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Editor-photographer Randy Cox literally had a front-row seat to history when he covered the Braves' 1974 home opener and his hero Henry Aaron belted career home run #715. Pull up alongside Randy in the photographers' box, race onto the field with him, crowd into the media room. Hear the story as it's never been told before--minute by minute and image by image--from someone who was there!715 at 50: The Night Henry Aaron Changed Baseball and the World Forever features 44 photos taken by Cox that night--the star-studded pregame ceremony, in-game action shots (including 715!), the euphoric on-field aftermath, and the postgame press conference. 715 at 50 takes you back to that night and does so much more!** Exclusive interviews with Aaron's teammates Ron Reed and Buzz Capra, who won and saved the game, respectively** Details on Aaron's feud with Commissioner Bowie Kuhn and the controversy triggered by home run 714** Sidebars about Dusty Baker and Eddie Mathews, brother Tommie, the Braves' escape from Milwaukee, Atlanta Fulton-County Stadium, and loads of other great baseball history** An interview with former Braves' PR guru, Bob Hope, who orchestrated the night and remained close friends with Aaron for 50 years** Chapters covering Aaron's incredible career, tributes from the baseball world, and the culture-changing impact Aaron had beyond the gameGet a ticket to your own front-row seat to one of the most historic games in baseball history and celebrate the legend of one of its greatest and most beloved heroes.

By the time "The Brawl Heard 'Round the World" blew up baseball on a hot Sunday in 1953, young Dell Franklin had been a regular in Pacific Coast League clubhouses for three years. His father, former major leaguer Murray "Big Moe" Franklin, was in the middle of the fight, near the end of a nearly 20-year career in professional baseball, with a chip on his shoulder that had been there even longer. Big Moe's passion for the game was matched only by his fierce pride and determination to shape his son Dell into ballplayer and a man. Before long, Dell's skills with a bat, glove, and on the bases advanced well beyond his years and Dell's own baseball career was launched as he developed into one of the top high school players in the baseball hotbed of Southern California. But other forces were at work both inside and outside young Franklin, forces that began to pull Dell away from his baseball destiny as hard as his dad's legacy and his own fierce love of the game were pushing him towards it. The Ballplayer's Son is full of passion, grit, and heartbreak. It is the story of baseball in the hard-nosed 30s, 40s, and 50s, of a Jewish ballplayer who dealt with bigotry head on, of a devoted dad's burning desire to play in the major leagues. And it is the story of a son who both feared and idolized his father, whose personal journey went from soaring self-confidence to utter despair on the journey to find himself, even if it was a self he barely recognized.

Who is Fari Madrigal? Only the first female player in the history of the major leagues. Fari is a mystical girl from the Dominican Republic whose beauty is exceeded only by the hop on her fastball. Within days of being discovered, Fari rises to the top of the baseball world and all of America. But she soon learns that the price she will have to pay for success and fame may be very dear: the very soul that drives her to seek perfection on the mound, and maybe even her life.

While a star sports writer in the 1980s, Pat Jordan wrote a novel called THE CHEAT. It is a baseball story, but not the baseball story the world was ready to embrace from the author of A FALSE SPRING. It is a wrenching tale of a passion-filled, yet empty man who simultaneously seeks the truth about himself while running away from it. THE CHEAT is a brilliant and under-appreciated work.

Boots Poffenberger spent only parts of three seasons in the major leagues, but is unquestionably among the wildest figures of his era--one that included Dizzy Dean, Bobo Newsom, and Van Lingle Mungo. Boots was every bit as much an all-star character as the others. He enraged management by playing by his own set of rules; delighted sport writers with an endless stream of crazy missteps and one-liners; and frustrated teammates who in the end always forgave him because of his warmth and genuine character. To the ballplayers and the many fans who adored him, it was just "Boots being Boots." This carefully researched and affectionately written biography captures the essence of a true baseball original. Follow Boots' rise and fall in the big leagues, where his fondness for beer earned him the nickname "The Prince of Pilsner." Enjoy his resurrection in the minor leagues, including a 29-win season that amazingly did not earn him a return to The Show, due to Boots' nonconformity. Read about him during World War II, and his perilous assignment as a Marine Corps pitcher based in Hawaii. Finally, get to know Boots in his later life, as a small town local hero, whose outsized personality and heart resonate with the locals still today.Boots' story is one of a time gone by, an antidote to today's game, of baseball and America before big money and big media became so dominant.

The Impossible Dream 1967 Red Sox is the story of the incredible team that captured the heart of New England and give birth to Red Sox Nation. Herb Crehan's intimate and detailed account of that wonderful season could not have been written without the author's unparalleled access to the 1967 players during more than 20 years as a regular contributor to Red Sox Magazine, the team's official program. In all, Crehan has conducted in-depth interviews with 20 members of the Impossible Dream team, plus Dick Williams and coach Bobby Doerr. He was also able to sit with Billy and Richie Conigliaro to gather their memories of their brother Tony C. The result is 14 chapters of classic Red Sox history, each including an interview and profile of a key member of the team, supplemented by the description of a critical game from 1967 that featured the player. Interspersed through the chapters is a running account of the season as it progressed, with snapshots of player stats and team standings from what may have been the most exciting pennant race of all time. Learn fresh new details about the Impossible Dream season. Get inside ·¿Young (but demanding) Dick Williams' Spring Training culture change ¿Bill Rohr's near no-hitter in his first big league game in April ¿The 10,000 fans (including the author) who mobbed Logan Airport to greet the team in July ¿The tragic beaning in August of star right fielder Tony Conigliaro ¿The superhuman efforts of Carl Yastrzemski that led to a pennant and a Triple Crown ¿Winning the pennant on the last day of the season, and taking the mighty Cardinals to 7 games in the World Series The book also includes a heart-felt foreword by Cy Young winner, World Series star, and New England local hero Jim Lonborg. Long-time Red Sox fans will love reliving the once-in-a-lifetime season. Younger fans will enjoy learning about the beginnings of Red Sox Nation. And all fans will appreciate the scholarship and lively writing on a magical team from a beloved era of baseball history.

As if Ted Williams's numbers needed any help, recent research reveals that 110 of his 521 career home runs-more than 20%-were game-winners. "The Kid" Blasts a Winner, by Red Sox guru Bill Nowlin, tells the story of every one of them. Williams's first game-winner came just 10 games into his career, a mammoth blast, likely the longest ball ever hit at Briggs Stadium. His last came more than 21 years later, the 520th of his career, a 2-run shot that carried the Red Sox to a 2-1 win against the Senators. For those two winners the 108 in between, Nowlin provides background on the teams and opposition pitchers, recounts the key plays and players, and describes each home run in glorious detail."The Kid" Blasts a Winner was a labor of love for baseball historian and Ted Williams authority Nowlin and the detail he provides is astounding. The narrative leans heavily on the use of newspaper accounts of the games-with headlines and excerpts adding color and depth to the narrative. Numerous quotes from Williams are also included, both from the newspaper stories and later reminiscences from The Splinter.Also included are a section that breaks down the game-winning home runs by opponent, inning, walk-off, and other categories, features on The Kid's .406 season and unforgettable All-Star Game homers, and an amazing notes section that runs more than 50 pages, packed with background stories about Williams and the Red Sox, stats and trivia, and hyperlinks to dozens of related articles. Taken on its own, the end notes read like a condensed version of Williams's unmatched career, full of little-known facts and sidebars that also serve to recreate baseball's classic era of the 1940s and 1950s."The Kid" Blasts a Winner IS a winner-a front-row seat to some of the greatest games played by one of baseball's greatest players. If you thought the legend of Ted Williams could grow no larger, get ready to become even more awed.

The Mets have had one of the most roller-coaster histories of any major league franchise. From loveable losers to miracle champions; the frustrating 1970s followed by the glorious 1980s; surprise challengers to infuriating underachievers; phenomenal prospects to horrendous free agents. The one thing you can always count on with the Mets is-they are never boring!But with the franchise about to turn 60, it's hard for even the most diehard of Mets fans to keep track of it all. That's where Fabulous to Futile in Flushing, by New York journalist David Russell, comes in. Part reference, part narrative, part tip sheet, Fabulous to Futile in Flushing condenses each of the Amazins' 58 seasons into 5 or 6 pages of all the essentials: off-season deals and planning; a month-by-month recap; the big wins, big losses, and big moments; player stats, hot streaks, and cold streaks; pennant races and postseason recaps, though not that many of those! The text is also full of numerous great quotes from players, management, and media.More than anything, the annual recaps are full of fun, because with the Mets, well, how else could it be? The story of each season also features entertaining sidebars that make it great to just flip to any time in their history for a good laugh, a frustrated shake of the head, or to declare, "Wow, oh yeah, I forgot about that." There are entries on each year's Opening Day lineup, the Top 5 Moments, team MFaP and MFuP (most fabulous and most futile player), Final Resting Ground (for the many who hung 'em with the Mets), and He Was a Met? Also included are 7 challenging trivia quizzes (one for each decade) that will send you on a fun journey to the deep recesses of your Mets memories.So come on and meet the Mets. Step right up and greet the Mets. You're guaranteed to have the time of your life even just reading about the fabulous and futile Mets.

Over the course of four years, prolific baseball writer and editor Bill Nowlin interviewed 72 major league umpires, another two dozen call-up and AAA umpires, and four umpire supervisors. The result is the most complete and intimate portrait ever done of a vitally important yet largely unappreciated aspect of professional baseball.Nowlin's deep knowledge of the game and of umpiring and his conversational interview style provide the perfect setting for the umpires to open up about themselves and their profession, and they do. From part-time call-ups to 30+ year veterans, the profiles that take shape transform the "men in blue" from anonymous background figures to fully formed characters-passionate, dedicated, driven, grateful. Join all the big-name umpires and young up-and-comers as they describe the challenges, frustrations, and disappointments they have faced, the thrill and honor of being at the pinnacle of their profession, while sharing funny and poignant moments from their careers. By the end of WORKING A "PERFECT GAME," readers not only have a detailed picture of the day-to-day life of a major league umpire, but also an authentic understanding of the personalities and people hidden behind the mask of the game's arbiters. WORKING A "PERFECT GAME" is divided into two parts: A collection of interviews, followed by a behind-the-scenes look at everything umpire, from school, to the minor leagues, to getting the call, to spring training, to favorite positions, to instant replay, and more. Read about•The long, hard road to reaching the majors, from umpire school, to the low minors, onward to Triple A until getting the call - 10 years or more of grueling travel, cheap hotels, and low pay•The passion that drives umpires - the pursuit of perfection and the love of baseball•The variety of ways the umps got started and who helped them keep their eyes on the prize•The never-ending logistics - airplanes, hotels, different cities, different ballparks •Life under a microscope, with every ball and strike and every safe and out evaluated electronically, with results tabulated and reported and game tapes published•Ejections - a necessary task, but one that is anything but relished, and why every umpire recalls the first time he gave someone the thumb•The thrill of post season baseball, from the joy of getting the call to the intense pressure of the ultimate baseball spotlight•The burden and privilege of being the ultimate upholders of the integrity of baseball, a responsibility that they take very seriouslyReading WORKING A "PERFECT GAME" will give you deep insight into and understanding of the most important part of baseball no one knows about - umpiring. You'll never watch a game the same way.

In the fall of 1926, the world of baseball was rocked by the sudden retirements of Ty Cobb and Tris Speaker. The reasons given by the Baseball Gods were unconvincing.The startling move was forced by American League President Ban Johnson, who tried to manage the situation secretly, desperate to hold onto the last shreds of his power. But when the mighty Kenesaw Mountain Landis learned about the scandal behind Cobb's and Speaker's retirements, the commissioner launched an investigation of his own.The tale that unfolded seemed too incredible to be true: Cobb and Speaker were implicated in a game-fixing and gambling scheme, and former star pitcher, Dutch Leonard, was blackmailing baseball with leters from Cobb and Smoky Joe Wood that Leonard had saved since the winter of 1919.Judge Landis had a major crisis on his hands, more complex and potentially more consequential th the Black Sox Scandal. How could Landis balance his hatred of gambling without ruining the reputations of two baseball legends, while at the same time squash the impudent blowhard Johnson once and for all?Baseball Gods in Scandal is the first complete telling of the Dutch Leonard Affair. The dark underbelly of the Deadball Era is exposed in all its sordidness. All the characters of the scandal are brought to life through in-depth profiles, complete transcripts of Cobb's and Speaker's testimony, and an expert analysis of the years-long legal and personal battles between Judge Landis and Ban Johnson.Also presented is a never-befor-published interview with co-conspirator Smoky Joe Wood, whose revised account of the scandal was so packed with dynamite that it was buried in the archives at the Hesburgh Library at Notre Dame for more than 50 years--until now!

Leroy "Satchel" Paige was a man of many words-boastful, brash, bitter, wise. Maybe I'll Pitch Forever is Paige's story in his own words. It is unadulterated Satchel, as pure as knee-high smoke over a book of matches.Satchel Paige is an American icon. It's hard to imagine a more dramatic life than his-from troubled kid, to young Negro Leagues star, to world-famous entertainer, to pioneer of the Major Leagues-a daredevil, showman, athlete extraordinaire. Paige played on dozens of teams, threw hundreds of no hitters, and had thousands of wild adventures-many of which actually happened!Some legends assign men their proper place in history. Others distort or exaggerate their worth. And once in a while the legend falls short; the man is greater than his accumulated history and acclaim. One such man is Satchel Paige.Maybe I'll Pitch Forever brings us up close to Satchel Paige. But part of him remains out of reach-evasive and enigmatic-a step ahead of the owners, the women, the opposition-inevitably beyond us. We will never fully grasp the legend or the man, never catch up to his fastball. In that way, Satchel Paige will pitch forever.

The majesty and magic of 1960s major league baseball created a legion of lifelong fans. The decade began with epic blasts from Bill Mazeroski and Ted Williams and ended with the Mets' amazin' championship. In between came Maris and Mays and Koufax and Gibson and Aaron and Robinson and much, much more.1960s baseball was momentous at every turn-from incredible pennant races, to great World Series, to home run records, to extraordinary pitching. Threaded throughout was a siege of freshness. New stars, new teams, new rules, and new ways of playing changed the game forever. No fewer than 54 Hall of Famers played in the '60s-more than any other decade-many of whom are among the greatest legends in the history of the game. And nearly every season featured a down-to-the-wire pennant race. In MAZ TO YAZ TO AMAZIN', Thad Mumau captures the on-the-field tremors from Opening Day until Game 7, from Stan Musial to Dick Allen, from the Yankees' collapse to the Red Sox's Impossible Dream. His intimate and informed account is part romance for a simpler game, part historical report of a decade of unparalleled feats, part roll call of the fascinating and fabulous ballplayers who filled the dugouts through the decade.Chapters alternate between a recap of each season and a review of the decade's most significant events-including the biggest trades, expansion, changes in strategy, the impact of African American and Hispanic players-plus exclusive interviews with two of the greatest players of all time, Tom Seaver and Roberto Clemente!MAZ TO YAZ TO AMAZIN' has statistics and stories about more than 400 players, ample photos, and portraits and funny anecdotes about classic 1960s figures like Smokey Burgess, Rocky Colavito, Moe Drabowsky, Mickey Lolich, Joe Pepitone, the Alou Brothers, Vada Pinson, Paul Blair, and on and on.Whether you have Manny Mota's lifetime stats memorized or think Blue Moon Odom is a craft beer, MAZ TO YAZ TO AMAZIN' is THE go-to source for everything 1960s baseball!

EVERYTHING I KNOW I LEARNED FROM BASEBALL is a collection of inspiring and amusing life lessons drawn from the baseball and softball diamonds. The author, a third-generation baseball coach, creates a "Life Strategies Lineup," with nine keys to finding success and happiness: ATTITUDE, PREPARATION, FOCUS, CHARACTER, DISCIPLINE, COOPERATION, COURAGE, GROWTH, INDEPENDENCE. The book also includes over 40 inspirational quotes from well-known baseball personalities and others.Perfect for coaches, baseball moms and dads, and young adults who want to get back to what is really important about the game that means so much to them - good sportsmanship, doing one's best, cooperation, and teamwork. The parallels between life and baseball are clear to those who enjoy the game, and this book uses the fundamentals of good baseball and softball to help ballplayers and parents map out a path towards success and happiness both on the field, and more importantly, at school, at the job, and at home and in relationships.

Nashville is a Big League city despite never having been home to a major league team. From the Civil War era, to star-studded exhibitions, to outstanding Negro Leagues teams, to some of the great minor league franchises of all time, few cities have as rich a baseball tradition as Nashville, Tennessee.Nashville sports historian Bill Traughber, who has been writing about baseball for nearly two decades, traces that 130+ year history from its beginnings to today. Featuring 32 essays, detailed player profiles and stats, timelines and seasonal results, and more than 80 photos-many of them previously unpublished-Nashville Baseball History: From Sulphur Dell to the Sounds-captures all the local flavor and passion of one of the south's great baseball cities. Featuring… An introduction by Farrell Owens, the Sounds' first general manager and a key figure in the success and growth of Nashville baseball Visits from all-time greats, including Honus Wagner, Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Jackie Robinson, Henry Aaron, Reggie Jackson, and many more The Nashville Vols, the classic minor league franchise from the first half of the 20th century Decades of African American baseball, featuring Nashville's own "Turkey" Stearnes, a Hall of Famer, and Dodgers' great "Junior" Jim Gilliam, now a local icon The Nashville Sounds, whose fortunes took off when they became a New York Yankees affiliate, with future stars like Don Mattingly, Steve Balboni, and Willie McGee taking the field The Sounds' ongoing success and popularity, which continue to grow today in their new home, First Tennessee Park Michael Jordan's foray into professional baseball, as thrilling to fans as it was brief Interviews with fan favorite Skeeter Barnes, Buck Showalter, and part-owner and fan extraordinaire Richard Sterban of the Oak Ridge Boys

The baseball life of Jim Campanis Jr. has been anything but ordinary. His father, Jim Sr., was a long-time pro catcher who spent several years on the Pirates where a 6-year-old Jim Jr. shagged flies next to major leaguers. His grandfather Al was one of the most powerful men in baseball as GM of the Dodgers, but his career ended suddenly and shamefully after a disastrous appearance on Nightline. Jim loves a good baseball story, and he has plenty of them to tell. The pieces vary from instructional to confessional; from raucous humor to painful insecurities. We share in the thrill of being the hero and the anguish of falling short; from being a promising 3rd round pick, to suffering a devastating injury suffered the very day he was told he'd be getting a September call up. What comes through more than anything in Jim's stories is the thrill of being a young ballplayer and the commaraderie of the clubhouse. The endless laughs--the childhood misadventures, rookie hazings, locker room practical jokes. They are the kind of wild adventures we expect from guys in their early twenties who are on top of the world living the dream of professional baseball, even if that dream is a far cry from the glamor many fans envision. Jim's stories read like he was sitting next to you at a bar; they're personal, insightful, and never boring. Swiping Dusty Baker's hair pick so he could give it to Hank Aaron in exchange for an autographed ball. Unwittingly selling a signed Willie Stargell jersey to fund his prom night; being taped to a stool and given Ben Gay Balls by his high school teammates. We learn about the intense rivalries between elite California college baseball programs, from which lifelong friendships form. Getting beat in a race by Ken Griffey Jr....who was running backwards! And the grueling life of minor leaguers, who have only their dreams of making The Show to help them endure the low salaries, seedy hotels, and endless bus rides they endure summer after summer. We feel the joy when Jim's tournament MVP performance helps propel him to a spot on the US Olympic tream, and the anguish from watching his grandfather Al's life and reputation be destroyed almost overnight when his comments about African Americans turn him into a poster boy for everything that was wrong with race relations in big league baseball. The irony was particularly bitter for grandson Jim, who knew Al to have been friend, mentor, and roommate to none other than Jackie Robinson in 1946, the year before he broke the color line. Al's life changed forever after that night, and Jim's was never the same either. In addition to the wealth of behind-the-scenes pieces, there is a lot of great writing about the game between the lines. Jim was not blessed with awesome talent, but his background and thoughtful nature made him a great student of the game There are numerous pieces about how to play the game, especially the finer points of catching - receiving pitches, calling the game, handling pitchers. Fascinating clubhouse rituals and traditions are described, from the game of "Flip," to how to live off of paltry meal money, to the fine that had to be paid for the gamut of Kangaroo Court infractions. Born Into Baseball is not your typical baseball memoir, because Jim Campanis Jr. is anything but a typical baseball player, and the baseball life he has led has been perhaps least typical of all, from the day he was born.

Few writers know more about pitching, and few pitchers know more about writing than Pat Jordan. Suitors of Spring is a collection of eight of Jordan's essays about pitchers and pitching, originally published in Sports Illustrated. From the cultivated genius of Tom Seaver, to the irresistible wisdom of Johnny Sain, to the tragic mystery of Steve Dalkowski, the fastest pitcher ever, Jordan's portraits show us, simply and hauntingly, that wins and losses have more to do with a pitcher's heart and mind than his velocity and location.

Seamheads' Mike Lynch turns his keen eye for the amazing and unusual to baseball's biggest stage, the World Series, in Volume II of his acclaimed Baseball's Untold History Series. Read about the least likely heroes, biggest MVP flops, the oddest World Series stat lines, and an all-time O-fer line-up. Meet the 16-game winner who spent the series in an insane asylum; the Hall of Famer who was arrested for scalping World Series tickets; the only player to be picked off twice in the same Fall Classic game; the hurler who belted the only home run of his long professional career in his first series at bat; and much, much more.

Bill Buckner's boot to end Game 6 of the 1986 World Series is one of baseball's most memorable plays. But that gargantuan gaffe and the Mets' miracle comeback against the Red Sox have come to overshadow what may very well be the most dramatic and exciting League Championships and World Series in baseball history. From the heroics of Dave Henderson, Billy Hatcher, and Ray Knight, to the heartbreak of Donnie Moore, Calvin Schiraldi, and Gene Mauch, October baseball has never had so many extra-inning battles, last-minute heroics, incredible victories, or devastating defeats. One Pitch Away is the inside story of these incredible games and the men who played them. Renowned baseball historian Mike Sowell, author of The Pitch That Killed, combines expert research with intimate access to all the key actors in the incredible post-season dramas. Featuring portraits of Mike Scott, Gary Carter, Mookie Wilson, Mike Witt, Bob Stanley, and many more, One Pitch Away brings you inside the locker room and into the hearts and minds of the players who made the 1986 post season one for the ages.

THE ONLY THING BELIEVABLE ABOUT TONY CONIGLIARO'S STORY IS THAT IT HAPPENED. TONY C, by Boston sportswriter David Cataneo, takes readers through the soaring heights and desperate lows of the iconic Red Sox player-from the "Ted Williams confidence" of his early years and heart-throbbing, record-breaking stardom, to the desperation, comebacks, and final ordeal. Conigliaro's wild, off-the field life is also covered in depth - from his playboy adventures and pop star fame, to his confrontations with Carl Yastrzemski and Dick Williams, and failed attempt to make it as a pitcher. The complicated personality of one Boston's greatest baseball icons is revealed-the mix of brashness and insecurity-the intense nature and deep pride that were challenged to levels few are ever forced to endure. How different things could have been for Tony C, for his family, for the Red Sox Nation, had he not been in the box that fateful night in August, 1967, had his cheekbone not been shattered, and with it, his dreams, his career, and ultimately his life. But there he stood, and there he fell, and the story of the devastation from that pitch is one of the most dramatic and tragic in the annals of sport.