When Jose Canseco burst into the Major Leagues in the 1980s, he changed the sport -- in more ways than one. No player before him possessed his mixture of speed and power, which allowed him to become the first man in history to belt more than forty home runs and swipe more than forty bases in the same season. He won Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, and a World Series ring. Canseco shattered the mold of the out-of-shape baseball player and ushered in a new era of superathletes who looked like bodybuilders, made outrageous salaries, and enjoyed rock-star lifestyles. And the ticket for th... View More...
With its iconic stars and gleaming ballparks, baseball has been one of the most captivating forms of modern popular culture. In Expanding the Strike Zone, Daniel A. Gilbert examines the history and meaning of the sport's tumultuous changes since the mid-twentieth century, amid Major League Baseball's growing global influence. From the rise of ballplayer unionism to the emergence of new forms of scouting, broadcasting, and stadium development, Gilbert shows that the baseball world has been home to struggles over work and territory that resonate far beyond the playing field. Readers encounter bo... View More...
The Bronx Is Burning meets Chuck Klosterman in this wild pop-culture history of baseball's most colorful and controversial decade The Major Leagues witnessed more dramatic stories and changes in the '70s than in any other era. The American popular culture and counterculture collided head-on with the national pastime, rocking the once-conservative sport to its very foundations. Outspoken players embraced free agency, openly advocated drug use, and even swapped wives. Controversial owners such as Charlie Finley, Bill Veeck, and Ted Turner introduced Astroturf, prime-time World Series, garish pol... View More...
Considered to be "as monumental--and enigmatic--a legend as American sport has ever seen" ( "Sports Illustrated" ), Willie Mays is arguably the greatest player in baseball history, still revered for the joy and passion he brought to the game. Mays began as a teenage phenom in the Negro Leagues, became a cult hero in New York, and was the headliner in Major League Baseball's bold expansion to California. With 3,383 hits, 660 home runs, and 338 stolen bases, he was a blend of power, speed, and stylistic bravado that fans had never seen before. Now, in the first biography authorized by and writte... View More...
Ever wonder what it would take to turn all of your dreams into reality? In The Life You Imagine, All-Star New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter shows how you can use the same game plan that helped an eight-year-old boy who fantasized about playing baseball for the Bronx Bombers grow up and become MVP of the 2000 World Series. With the help and support of both of his parents, Derek developed a practical program that would assist him in achieving all of his personal and professional aspirations-and now he shares his secrets to success so that you can get closer to living your dream, too. In thi... View More...
"The author of the modern classic "The Boys of Summer" brings his unparalleled narrative gifts to another unforgettable team" On the morning of October 2nd, 1978, the World Champion New York Yankees found themselves tied for first place with the Boston Red Sox. That day these rousing ball clubs would meet at Fenway Park. Both had won 99 games. Only one would win 100. By any rational standard the Yankees should have been reaching for their golf clubs. They had feuded, barked, and roared all season, until by mid-July they were fourteen games out of first place. Then came the spectacular self-des... View More...
A moving elegy . . . to] the best team the majors ever saw . . . the Brooklyn Dodgers of the 1950s. --New York TimesThe classic narrative of growing up within shouting distance of Ebbets Field, covering the Jackie Robinson Dodgers, and what's happened to everybody since.This is a book about young men who learned to play baseball during the 1930s and 1940s, and then went on to play for one of the most exciting major-league ball clubs ever fielded, the team that broke the color barrier with Jackie Robinson. It is a book by and about a sportswriter who grew up near Ebbets Field, and who had the ... View More...
Moneyball is a quest for the secret of success in baseball. In a narrative full of fabulous characters and brilliant excursions into the unexpected, Michael Lewis follows the low-budget Oakland A's, visionary general manager Billy Beane, and the strange brotherhood of amateur baseball theorists. They are all in search of new baseball knowledge--insights that will give the little guy who is willing to discard old wisdom the edge over big money.
To Philadelphia Phillies fans, he was the soundtrack of summer. To millions of football fans across America, he was the "Voice of the NFL." And as open and giving as Harry Kalas was throughout his professional and personal life, there are countless layers of the man that have remained unknown . . . until now. Author Randy Miller interviewed more than 160 people--including all of Harry's surviving family, many of his close friends from childhood to present, numerous colleagues from baseball and the NFL, and even Harry's longtime personal psychologist--to craft a loving and shockingly honest po... View More...
He was The Kid. The Splendid Splinter. Teddy Ballgame. One of the greatest figures of his generation, and arguably the greatest baseball hitter of all time. But what made Ted Williams a legend - and a lightning rod for controversy in life and in death? What motivated him to interrupt his Hall of Fame career "twice" to serve his country as a fighter pilot; to embrace his fans while tangling with the media; to retreat from the limelight whenever possible into his solitary love of fishing; and to become the most famous man ever to have his body cryogenically frozen after his death? "New York Time... View More...
Beckett Baseball Card Monthly managing editor Mike Payne and his staff have selected the greatest baseball cards of the century for this volume. Photos of each card are accompanied by historical and factual information and picks for the top 10 baseball cards of the past 100 years. View More...
Unabridged CDs - 5 CDs, 6 hours In the spirit of Rick Pitino's phenomenal "New York Times" bestseller "Success Is a Choice" (more than 500,000 copies sold), living legend Cal Ripken, Jr., presents an inspiring guide to overcoming any challenge and building a life you love. View More...
In 2002, the New York Yankees will celebrate their one-hundredth anniversary-and what a first century they have enjoyed Whether you love them or hate them, they are the most storied team in baseball history, having captured thirty-seven American League Pennants and twenty-six World Series championships. To commemorate this historic year, Ray Robinson and Christopher Jennison, who collaborated on Yankee Stadium, have pulled together a striking volume illuminating all of the greatest moments of the Bronx Bombers. All the great Yankee luminaries are here, from Babe Ruth to Bernie Williams, Lou G... View More...
The first full biography of the star Negro Leaguer and Hall of Famer--now in paperback James "Cool Papa" Bell was a legend in Black baseball, a lightning fast switch hitter elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974. Bell's speed was extraordinary; as Satchel Paige famously quipped, he was so fast he could flip a light switch and be in bed before the room got dark. In The Bona Fide Legend of Cool Papa Bell, experienced baseball writer and historian Lonnie Wheeler recounts the life of this extraordinary player, a key member of some of the greatest Negro League teams in history. Bor... View More...
The New York Yankees. One hundred seasons of baseball. One hundred years of tradition. This official book celebrates the most successful team in sports history. Lavishly illustrated and designed with more than 175 photographs from the Yankees' own archives, some never seen before, this dazzling volume brings to life a century of baseball with the Bronx Bombers. This winning retrospective captures the glorious championships, intense rivalries, and unparalleled players who have thrilled millions of fans year after year. From the unbeatable, record-breaking 1927 Yankees managed by Hall-of Famer M... View More...
