Product Description
One of the only question and answer baseball annuals on the market today, "STATS Baseball Scorecard" takes a creative and insightful look into what makes baseball tick, with lively analysis of all the hot topics facing Major League Baseball today. .Amazon.com Review
About as provocative as an Albert Belle stare, theScoreboard poses such eternal puzzlers as "Was Garciaparra theBest Rookie Shortstop Ever?", "Is Gwynn the Best of All Time Relativeto His League?", "Do Basestealers Improve with Age?", "How ImportantIs It to Score First?", "Which Parks Change at Night?", "Whose HeaterIs Hottest?", and "How Costly Is a Blown Save?" Then it analyzes thestats to find the answers. Brimming with information, theScoreboard is crammed with the unexpected; if you thinkyou have insight into the National Pastime, this is the place to testyourself. Oh, and by the way, yes on Garciaparra, but no on Gwynn,though he does come tantalizingly close. --Jeff Silverman ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Another wonderful effort
The team at Stats, Inc has produced another book that belongs on every fan's shelf. This series remains fresh and interesting and hopefully will continue for many years to come. ... Read more

Product Description
Mark McGwire made 1998 a season to remember for baseball fans all over the world when he blasted a record 70 home runs. Before turning himself into one of the most revered hitters in the game, though, he had to overcome poor eyesight and a variety of injuries. Rob Rains looks at how McGwire quickly became a legendary figure in St. Louis, and how hitting a home run in his first Little League at-bat changed his career aspirations. ... Read more

Product Description
The first guide to help you get to the next level of baseball play

To continue advancing up the ladder of competition, you need to master the game's advanced skills and techniques, those exciting plays that surface at crucial moments in competition and bring victory--the game-breaker plays and skills. The Louisville Slugger® Book of Game-Breaker Baseball moves beyond the basics. It features step-by-step instructions supplemented by major-league players explaining their styles in making the same plays.

This book:

• Teaches you 30 key skills illustrated with 150 high-quality photographs
• Offers you a complete blueprint if you want to play at the game's higher skill levels
• Provides approximate ages to master the skills and how long it should take to learn them

Product Description
There's trivia, and then there's knowledge—deep, extensive, obsessive knowledge—masquerading as trivia. It's the kind of trivia that, if you know the answer, makes you feel triumphant, and if you don't, gives you an education. The kind of trivia based not on what we shouldn't be expected to know, but on what we should—if we're to consider ourselves true fans.

Dennis Purdy, author of the just-published Team-by-Team Encyclopedia of Major League Baseball, has been collecting baseball trivia since before he could shave, and now presents the best of the best: a massive collection of over 1,000 trivia games. Not solo questions, but half-page games, every one involving matching multiple players to their accomplishments, or evaluating multiple clues to discover a mystery subject's identity, or digging deep into a round-up of terms, nicknames, phrases, awards, events, individual teams, locations, and more. The games cover three centuries of baseball history. Home run calls and the announcers who made them famous. The peculiar geography of a baseball field— where's the garden? the gateway? the firing line? Inimitable slang: cackler, chucker, clinker, and squibber. The lesser-known career feats of baseball's “Big 3,” Ruth, Aaron, and Bonds. World Series potpourri—They won the first night game in World Series history. . . . The team that lost the most World Series—13 . . . The only American League team to lose the World Series in three consecutive seasons . . . And much, much, much more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An excellent book
I bought this book for my 8-year-old son.He loves it so much that he has been reading it just about every day ever since Christmas. ... Read more

Product Description
A. G. Spalding was a key figure in the professionalization and commercialization of American sports.Co-founder of baseball's National League, owner of the Chicago White Stockings (later Cubs), and founder of a sporting goods business that made him a millionaire, Spalding not only willed baseball to be our national pastime but also contributed to making sport a significant part of American life.

This biography captures the zest, flamboyance, and creativity of Albert Goodwell Spalding, a man of insatiable ego, a showman and entrepreneur, whose life illuminated the hopes and fears of 19th-century Americans.It is also a vivid evocation of the vanished world of 19th-century baseball, recreating a time when it was transformed from a game played on unkempt fields to modern style. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Very dry look at the business side of baseball
For the fan interested in the origins of baseball, this dry account is very likely of interest only to professional historians and Spalding family descendants.The playing days of the main character cover only two shortchapters and never evince or even try for any excitement.The remaindercovers Spalding's activities as a businessman, promoter, owner, baseballmogul, supporter of the theosophist movement and California senatorialcandidate.Never does the book ever make us feel we have been swept awayto relive those far off times.Having previously read Where They Ain't:The Fabled Life and Untimely Death of the Original Baltimore Orioles, theTeam That Gave Birth to Modern Baseball by Burt Solomon , I felt greatlydisappointed in comparison.The author intimates that Spalding, while aferocious, tireless and successful promoter, probably failed to examine allsides of an issue sufficiently before jumping into frays and that Spaldinglived morefor the process itself than for the result.But despite all ofthese struggles, they are not told in an entertaining or moving way.Infact the reader is forced to slog through many, many quotes employing thehyperventilated prose of the day which by now has become quite stale.Thisbook is classified as a baseball book, but really belongs in the Americanculture or American social history section.Unfortunately I cannotrecommend it to anyone except researchers already working in this field whowill probably enjoy this dry, spare, heavily-footnoted account. In fact,the way it reads suggests that the author was working not from passion forhis subject, but perhaps from happenstance of a lucky archival find orcommission, although I don't know the facts of course and am merelyspeculating. ... Read more

Product Description
Generations of Americans grew upwith baseball as their childhood passion. It formed the centerpiece of theirbudding dreams and aspirations. But adulthood brought with it an unfairexchange...youthful dreams for adult responsibilities. Author Vince Gennaro answers the ultimate question...what would it be like torelive those carefree days of our youth? For one glorious week in the Floridasun, he turned the clock back thirty-five years. He traded his business suitand briefcase for a major league uniform, glove and spikes and boarded a timemachine called baseball 'fantasy camp'. Field of Dreamers is thestory of that unforgettable weeklong reunion with his childhood. Thismultidimensional book is a love story, between baseball and its most passionatefan. It explores his courtship, first date, wildest dreams and recent secondhoneymoon...fantasy camp. It chronicles middle-aged men chasing their baseballdreams and delves into their emotions as they unfold over the week. It exploreslife as a big league ballplayer, right down to the doubleheaders and theinsufferably long lines at the trainers' room. Gennaroalso offers a thoughtful perspective on how baseball can reconnect with today'sfan, while it cultivates a mesmerizing relationship with the next generation.Yes, it's a book about baseball, but it's also a book about a reunion with ourchildhood dreams. ... Read more

Product Description
This new volume is the first book establishing arelationship between Brassey’s, Inc. and the premier researchorganization in all of sports, the Society for American BaseballResearch. This initial release allows you to return to one of the mostcolorful, popular, important, and distinct periods of baseballhistory. With the Society for American Baseball Research to guide you,you’ll learn about the stars, the regulars, and the people behind thescenes—who were all the leading lights of the seniorcircuit. Through them, follow the great game’s opening decades as theoriginal eight National League franchises combated the AmericanLeague, only to strike up a partnership with it and start the WorldSeries in 1903, launching the major leagues as we know themtoday. Lavishly illustrated, featuring photographs and autographs ofevery player or person profiled, Deadball Stars of the National Leaguegives fans a unique window into the game of "inside baseball," atime !when the stolen base and the sacrifice were a manager’s keyweapons, when pitchers finished what they started, and when thebaseball itself was a sodden, misshapen, tobacco-stainedmenace. Edited by Tom Simon and written and assembled by his fellowmembers of SABR’s Deadball Era Committee, the unique resource DeadballStars of the National League reflects a defining era of baseballhistory. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

A Very Good Read - Anytime
This is the kind of book you pick up, read a few stories (biographies) and then put down and kind of let them digest in your mind. Then, another day....and another and so-on....you keep doing the same. I have found I've read several of these bios multiple times but found them so interesting each time I didn't mind if I'd read them before.

The short bios of these Deadball Era players each have a couple of interesting things about the men who played this great game about 100 years ago. Some of the tales are sad, some are funny. To me, itnoteworthy to discover how few truly big men played the game and how the Irish took to this sport.

After reading about all of the bios by now, I have a better picture of Deadball Era baseball and find that time period utterly fascinating.The same, of course, goes for the companion book detailing players from the American League. Both of these books are essential for anyone who loves baseball history.

Early Baseball History
An informative and sometimes personal look at the early stars of baseball in the National League. As so often happens, these pioneers are too frequently forgotten and their accomplishments lost to histoy and memory. Today we tend to measure things and remember things in terms of immediate memory, last week, last year and what was last on ESPN.What have you done for me lately? This volume helps restore some perspective.

NL Deadball Stars
The product was shipped and received as promised. I enjoyed reading the biographies of the these players.

Baseball History in a nutshell
I bought this along with the American League version. I like to pick it up and read about an older player or two each week. Interesting stuff. My friends who like baseball like to browse through it as well.

Excellent Book On The First Two Decades of N.L. Baseball
The Society for American Baseball Research rarely turns out a bad book, and "Deadball Stars of the National League" continues that trend.It is an excellent book, with short biographies of the major stars for each of the franchises active between 1901 and 1919, complete with photos rare and common.The book was an enormous undertaking, with a huge amount of people on the "Deadball" Committee of the organization taking part in the writing, editing and fact checking.It's a wonderful book for those wanting a feel of the game in the first decades of the 20th century, and of the players of that time, and I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Product Description
Just when he thinks he'll spend the rest of the season on the bench nursing his weak throwing arm, Jody learns what it takes to come through in a pinch. Black-and-white illustrations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Awesome book
I recommend Catcher with a Glass Arm, by Matt Christopher with five stars.It's all about a catcher named Jody Sinclair who can't throw to third base.He's scared to use all his power.To make things worse, he gets hit by a ball and is scared to go in the batter's box.His friend's dad helps Jody to get better at batting and throwing.Jody is surprised that he can throw and hit better then ever.This book got my attention when I first started reading it. Catcher with a Glass Arm is good for kids who understand baseball.

Curious mom checks out a Matt Christopher sports novel....
Age appropriate sports read for 9 to 12 year olds. The main character, Jody Sinclair, is struggling as a catcher in throwing-down runners to second base. Jody is beginning to be scare of the ball as a hitter also. One of Jody's team-mates' Dad, Jim Myers helps Jody work on his baseball playing skills. Jody has a black pet cat named Midnight and Jody showed great love and care for the cat. I thought the author adding Midnight as a secondary storyline was admirable.

Young boys participating in sports can relate to Jody and his problems
Jody is the primary catcher on his baseball team and he has a mental problem. Although his arm is strong enough, his mind gets in the way when he attempts to throw out runners trying to steal bases. He is so fearful of overthrowing the base that he regularly bounces the ball in. Consequently, runners take advantage of him at every opportunity. His problems are further compounded when he gets hit in the head by a pitch. Although his helmet keeps him from being injured, the incident further clouds his thinking and now he has trouble hitting. Jody's courage is tested when he is forced to rescue his cat Midnight from a cave and with the help of some knowledgeable adults; he is able to work through his baseball fears.
Good adolescent sports fiction is about people facing challenges, working through adversity and not giving up until the task is completed. This book satisfies all of those criteria and since it features boys in realistic situations, there is the additional advantage that young boys participating in sports can relate to the problems Jody faces. For these reasons I recommend this book.

Jody'sSuperArm
My favorite book, Catcher with a Glass Arm, is written by Matt Christopher. I gave this story five stars. It is very enjoyable. I had a lot of fun reading it. My favorite part of the book is when Jody and his parents were riding in there car and it starts to rain. An electrical pole fell and they have to wait for the electrical workers to fix it. They have to stay in the car because it is raining outside and they don't want to get wet. If you like sports I really think you should read this book. Matt Christopher writes more books like The Lucky Baseball Bat, Baseball Pals, Two Strikes on Johnny, Little Lefty, Baseball Fly hawk, Hard Drive to Short, Too Hot to Handle, Challenge at Second Base and a lot more.

Emerson, NJ; fifth grade student

A good dude book
The book I'm reviewing is Catcher With A Glass Arm by Matt Christopher. I think it deserves five stars. The problem in the story is Jody the main character has a glass arm. Jody thinks he could play, but his teamates don't think he can. Although his teammates don't believe in him, Jody plays. Jody starts catching badly and he is starting to think he can't play. Jody solved this problem by talking to Mr. Baruth. Mr. Baruth tells him not to care about what his teammates think. Then he says "As long as your happy playing baseball, then play." Jody gets his confidence back and plays very well. I recommend this book to a friend. ... Read more

Product Description
In Making Little League Baseball® More Fun for Kids, long time baseball coach Randy Voorhees arms coaches with dozens of innovative, easy-to-perform games and drills guaranteed to dramatically increase the fun quotient of their practices while building the skills, confidence, motivation, and sheer love of the sport Little Leaguers need to win games. Designed to involve all team members in practice, these "games within the game" cover all fundamentals in the categories of hitting, pitching, fielding, and baserunning. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Excellent book!!
This book not only has many great training excercises in it but also taught me how to make my practice sessions more fun for the boys. I think they will learn faster and progress quicker by using the easy to follow training ideas. This book would be a great addition to any coach's arsenal of training aides.

Great Book! Good Advice for the First Time Coach!
My husband used this book to coach his first t-ball team.The book had very good advice on how to get the kids interested in the game and how to teach the game to them without scaring the little ones.He had them catching and throwing balls the very first day.Great book for the first time coach!

baseball book
My husband is a little leage coach and he is enjoying the book very much.

Good fun drills to change up practice
If you are looking for a couple of new drills for the little league ages, this book give you some good ideas to add some fun to practice.

good baseball tips
My son is in tee ball so I purchased this book as well as its predecessor for tee ball.This book was very useful and had some interesting drills for young children.I recommend this book for anyone with a child who has an interest in baseball. ... Read more

Product Description
Just when he thinks he'll spend the rest of the season on the bench nursing his weak throwing arm, Jody learns what it takes to come through in a pinch. Black-and-white illustrations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Awesome book
I recommend Catcher with a Glass Arm, by Matt Christopher with five stars.It's all about a catcher named Jody Sinclair who can't throw to third base.He's scared to use all his power.To make things worse, he gets hit by a ball and is scared to go in the batter's box.His friend's dad helps Jody to get better at batting and throwing.Jody is surprised that he can throw and hit better then ever.This book got my attention when I first started reading it. Catcher with a Glass Arm is good for kids who understand baseball.

Curious mom checks out a Matt Christopher sports novel....
Age appropriate sports read for 9 to 12 year olds. The main character, Jody Sinclair, is struggling as a catcher in throwing-down runners to second base. Jody is beginning to be scare of the ball as a hitter also. One of Jody's team-mates' Dad, Jim Myers helps Jody work on his baseball playing skills. Jody has a black pet cat named Midnight and Jody showed great love and care for the cat. I thought the author adding Midnight as a secondary storyline was admirable.

Young boys participating in sports can relate to Jody and his problems
Jody is the primary catcher on his baseball team and he has a mental problem. Although his arm is strong enough, his mind gets in the way when he attempts to throw out runners trying to steal bases. He is so fearful of overthrowing the base that he regularly bounces the ball in. Consequently, runners take advantage of him at every opportunity. His problems are further compounded when he gets hit in the head by a pitch. Although his helmet keeps him from being injured, the incident further clouds his thinking and now he has trouble hitting. Jody's courage is tested when he is forced to rescue his cat Midnight from a cave and with the help of some knowledgeable adults; he is able to work through his baseball fears.
Good adolescent sports fiction is about people facing challenges, working through adversity and not giving up until the task is completed. This book satisfies all of those criteria and since it features boys in realistic situations, there is the additional advantage that young boys participating in sports can relate to the problems Jody faces. For these reasons I recommend this book.

Jody'sSuperArm
My favorite book, Catcher with a Glass Arm, is written by Matt Christopher. I gave this story five stars. It is very enjoyable. I had a lot of fun reading it. My favorite part of the book is when Jody and his parents were riding in there car and it starts to rain. An electrical pole fell and they have to wait for the electrical workers to fix it. They have to stay in the car because it is raining outside and they don't want to get wet. If you like sports I really think you should read this book. Matt Christopher writes more books like The Lucky Baseball Bat, Baseball Pals, Two Strikes on Johnny, Little Lefty, Baseball Fly hawk, Hard Drive to Short, Too Hot to Handle, Challenge at Second Base and a lot more.

Emerson, NJ; fifth grade student

A good dude book
The book I'm reviewing is Catcher With A Glass Arm by Matt Christopher. I think it deserves five stars. The problem in the story is Jody the main character has a glass arm. Jody thinks he could play, but his teamates don't think he can. Although his teammates don't believe in him, Jody plays. Jody starts catching badly and he is starting to think he can't play. Jody solved this problem by talking to Mr. Baruth. Mr. Baruth tells him not to care about what his teammates think. Then he says "As long as your happy playing baseball, then play." Jody gets his confidence back and plays very well. I recommend this book to a friend. ... Read more

Product Description
In Making Little League Baseball® More Fun for Kids, long time baseball coach Randy Voorhees arms coaches with dozens of innovative, easy-to-perform games and drills guaranteed to dramatically increase the fun quotient of their practices while building the skills, confidence, motivation, and sheer love of the sport Little Leaguers need to win games. Designed to involve all team members in practice, these "games within the game" cover all fundamentals in the categories of hitting, pitching, fielding, and baserunning. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Excellent book!!
This book not only has many great training excercises in it but also taught me how to make my practice sessions more fun for the boys. I think they will learn faster and progress quicker by using the easy to follow training ideas. This book would be a great addition to any coach's arsenal of training aides.

Great Book! Good Advice for the First Time Coach!
My husband used this book to coach his first t-ball team.The book had very good advice on how to get the kids interested in the game and how to teach the game to them without scaring the little ones.He had them catching and throwing balls the very first day.Great book for the first time coach!

baseball book
My husband is a little leage coach and he is enjoying the book very much.

Good fun drills to change up practice
If you are looking for a couple of new drills for the little league ages, this book give you some good ideas to add some fun to practice.

good baseball tips
My son is in tee ball so I purchased this book as well as its predecessor for tee ball.This book was very useful and had some interesting drills for young children.I recommend this book for anyone with a child who has an interest in baseball. ... Read more

Product Description

Take your game from bush league to big time with these proven techniques

Baseball scouts and coaches at every level want players with the knowledge and ability to do it all. They're looking for someone who can dominate a game and showcase talent in each of baseball's five essential skills: hitting for average, hitting for power, fielding, arm strength, and speed. What they hope to find is The Five-Tool Player.

In The Five-Tool Player, you'll get all the drills, step-by-step photos, and guidance you need to master the five tools. You'll learn how to:

• Hit for high average by understanding pitch patterns and expanding your hitting zone
• Develop power at the plate with proper technique, an aggressive attitude, and strength training
• Diversify your defensive skills by learning the nuances of each position
• Increase your arm strength with proper throwing form and conditioning
• Improve your base running with speed training

Customer Reviews (5)

Swing at This One
It's all here--every memorable, and not so memorable, baseball tiff, thumper, ruckus, and rumble you loved to hate (or hate to love) from recent & not-so-recent memory.

Turn to any chapter.The descriptions come like a series of Big Unit fastballs, not letting up from one to the next, and the Index makes it easy to look up your favorite fights.Like an .850 on-base percentage, chances are you'll find them.From the Sublime (Sox vs. Yankees, in which A-Ro[y]d received a mushful o' mitt from Jason Varitek; the Clemens/Piazza wars) to the Ridiculous (10cent Beer Night; Disco Demolition), all are decsribed in a down-and-in humorous manner that finds-the-hole-to-where-they-ain't in the field after each swing of the bat (or fist).

Billy Martin has his own chapter, as does the infamous San Diego @ Atlanta game of the mid 80s.Reggie Jax occupies half of another chapter with several of his front-pagers, and not just with the Yankee seasons.Also, the repercussions (ejections, fines, reprimands, fan interference, etc.) of most cool and fool battles, especially the more serious ones, are laid out in detail.

During the off-season,this book is an unassisted triple play whenever Hockey, Football, or Basketball fights (or games) don't quite measure in intensity. It's a team effort from one got-game author, and far from a no-HIT-ter.The count is 3 and 2...

The gift that keeps on giving!
I tell you, any time I pick up this book, I am laughing in a minute enjoying Vrusho's comprehensive account of every professional baseball fight known to man. Remember when baseball was dirty AND honest?

Vrusho resists the urge to fluff this puppy out with recollections of seeing said fights with a cookie and a blankey on an old black and white TV set as some would. Spike sticks to the facts and the perfect amount of Breslin-esque wit and charm to keep the fires crackling hot. Eminently readable as a through read, a beach read, and most importantly, a can read!

Good Book, fun to read and solid, entertaining commentary
I have to say that I enjoyed reading this book and found the commentary attached to it very humorous in many cases. The book did a great job at picking those incidents that resulted in near riots at baseball games, or off the field, during the past several decades. It is light and fluffy reading and doesn't offer any serious insights into baseball but at the same time it is fun and enjoyable.

I don't like the fact that the author chose to focus for the most part on the events since instant replay came into the foreground. He ignored or payed scant attention to many great and well known fights from the 20's, 30's and 40's and beyond.Still this is fun and I recommend it to any budding baseball historian.

A fun book for baseball fans
Baseball brawls (or, as some refer to them, basebrawls) are seldom very violent, often look foolish, but also engender lots of debate and discussion.

This volume focuses on, as the subtitle refers to it, "Baseball's Greatest Fights and Riots." The author notes that (Page 3): "Baseball fights, though often considered predictable dramas--especially once the Greek chorus arrives from the distant bullpen to assist in the standing around and milling about--at least provide a new perspective on the use of the field."

The heart of the book is the description of some famous brawls (and brawlers) over time.Think things get spicy now? Pages 6-8 outline Ty Cobb's greatest hits--or brawls.Cobb was a nasty customer, and these vignettes give a sense of his persona.

And then there was the conflict between pitcher Juan Marichal and catcher John Roseboro in 1965.The Giants and Dodgers hat a heated rivalry--going back to their days in New York.Here, things got out of control and Marichal, at bat, began using his bat on Roseboro, the catcher. Ugly incident. . . .

After page 186, there are several photos of some of the battles that have taken place in baseball. They give a flavor of what the action can look like.

Chapter 19--a whole chapter on Billy Martin! Amazing reading of the spirit of a person out of control at times.

So, what of this volume? Hardly a deep, philosophical piece. But if you want a sense of the hard edged side of baseball leading up to brawls, this is a useful introduction.

benchclearing :baseball 's greatest fights and riots
if you like the history of baseball brawls this is the book for you, minus the pictures. ... Read more

Product Description
If you're a fan of the national pastime, you'll love Ichiro, Satchel, and theBabe: More Baseball's Fun Facts and Serious Trivia, compiled by Mike Attiyeh, asemifinalist of the prestigious Society for American Baseball Research (SABR)'s annual triviacontest. This sequel to Attiyeh's recently published Who Was Traded for Lefty Grove?provides another outstanding collection of over 600 fascinating facts and tantalizing trivia.

Which southpaw retired Babe Ruth in each of their first 11 official at-bats? (If you answeredLefty Grove or any other Hall of Famer, you're wrong.)

Did you know in 1993 the White Sox drafted Carey Schueler, making her the first woman everchosen in the free agent amateur draft?

Challenging, entertaining, stimulating, and deliciously thorough, the book spans the entire historyof the sport, from the game's early years all the way through the record-breaking 2002 season.Some of the questions are tough ones, requiring deduction, reason, and a big-picture knowledgeof the game, but Attiyeh's often surprising answers inevitably leave the reader fully informed andsatisfied.

Which team was originally known as the Atlantics?

Which Hall of Fame second baseman played only one game at that position over his first fourmajor league seasons?

Did you know the New York Yankees have avoided being no-hit for 44 consecutive years, amajor-league record?

So, whether your home team is 20 games back or on its way to winning the pennant, reach for theonly trivia book sophisticated enough for players, writers, and broadcasters–if you think you'regood enough. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (3)

unique perspective
A relatively thick book consisting of all-color images from the 70's to the very recent past. Not a coffee table book in the strict sense inasmuch as it's too small. Dimensions aside, it's pretty much as the description indicates. If you have an interest in the period covered it's not bad; covers most of the stars of the era and most teams are given decent coverage. (Not all Yankees, Dodgers etc.)
My only gripe is very few pictures have info regarding the date or location they were taken. Also, it would have been cool if they could have provided more biographical stats on the lesser known players pictured.I probably would've given more stars had it not been for this. Overall, this book was very well edited and would be a welcome edition to any baseball fan's collection.

Great pictures
More that anything, Baseball is presented through splendid pictures. Breif texts help to identify the players or subects photographed. A superb buy, considering its price.

Of Such Pleasing Incidents Is The Pastime Made Up
Joseph Wallace has put together a book of over 700 pages of memories for the baseball fan.If you are a fan of the game you will find memories of the past 35 years with a color photo on the right side of the book with a description of the photo on the left.The book is quite heavy since the paper is of a high quality and slick.My favorite photo is entitled "Where Does the Time Go?" that shows Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, Warren Spahn, and Joe Torre after their playing careers were over.Gibson, Brock, and Torre are in their Cardinals' uniform while Spahn sports a Milwaukee Braves' uniform.The description states the image of these players is not the one fans associate with these individuals, but reminds us of the continuing passing of the years.My favorite quote comes from Gaylord Perry who stated, "The trouble with baseball is that it is not played the year round."Beautiful action photos along with heartbreaking photos of defeat as well as thrilling victorious moments of recent decades of the men who are included in any baseball fan's memory make this a worthwhile book for your baseball library. ... Read more

Product Description

Cooperstown! Josh is thrilled when all his hard training pays off in a big way and his team, the Titans, makes it to a national tournament in Cooperstown, home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. More is on the line for Josh than just a trophy. Winning would mean everything to his dad—now Josh's coach. Winning could mean a major endorsement deal for the Titans and the attention of big league scouts!

Customer Reviews (3)

RIVALS continues Green's captivating series with his familiar style
One minute you're riding on the shoulders of your teammates after a great victory, and the next your eye has swollen shut from a dirty play during the championship game and threatens to keep you from playing baseball. That's the opening action from RIVALS, the latest offering by Tim Green in his well-written Baseball Great series for young readers. Josh LeBlanc and his team, the Syracuse Titans, are one game away from a spot on the cards at the annual youth baseball Hall of Fame Tournament in Cooperstown, New York. When he steps up to bat, Josh tries to imagine all the possible balls he could get (fastball, high ball, etc.). He wasn't prepared for the curve ball that hit him squarely in the face.

They win the game and the chance to play in the tournament, but Josh and his family are faced with a major medical decision because of the nasty cut he received from the wild ball that seemed intentionally thrown to remove Josh and the Titans from contention. The umpire, however, didn't call anything.

The doctor gives Josh two choices to protect his optic nerve: surgery that would leave a permanent scar, or rest for several weeks and no baseball. Resting would mean Josh could not play at Cooperstown and lose out on a chance to help his team win it all. The surgery would mean playing right away but living with the constant reminder every time he looks in the mirror. He and his dad think it's a no-brainer, but mom is against taking any risks with Josh's eyesight.

Still, as every baseball lover knows, Cooperstown is a slugger's mecca. It's the place you want to be because it's all about baseball. Playing there and getting to see the Baseball Hall of Fame are dreams come true for a teen player whose college chances are dependent on a baseball scholarship. The Cooperstown tournament seems to hold all the keys to Josh's future as a player, to say nothing about the fact that a major sports equipment manufacturer is looking at the Titans and considering an offer of a sweet sponsorship deal. Everything is riding on Josh playing and winning at Cooperstown. But at the moment, he can't see through his left eye.

RIVALS continues Green's captivating series with his familiar style that delivers a great sports story with writing that is easy to read but engaging because of his ability to create colorful characters. Green focuses on the action of the game while artistically penning some really nice images with similes and metaphors that make his work so enjoyable to read. For instance, he describes a private jet on the tarmac as looking "...like a white shark with wings," and a mass of groupies as "...people orbiting around him like he was the sun, even as he moved." The pictures he writes for readers' minds are brilliant and sometimes surprising in their comparisons. And the literary merits found in his previous baseball and football books are prominent in this new offering.

Josh goes to Cooperstown and comes face to face with understanding what rivalry means in sports and in his personal life. Then he stumbles onto a potential mystery when he witnesses what he thinks is a payoff to an umpire calling the Hall of Fame games. Baseball, relationships, and scandal all meld together as Josh finds out how a rivalry can make you deliver the best you have on and off the field.

RIVALS continues Green's captivating series with his familiar style
One minute you're riding on the shoulders of your teammates after a great victory, and the next your eye has swollen shut from a dirty play during the championship game and threatens to keep you from playing baseball. That's the opening action from RIVALS, the latest offering by Tim Green in his well-written Baseball Great series for young readers. Josh LeBlanc and his team, the Syracuse Titans, are one game away from a spot on the cards at the annual youth baseball Hall of Fame Tournament in Cooperstown, New York. When he steps up to bat, Josh tries to imagine all the possible balls he could get (fastball, high ball, etc.). He wasn't prepared for the curve ball that hit him squarely in the face.

They win the game and the chance to play in the tournament, but Josh and his family are faced with a major medical decision because of the nasty cut he received from the wild ball that seemed intentionally thrown to remove Josh and the Titans from contention. The umpire, however, didn't call anything.

The doctor gives Josh two choices to protect his optic nerve: surgery that would leave a permanent scar, or rest for several weeks and no baseball. Resting would mean Josh could not play at Cooperstown and lose out on a chance to help his team win it all. The surgery would mean playing right away but living with the constant reminder every time he looks in the mirror. He and his dad think it's a no-brainer, but mom is against taking any risks with Josh's eyesight.

Still, as every baseball lover knows, Cooperstown is a slugger's mecca. It's the place you want to be because it's all about baseball. Playing there and getting to see the Baseball Hall of Fame are dreams come true for a teen player whose college chances are dependent on a baseball scholarship. The Cooperstown tournament seems to hold all the keys to Josh's future as a player, to say nothing about the fact that a major sports equipment manufacturer is looking at the Titans and considering an offer of a sweet sponsorship deal. Everything is riding on Josh playing and winning at Cooperstown. But at the moment, he can't see through his left eye.

RIVALS continues Green's captivating series with his familiar style that delivers a great sports story with writing that is easy to read but engaging because of his ability to create colorful characters. Green focuses on the action of the game while artistically penning some really nice images with similes and metaphors that make his work so enjoyable to read. For instance, he describes a private jet on the tarmac as looking "...like a white shark with wings," and a mass of groupies as "...people orbiting around him like he was the sun, even as he moved." The pictures he writes for readers' minds are brilliant and sometimes surprising in their comparisons. And the literary merits found in his previous baseball and football books are prominent in this new offering.

Josh goes to Cooperstown and comes face to face with understanding what rivalry means in sports and in his personal life. Then he stumbles onto a potential mystery when he witnesses what he thinks is a payoff to an umpire calling the Hall of Fame games. Baseball, relationships, and scandal all meld together as Josh finds out how a rivalry can make you deliver the best you have on and off the field.

Five Stars For Rivals
This is a great sports book by a great sports author. And even if you don't love sports you will still love this book and lessons and theme. ... Read more

Product Description

In a long, probing introductory essay, Negro Leaguehistorian Jerry Malloy provides important context to the content ofWhite's work. And while White's History stands on its own,Malloy adds an intriguing array of supporting documents, includingsome of White's later observations on the game; an 1892 account fromthe Cleveland Gazette identifying the prejudice of Cap Anson,the Hall of Famer most responsible for establishing the game's colorline; and a column from the April 11, 1891, issue of SportingLife that begins with the already shameful realization that,"Probably in no other business in America is the color line so finelydrawn as in base ball. An African who attempts to put on a uniform andgo in among a lot of white players is taking his life in his hands."--Jeff Silverman ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

"To the players and managers of the past and present
and the patrons of colored baseball, to them I dedicate this book."

And what a book it is.

Originally published in 1907, Sol White is not just writing from a historian's perspective of the pre-NLB era, he was a major contributor as a player, manager and team owner on some of the best clubs from that era.

With an emphasis on box scores and photographs, the great teams, players and memorable games are chronicled in this 1996 reprint of the original book - with only minor editorial corrections - a supplement & additional articles by White and other writers. The original small run of copies was poorly printed and an end note explains the reproduction process for clarity.

A lenghty introduction by Jerry Malloy not only encapsulates the key areas in White's book, but provides a better understanding of a time when Jim Crow stepped into the batter's box of the professional game.

White was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006. What he gave to future generations of fans & historians through the book is a grand slam.

Thank you, Cooperstown!
When author Sol White was among the 17 people who were selected this week by the Baseball Hall of Fame, I got curious about this book of his. Until now, few people have known of it. Presumably and hopefully, the Hall of Fame selection will change this.

The book, originally published in 1907, was apparently the first major attempt at a history of black baseball, written by a man who was heavily immersed in it for many years straddling the turn of the last century. As a player, he appears to have been at least excellent and possibly great--an infielder who played all four positions and hit in the .300's with fair power. White's commentary about himself as a player is very routine and modest; most of what we gather of his playing is from the lengthy introduction written by Jerry Malloy for the 1995 re-printing.

The original book is preserved and included in this edition. Much of that original edition was "non-text"--photos, box-scores, and delightful print-ads. The text portion is full of fascinating detail belying its brevity--and VERY well written. Much of it is a series of dry year-by-year accounts of what happened in black baseball, really exactly like what we see in the "mainstream" annuals of the period like the Spalding guides. But there are also some sections that are quite activist, getting into the segregation issue and the plight of the black player. Additionally there are interesting sections on hitting, pitching, and managing, some of the them written by other authors. This edition also includes copies of newspaper and magazine articles on black baseball from later as well as earlier years, including an article written by White in 1930 for the Amsterdam News.

There are many wonderful old photographs of teams and individual players, of a type rarely seen elsewhere. From the photos we see that the author seems to have had a strong resemblance to the recent player Chris Chambliss, which I mention just to help give a visual image of him.

Perhaps the Hall of Fame's selection committee gave Sol White some extra credit for his writing. If so, it was well deserved. Thank you, Cooperstown, for helping to bring this book back into view. ... Read more

Product Description
The baseball card market is heating up again and your customers are spending most of their time and money on the newer cards! The new edition of the Baseball Card Price Guide provides them with the most comprehensive checklist available for cards issued from 1981-2001. More than 175,000 cards are priced by the analysts of the sports card hobby’s leading publication, Sports Collectors Digest.

Your customers can count on having the most current sets, the very latest releases of 2001 and the hottest insert cards checklisted and priced. Plus more than 2,000 large, clear photos will appeal to both new and experienced collectors.

All prices have been compiled from actual card transactions from the Sports Collectors Digest’s dealer network and via auction results so your book buyers can be assured of current and accurate real-world prices.

- 175,000 cards checklisted and priced from 1981-2001 - A glossary of hobby terms and tutorial on how to grade and evaluate cards- More than 2,000 large, clear photos for simple identification ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

upto date price guide
i have used this book to look up alot of cards that is was going to buy to see there actual b.v and in the book some of the cards i recently bought were actualy below what there b.v was so i resold them and made a 200%profit!buy this book and find out what your baseball cards areworth.! ... Read more