Sports and outdoor recreation Books

Book Synopsis“One of sports’ most storied championship teams gets its proper due” (Tom Verducci) in this definitive history of the 1969 Miracle Mets from the New York Times bestselling author of The Boys of Winter. “If you want to know what it was like to live and witness a baseball miracle in tumultuous times, this book is for you.”—Ron Darling, former New York Mets All-Star and bestselling author of Game 7, 1986 The story of the 1969 New York Mets’ season has long since entered sports lore as one of the most remarkable of all time. But beyond the “miracle” is a compelling narrative of an unlikely collection of players and the hallowed manager who inspired them to greatness. For the fiftieth anniversary, renowned sports journalist Wayne Coffey brings to life a moment when a championship could descend on a city like magic, and when a baseball legend was authored one inning at a time. Future Hall of Fame ace Tom Seaver snagged the biggest headlines, but the enduring richness of the story lies in the core of a team comprised of untested youngsters, lightly regarded veterans, and four Southern-born African-American stalwarts who came of age in the shadow of Jackie Robinson. Most of the Mets regulars were improbable candidates for baseball stardom. The number two starting pitcher, Jerry Koosman, grew up on a Minnesota farm, never played high-school ball, and was only discovered because of a tip from a Mets’ usher. Outfielder Ron Swoboda was known for long home runs and piles of strikeouts, until he turned into a glove wizard when it mattered most. All of these men were galvanized by their manager: the sainted former Brooklyn Dodger Gil Hodges, whose fundamental belief in the power of every man on the roster, no matter his stats, helped backup players like Al Weis and J.C. Martin become October heroes. As the Mets powered through the season to reach a World Series against the best-in-a-generation Baltimore Orioles, Hodges’s steady hand guided a team that had very recently been the league laughingstock to an improbable, electrifying shot at sports immortality. “A must-read for not just for Mets fans, but all baseball fans who will appreciate what indeed was the most astounding season in baseball history.”—Ken Rosenthal, two-time Sports Emmy winner for Outstanding Sports Reporter

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Book Synopsis3063 miles across America at age 57: One man's inspirational run!

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Book SynopsisA tongue-in-cheek look at the complicated love-hate relationship between Red Sox and Yankees fans, how and why it developed, what accounts for the animosity and the grudging respect, and why it and continues to dominate the baseball landscape, this book provides the only well-constructed tutorial on how both tribes can peaceably coexist. With only around 200 miles of terra firma dividing the two capitals of the "Empire" and the "Nation," Wasif attempts to bring peace to the Northeast through understanding. The humorous book also has key terms, charts, testimonials, quizzes, and even drawings that will save fans from emotional distress and time-consuming arguments.

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Book SynopsisExplore the best birding locations in Minnesota with this county-by-county guide. Whether you’re new to birding or have been enjoying your backyard visitors for years, it’s time to take bird-watching to another level. Bring your love of birds on the road, and discover more than 1,400 of Minnesota’s best birding locations! A Birder’s Guide to Minnesota is a county-by-county guide to finding birds for every birder and bird photographer—residents and tourists alike. Kim Richard Eckert served for 20 years as naturalist at Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve, taught bird identification classes for a decade, and led countless birding tours. Now, he’s sharing his expertise with you in this truly comprehensive book. It is lavishly illustrated with more 180 color bird photos and nearly 100 detailed maps. Plus, an exhaustive annotated list to all 447 of Minnesota's bird species contains valuable field identification tips. A Birder’s Guide to Minnesota is easy to use. Simply by scanning one of the many QR codes, you can even access maps of specific birding locations.Table of ContentsDedication Acknowledgments A Beginner’s Guide to Minnesota A Birder’s Guide to Birding A Birder’s Guide to References & Resources A Reader’s Guide to a Birder’s Guide County Contacts Checklist of Minnesota Birds Annotated List of Minnesota Birds A Birder’s Guide to Non-Minnesota Birds A Birder’s Guide to Minnesota Non-Birds West Region Principal Birding Locations Southeast Region Principal Birding Locations Northeast Region Principal Birding Locations Index to Birding Locations Index to Bird Species Index to Bird Photos/Photo Credits

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Book SynopsisHave you read about the day Eamon Dunphy went for a drink in London with George Best? Or the day Paul Kimmage sat down with Roy Keane in Saipan? Or the story about Paul O’Connell and the Superman tee-shirt? Have you met Hurling Man? Do you know why prop forwards rule the roost in Rugby Hell? Or why a famous goal brought so much misery to the man who scored it? These stories and many more can be found in On The Seventh Day, an anthology of some of the best sports writing published in Ireland over the last thirty years, now released in paperback. There is a literary quality to the best sports writing – a refusal to dumb down. On the Seventh Day showcases some of the best, and features undoubted stars of the genre like Paul Kimmage, Eamon Dunphy and David Walsh. Kimmage’s remarkable piece, ‘Inside the team that Mick built’, which tells the story of Ireland’s memorable win over Holland in 2001, opens the book and sets the tone for a stunning collection of articles spanning the years from Euro '88 to the summer of 2018. Featured writers also include Eamonn Sweeney, Joe Brolly, Neil Francis, Colm O’Rourke, Brendan Fanning, Marie Crowe, Anthony Cronin, Dion Fanning, Richard Sadlier, Cliona Foley, Tommy Conlon and Mick Doyle, covering the GAA, soccer, rugby, golf, athletics, horse racing, boxing, snooker and more. On The Seventh Day explores anger, joy, humour, sadness, pity, tragedy, beauty; there are memories, controversies and celebrations; tales of addiction and tales of redemption. Together, the pieces, which are taken from the pages of the Sunday Independent over the last three decades, show how truly great sports writing stands the test of time.

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