Witness zealous Judge Landis banish eight players, including Shoeless Joe Jackson, after the infamous "Black Sox" scandal; the flamboyant A's owner Charlie Finley wheel and deal his star players, Vida Blue and Rollie Fingers, like a deck of cards; the hysterical bidding war of coveted free agent Catfish Hunter; the chain-smoking romantic, A. Bartlett Giamatti, locking horns with Pete Rose during his gambling days of summer; and much more . . . .

    Still, the two baseball fanatics have the kind of friendship that should last forever. But when Seth experiences an unthinkable loss, he's forced to find his own personal strength--on and off the field. An ALA Best Book for Young Adults An ALA Best Book for Reluctant ReadersA New York Public Library Book for the Teen AgePennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Book of the Year

    In The Last Shot, Darcy Frey chronicles the aspirations of four of the neighborhood’s most promising players. What they have going for them is athletic talent, grace, and years of dedication. But working against them are woefully inadequate schooling, family circumstances that are often desperate, and the slick, brutal world of college athletic recruitment. Incisively and compassionately written, The Last Shot introduces us to unforgettable characters and takes us into their world with an intimacy seldom seen in contemporary journalism. The result is a startling and poignant expose of inner-city life and the big business of college basketball.

    Louis Cardinals. It should be a hit with younger students of the game, who'll eat up the vivid portrayals of legends like Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris of the Yankees and Bob Gibson and Lou Brock of the Cardinals. Most of all, however, David Halberstam's new book should be a hit with anyone interested in understanding the important interplay between sports and society.--The Boston GlobeCompelling...1964 is a chronicle of the end of a great dynasty and of a game, like the country, on the cusp of enormous change.--NewsweekHalberstam's latest gives us the feeling of actually being there--in another time, in the locker rooms and in the minds of baseball legends. His time and effort researching the book result in a fluency with his topic and a fluidity of writing that make the reading almost effortless....Absorbing.--San Francisco ChronicleWonderful...Memorable...Halberstam describes the final game of the 1964 series accurately and so dramatically, I almost thought I had forgotten the ending.--The Washington Post Book WorldSuperb reporting...Incisive analysis...You know from the start that Halberstam is going to focus on a large human canvas...One of the many joys of this book is the humanity with which Halberstam explores the characters as well as the talents of the players, coaches and managers. These are not demigods of summer but flawed, believable human beings who on occasion can rise to peaks of heroism.--Chicago Sun-Times

    Their subject is Baseball.During eight months of the year, it is played professionally every day; all year round, amateurs play it, watch it, and dream about it. Baseball produces remarkable Americans: it seizes hold of ordinary people and shapes them into something we must regard with awe. Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Joe DiMaggio . . . truly gifted human beings acting out universal fantasies that, for whatever reason, are most perfectly expressed on a baseball field.All this and more rings through Ward and Burns's moving, crowded, fascinating history of the game - a history that goes beyond stolen bases, triple plays, and home runs to demonstrate how baseball has been influenced by, and has in turn influenced our national life: politics, race, labor, big business, advertising, and social custom. The audio covers every milestone of the game: from the rules drawn up in 1845 by Alexander Cartwright to the founding of the Brotherhood of Professional Base Ball Players in 1885, from the 1924 Negro World Series through Jack Roosevelt Robinson's major-league debut in 1947, and Nolan Ryan's seventh and last no-hitter in 1991.Monumental, affecting, informative, and entertaining - Baseball is an audio that speaks to all Americans.

    The sports page chronicles man's triumphs." So the adage goes, never more true than when surveying 100 years of American history through its coverage of sports. From Bobby Knight to Bobby Fischer, from Secretariat to Sugar Ray, from Butkus to the Babe, the 20th century abounds with classic figures in sports history. Their compelling stories fuel our collective memory. In the pieces assembled here, The Best American Sports Writing of the Century captures these indelible moments in words worth a thousand pictures. Working with series editor Glenn Stout (Best American Sports Writing 1999 etc.), Pulitzer-Prize winner David Halberstam (The Summer of '49, Playing For Keeps:Michael Jordan & the World He Made) selects the century's most engaging sports journalism. While the task was surely a challenge, the result is a near-seamless retrospective of contemporary athleticism. The pieces are contemporaneous with the events recounted, infusing the entire collection with an intimate immediacy. You are there — with Joe DiMaggio, Junior Johnson, Muhammad Ali, Branch Rickey — again & again. The writing is uniformly excellent, mixing some familiar choices with otherwise overlooked gems. However, one criticism must be noted: This is for fans of men's endeavors, for women hardly appear in the 800-plus pages. No exquisite essays on Wilma Rudolph's struggles to achieve Olympic gold. No mention of Chris Evert's importance to tennis. No hymns of praise for Peggy Fleming's inspiring skating. Nohyperboleabout Shirley Muldowney's drag racing prowess. No Mary Decker, no Nancy Lopez, no Picabo Street. Perhaps a companion volume is in the offing. For capturing 10 decades of achievement by the men, tho, no tribute could be finer. Whether rejoicing on the quietude of fishing (Thomas McGuane, The Longest Silence, 1969) or the cacophony of Bobby Thomson's pennant-winning heroics (Red Smith, Miracle of Coogan's Bluff, 1951), the writing is evocative and timeless. Some athletic greats are viewed as their careers are poised to explode (Tiger Woods in 1997's The Chosen One, by Gary Smith). Others are glimpsed in the rearview mirror: DiMaggio in 1966's The Silent Season of a Hero, by Gay Talese; Ty Cobb in 1961's The Fight to Live, by Al Stump; & Billy Conigliaro in 1989's "A Brother's Keeper," by Mike Lupica. In a marvelous choice, Halberstam concludes the book with six essays on Ali. The selections represent the full spectrum of his athletic and public career, from cocksure Cassius Marcellus Clay (Murray Kempton, "The Champ and the Chump," 1964) to reflective disciple of Islam (Dick Schaap, "Muhammad Ali Then and Now," 1971) to resurrected warrior in Manila (Mark Kram, "Lawdy, Lawdy, He's Great," 1975) & beyond.

    When he retired from professional basketball in 1993 he stunned the sports world by announcing his intention to begin a professional baseball career. 'I Can't Accept Not Trying' is Jordan's personal creed and a message for anyone who aspires to greater heights or grander dreams.

    In a book that's sure to thrill--and infuriate--countless fans, Bill James takes a hard look at the Hall, probing its history, its politics and, most of all, its decisions.

    Fall River, Massachusetts, is a once-prosperous industrial center haunted by its history, the Durfee High School basketball team begins its annual drive for a state championship: a quest that inspires and sometimes consumes kids, coaches, families, teachers, and all of Fall River.Fall River Dreams is the story of one season's quest-a classic book about sports, youth, time, hope, and memory in American today.

    The stable bred so many superstars that it became the standard by which all achievements were measured in the horse racing industry. But during the 1980s, a web of financial schemes left Calumet destitute.Wild Ride is Ann Hagedorn Auerbach's investigation of the fast-track, multibillion-dollar thoroughbred industry and the fall of Calumet -- the inside story of a debacle that extended further than anyone could have imagined. Spanning four generations, this fast-paced saga brings to life a gallery of colorful characters from Calumet's glittery past. Wild Ride shows the industry's transformation from a clubby blue-blood society where a handshake closed a deal to a high-stakes business bulging with bankers and scandalous deal making. When the Bluegrass Bubble exploded, one of America's largest family fortunes lay in ruins."A fascinating tale with a cast of characters worthy of Dickens -- or Runyon." -- Carl Desens, Business Week

    The team is the 1992 Philadelphia Eagles, a group of players assembled in the iconoclastic image of their former head coach Buddy Ryan. They are known throughout the league for their ferocious defense and for the otherworldly talents of their quarterback Randall Cunningham.Award-winning journalist Mark Bowden gets deep inside the world of professional football in a way no writer has ever done before, with an insightful and hilarious portrait of one of the most exciting teams ever to play the game. He spares none of the game's ugliness - the greed, the racism, and the often sadistic violence - while capturing the beauty of athleticism at its highest level, the courage of men who face each play knowing that one bad hit can end a career, and above all the exultant glory of victory that inspires their struggle to be the best.

    Yet their show of defiance remains one of the most iconic images of Olympic history and the Black Power movement. Here is the remarkable story of one of the men behind the salute, lifelong activist John Carlos.John Carlos is an African American former track and field athlete, professional football player, and a founding member of the Olympic Project for Human Rights. He won the bronze medal in the 200 meters race at the 1968 Olympics, where his Black Power salute on the podium with Tommie Smith caused much political controversy. The John Carlos Story is his first book.Dave Zirin is the author of four books, including Bad Sports, A People's History of Sports in the United States, and What's My Name, Fool? He writes the popular weekly online sports column "The Edge of Sports" and is a regular contributor to SportsIllustrated.com, SLAM, Los Angeles Times, and The Nation, where he is the publication's first sports editor.

    A regular winner of the fiercely contested UK Sports Writer of the Year award, he also has the unique distinction of being the only sports writer to have been voted Journalist of the Year. He is respected for his incisive commentaries and perceptive analyses of football and racing, but this collection contains the best of his writing on his first great passion, boxing. The book features in-depth analysis of the build-up, climax and aftermath of over 25 showdowns including: Muhammad Ali vs. Henry Cooper (1966) Joe Frazier vs. Muhammad Ali (1971) George Foreman vs. Ken Norton (1974) Eusibio Pedvoza vs. Barry McGuigan (1985) Lloyd Honeyghan vs. Marlon Starling (1989) Mike Tyson vs. Frank Bruno (1989) An essential read for boxing lovers of all ages with writing so vivid that readers will feel like they have a ringside seat.

    In this fully revisedsixth edition, Tom Cunliffe brings together all the essentials ofmodern cruising in one volume. Subjects include an analysis of whatmakes a good skipper, the theory and practice of sailing, seamanship,navigation including chart plotters and PCs, meteorology, heavyweather, yacht stability and coping with emergencies. The Complete Yachtmasterpromotes each subject as an integral part of the whole. It guidesexamination candidates as authoritatively and reassuringly through theRYA syllabus as a sea pilot bringing a ship to harbour. Required reading for all skippers whether on board or in the classroom.'A gem, distilled from decades of experience' Yachting Monthly'Cunliffe's competence and authority radiate from the pages? thoroughly recommended' Little Ship Club'There are all too few authors who not only know their subject but can write well about it. Tom Cunliffe is one' Cruising

    Loehr has been training world-class athletes, from Olympic gold medalist speed-skater Dan Jansen to tennis stars Monica Seles and Jim Courier His bestselling book, Mental Toughness Training for Sports, is a classic. In The New Toughness Training for Sports, he offers a toughness program that allows you to play at the very top of your game--every time. You'll learn how to trigger you Ideal Performance State (IPS) on demand and gain the heightened physical, mental, and emotional mind-body toughness so vital to sports.

    That first year was the epitome of Raiders football-- the silver-and-black team of renegades steamrolled opponents and defeated the Washington Redskins in the Super Bowl. For nearly ten years, Huizenga lived in the real NFL trenches, a battlefield atmosphere where getting hurt and partying hard was the name of the game. Jam-packed with close-up anecdotes about football's warriors, this book reveals:* The mind games and methods of mysterious Raiders owner Al Davis* The truth about drug and steroid use in the NFL* The pressure on players to perform even when threatened by serious injury* Harrowing and hilarious true stories about the side of football fans never see* The wild life and tragic death of Lyle Alzado

    A. Tittle, and others. Recalling his relationship with his father and the love they shared for a team, Gildea evokes the spirit of 1950s America, when professional athletes were workaday neighbors and community was more than a political slogan. This is a story, too, about the geography of the heart: why something so simple as a team can arouse such emotional attachments, how a group of players with horseshoes on their helmets could have been part of the generational glue between parent and child. Written with feeling and insight, this is an affecting tribute to a team and a time etched in memory.

    But three? It's enough to make you believe in the supernatural. The Cleveland Indians were surely tempting the fates when they traded away Rocky Colavito. He was young, strong, rugged, popular, and coming off back-to-back 40 home run/100 RBI seasons. He was the type of player you just don't trade, especially not for a three-years-older singles hitter, even if Harvey Kuenn had just won the American League batting title. Frank Lane's blunder could be expected to hurt the Tribe's pennant chances for a while. But for a generation? In the thirteen years before the trade, the Indians finished above .500 twelve times, and were first, second, or third in the league nine times. In the thirty-three years since the trade, they've finished above .500 six times, and were in the top three in their league just once (never finishing as high as third in their division). With the sharp-edged wit and keen eye for detail that have made him Cleveland's favorite sportswriter, Terry Pluto looks at the strange goings-on of the past thirty-plus years, unusual occurrences that could only be the result of some cosmic plan. Other teams lose players to injuries; the Indians lose them to alcoholism (Sam McDowell), a nervous breakdown (Tony Horton), and the pro golf tour (Ken Harrelson - okay, so it was only for a little while). Other teams bask in the glow when a young star plays in the All-Star Game in his first full season; the Indians saw catcher Ray Fosse's career derailed by a homeplate collision with Pete Rose in the 1970 midsummer classic. Other teams make deals to improve the ballclub; the Indians had to trade young Dennis Eckersley because his wife had fallen in love with hisbest friend and teammate, Rick Manning. Through long years of trials and tribulations that would have tested Job, the Indians' faithful have continued to come to huge, drafty Cleveland Stadium. Pluto understands the fierce attachment Tribe fans feel for their team, because he's

    In The Politics of Glory, bestselling author Bill James takes a hard look at the Hall - not only at the traditional questions of who is in and who is out and why, but at how the Hall of Fame operates, who operates it, how they make decisions, and why those decisions sometimes go awry. Using the endless battle over onetime Yankee shortstop - and new Hall of Famer - Phil Rizzuto as a recurring theme, James analyzes the perennial debate over Hall of Fame qualifications: players who should be in, and aren't, as well as players who shouldn't be, and are. Who is more deserving of induction, Catfish Hunter or Luis Tiant? Whatever happened to Vern Stephens, the St. Louis Browns shortstop who began in the majors the same year as Stan Musial . . . and during his first eight years had more home runs and RBIs than Musial? Can you name the shortstop who is the very best player in baseball history who is not in the Hall of Fame? (Hint: It wasn't Rizzuto.). Was Don Drysdale a qualified Hall of Famer? From Ron Santo to Joe Tinker, from Joe Gordon to Richie Ashburn, and (of course) from Shoeless Joe Jackson to Pete Rose, here are the fascinating stories, the profound dilemmas, and the raucous controversies that make up the history of baseball's Hall of Fame.

    300 full-color and black-and-white illustrations. Companion to the TNT special of the same name.

    It was a fascinating era which began when Jackie Robinson & Larry Doby pioneered baseball integration; & it ended when the N.Y. Yankees lost their dominance of the game. This was the era of Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Roy Campanella, &, for the first time, baseball games were televised -- live. The collective voices of 65 ballplayers tell the story of the era: from pitching no-hitters & arguing with managers to alcoholism, groupies, race problems, salary negotiations, & fights on & off the field. This volume tells the real story of a wonderful era of baseball history -- in the words of the only men who could tell it, those who made it live for us. Photos.

    Here, for the first time, is the full and true story of legendary football coach Frank Leahy of Notre Dame and of the players who achieved an incredible record under his guidance.

    Written by one of the most successful thoroughbred breeders of the twentieth century, this book sets out the essential principles of breeding and inheritance and the theories that made Tesio one of the most revered names in the thoroughbred industry worldwide.

    Muhammad Ali once called him "the king, my master, my idol"—and indeed, he was the idol of everyone who had anything to do with boxing. But for African Americans, he was more than a great boxer. In an era when blacks were supposed to be humble and grateful for favors received, he was a man whose every move in and out of the ring showed what black pride and power meant.Sugar Ray grew up during the Depression in the ghettos of Detroit and New York, rose through the amateur boxing ranks, became Golden Gloves champion at the featherweight at the age of eighteen, and become world welterweight champion in 1946 and middleweight in 1951. Robinson had it all, but later lost it all; and in this classic autobiography he tells it all with remarkable candor. Here is Sugar Ray: the dazzlingly handsome champion with a craving for fast cars and fast living; the kid who was terrified of elevators; the young GI who, together with Joe Louis, combated racial discrimination; the honest fighter who refused a million dollars to throw a fight against Rocky Graziano; the boxer who dreamed he would kill his opponent in the ring, and did so the following night.This Da Capo edition is supplemented with a new foreword and afterword by Dave Anderson about Sugar Ray's last years in Los Angeles and the legacy he left behind, and with eight new pages of stunning photographs.

    - 16 million people play soccer in the United States and family involvement through coaching, refereeing, and parent's touchline support for kids makes a group of 50 or 60 million involved with the sport.- Soccer is the world's most popular sport, played by over 117 million registered athletes-among them six million women-and viewed by billions of fans in stadiums and on worldwide television.- Thematic structure provides greater in-depth coverage of key players and clubs, great matches, soccer rules and tactics and soccer culture.- Outstanding collection of around 250 painstakingly researched soccer photos, with numerous cutouts to add impact on the page.- An A-Z of over 200 players and information on every country affiliated to FIFA as well as the top 50 clubs.

    Called "one of the best reference books of the year" by Library Journal and named an outstanding academic book of the year by the American Library Association, this is the first book to cover comprehensively the careers of all African Americans who played with a team of major-league quality or whose careers are featured in the history of America's Pastime. It delivers a wealth of information, from vital statistics and the standard baseball figures of batting averages and pitching records to career data, including years of active play, positions played, team affiliations, and even nicknames. To create this one-of-a-kind reference, baseball authority James A. Riley traveled the country to interview the surviving members of the Negro Leagues about their exploits and the careers of their now-deceased teammates. With this invaluable firsthand information, Riley brings to life the careers of such greats as Satchel Paige, Ray Dandridge, Josh Gibson, and Leon Day. Looking past Jackie Robinson's breaking of the color barrier in 1947, he profiles all Major League Hall of Fame players who also played in the Negro Leagues such as Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Ernie Banks, and Roy Campanella. "A landmark publication in the fields of baseball history and African-American history … a one-of-a-kind work."—Booklist

    A completely updated edition of a standard reference work offers a comprehensive statistical history of professional football from 1892, including scores of every game from 1920-1993, complete rosters of every team, seasonal statistics for all players, and more.

    From Simon & Schuster, The Big Three by Peter May is the story of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish—the best frontcourt in the history of basketball.The Big Three presents a combined biography of these three of the greatest players in Boston Celtics history, showing how they joined forces to become the NBA's greatest front court

    "Basketball: Steps to Success" combines the knowledge and experience of master clinician and coach Hal Wissel with the latest developments in learning basketball.Part of the highly popular Steps to Success Activity Series, this book features complete learning progressions called the steps to success. Each step (chapter) leads you easily to the next one andexplains why each concept or skill is important, identifies the keys to proper technique, helps you correct common errors, explains how to practice each skill in realistic ways, lists specific performance goals for each drill, andlets you proceed at your own pace.The first few steps provide a solid foundation of basic skills and concepts. As you progress you'll learn to make the right moves in game situations - whether you're shooting, dribbling, passing, driving to the basket, or playing defense. And you'll gain the confidence that comes from being a well-rounded basketball player.

    Written by longtime friend and associate Russel Rice, the book traces Rupp's personal life and a career that spanned 42 years at the University of Kentucky.

    Behind-the-scenes history, coaching, scheduling, and administration reveal insight into fierce competition, loyalty, and big sports business. Two 16 page photo inserts.

    It follows the techniques perfected at the world-famous Annapolis Sailing School, where thousands of people just like you have learned to take tiller in hand and harness the wind. You'll learn your way around a boat--what its parts are called, what they do, and how to use them to ride the wind wherever you want to go. Read this book, spend some time on a boat, and practice your new skills, and pretty soon you'll be a sailor, one of a select group of people who think there's nothing finer than hiking out to windward in a close-hauled dinghy--racing against friends or a neighboring sailing club, or alone and just for the fun of it.

    An introductory chapter discusses how the standard C library changes to meet the needs of C++. Each of the 38 headers is then covered using the same format: a discussion of how the specific portion of the library is customarily used, excerpts from relevant portions of the draft, the code needed to implement the particular portion and to test the implementation, and exercises and references.

    Traces the history of professional basketball, explains its rules, and provides statistics for all NBA players past and present.

    The illustrations in the book are accompanied by the prose of writers and athletes who have lived and breathed baseball.

    Here Thomas Vennum brings this world to life.

    Adirondack teams have won four Calder Cup playoff titles and have been a finishing school for dozens of NHL players, coaches, and executives, including Boston Bruin Adam Oates, NY Ranger Adam Graves, Chicago Blackhawk Joe Murphy, Detroit's Bob Probert, Tim Cheveldae of Winnipeg, former Montreal Canadien star Peter Mahovlich, New York Rangers president and general manager Neil Smith, and Los Angeles Kings coach Barry Melrose.

    

    Perfect reading for the angler.

    Starting with the Spring 1995 titles, each player's career stats will be included.

    

    Tells the story of how Pete Dye designed his courses and includes anecdotes about some of the greatest golfers in the world.

    It has all the images and information you need to become an expert in the Topps Cards of the sixties. A treasure of great images and information.

    His biggest dream is to be part of a family, and he believes his wish will come true when his favorite team, the California Angels, clinches the pennant.

    National sports radio drive-time tour.

    Based on the field's most prolific, imaginative, and best-known scholars, this ultimate reference work on the Negro Leagues includes a complete register of all the players--3,400 names, with positions and teams from before the turn of the century into the 1950s--annual rosters, in-depth histories, and more than 75 original photographs.

    

    The writers include Sam Lacy, Wendell Smith, Frank A. Young, Joe Bostic, Chester L. Washington, W. Rollo Wilson, Dan Burley, Ed Harris, A.S. Doc Young and Romeo Dougherty. The men represented here were pioneers in their own right. Writing for black weekly newspapers, they faced the same conditions as the leagues' players, from discrimination to endless travel. Yet it was through their writings that the public, both black and white were given an up-close, inside look at the day-to-day happenings of Negro League baseball.

    A boy learns the difference between yesterday when he could not ride his bike and today when he leads all the bicyclists.

    Beautiful and evocative full-color and duotone photographs of legendary parks, players, and moments bring to life the glorious past of the quintessential American game.