Download or read book Tony Oliva written by Thom Henninger and published by U of Minnesota Press. This book was released on 2015-04-01 with total page 434 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If 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.
Download or read book Tony Oliva written by Thom Henninger and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If 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.
Download or read book Tony O written by Tony Oliva and published by . This book was released on 1973 with total page 199 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Autobiography of the Minnesota Twins' great right fielder, Tony Oliva, written by Oliva and St. Paul sports writer, Bob Fowler. The Authors give the highlights of each year with the Twins.
Download or read book Rod Carew One Tough Out written by Rod Carew and published by Triumph Books. This book was released on 2020-05-12 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An unforgettable story of insight, inspiration, and faith Growing up in a small town in the Panama Canal Zone, Rod Carew and his friends spent the long, temperate days hitting bottle caps with broomsticks, outfitted with mitts molded from paper bags, cardboard, and string. Each broomstick bat was customized by its owner; Carew's, slathered in black paint with yellow trim, bore in orange the number 42—that of his idol, Jackie Robinson. It was in this fashion, years before he would move to New York City in search of a better life, Carew honed the skills that would one day turn him into a perennial All-Star. For 19 seasons, Carew was a maestro in the batter's box. Uncoiling from his crouched stance, he seemed to guide the ball wherever he wanted on the way to a whopping seven batting titles and a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame. If only everything in life had been as easy as he made hitting look. In One Tough Out: Fighting Off Life's Curveballs, Carew reflects on the highlights, anecdotes, and friendships from his outstanding career, describing the abuse, poverty, and racism he overcame to even reach the majors. In conversational, confessional prose, he takes readers through the challenges he's conquered in the second half of his life, from burying his youngest daughter to surviving several near-fatal bouts with heart disease. He also details the remarkable reason he's alive today: the heart transplant he received from Konrad Reuland, a 29-year-old NFL player he'd met years before. Carew explains how that astonishing connection was revealed and the unique bond he and his wife, Rhonda, have since forged with his donor's family. As Robinson once said, "A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." As Carew recounts his story, Robinson's words take on an even greater resonance.
Download or read book The Pride of Minnesota written by Thom Henninger and published by U of Nebraska Press. This book was released on 2021-05 with total page 393 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 1960s were a heady time to come of age. The British Invasion transformed pop music and culture. The fledgling space program offered a thrilling display of modern technology. The civil rights movement and Vietnam War drew young people to American politics, spurring them to think more critically about the state of the nation. And the assassinations Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy in 1968 shook the United States to the core. During these turbulent times the Minnesota Twins were the pride of the North Star State--an elite team that advanced to the World Series in 1965 and played in dramatic pennant races in the years thereafter. After an uneven 1964 season the Twins set themselves up for a turnaround that would last the rest of the decade. At the end of his playing career with the Twins, Billy Martin was hired as third base coach in 1965, giving them a more aggressive base-running style. Mudcat Grant became the first African American pitcher to win at least twenty games in the American League, and Tony Oliva won his second batting title to help lead the Twins to the World Series, which they lost in seven games to the Dodgers. In 1967 rookie Rod Carew joined the Twins as they engaged in a historic pennant race but finished second to the Red Sox during their "Impossible Dream" season. In 1969 Martin took over as manager, and both Carew and Harmon Killebrew led the Twins to the American League Championship Series, only to lose to the Orioles, after which Martin was fired in part for a now-legendary bar fight. Bill Rigney took the helm in 1970 and steered the Twins to a second-straight division title and ALCS loss to the Orioles. In The Pride of Minnesota Thom Henninger details these pennant races, from the key moments and games to the personalities of the players involved, in the context of state and world events. Although the Twins won only one AL pennant in this stretch and failed to win the World Series, these memorable seasons, played in remarkable and compelling times, made for an important first decade in the team's early history.
Download or read book Little Tony written by Ricardo Oliva and published by . This book was released on 2020-12-07 with total page 26 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written in a manner readers both young and old can enjoy, Little Tony tells the story of Tony Oliva's journey from the Cuban countryside to becoming a Major League Baseball legend playing for the Minnesota Twins while overcoming great obstacles such as language barriers and racial injustice along the way.
Download or read book Tony Oliva written by Thom Henninger and published by . This book was released on 2019-11-26 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The story of Tony Oliva, one of Minnesota's most popular baseball players, is told for the first time in this full-scale biography. Through the voices of Oliva, his family, and his teammates, Thom Henninger charts the highs and lows of Oliva's remarkable career along with his struggles to build a family and recover the large and close-knit community he had left behind in Cuba.
Download or read book Minnesota Sports Almanac written by Joel A. Rippel and published by Minnesota Historical Society. This book was released on 2006 with total page 404 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For athletes, fanatics, and trivia buffs alike, Minnesota's first and only comprehensive sports almanac features 125 glorious years of winning, losing, and playing the game.
Download or read book Minnesota Twins written by Dennis Brackin and published by Quarto Publishing Group USA. This book was released on 2010-03-12 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A treasury of Twin Cities baseball history packed with photos from the archives. Major League Baseball came to the Minnesota prairie in the spring of 1961, and ever since, the Minnesota Twins have held a cherished place in the hearts of sports fans throughout the region. With Hall of Famers like Harmon Killebrew, Rod Carew, and Kirby Puckett and beloved characters from Billy Martin to Kent Hrbek to Joe Mauer, the history of the Twins encompasses highs and lows, heroes and goats, but always nonstop excitement. Minnesota Twins: The Complete Illustrated History provides an in-depth and entertaining look at the team, its players, its stadiums, and the memorable moments through the years. Illustrated with photos from the Star Tribune’s archives, it is the ultimate celebration of a beloved franchise.
Download or read book The Fire People written by Ray Cummings and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2023-02-28 with total page 269 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Invaders from Mercury! The invaders from Mercury came in ships designed to look like asteroids. Thus did they avoid detection from the unsuspecting humans until they began to lay waste to entire cities. The women of Mercury are winged, but must have their wings clipped when they marry. But would human men allow them to keep their wings and their freedom? When the humans start to fight back some of the Mercurian woman begin to wonder. A rip roaring adventure from the beginning of the Science Fiction Age.
Download or read book The Cooperstown Casebook written by Jay Jaffe and published by Thomas Dunne Books. This book was released on 2017-07-25 with total page 465 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Cooperstown Casebook by Jay Jaffe provides a definitive guide to the greatest players in baseball history, and the Hall of Fame.
Download or read book Minnesota Made Me written by Patrick C. Borzi and published by North Star Editions, Inc.. This book was released on 2018-11-06 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Minnesota Made Me, award-winning sportswriter Patrick C. Borzi digs into how growing up or living in Minnesota shaped the careers of the state’s most accomplished athletes.
Download or read book They Tasted Glory written by Wil A. Linkugel and published by McFarland. This book was released on 1998-07-01 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For one brief period in the early 1940s, Pete Reiser was the equal of any outfielder in baseball, even Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio, but his penchant for running into outfield walls while playing defense prematurely ended his journey to Cooperstown. Pitcher Herb Score was a brilliant pitcher until a Gil McDougald line drive shelved his career. And Thurman Munson was one of the game's best catchers in the late 1970s until a tragic plane crash ended his life. These three players and fourteen others (Smoky Joe Wood, Vean Gregg, Kirby Puckett, Hal Trotsky, Tony Oliva, Paul Dean, Ewell Blackwell, David Ferris, Steve Busby, J.R. Richard, Tony Conigliaro, Johnny Beazley, Mark Fidrych, and Lyman Bostock) enjoyed brilliant careers--potentially worthy of the Hall of Fame--that were cut short by injury, illness or death. Some enjoyed several seasons of success only to see their playing days end just short of numbers worthy of Cooperstown; others enjoyed only a season or two of brilliance. The profiles concentrate on the players' accomplishments and speculate on how their careers might have developed if they had continued.
Download or read book 162 0 Imagine a Twins Perfect Season written by Dave Wright and published by Triumph Books. This book was released on 2010-03-01 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a series that imagines the impossible, each book plays out a flawless season for a particular team, identifying the most memorable real-life victory on every single day of the baseball calendar and including archival photos, original quotes and thorough research.
Download or read book Twin Cities Sports written by Sheldon Anderson and published by University of Arkansas Press. This book was released on 2020-02-03 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The histories in Twin Cities Sports are rooted in the class, ethnic, and regional identity of this unique upper midwestern metropolitan area. The compilation includes a wide range of important studies on the hub of interwar speedskating, the success of Gopher football in the Jim Crow era, the integration of municipal golf courses, the building of a world-renowned park system, the Minneapolis Lakers’ basketball dynasty, the Minnesota Twins’ connections to Cuba, and more.
Download or read book At a Loss to Eternity written by Thomas Porky McDonald and published by AuthorHouse. This book was released on 2005-04-12 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In direct contrast to the plethora of winning is everything material that has incrementally grown since the 1990s, Thomas Porky McDonald, poet and writer, offers up At a Loss to Eternity, an admittedly arbitrary look at a number of fine baseball teams that, as the subtitle states, Didnt Win it All. Spanning from the early days of the modern World Series Era to the present, McDonald attempts to enlighten those who are willing, as well as those seemingly scarred by the burgeoning attitude that everyone is a loser except the one that wins the ultimate Championship. League Champions who lost the World Series, like the legendary 1906 Tinker to Evers to Chance Chicago Cubs or Milwaukees Brew Crew 82 take their proper place amongst the elites that they ultimately lost the Fall Classic to. Remarkable second place teams, such as the 1942 Brooklyn Dodgers and the 1961 Detroit Tigers, each winners of 100+ regular season games, are also afforded a forum here. Storied franchises currently in the throes of long Championship droughts, from Chicagos Cubs and White Sox to the Cleveland Indians, are considered, along with their former baseball purgatory roommate, the Boston Red Sox, who finally took it all in 2004. At a Loss to Eternity asks the reader to simply recall what professional sports, and baseball in particular, are really about. The joy that those who love the Game get from it cannot be dismissed by a growing inane win or die attitude fostered by mass media and accepted incoherently in too many places. Winning is wonderful, and all athletes should certainly strive to win every time they enter the playing field. Nonetheless, any player that gives every ounce of effort they can toward the goal of winning could never be a loser, despite what those whove probably never accomplished anything themselves would have you believe. Winning isnt everything, though aspiring to win surely should be. The Red Sox 2004 World Championship exorcized many ghosts for some, but the truth is that many wonderful teams and a number of All-Time stars that did not win a World Title will always shine, even though they never managed to secure a ring. So much so that At a Loss to Eternity is, in fact, ultimately a tale of winners.
Download or read book Classic Baseball written by John Rosengren and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2022-04-01 with total page 171 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A collection of iconic, unbelievable, and intimate stories from baseball history that celebrate the enduring impact of the national pastime. Baseball—rooted as it is in tradition and nostalgia—lends itself to the retelling of its timeless tales. So it is with the stories in Classic Baseball, a collection of articles written by award-winning journalist John Rosengren and originally published by Sports Illustrated, The New Yorker, Sports on Earth, VICE Sports, and other magazines. These are stories about the game’s legends—Ty Cobb, Christy Mathewson, Josh Gibson, Bob Feller, Frank Robinson, Sandy Koufax, Kirby Puckett—and its lesser-knowns with extraordinary stories of their own. They cover some of the game's most famous moments, like Hank Aaron hitting No. 715, and some you've never heard of, like the time the Ku Klux Klan played a game against an all-Black team. Whether it be the story of John Roseboro forgiving Juan Marichal for clubbing him in the head with a bat, Elston Howard breaking down the Yankees' systemic racism to integrate America's team, or the national pastime played on snowshoes during July in a remote Wisconsin town, these are stories meant to be read and read again for their poignancy, their humor, and their celebration of baseball.
