. Labor Pains12. Quaking in My Boots13. A Texas Connection14. Lights Out in Baltimore15. The Iron Man16. Credit Denied17. Jailhouse Rock18. Lasting ImpressionsEpilogueAppendix

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Book SynopsisThe tale of Jerry Reuss’s twenty-two year career as a pitcher in the Major Leagues. Trade Review"Reuss is a gifted storyteller, and he ably communicates his love for the game in an easy, conversational style that makes for pleasurable reading. His book will appeal to any reader interested in 1970s and 1980s baseball, as well as many other fans."—Library Journal"As he did throughout a career that touched an amazing four decades (1969-1990), Reuss delivers plenty of strikes on the page."—John L. Smith, Las Vegas Review-Journal“In Bring In the Right-Hander! Jerry Reuss delivers a revealing and remarkable performance.”—Fred Claire, former Los Angeles Dodger executive vice president and general manager and author of Fred Claire: My 30 Years in Dodger Blue"If you've ever wondered about what goes on behind the scenes in major league baseball, particularly in the clubhouse, this is a must-read book."—Ron Cervenka, thinkbluela.com"Bring In the Right-Hander is a revealing look at Reuss's career, from his start with the Cardinals all the way through his final days as a Pirate."—Cardinal Conclave"If you are a fan of Reuss or any of the teams he played for, take the time to read this book."—Gregg's Baseball Bookcase“Jerry Reuss had one of the great deliveries in baseball. And he has pitched a strike again with an insightful look at a career that transcended the ‘Golden Era’ of the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s. I couldn’t put it down!”—Steve Garvey, 1974 National League Most Valuable Player and ten-time All-Star Table of ContentsPrologueAcknowledgments1. The Early Years2. Turning Pro3. Life in the Minor Leagues4. Twenty-Four Hours from Tulsa5. Meet Me in St. Louis6. Houston, I'm Comin' to See Ya7. Makin' My Way to the Steel City8. California, Here I Come!9. Life after the World Series . . . Big Laughs, Great Times, and Transitions10. Hits, Misses, and Whistle-StopsEpilogueNotes

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Book SynopsisJ. Frank Cashen looks back over his twenty-five-year career in baseball. Best known as the general manager of the New York Mets during their remaking and rise to glory in the 1980s, Cashen fills the pages with lively stories from his baseball tenure during the last half of the twentieth century.Trade Review“The most versatile man I know; sports, music, writing, the law, he could do it all.”—Tim McCarver“When it came to baseball, Cashen had the magic touch.”—Nelson Doubleday Jr., former president of Doubleday and former owner of the New York Mets“Frank Cashen, through shrewd trades and organizational development, put together two of the most complete pitching staffs in baseball history. Through the use of both the numbers and his great appreciation of the eyes and ears of the game (the scouts), Mr. Cashen assembled iconic franchises. Orioles and Mets fans applaud.”—Ron Darling, New York Mets pitcher in the 1980s“Frank Cashen liked being a sportswriter, liked being a lawyer, liked running a brewery, but loved being a baseball general manager. He took his intellect, people skills, great judgment, and passion and became one of the best baseball GMs ever.”—Jim Palmer, broadcaster and Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame pitcher“Cashen is a hero to the little people in baseball. He believed in scouting and the Minor Leagues and persuaded the big league owners to provide a retirement plan for the forgotten people of baseball.”—Harry Minor, long-time New York Mets scout"[Winning in Both Leagues] delivers a refreshingly compact and unpretentious change of pace."—Henry D. Fetter, Wall Street Journal"Whether you've heard the stories before, or whether some of the information is totally new, Cashen's is a good read."—Pete Kerzel, Mid Atlantic Sports NetworkTable of ContentsForeword by Billy BeanePrefaceAcknowledgments1. Beating Boston2. Call from the Boss3. Baltimore Beginnings4. Shocking Developments5. Parting Gift6. Four Straight7. After the Sweep8. Earl of Baltimore9. Low Point to High Flyers10. Negotiating Contracts11. My First Passion12. From Studs to Suds13. Commish’s Call14. Baseball Trails15. Casting My Fate16. Changing the Mets' Image17. Yellow Pad Parlance18. Trade Secrets19. Competing in the Apple20. Building a Winner21. Breaking .50022. Dominating Season23. Infamous Plane Trip24. Series Showdown25. Futures Trading26. Broadcasting Brilliance27. New Friends, New Places28. Traveling Tales29. Mets Changes30. New Choices31. Extra Innings

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Book SynopsisAn archival account of baseball and America.Trade Review“David Anderson’s book is a winner in its own right. Not only does it enlighten us about a season that might really have been ‘the best and most exciting’ of all time, it gives us the feeling that we’re standing hatless among the overflow crowds of nearly a century ago, rooting for Matty, Rube, the Big Train, the Flying Dutchman, the Georgia Peach, and all the other flannel-clad immortals of days gone by. . . . Anderson has fashioned as close to a masterpiece of baseball research and analysis as any first-class author has produced in a long time.”—David Shiner, HaroldSeymour.com"A fascinating archival account of what baseball and America were like nearly a century ago."—New York Times Book Review“Those not acquainted with the dramatics of the 1908 campaign might find Anderson's hyperbolic title a bit extreme until they read of the many astonishing events that took place that year. To wit: three NL teams finishing within a half game of each other (forcing the first-ever playoff game) and an AL race decided by .004 percentage points. Toss in the exploits of legendary figures Christy Mathewson, Honus Wagner and other future Hall-of-Famers and the book's description more resembles an exercise in prosaic restraint.”—USA Today Baseball Weekly“Baseball enthusiasts will enjoy this.”—Library Journal“As his title suggests, there was more to this memorable season than an infamous blunder.”—Sports Illustrated

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Book SynopsisThe average pitcher has about a.000645 chance of throwing a no-hitter. In the spring of 1938, Cincinnati Reds rookie pitcher Johnny Vander Meer pitched two, back to back. The feat has never been duplicated. Double No-Hit offers an inning-by-inning account of that historic second consecutive no-hitter, accomplished during the first night game in New York City.Trade Review“Johnny Vander Meer’s extraordinary feat of pitching back-to-back no-hitters is truly one of baseball’s unique records. The story of how he went about pitching no-hitters four days apart deserves to be told for future generations of baseball fans. The phenomenal accomplishment is a record that is unlikely to be tied or broken.”—Nolan Ryan, Hall of Fame pitcher and CEO and president of the Texas Rangers“There was out-of-the-blue, lottery-winner magic in Vander Meer’s accomplishment, two no-hitters in a row, something never done before or since, probably never to be repeated. Pose! Smile! Pop! That magic has been captured here in fine detail and preserved between the covers of Double No-Hit by James Johnson. A terrific job.”—Leigh Montville, author of Ted Williams: The Biography of an American Hero“The history of baseball is abundant with remarkable, even mythical, stories of achievement. And meticulous research will unearth these heroic feats for modern-day readers. I encourage you to read and marvel at Jim Johnson’s biographical journey with one such baseball hero who, almost seventy-five years ago, stunned the baseball world with an achievement never yet equaled and, dare say, will never be eclipsed.”—Jerry Kindall, former infielder with the Cubs, the Indians, and the Twins, and three-time NCAA baseball coach of the year“Johnny Vander Meer’s life is defined by one of baseball’s most astonishing achievements: two amazing games pitched by a twenty-two-year-old rookie in 1938. That feat has made him the envy of all pitchers, even the greatest stars, in the subsequent generations. With thorough research and an easy, comprehensive narrative, James W. Johnson describes the no-hitters and the ups and downs of Vandy’s long but unique and enigmatic career.”—Dave Baldwin, former pitcher with the Washington Senators, the Milwaukee Brewers, and the Chicago White Sox"The combination of Johnson's well written no-hitter recaps along with an engaging look at pre-War baseball made the book enjoyable."—Ken Massey, Red Reporter"Every acolyte of balldom will be grateful for Johnson's research, which allows him to re-create the world of baseball in the late 1930s and 1940s."—J.C. Martin, Arizona Daily StarTable of ContentsIntroductionPrologue1. Nighttime Pageantry2. First Inning3. Bottom of the First4. A Second Chance5. Second Inning6. Third Inning7. Fourth Inning8. Fifth Inning9. A Dream Come True10. Sixth Inning11. Seventh Inning12. Eighth Inning13. Ninth Inning14. After the Game15. Postgame16. The Rest of the Season17. A New Season18. Vandy Bounces Back19. The War and Beyond20. A New OpportunityEpilogueAcknowledgmentsAppendixNotesBibliography

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Book SynopsisThe Yankees and New York baseball entered a golden age between 1949 and 1964, a period during which the city was represented in all but one World Series. While the Yankees dominated, however, the years were not so golden for the rest of baseball. In The Postwar Yankees David George Surdam deconstructs this idyllic period.Trade Review"The Postwar Yankees: Baseball's Golden Age Revisited is a good starting point for anyone interested in the business of baseball."—John Paul Hill, NINETable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: What Golden Age?1. Those Damn Yankees: Dominance and Submission in the American League2. Player Movement and Building the Yankees: Leaving Soon from a (Small) City near You3. The Game on the Ledger: Doldrums amid Prosperity4. Changing Demographics, Suburbia, and Leisure Patterns: Why Did Baseball Attendance Fall?5. Television and Baseball: The New Technology, Friend or Foe?6. Where Is Robin Hood When You Need Him? Revenue Sharing in the American League7. Isn't Anybody Going to Help That Game? Baseball Attempts to Rejuvenate Its Popularity8. The Major League Cartel: Keeping Out the Interlopers9. The Sixteen-Headed Hydra: The Cartel Faces the Enmity Within10. The Yankees' Dynasty: Did Success Spoil the Team and Its Fans?Epilogue: What If the Golden Age Ended and Nobody Cared?Appendix of TablesNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisDuring his six and a half decades in baseball, Eddie Robinson knew, played with or against, or worked for or with many of baseball’s greats. The lively autobiography highlights a career that touched all aspects of the game from player to coach to front-office executive and scout.Trade Review“A fun read, chock full of funny stories.”—New York Daily News"Fans regardless of the team allegiance will enjoy this book."—Gregg's Baseball Bookcase“Eddie Robinson was a fine ballplayer. He had a remarkably long, fascinating, and colorful career as a baseball scout and front-office man for many big league teams. I know of no book that gives as much insight into the front-office machinations in baseball organizations. [Eddie Robinson’s] autobiography will interest people inside baseball who remember Eddie, and many others will enjoy reading about the experiences of men who’ve been in the game.”—Charles C. Alexander, author of Ty Cobb "Of those sixty-five years in baseball, I've known Eddie for fifty-five of them--as a dear friend, business partner, and as a terrific baseball player. Major league baseball needs more people like Eddie."—Brooks C. Robinson, Hall of Fame third baseman for the Baltimore Orioles“Eddie Robinson was the most underrated and best clutch hitter I ever played against.”—Ted Williams, Hall of Fame outfielder for the Boston Red Sox“What can you say about Eddie? Good baseball man and a pretty good left-handed hitter in his day. He was one of our first basemen in the ’50s and fit in real good.”—Yogi Berra, Hall of Fame catcher for the New York YankeesTable of ContentsForeword by Tom GrieveAuthor's PrefaceIntroduction by Bobby Brown Chapter 1 - Paris, Texas, RootsChapter 2 - Breaking into Pro BallChapter 3 - Making ProgressChapter 4 - A Taste of the Big Time and a World War II DetourChapter 5 - International League MVPChapter 6 - Big League RookieChapter 7 - A Magical Year in ClevelandChapter 8 - An All-State Year in WashingtonChapter 9 - With the Pale HoseChapter 10 - A Year in Purgatory, er, PhiladelphiaChapter 11 - From the Outhouse to the PenthouseChapter 12 - Fun and Games with the YankeesChapter 13 - Playing Out the StringChapter 14 - Coaching with Paul Richards and the OriolesChapter 15 - The Move to Houston and the Start of the Expansion Colt .45sChapter 16 - On to Kansas City and Charlie FinleyChapter 17 - Back to the National League with the Atlanta BravesChapter 18 - Fun and Games with Ted TurnerChapter 19 - Home to TexasChapter 20 - The Eddie Chiles EraChapter 21 - Working for GeorgeChapter 22 - Team Consultant--The Last Stage RetrospectiveAfterwordAcknowledgmentsIndex

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Book SynopsisThough his pitching career lasted only a few seasons, Howard Ellsworth “Smoky Joe” Wood was one of the most dominating figures in baseball history - a man many consider the best baseball player who is not in the Hall of Fame. Smoky Joe Wood chronicles the singular life befitting such a baseball legend.Trade Review"Wood was a great ballplayer and an even more fascinating man. Excellent reading."-Wes Lukowsky, Booklist -- Wes Lukowsky Booklist "Gerald C. Wood (no relation), author of this first full-scale biography of 'Smoky Joe' Wood, delivers an impeccably researched and poignant account of a great athlete and even greater man."-Mark Hodermarsky, Cleveland.com -- Mark Hodermarsky Cleveland.com "A stunning account of the life of the best baseball player not in the Hall of Fame."-John Vorperian, Southern New England Chapter, Society for American Baseball Research -- John Vorperian Southern New England Chapter, Society for American Baseball Research "[Smoky Joe Wood is] a thorough and lively account of the career of Joe Wood."-W. T. Lindley, CHOICE -- W. T. Lindley CHOICE "As readers will discover in Gerald Wood's insightful and thorough portrait of the Red Sox hurler, Indians outfielder, Yale coach, and baseball ambassador, the appreciation for Smoky Joe Wood should come not from individual achievements but from the sum of all the parts of the man's life."-Ron Kates, NINE -- Ron Kates NINETable of ContentsList of Illustrations 000Acknowledgments 000Introduction: Bart at 90 Marvel Road 0001. John F. and Howard E. 0002. Bloomer Girl and Minor Leaguer 0003. Rookie and More 0004. The 1912 Regular Season 0005. The 1912 World Series 0006. Playing with Pain 0007. Indian Outfielder and Utility Man 0008. Glory Revisited 0009. The Yale Years 00010. Final Innings 00011. Legend and Legacy 000Epilogue: Fenway Park, August 17, 2008 000Notes 000Bibliography 000Index 000

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Book SynopsisExplores the development of Taiwanese baseball and the influence of baseball on Taiwan's cultural identity in its colonial years and beyond as a clear departure from narratives of assimilation and resistance.Trade Review"Empire of Infields provides a deeply nuanced analysis of the complicated historical interactions of sport and colonialism in Taiwan."—J. S. Franks, Choice"Harney's Empire of Infields joins Sayuri Guthrie-Shimizu's Trans-Pacific Field of Dreams: How Baseball Linked the United States and Japan in Peace and War (2012) as an important work describing the evolution of baseball as an international sport. And while soccer, golf, basketball, or tennis may have a more truly global reach, he demonstrates well how baseball came to establish its secure niche in the world."—Paul Dunscomb, H-Asia"Harney's Empire of Infields is a book for those interested in who the Taiwanese are, by going back to the root and the route of the game of baseball. It goes beyond simple assimilation/resistance dichotomy via sport in terms of nation building, and it is well-written and the research masterfully handled."—Tzu-hsuan Chen, Asian Journal of Sport History & Culture“In this well-reported, wonderfully conceived book, John Harney has mapped not just the history of Taiwanese baseball but the role the game has played in the evolution of a contested Taiwanese national identity. This is a kaleidoscopic analysis of the entanglement of Japanese colonialism, Taiwanese identity, and nationalism, politics, and globalization.”—George Gmelch, author of Baseball beyond Our Borders: An International Pastime“John Harney has utilized a host of primary sources to produce a nuanced and detailed reinterpretation of Taiwanese identity via the historical role of baseball. He offers an alternative analysis to the usual assimilation and resistance frameworks in other works as he negotiates the contested and ambiguous identity of a nation in limbo. A must-read for scholars of East Asian studies and sport historians.”—Gerald R. Gems, past president of the North American Society for Sport HistoryTable of ContentsNote on Transliteration and Choice of Team Names Acknowledgments Introduction: National Games 1. A Japanese Sport in the Colony 2. Waseda Baseball and Japan’s Place in the World 3. Barnstormers or Emissaries of Empire? 4. The Road to Kōshien 5. Kanō 6. Chiang’s China and Taiwanese Baseball 7. Echoes of Empire 8. Hongye Conclusion: Baseball’s Long Goodbye Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisExamines the development of baseball in Korea, the Philippines, Mainland China, and Taiwan, as well as the story of baseball in Japan. This book covers topics ranging from baseball in Qing Dynasty China in the nineteenth century to the 2000 Sydney Olympics bronze-medal match between Japan and Korea.Trade Review"Joseph Reaves's Taking in a Game: A History of Baseball in Asia expands our knowledge of Asian baseball beyond Japan, about which much has been written, to countries such as Korea, China, Taiwan and the Philippines. Reaves, an American journalist who has reported from Asia for many years, discovers baseball being played in many unlikely places, such as in the Communist stronghold of Yenan during the Sino-Japanese War of the 1930s."—Sacramento Bee"Joseph A. Reaves explores an aspect of the sport that is literally foreign to most fans. This book expands its scope well beyond the dominating influence of Japan to include the reach of baseball in Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, and even China. . . . This study explaining the differences between Far Eastern ball and our own game arrives at an auspicious moment when more Pacific Rim players than ever are impacting the way baseball is played in the USA."—USA Today Baseball Weekly"American soldiers were baseball's Johnny Appleseeds, but Reaves shows that the Japanese tended the orchard of the game in Korea, the Philippines and Taiwan. . . . Reaves makes the case that before World War II, baseball for the Japanese was often about competing with the United States. After the war, the game helped bring the two countries together."—The Washington Post"This book presents a brief but somewhat encyclopedic examination of baseball in Asia, with a particular focus on China, Japan, the Philippines, Korea, and Taiwan. One riveting tales involves right-hander Eiju Sawamura, who pitched against Babe Ruth and a visiting American all-stars in Japan in 1934."—Library Journal"An important, groundbreaking work of research. Highly readable, yet thoroughly documented. No one else has put together this much information on baseball in Asia in one volume. It will be the sourcebook on the subject for years to come. Hats off to author Reaves for a much needed, unique contribution to the literature of the game."—Robert Whiting, author of You Gotta Have Wa"This book will be the definitive book on Asian baseball and how Japan has taken America's game and made it their own. . . . This is a rare book—one that is interesting, readable and also breaks a lot of new ground and enlightens a whole new audience to a game that we know and love yet is totally foreign to us."—Jonathan Leshanksi, Athomeplate.com“Taking in a Game is an essential history that provides context as the so-called ‘American game’ continues to evolve into a worldwide phenomenon.”—Michael Wilt, Korean Quarterly"A former Chicago Tribune sports writer, Reaves transformed his thesis project at the University of Hong Kong into this award-winning commentary. . . . Reaves's well-referenced treatment of the game is highly recommended for students majoring in sports studies or the history of sport, and for readers who just have a passion for the game."—Choice

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Book SynopsisA social history of baseball on Chicago’s South Side in the early decades of the twentieth century, drawing on the writings of novelist James T. Farrell, along with historical sources related to baseball’s rich history in this era. Trade Review"In James T. Farrell and Baseball: Dreams and Realism on Chicago’s South Side, sociologist Charles DeMotte paints a rich, eloquent, and colorful portrait of the author’s life, the world he grew up in, and how they pertain to his writings on America’s Pastime. DeMotte has done his work well. Besides combing Farrell’s work, the author’s extensive sources range widely from the Dorothy and Harold Seymour papers, to the James T. Farrell papers at the University of Pennsylvania, to the Chicago History Museum and the Newberry Library."—Bob Komoroski, Inside Game “Charles DeMotte captures the colorful and vibrant world of James T. Farrell’s boyhood neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago—a teeming environment populated by youth of every race and ethnicity who dreamed the American dream and intermingled on the city’s baseball fields. DeMotte shows how Farrell’s affection for the game and his observation of the various subcultures in this milieu contributed to his life’s work. The book is an engaging and thoroughly enlightening biography and work of social history.”—Thomas Wolf, coauthor of Midnight Assassin: A Murder in America’s Heartland “Admirers of James T. Farrell who love baseball as he did will welcome this Farrell-tinted study of the evolution of organized baseball on Chicago’s South Side in the early twentieth century, the place and time that the novelist made his own in Studs Lonigan and other works. Baseball fans new to Farrell will appreciate his kindred spirit and Mr. DeMotte’s account of the sport’s growth in the era of Ty Cobb and the Black Sox scandal, a time when young Farrell, too, was growing up.”—Robert K. Landers, author of An Honest Writer: The Life and Times of James T. FarrellTable of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Growing Up on the South Side 2. Farrell, Baseball, and the Making of a Literary Mind 3. Danny O’Neill’s Baseball Dreams 4. Chicago’s Summer Pastime 5. The College Game, Baseball Diplomacy, and the Summer Controversy 6. Rube Foster and Chicago’s Black South Side Teams 7. Comiskey and Chicago’s White South Side Team 8. The Business of Baseball 9. The Fix, the Scandal, and the Response 10. Looking Backward Epilogue Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisBaseball’s past has been lauded, romanticized, and idealized, and much has been written about both the sport and its history. This is the first volume to explore the understudied side of baseball - how its heritage is understood, interpreted, commodified, and performed for various purposes today.

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