Download or read book Cult Baseball Players written by Danny Peary and published by Fireside. This book was released on 1990 with total page 383 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sixty well-known writers profile their favorite baseball heroes, ranging from such all-time greats as Mickey Mantle, Willy Mays, and Joe DiMaggio to would-be wonders including Bob Uecker, Dick Allen, and Dusty Rhodes

Download or read book Baseball s Comeback Players written by Rick Swaine and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2014-03-27 with total page 247 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book profiles forty major league ballplayers who engineered remarkable comebacks to salvage fading careers. Details of each comeback is provided along with a summary of the player's career. The comeback players range from Hall of Famers like Ted Williams and Stan Musial; to near-greats like Tommy John and Luis Tiant; to journeyman performers like George McQuinn and Tony Cuccinello. In the absence of statistical standards to evaluate or even define comebacks, the selection of the top comeback players was based on the following criteria: historical significance, uniqueness, dramatic content, degree of difficulty, and the player's overall reputation and standing.

Download or read book Indiana Born Major League Baseball Players written by Pete Cava and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2015-10-02 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Indiana boasts a rich baseball tradition, with 10 native sons enshrined in Cooperstown. This biographical dictionary provides a close look at the lives of all 364 Hoosier big leaguers, who include New York City’s first baseball superstar; the first rookie pitcher to win three games in a World Series; the man who caught most of Cy Young’s record 511 career wins; one of the game’s first star relievers; the player who held the record for consecutive games played before Lou Gehrig; an obscure infielder mentioned in Charles Schulz’s Peanuts comic strip; baseball’s only one-legged pitcher; Indiana’s first Mr. Basketball, who became one of baseball’s greatest pinch-hitters; the first African American to play for the Cincinnati Reds; the only pitcher to throw a perfect game in the World Series; the skipper of the 1969 “Miracle Mets”; the pitcher for whom a ground-breaking surgical procedure is named; and the only two men to have played in both the World Series and the Final Four of the NCAA Basketball Tournament.

Download or read book Baseball Players of the 1950s written by Rich Marazzi and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2015-06-08 with total page 456 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The playing and post-playing careers of all 1,560 players who appeared in a major league box score between 1950 and 1959—the “golden age,” many say—are profiled in this exhaustive work. From Aaron to Zuverink: this treasure-trove of anecdotes, many gathered from personal interviews, is full of historical facts, controversy, and trivia. Readers will be reminded, that Milwaukee Braves pitcher Humberto Robinson was asked by a gambler to fix a game against the Phillies (he refused), Joe Adcock chased Giants pitcher Ruben Gomez around the field with a bat, Bob Turley reached the top of the corporate ladder after his playing days, Casey Wise became an orthodontist, Bobby Brown became a heart surgeon and president of the AL, and that Chuck Conners became an actor. All of this and much more can be found here.

Download or read book We Played the Game written by Danny Peary and published by Hyperion Books. This book was released on 1994-04-07 with total page 678 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This incredible gathering of first-hand remembrances brings a fascinating and enlightening new perspective to the period of baseball's greatest peak and ultimate turning point--when bigotry and exploitation still ran rampant among the clubs and the sport was irrevocably being changed into a business. 100 photos.

Download or read book Who s on Worst written by Filip Bondy and published by Anchor. This book was released on 2013-03-26 with total page 267 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Who were the best ballplayers of all time? It's an endless question, but here's something much more fun: Who was the worst of all time? Who was the lousiest pitcher? The biggest goat? The most despicable owner? The most over-paid bum? Finally, Filip Bondy answers these questions, wielding his own brand of formidable research, advanced sabermetrics and considerable wit to provide this indispensable guide to the less glorious side of our national pastime. Each chapter is filled with rich and colorful stories about the players unfortunate enough to be chosen in each category--like "Too Fat to Bat" or "Anyone Seen My Mitt." So welcome to the Hall of Shame. It's awesome.

Download or read book Red Sox Nation Guide to the Players written by William McNeil and published by UPNE. This book was released on 2008 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Short biographies and statistical career summaries for every Boston Americans (Pilgrims) and Boston Red Sox player from 1901 through 2007

Download or read book Historical Dictionary of Baseball written by Lyle Spatz and published by Scarecrow Press. This book was released on 2012-12-21 with total page 505 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dating back to 1869 as an organized professional sport, the game of baseball is not only the oldest professional sport in North America, but also symbolizes much more. Walt Whitman described it as “our game, the American game,” and George Will compared calling baseball “just a game” to the Grand Canyon being “just a hole.” Countless others have called baseball “the most elegant game,” and to those who have played it, it’s life. The Historical Dictionary of Baseball is primarily devoted to the major leagues it also includes entries on the minor leagues, the Negro Leagues, women’s baseball, baseball in various other countries, and other non-major league related topics. It traces baseball, in general, and these topics individually, from their beginnings up to the present. This is done through a chronology, an introductory essay, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 900 cross-referenced entries on the roles of the players on the field—batters, pitchers, fielders—as well as non-playing personnel—general managers, managers, coaches, and umpires. There are also entries for individual teams and leagues, stadiums and ballparks, the role of the draft and reserve clause, and baseball’s rules, and statistical categories. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about the sport of baseball.

Download or read book The Team That Forever Changed Baseball and America written by Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) and published by U of Nebraska Press. This book was released on 2012-04-01 with total page 396 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Of all the teams in the annals of baseball, only a select few can lay claim to historic significance. One of those teams is the 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers, the first racially integrated Major League team of the twentieth century. The addition of Jackie Robinson to its roster changed not only baseball but also the nation. Yet Robinson was just one member of that memorable club, which included Carl Furillo, Gil Hodges, Pee Wee Reese, Pete Reiser, Duke Snider, Eddie Stanky, Arky Vaughan, and Dixie Walker. Also present was a quartet of baseball’s most unforgettable characters: co-owners Branch Rickey and Walter O’Malley, suspended manager Leo Durocher, and radio announcer Red Barber. This book is the first to offer biographies of everyone on that incomparable team as well as accounts of the moments and events that marked the Dodgers’ 1947 season: Commissioner Happy Chandler suspending Durocher, Rickey luring his old friend Burt Shotton out of retirement to replace Durocher, and brilliant outfielder Reiser being sidelined after running into a fence. In spite of all this, the Dodgers went on to win the National League pennant over the heavily favored St. Louis Cardinals. And of course, there is the biggest story of the season, where history and biography coalesce: Jackie Robinson, who overcame widespread hostility to become Rookie of the Year—and to help the Dodgers set single-game attendance records in cities around the National League.

Download or read book Tim McCarver s Baseball for Brain Surgeons and Other Fans written by Tim McCarver and published by Villard. This book was released on 2013-05-22 with total page 370 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tim McCarver, major league baseball's premier analyst, has been surprising and delighting viewers for years with his remarkable insight. Fans who once were content to merely watch baseball were stimulated into wanting to think baseball as well. McCarver brings to the booth a combination of twenty-one years of major league service and nearly twenty more in broadcasting. There is nobody better at explaining the game than McCarver, and it is a rare game in which the viewer does not learn something new and unusual. Now he is putting down on paper all he knows about the sport, producing this unique perspective on how America's pastime should be played and watched. With his unmistakable wit and storytelling verve, McCarver succinctly explains the fundamentals and proper mechanics of baseball at the level necessary for success in the major leagues. Once the skills have been learned, the viewer can devise smart strategies, getting into the heads of the players, coaches, and managers: When should a player or manager be conservative or aggressive; what factors change as the count goes deeper; how do you set up an effective running game, and how can a defense try to sabotage it? This book is a gold mine for all fans, from brain surgeons and rocket scientists to beginners who want to start with the basics. (Even major leaguers will be able to pick up some pointers.) With a deeper knowledge and understanding of baseball, any fan will be able to watch it like a pro.

Download or read book Baseball State by State written by Chris Jensen and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2012-08-08 with total page 385 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Offering a fresh approach to the familiar concept of all-time baseball teams, this exhaustive work ranks more than 2,500 players by state of birth and includes both major league and Negro League athletes. Each chapter covers one state and opens with the all-time team, naming a top selection for each position followed by honorable mentions. Also included are all-time stat leaders in nine categories--games, hits, average, RBI, home runs, stolen bases, pitching wins, strikeouts and saves--a brief overview of the state's baseball history, notable player achievements, historic baseball places to see, potential future stars, a comprehensive list of player nicknames, and the state's all-time best player.

Download or read book Red Sox Roll Call written by William F. McNeil and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2017-02-10 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since the Boston Red Sox came into existence in 1901, some of the greatest players ever to step onto a baseball diamond have filled its rosters. Starting with Cy Young, the parade of legendary players included Tris Speaker, Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx, Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski, Carlton Fisk, Roger Clemens, Pedro Martinez, Manny Ramirez, and David Ortiz, among others. This work profiles 200 of the most memorable players to have donned Boston’s red, white and blue. Some, like Williams, enjoyed long, illustrious careers with the Red Sox. Others, like Smokey Joe Wood, shone brightly for only a brief period. Also included are journeymen who became legends as a result of one glorious World Series game, like Bernie Carbo, or players with just one memorable post-season appearance, like Dave Roberts. Together, these legends, idols, and heroes made Red Sox history and forever changed American baseball.

Download or read book Baseball Immortal Derek Jeter written by Danny Peary and published by Page Street Publishing. This book was released on 2015-09-15 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Unique Perspective on One of the Greatest Players of All Time Baseball Immortal Derek Jeter takes you on a remarkable forty-year journey, letting you step inside the great Yankee shortstop's life and career through his own words and those of the people who have known him best personally and in the sports community. The result is an incredible, insightful look at what made him not only an amazing ballplayer but also an intriguing and complex personality. Baseball fans will relive classic moments from his stumbles in the minor leagues all the way to his magical last major league game at Yankee Stadium in 2014, and learn about the influence of his parents, his inspiring work ethic, his constant drive to win, his leadership, his unrelenting optimism and more. Everyone has something to say about Derek Jeter-the player known as the face of baseball for two decades, the greatest Yankee of his generation, a man of few public words but uncompromising integrity. The book is packed with quotes by Jeter's parents, friends, teachers and mentors, coaches, scouts, teammates, opposing players, his fans and critics, celebrities, elite athletes like Michael Jordan, writers and broadcasters, managers - including Joe Torre and Joe Girardi - outspoken Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and even two presidents. The big surprise comes from the revealing quotes from Derek Jeter himself, who, during his career, constantly frustrated journalists by keeping his thoughts to himself. This book provides a remarkable 360-degree view of a future Hall of Fame shortstop, Yankees captain and champion who continues to be an inspiration to baseball players and fans across the nation.

Download or read book 501 Baseball Books Fans Must Read Before They Die written by Ron Kaplan and published by U of Nebraska Press. This book was released on 2018-08-01 with total page 620 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Propounding his "small ball theory" of sports literature, George Plimpton proposed that "the smaller the ball, the more formidable the literature." Of course he had the relatively small baseball in mind, because its literature is formidable--vast and varied, instructive, often wildly entertaining, and occasionally brilliant. From this bewildering array of baseball books, Ron Kaplan has chosen 501 of the best, making it easier for fans to find just the books to suit them (or to know what they're missing). From biography, history, fiction, and instruction to books about ballparks, business, and rules, anyone who loves to read about baseball will find in this book a companionable guide, far more fun than a reference work has any right to be.

Download or read book 100 Baseball Legends Who Shaped Sports History written by Russell Roberts and published by Sourcebooks, Inc.. This book was released on 2003-08-01 with total page 222 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Learn all about the amazing lives and careers of 100 of the greatest baseball players of all time with this fact-filled biography collection for kids. Educational and engaging, 100 Baseball Legends Who Shaped Sports History features: Simple, easy-to-read, and freshly updated text Illustrated portraits of each player Fascinating facts and stats A timeline, trivia questions, project ideas and more! From Cy Young to Lou Gherig, Jackie Robinison to Hank Aaron, George Brett to Derek Jeter and many more, readers will be introduced to the lives and feats of the greatest athletes ever to play baseball. Organized chronologically, 100 Baseball Legends Who Shaped Sports History offers a look at the amazing talent and skill of these players and how their accomplishments and careers have influenced the sport from its very beginnings all the way through the present day.

Download or read book Baseball in the Garden of Eden written by John Thorn and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-03-20 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Think you know how the game of baseball began? Think again. Forget Abner Doubleday and Cooperstown. Did baseball even have a father--or did it just evolve from other bat-and-ball games? John Thorn, baseball's preeminent historian, examines the creation story of the game and finds it all to be a gigantic lie. From its earliest days baseball was a vehicle for gambling, a proxy form of class warfare. Thorn traces the rise of the New York version of the game over other variations popular in Massachusetts and Philadelphia. He shows how the sport's increasing popularity in the early decades of the nineteenth century mirrored the migration of young men from farms and small towns to cities, especially New York. Full of heroes, scoundrels, and dupes, this book tells the story of nineteenth-century America, a land of opportunity and limitation, of glory and greed--all present in the wondrous alloy that is our nation and its pastime.--From publisher description.

Download or read book The Black Stars Who Made Baseball Whole written by Rick Swaine and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2005-12-27 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For major league baseball, the decade following Jackie Robinson's 1947 debut was one of slow yet persistent change. Four other black players made their first, brief big-league appearances that year, followed by only two in 1948 and four in 1949. But by the end of 1959, 122 black ballplayers had made it to the big leagues. Like Robinson, their lives were made difficult off the field, and on it they dodged beanballs and spikes. This book brings attention to the accomplishments of this transitional generation of African American players--made up of men like Luscious Luke Easter, Sam "The Jet" Jethroe, and Sad Sam Jones--many of whom spent years in the minors, the Negro leagues, or both before getting their shot. Chapters on each season from 1947 to 1959 incorporate biographical and career profiles for 25 players who stood out during baseball's integration. A final chapter covers the outstanding minor league players who for various reasons never got a real chance to play major league ball. Appendices include a roster of black major leaguers from 1947 through 1959, a list of black-player firsts and statistics on the year-by-year population of black players in the majors.