The Red Sox and the Cincinnati Reds have endured an excruciating three-day rain delay. Tonight, at last, they will play Game Six of the World Series. Leading three games to two, Cincinnati hopes to win it all; Boston is desperate to stay alive. But for all the anticipation, nobody could have predicted what a classic it would turn out to be: an extra-innings thriller, created by one of the Big Red Machine's patented comebacks and the Red Sox's improbable late-inning rally; clutch hitting, heart-stopping defensive plays, and more twists and turns than a Grand Prix circuit, climaxed by one of the most famous home runs in baseball history that ended it in the twelfth. Here are all the inside stories of some of that era's biggest names in sports: Johnny Bench, Luis Tiant, Sparky Anderson, Pete Rose, Carl Yastrzemski--eight Hall of Famers in all--as well as sportscasters and network execs, cameramen, umpires, groundskeepers, politicians, and fans who gathered in Fenway that extraordinary night.Game Six is an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at what is considered by many to be the greatest baseball game ever played--remarkable also because it was about so much more than just balls and strikes. This World Series marked the end of an era; baseball's reserve clause was about to be struck down, giving way to the birth of free agency, a watershed moment that changed American sports forever. In bestselling author Mark Frost's talented hands, the historical significance of Game Six becomes every bit as engrossing as its compelling human drama.

    Featuring a Hall of Fame lineup of baseball superstars—including Johnny Bench, George Foster, Joe Morgan, Cesar Geronimo, and “Charlie Hustle” Pete Rose himself—The Machine is a wild ride with one of the greatest baseball teams in the history of the American Pastime.

    At a time when steroid scandals dominate media coverage of America's beloved pastime, Pedroia has proven to the world that a good baseball player is more than size and statistics. His success comes from the heart.Pedroia started swinging a bat when he was just a toddler, and by the time he was four years old he was hitting line drives off his older brother. He has natural talent, an unparalleled work ethic, and a pure love of the game, but he has spent his life overcoming the naysayers who believed he was too small, couldn't hit, and would never make it in the big leagues.With commentary from coaches, teammates, and friends, including Red Sox manager Terry Francona and ninety-two-year-old fan (and daughter of Babe Ruth) Julia Ruth Stevens, Pedroia shares the story of his difficult and uplifting journey to prove himself at every turn -- from giving up his college scholarship so his team could have a shot at the College World Series to helping the Red Sox win their second championship in four years in his rookie season to nearly winning back-to-back World Championships in 2008. He takes readers into the legendary Red Sox clubhouse and reveals the challenges a rookie faces in a city so serious about baseball.More than anything, Pedroia's love of the game and desire to win, not just for himself but for his teammates, defines him as an athlete -- but his dedication, his perseverance, and, of course, his monster swing have made him a beloved new symbol of baseball and offer hope for the future of America's favorite game.

    This biography captures Munson's meteoric rise to stardom in baseball's most storied franchise.

    The 2009 edition contains critical essays on each of the thirty teams and player comments for some sixty players for each of those teams. Each player’s statistics are projected for the coming season using the groundbreaking PECOTA projection system, called “perhaps the game’s most accurate projection model” (Sports Illustrated). Baseball Prospectus 2009 also contains cutting-edge essays on performance analysis, the likes of which have inspired twenty-nine of the thirty major league teams to hire current and formerBaseball Prospectus writers and analysts as consultants. The baseball bible for fantasy players and devoted fans, Baseball Prospectus can be relied upon to once again hit it out of the park.

    Part comedian, part feisty competitor, Berra is also the winningest player (fourteen pennants, ten World Series, three MVPs) in baseball history. In this revelatory biography, Allen Barra presents Yogi's remarkable life as never seen before, from his childhood in "Dago Hill," the Italian-American neighborhood in St. Louis, to his leading role on the 1949-53 Yankees, the only team to win five consecutive World Series, to the travails of the '64 pennant race, through his epic battles and final peace with George Steinbrenner. This biography, replete with nearly one hundred photos and countless "Yogi-isms," offers hilarious insights into many of baseball's greatest moments. From calling Don Larsen's perfect game to managing the 1973 "You Gotta Believe" New York Mets, Yogi's life and career are a virtual cutaway view of our national pastime in the twentieth century. 98 photographs

    This is the definitive biography of a black showman-athlete. The author interviewed more than 200 veteran fellow players of the Negro and Major Leagues.

    S.L. Price, award-winning writer for Sports Illustrated and author of Pitching Around Fidel, gives a tragic but ultimately uplifting account of the death of minor league baseball coach Mike Coolbaugh, and in doing so, illustrates the many reasons and myriad ways in which baseball still has a hold on America. A Friday Night Lights for baseball fans, Heart of the Game reveals the classic heart of small-town America.

    In the spirit of 3 Nights in August and The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty, veteran sports writer Ryan McGee goes behind the scenes, into the stands, and onto the field to reveal an exciting yet personal look at one of the hottest sports championships in the country---the College World Series.In 2008, the ten-day, eight-team tournament was the scene of one of the greatest series in its illustrious history. And Ryan McGee puts the reader behind closed doors with the underdog champs, the Fresno State Bulldogs, as well as with their seven opponents, from the first batting practice session, to bus rides to the ballpark, to the locker room and the dugout. It’s the CWS as few ever see it.But The Road to Omaha goes far beyond the 2008 season. It’s an in-depth look at the managing strategies and playing style of college baseball, as well as a series of profiles that examine the people behind and around the CWS---the players, coaches, and fans who keep that feeling of good-old-days innocence alive through their reverence for the Great American Pastime.McGee also takes up residence at Rosenblatt Stadium itself, reliving its rich history and tapping into the electricity around it, from the tailgating fans to the surrounding neighborhoods. “The Blatt” is America’s last real connection to the baseball belief that Field of Dreams can actually happen: a wooden-framed ballpark with cramped concourses where teams share locker rooms, change clothes in the parking lot, and sign autographs for kids until their fingers cramp. “The Blatt” is a monument to tradition---and the last of its kind to keep that tradition alive.Thanks to Ryan McGee’s quick eye for play-by-play action, as well as his deep love for sports, The Road to Omaha is a rare glimpse into the kind of baseball our grandfather’s knew---a snapshot of the one of the last remaining vestiges of pure Americana: a hometown, baseball, and the people who shape it and are shaped by it in turn.

    The Prospect Handbook profiles in-depth analysis and statistics of 900 players, provides a detailed amateur draft report card, a list of the top one hundred prospects, and a ranking of the Major League Baseball player development programs. The Prospect Handbook is the resource for information regarding the leading minor leaguers throughout baseball and is a valuable tool for fans, fantasy leaguers, and anyone who wants to know more about the player development process.

    Drawing on dozens of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century periodicals, as well as contemporary sources, Dickson’s brilliant, illuminating definitions trace the earliest appearances of terms both well known and obscure. This edition includes more than 10,000 terms with 18,000 individual entries, and more than 250 photos. This “impressively comprehensive” (The Nation) book will delight everyone from the youngest fan to the hard-core aficionado.

    In October of 1912, seven years before gambling nearly destroyed the sport, the world of baseball got lucky. It would get two teams-the Boston Red Sox and the New York Giants, winners of a combined 208 games during the regular season-who may well have been the two finest ball clubs ever assembled to that point. Most importantly, during the course of eight games spanning nine days in that marvelous baseball autumn, they would elevate the World Series from a regional October novelty to a national obsession. The games would fight for space on the front pages of the nation's newspapers, battling both an assassin's bullet and the most sensational trial of the young century, with the Series often carrying the day and earning the "wood." In "The First Fall Classic," veteran sports journalist and author Mike Vaccaro brings to life a bygone era in cinematic and intimate detail-and gives fans a wonderful page-turner that re-creates the magic and suspense of the world's first "great" series.

    In this breathtakingly comprehensive tour of ballparks past and present, readers can enjoy an intimate view of every major league park (more than sixty-five in all): cozy Wrigley Field, magnificent Dodger Stadium, historic Fenway Park, newcomer Miller Park, and much more. Packed with nearly a thousand breathtaking photos that zoom right into the action, this massive tome is a box seat for baseball's evolution from the crude grounds of the 1890s to the opulent new stadiums opened in New York in 2009.

    Criticized in New York and beloved in Los Angeles, O’Malley is one of the most controversial owners in the history of American sports. He remade the major leagues and altered the course of history in both Brooklyn and Los Angeles when he moved the Dodgers to California. But while many New York critics attacked him, O’Malley looked to the future, declining to argue his case. As a result, fans across the nation have been unable to stop arguing about him—until now. Using never-before-seen documents and candid interviews with O’Malley’s players, associates, and relatives, Pulitzer Prize–winning writer Michael D’Antonio finally reveals this complex sportsman and industry pioneer. Born into Tammany Hall connections, O’Malley used political contacts to grow wealthy during the Great Depression, and then maneuvered to take control of the formerly downtrodden Dodgers. After his defeat in a war of wills with the famed power broker, Robert Moses, O’Malley uprooted the borough’s team and transplanted them to Los Angeles. Once in Los Angeles, O’Malley overcame opponents of his stadium and helped define the city. Other owners came to regard him as their guide—almost an unofficial commissioner—and he worked behind the scenes to usher in the age of the players’ union and free agency. Filled with new revelations about O’Malley’s battle with Moses, his pioneering business strategies, and his relationship with Jackie Robinson, Forever Blue is a uniquely intimate portrait of a man who changed America’s pastime forever. His fascinating story is fundamental to the history of sports, business, and the American West.

    The franchise has captured a record 21 National League titles, won six World Series championships, and produced dozens of Hall-of-Famers. The Dodgers revolutionized the sports landscape with the signing of Jackie Robinson in 1947 and have boasted a list of players that reads like an all-time all-star team—from Walter Alston to Zack Wheat, Wee Willie Keeler to Pee Wee Reese, Dazzy Vance to Sandy Koufax, Duke Snider to Jeff Kent. The team’s two longtime homes—Brooklyn’s Ebbets Field and Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium—stand out in the pantheon of great baseball palaces.Dodgers Past & Present traces the history of this storied franchise from its origins in the 1880s to its latest accomplishments on the field. Pairing historic black-and-white photos and contemporary images of the modern game, the book explores the ballparks and the fans, the players and the teams that have defined Dodger baseball and captured the attention of fans nationwide.

    Featuring 100 red-and-blue scorecards (more than enough for all the home games) and a section for autographs, it’s essential gear for a day at the ballpark. And there’s more, too, including a lavishly illustrated history of baseball, a long list of record holders, and instructions on how to keep score—including abbreviations.Filling out scorecards, and saving them as precious souvenirs, has been a long-held tradition. This volume is the perfect way for parents to teach their children about America’s national sport and create memories that will last a lifetime.

    With a lineup featuring future Hall of Famers Henry Aaron, Warren Spahn, Eddie Matthews, Red Schoendienst, and Phil Niekro, the team immediately brought Milwaukee "Big League" credentials, won the hearts of fans, and shattered attendance records. The Braves' success in Milwaukee prompted baseball to redefine itself as a big business—resulting in franchises relocating west, multi-league expansion, and teams leveraging cities for civically funded stadiums. But the Braves' instant success and accolades made their rapid fall from grace after winning the 1957 world championship all the more stunning, as declining attendance led the team to Atlanta in one of the ugliest divorces between a city and baseball franchise in sports history.Featuring more than 100 captivating photos, many published here for the first time, Milwaukee Braves preserves the Braves' legacy for the team's many fans and introduces new generations to a fascinating chapter in sports history.

    Such New York clubs as the Atlantics, Excelsiors and Mutuals are a primary focus, serving as examples of how the sport became more sophisticated and popular. The author compares theories about many of baseball's inventors, exploring the often fascinating stories of several of baseball's oldest founding myths. The impact of the Civil War on the sport is discussed and baseball's unsteady path to becoming America's national game is analyzed at length.

    All the stats, the facts, the stories, and the (often unheralded) glory."The Baseball Talmud" reveals that there is far more to Jewish baseball than Hank Greenberg's powerful slugging and Sandy Koufax's masterful control. From Ausmus to Zinn, Berg to Kinsler, Holtzman to Yeager, and many others, Megdal draws upon the lore and the little-known details that increase our enjoyment of the game, including:Which Jewish player spent a portion of his retirement as a spyWho received $50,000 and a car to quit school and join the Major LeaguesHow many players sat out of games scheduled on Yom KippurWhich famous player chose baseball over becoming a rabbiBut this is more than just stories. Megdal, a stat geek himself, uses the wealth of modern sabermetrics to determine the greatest Jewish players at each position, the all-time Jewish All-Star Team, and how they would rate against the greatest teams in baseball history, from the 1906 Chicago Cubs to the 1998 New York Yankees."The Baseball Talmud" rewrites the history of Jewish baseball and is a book that every baseball fan should own.

    Yankee Colors tells the story of the legendary period from 1949 to 1964 when New York baseball was supreme and the New York Yankees were in the World Series almost every year. Now, this glorious period of Yankees history is captured through the intimate lens of famed sports photographer Marvin Newman. He was one of the only sports photographers of the time shooting in color and capturing the Yankee greats such as Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Casey Stengel, and Yogi Berra. Images of regular season games, pennant races, World Series competition, and Yankee Stadium are included. This book is a must for every Yankee and baseball fan, with behind-the-scenes moments and photos of the greatest baseball icons of the time.

    House and Thorburn wrote this book with the hope that it will become the science-based guide to pitching health and performance for baseball coaches, parents, and athletes at all competitive levels. Chapters cover the setup, lift-off, stride and momentum, release-point efficiency, and looking ahead. Includes a fantastic 42-minute DVD covering fitness on the field, lower-body exercises, upper-body exercises, and abdominal exercises.

    Gehrig. DiMaggio. Mantle. Maris. Jackson. Jeter. Among sports teams the world over, the New York Yankees reign supreme. With a fan base that spans generations and continents, household name players in every era of their existence, and an unparalleled record of success, the Yankees are as much an American institution as they are a famed and beloved baseball legacy. New York Yankees 365 is a colorful archive of and tribute to the history of the Yankees, giving a complete overview of the team's ups and downs, heroes and antiheroes, and most memorable moments. Charting their early struggles as the New York Highlanders to their first game in the new Yankee Stadium, New York Yankees 365 brings life to all the triumphs and icons--both on the field  and off. Taken from the voluminous photo archives of the Associated Press, these images are joined by insightful commentary and a running timeline of key Yankee milestones.

    

    Brand details the final two seasons of the Mets in Shea Stadium, capturing the complex emotions experienced by fans in two consecutive seasons in which the Mets were eliminated from contention on the final day of the regular seasons.

    This was only ten years after their proudest moment — Jackie Robinson's breaking of the color barrier — and two years after their greatest triumph, beating the hated Yankees in the World Series after five losses. They've won the loyalty of fans throughout the country but especially in Brooklyn and Los Angeles, where people bleed Dodger Blue. Dodgers Journal is the definitive history of the team, covering every season day by day and year by year from 1884 to 2008. The book, equally good for extended reading, casual dipping, fact-checking, and trivia games, is packed with photos and statistics and includes an all-time roster, yearly lineups, all-decade all-star teams, interesting and unusual facts, and unique “season in a sentence” recaps.

    Long before Target Field, and long before the Dome, there was the Met Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, the initial home ballpark for the Minnesota Twins. It was Minnesota's first taste of Major League Baseball in the great outdoors, and for 21 seasons, was complete with Hall of Fame performances, vivid characters and unpredictable weather. Through new interviews with legendary Twins players and staff, the book is packed with fond recollections and candid comments on the Met Stadium era. From Bob Allison to tailgaters, Bombo Rivera to the bomb scare and Rich Reese to the Beatles, the history is told by those who were there: Harmon Killebrew [[ Rod Carew [[ Jim Kaat Tony Oliva [[ Frank Quilici [[ Bert Blyleven Roy Smalley [[ Tom Kelly [[ Charley Walters Clark Griffith [[ Jim Rantz [[ Tom Mee [[ Kent Hrbek Dave Winfield [[ Paul Molitor [[ Jack Morris Bob Showers passionately gathe

    Three other times in that decade they finished second in their division to the eventual pennant winner. While much has been written about the players and manager Sparky Anderson, no book until now has given adequate attention to the man behind the Machine, general manager Bob Howsam. From his hire in 1967 through the end of his first stint with the Reds in 1978, Howsam brought about a remarkable change in fortune for the Reds, who had claimed only one pennant in the 26 years before his arrival. This detailed history of baseball's last dynasty shows not only how the team performed but why, delving into the off-field strategy and moves behind the Reds' success.

    But before Mays was the "Say Hey Kid", he was just a boy. Willie's Boys is the story of his remarkable 1948 rookie season with the Negro American League's Birmingham Black Barons, who took a risk on a raw but gifted 16-year-old and gave him the experience, confidence, and connections to escape Birmingham's segregation, navigate baseball's institutional racism, and sign with the New York Giants. Willie's Boys offers a character-rich narrative of the apprenticeship Mays had at the hands of a diverse group of savvy veterans who taught him the ways of the game and the world.Sheds new light on the virtually unknown beginnings of a baseball great, not available in other booksCaptures the first incredible steps of a baseball superstar in his first season with the Negro League's Birmingham Black BaronsIntroduces the veteran group of Negro League players, including Piper Davis, who gave Mays an incredible apprenticeship seasonIlluminates the Negro League's last days, drawing on in-depth research and interviews with remaining playersExplores the heated rivalry between Mays's Black Barons and Buck O'Neil's Kansas City Monarchs , culminating in the last Negro League World SeriesBreaks new historical ground on what led the New York Giants to acquire Mays, and why he didn't sign with the Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Yankees, or Boston Red SoxPacked with stories and insights, Willie's Boys takes you inside an important part of baseball history and the development of one of the all-time greats ever to play the game.

    It contains crucial information such as important dates, player nicknames, memorable moments, and outstanding achievements by singular players. This guide to all things Dodgers covers the team's history in Brooklyn and Los Angeles, the incredible legacy of Jackie Robinson, memories from Ebbets Field, Dodger Adult Baseball Camp, and why fans think the Dodgers invented the high-five.

    By the end of the decade, when the state's final big league team, Mark Twain's beloved Hartford Dark Blues, left the National League, baseball's transition from amateur pastime to major league sport had been accomplished. And Connecticut had played a significant role in its development. The history of the Nutmeg State's three major league teams is described here in full, and the author thoughtfully examines their influence within the regional baseball scene.

    Enjoy all the traditions of your favorite team, learn the basics about playing baseball and share your passion for America's pastime!

    It's rich in anecdotes about team superstitions (from the black cat that haunted the Cubs to the "Curse of the Bambino"), the antics of the superstars, and other stuff that comes out of left field. Think today's umpires have a temper? Wait till you read about the 19th century New Jersey ump who pulled out a gun and shoved it in the face of a player who came at him with a bat. Or about the time three Brooklyn Dodger runners found themselves at third base…together.

    Students will receive a well-rounded education in all aspects of Red Sox fandom including, the 12 different types of Red Sox fans and how to identify each one at the ballpark, which Bill of Rights amendment give fans the right to keep beers in their arms, how to speak like a stat geek and sound knowledgeable, the core beliefs associated with the religion of Soxism, and how to maintain happy relationships (even with Yankees fans). There are also definitions, quizzes, Fenway facts, and key terms that will keep fans on their toes throughout their coursework. While the Red Sox have come a long way over the years from the lowest lows to the highest highs, there is still so much more to learn and Red Sox University is the ultimate guide to the exhilarating, maddening, and wacky world that will take fans to the next level of Sox fandom.

    Since the Chicago Cubs first adopted uniform numbers in 1932, the team has handed out only 71 numbers to more than 1,100 players. That's a lot of overlap. It also makes for a lot of good stories. Cubs by the Numbers tells those stories for every Cub since '32, from 1930s outfielder Ethan Allen to current ace Carlos Zambrano. This book lists the players alphabetically and by number, but the biographies help trace the history of baseball's most beloved team in a new way. For Cubs fans, anyone who ever wore the uniform is like family. Cubs by the Numbers reintroduces readers to some of their long-lost ancestors, even ones they think they already know.

    In his latest work, James lives up to that reputation with the The Bill James Gold Mine 2009 - a groundbreaking collection of original essays, statistical profiles, and hidden "nuggets" of information worth their weight in gold. In seventeen original essays and numerous new statistical measures, Bill James goes beyond the numbers and provides the witty, irreverent, and stingingly accurate analysis for which he has become famous.

    Rather than focusing solely on in-game tactical decisions, it also analyzes broader, off-the-field management issues such as handling players, fans, and media, enforcing team rules, working with the front office, and balancing pressure versus performance.

    With guest writers like Rob Neyer, John Dewan, Richard Lederer and Tom Tango, and articles on hot topics like GM in a Box: Pat Gillick, predicting rookie performance, and a look back at the Pete Rose class of free agents, The Hardball Times Baseball Annual is a resource readers will enjoy again and again.

    This book presents original interviews with 19 baseball scouts. In many cases, these veterans are a vanishing breed; among the most respected baseball men in the business, most have a minimum of forty years' experience in scouting. They share their experiences as players, their development as scouts while the business and the game continually evolved, the players they signed and the ones that got away. Along with each interview is a list of the scout's signed players who made it to the major leagues.

    Rather it will put you in the cheap seats of the upper deck where baseball can be viewed through lens of Bill Lewers. With six decades worth of baseball “fandom” under his belt, Bill discusses a variety of topics including•What it was like to experience “Five O’clock Lightning” first hand•How a growing boy copes with being the only Red Sox fan in a New York neighborhood in the 1950s long before the existence of the “Red Sox Nation”•life at the Polo Grounds during those early years of the New York Mets•the managerial mistake that may have cost the 1986 Red Sox the World Championship (It’s not the one you think)•Why would a player on the home team to be booed for hitting a grand slam home run?•What happens when a 61 year old retiree agrees to become a “Rookie Manager”These are but a few of the remembrances, observations, and opinions that presented in this decade-by-decade account. If you’re the sort of person who enjoys “talking baseball” to the stranger sitting next to you at the ball park then this book might be for you.