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The Greatest Baseball Stories Ever Told: Thirty Unforgettable Tales from the Diamond
At a 1931 barnstorming exhibition game in Tennessee, a seventeen-year-old pitcher for the Chattanooga Lookouts struck out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig back to back. Her name was Jackie Mitchell-"organized baseball's first girl pitcher." On September 9, 1965, Sandy Koufax made baseball history by pitching his fourth perfect game. In July 1970, a stripper rushed onto the field at Riverfront Stadium to kiss Johnny Bench, temporarily disrupting a game attended by President Nixon and his family. These are just some of the great, quirky, and comic moments in the annals of baseball recorded in The Greatest Baseball Stories Ever Told. Here also are profiles of such legendary figures as Joe DiMaggio, Pete Rose, and Yogi Berra, essays that explore the complexities and pleasures of the game, even an excerpt from the movie Bull Durham. This is the perfect book for anyone who has ever played so much as a game of catch.
Jeff Silverman (Author), Hillary Huber, Mike Chamberlain (Narrator)
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Ahead of the Curve: Inside the Baseball Revolution
Most people who resist logical thought in baseball preach "tradition" and "respecting the game." But many of baseball's traditions go back to the nineteenth century, when the pitcher's job was to provide the batter with a ball he could hit and fielders played without gloves. Instead of fearing change, Brian Kenny wants fans to think critically, reject outmoded groupthink, and embrace the changes that have come with the "sabermetric era." In his entertaining and enlightening book, Kenny discusses why the pitching win-loss record, the Triple Crown, fielding errors, and so-called battling titles should be ignored. Kenny also points out how fossilized sportswriters have been electing the wrong MVPs and ignoring legitimate candidates for the Hall of Fame; why managers are hired based on their looks; and how the most important position in baseball may just be "director of decision sciences." Ahead of the Curve debunks the old way of analyzing baseball and ushers in a new era of straightforward logic. Illustrated with unique anecdotes from those who have reshaped the game, it's a must-listen for fans, players, managers, and fantasy enthusiasts.
Brian Kenny (Author), Brian Kenny (Narrator)
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Home Game: Three Generations of Big-League Stories from Baseball's First Family
From the first third-generation baseball player in Major League Baseball history, a sometimes moving, always candid look at his family's 70 years in the world of professional baseball.Bret Boone made history in 1992 as the first third-generation major leaguer in baseball history. A five-foot-ten firecracker who was spurned by scouts for his small size, supposed lack of power, and temper tantrums (one scout called him a "helmet-throwing terror"), Bret didn't care about family legacy; he wanted to make his own way. He did just that, building a 14-year career that included three all-star appearances, four Gold Gloves, a bout with alcoholism, and the ignominy of being traded for the infamous "player to be named later." Now that he's coaching minor leaguers half his age, and his 15-year-old son has the potential to be a fourth-generation major leaguer, Bret is ready to reflect on and tell the story of baseball from the perspective of his family's 70-year history in the sport.Combining the brashness and candor of Ball Four with a dollop of Big Russ and Me sentiment, this book will trace the evolution of the game-on the field and behind the scenes-from Ray Boone's era in the 1950s to Bret and Aaron's era in the 90s and 2000s, when players made millions, dined on lobster in the clubhouse, injected themselves with PEDs, and had their choice of "Annies"-female clingers-on, or as today's players call them, "road beef." Along the way, the book will touch on pieces of Boone family lore, including Bret hitting zero dingers in a home run derby and Aaron's home run (if you don't know what this is referring to, then consult the nearest Red Sox fan). Blending nostalgia, behind-the-scenes profanity, close analysis of the game that only players can offer, and insight into baseball's ongoing evolution as a sport and a business, Bret Boone will offer a one-of-a-kind look at America's favorite pastime from a family who has seen it all.
Bret Boone, Kevin Cook (Author), Bret Boone (Narrator)
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The Only Rule Is It Has to Work: Our Wild Experiment Building a New Kind of Baseball Team
It's the ultimate in fantasy baseball: You get to pick the roster, set the lineup, and decide on strategies-with real players, in a real ballpark, in a real playoff race. That's what baseball analysts Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller got to do when an independent minor-league team in California, the Sonoma Stompers, offered them the chance to run its baseball operations according to the most advanced statistics. We tag along as Lindbergh and Miller apply their number-crunching insights to all aspects of assembling and running a team, following one cardinal rule for judging each innovation they try: it has to work. We meet colorful figures like general manager Theo Fightmaster and boundary-breakers like the first openly gay player in professional baseball. Even Jose Canseco makes a cameo appearance. Will their knowledge of numbers help Lindbergh and Miller bring the Stompers a championship, or will they fall on their faces? Will the team have a competitive advantage or is the sport's folk wisdom true after all? Will the players attract the attention of big-league scouts, or are they on a fast track to oblivion?
Ben Lindbergh, Sam Miller (Author), John Pruden, Kirby Heyborne (Narrator)
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One for the Record: The Inside Story of Hank Aaron's Chase for the Home Run Record
The inside story of Hank Aaron's chase for the home run record, with an introduction by Tom Wolfe. In ONE FOR THE RECORD, George Plimpton recounts Hank Aaron's thrilling race to become the new home run champion. Amidst media frenzy and death threats, Aaron sought to beat Babe Ruth's record. In 1974, he finally succeeded. A fascinating examination of the psychology of baseball players, ONE FOR THE RECORD gives an absorbing account of the men on the mound who had to face Aaron. But the audiobook's true genius lies in the portrait of Aaron himself, and his discussions on his philosophy on hitting and the game of baseball. Foreward by Bob Costas. ***Please contact member services for additional documents***
George Plimpton (Author), Rick Adamson (Narrator)
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The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports
Yahoo's lead baseball columnist offers an in-depth look at the most valuable commodity in sports-the pitching arm-and how its vulnerability to injury is hurting players and the game, from Little League to the majors. Every year, Major League Baseball spends more than $1.5 billion on pitchers-five times more than the salary of every NFL quarterback combined. Pitchers are the game's lifeblood. Their import is exceeded only by their fragility. One tiny band of tissue in the elbow, the ulnar collateral ligament, is snapping at unprecedented rates, leaving current big league players vulnerable and the coming generation of baseball-playing children dreading the three scariest words in the sport: Tommy John surgery. Jeff Passan traveled the world for three years to explore in-depth the past, present, and future of the arm, and how its evolution left baseball struggling to wrangle its Tommy John surgery epidemic. He examined what compelled the Chicago Cubs to spend $155 million on one arm. He snagged a rare interview with Sandy Koufax, whose career was cut short by injury at thirty, and visited Japan to understand how another baseball-mad country treats its prized arms. And he followed two major league pitchers, Daniel Hudson and Todd Coffey, throughout their returns from Tommy John surgery. He exposes how the baseball establishment long ignored the rise in arm injuries and reveals how misplaced incentives across the sport stifle potential changes. Injuries to the UCL start as early as Little League. Without a drastic cultural shift, baseball will continue to lose hundreds of millions of dollars annually to damaged pitchers, and another generation of children will suffer the same problems that vex current players. Informative and hard-hitting, The Arm is essential reading for everyone who loves the game, wants to keep their children healthy, or relishes a look into how a large, complex institution can fail so spectacularly.
Jeff Passan (Author), Kevin Pierce (Narrator)
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Out of My League: The Classic Hilarious Account of an Amateur's Ordeal in Professional Baseball
The baseball classic that Ernest Hemingway called "beautifully observed and incredibly conceived," now recorded and including a foreword from Jane Leavy. The first of Plimpton's remarkable forays into participatory journalism, OUT OF MY LEAGUE chronicles with wit, charm, and grace what happens when a self-professed amateur has the chance to answer every fan's question: could he strike out a major league star? Plimpton's inspired idea--to get on the mound and pitch a few innings to the All-Stars of the American and National Leagues--begins as a fun-filled stunt and comes to a deeply hellish, nearly humiliating end. This honest and hilarious tale features Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Whitey Ford, Ralph Houk, and other baseball greats and is "a baseball book such as no one else ever wrote, and one of the best ever." --New York Herald Tribune ***Please contact member services for additional documents***
George Plimpton (Author), Robert Fass (Narrator)
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Baseball inspired millions of people in the United States. It evolved from the old bat and ball games which used to be played in England during the 18th century. The immigrants who came to settle in North America were the ones responsible to bring this game to the Americans. Eventually they came up with the modern version of the game and by the end of 19th century baseball was being recognised as the National Sport of US. The first recorded American reference of baseball in US traces its way back to the year 1791, which was an ordinance passed in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. The uproar created by the cheering crowd was the reason on the game being banned from being played anywhere near 80 yards from the town meeting house. Later in the 19th century the growing racism got the good of the sport. Things got worse and eventually ended by the first black baseball club called the Cuban Giants. Later in the year 1920 the Negro National League was established. The game war is on since then and there have been several popular teams. The Yankees dominated them all though. The game saw an evolution over the years, from where it began, as a game which was the heart of the people and then media, marketing, agencies all came in and changed the purpose of the game all together. It became more of a higher brand and more popularity thing. This eBook discusses about the history of baseball and how it evolved over the years to gain its place in the hearts of the people who so passionately play or watch the baseball games.
Introbooks, Introbooks Team (Author), Andrea Giordani, Introbooks (Narrator)
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Kings of Queens: Life Beyond Baseball with '86 Mets
In 1986, the bad guys of baseball won the World Series. Now, Erik Sherman, the New York Times bestselling coauthor of Mookie, profiles key players from that infamous Mets team, revealing never-before-exposed details about their lives after that championship year...as well as a look back at the magical season itself. Darryl Strawberry, Doc Gooden, Keith Hernandez, Lenny Dykstra, Mookie Wilson, Howard Johnson, Doug Sisk, Rafael Santana, Bobby Ojeda, Wally Backman, Kevin Mitchell, Ed Hearn, Danny Heep, and the late Gary Carter were all known for their heroics on the field. For some of them-known as the "Scum Bunch"-their debauchery off the field was even more awe-inspiring. But when that golden season ended, so did their aura of invincibility. Some faced battles with addiction, some were traded, and others struggled just to keep their lives together. Through interviews with these legendary players, Erik Sherman offers fans a new perspective on a team that will forever be remembered in sports history.
Darrel J. Caneiro, Erik Sherman (Author), Darrel J. Caneiro (Narrator)
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Finley Ball: How Two Outsiders Turned the Oakland A’s into a Dynasty and Changed the Game Forever
When Charlie Finley bought the A’s in 1960, he was an outsider to the game—an insurance businessman with a larger-than-life personality. He brought his cousin Carl on as his right-hand man, moved the team from Kansas City to Oakland, and pioneered a new way to put together a winning team. With legendary players like Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter, and Vida Blue, the Finleys’ Oakland A’s won three straight World Series and riveted the nation. Now Carl Finley’s daughter Nancy reveals the whole story behind her family’s winning legacy—how her father and uncle developed their scouting strategy, why they employed odd gimmicks like orange baseballs and “mustache bonuses,” and how the success of the ’70s Oakland A’s changed the game of baseball. “From the Charlie Finley dynasty years, to Billy Martin’s Billy Ball years, Nancy Finley reveals the inner workings of one of baseball’s greatest franchises and offers insights into the creative genius of one of its most colorful owners.”—Brian Kingman, pitcher, Oakland A’s, 1978–1982
Nancy Finley (Author), Pam Ward (Narrator)
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Roger Angell, the acclaimed New Yorker writer and editor, returns with a selection of writings that celebrate a view from the tenth decade of an engaged, vibrant life. Long known for his range and supple prose (he is the only writer elected to membership in both the Baseball Hall of Fame and the American Academy of Arts and Letters), Angell won the 2015 American Society of Magazine Editors' Best Essay award for This Old Man, which forms a centerpiece for this book. This deeply personal account is a survey of the limitations and discoveries of great age, with abundant life, poignant loss, jokes, retrieved moments, and fresh love, set down in an informal and moving fashion. A flood of readers from different generations have discovered and shared this classic piece.Angell's fluid prose and native curiosity make him an amiable and compelling companion on the page. The book gathers essays, letters, light verse, book reviews, Talk of the Town stories, farewells, haikus, Profiles, Christmas greetings, late thoughts on the costs of war. Whether it's a Fourth of July in rural Maine, a beloved British author at work, Derek Jeter's departure, the final game of the 2014 World Series, an all-dog opera, editorial exchanges with John Updike, or a letter to a son, what links the pieces is the author's perceptions and humor, his utter absence of self-pity, and his appreciation of friends and colleagues writers, ballplayers, editors, artists encountered over the course of a full and generous life.From the Hardcover edition.
Roger Angell (Author), Arthur Morey (Narrator)
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Intangiball: The Subtle Things That Win Baseball Games
Intangiball tracks the progress of the Cincinnati Reds through five years of culture change, beginning with the trades of decorated veterans Adam Dunn and Ken Griffey, Jr. It also draws liberally from such character-conscious clubs as the Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants, New York Yankees, and Tampa Bay Rays. Author, sportswriter, and eternal fan of the game, Lonnie Wheeler systematically identifies the performance-enhancing qualities (PEQs) that together comprise the "communicable competitiveness" that he calls "teamship." Intangiball is not designed to debunk Moneyball, but rather to sketch in what it left out: "What order is there to a baseball world in which a struggling rookie benefits not a bit from the encouraging words of the veteran who drapes his arm around the kid's shoulders; in which Derek Jeter's professionalism serves none but him; in which there is no reward for hustle, no edge for enthusiasm, no payoff for sacrifice; in which there is no place for the ambient contributions of David Eckstein, Marco Scutaro, or the aging, battered Scott Rolen; in which shared purpose serves no purpose?"
Lonnie Wheeler (Author), Eric Michael Summerer (Narrator)
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