Wrigleyworld: A Season in Baseball's Best Neighborhood


Kevin Kaduk - 2006
    But for Cubs fans, "never say die" is a way of life. And Kevin Kaduk is no exception-so much so that in a fit of loyalty to his "Lovable Losers," he quit his job as a sportswriter in Kansas City and moved back to the Windy City on a quest to find the heart and soul of what has come to be known as "Wrigleyville"-the idiosyncratic neighborhood that has sprung up around Wrigley Field." This is a rollicking adventure of baseball, blind faith, and America's pastime as it's played in America's heartland.

Seeing Home: The Ed Lucas Story: A Blind Broadcaster's Story of Overcoming Life's Greatest Obstacles


Ed Lucas - 2015
    He lost his sight forever. To cheer him up, his mother wrote letters to baseball superstars of the day, explaining her son’s condition. Soon Ed was invited into their clubhouses and dugouts, as the players and coaches personally made him feel at home. Despite the warm reception he got from his heroes, Ed was told repeatedly by others that he would never be able to accomplish anything worthwhile because of his limitations. But Hall-of-Famer Phil Rizzuto became Ed’s mentor and encouraged him to pursue his passion—broadcasting. Ed then overcame hundreds of barriers, big and small, to become a pioneer—the first blind person covering baseball on a regular basis, a career he has successfully continued for six decades. Ed may have lost his sight, but he never lost his faith, which got him through many pitfalls and dark days. When Ed’s two sons were very young, his wife walked out and left him to raise them all by himself, which he did. Six years later, Ed’s ex-wife returned and sued him for full custody, saying that a blind man shouldn’t have her kids. The judge agreed, tearing Ed's sons away from their father's loving home. Ed fought the heartbreaking decision with appeals all the way up to the highest level of the court system. Eventually, he prevailed, marking the very first time in US history that a disabled person was awarded custody over a non-disabled spouse. Even in his later years, Ed is still enjoying a remarkably blessed life. In 2006, he married his second wife, Allison, at home plate in old Yankee Stadium, the only time that such a thing ever happened on that iconic spot. Yankee owner George Steinbrenner himself catered the whole affair, which was shown live on national television. Seeing Home: The Ed Lucas Story is truly a magical read and a universally uplifting and inspirational tale for everyone, whether or not you happen to be a sports fan. Over his long and amazing life, Ed has collected hundreds of anecdotes from his personal relationships and encounters with everyone, from kings and presidents to movie stars and sports Hall-of-Famers, many of which he shares in this memoir, using his trademark humorous and engaging style, cowritten with his youngest son, Christopher.

Munson: The Life and Death of a Yankee Captain


Marty Appel - 2009
    This biography captures Munson's meteoric rise to stardom in baseball's most storied franchise.

Heads-Up Baseball: Playing the Game One Pitch at a Time


Ken Ravizza - 1995
    His mental skills enable him to play consistently at or near his best despite the adversity baseball presents each day."My ability to fully focus on what I had to do on a daily basis was what made me the successful player I was. Sure I had some natural ability, but that only gets you so far. I think I learned how to focus; it wasn't something that I was necessarily born with." -- Hank Aaron"Developing and refining my mental game has played a critical role in my success in baseball. For years players have had to develop these skills on their own. This book provides practical strategies for developing the mental skills that will help speed you toward your full potential." -- Dave Winfield

A Young Rich Boss Captured My Heart


Allie Marie - 2020
    After fifteen years of marriage, Kameron is demanding a divorce on the night of their anniversary, leaving Camille shattered and confused. Needing a relief from the pain and anger that seems to now live where her heart once lived, Camille finds herself in the bed of a handsome stranger. Despite her one night of unforgettable relief, Camille runs for the hill the next morning, making sure not to awaken the man that she only knows by the name of, DJ. Even after things between Camille and Kameron comes to an end, Kameron continues to shake her world with his lies and betrayals. Dion ‘DJ’ Roberts is a twenty-five-year-old NFL quarterback, who had made up in his mind that he is done with love and relationships. After learning the woman that he once loved, loved the money and fame more than him, DJ vowed to never be weakened by the four letter word again. To DJ, the only woman that was worth loving is his sister, until a one-night stand left him wondering… On a night out in the town, DJ and Camille finds themselves in the same club, and neither had not forgotten one detail of the night of passion they shared together. This time, DJ refused to let the lovely Camille disappear without a trace. Even though Camille is finally now divorced, her life is still far from drama free. Will DJ be able to put the broken pieces of Camille’s heart back together, or will his own trust issues alone with obstacles in the form of people make them both walk away, sticking to their vows to never love again?

Sidetracks: 40 True Stories of Hunting and Fishing on Paths Less Traveled (The Sidetracks Series)


Gary Oberg - 2018
    His book "Sidetracks" reveals locations where the finest game and the feistiest fish live including: ▪ Minnesota Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness▪ Lake Wenasaga, Ontario, Canada▪ Arctic Lodges, Reindeer Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada▪ Rice Lake, Ontario, Canada▪Skyline Guest Ranch, Cooke City, Montana▪ Fishing Charters in Seward, Alaska▪ Eagle's Nest Resort, Alaska▪ Sawtooth Mountain, Craig, Colorado▪ Sioux Lake, Meeker County, Minnesota▪ Spirit Lake, Iowa▪ Rochester, Minnesota▪ Lake of the Woods, Minnesota & Canada▪ Rowleys Bay, Door County, Wisconsin▪ Bear Lake Lodge, Alaska▪ Floating Lodges of Sioux Narrows, Ontario, Canada ABOUT THE AUTHOR-Gary Oberg, BME, PE, has spent his life on the edge. As an engineer and entrepreneur, he's taken a lot of chances, but he really learned about risk mitigation over a lifetime of pushing the limits outdoors. He grew up on a farm in Minnesota, where he learned to appreciate nature and her ways, and spent much of his life fishing and hunting throughout North America. These are the stories he's accumulated over decades, and the lessons they've taught him. Gary says, "If you're not living on the edge, you're takin' up too much room."

Throwing Heat


Nolan Ryan - 1988
    Here, in Nolan Ryan's own words, is the remarkable story of a skinny kid from Texas with a dynamite arm who grew up to be baseball's premier power pitcher.

The Perfection Point: Sport Science Predicts the Fastest Man, the Highest Jump, and the Limits of Athletic Performance


John Brenkus - 2010
    The Perfection Point is ideal for sports fans interested in the scientific basis of athletic excellence and a fascinating read for science fans interested in the physics of sports.

The Great American Baseball Card Flipping, Trading And Bubblegum Book


Brendan C. Boyd - 1973
    This New York Times Notable Book of the Year is a trip down memory lane to the days when baseball was king and baseball cards ruled the schoolyard. In fuller-than-living-color, the authors present more than two hundred baseball cards with outrageously funny bios, accompanied by definitive observations on trading, hoarding, collecting, flipping, "and other aberrations of the baseball card life." With a new introduction, this irreverent and affectionate look at baseball in the halcyon days of the 1950s ("before the graphics got better and the game got worse") is sure to appeal to even the most sober of baseball fans.

Shot and a Ghost: a year in the brutal world of professional squash


James Willstrop - 2012
    

Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball


Harvey Frommer - 1992
    Frommer paints Shoeless Joe as a baseball natural ("Joe Jackson hit the ball harder than any man ever to play baseball"-Ty Cobb), an illiterate hick (his table untemsils consisted of knife and fingers), and an innocent man snared by the greatest scandal in baseball history.

Change Up: How to Make the Great Game of Baseball Even Better


Buck Martinez - 2016
    Currently the play-by-play announcer for the Toronto Blue Jays, Martinez has witnessed enormous change in the game he loves, as it has morphed from a grassroots pastime to big business. Not all of the change has been for the better, and today’s fans struggle to connect to their on-the-field heroes as loyalty to club and player wavers and free agency constantly changes the face of every team’s roster.In Change Up, Martinez offers his unique insights into how Major League Baseball might reconnect with its fanbase, how the clubs might train and prepare their players for their time in “The Show,” and how players might approach the sport in a time of sagging fan interest. Martinez isn’t shy with his opinions, whether they be on pitch count, how to develop players through the minor-league system, and even if there should be a minor-league system at all. Always entertaining, ever insightful, Martinez shares brilliant insights and inside pitches about summer’s favourite game.

Little League Confidential: One Coach's Completely Unauthorized Tale of Survival


William Geist - 1992
    Just when it seems that Little League may be no place for a kid, this all-star line-up of conniving commissioners and mitt-impaired fielders sends the sport off and over the wall.Praise for Little League Confidential"Bill Geist is the funniest writer since Marcel Proust--I mean Mark Twain--no, make that Yogi Berra."--Russell Baker"A lighthearted romp . . . essential reading for seasons to come."--The New York Times Book Review"Very, very, very funny."--Larry King, USA Today

The Unforgettable World Cup: 31 Days of Triumph and Heartbreak in Brazil


The Wall Street Journal - 2014
    This e-book from The Wall Street Journal collects dispatches from our coverage of the sights, sounds and culture of the world's favorite sport as seen in Brazil, its spiritual home. We’ve collected highlights from The Journal's coverage of the tournament, added an introductory essay from WSJ Sports Columnist Jason Gay and more to bring you the most interesting, unexpected and insightful reporting from the Journal's correspondents in Brazil and around the world. It looks at everything from the sport itself to the people, places and culture that make the World Cup one of the most engaging sporting events on the planet.

The Ticket: Full Disclosure: The Completely True Story of the Marconi-winning Little Ticket, A.k.a., the Station That Got Your Mom to Say 'Stay Hard'


Scott Boyter - 2009
    From the boys at the back of the bus to one of the most imitated sports talk radio stations on the air today, get the full story as told by the guys you tune in to hear on 1310 AM every day.On the occasion of The Ticket’s 15th anniversary, Ticketheads finally have a book revealing all the history and behind-the-scenes hijinks of the Marconi-winning radio station. The ultimate bathroom book for every good, strong P1, this is the true, unvarnished Ticket story of how Mike Rhyner and the gang evolved from press-box yuk monkeys to forming the core of one of the nation’s most popular radio stations.