Download or read book The Baseball Whisperer written by Michael Tackett and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. This book was released on 2016-07-05 with total page 285 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Field of Dreams was only superficially about baseball. It was really about life. So is The Baseball Whisperer . . . with the added advantage of being all true.” —MLB.com From an award-winning journalist, this is the story of a legendary coach and the professional-caliber baseball program he built in America's heartland, where boys would come summer after summer to be molded into ballplayers—and men. Clarinda, Iowa, population 5,000, sits two hours from anything. There, between the cornfields and hog yards, is a ball field with a bronze bust of a man named Merl Eberly, who specialized in second chances and lost causes. The statue was a gift from one of Merl’s original long-shot projects, a skinny kid from the Los Angeles ghetto who would one day become a beloved Hall-of-Fame shortstop: Ozzie Smith. The Baseball Whisperer traces the “deeply engrossing” story (Booklist, starred review) of Merl Eberly and his Clarinda A’s baseball team, which he tended over the course of five decades, transforming them from a town team to a collegiate summer league powerhouse. Along with Ozzie Smith, future manager Bud Black, and star player Von Hayes, Merl developed scores of major league players. In the process, he taught them to be men, insisting on hard work, integrity, and responsibility. More than a book about ballplayers in the nation’s agricultural heartland, The Baseball Whisperer is the story of a coach who put character and dedication first, reminding us of the best, purest form of baseball excellence. “Mike Tackett, talented journalist and baseball lover, has hit the sweet spot of the bat with his first book. The Baseball Whisperer takes one coach and one small Iowa town and illuminates both a sport and the human spirit.” —David Maraniss, New York Times-bestselling author of Clemente and When Pride Still Mattered

Download or read book One Shot at Forever written by Chris Ballard and published by Hachette Books. This book was released on 2012-05-15 with total page 247 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "One Shot at Forever is powerful, inspirational. . . This isn't merely a book about baseball. It's a book about heart." -- Jeff Pearlman, New York Times bestselling author of Boys Will Be Boys and The Bad Guys Won In 1971, a small-town high school baseball team from rural Illinois, playing with hand-me-down uniforms and peace signs on their hats, defied convention and the odds. Led by an English teacher with no coaching experience, the Macon Ironmen emerged from a field of 370 teams to represent the smallest school in Illinois history to make the state final, a distinction that still stands. There the Ironmen would play against a Chicago powerhouse in a dramatic game that would change their lives forever. In this gripping, cinematic narrative, Chris Ballard tells the story of the team and its coach, Lynn Sweet: a hippie, dreamer, and intellectual who arrived in Macon in 1966, bringing progressive ideas to a town stuck in the Eisenhower era. Beloved by students but not administration, Sweet reluctantly took over the ragtag team, intent on teaching the boys as much about life as baseball. Together they embarked on an improbable postseason run that buoyed a small town in desperate need of something to celebrate. Engaging and poignant, One Shot at Forever is a testament to the power of high school sports to shape the lives of those who play them, and it reminds us that there are few bonds more sacred than that among a coach, a team, and a town. "Macon's run at the title reminds us why sports matter and why sportswriting has such great power to inspire. . . [It's] one hell of a good story, and Ballard has written one hell of a good book." -- Jonathan Eig, Chicago Tribune

Download or read book Ninety Percent Mental written by Bob Tewksbury and published by Da Capo Press. This book was released on 2018-03-20 with total page 237 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Former Major League pitcher and mental skills coach for two of baseball's legendary franchises (the Boston Red Sox and San Francisco Giants) Bob Tewksbury takes fans inside the psychology of baseball. In Ninety Percent Mental, Bob Tewksbury shows readers a side of the game only he can provide, given his singular background as both a longtime MLB pitcher and a mental skills coach for two of the sport's most fabled franchises, the Boston Red Sox and San Francisco Giants. Fans watching the game on television or even at the stadium don't have access to the mind games a pitcher must play in order to get through an at-bat, an inning, a game. Tewksbury explores the fascinating psychology behind baseball, such as how players use techniques of imagery, self-awareness, and strategic thinking to maximize performance, and how a pitcher's strategy changes throughout a game. He also offers an in-depth look into some of baseball's most monumental moments and intimate anecdotes from a "who's who" of the game, including legendary players who Tewksbury played with and against (such as Mark McGwire, Craig Biggio, and Greg Maddux), game-changing managers and executives (Joe Torre, Bruce Bochy, Brian Sabean), and current star players (Jon Lester, Anthony Rizzo, Andrew Miller, Rich Hill). With Tewksbury's esoteric knowledge as a thinking-fan's player and his expertise as a "baseball whisperer", this entertaining book is perfect for any fan who wants to see the game in a way he or she has never seen it before. Ninety Percent Mental will deliver an unprecedented look at the mound games and mind games of Major League Baseball.

Download or read book Whisper written by Danielle Bean and published by Ascension Press. This book was released on 2021-04-01 with total page 118 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Do you feel like you can’t “find God”? What if he is waiting for you right where you are? In this intimate and down-to-earth book, Danielle Bean encourages women of all stages of life to slow down and experience the little whispers of God that are present in their everyday moments. Danielle writes about real, heartfelt moments that every woman can relate to. The constant striving after achieving more can be relieved. Even more, the ability to do less with more intention can provide a growing awareness of God’s constant presence and interior peace (even if the exterior is still chaotic). Whisper is perfect for anyone looking to develop a more intimate relationship with the ever-present God. Grab a copy and a cup of tea (or a glass of wine) and dive in to learn from Danielle how to grow closer to God. “Danielle Bean has done it again! Whisper: Finding God in the Everyday is an invitation to be everyday mystics, finding extraordinary encounters with God in our ordinary days. If we will be attentive, there is space for grace to speak to our hearts, leading us closer to our Lord, even as we care for the many needs we encounter in the vocation of marriage and family life.” –Kimberly Hahn, wife, mother, author of Chosen and Cherished: Biblical Wisdom for Your Marriage “She had me at the title, but throughout Danielle’s book Whisper, I found God in baseball, broken pieces, and in ‘not overthinking it.’ This book is beautiful and intimate, itself a whisper from God.” –Sonja Corbitt, creator of LOVE the Word®️ Bible study method “Danielle’s encouragement and practical advice to simply rest and be still was exactly what I needed to read as a young mom who is a recovering busy perfectionist—and the words we all need to hear in a world that emphasizes doing instead of simply being. If you’re exhausted and looking for rest, this book is for you!” –Chloe Langr, author of Letters to Women: Embracing the Feminine Genius in Everyday Life

Download or read book Class A written by Lucas Mann and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2013-05-07 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An unforgettable chronicle of a year of minor-league baseball in a small Iowa town that follows not only the travails of the players of the Clinton LumberKings but also the lives of their dedicated fans and of the town itself. Award-winning essayist Lucas Mann delivers a powerful debut in his telling of the story of the 2010 season of the Clinton LumberKings. Along the Mississippi River, in a Depression-era stadium, young prospects from all over the world compete for a chance to move up through the baseball ranks to the major leagues. Their coaches, some of whom have spent nearly half a century in the game, watch from the dugout. In the bleachers, local fans call out from the same seats they’ve occupied year after year. And in the distance, smoke rises from the largest remaining factory in a town that once had more millionaires per capita than any other in America. Mann turns his eye on the players, the coaches, the fans, the radio announcer, the town, and finally on himself, a young man raised on baseball, driven to know what still draws him to the stadium. His voice is as fresh and funny as it is poignant, illuminating both the small triumphs and the harsh realities of minor-league ball. Part sports story, part cultural exploration, part memoir, Class A is a moving and unique study of why we play, why we watch, and why we remember.

Download or read book The Quarterback Whisperer written by Bruce Arians and published by Hachette Books. This book was released on 2017-07-11 with total page 198 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What is an elite NFL QB and what separates that player from the others? One answer is the coach they share. In the recent history of the biggest game on earth, one man is the common thread that connects several of the very best in the sport: Peyton Manning; Ben Roethlisberger; Andrew Luck; and the resurgent Carson Palmer. That coach is Bruce Arians. A larger than life visionary who trained under the tutelage of Bear Bryant, Arians has had a major impact on the development and success of each of these players. For proof beyond the stats, go to the sources. "Bruce is gonna love you when you need some loving, but he's gonna jump on you when you're not doing right." -- Peyton Manning "He coaches the way players want to be coached." -- Ben Roethlisberger "He made players comfortable around him and let everybody have their own personality. He didn't force anybody to be someone they weren't. It may sound a little corny or cheesy, but there's merit to that. I felt comfortable being myself and I felt he had my back." -- Andrew Luck "We're a resilient group. It trickles down from the head coach. I think good teams, really good teams, and hopefully great teams take on their coach's mentality. I think that's what B.A. brings . . . " -- Carson Palmer Known around the game as the 'quarterback whisperer', Arians has an uncanny ability to both personally connect with his quarterbacks and to locate what the individual triggers are for that player to succeed. No two quarterbacks are the same. And yet with Arians they always share success. In this book Arians will explain how he does it.

Download or read book Double Play written by Jill Shalvis and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2014-01-07 with total page 319 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the author of Slow Heat, The Trouble with Paradise, and the Lucky Harbor novels... Pace Martin is the ace pitcher for the Pacific Heat. He's got the arm, the experience and the wins. He's also got the pain, the pressure, and the possible end of his career looming over him. The last thing he needs now is a distraction, even if it comes in the form of a tough, beautiful, tell-it-like-it-is writer who sees past his defenses. Holly Hutchins knows a good story when she sees one, and the tall, dark and slightly attitude-ridden Pace Martin fits the bill. But when she realizes there’s more at stake than just the win, she starts to notice the handsome broad-shouldered jock in a different light. Pace and Holly begin a seductive game in which neither wants to drop the ball, but in the face of an unexpected betrayal and challenge, they’ll have to find the courage to swing for the fences…

Download or read book From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement written by Paula Yoo and published by WW Norton. This book was released on 2021-04-20 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Winner of the 2021 Boston Globe Horn Book Award for Nonfiction Longlisted for the 2021 National Book Award for Young People's Literature Finalist for the 2022 YALSA Award for Excellence in Young Adult Nonfiction An NPR Best Book of 2021 A Washington Post Best Children's Book of 2021 A Time Young Adult Best Book of 2021 A Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Book of 2021 A Publishers Weekly Best Young Adult Book of 2021 A School Library Journal Best Book of 2021 A Horn Book Best Book of 2021 A compelling account of the killing of Vincent Chin, the verdicts that took the Asian American community to the streets in protest, and the groundbreaking civil rights trial that followed. America in 1982: Japanese car companies are on the rise and believed to be putting U.S. autoworkers out of their jobs. Anti–Asian American sentiment simmers, especially in Detroit. A bar fight turns fatal, leaving a Chinese American man, Vincent Chin, beaten to death at the hands of two white men, autoworker Ronald Ebens and his stepson, Michael Nitz. Paula Yoo has crafted a searing examination of the killing and the trial and verdicts that followed. When Ebens and Nitz pled guilty to manslaughter and received only a $3,000 fine and three years’ probation, the lenient sentence sparked outrage. The protests that followed led to a federal civil rights trial—the first involving a crime against an Asian American—and galvanized what came to be known as the Asian American movement. Extensively researched from court transcripts, contemporary news accounts, and in-person interviews with key participants, From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry is a suspenseful, nuanced, and authoritative portrait of a pivotal moment in civil rights history, and a man who became a symbol against hatred and racism.

Download or read book We Had a Ball written by Nancy Hoehl Shapiro and published by Hillcrest Publishing Group. This book was released on 2015-02-10 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Do you remember playing sports as a child? In Nancy Hoehl Shapiro's anthology We Had a Ball...The Indelible Influence of Youth Sports on the Game of Life contributors reflect on their time playing sports as children, and the impact this has had on them as adults. The memories provide humor, nostalgia, and lessons from their experiences. These captivating life stories are balanced by the views of current sports and medical specialists who have provided excellent insights into today's issues in youth sports, as well as guidelines for creating a safe and happy environment for children.

Download or read book The Hoops Whisperer written by Idan Ravin and published by Avery. This book was released on 2015-05-05 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Basketball’s most unlikely—and most sought-after—training guru offers an inside look at his career, his methods, and the all-star players whose games he’s helped transform. Where do the best basketball players in the world turn when they want to improve their game? Whom does a future NBA Hall of Famer thank at his press conference when he’s named Rookie of the Year? Who is it that Sports Illustrated, The Wall Street Journal, and Men’s Journal all call the "Hoops Whisperer" because of his ability to engage, inspire, and challenge the players he trains? The answer to all of these questions is Idan Ravin. Ravin never played or coached in college or the pros, yet a virtual NBA All-Star team relies on him to better their game and reach their full potential. A soft-spoken former lawyer, Ravin has become professional basketball’s hottest trainer. In The Hoops Whisperer, Ravin shares the fascinating story of how he transformed a passion for the game into working with iconic basketball stars such as Chris Paul, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Stephen Curry, Blake Griffin, James Harden, Dwight Howard, and many more. He offers a rare unguarded glimpse inside the lives of these great athletes, drawn from his intimate connection with them that is the basis of his success. Showcasing his unorthodox drills and improvisational techniques in action, Ravin reveals how faith, effort, dedication, and passion can make a player into a superstar—and anyone into a success. Combined with his own inspiring journey, Ravin’s insights make The Hoops Whisperer a must-read for anyone who loves the game.

Download or read book Casey Stengel written by Marty Appel and published by Anchor. This book was released on 2017-03-28 with total page 490 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The definitive biography of one of baseball's most enduring and influential characters, from New York Times bestselling author and baseball writer Marty Appel. As a player, Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel's contemporaries included Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, and Christy Mathewson . . . and he was the only person in history to wear the uniforms of all four New York teams: the Dodgers, Giants, Yankees, and Mets. As a legendary manager, he formed indelible, complicated relationships with Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, and Billy Martin. For more than five glorious decades, Stengel was the undisputed, quirky, hilarious, and beloved face of baseball--and along the way he revolutionized the role of manager while winning a spectactular ten pennants and seven World Series Championships. But for a man who spent so much of his life in the limelight--an astounding fifty-five years in professional baseball--Stengel remains an enigma. Acclaimed New York Yankees' historian and bestselling author Marty Appel digs into Casey Stengel's quirks and foibles, unearthing a tremendous trove of baseball stories, perspective, and history. Weaving in never-before-published family documents, Appel creates an intimate portrait of a private man who was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966 and named "Baseball's Greatest Character" by MLB Network's Prime 9. Casey Stengel is a biography that will be treasured by fans of our national pastime.

Download or read book Baseball Genius written by Tim Green and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2017-03-07 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An average kid with an above average talent for predicting baseball pitches tries to help his favorite player out of a slump in this New York Times bestselling novel from authors Tim Green and Derek Jeter. Jalen DeLuca loves baseball. Unfortunately his dad can’t afford to keep him on the travel team. His dad runs a diner and makes enough to cover the bills, but there isn’t anything for extras. So Jalen decides to take matters into his own hands and he sneaks into the home of the New York Yankee’s star second baseman, James Yager, and steals a couple of balls from his personal batting cage. He knows that if he can sell them, he’ll be able to keep himself on the team. But like the best-laid plans—or in this case the worst!—Jalen’s scheme goes wrong when Yager catches him. But Jalen has a secret: his baseball genius. He can analyze and predict almost exactly what a pitcher is going to do with his next pitch. He can’t quite explain how he knows, he just knows. And after proving to Yager that he really can do this, using a televised game and predicting pitch after pitch with perfect accuracy, the two agree to a deal. Jalen will help Yager out of his batting slump and Yager won’t press charges. However, when he begins to suspect that the team’s general manager has his own agenda, Jalen’s going to need his friends and his unusual baseball talent to save not only Yager’s career, but his own good name.

Download or read book Growing Up Pedro Candlewick Biographies written by Matt Tavares and published by Candlewick Press (MA). This book was released on 2017 with total page 49 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Before Pedro Martainez pitched the Red Sox to a World Series championship, before he was named to the All-Star team eight times, before he won the Cy Young Award three times, he was a kid from a place called Manoguayabo in the Dominican Republic. Pedro loved baseball more than anything, and his older brother Ramaon was the best pitcher he'd ever seen. He dreamed of the day he and his brother could play together in the major leagues. This is the story of how that dream came true"--Dust jacket flap.

Download or read book The Price of Power written by Michael Tackett and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2024-10-29 with total page 416 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first definitive biography of Mitch McConnell, revealing an intimate look at the personal and political life of one of the most powerful Senators in American history. In the long history of American government, few Senators have wielded as much power as Kentucky’s Mitch McConnell. That’s no accident; he worked his entire life to cultivate his dominance. In The Price of Power, award-winning journalist Michael Tackett pulls back the curtain on one of the most influential figures to ever set foot in the American Senate, offering you an intimate, personal view of his life and career. Drawing on thousands of pages of archival materials, letters, and more than 100 interviews with associates, colleagues, and McConnell himself, Tackett pieces together the story of McConnell’s early life, his formative battle with polio as a young child, and the teenage infatuation with politics that persisted through his four decades in the Senate. A lifelong Republican, McConnell was known as a pragmatic moderate legislator when he joined the Senate in 1985. Tackett details his steady rightward drift, as McConnell’s politics evolved with his masterful ability to consolidate and wield power. But such success comes at a cost. The Trump years brought with them the rise of an almost unrecognizable Republican party, suffused with a reactive populism that even McConnell himself would struggle to control. Featuring expert reporting, unprecedented access, and never-before-published revelations, The Price of Power is required reading for anyone interested in understanding one of America’s most influential legislators and the inner workings of our government.

Download or read book Game Changer written by Donalyn Miller and published by Scholastic Professional. This book was released on 2018 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Miller and Sharp provide the game-changing tools and information teachers and administrators need to dramatically increase children's access to and engagement with books.

Download or read book The Dugout written by Meghan Quinn and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Let me ask you a question: If someone is vying for your spot on a team and just so happens to injure you during practice, would you believe it was on purpose? Word around campus is... it was no accident. That injury has cost me everything; my starting position, my junior year - and the draft. Now, I'm a senior fresh off recovery, struggling to find my groove, until the day I run into a nervous, fidgety, girl with freckles, in the dining hall. They call Milly Potter The Baseball Whisperer, The Diamond Wizard, and The Epitome of All Knowledge. She believes in baseball. She breathes it. She's the queen of an infamous dynasty, but no one actually knows who she really is, and she plans to keep it that way. One mishap in the panini line, one miscommunication in the weight room, and many failed attempts at an apology equal up to one solid truth -- Milly Potter never wants to speak to me again -- no matter how good my forearms look. Little do we both know, she's about to become more than just my fairy ballmother..."-- Back cover.

Download or read book Whisper s Edge written by LuAnn McLane and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2013-05-07 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cricket Creek, Kentucky, is a sweet river town known for its theater, shopping, and cuisine. But tough times are affecting the residents of the local retirement community—until a handsome hero shows up… Savannah Perry loves her job as social director of Whisper’s Edge, a retirement community on the picturesque waterfront of Cricket Creek. Raised in foster care, twenty-nine-year-old Savannah feels treasured and loved by the retired residents, who treat her as their adopted granddaughter and rotate having her over for dinner. But the community is struggling to stay afloat financially—until Tristan McMillan swoops into town, rescues a dog, and, well, saves the day… Business-minded Tristan bought Whisper’s Edge from his estranged grandfather to prove his worth to the curmudgeon and to turn a quick profit. He never expected to fall for the charms of a village of crafty retirees—or to fall hard for a small town girl like Savannah. Suddenly the man who knows all about making money finds himself needing lessons in love and what really matters in life…