Biography: sport Books

Book SynopsisOne of the most endearing of American heroes, Casey Stengel guided the New York Yankees to ten pennants in twelve seasons. In this book, the brilliant manager is stripped naked - the person underneath all the clowning, mugging, and double-talking. It also shows us Casey at twenty-two, famous from his very first day in the big leagues.Trade Review"A superb book. . . . Creamer has set a standard of excellence for sports biographies."—Sports Illustrated"Exemplary . . . by scaling down the legend of Stengel to human proportions, Mr. Creamer has made it seem all the more vital."—New York Times Book Review"Full of energy and surprises and laughter. . . . In Creamer’s wonderful portrait, the real man is even more likable than the legend."—Washington Post Book World

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Book SynopsisWhen the Philadelphia Phillies signed Dick Allen in 1960, fans of the franchise envisioned bearing witness to feats never before accomplished by a Phillies player. A half-century later, they're still trying to make sense of what they saw. Carrying to the plate baseball's heaviest and loudest bat as well as the burden of being the club's first African American superstar, Allen found both hits and controversy with ease and regularity as he established himself as the premier individualist in a game that prided itself on conformity. As one of his managers observed, I believe God Almighty hisself would have trouble handling Richie Allen. A brutal pregame fight with teammate Frank Thomas, a dogged determination to be compensated on par with the game's elite, an insistence on living life on his own terms and not management's: what did it all mean? Journalists and fans alike took sides with ferocity, and they take sides still. Despite talent that earned him Rookie of the Year and MVP honorTrade Review"I've been writing for several years that there was a very good book to be written about Dick Allen and why he isn't in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Now that book has been written. God Almighty Hisself: The Life and Legacy of Dick Allen by Mitchell J. Nathanson, a law professor at Villanova University, is, in my opinion, one of the half-dozen or so best baseball books published so far this century." * Allen Barra in Truthdig *"The story of his career is fascinating. True, Allen wrote an engaging memoir, Crash, but we suggest Nathanson’s tremendous biography for an even fuller portrait of a legendary player." * Esquire *"God Almighty Hisself provides new insight into a complex man who stood up against a system that was hopelessly stacked against him...Nathanson's clear and fluid writing style provides an extensive, in-depth look into a complicated figure making his way through a complicated time in a complicated profession, and, in doing so, shows the reader how sports acts as a microcosm of society at large in dealing with social, political, and economic issues." * Pennsylvania History *"An excellent and unflinching examination of the tragedy that ensued when the first baseball superstar insistent on full racial equality joined one of the last baseball teams to integrate." * Keith Olbermann *"Nathanson gives us an unapologetic view of the collision between the ultra-talented and complex Dick Allen and Major League Baseball's tumultuous postintegration era. He adeptly illuminates that Allen was a driver, passenger, and innocent bystander, all in one conflicted soul." * Doug Glanville *"I loved Dick Allen for reasons that I could never totally explain. Maybe it was his big bat and electric presence at the plate; maybe it was his individualism and outspokenness; maybe it was that image of him using his cleats to dig BOO into the dirt near the first base bag in Philly. Now, with Mitchell Nathanson's penetrating and revelatory book, I appreciate the full dimensions of this mysterious baseball rebel." * David Maraniss, author of Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball's Last Hero *Table of ContentsPrologue. Baseball's Way Chapter 1. The Individualist Chapter 2. The Double Standard Chapter 3. A Job, Not a Game Chapter 4. What Fight? Chapter 5. Rules Chapter 6. Seniority Don't Drive in Runs Chapter 7. When I Don't Like Something, I Rebel Chapter 8. A Threat to the Game Chapter 9. I Am My Own Man Chapter 10. Public Relations Men, Not Ballplayers Chapter 11. Dick, Not Richie Chapter 12. The System Chapter 13. The Return Chapter 14. No Apologies Chapter 15. Free Agent Epilogue. His Way Notes Bibliography Index Acknowledgments

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Book SynopsisChad Rowan left his home in rural Hawaii for Tokyo with visions of becoming a star athlete in Japan's national sport, sumo. Five years later, he became the first gaijin to advance to sumo's top rank, yokozuna. This book chronicles the events leading to that improbable scene, tracing his life from his Hawaii upbringing to his retirement ceremony.

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Book SynopsisChad Rowan left his home in rural Hawaii for Tokyo with visions of becoming a star athlete in Japan's national sport, sumo. Five years later, he became the first gaijin to advance to sumo's top rank, yokozuna. This book chronicles the events leading to that improbable scene, tracing his life from his Hawaii upbringing to his retirement ceremony.

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Book SynopsisThis first-ever history of the Illinois State University football program chronicles Redbird legends and lore, from the 1880s team to today''s Missouri Valley Football Conference powerhouse. Dan Verdun covers the early years (1887 to World War II) and the post-war era (late 1940s to 1950s) before delving into a decade-by-decade examination of the program. The 1950 Corn Bowl team, playoff appearances, NFL draft picks, and the 2014 team''s second-place finish in the FCS National Championship are all included.Opening with a foreword by James Boomer Grigsby, an ISU all-American linebacker who was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2005, Illinois State Redbirds Football includes many names that will be familiar to Illinois State fans, including Frank Chiodi, Guy Homoly, Kevin Glenn, Laurent Robinson, Brock Spack, and Tre Roberson. Informed by extensive research and personal interviews, Verdun relays the inside stories of several players and explores the details of where t

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Book SynopsisDrawing on coverage of Ashe's athletic career and social activism in domestic and international publications, archives including the Ashe Papers, and a variety of published memoirs and interviews, Hall has created an intimate, nuanced portrait of a great athlete who stood at the crossroads of sports and equal justice.Trade ReviewHall's elegant and well-paced narrative teases out the contradictions of one of tennis's most enigmatic characters. Times Literary Supplement Eric Allen Hall's biography of Ashe is assiduous in giving context, ever-traceable in its sources, to the tennis player's life: his childhood in segregated Richmond is recounted with a summary of how de jure segregation ruled the lives of American children; his coming of age as an athlete and ROTC member includes sketches of the Civil Rights Era on campus and in Vietnam; his ascendance to a globe-touring professional with public demonstrations against apartheid in South Africa includes glosses on the competitive structure of world tennis and the Cold War arrangement of power between the segregated nations of America and South Africa. Rain Taxi Review of Books A strong book on an outstanding topic, it serves as a reminder that Ashe's tragic death has to some extent eclipsed his life's work on behalf of racial equality. Wall Street Journal A portrait of Arthur Ashe that shows the fullness of his character-his broad interests, his impressive talents, and his missteps. New Books in Sports A remarkable book that will serve as a model for future works in this genre. Virginia Magazine of History and Biography Arthur Ashe is a scrupulous and lively book that should achieve the difficult task of satisfying both academics and non-specialists. Anyone interested in how the mixture of sport and politics has become cultural common sense will benefit tremendously from reading it. The Allrounder Hall's meticulous research of extensive archival materials allows him to uncover the complexities of Ashe's relationship with his own athleticism and race... This kind of collection is almost unique in sports history and Hall's capable use of it lends Arthur Ashe a depth of private detail unprecedented among athletic biographies, scholarly or otherwise... Meticulous, honest, and straightforward, the book itself might act as a tool by which other cultural critics, building on Hall's research, can bring refreshed and renewed attention to this intersection between sport and political activism, racial or otherwise. H Net Hall's book expertly builds on... previous representations [of Arthur Ashe], and features an impressive analysis of primary data--including Ashe's personal diary--in an overall effort to offer the most critical and comprehensive historical account of his life to date. He succeeds in remarkable fashion... European Journal for Sport and Society An invaluable resource... It's a solidly researched book. Inside Tennis Makes clear how difficult it was to stage the kind of civil rights politics and protests found across the board in American sports in the late 1960s in the traditionally patrician showground of tennis. Hall's accessible history restores much of the necessary context and conclusion to ensure that Ashe is understood on his own terms. Journal of American History This book is more than a biography; it is a window into the wider world that existed when Ashe was alive. Hall's research is meticulous, his contextualization of a life is impressive, and he writes his story clearly and deftly. Choice ...This biography will appeal to a genral audience. Hall closely examined the relevant primary and seconday sourses. The Journal of African American HistoryTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Richmond2. UCLA3. An Emerging Activist4. Bright Lights and Civil Rights5. Tennis Wars6. Defeat and Victory in South Africa7. Transitions8. The Comeback9. Triumph and TragedyConclusionNotesEssay on SourcesIndex

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Book SynopsisDon't let diabetes send you to the bench. These motivational stories of top athletes with diabetes will inspire you to live your best life. Shortlisted for the American Book Fest Book Award in Health: Diet & Exercise by the American Book FestAn ultra-marathoner, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, a major league pitcher, and an NFL star. What do these elite athletes have in common? They reached the top of their fieldall while living with diabetes. Essential reading for people who have diabetes and their families, Winning with Diabetes highlights the challenges, perseverance, and successes of sixteen elite athletes living with the disease. From mountain climber Will Cross, to college softball champion Kylee Perez, to NBA legend Dominique Wilkins, and many more, these are the real-life stories of diagnosis, adapting new day-to-day routines, finding support, training, competing, and connecting with communities of other people living with diabetes. The book features advice for facing comTable of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgments1. The Diagnosis of Diabetes: Why me?2. Learning about Diabetes: Where did it come from?3. Living with Diabetes: How will I manage day-to-day?4. Self-care in Diabetes: How can I prevent complications?5. Finding Support: What will other people think?6. Winning with Diabetes: Can I accomplish my life goals?7. Building a Community: How can I give back?Author BiosIndex

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"All of us who played, coached or enjoyed watching the game of basketball owe a great debt of thanks to James Naismith for devising a game that gave people the opportunity to play inside during the winter." -Bob Knight "Dr. Naismith was so much more than the inventor of the sport and James Naismith: The Man Who Invented Basketball is a well written documentation of his outstanding attributes as an educator, religious scholar and leader of young people. Naismith lived his entire life without regard for personal glory or financial rewards, but rather for setting examples of integrity and perseverance for all to follow. Everyone who reads this book will have a better understanding of the evolution of the game, but more importantly, they will realize that when we follow Dr. Naismith's general life principles, we and the game become the real winners." -Billy Packer "The original Dr. J played rugby, not hoops, and rocked a handlebar mustache, not a 'fro. That Doc is the subject of a spiffy new biography...More breezy bio than thatched thesis, Rains traces the foundation of basketball to "Duck on the Rock," a game Naismith played as a child growing up in Canada. Years later, then-YMCA employee Naismith summoned basketball at the 11th hour to win a bet he could invent a new indoor game. If you want to get really old school, James Naismith is where it's at." -SlamTable of ContentsForeword by Roy Williams Introduction by Hellen Naismith Dodd Carpenter 1. Growing Up 2. The College Years 3. The Springfi eld Challenge-and a New Game 4. The Game Is Born 5. A New Frontier 6. KU Bound 7. The Student Arrives 8. A Revolution Calls 9. A Raging War 10. Happy Homecoming 11. Becoming a Mentor 12. Olympic Pride 13. The Changing Game 14. Death of a Legend 15. A Great Game 16. The Man, More Than Basketball Index

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Book SynopsisSamir Chopra is an immigrant, a voluntary exile, who discovers he can tell the story of his life through cricket, a game that has long been an influencereally, an obsessionfor him. In so doing, he reveals how his changing views on the sport mirror his journey of self-discovery. In The Evolution of a Cricket Fan, Chopra is thus able to reflect on his changing perceptions of self, and of the nations and cultures that have shaped his identity, politics, displacement, and fandom.Chopra's passion for the sport began as a child, when he rooted for Pakistan and against his native India. When he migrated, he became a fan of the Indian team that gave him a sense of home among the various cultures he encountered in North America and Australia. This shapeshifting exposes the rift between the Old and the New world, which Chopra acknowledges is cricket's greatest modern crisis. But it also illuminates the identity dilemmas of post-colonial immigrants in the Indian diaspora. Chopra's thoughts abou

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Book SynopsisWhile basketball didn't take up residence in the White House in January 2009, the game nonetheless played an outsized role in forming the man who did. In The Audacity of Hoop, celebrated sportswriter Alexander Wolff examines Barack Obama, the person and president, by the light of basketball. This game helped Obama explore his identity, keep a cool head, impress his future wife, and define himself as a candidate.Wolff chronicles Obama's love of the game from age 10, on the campaign trailwhere it eventually took on talismanic meaningand throughout his two terms in office. More than 125 photographs illustrate Obama dribbling, shooting free throws, playing pickup games, cooling off with George Clooney, challenging his special assistant Reggie Love for a rebound, and taking basketball to political meetings. There is also an assessment of Obama's influence on the NBA, including a dawning political consciousness in the league's locker rooms.Sidebars reveal the evolution of the president's plaTrade Review"The cool, the flow, the edge, the drive, the individual and the team, the black and white - all of that is Barack Obama, playing basketball, the American game. To those who consider the president a mystery, The Audacity of Hoop offers a key to understanding him, through Alex Wolff's fluid prose and Pete Souza's evocative photographs."--David Maraniss, author of Barack Obama: The Story"The Audacity of Hoop—like the game of basketball it evokes and the political icon who memorably plays it—is a beautiful and timely book that moves in the graceful rhythms of the hardwood that President Obama has embraced. Basketball has not only taught Obama to be a fierce but disciplined competitor; it has also offered him a swagger and a vocabulary of physical cool and mental toughness that have carried him from street games to the biggest court in the world: the American presidency. Wolff’s brilliant and lovely pickup game of a book is a fitting metaphor to explore the racial and cultural dimensions of a man who used basketball to conquer the world and then used that power to play, as often as he could, wherever he was, the game that he—and the nation he leads—loves."—Michael Eric Dyson, author of The Black Presidency: Barack Obama and the Politics of Race in America"The Audacity of Hoop reveals not only how Barack Obama’s first love shaped his character and fired his ambitions but also how, even now, the president’s pickup game is ‘a kind of polygraph of the heart.’ With poignant analysis and sparkling prose, Alexander Wolff shows us how basketball helped our forty-fourth president become as skilled at consensus building as he is at trash-talking. I love this book." —Don Van Natta Jr., ESPN Investigative Reporter, Pulitzer Prize winner, New York Times best-selling author of First Off the Tee: Presidential Hackers, Duffers, and Cheaters from Taft to Bush, co-author of Her Way: The Hopes and Ambitions of Hillary Rodham Clinton, and author of Wonder Girl: The Magnificent Sporting Life of Babe Didrikson Zaharias"Alexander Wolff, with grace and marvelous insight, has written a beautiful basketball book that fans of the game will love. Whether you’re a Republican or Democrat, The Audacity of Hoop will enthrall you. Wolff vividly explores basketball’s influence on the identity of President Obama and in the process reveals something magical about the sport itself."—Kevin Merida, Managing Editor of the Washington Post and co-author of Obama: The Historic Campaign in Photographs "A highly informed and fascinating look at the intersection of sports and politics that led me to unexpected realizations about Obama, the presidency, and the world of basketball. Smart and fun."—Gerald Early, Merle Kling Professor of Modern Letters, Washington University in St. Louis"In the book—which features large-scale photographs of the President at play, many taken by the official White House photographer, Pete Souza—Wolff breaks down the particulars of the President’s game.... Presidents are endlessly scrutinized, and must constantly calibrate their self-presentations to appeal to the electorate. Basketball, for all of its cultural complexity, has arguably been, as Wolff writes, one way for Obama 'to let the public see exactly who he was.'"--The New YorkerTable of Contents1 Basketball Jones2 Hoop Dreams from His Father Gaming the President Out The First Brother-in-Law3 Running Game “The Little Brother I Never Had” Obama, One-on-One Players’ Choice4 Power, Forward Baracketology Hardwood Cabinet The Secretary of Schoolin’ People Center Circles Lip Service Ding-Dong Diplomacy The World’s Most Elegant Locker Room The Loyal Opposition The Inevitability of Golf5 The Game in the Age of Obama Shooting the First ShooterTimelineAcknowledgmentsNotesSelected BibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisThe best all-around catcher in black baseball historyCumberland Posey, Owner of the Homestead GraysNational Baseball Hall of Fame catcher James Raleigh Biz Mackey's professional career spanned nearly three decades in the Negro Leagues and elsewhere. He distinguished himself as a defensive catcher who also had an impressive batting average and later worked as a manager of the Newark Eagles and the Baltimore Elite Giants. Using archival materials and interviews with former Negro League players, baseball historian Rich Westcott chronicles the catcher's life and remarkable career in Biz Mackey, a Giant behind the Plateas well as providing an in-depth look at Philadelphia Negro League history. Westcott traces Mackey's childhood in Texas as the son of sharecroppers to his success on the baseball diamond where he displayed extraordinary defensive skills and an exceptional ability to hit and to handle pitchers. Mackey spent one third of his career playing in Philadelphia, winning championshi

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Book SynopsisThe best all-around catcher in black baseball historyCumberland Posey, Owner of the Homestead GraysNational Baseball Hall of Fame catcher James Raleigh Biz Mackey's professional career spanned nearly three decades in the Negro Leagues and elsewhere. He distinguished himself as a defensive catcher who also had an impressive batting average and later worked as a manager of the Newark Eagles and the Baltimore Elite Giants. Using archival materials and interviews with former Negro League players, baseball historian Rich Westcott chronicles the catcher's life and remarkable career in Biz Mackey, a Giant behind the Plateas well as providing an in-depth look at Philadelphia Negro League history. Westcott traces Mackey's childhood in Texas as the son of sharecroppers to his success on the baseball diamond where he displayed extraordinary defensive skills and an exceptional ability to hit and to handle pitchers. Mackey spent one third of his career playing in Philadelphia, winning championshi

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Book SynopsisAn inside look at the struggles Ed Garvey and his small group of supporters faced in bringing true professionalism to football playersTrade Review“Ed Garvey was a man of vision and unafraid to be the first to challenge the league with a relentless and aggressive approach to ensuring our players’ rights. When I became executive director [of the NFLPA], Ed was one of the only persons who had served in this role, and his wisdom, brilliance, and humor were exactly the counsel I needed. Even today, he continues to be a guiding light for our union. Never Ask ‘Why’ is a firsthand testament to why union leaders should never have to ask why the mission is so important, and why the role of unions, even one as small as an NFL players union, remains critical for working people.”—DeMaurice Smith, Executive Director of the NFL Players Association"This is a very important and easy-to-read work that will shed light on the many previously misrepresented accounts given by the owners and commissioner-controlled public communication. It has the potential to change the business world."—Library Journal"Published posthumously, Ed Garvey’s autobiographical account of his role, primarily in the 1970s, as executive director of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) details his fight for players’ rights and the mission to end the so-called Rozelle rule restricting free agency. Much has been written about this period, and this book contributes Garvey’s firsthand account and interpretations, with previously unknown conversations, of the negotiations between the union and the NFL.... The book makes evident Garvey's clear disdain for sports journalists for what he saw as distorting the truth and working for the owners. The Mackey v. NFL case (1976) runs throughout much of the book and is an interesting legal study.... Summing Up: Recommended."—Choice

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Book SynopsisDuring his four-decade career at NFL Films, writing and directing segments for weekly highlight shows and national telecasts, Bob Angelo saw and heard things thatnever made their way into his productions.Now, inThe NFL Off-Camera, Angelo mines the thousands of interviews he conducted to compile a revealing collection of short, insightful essays profiling his favoriteand least favoritepro football players, coaches, team owners, executives,and broadcastersall of whom he interacted with personally. Angelo effuses about his meeting with the larger-than-life Jim Brown and appreciates the trash talking John Randle. He poignantly reflects on Bullet Bob Hayes, the world's fastest man who could not outrunhis demons, and showcases the mercurial Duane Thomas and the free-wheeling Tony Siragusa.The NFL Off-Camerareveals why Angelo sparred with Hall-of-Fame player turned broadcaster Frank Gifford and demonstrates why Super Bowl champion head coach Sean Payton is his least favoriteperson in pro Trade Review“If you really are a true NFL fan and love the game, you will really enjoy reading about the different personalities that helped develop the tremendous fan base that exists today. Within this book, there are eleven different coaches I personally coached against during my career and twenty-nine different players that lined up and played against my teams! Only three players you are going to read about played on a team I coached—David ‘Deacon’ Jones, Morten Andersen, and Jared Allen. All unique complex personalities with Hall of Fame talent and a pleasure to really get to know! I believe you will enjoy getting to know these people as I did when you read Bob Angelo’s The NFL Off-Camera. Enjoy!”—Coach Dick Vermeil, Pro Football Hall of Fame 2022“If you love football and storytelling, this book is for you. Bob Angelo was a brilliant cinematographer and producer for NFL Films, which gave him first-hand, inside access to the game for forty-three years. The NFL Off-Camera regales us with his unvarnished insights into, and recollections about, the most memorable figures in pro football history—stories you’ve never heard before and couldn’t hear from anyone else.”—Andrea Kremer, Pro Football Hall of Fame journalist“No one told NFL stories as a writer, cameraman, and director better than Bob Angelo. The way he documented the history of the NFL and its players, revealing each player’s personality, whether mine, my brother’s, or any of our teammates’, makes him special. While profiling the 2001 Baltimore Ravens, Bob provided a glimpse of what training camp life was like for rookies and veteran players like myself, Goose [Tony Siragusa], Ray Lewis, and Rod Woodson, while allowing our personalities to shine through on Hard Knocks.”—Shannon Sharpe, NFL Hall of Fame tight end and cohost of Skip and Shannon: Undisputed

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Book SynopsisFreddie Steinmark tells the story of a legendary University of Texas football player whose courage on the field and in battling cancer still inspires the Longhorn nation.Trade ReviewThe authors . . . capture Freddie's cheerful essence, vividly recreate key games and posit his life against the canvas of history. . .Yousse and Cryan . . . have written a deeply informed and proper tribute to the little Texas Longhorn with Heart. -- Jane Sumner * The Austin American-Statesman *Table of Contents Authors' Note Part One: 1929–1967 Chapter 1: The All-American Boy Chapter 2: Rough Riders and Farmers Chapter 3: He's My Brother Chapter 4: The Most Important Game of Our Lives Part Two: 1967–1969 Chapter 5: The Silent Heart Chapter 6: You Have No Friends on the Field Chapter 7: Nobody Does It Better Chapter 8: Worlds Collide Part Three: 1969–1970 Chapter 9: Running His Own Ship Chapter 10: Like Parachuting into Russia Chapter 11: The Game of the Century Chapter 12: The Game Changer Part Four: 1970–1971 Chapter 13: No Time to Lose Chapter 14: The Greatest Day Chapter 15: On the Road Again Chapter 16: The Rainbow Chapter 17: This Endless Life Epilogue: September 1, 2012 Acknowledgments Appendix: The Fred Steinmark Award Notes Index

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Book SynopsisExplores Jackie Robinson's compelling and complicated legacy Before the United States Supreme Court ruled against segregation in public schools, and before Rosa Parks refused to surrender her bus seat in Montgomery, Alabama, Jackie Robinson walked onto the diamond on April 15, 1947, as first baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers, making history as the first African American to integrate Major League Baseball in the twentieth century. Today a national icon, Robinson was a complicated man who navigated an even more complicated world that both celebrated and despised him. Many are familiar with Robinson as a baseball hero. Few, however, know of the inner turmoil that came with his historic status. Featuring piercing essays from a range of distinguished sportswriters, cultural critics, and scholars, this book explores Robinson's perspectives and legacies on civil rights, sports, faith, youth, and nonviolence, while providing rare glimpses into the struggles and strength of one of the nation's mTrade Review"[Michael] Long and his contributors attempt to separate the man from the myth and show how his influence continues to extend ...These pieces embody all of what made Robinson special, assessing him through many different lenses...give[s] a towering cultural figure his due beyond the baselines."" * Kirkus Reviews (starred) *"This collection of essays explores baseball legend Jackie Robinson’s complicated legacy, his impact on society and the inner turmoil that came with his historic achievements." * USA Today *"[Michael] Long, along with 13 contributors, explore lesser-known aspects of the life of Jackie Robinson, who became the first Black American to play Major League Baseball when he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947...Even those who know nothing about Robinson will take something inspiring away from this excellent anthology." * Publishers Weekly *"Juxtaposing events in the sports world from the ‘40s to now, 42 Today recalls Robinson’s legacy and establishes how he paved a way for future civil rights activism, from Black Lives Matter to Colin Kaepernick." * TheRoot.com *"Whether you consider yourself a baseball scholar or not, 42 Today has something to teach you. With 13 essays as well as a foreword by Ken and Sarah Burns and David McMahon and an introduction by the editor, there is no shortage of information about the man’s life, some well known and some obscure. In addition to correcting the errors in what we know about Robinson, there is also detail of how Robinson and his legacy affected groups beyond the typically male-dominated realm of baseball fans." * CoveringtheCorner.com *"2021 marks the 75th anniversary of Branch Rickey signing Jackie Robinson to the Montreal Royals, which integrated organized baseball for the first time since the 19th century. Anniversaries of important historical events offer opportunities to reflect on their significance, and this collection of essays makes use of the occasion to explore Robinson's activism in civil rights, politics, and sports." * Choice *"The value of this collection is in its breadth and accessibility… an excellent addition to an undergraduate course on baseball, race, and American history." -- Sarah L. Trembanis (University of Delaware) * Journal of African American History *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A highly enjoyable book that should be on every football fan's reading list."—John Maxymuk, Library Journal starred review"This book is certain to be enjoyed by fans of all stripes."—Guy Who Reviews Sports Books"Upton Bell, son of Philadelphia Eagles founder Bert Bell, the game’s greatest innovator who saved the NFL from ruin after World War II, reminded me once again that, when you think you know just about everything that’s important, you miss quite a few critical things. . . . Throughout the book, there are so many memories, anecdotes, recollections and asides that you wonder if he had a big, thick journal with names and thoughts and belief systems that he wrote down his entire time in football. I don't know how he remembers it all, but it's here: the personalities that shaped the league that literally is America's No. 1 sport."—Andrew Andrews, True Review"Upton Bell's memoir of his NFL days is a valuable and entertaining addition to the literature available on the NFL during its formative years."—Richard C. Crepeau, ARETE“This is a fascinating behind-the-scenes story of a young man who was beside his father, NFL commissioner Bert Bell, through all the major events as pro football became America’s No. 1 sport; he then became the chief scout of the Baltimore Colts’ championship teams and then the general manager of the New England Patriots. A must-read for any fan of pro football.”—Ernie Accorsi, former general manager of the New York Giants“Upton Bell did not grow up like you and me. Your father was not the NFL commissioner who created the draft model now followed by all professional sports. Your mother was not a Broadway star. His parents were each of those things. You were not a thirty-three-year-old general manager of a pro football team, or a radio and TV host. I can say with certainty you have not met the people he’s met or had the experiences he’s had. And, no offense, I doubt you are as funny or insightful as Upton Bell is on a variety of topics. This is an extraordinary life story of a unique individual. The epilogue alone is worth the price of the book.”—Bob Ryan, Boston Globe sportswriter, author, frequent ESPN panelist, and recipient of the Curt Gowdy Media Award from the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame “An extremely informative, definitive work by a dynamic personality who witnessed firsthand the development of the NFL, from his father’s contributions to his own personal achievements that helped cement the foundation of what has today become the most popular sport in the United States.”—Ron Wolf, former general manager of the Green Bay Packers and Pro Football Hall of Fame member “It didn’t start with Joe Namath or Joe Montana or Tom Brady leading an impossible comeback in Super Bowl LI in Houston. This is the history of professional football in America. If you ever played football, played fantasy football, or just tossed a few bucks in an office pool, this is the book for you. Upton Bell lived it and Ron Borges covered it. A stronger combo than Belichick and Brady.”—Dan Shaughnessy, Boston Globe columnist and New York Times bestselling author “Upton was the best, and we always worked well as a team. He and Carroll Rosenbloom were the best thing that ever happened to the Colts in the 1960s, and he covers it all here.”—Lenny Moore, Baltimore Colts running back (1956–1967) and Pro Football Hall of Fame member Table of Contents1. On Any Given Sunday 2. A Long Ride to Baltimore 3. Welcome to the Colts 4. The Great Ticket Heist Was My Kickoff in Baltimore 5. A Scout’s Life Is for Kit Carson but Not for Everybody 6. The Making of an NFL Scout 7. Spy vs. Spy Settles NFL-AFL War 8. The South Is Burning! 9. Running My Own Show in Baltimore 10. Worst Loss in the History of Losses 11. Some Things Can’t Be Fixed 12. Why Did You Ever Come Here? 13. Everybody’s Got to Serve Somebody 14. A New League, a Second Chance 15. No More Fish in the Sea 16. Scouting for QBs, the Most Important Position in Sports 17. Only One Moses Wore a Whistle 18. Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Fire Epilogue Bibliography

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Book SynopsisAkoy Agau led Omaha Central High School to four straight high school basketball state championships (2010-13) and was a threetime AllState player. He's also a South Sudanese refugee. In a fluid, intimate, and joyful narrative, Steve Marantz relates Akoy's refugee journey of basketball, family, romance, social media, and coming of age at Nebraska's oldest and most diverse high school.Trade Review"Marantz’s book is a subtle plea for another path, a path of openness and inclusion that recognizes a common humanity across cultural divides. For basketball fans and readers interested and invested in Omaha’s past, present, and future, Citizen Akoy should be of great interest."—Paul Emory Putz, Nebraska History“[Citizen Akoy] is a mesmerizing and enjoyable story of Akoy, his family, his romance, his trials and tribulations, and most importantly, of America. This well-researched book is a gift to lovers of basketball. It is a must-read for basketball fans.”—Washington Book Review “I’m convinced that the greatest basketball player in the next one hundred years will be a Dinka tribesman originally from southern Sudan. Size and grace will win the day. Akoy Agau will be mentioned as one of the building blocks in this history. Here is his amazing story. Magic abounds.”—Leigh Montville, author of Manute: The Center of Two Worlds and Sting Like a Bee“Akoy’s amazing journey from refugee to basketball star isn’t just about sports. It’s a story of growing up, transcending race, and pursuing dreams, and Marantz tells it well.”—Henry Cordes, staff writer for the Omaha World-Herald and author of Unbeatable and Devaney“The antidote to anti-immigrant rhetoric, Citizen Akoy tells the vivid story of the refugee as the hero of our time, one Akoy Agau, a teenage basketball star who becomes an ambassador for sports-crazy white Nebraska. Thrilling—a must-read for anyone excited by what it takes to be an American today.”—Terese Svoboda, author of Anything That Burns You: A Portrait of Lola Ridge, Radical Poet Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: Refugee 1. Adaw 2. First Thanksgiving 3. Street of Dreams 4. Prophecy 5. Central 6. Trust 7. Stardom 8. To Absent Moms 9. “True Faith and Allegiance” 10. @ZerotheHeroAkoy 11. Families 12. Perfection 13. Basketball and Business 14. Temptation and Decision 15. Standing Bear and Brando 16. Dynasty Blues 17. Four! 18. Spring Prom 19. Repatriation 20. Getting It Right 21. Beyond Postscript: Pop Notes Index

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Book SynopsisTracks the relationship between college football and higher education through the lens of one family's involvement in the sport. Ranging over almost a century of football history, Timothy Spears describes the different ways in which his grandfather, father, and he played the game and engaged with its educational dimensions as the sport was passed from father to son.Trade Review"This is a terrific book for any college football fan, especially as it covers multiple eras of the game."—Lance Smith, Guy Who Review Sports Books"With a voice that is part memoirist, part scholar, part athlete, as well as father and son, Spears discerns how football is embedded in our culture and came to be the fabric and common language of his family."—Jason Schott, Brooklyn Digest“Professor Spears grew up with a noble football lineage. . . . The author uses that history to think deeply about men and violence, football and masculinity, family and higher education. This is no mere jock memoir. Spirals is one of the most thoughtful books I know about sports.”—Elliott Gorn, author of The Manly Art: Bare-Knuckle Prize Fighting in America and Joseph Gagliano Chair in Urban History at Loyola University Chicago“Tim Spears’s Spirals is an elegant meditation on family, generational change, Yale, and—the cord that binds—football. There are rare books that touch your mind and heart—this is one of them. Like his father’s perfect spirals, like the spirals of time and physical decay that happen to all people and institutions, Spears shows the beauty, pain, and lasting hold of the game. In the story of his family is the tale of the football.”—Randy Roberts, 150th Anniversary Professor and Distinguished Professor at Purdue University“With a grandfather who coached Bronko Nagurski and a father who captained his Yale team, Timothy Spears was destined to play football at Yale, too. In puzzling out the meaning of that family legacy, and of the game at its center, Spirals is full of hard-won wisdom—and an enthralling read.”—Michael Oriard, author of The Art of Football and Distinguished Professor Emeritus in American literature and culture at Oregon State UniversityTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments 1. Beginning at the End 2. Family Album 3. Into Cleveland 4. Father and Son 5. Rise and Fall 6. Imperial Brotherhood 7. Legacy 8. The Balance Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisFinalist for the 2022 SABR Seymour Medal Grover Cleveland Alexander was one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history, with 373 career victories during twenty seasons in the Major Leagues. Elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1938, the right-hander remains a compelling—and tragic—figure. “Pete” Alexander’s military service during World War I was the demarcation line between his great seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies and his years of struggle and turmoil with the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals after the Great War. Indeed, Alexander’s service during World War I has all but been forgotten, even though it dramatically changed his life—and his game. Alexander served in the 342nd Field Artillery Regiment, which included big leaguers and star athletes among its officers and men. Naturally, the regiment fielded an outstanding baseball team, but it also faced hard service during the final weeks ofTrade Review"Leeke's book is well worth reading for anyone seeking to learn about Alexander's war experience."—Dave Bohmer, NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture"This is a fascinating book that delves into a consequential but often overlooked time in Alexander's life."—Dave Lande, Inside Game"Using letters written by Alexander and his army cohorts and other primary and secondary sources, Leeke does a deft job of taking us through the pre- and post-war lives and war careers of a handful of gifted athletes. It is a tale of patriotism, human limitations, and partial redemption told by a skilled storyteller."—Dave Page, Journal of America's Military Past"In drilling down on one group of field artillery and one star player who was part of it, the effort reads like a sequel to the author's From the Dugouts to the Trenches: Baseball during the Great War (2017), which takes a broader view of the relationship between the game and the conflict. Sports history and military history, of course, are different entities with different intents and strategies, but Leeke weaves them together seamlessly in this new effort, further contextualizing one of the game's great players and the meaning of World War I to those back home in Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri."—Thomas Aiello, Missouri Historical Review"Leeke's writing is straightforward and clear, and his narrative is entertaining. The Best Team Over There is a fine work of sports and military history."—Bob D’Angelo, Sports Bookie"Highly recommended to anyone interested in baseball and the Great War."—Peter L. Belmonte, Roads to the Great War“Jim Leeke hits it out of the park again with the tale of Grover Cleveland Alexander, a Great War ballplayer who tasted the highs of fame, lows of the trenches, and—tragically—just too much booze.”—Dean Karayanis, radio host of the History Author Show in New York City“Coming off his award-winning From the Dugouts to the Trenches, Jim Leeke follows up with the extraordinary story of the Great War, Grover Cleveland Alexander, and ballplayers who became artillerymen. It’s a perfect mix of military history and baseball that will completely absorb you.”—Jan Finkel, 2012 recipient of SABR’s Bob Davids Award“No one writes about the connections between baseball and World War I with more authority and accuracy than Jim Leeke. Now he places Grover Cleveland Alexander under his microscope, following Old Pete from call to service through training to the front lines of a horrific war. The result is a story that will swell you with pride and reduce you to tears.”—Rick Huhn, author of The Chalmers Race: Ty Cobb, Napoleon Lajoie, and the Controversial 1910 Batting Title That Became a National ObsessionTable of ContentsPrologue 1. Alexander the Great 2. Laddies from Missouri 3. Gridiron 4. Chicago 5. Fast Nine 6. Through a Door 7. Camp Funston 8. Camp Mills 9. Justicia 10. Camp de Souge 11. Pauillac 12. St. Mihiel 13. Euvezin 14. Armistice 15. The March 16. Occupied Germany 17. Safe at Home 18. Postwar 19. The Long, Long Trail Acknowledgments Appendix A: Selected Athletes of the 342nd Field Artillery Appendix B: Composition of the 164th Field Artillery Brigade Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisNamed a BestBaseball Book of 2020 by Sports Collectors Digest Bouton examines the remarkable life of a player and an author who forever changed the way we view not only sports books but professional sports as a whole.Trade Review“Once you start reading, you will not be able to stop. A compelling look at one of the most influential and controversial figures in baseball history. A new generation needs to know the story of Jim Bouton: a man who never wearied of gleefully and hilariously skewering the establishment but who also had the old-school drive to will his dreams into reality. Above all, a lifetime love of baseball shines through in every chapter—a true reflection of Bouton himself.”—Brian Kenny, host for MLB Network and author of Ahead of the Curve: Inside the Baseball Revolution"Baseball fans will laugh alongside and, ultimately, feel touched by this look at an iconoclastic, often quixotic man who, despite the charges that his landmark book had hurt the game, loved baseball to the very end."—Library Journal, starred review"An astute writer on the game, [Nathanson] is as at his best on the Bouton-Shecter collaboration—late nights at the Lion’s Head Bar in Greenwich Village; Shecter making sense of Bouton’s scrawls on stationery, envelopes and toilet paper; the pair noodling over the manuscript stripped down to their underwear in Shecter’s airless Chelsea apartment. . . . Nathanson is good, too, with Bouton wisecracks."—Maxwell Carter, Wall Street Journal"When Mitchell Nathanson, a professor of sports law at Villanova, approached Bouton about writing his biography, the pitcher gave his blessing, on one condition: that Nathanson write about him with the honesty he’d tried to bring to the game of baseball. . . . Nathanson moves crisply through the deep back story, though he knows a good detail when he sees one."—John Swansburg, New York Times Book Review"Nathanson goes beyond tracing Bouton’s life, focusing instead on explicating the roots of Ball Four. In so doing, the book becomes an inside-publishing exposé, showing how the publication and selling of Ball Four changed our expectations of what a sports book could be. . . . In addition, the book provides fascinating details about Bouton's post–Ball Four life, including his fling at acting and his turn as an entrepreneur, developing the successful bubble-gum product Big League Chew. A welcome look at one of baseball's signature mavericks."—Mark Levine, Booklist"Nathanson's chronicle of baseball's renowned counter-culture renegade as author of Ball Four in 1970 is a masterful exploration of Jim Bouton's impact not only to major-league baseball but also within the larger societal spheres of the overall sports industry and American culture in general."—Charlie Bevis, Bevis Baseball Research"Bouton: The Life of a Baseball Original is one of the best baseball biographies in recent memory. Nathanson is a fantastic storyteller, capable of juxtaposing Bouton's recollections with those of his contemporaries and situating these stories within their historical context. While researching the book, he spent a significant amount of time with Bouton in the final years of his life (Bouton died in 2019), which contributes to the depth with which he renders his subject."—Clayton Trutor, Reason"Bouton is a book that deserves space next to Ball Four on the bookshelf. Nathanson has done a thorough job of presenting the life of a complex man who changed the game of baseball, not by what he did on the field, but what he observed on the field, in the clubhouse and on the road."—Bob D'Angelo, Sports Bookie"A well-researched and fascinating read that tells how the free thinking Bouton always marched to the beat of his own drummer."—John Werner, Waco Tribune-Herald"Nathanson's source list is deep and insightful and his writing is crisp. And his access to Bouton's Ball Four notes provides answers to some lingering questions."—Dennis Star, Peoria Journal StarTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Prologue: Publication Day Part One: The Bulldog 1. Warm-up Bouton 2. Take a Hike, Son 3. Joliet 4. You Should Write a Book 5. A Long Way from Amarillo 6. Fucking Shecter 7. All ’Bout Bouton 8. A Threat, Not a Fine 9. The Bulldog and the Chipmunks 10. Rebel without a Fastball 11. The Youth of America Is for Kids 12. The End of the Line Part Two: The Author 13. Beginnings 14. From Tell-Some to Tell-All 15. Take Your Pants Off, Bouton 16. Fuck You, Shakespeare 17. Protectors of the Holy Flame 18. Against the Unwritten Rules of Baseball 19. Not Enough Sex 20. The Leni Riefenstahl of the National Football League 21. Taking It Personally 22. Bad Stuff ’bout the Mets Part Three: The Iconoclast 23. Not Selling Refrigerators 24. The Most Famous Vasectomy in New York 25. Are We Rolling? 26. One Smart-Ass and Four Lawyers 27. You’re a Long Time Dead 28. The Battered Bastard of Baseball 29. Gilligan’s Island in Baseball Suits 30. Too Old, Too Everything 31. Magic 32. Dreaming in Baseball 33. Mask of the Bulldog 34. Hey, New York—Bouton’s Back! 35. Lightning in a Pouch 36. The Solo Artist 37. Laurie 38. Existential Bad Faith 39. A Mile in Bowie’s Shoes 40. Cashing Out 41. The Butter-Yellow Box Epilogue: The Cool of the Evening Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisCobra is the autobiography of Dave Parker, one of baseball's greatest and most controversial players in the late 1970s and early 1980s, during the peak of Black participation in Major League Baseball.Trade Review"Cobra is one of the most gripping and revealing baseball memoirs I've ever read. With vivid stories, richly textured characters and unvarnished insights on the good and the bad, Dave Parker and Dave Jordan take the reader on a captivating journey through one of the most compelling careers in baseball history."—Tyler Kepner, New York Times“Dave Parker gets his due in Cobra. One of the greatest to ever play the game of baseball. We get to see what made the first Million Dollar Man. He is a giant among men, larger than life.”—Chuck D, founding member of Public Enemy“Dave Parker played hard and he lived hard. Cobra brings us on a unique, fantastic journey back to that time of bold, brash, and styling ballplayers. He reveals in relentless detail who he really was and, in so doing, who we all really were.”—Dave Winfield“Dave Parker’s autobiography takes us back to the time when ballplayers still smoked cigarettes, when stadiums were multiuse mammoth bowls, when AstroTurf wrecked knees with abandon, and when Blacks had their largest presence on the field in the game’s history. Honest, informative, funny, sad, even at times touching, Parker’s book fills a major void about what a great Black ballplayer’s life was like in the 1970s and 1980s. I highly recommend it.”—Gerald Early, professor of English and chair of the African and African American Studies Department at Washington University in St. Louis“Dave Parker made a lasting mark on the imagination of an entire generation of baseball fans, standing out with his unforgettable combination of swagger, style, and skill. Cobra is a memoir that’s truly worthy of his legend, filled with Parker’s insightful, hilarious, and long-overdue perspectives on the game he played, the era he played it in, and the guys he played it with. I’ve been waiting forty years to read this book, and let me tell you—it was well worth the wait.”—Dan Epstein, author of Big Hair and Plastic Grass“This is a book that transcends baseball. Dave Parker has finally told his story, and it resonates with the strength and soul that have always made him one of the most compelling, and complicated, figures in baseball history. Cobra is a triumph.”—Ricky Cobb (@Super70sSports)“While reading Cobra you will see a portrait of a man with amazing talent, a huge heart, and the will to be great. You will also see a man who seems to have it all but is still searching for peace of mind and love. There are highlights and low moments, excess and loss, brilliance and poor decisions, brotherhood and disagreements, joy and pain.”—Preston Wilson, former MLB All-Star outfielder“Impossibly charismatic, remarkably candid, and as cool as his nickname Cobra, Dave Parker is on the short list of the most compelling ballplayers of his generation. It’s fitting, then, that in his new and overdue memoir in collaboration with Dave Jordan, Parker tells his story in a way reminiscent of his pair of legendary throws in the 1979 All-Star Game: it’s mesmerizing, powerful, and right on the money.”—Chad Finn, sportswriter for the Boston Globe"This is a highly readable and, more importantly, well contextualized work. It provides a chronological recounting of Parker's life, but it also presents insight into what was happening in and around a major league clubhouse during the 1970s and into the next decade."—Jorge Iber, NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture"Parker's voice is lively, and he has a keen eye for details that bring his teammates to life. Just below the surface of Parker's story is the racism he experienced as a Black baseball player. . . . A straightforward but no less engaging baseball autobiography from an underappreciated legend. A delight for baseball fans of all stripes."—Colin Chappell, Library JournalTable of ContentsPreface Prologue: Pittsburgh, September 11, 1985 1. My Beautiful Balloon 2. Buckeye Battle Cry 3. My Cherie Amour 4. Everybody Is a Star 5. Are You Experienced? 6. Gotta Get Over the Hump 7. Brother, Brother, Brother 8. Mr. Bojangles 9. Here I Am 10. Black Water 11. Higher Ground 12. Me and Baby Brother 13. The Sound of Philadelphia 14. Show Me the Way 15. Starchild Here!!! 16. Take Me to the Next Phase (Part 1) 17. Take Me to the Next Phase (Part 2) 18. The Ohio Players 19. One Nation under a Groove 20. Family 21. This Is Your Life 22. Fame 23. Funkytown 24. If You Ever Wondered 25. Trouble Man 26. You Dropped a Bomb on Me 27. The Time Has Come Today Epilogue: Everyday People Acknowledgments

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Book Synopsis2022 SABR Baseball Research Award Finalist for the 2022 SABR Seymour Medal The careers of pitchers Jack Quinn and Howard Ehmke began in the Deadball Era and peaked in the 1920s. They were teammates for many years, with both the cellar-dwelling Boston Red Sox and later with the world champion Philadelphia Athletics, managed by Connie Mack. As far back as 1912, when he was just twenty-nine, Quinn was told he was too old to play and on the downward side of his career. Because of his determination, work ethic, outlook on life, and physical conditioning, however, he continued to excel. In his midthirties, then his late thirties, and even into his forties, he overcame the naysayers. At age forty-six he became the oldest pitcher to start a World Series game. When Quinn finally retired in 1933 at fifty, the “Methuselah of the Mound” owned numerous longevity records, some of which he holds to this day. Ehmke, meanwhile, battled arm trouble aTrade Review"As one would expect from authors as experienced and decorated as Spatz and Steinberg, Comeback Pitchers is a well-researched, well-documented, well-illustrated, and well-written account of the up-and-down baseball lives of two accomplished moundsmen, Howard Ehmke and Jack Quinn, whose careers spanned the last years of the Dead Ball Era and the first decade of the Lively Ball Era. Though largely forgotten today, Spatz and Steinberg seek to restore the reputations of Quinn and Ehmke by offering ample evidence of the character and talent which helped each earn the admiration of not only their baseball peers but also contemporary fans and press."—Frank G. Houdek, NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture"A fascinating look at two pitchers who made their mark, particularly during the free-swinging 1920s. Spatz and Steinberg lift both pitchers out of the haze and obscurity and show them for what they were—very good pitchers in an era that focused on hitters."—Bob D'Angelo, Sports Bookie“I might read a book about Jack Quinn himself; I might read a book about Howard Ehmke alone. But a book about both men who beat million-to-one odds and set longstanding records? Written by our leading chroniclers of 1920s-era baseball? Sport, there’s just no might about it.”—Rob Neyer, baseball author and analyst“Steinberg and Spatz—meticulous researchers who spin a riveting yarn while getting their facts right—have pitched a perfect double-header with this dual biography of two of baseball’s least known but most fascinating characters. We will never again see the likes of John Picus Quinn and Howard Ehmke in the game.”—Norman L. Macht, author of the three-volume biography of Connie Mack“I had the good fortune of playing Major League Baseball and having my name attached to Jack Quinn. I became aware of Jack’s story in the latter part of my career when I broke his record of the oldest to start and win a Major League game. The more I learned about him, the more connected I felt. We were both continuously told what we couldn’t do. Jack’s impressive fortitude paved the way for me and others. Read this book about a great man and great pitcher.”—Jamie Moyer, oldest pitcher to win a Major League game, breaking Jack Quinn’s recordTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Foreword by Pat Williams Preface Acknowledgments Prologue 1. Jack Quinn, Man of Mystery 2. From Town Ball to the Big Leagues 3. “I’ve Never Seen a Greater Pitcher Anywhere!” 4. Quinn Gets Sent Down and Brought Back Up 5. Howard Ehmke Hailed as Another Walter Johnson 6. Ehmke’s Tumultuous Season Comes to an End 7. A Wasted Year for Howard Ehmke 8. Another Pitcher Joins the Outlaws 9. Breaking Records in Syracuse 10. “A Fellow to Be Reckoned With” 11. Ehmke and the Tigers Take a Step Backward 12. Quinn Goes to the Pacific Coast League 13. “The Dynamite That Finally Shattered Their Friendship” 14. Navy Service and a Return to Detroit 15. “The Greatest Comeback in Baseball” 16. “Not Content to Accept Fate’s Decree” 17. Yankees Win a Championship but Quinn’s Future in Doubt 18. “A Fellow of Gentle Soul” 19. Playing for Ty Cobb 20. Ehmke Endures a Season of Criticism 21. From the Pennant in New York to the Cellar in Boston 22. Veteran Aces on the League’s Worst Team 23. Ehmke and Cobb Get Physical, and the Red Sox Get New Owners 24. “The Toughest Break a Pitcher Ever Had” 25. A New Beginning for Boston 26. Back to Reality for the Red Sox 27. A Team Going Nowhere 28. From the Cellar in Boston to a Pennant Race in Philadelphia 29. Another Baseball Obituary for Quinn and a Near Tragedy for Ehmke 30. Quinn Gets Off to a Strong Start, Ehmke to a Poor One 31. Ehmke and Quinn Reunited 32. Ehmke Again a Teammate of Cobb 33. Favorites Fall Short, Far Short 34. Chasing the “Greatest Team Ever” 35. A Torrid Pennant Race 36. A Fast Start for the A’s 37. A Pennant for the A’s at Last 38. “The Pitcher Who Was Left Behind May Soon Be the Hero” 39. Ehmke Sets World Series Record in “Surprise” Start 40. “I Am Sorry to Have to Let Ehmke Go” 41. Defending Champions 42. A New League, a New Role 43. An Extraordinary Career Comes to an End 44. A Full and Happy Retirement 45. A Sad and Bitter End Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisA Booklist Top 10 Sports and Recreation Book This biography of sports announcer Red Barber (1908–92) puts his life and broadcasting career in the context of twentieth-century American life and explores his own personal journey.Trade Review"The 'Old Red Head' made his fame . . . with the Dodgers at Ebbets Field, where he spiced his calls with folksy Barberisms like 'rhubarb' for arguments and fights on the field, 'the catbird seat' for dominance, and 'the bases are F.O.B.'—'full of Brooklyns.' Now his story is enshrined. . . . It's quite a tale. . . . Red Barber was that voice—with, as the authors write, ‘the unique perspective and gifts of the storyteller’—that burnished baseball in one of its golden ages."—Wall Street Journal"Red Barber is a first-rate biography of an extremely important figure in baseball history."—Spitball Magazine"A compelling portrait of a sportscaster endowed with a rare breadth of social and psychological understanding."—Booklist, starred review"A thoroughly researched work with rich detail."—Bob D'Angelo, Sports Bookie"Hiltner and Walker are to be commended for their look into the life of a man who is largely forgotten but whose skills and character influenced sports announcers and fans for decades."—Alan L. Griggs, NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture"Anyone who wants to know what broadcasting was like before the advent of spin rates and exit velocity, reading Red Barber would be a good place to start."—Chip Ainsworth, Daily Hampshire Gazette“Red Barber is one of the greatest and most influential baseball broadcasters ever to occupy the ‘catbird seat,’ as the ‘Ol’ Redhead’ called it. From Jackie Robinson’s debut to Bobby Thomson’s Shot Heard ’Round the World. From Brooklyn’s beloved ‘Bums’ to the Mantle/Maris Yankees, to mentoring a young Vin Scully, Barber’s life and career are an important part of baseball history and the history of the craft he mastered. This complete and carefully researched biography is both merited and most welcome.”—Bob Costas, twenty-nine-time Emmy Award–winning broadcaster and 2018 Ford C. Frick Award honoree“Red Barber was the lilting voice of the Reds, the Dodgers, the Yankees, and National Public Radio. But more than that, he was the conscience of baseball, a man who believed in the power of broadcast for the good of the game and its listeners. Red was perched in the catbird seat while big-league baseball grew in ways he could barely have imagined; he grew with it, as an announcer and as an American. With Red Barber: The Life and Legacy of a Broadcasting Legend, the authors have given this complicated, important figure the biography he deserves.”—John Thorn, official historian, Major League Baseball“At last a full biography of a legendary sports broadcasting pioneer. Red Barber balanced responsible reporting with charming entertainment. Judith Hiltner and James Walker explain how the Old Redhead retained his personal integrity in a field where baseball, broadcasting, and sponsors want total control.”—Bob Edwards, author of Fridays with Red: A Radio Friendship“Red Barber’s voice was my lullaby. He sang me to sleep from the catbird seat, his honeyed literacy suffusing my dreams and forming the bedrock of my writing life in baseball. When I stupidly sent him my raunchy, fictional love letter to the game, hoping he would embrace it, it showed just how little I knew about this complex and courtly gentleman, the seminal voice of baseball broadcasting. Now, thanks to Judith Hiltner and James Walker, Walter Lanier ‘Red’ Barber has belatedly received the serious and definitive biography he deserves.”—Jane Leavy author of The Big Fella: Babe Ruth and the World He CreatedTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments Three Scenes Prologue: Walter Lanier “Red” Barber Part 1. Foundations in the Old South: “I Was Carefully Taught” 1. Cultured Roots 2. Celery Capital of the World 3. Bumming Corner 4. “Certain Aspects of Bovine Obstetrics” Part 2. Cincinnati: Big Break 5. Pay Cut 6. Rising Expectations Part 3. Brooklyn: The Barber of Flatbush 7. Making of a Legend 8. “Blood” on the Radio 9. On the Home Front 10. “Oh, Doctor!” 11. Losing Control, Gaining a Purpose Part 4. Yankee Years: Never at Home 12. Stadium Work 13. Breakfast in Manhattan Part 5. Return to Florida: A Writerly Broadcaster 14. A Developing Writer, A Darker Vision 15. Hall of Fame Broadcaster Part 6. Red’s Renaissance: “Red Barber Moved People” 16. National Public Radio 17. A Closed Family 18. Legacies Epilogue: Walter Lanier “Red” Barber, Revisited Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisHere is the life story of Horace Stoneham, who inherited the New York Giants Major League Baseball franchise in 1936 and owned and operated the organization until 1976. Trade Review"Steve Treder makes an important contribution to the field of baseball history with Forty Years a Giant. Readers will soak up the fascinating story of Horace Stoneham, who, at long last, receives the attention he so richly deserves."—Jason Cannon, NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture“No one better understands the Giants of the mid-twentieth century than Steve Treder, so I knew this was a perfect pairing of author and subject. I was not disappointed. This is an absorbing look at one of baseball’s most fascinating teams.”—Mark Armour, author of Joe Cronin: A Life in Baseball“Masterful. . . . This richly contextualized book rescues Stoneham from the sidelines of New York City’s baseball world and places him alongside Walter O’Malley in the story of the sport’s success in California, where he belongs. It is a delight.”—Roberta Newman, author of Here’s the Pitch: The Amazing, True, New, and Improved Story of Baseball and Advertising“Horace Stoneham [was] a true baseball pioneer. . . . Giants fans especially will enjoy both Treder’s thorough narrative of the Stoneham years in New York and in San Francisco—the players, the games, the seasons—and his extensive and balanced portrait of the man most responsible for that history.”—Robert F. Garratt, author of Home Team: The Turbulent History of the San Francisco Giants“Horace Stoneham may be one of the most underappreciated baseball executives of the twentieth century. Thanks to Steve Treder we now have a book that recognizes his significance and reflects the Giants’ prominence in many of the fascinating and consequential moments of more than five decades of baseball history.”—Daniel R. Levitt, author of Ed Barrow: The Bulldog Who Built the Yankees’ First Dynasty“Sometimes you just don’t know what you were missing until you’ve got it. More than players, more than coaches, more than anyone else really, it’s always been the owners who determine the fates of baseball franchises. Which makes it all the more surprising that Steve Treder’s outstanding book is the first comprehensive biography of Horace Stoneham, who owned one of baseball’s titanic teams through forty years of revolutionary change.”—Rob Neyer, author of Casey Award–winning Power Ball: Anatomy of a Modern Baseball Game"Treder's biography of long-time New York/San Francisco Giants owner Horace Stoneham is a thorough exploration of his 40-year tenure in baseball ownership between 1936 and 1976."—Charlie Bevis, Bevis Baseball ResearchTable of ContentsIntroduction Prologue: Sunday, September 21, 1975 1. Horrie, I Bought You a Ball Club 2. Roaring into the Twenties 3. Hard Truths 4. Brooklyn Is Still in the League 5. War, Peace, and Nice Guys 6. We Knew Segregation Was Wrong 7. Horace Stoneham Has Finally Got a Winner 8. We Have No Chance to Survive Here 9. Open Your Golden Gate 10. It’s Bye-Bye Baby 11. No Cigar 12. Certainly the Move Will Hurt Us 13. Resilience 14. I Never Thought I Would Trade Willie 15. You Can’t Get Discouraged Epilogue Acknowledgments Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisClubbie is a hilarious and illuminating memoir about a starry-eyed baseball fan who accidentally became part of the Minor League system that exploited his heroes. Trade Review"[A] well-written, realistic, and necessary addition to current baseball literature."—Library Journal"Larson succeeds in bringing the reader right into the IronBirds' clubhouse."—Cycle"Does what happens in the clubhouse stay in the clubhouse? No; Larson lets us into the Aberdeen Ironbirds’ inner sanctum. Prepare to spend two full seasons with the Baltimore Orioles' minor-league affiliate owned by Cal Ripken. It is not Disneyland. Teammates brawl, players quit in mid-game, and one-upmanship rules. Clubbie Larson, also a stand-up comedian, offers a truly hilarious view of Double-A ball."—John Vorperian, SABR Newsletter"Clubbie is bittersweet, but it throws a lot of strikes as far as capturing the malaise of minor league ball."—Jon Hart, Stadium Journey“Greg Larson’s Clubbie signals the arrival of an important new voice to American letters. . . . Clubbie is more than a coming-of-age story told via America’s pastime: it is an elegiac requiem for all who fall short of the one million forms of the American Dream.”—Joe Jackson, author of Black Elk: The Life of an American Visionary“It’s easy to romanticize baseball. But from the inside, in the trenches of the Minor Leagues, the game is not so pure. With an excellent eye for detail, Greg Larson captures every tobacco stain and dirty sock in this memoir of life as a clubhouse attendant. It’s a well-written, heartfelt chronicle of growing up in a game that doesn’t want to.”—Brad Balukjian, author of the Los Angeles Times best seller The Wax Pack“Imagine Holden Caulfield washing jock straps in the clubhouse of a Minor League baseball team. Then imagine Jim Bouton revealing the secrets of dreamers who struggle to make it to the Big Show. Enter Greg Larson with a voice and secrets all his own. This stunning debut memoir is about baseball and love, about the double edge of dreams. Larson is a natural.”—Michael Pearson, author of the New York Times Notable Imagined Places: Journeys into Literary AmericaTable of ContentsPart 1 1. A Shooting Star 2. The Bottom Rung 3. Lottery Ticket Odds 4. Shadowboxing 5. On a Train Bound for Nowhere 6. The Baseball Gallows 7. The Boatload Mentality 8. Alexander the Great 9. The Dog Star 10. Nightshade Part 2 11. Aphelion 12. A New Era Takes Flight 13. Started from the Bottom 14. Number 75 15. Selling Garbage 16. Lights Out 17. Children in the Outfield 18. Summertime Sadness 19. The Team of Destiny 20. IronNuts! Acknowledgments

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Book SynopsisThe biography of Bobby Jones, the only golfer to win the Grand Slam and a key figure in America's Golden Age of Sports.Trade Review"Another engrossing golf read is The Immortal Bobby . . . a welcome paperback release of Ron Rapoport's 2005 biography of Bobby Jones, the only man to win four major golf championships in one year, 1930. The book deserves a wide audience for its lively depiction of both golf and society early in the last century and for several surprising revelations about the most beloved sportsman of his day."—John Paul Newport, Wall Street Journal“Fabulous.”—Leonard Shapiro, Washington Post“An important book about an important sports figure that, typically for Rapoport, goes beyond the confines of sports and fits firmly in the context of our culture.”—Ira Berkow, sports columnist and author of Red: A Biography of Red Smith“Here is Bobby Jones as you’ve never seen him, almost fearful in the fires of competition, and Ron Rapoport shows us how that man became a legend.”—Dave Kindred“The story of Bobby Jones’s singular life is one of the most fascinating in sports history. Ron Rapoport’s thoughtful, graceful style is well suited to telling that story.”—Bob Costas“Just when you think there is nothing new to be said or written on the subject of Bob Jones, Ron Rapoport comes along and proves that theory completely untrue. The Immortal Bobby is wonderfully reported and superbly written.”—John Feinstein“Beyond the grainy newsreels and the confetti falling on Broadway and Peachtree Street, there was an essential Bobby Jones, and Ron Rapoport reveals him splendidly in a portrait as graceful as the man. There’s more here than Grand Slam 1930—the jangling nerves and self-doubt, the towering modesty in response to fame, the complexity of an Atlanta patrician, a life richly lived.”—Gary M. Pomerantz, author of Where Peachtree Meets Sweet Auburn“If you want to learn a thing or three about Jones and the defining times in which he lived, you should read this book.”—Brian Hewitt, thegolfchannel.com“The real strength of Rapoport’s profile of Jones is the uncompromising look at how complex the man/athlete was. Like many greats in any field, both Jones’s strengths and weaknesses were extreme.”—Mike Imrem, the Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL)“An exhaustively researched and anecdote-rich tome on Bobby Jones.”—Peter Kerasotis, Florida TodayTable of ContentsIntroduction Part I: Little Bob and Mr. Jones 1. East Lake Days 2. The Jewel of the South 3. The Keeper of the Flame 4. "Emotions Which Could Not Be Endured" 5. "By No Means Fit for the Honourable Company" 6. The Long Lane Turns 7. "My Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen, Are We Downhearted?" 8. "It Was Perfect and That Is All There Is to Say about It" 9. "Like a Hero Back from the War" 10. "He Belongs to Us All" 11. "You Can Never Know How I Envied You" 12. "Don't Kill the Star in the Prologue" Part II: The Grand Slam 13. Impregnable Quadrilaterals, Then and Now 14. "Your Boy Is Just Too Good" 15. The British Amateur: "They Ought to Burn Him at the Stake" 16. The British Open: Great Men of Hoylake 17. The U.S. Open: "The Lord Must Have Had His Arms Around Me" 18. Homecoming 19. The U.S. Amateur: "Into the Land of My Dreams" 20. Quitting the Memorable Scene Part III: The Best That Life Can Offer ... and the Worst 21. Hollywood, Augusta, and Beyond 22. "White as the Ku Klux Klan" 23. "I've Been Having Some Numbness in My Limbs" 24. "Will Ye No' Come Back Again?" Sources and Acknowledgments Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe biography of Oscar Charleston, a Negro Leagues legend and one of baseball's greatest and most unjustifiably overlooked players.Trade Review“A valuable and superb book.”—Joe Posnanski, The Athletic"In this thorough account, Beer has created a definitive work on Charleston's life and accomplishments. The result is a fascinating story and an important piece of sports history."—Gus Palas, Library Journal, starred review"In telling Oscar Charleston’s story, Jeremy Beer has done a remarkable job in finding sufficient evidence in the historical record—box scores, newspaper accounts, interviews, oral histories—to support his thesis that Charleston deserves to be recognized as one of the game’s greatest players. Thanks to Beer’s fine biography, Oscar Charleston will not be forgotten."—Thomas Wolf, NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture"If Beer set out to write the authoritative biography of Oscar Charleston, he accomplished his goal seamlessly. The book is much more than a biography, it is an exhaustively researched tome about not only Oscar Charleston, but about the rise and fall of Negro Leagues baseball in the twentieth century."—Paul Langendorfer, Inside Game“Beer’s evenhanded narrative makes a convincing case for Charleston as the greatest baseball player who never played in the majors. This is a solid hit for baseball historians and fans alike.”—Publishers Weekly“[Jeremy Beer] has managed to construct a portrait of Charleston that clearly establishes him as a great baseball figure and a pioneer whose career paved the way for many who followed him. . . . An invaluable contribution to baseball history.”—Wes Lukowsky, Booklist "Oscar Charleston fills a void in baseball history, providing context and nuance to a great player who was enigmatic in life—and in death."—Bob D'Angelo, Sports Bookie blog"Interwoven with modern statistics calculated from the available box scores and other sources of information, one cannot help to wonder how Charleston would have fared in the major leagues had he been allowed to play. . . . Beer paints a picture of a man who should be considered one of the greatest players ever to pick up a bat and glove. Readers who want to get an informed introduction to Oscar Charleston should pick up this book."—Lance Smith, Guy Who Reviews Sports Books"I miss nothing like I miss baseball, and author Jeremy Beer has delivered a treasure to fill the hours between vintage games on the MLB Network."—Frank Murtaugh, Memphis Flyer"One of Beer’s most extraordinary accomplishments is giving a chronological narrative through the labyrinthine career of Charleston, from military ball in the Philippines, through a score of Negro League teams, winter ball dates in Palm Beach and in Cuba, and various barnstorming ventures, and then on into the managerial ranks and the grooming of younger stars—including Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson—up through to his final gig, managing an Indianapolis Clowns team that had just lost their young shortstop, Henry Aaron, to the big leagues. Beer manages to keep the narrative cogent, with Charleston’s achievements, captured through newspaper accounts and eyewitnesses, stirring the imagination at every turn."—Michael Stevens, Front Porch RepublicTable of ContentsPreface Introduction: Craftsman Chapter 1. Batboy, 1896–1912 Chapter 2. Hothead, 1912–1915 Chapter 3. Riser, 1916–1918 Chapter 4. Star, 1919–1922 Chapter 5. Manager, 1922–1926 Chapter 6. Leader, 1926–1931 Chapter 7. Champion, 1932–1938 Chapter 8. Scout, 1939–1947 Chapter 9. Legend, 1948– Epilogue Acknowledgments Appendix: Statistical Record Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisJump Shooting to a Higher Degree chronicles Sheldon Anderson's basketball career from grade school through his years playing professionally in West Germany and communist Poland in 1987.Trade Review"For readers with a strong interest in personal accounts of life in Cold War Germany and Poland, the book will surely be captivating."—K. P. McDonough, Choice“A delightful, often wry nonfiction basketball bildungsroman, Sheldon Anderson’s Jump Shooting to a Higher Degree is reminiscent of other first-rate sport memoirs. . . . This supple narrative, replete with poignant anecdotes, demonstrates how the love of a game can help shape one’s identity, values, and pave the way for future success. Anderson shoots and scores!”—Daniel A. Nathan, coeditor of Baseball beyond Our Borders and past president of the North American Society for Sport History“Is basketball more than just a game? For Sheldon Anderson, hoops are a sine qua non of life—a prominent theme in this entertaining memoir. Part sport history, part European history, part basketball bildungsroman, part autobiography, Jump Shooting to a Higher Degree reminds us that sport, when played cleanly and fairly and with a respect for one’s opponent, possesses a transcendent power, offering important life lessons and providing opportunities one could have never imagined. Pleasantly written and chock-full of amusing anecdotes, Anderson’s recollection of his experiences in basketball and beyond is an informative, lively read.”—Chris Elzey, coeditor of DC Sports: The Nation’s Capital at PlayTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments Prologue 1. Of God and Games 2. City Hoops 3. Playing with Germans 4. An American in East Germany 5. From “Scheiss Preiss” to Bavaria 6. Wild Turkeys, WACers, and Southside Johnnies 7. Basketball behind the Iron Curtain 8. The Shot Doctor of Philosophy Epilogue

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Book SynopsisBest known as the general manager of the New York Mets during their remaking and rise to glory in the 1980s, J. Frank Cashen fills the pages of Winning in Both Leagues 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 Network Table of ContentsForeword by Billy Beane Preface Acknowledgments 1. Beating Boston 2. Call from the Boss 3. Baltimore Beginnings 4. Shocking Developments 5. Parting Gift 6. Four Straight 7. After the Sweep 8. Earl of Baltimore 9. Low Point to High Flyers 10. Negotiating Contracts 11. My First Passion 12. From Studs to Suds 13. Commish’s Call 14. Baseball Trails 15. Casting My Fate 16. Changing the Mets' Image 17. Yellow Pad Parlance 18. Trade Secrets 19. Competing in the Apple 20. Building a Winner 21. Breaking .500 22. Dominating Season 23. Infamous Plane Trip 24. Series Showdown 25. Futures Trading 26. Broadcasting Brilliance 27. New Friends, New Places 28. Traveling Tales 29. Mets Changes 30. New Choices 31. Extra Innings

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Book SynopsisA biography of Charles Webb Murphy, the ebullient and mercurial owner of the Chicago Cubs from 1905 through 1914.Trade Review"Besides writing a very readable book, Cannon has done the kind of research that a good biography requires."—James E. Overmyer, NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture"Everything a great biography should be: impeccably researched, fair, eminently readable, and ultimately as satisfyingly instructive as having personally known the subject oneself."—Spitball Magazine"Charlie Murphy is an excellent addition to the existing body of work in book-length baseball biography. Cannon masterfully moves beyond his subject's on-field baseball achievements, often the singular focus of a baseball biography, by providing a well-balanced mix of Murphy's off-field contribution to the baseball industry, his cultural influence, and an exploration of his character."—Charlie Bevis, Journal of Sport History"This is a remarkable book full of baseball information for all fans to enjoy. The book is easy to read and should be on the bookshelf of every baseball fan, baseball historian and especially those with Chicago Cubs fandom."—Tom Knuppel, Knup Sports"As for the complete story of Murphy, from his beginnings to his ownership of the Cubs and the fractured relationships at the time of his ouster, Cannon does a very good job of bringing him to life to the reader and illustrating an accurate picture of the business side of the game at that time."—Lance Smith, Guy Who Reviews Sports Books“Over the first couple of decades of the twentieth century, Cubs owner and general manager Charles Murphy was as significant as any executive in baseball and one of its most interesting characters. Jason Cannon perceptively unwraps the man who oversaw Cubs championship seasons and was a principal actor in some of the era’s most notable controversies and boardroom battles.”—Daniel R. Levitt, coauthor of In Pursuit of Pennants: Baseball Operations from Deadball to “Moneyball”“Impeccably researched and masterfully written, Charlie Murphy tells the story of one of baseball’s most well-known, forgotten owners. Only after you’ve read it do you realize how much you didn’t know of Murphy and his impact on the game.”—Willie Steele, editor of NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture“Part exuberant showman and part irreverent iconoclast, Charles W. Murphy eventually aroused the ire of players, fans, and even the baseball establishment with his controversial decisions, which eventually led to his undoing. Jason Cannon deftly uses hundreds of articles, documents, interviews, and other original sources to look past Murphy’s reputation as an egotistical blowhard and reassess both his personal life and professional career. In so doing, the author reveals a detailed narrative of the Progressive Era and a compelling, richly nuanced portrait of one of baseball’s most colorful characters.”—Jack Bales, author of Before They Were the CubsTable of ContentsContents Introduction: “He Was a Showman” 1. Wilmington 2. On to Cincinnati 3. “A Real Wonder-Story” 4. “He Is One of Us” 5. Champions 6. Supremacy Again 7. The War of 1908–9 8. A Pair of Presidents 9. The Final Pennant 10. “Murphy Alone Is My Enemy” 11. “All Is Fair in Love and War” 12. “The Malicious Mistake of Mr. Murphy” 13. Show Business 14. Narratives Epilogue Acknowledgments Notes Bibliography Index

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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 SynopsisNamed a Best Baseball Book of 2020 by Sports Collectors Digest Bouton examines the remarkable life of a player and an author who forever changed the way we view not only sports books but professional sports as a whole.Trade Review“Once you start reading, you will not be able to stop. A compelling look at one of the most influential and controversial figures in baseball history. A new generation needs to know the story of Jim Bouton: a man who never wearied of gleefully and hilariously skewering the establishment but who also had the old-school drive to will his dreams into reality. Above all, a lifetime love of baseball shines through in every chapter—a true reflection of Bouton himself.”—Brian Kenny, host for MLB Network and author of Ahead of the Curve: Inside the Baseball Revolution"Baseball fans will laugh alongside and, ultimately, feel touched by this look at an iconoclastic, often quixotic man who, despite the charges that his landmark book had hurt the game, loved baseball to the very end."—Library Journal, starred review"An astute writer on the game, [Nathanson] is as at his best on the Bouton-Shecter collaboration—late nights at the Lion’s Head Bar in Greenwich Village; Shecter making sense of Bouton’s scrawls on stationery, envelopes and toilet paper; the pair noodling over the manuscript stripped down to their underwear in Shecter’s airless Chelsea apartment. . . . Nathanson is good, too, with Bouton wisecracks."—Maxwell Carter, Wall Street Journal"When Mitchell Nathanson, a professor of sports law at Villanova, approached Bouton about writing his biography, the pitcher gave his blessing, on one condition: that Nathanson write about him with the honesty he’d tried to bring to the game of baseball. . . . Nathanson moves crisply through the deep back story, though he knows a good detail when he sees one."—John Swansburg, New York Times Book Review"Nathanson goes beyond tracing Bouton’s life, focusing instead on explicating the roots of Ball Four. In so doing, the book becomes an inside-publishing exposé, showing how the publication and selling of Ball Four changed our expectations of what a sports book could be. . . . In addition, the book provides fascinating details about Bouton's post–Ball Four life, including his fling at acting and his turn as an entrepreneur, developing the successful bubble-gum product Big League Chew. A welcome look at one of baseball's signature mavericks."—Mark Levine, Booklist"Nathanson's chronicle of baseball's renowned counter-culture renegade as author of Ball Four in 1970 is a masterful exploration of Jim Bouton's impact not only to major-league baseball but also within the larger societal spheres of the overall sports industry and American culture in general."—Charlie Bevis, Bevis Baseball Research"Bouton: The Life of a Baseball Original is one of the best baseball biographies in recent memory. Nathanson is a fantastic storyteller, capable of juxtaposing Bouton's recollections with those of his contemporaries and situating these stories within their historical context. While researching the book, he spent a significant amount of time with Bouton in the final years of his life (Bouton died in 2019), which contributes to the depth with which he renders his subject."—Clayton Trutor, Reason"Bouton is a book that deserves space next to Ball Four on the bookshelf. Nathanson has done a thorough job of presenting the life of a complex man who changed the game of baseball, not by what he did on the field, but what he observed on the field, in the clubhouse and on the road."—Bob D'Angelo, Sports Bookie"A well-researched and fascinating read that tells how the free thinking Bouton always marched to the beat of his own drummer."—John Werner, Waco Tribune-Herald"Nathanson's source list is deep and insightful and his writing is crisp. And his access to Bouton's Ball Four notes provides answers to some lingering questions."—Dennis Star, Peoria Journal StarTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Prologue: Publication Day Part One: The Bulldog 1. Warm-up Bouton 2. Take a Hike, Son 3. Joliet 4. You Should Write a Book 5. A Long Way from Amarillo 6. Fucking Shecter 7. All ’Bout Bouton 8. A Threat, Not a Fine 9. The Bulldog and the Chipmunks 10. Rebel without a Fastball 11. The Youth of America Is for Kids 12. The End of the Line Part Two: The Author 13. Beginnings 14. From Tell-Some to Tell-All 15. Take Your Pants Off, Bouton 16. Fuck You, Shakespeare 17. Protectors of the Holy Flame 18. Against the Unwritten Rules of Baseball 19. Not Enough Sex 20. The Leni Riefenstahl of the National Football League 21. Taking It Personally 22. Bad Stuff ’bout the Mets Part Three: The Iconoclast 23. Not Selling Refrigerators 24. The Most Famous Vasectomy in New York 25. Are We Rolling? 26. One Smart-Ass and Four Lawyers 27. You’re a Long Time Dead 28. The Battered Bastard of Baseball 29. Gilligan’s Island in Baseball Suits 30. Too Old, Too Everything 31. Magic 32. Dreaming in Baseball 33. Mask of the Bulldog 34. Hey, New York—Bouton’s Back! 35. Lightning in a Pouch 36. The Solo Artist 37. Laurie 38. Existential Bad Faith 39. A Mile in Bowie’s Shoes 40. Cashing Out 41. The Butter-Yellow Box Epilogue: The Cool of the Evening Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisDale Scott’s career as a professional baseball umpire spanned nearly forty years, including thirty-three in the Major Leagues, from 1985 to 2017. He worked exactly a thousand games behind the plate, calling balls and strikes at the pinnacle of his profession, working in every Major League Baseball stadium, and interacting with dozens of other top-flight umpires, colorful managers, and hundreds of players, from future Hall of Famers to one-game wonders. Scott has enough stories about his career on the field to fill a dozen books, and there are plenty of those stories here. He’s not interested in settling scores, but throughout the book he’s honest about managers and players, some of whom weren’t always perfect gentlemen. But what makes Scott’s book truly different is his unique perspective as the only umpire in the history of professional baseball to come out as gay during his career. Granted, that was after decades of remaining in the closet, aTrade Review"A rollicking new memoir. . . . Scott is cheery yet candid about the indignities of umpiring."—John Swansburg, New York Times"The Umpire Is Out offers so many inside stories on great names in baseball history. Scott is honest in how he explains each encounter. He's a man you can't help but to root for in his coming years as a private (baseball) citizen. Scott truly is one of the better ambassadors of the game."—Don Laible, Bradenton Times"[The Umpire Is Out] is highly recommended as a biographical memoir of umpiring and the game itself over the past forty years, and also as a non-salacious, candid portrait of gay life in American sports over the same era. It is generous, humorous, enjoyable, and is a great source for learning about both subjects—"The Wedge," as it were, of Scott's professional and personal life."—Tim Wiles, NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture“Dale Scott was both consistent and approachable, perhaps the two most important qualities for an umpire. Dale’s personal story is inspirational, but his book also features vivid game stories from a truly great run at the top of his profession.”—David Cone“Dale’s personal story differs dramatically from those of his umpiring colleagues. And yet, what also shines through is what he and so many of us have in common: an abiding love of baseball and an appreciation for what the game has meant to our lives. This is a textured story, both entertaining and meaningful. And told with uncommon grace.”—Bob Costas“As the late, great Ernie Harwell once said to me about Dale, ‘A great umpire is like a great driver in traffic: you never notice they’re there.’ That was Dale Scott. He had a great, consistent strike zone, and I don’t recall him ever missing a call on the bases. But as good an umpire as Dale was, he’s also one of my all-time favorite people.”—Harold Reynolds“Dale Scott umpired for more than thirty years in the big leagues. He’s seen it all, and most of the best parts seem to have wound up in these pages. But heck, I’d buy the book just for the chapter on the José Bautista Bat Flip Game!”—Dan Shulman“For more than ten years, Dale Scott made me laugh every day. As a mentor, he taught me how to not only survive but excel in the Major Leagues, and I am forever grateful for his friendship and leadership. This memoir delivers the humor, excitement, and knowledge that only a true insider can provide. Make the right call and read this book!”—Dan IassognaTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Foreword by Billy Bean 1. Nutcutters, Polebenders, and Shithouses 2. Eugene 3. Playing the Game 4. “You Were Terrible!” 5. “He’s That Blind SOB” 6. Only in the Dominican 7. Getting the Call 8. When Sparky Quit Chewing 9. “Mike, Your Mom Is Blasting Me” 10. Sophomore Slump 11. For the Last Time 12. “I Can Put Two and Two Together” 13. TK 14. Hardly the First 15. “What Do You Mean, Colorful?” 16. Nolan and George 17. Hello Again, Boss 18. Jeffrey Who? 19. A Long Way from Bradenton 20. “What Flavor Was the Kool-Aid?” 21. W. 22. Like a Human Blood Clot 23. “Hell Has Frozen Over” 24. “Hey, Lou, You Missed a Spot” 25. “I Am the Walrus” 26. Postseason from Hell 27. Get the Hell Out of the Way 28. From Frank’s Friendly to Jimmy Fallon 29. Flip 30. “I Can’t Believe This Is Happening Again” 31. No Complaints, No Regrets Acknowledgments Appendix Index

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Book SynopsisLittle Poison is the story of Paul Runyan, a short-hitting farm boy from Arkansas who rose to prominence during the 1930s and defeated Sam Snead by a resounding margin at the 1938 PGA Championship.Trade Review"Little Poison is a wonderful tribute to a golfer whose life and accomplishments deserve such recognition."—Stuart Shiffman, bookreporter.com“In these fast-moving pages and masterfully researched chapters, John Dechant has given a true gift to devotees of both golf and storytelling. Golf history loves its overlooked underdogs, but few are as overlooked or as interesting as Paul Runyan. Little Poison is a book that will have you cheering from the jump.”—Tom Coyne, New York Times best-selling author of A Course Called Scotland and A Course Called America“Little Poison is a well-written account of a very interesting man and time in golf history. John Dechant weaves through time and space effortlessly as he details what made Paul Runyan special. The intangible character traits of high performers have always fascinated me. If you love golf, history, and appreciate greatness, this book is for you.”—James Sieckmann, 2018 National PGA Teacher of the YearTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Prologue Part 1. Hot Springs Boys 1. Something in the Water 2. Six Hundred Balls a Day 3. Samuel Jackson Part 2. Little Poison 4. White Plains 5. “I Don’t Know How He Does It” 6. A Code of His Own Part 3. On the Delaware 7. A Talent Nonpareil 8. “Lawdy, the Man Ain’t Human” 9. No Days Off Part 4. Go West 10. “Whatever Became of Paul Runyan?” 11. La Jolla 12. Last Hurrah 13. High Heavenly Ground Part 5. On the Tee until the Last 14. Author and Influencer 15. “The Legend Never Really Died” Acknowledgments Bibliographic Essay

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Book SynopsisAs a coach at Loyola Marymount in California, Paul Westhead designed his highly unusual signature run-and-gun offense that came to be known as “The System.” The Speed Game offers a vibrant account of how he helped develop a style of basketball that not only won at the highest levels but went on to influence basketball as it’s played today. Known for implementing an up-tempo, quick-possession, high-octane offense, Westhead is the only coach to have won championships in both the NBA and WNBA. But his long career can be defined by one simple question he’s heard from journalists, fellow coaches, his wife, and, well, himself: Why? Why did he insist on playing such a controversial style of basketball that could vary from brilliant to busted? Westhead speaks candidly here about the feathers he ruffled and about his own shortcomings as he takes readers from Philadelphia’s West Catholic High, where he couldn’t make varsity, to the birth of Trade Review“When the madness of Coach Westhead’s speed game combines with willing talent, magic happens on the basketball court. It’s not the speed game people couldn’t keep up with; it was his beautiful mind that most couldn’t follow. An intriguing insight into the life of the guru of go.”—Diana Taurasi, winner of an NCAA championship with the University of Connecticut, a WNBA championship with the Phoenix Mercury, and of an Olympic gold medal“Coach Westhead became head coach of the LA Lakers under unusual and difficult circumstances, yet was always well-prepared, well-composed, and honest about where he was coming from. His journey from ‘stretching,’ to small college coach, to NBA head coach, to WNBA head coach, to international head coach is riveting and fascinating. Like him or not, crazy or genius, one thing can’t be denied: he is a world champion, and more than once.”—Jamaal Wilkes"Don't get the idea that The Speed Game is infatuated repetitiously with a scheme for winning basketball games. Mr. Westhead gives us a lot more. It may be a surprise to readers to learn how graceful and interesting a writer he is. . . . In his memoir, he writes especially well about coaching the Los Angeles Lakers to an NBA championship in 1980 and the Phoenix Mercury, led by the great Diana Taurasi, to the 2007 women's title. He also describes how, in the late 1980s, he transformed Loyola Marymount into a powerhouse, and he does so without diminishing the role of Hank Gathers and Bo Kimble in the team's success."—Fred Barnes, Wall Street Journal“Having a former English teacher as my coach in the NBA was an unbelievable dream come true. We never got to exchanging sonnets, but the friendship and world championship we gained were absolutely worth the effort. I’m sure his accounts of his time with the NBA will be rewarding for hoop fans and all of us book worms.”—Kareem Abdul-Jabbar“Paul Westhead is a fastbreak savant. That has been conclusively proven in numerous coaching situations. More important, he is a highly principled and extremely talented basketball coach, and unfailingly loyal to his players, fellow coaches, and his beloved system. His journey from the City of Brotherly Love to NBA and WNBA championships and NCAA women’s and men’s scoring records is a wonderful, insightful, and entertaining read.”—P. J. Carlesimo, ESPN basketball analyst and former NBA coach of the Portland Trailblazers, the Golden State Warriors, and the Seattle Supersonics"The Speed Game is Paul Westhead’s personal account of how he tried to revolutionize basketball through fast breaks on offense and full-court pressure on defense, with the goal of wearing out the opposition while scoring more points. The book is quite engaging, and the reader becomes engrossed in Westhead’s adventures."—Karen Guenther, H-Pennsylvania“‘The great ones all have a screw loose.’ That’s what Stanford’s legendary basketball coach Tara VanDerveer once told me. Paul Westhead has a screw loose. His unique vision for basketball, and his dedication to his beliefs, against all odds, makes him a great one. This book is the diary of a mad scientist. It is a love story with amazing tales and anecdotes. Paul is the kind of whack job that makes basketball the deepest and most theatrical sport of all. His book enriches basketball lore.”—Scott Ostler, columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle "His memoir is both proud and self-effacing, candid and evasive, an artful nod to Shakespearean comedy and tragedy."—Steve Marantz, New York Journal of Books"The reader will gain great insight into Westhead's coaching philosophy and why he believes the fast break system is the best basketball system despite the skepticism of many and also his occasional lack of success with it, as evidenced by his poor record with the Nuggets. If one was or is a fan of his style, then this book is one to read."—Guy Who Reviews Sports Books"A fun—and fast—read."—J. Kemper Campbell, Lincoln Journal StarTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. West Philly 2. Stretching 3. Jersey Girl 4. Simplicity, Simplicity, Simplicity! 5. Enjoy the Ride 6. Go West, Young Man 7. Substitute Teacher 8. He Knows That We Know 9. No Thanks 10. Looney Tunes 11. The Glitter Is Gone 12. The Wrong Star 13. Twenty-Five Million Reasons 14. Lakers Doth Protest Too Much 15. No One’s Getting Fired 16. The Long Run 17. I Told You So 18. No Plan B 19. No Sound 20. I Know 21. The Tipping Point 22. A Crazy Genius

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Book SynopsisA three-time World Series winner and an early inductee into the Hall of Fame, lauded by Babe Ruth as the finest defensive outfielder he ever saw and described as perfection on the field by the great Grantland Rice, Tris Speaker enjoys the peculiar distinction of being one of the least-known legends of baseball history. Tris Speaker: The Rough-and-Tumble Life of a Baseball Legend is the first book to tell the full story of Speaker's turbulent life and to document in sharp detail the grit and glory of his pivotal role in baseball's dead-ball era.Playing for the Boston Red Sox and the Cleveland Indians in the early part of the twentieth century, Tris Spoke Speaker put up numbers that amaze us even today: his record for career doubles792may never be approached, let alone broken. Tris Speaker explores the colorful life behind the statistics, introducing readers to a complex and contradictory Texan whose cowboy mentality never left him as he brawled his way through two decades in the big leaTrade Review“Gay, who spent four years researching Speaker’s life, has crafted a rugged, no-holds-barred look at a player who encompassed all the complex magic of early twentieth century baseball. Speaker’s story exemplifies why baseball holds such an important place in the American imagination. It is our story—a story of sin and expiation, of loyalty and love, of courage and dignity. This should be required reading for any serious baseball fan.”—Sport Literature Association“There are many passages where Gay captures the spirit of the Gray Eagle as he describes a moment of Speaker in action. These are effective because they are done selectively; this book is anything but prone to monotonous game by game summaries.”—The Inside Game“[A] richly detailed biography, the first on Speaker to succeed in situating him within an epoch of great promise and of great shame. . . . The ultimate value of this biography resides in its portrayal of personal redemption. . . . This warts-and-all account is true to a rugged individualist and offers insights to a general public often dismayed by the lack of values found in the sports world.”—Library Journal“Carefully researched and documented, engagingly written, and very illuminating. . . . Gay has filled a serious gap in baseball history and his effort compares favorably with Charles Alexander’s acclaimed biographies of John McGraw and Ty Cobb.”—Booklist“Tristam ‘Spoke’ Speaker sits, statistically, alongside baseball’s greatest sluggers and fielders, but his story and name have largely been forgotten. . . . Gay has insured the righting of history with this biography. A worthwhile read for any sports fan.”—Publishers Weekly“An eye-opening look at baseball’s now seemingly prehistoric ‘dead ball’ era, which also was rife with gambling scandals, grudges, amoral team owners and spring training in Hot Springs, Ark., where training regimens included mandatory hikes through the woods.”—Ed Bark, Dallas Morning News“Fans of the Boston Red Sox and the Cleveland Indians will likely enjoy this book. . . . Timothy Gay’s thoughtful biography lays bare the ugly fact that many players were often involved in sketchy gambling arrangements. . . . Speaker is now largely forgotten, and this well-told story bridges the gap between baseball before World War I and its more modern form.”—Mark E. Hayes, The Miami Herald“Timothy Gay has accomplished something special with this book, recovering a great player and a hallowed time from the deep well of nostalgia and bringing them back to life, not as we wished them to be, but as they really were.”—David Maraniss, author of When Pride Still Mattered: The Life of Vince Lombardi“Tris Speaker was the prototype for Willie Mays as the best center fielder and most complete ballplayer of the dead ball era. He was also a complex and cerebral figure who straddled two centuries while growing up on horseback in Texas and helping establish the cult of the American sports superstar. Timothy Gay has crafted an enjoyable and important book about one of the most dominant yet underrated players in baseball history.”—Richard A. Johnson, coauthor, Red Sox Century and The Dodgers: 120 Years of Dodger Baseball“Tim Gay has written a terrific book about a fascinating ball player—a .344+ lifetime hitter who still holds the major league record for unassisted double plays by a centerfielder. Every sports fan ought to read it.”—David Owen, author of My Usual GameTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Introduction 1. October 1912 2. Texas Frontier Child 3. Texas Leaguer 4. Boston, 1908 5. Early Years in Boston 6. Championship Season 7. Last Years in Boston 8. Early Years in Cleveland 9.World Champion Manager 10. Scandal 11. Banished Hero 12. Twilight Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe untold story of Lefty O'Doul, one of baseball's greatest hitters, most colorful characters, and the unofficial father of professional baseball in Japan.Trade Review"Dennis Snelling's compelling biography, Lefty O'Doul . . . tells of the pitcher who, after a sore arm, became one of baseball's greatest hitters and hitting coaches before helping to establish the game in Japan."—Daniel M. Gold, New York Times"Engrossing, scrupulously-researched."—Paul Hagen, MLB.com"One of the best baseball books of the year."—Allen Barra, San Francisco Chronicle"An excellent portrait of a thoughtful and generous man with a scientific approach to hitting and an unbridled passion for the game; an athlete, a pioneer, a diplomat, a teacher—and one of baseball’s forgotten greats."—Andrew Elias, Ft. Myers Magazine"Dennis Snelling makes the reader fall in love with the larger than life character that was Lefty O’Doul."—Melissa Minners, g-pop.net"An admirable attempt to elevate O'Doul's place among baseball's pantheon of greats."—Benjamin Hill, MiLB.com“Perhaps the most important twentieth-century figure not enshrined in Cooperstown, Lefty O’Doul influenced the game on both sides of the Pacific. . . . Dennis Snelling brings Lefty to life in this well-written and fascinating biography. Lefty O’Doul should be on the must-read list of all serious baseball fans. A true Sayonara home run!”—Robert K. Fitts, author of Banzai Babe Ruth, winner of the Seymour Medal “The life of Lefty O’Doul was filled with joy, enthusiasm, and accomplishment, and no one has told his story better than Dennis Snelling. This wonderful book fully describes the many facets of Lefty’s personality.”—Dick Beverage, secretary-treasurer for the Association of Professional Ballplayers of America and president of the Pacific Coast League Historical SocietyTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments 1. Butchertown 2. He Can Be Just as Great a Ballplayer as He Cares 3. This Fellow Frank O’Doul Is a Sure Frank Merriwell 4. He Always Could Play Ball, Now He Gets It Earnestly 5. I Feel as Though I Am Going to Have a Great Year 6. The Fellow Has Plenty on the Personality Ball 7. Banzai O’Doul 8. Baseball’s Greatest Hitting Instructor 9. Manager for Life 10. It Is Epidemic 11. In Fact, We Are Major League! 12. There Are No Trick Plays, No Short Cuts 13. I’d Rather Be a Bad Winner 14. The San Francisco Giants 15. A Big, Big, Big, Big Thing 16. He Was Here at a Good Time Epilogue: Lefty's Story Continues Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisRobert Dean Emslie (1859–1943) spent fifty-six of his eighty-four years in professional baseball—eight as a player and forty-nine as an umpire. When arm problems ended his career as a Major League pitcher, he turned to umpiring, serving in that capacity for thirty-five seasons, then as an umpire supervisor for thirteen years. His longevity is all the more remarkable considering he toiled during the three most contentious and difficult decades umpires ever faced: the years from 1890 to 1920, when baseball transitioned from amateur to professional sport and from regional business to commercial entertainment industry. Emslie endured the rough-and-tumble umpire-baiting 1890s, the Deadball era, injuries from thrown and batted balls, physical and verbal assaults from players and fans, and criticism in the press. Among his most notable games, he called four no-hitters and worked as the base umpire in the famous Merkle’s Boner game between the New York Giants and

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Book SynopsisWinner of the 2022 SABR Baseball Research Award Before there was Joe DiMaggio, there was Tony Lazzeri. A decade before the “Yankee Clipper” began his legendary career in 1936, Lazzeri paved the way for the man who would become the patron saint of Italian American fans and players. He did so by forging his own Hall of Fame career as a key member of the Yankees’ legendary Murderers’ Row lineup between 1926 and 1937, in the process becoming the first major baseball star of Italian descent. An unwitting pioneer who played his entire career while afflicted with epilepsy, Lazzeri was the first player to hit sixty home runs in organized baseball, one of the first middle infielders in the big leagues to hit with power, and the first Italian player with enough star power to attract a whole new generation of fans to the ballpark. As a twenty-two-year-old rookie for the New York Yankees, Lazzeri played alongside such legends as Babe Ruth and

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Book SynopsisWhether in football or in the law, Illinois Supreme Court Justice Robert Thomas has always had the best view from the bench.Bob Thomas got his start in football at the University of Notre Dame, kicking for the famed Fighting Irish in the early 1970s. Claimed off waivers by the Chicago Bears in 1975, Thomas helped to take the franchise from their darkest days to their brightest. Yet, on the cusp of the team''s greatest moment, he was struck with a shocking blow that challenged his fortitude.In this dramatic retelling of Bob Thomas''s fascinating life, renowned sports writer Doug Feldmann shows how neither football nor the law was part of Thomas''s dreams while growing up the son of Italian immigrants in Rochester, New York, in the 1960s. Chasing excellence on both the gridiron and in the courtroom, however, would require resilience in ways he could not have imagined.As A View from Two Benches shows us, Bob Thomas reached the top of two separate and distincTable of Contents1. A Ride to Freedom 2. South Bend 3. Claimed on Waivers 4. The Medowlands 5. Maggie 6. Cut 7. Resilience 8. Comeback 9. Hitting New Heights 10. Faith Rewarded 11. Boot Camp—and Moving On 12. Justice Tempered with Civility 13. Integrity 14. Looking Ahead

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Book SynopsisIf not for the botched Bay of Pigs invasion, Minnesota might never have known one of its most popular baseball players, Twins three-time batting champion and eight-time All-Star Tony Oliva. In April 1961, the twenty-two-year-old Cuban prospect failed to impress the Twins in a tryout, but the sudden rupture in U.S.–Cuba relations made a return visa all but impossible. The story of how Oliva’s unexpected stay led to a second chance and success with the Twins—as well as decades of personal and cultural isolation—is told for the first time in this full-scale biography of the man the fans affectionately call “Tony O.”With unprecedented access to the very private Oliva, baseball writer Thom Henninger captures what life was like for the Cuban newcomer as he adjusted to major league play and American culture—and at the same time managed to earn Rookie of the Year honors and win the American League batting title in his first two seasons, all while playing with a knuckle injury. Packed with never-before-published photographs, the book follows Oliva through the 1965 season, all the way to the World Series, and then, with repaired knuckle and knee, into one of the most dramatic pennant races in baseball history in 1967. Through the voices of Oliva, his family, and his teammates—including the Cuban players who shared his cultural challenges and the future Hall of Famers he mentored, Rod Carew and Kirby Puckett—the personal and professional highs and lows of the years come alive: the Gold Glove Award in 1966, a third batting title in 1971, the devastating injury that curtailed his career, and, through it all, the struggle to build a family and recover the large and close-knit one he had left behind in Cuba. Nearly forty years after Oliva’s retirement, the debate continues over whether his injury-shortened career was Hall of Fame caliber—a question that gets a measured and resounding answer here. Trade Review"Thom Henninger did a marvelous job telling Tony’s story. It will remind readers what a special person he is and how he had to deal with so much adversity to find his way to the major leagues. I am so proud to have been his teammate and be his friend. All of us who played with Tony know he is a Hall of Famer and was the best hitter of his era."—Jim Kaat"The value of this book resides in the portrait Henninger paints of the man himself: a ceaselessly positive and selfless person who adapted admirably to his adopted country while never forgetting the needs of family members left behind in Castro-ravaged Cuba."—Spitball Magazine"An entertaining read."—Sports Book Guy"This is a story that was worth telling and one that is in many ways well told."—Sport Literature Association"Henninger nicely summarizes the crucial moments without getting bogged down in baseball-book minutiae."—SB Nation"Tony Oliva: The Life and Times of a Minnesota Twins Legend is an enjoyable book, one that Twins fans and baseball history fans will relish."—The Writer’s JourneyTable of ContentsContentsForeword Patrick ReussePreface1. Young Pedro 2. Life after Cuba Closes3. The Minor Leagues4. A Fast Start to a Big League Career5. Injured Rookie Wins Unprecedented Batting Crown6. Oliva Leads Pennant Push7. Life’s Highs and Lows8. The Great Pennant Race of 19679. Marriage and Family in the Year of the Pitcher10. Baseball’s Summer of Change11. Twins Repeat with a New Bill in Charge12. Family Reunions and the Career-Changing Knee Injury13. The Extremes of 197214. The Final Years as a Player15. Tony O: The ManEpilogue: The Hall of Fame QuestionAcknowledgmentsIndex

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Book SynopsisIn the winter of 1892, the new instructor of physical training at Smith College, a diminutive young woman with a heavy accent, introduced her students to an adaptation of James Naismith's new game of Basket Ball. An immediate if unexpected success, the game spread to other women's schools across the country, and soon its founder, Senda Berenson (1868-1954), was called upon to codify its distinctive set of gender-specific rules. Emphasizing team passing and position over individual play, the version she instituted defined women's basketball for seventy years and eventually earned her the honor of being the first female elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame. Yet, as Ralph Melnick points out, Berenson's pioneering role in the history of women's athletics was more a matter of accident than destiny. A Jewish immigrant from Lithuania, prone to ill health throughout her childhood, she enrolled in the Boston Normal School for Gymnastics in the fall of 1890 with the hope of strengthening herself so that she could pursue a career as a pianist, dancer, or painter. Instead, she soon became both a practitioner and a proponent of a new approach to women's physical education, one aimed at providing a ""natural outlet of the play instinct,"" developing ""endurance and physical courage"" as well as ""quickness of thought and action,"" and promoting through team work the ""power of organization"" women needed to achieve full social equality. Extending her work into the factories and blighted urban tenements of America, Berenson later won the recognition of Jane Addams, Margaret Sanger, and other progressive reformers. Believing that ""Americans have forgotten how to play,"" she wanted to teach others to live ""joyfully - beautifully."" For Berenson, the physical culture of exercise and games, played not for competition but for personal and social development as well as sheer enjoyment, was but another form of art. This convergence of athletics and aesthetics was hardly surprising, Melnick explains, because the single most important influence on Senda Berenson's life was her brother, the renowned art critic and connoisseur, Bernard Berenson. The two siblings wrote frequently to each other over the course of their lives, and the author draws heavily on their correspondence throughout the book to create an intimate and insightful portrait of a remarkable American woman.

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Book SynopsisThe story of the most famous protest in sports history, written by one of the men who staged itTrade Review"An important entry in the history of track and field and African American studies." Library Journal "The book offers insights into Smith's athletic prowess...When he describes the physical sensations of running -- the paradoxical relaxation of muscles required to explode out of the blocks, the adrenaline that floods the body as a sprinter takes the get-set position and the stride-by-stride account of the 1968 gold medal race -- Smith's narrative surges to life. A major aim of the book is to explain the motivation behind the silent gesture, but Smith isn't interested in trenchant political analysis...Readers of Silent Gesture will be left with a stark impression of the toll Smith paid for speaking out against racism. He views his autobiography as his last, desperate chance to pull himself out of the 'muck and mire he's been stuck in since the Mexico City Olympics.' Smith never expresses regret for having taken his controversial stand." The Washington Post "Smith's account is told in simple but eloquent fashion, tempered by a healthy dose of irony and humor. He never romanticizes his actions, but rightfully acknowledges their powerful social impact." Smooth "Read Silent Gesture for the story of an athlete who grabbed a chance to make a difference." The Seattle Medium "The reader is given a good sense of his family's small-town home in Texas...Smith's book doesn't lack for honesty." Bookforum "Smith's candid reflections on life after Mexico City is compelling...Most striking, though, are revelations about the stresses he endured before the 1968 race...For Smith, at 24, to have not only won the gold, but to have issued his anything-but-silent gesture from the world's biggest stage, makes his story all the more extraordinary." Black Issues Book Review "With the help of Steele, Smith offers a well-documented and clearly written story behind the memorable 1968 Olympic moment...Extensive background information about Smith's life before, during and after the 'silent gesture' provides understanding and insight about an Olympic image that will endure forever. Clearly presenting the fears, the disappointments, the triumphs, and the hopes, then and now, that the raised black fists represented in 1968, this book offers a wealth of information that will help the reader understand the deep-rooted meaning of the gesture and the impact it continues to have almost 40 years later. CHOICE August 2007 "What is the worth of this book? I believe it to be one that accurately portrays Tommie Smith's life and Olympic ordeal...We have waited a long time for this book. The result is worth the delay...Silent Gesture provides, by far, the most powerful punctuation mark in explaining one of the most historic of all Olympic moments." Olympika: The International Journal of Olympic Studies "Smith's stories of his ostracized life post-1968 Olympics offer historians another opportunity to consider the multiple ways memory shapes the popular narrative... Smith uses his book as an opportunity to tell his truth...[which is] engaging." The Journal of Sport HistoryTable of ContentsForeword1: Welcome Home - 1 2: October 16, 1968 - 26 3: Out of the Fields - 55 4: The Biggest City I've Ever Seen - 95 5: Run Before You Walk - 123 6: The Coach and the Professor - 147 7: Linked Forever - 147 8: No Gold, No Glove - 190 9: Paying the Price - 220 10: Going Underground - 247 11: Families Lost, and Found - 268 12: It Will Outlive Me - 296 Epilogue: Silent and Eternal - 324 Acknowledgements About the Authors

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Book SynopsisMuhammad Ali (born Cassius Clay) has always engendered an emotional reaction from the public. From his appearance as an Olympic champion to his iconic status as a national hero, his carefully constructed image and controversial persona have always been intensely scrutinized. In Muhammad Ali, Michael Ezra considers the boxer who calls himself "The Greatest" from a new perspective. He writes about Ali's pre-championship bouts, the management of his career and his current legacy, exploring the promotional aspects of Ali and how they were wrapped up in political, economic, and cultural "ownership." Ezra's incisive study examines the relationships between Ali's cultural appeal and its commercial manifestations. Citing examples of the boxer's relationship to the Vietnam War and the Nation of Islam-which serve as barometers of his "public moral authority"-Muhammad Ali analyzes the difficulties of creating and maintaining these cultural images, as well as the impact these themes have on Ali's meaning to the public.Trade Review“Muhammad Ali is a terrific book. Disciplined, convincing, equipped to deliver on his bold and original thesis, Michael Ezra makes fresh sense not only of Ali as cultural icon and historical figure but of the vast Ali literature and mythos that surrounds him.”—Carlo Rotella, Boston College, author of Cut Time: An Education at the FightsTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction: Why Another Book about Muhammad Ali?Part I: Louisville Sponsoring Group Louisville's Favorite Son: The Professional Debut Choosing Management: The Courtship of Cassius Clay The Early Bouts, 1961-1962 Clay vs. Moore: The Seminal Text The Most Hated Man in Boxing? The Early Bouts, 1963 Damage Control through Moral Authority: The Louisville Sponsoring Group's Specialty The Relationship between Cassius Clay and the Louisville Sponsoring Group: A Summary The Commercial Elements of Clay-Liston IPartII: Nation of Islam Main Bout Inc.: How Commerce Affects Culture Carving Out Moral Authority: Ali's Race Man PhasePart III: Good People Forty Years of Ali: The Making of an Icon The Legacy of Ali's Exile and the Nation of Islam The Prodigal Son Returns King of the World: The Consequences of Monarchy Death of a Salesman Lonnie Ali: The Savior Thomas Hauser: The Literary Rehabilitation of Ali's Legend Olympic Torch: From Literature to Television Beyond Moral Authority: The Apotheosis of Muhammad Ali Culture Meets Commerce: The Muhammad Ali Center, Naming Rights, and the Price of Moral Authority The Backlash: Exploring Contradictory Meaning of AliNotes Index

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Book SynopsisAs the first great Jewish player in the major leagues and the first African American to play major-league baseball during the twentieth century, respectively, Hank Greenberg and Jackie Robinson are forever linked because of the barriers they encountered, the discrimination they endured, the athletic gifts they exhibited, and especially the ...

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