As a first baseman and then manager of the legendary Kansas City Monarchs, O'Neil witnessed the heyday of the Negro leagues and their ultimate demise. In I Was Right on Time, he charmingly recalls his days as a ballplayer and as an African-American in a racially divided country. Whether he's telling of his barnstorming days with the likes of Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson or the day in 1962 when he became the first African-American coach in the major leagues, O'Neil takes us on a trip not only through baseball's past but through America's as well.

    This work features this inspiring era in Phillies history, with the personal reflections of Robin Roberts, a Hall of Famer and arguably the best right-handed pitcher in Phillies history.

    Baseball fans are treated to a look at one of the world's largest private collections of baseball photography.

    The Ball Clubs tells the story of America's national pastime--baseball--through lively accounts of all 123 teams that have comprised the six leagues officially recognized by the major leagues.

    Many lessons learned on the diamond also apply to the game of life. Players and coaches from baseball's Golden Age share a message of humor, hope and common sense. Enjoy the advice of: Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Casey Stengel, Branch Rickey, Hank Aaron, Roy Campanella, Pete Rose and many more.

    

    This biography, by his widow, is extensively illustrated.

    With courage, belief and talent, he overcame great obstacles to realize his dream. And in this powerful autobiography, he tells the remarkable story of how he became a Hall of Fame baseball player and a man all Americans can admire. Monte Irvin had a mission in life - to be a baseball player. But before he could realize this goal, Irvin survived a near fatal illness as a teenager and lived through both the Great Depression and World War II, which interrupted his college playing and his career in the Negro National League. He lost many of his prime ballplaying years to racial injustice that kept African Americans out of major league baseball. Still, after a lengthy career with the Newark Eagles, he became a major league star and played in two World Series with the New York Giants. Then he embarked on a second career as a Special Assistant to the Commissioner of Baseball. Monte Irvin was a baseball pioneer. He was the Negro League owners' choice to be the first black player to enter the major leagues and break the color line, but his army service held him back. Still, Irvin became one of the first African Americans to play major league baseball when he was signed with the Giants in 1949. Later, after seven years as the Giant's centerfielder and clutch hitter, Irvin was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1973. Readers will learn about the good times and hard times of life in the Negro Leagues, and New York Giants fans will be enthralled as Monte recounts his experiences with Leo Durocher's teams, including the dramatic 1951 comeback that triumphed with the most memorable single play in baseball history - Bobby Thompson's "Shot Heard around the World." He also relates his conversation with Willie Mays as the two trotted off the field after what is still referred to as "The Catch" in the 1954 World Series.

    Gooden. Boggs. Williams. Strawberry. Fielder. Jeter. Leyritz. Wetteland. Rivera. O'Neill. Hayes. Just some of the stars in one of the most magical ball clubs ever. A team that refused to die, always fought back and beat the odds by bringing the world championship back to New York, beating the Braves four games to two. Now, in Champions!, the Daily News's John Harper and the Bergen Record's Bob Klapisch tell the incredible story of the unselfish team that could. From Joe Torre's hiring to Doc Gooden's no-hitter to the huge summer lead to David Cone's remarkable return and September's near collapse - not to mention full accounts and box scores of the play-offs and the Series - this book is the perfect keepsake for an unforgettable season of struggle, heroics, and triumph. Complete with previously unreported details, full 1996 stats, and illustrations throughout, Champions! is the must-have book for every true Yankee fan.

    Following his popular books Sluggers and Pitchers, George Sullivan here profiles 27 of the greatest glovemen of all time--from left fielder Barry Bonds to third baseman Nap Lajoie. Photos, many in color.