Download or read book Rube Waddell written by Alan H. Levy and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2015-11-17 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: George Edward "Rube" Waddell was one of the zaniest characters ever to play baseball. The legendary Connie Mack, who saw quite a few cards during his nearly seven decade stint in the majors, once observed that no other screwball he ever saw could hold a candle to Rube. Mack also said that Rube's curveball was the best he'd ever seen. Indeed, Waddell was one of the greatest pitchers in the history of the game. Rube won 191 games in 13 seasons, had four straight 20-win seasons for Mack and the Philadelphia A's, and claimed six consecutive strikeout titles. In 1904 he struck out 349 batters, a record that held for six decades. This biography traces his early life in western Pennsylvania, the fits and starts of his first years in professional baseball, his big years with the A's, and his subsequent fade into obscurity and his early death in a sanatorium on April Fool's Day, 1914.
Download or read book The United States of Absurdity written by Dave Anthony and published by Ten Speed Press. This book was released on 2017-05-09 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The creators of the podcast The Dollop present illustrated profiles of the weird, outrageous, NSFW, and downright absurd tales from American history that you weren't taught in school. The United States of Absurdity presents short, informative, and hilarious stories of the most outlandish (but true) people, events, and more from United States history. Comedians Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds cover the weird stories you didn't learn in history class, such as 10-Cent Beer Night, the Jackson Cheese, and the Kentucky Meat Shower, accompanied by full-page illustrations that bring each historical "milestone" to life in full-color.
Download or read book Just a Big Kid written by Paul Proia and published by . This book was released on 2007-08 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The most famous player prior to Babe Ruth, Rube Waddell set pitching records that stood for generations. In fact, Waddell died before Ruth swatted his first homer. As baseballs attention turned to hitters, it wasnt until Bob Fellers run at Rubes single-season strikeout record that people looked back at the free-spirited lefthander who turned baseball on its ear. Unfortunately, thirty-two years passed between Rubes death and Fellers run; the memories of sportswriters and former managers like Connie Mack had distorted with time. So, stories told about Rubestories still told todaytook shape in predictable forms, but failed to get the details right. In Just a Big Kid: The Life and Times of Rube Waddell, Paul Proia looks at what people wrote when Rube was alive and double checks the memories of the players, managers and writers who watched him pitch, and loved to tell stories about the greatest personality of his generation.
Download or read book Inside the Baseball Hall of Fame written by National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2013-04-02 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Featuring more than 200 full-color photographs, Inside the Baseball Hall of Fame brings to vivid life the greatest treasures of baseball’s shrine, most of them rarely if ever displayed to visitors. For any baseball fan, a trip to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York, is the thrill of a lifetime—no matter how many times you visit. But whether you go only once in your lifetime or make the pilgrimage annually, you’ll never be able to see every treasure in the museum’s collections. With Inside the Baseball Hall of Fame, readers can go behind the scenes to see seldom- or never-displayed items from among the 40,000 treasures in Cooperstown, in addition to some of the most important and popular items on exhibit at the museum—all gorgeously photographed in color. Captions written by Hall of Fame experts explain each object’s significance and relate unique stories associated with it. Here are just a few highlights from the nearly 200 objects in this beautiful book: -An 1887 ball-strike indicator from the only season when it took five balls to walk and four strikes to strike out -Pitcher Harvey Haddix’s glove from the 1959 game when he pitched 12 perfect innings—and lost 1–0 in the 13th -Shoeless Joe Jackson’s shoes -The Wonderboy bat and trombone case that Robert Redford used in The Natural -Rube Waddell’s glove from his 4–2, 20-inning victory over Cy Young on July 4, 1905 -A promissory note from the sale of Babe Ruth by Boston Red Sox owner Harry Frazee to New York Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert -The bat Joe Carter used to hit his 1993 World Series–ending home run -The oldest known photograph of two baseball teams, the New York Knickerbockers and the Brooklyn Excelsiors, taken on a ball field in 1859 Whether you’re a dedicated student of the game’s history or a newcomer to our National Pastime, Inside the Baseball Hall of Fame will fascinate you. You’ll find a surprising photograph or a story you didn’t know, complete with new insight into America’s game and culture. Take the trip of a lifetime inside baseball’s national museum and discover the game’s fabulous history—or reawaken beloved memories.
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 Wicked Curve written by John C. Skipper and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2014-11-26 with total page 245 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When in 1911 Phillies pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander set the National League record for wins by a rookie (28), it was a sign of things to come. Alexander went on to win 373 games over his 20-year career, the third highest total in major league history, and he would lead the league in ERA four times, shutouts seven times, complete games six times, and wins six times. But he also became a deeply troubled man. After the Shell-Shocked pitcher returned from World War I, he would battle alcoholism, epilepsy, and personal demons that damaged his reputation and proved disastrous for his life outside of baseball. This biography sheds new light on the pitcher and the man, focusing on Alexander's personal life, especially his complex relationship with his wife, Aimee, as well as their marriages and divorces. His Hall of Fame career, wartime service, and long decline are also documented.
Download or read book The Glory of Their Times written by Lawrence S. Ritter and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2013-07-02 with total page 382 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Easily the best baseball book ever produced by anyone.” —Cleveland Plain Dealer “This was the best baseball book published in 1966, it is the best baseball book of its kind now, and, if it is reissued in 10 years, it will be the best baseball book.” — People From Lawrence Ritter, co-author of The Image of Their Greatness and The 100 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time, comes one of the bestselling, most acclaimed sports books of all time. Baseball was different in earlier days—tougher, more raw, more intimate—when giants like Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb ran the bases. In the monumental classic The Glory of Their Times, the golden era of our national pastime comes alive through the vibrant words of those who played and lived the game. It is a book every baseball fan should read!
Download or read book Rube Marquard written by Larry D. Mansch and published by McFarland. This book was released on 1998-08-01 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rube Marquard's life was touched by success and scandal at nearly every turn. In 1906, the teenage pitcher defied his father and became a ballplayer. Two years later, the Giants purchased his contract for the then record $11,000. He soon became the best left-handed pitcher in the game; over the course of his career he won 201 games, threw a no-hitter and pitched in five World Series. Off the field, Marquard was a master at marketing himself, recreating his story as it suited him. He wrote his own newspaper column, starred in movies, delighted crowds by catching balls thrown off high buildings, and even appeared as a female impersonator. But it was his affair and brief marriage with vaudeville sensation Blossom Seeley that caused the most uproar. Along with Seeley, Marquard became the toast of Broadway to the chagrin of his baseball fans. Throughout his life, the pitcher re-created his story as it suited him; his largely fanciful account of his career in Lawrence Ritter's Glory of Their Times (1966) was largely responsible for his election to the Hall of Fame in 1971. This book gives for the first time the true story of one of the most colorful and controversial baseball players of the century.
Download or read book Twisted Justice written by Donald R. Waddell and published by Booklocker.Com Incorporated. This book was released on 2004-10-01 with total page 382 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Waddell recounts the details of a marijuana smuggling operation that went awry, leaving four innocent people dead. The man who was convicted of the murders was 150 miles away from the crime. What really happened?
Download or read book The Sea Forager s Guide to the Northern California Coast written by Kirk Lombard and published by Heyday Books. This book was released on 2014-10 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An indispensible guide to coastal foraging and fishing in the intertidal regions of our Northern California coast where fish, small and large, plus abalone and many other tasty items can be found
Download or read book The Soul of Baseball written by Joe Posnanski and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2007-02-27 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When Legendary Negro League player Buck O'Neil asked sports columnist Joe Posnanski how he fell in love with baseball, Posnanski had to think about it. From that question was born the idea behind BASEBALL AND JAZZ. Posnanski and the 94 year old O'Neil decided to spend the 2005 baseball season touring the country in hopes of stirring up the love that first drew them to the game. This book is just as much the story of Buck O'Neil as it is the story of baseball. In a time when disillusioned, steroid–shooting, money hungry athletes define the sport, Buck O'Neil stands out as a man that truly played for the love of the game. Posnanski writes about that love and the one thing that O'Neil loved almost as much as baseball: jazz. BASEBALL AND JAZZ is an endearing step back in time to the days when the crack of a bat and the smoky notes of a midnight jam session were the sounds that brought the most joy to a man's heart.
Download or read book Walter Johnson written by Henry W. Thomas and published by U of Nebraska Press. This book was released on 1998-02-01 with total page 524 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This lavishly illustrated narrative of Walter Johnson's life is the definitive work on the subject and is likely to remain so."-Lawrence S. Ritter, Oldtyme Baseball News. "Henry Thomas's biography of Walter Johnson is carefully researched, thoroughly documented, and, best of all, a pleasure to read."-Spitball. "Does justice to Johnson's extraordinary on-field accomplishments, and it also emphasizes his decency, humility, and self-effacing humor."-Booklist. "Belongs in the very top ranks of sports biographies."-Washington Times. "One of the most comprehensive biographies ever written about an athlete. Incredibly detailed, filled with fascinating stories about arguably the greatest pitcher of all time."-Tim Kurkjian, senior writer for Sports Illustrated. "Delights the soul."-Sports Collectors Digest. Henry W. Thomas, the grandson of Walter Johnson, lives in Arlington, Virginia. He is currently editing, for audio release, the interviews taped by Lawrence Ritter for his classic The Glory of Their Times. Shirley Povich is in his seventy-fifth year as an award-winning sportswriter for the Washington Post.
Download or read book Rube Waddell written by W. G. Braund and published by Foundation University Press USA. This book was released on 2015-01-15 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: You just got a raise to $12.50 a week so you decide to splurge and shell out a dollar to sit in the grandstand behind home plate. You know you're in for a treat. Rube Waddell, the most exciting twirler in baseball, will be in the pitcher's box. It turns out you've wasted your money. The phenom doesn't pitch. In fact, he's not even in the stadium. You later learn that he chose to play sandlot ball with some kids he passed on his walk from the hotel to the ballpark. You're delighted the next time you go to see him and Rube takes the mound. He's a bit late so you ask the booster sitting beside you what might have been the holdup. He tells you that Rube often soaks his pitching arm in cold water before the game to take some of the speed out of it, otherwise Rube says his shoots will burn up the catcher's mitt. He is absolutely overpowering. You wonder why hitters even bother going up to the plate. "Is there anything he can't do out there?" you ask the cranks around you. A man with a red handlebar moustache says, "Ya. Rube can't throw at batters to keep them off the plate like other twirlers do. He's afraid of killing somebody. And he refuses to throw spitters. Says it ain't sanitary."
Download or read book Fouled Away written by Clifton Blue Parker and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2010-06-28 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A hundred and ninety-one. Mention the number anywhere near a ballpark and before you can ask who or what, fans will almost certainly shape their lips with a single word: Wilson. They'll tell you Hack Wilson, a burly, bull-necked outfielder who roamed Wrigley Field in the 1920s and 1930s, was the man who drove in 191 runs in 1930--more than most players had hits. A few of them will know that in 1929, Wilson racked up 159 RBI and hit 39 home runs. Still fewer might be able to tell you that for the four seasons 1927-1930, the slugger hit no fewer than 30 home runs a season and drove home no fewer than 120. But you are unlikely to find more than a handful of fans who know how the Cub great's career came to an end. Or when. Or why. The heir apparent to Ruth's title of world-beater, Wilson was a star by his late 20s and a record setter by 30. But he was also an alcoholic who was as practiced at swinging his fists as he was his bat. By his early 30s his days as a full-time player were behind him, and by 48 he was dead; his son refused to claim the body. This biography examines the turbulent life and career of one of the most dominant short-stint powerhitters ever to pull on a uniform. From Wilson's early career as a steelworker, through his time as the beloved ballplayer and icon for the City of Big Shoulders to his days as a down-on-his-luck baseball washout and itinerant laborer, an unflinching look at this Hall of Famer is provided.
Download or read book Brass Bonanza Plays Again written by Robert Muldoon and published by iUniverse. This book was released on 2011-01-07 with total page 261 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What happens when a major league pro sports team leaves a city? The Hartford Whalers left on April 13, 1997leaving behind devastated fans. The players left, tooexcept one who stayed and suffered like the fans. Tiger Burns is an unlikely heroeven for a hobbit-sized, smash-faced, hockey goon with 600 fights. Standing 53, with one-eye, cauliflower ears, and a full-rigged ship tattoo on his chest, his most unusual feature is this: he loves Hartford and its team, the Whalers. In a league where players date super models, ice princesses and Miss Americas, he is a misfit. But in a league of Los Angeles, New York and Boston so is Hartford. Brass Bonanza Plays Again tells the riches-to-rags story of Mark Twains hometown, once the nations richest, now the butt of jokes. It relates the true saga of a small citys beloved team moved away, like Brooklyns Dodgers. And it weaves the tragicomic tale of the muscle-bound gnome who blows the jump-the-shark game against arch-rival Boston on April 11, 1990, lives homeless under a bridge, only to rise up and lead a dead team, out of the stands onto the ice. Tiger rallies not only a dead hockey team, but awakens the ghosts of Hartfords past. He brings to life a ragtag band of 19th century legends and is saved by a guardian angel Rube Waddell, one of sports goats from the 1905 World Series. Can a one-eyed, homeless underdog make a faded city believe and rescue a star-crossed spirit? In Brass Bonanza Plays Again, we have Rocky (on Skates!) meets Field of Dreams. Rocky came out of a Philly row house, Rudy out of an Indiana steel mill, and now Tiger Burns comes out from under a Hartford bridge to bring a dead team to life. A book of provincial aspirations and condescension, Brass Bonanza Plays Again tells the story of this small city, midway between New York and Boston, long considered just a urine-stop or ass-wipe between Wall Street and Cape Cod. The New York Times recently printed an essay In Search of the Great American Hockey Novel lamenting that hockey, unlike other sports, has yet to be celebrated in a notable work. Where is the Chekhov of the Chicago Blackhawks? the Times asks. Who is the Stendahl of the stick to the groin? To that, we humbly say: read on.
Download or read book The Philadelphia Athletics written by William C. Kashatus and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book was released on 2002 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In October 1954, the Philadelphia Athletics relocated to Kansas City, putting an end to more than a half-century of American League baseball in the City of Brotherly Love. However, of all the professional sports teams ever to play in the city, Connie Mack's Athletics remain the most successful-and frustrating. Their five World Series titles and nine pennants were balanced with seventeen last-place finishes. Mack's 3,776 victories as a manager were only exceeded by the 4,025 defeats he suffered-still a record for most losses by a single manager. In The Philadelphia Athletics, author William C. Kashatus tells the story of Connie Mack's talented and comedic team. Eighteen Philadelphia Athletics are enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, including players as famous as Ty Cobb, Mickey Cochrane, Eddie Collins, Jimmie Foxx, and Lefty Grove and as colorful as Rube Waddell, Chief Bender, and Al Simmons. From the early days of the American League, when the Athletics were ridiculed as the "White Elephants," through the glory years and their final decade in Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Athletics tells the poignant story of a manager and team who were among the greatest of all time.
Download or read book Intentional Walk written by Hugh Poland and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Featuring stories about Curt Schilling, Frank Pastore, Ted Williams, Rube Waddell, and Ty Cobb, and drawing spiritual insight from these modern parables, this volume of devotionals will appeal to fans of America's favorite pastime--baseball.
