An excellent book on a topic rarely explained, Practical Groundsmanship will be the greatest possible assistance to all who have a respponsibilit of turf upkeep from the park-keeper to the groundsman of the smallest local sports club. Contents Include: The Presentation of Groundsmanship - Cricket - Tennis - Bowls - Hockey - Football - Outfields and General Areas - Running Tracks - Garden Lawns and Paths - Maintenance - Composts - War on Weeds - The Worm Problem - Machinery and Equipment - The Groundsman's Calendar - Dimensions of Playing Areas - Practical Points

South Asian American men are not usually depicted as ideal American men. They struggle against popular representations as either threatening terrorists or geeky, effeminate computer geniuses. To combat such stereotypes, some use sports as a means of performing a distinctly American masculinity. Desi Hoop Dreams focuses on South Asian-only basketball leagues common in most major U.S. and Canadian cities, to show that basketball, for these South Asian American players is not simply a whimsical hobby, but a means to navigate and express their identities in 21st century America. The participation of young men in basketball is one platform among many for performing South Asian American identity. South Asian-only leagues and tournaments become spaces in which to negotiate the relationships between masculinity, race, and nation. When faced with stereotypes that portray them as effeminate, players perform sporting feats on the court to represent themselves as athletic. And though they draw on black cultural styles, they carefully set themselves off from African American players, who are deemed “too aggressive.� Accordingly, the same categories of their own marginalization—masculinity, race, class, and sexuality—are those through which South Asian American men exclude women, queer masculinities, and working-class masculinities, along with other racialized masculinities, in their effort to lay claim to cultural citizenship. One of the first works on masculinity formation and sport participation in South Asian American communities, Desi Hoop Dreams focuses on an American popular sport to analyze the dilemma of belonging within South Asian America in particular and in the U.S. in general.

* MINI GOLF FUN ANYTIME, ANYWHERE: Includes portable putting green with wind-up windmill obstacle, 2 putters, and 2 balls * UNIQUE 2" x 3" WIND-UP WINDMILL: Features a kitchy windmill design with wind-up mechanism (no batteries required) * BOOK INCLUDED: 32-page, 2-1/2" x 3" illustrated mini book on the history and rules of this popular pastime * UNIQUE GIFT: Perfect for both golf and mini golf fans of all ages

Danny O'Malley, a fairly decent amateur golfer, is tricked into selling his soul to the devil in exchange for a promise of winning the richest prize ever offered in a professional tournament: Five million dollars A history of the game and many of its greatest players is interspersed throughout the story. Why do people from every culture attempt to master this cruel game when there is so little chance of success? For example, can you name a great Italian golfer? Trust me, my friends. There are no great Italian golfers. In the spring, when the first bold blossoms of bougainvillea splash down the hillsides of Sicily in a glorious crimson tide and gondoliers ply their trade along the romantic canals of Venice, a young man is more intrigued by the upward slash of a signorina's skirt than the downward slope of a green, and more beguiled by the lie that rests on her lips than the lie of a dimpled white ball in the fairway.The English, self-deprecating and stoical, are as emotionally suited for golf as they are for espionage. They know the fairways and greens are as duplicitous as any double agent and will ultimately betray them. It is not a question of if, but a matter of when. For years, Nick Faldo was the personification of a golfing machine, an assassin of par whose deadly game struck fear in the hearts of opponents. His sponsors tried to humanize him to enhance the sale of their products. On rare occasions, an involuntary twitch in the shadowy recesses of his stiff upper lip created the fleeting illusion of a smile. But their feeble attempt to cast the dour Brit as Prince Charming fooled no one and was as futile an exercise as painting a happy face on the Sphinx in order to alter its enigmatic essence. Still, in fairness to "Sir" Nick-recently knighted by Queen Elizabeth-it should be noted that as tournament prize money has escalated to astronomical levels, the Americans and Europeans have also developed a decent impersonation of Faldo's English sc

From its beginnings at the turn of the 20th century to its pervasive presence in 21st-century America, basketball has grown into an undeniably important sport. The 575 entries in this biographical dictionary present concise narratives on the lives and careers on the most important names in basketball history. Entries include both classic players such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bob Cousy as well as more recently established and up-and-coming stars such as Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Garnett, and LeBron James. Entries for coaches such as the Boston Celtics' Red Auerbach and Mike Krzyzewski from Duke University present the figures who have shaped the game from courtside, while the inclusion of female players and coaches such as Lisa Leslie, Diana Taurasi, and Pat Summitt show that basketball is not just a sport for men. From its beginnings at the turn of the 20th century to its pervasive presence in 21st-century America, basketball has grown into an undeniably important sport. The 575 entries in this biographical dictionary present concise narratives on the lives and careers on the most important names in basketball history. Entries include both classic players such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bob Cousy as well as more recently established and up-and-coming stars such as Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Garnett, and LeBron James. Entries for coaches such as the Boston Celtics' Red Auerbach and Mike Krzyzewski from Duke University present the figures who have shaped the game from courtside, while the inclusion of female players and coaches such as Lisa Leslie, Diana Taurasi, and Pat Summitt show that basketball is not just a sport for men. This volume is an ideal reference for students seeking easily accessed information on the greats of the game.

Soccer is the world's most popular sport and one of the globe's best known cultural practices. The pinnacle of the sport worldwide is the FIFA World Cup, a competition held every four years, which crowns one nation as the world champion in front of huge global television audiences: over half of the planet's population watched the 2010 FIFA World Cup final between Spain and the Netherlands. From the humble origins of modern soccer in Great Britain in the 19th century, world soccer has become today a vast, commercialized global industry, with huge salaries paid to the biggest stars due to the massive amounts of revenue generated through the sale of television rights, ticket sales, and sponsorship income. The Historical Dictionary of Soccer presents a comprehensive history of the game through a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, numerous appendixes that list everything from the FIFA World Player of the Year to FIFA World Cup Winners and Runners-Up to the UEFA Champions League Winners and Runners-Up, and over 400 cross-referenced dictionary entries on places, teams, terminology, and people, including Garrincha, Pele, Johan Cruyff, Diego Maradona, Zinedine Zidane, and Lionel Messi. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about soccer."

Having finished the previous season a mere game behind pennant-winning St. Louis, the Detroit Tigers entered spring training in 1945 determined to complete their drive to the top. Led by the pitching duo of Hal Newhouser and Paul Trout, benefitting from the signature career year of Roy Cullenbine and Eddie Mayo, and buoyed by the July return of Hank Greenberg, the team battled past the Browns and Senators for the American League title. In the World Series that followed, the Tigers and the last of the great Chicago Cubs teams of the century squared off in a memorable, seven-game World Series.

"Anger is a part of being human ... how one deals with it defines him, as you so aptly describe. The one constant is the ability to let anger go once it's grabbed on to you. Some are better at it than others. Thanks for your thoughts on this ... they were on point."

-Tom Watson, eight-time major championship winner on reading Hole No. 7
"It was delightful reading, and your depiction of the Pebble Beach experience was classic (and very much appreciated, I might add ...). The comparison to St Andrews is a terrific debate. Thanks for making it so appealing. Our sincere best wishes to you in bringing this to many readers and golfers throughout the world."

-RJ Harper, Senior VP, Golf at Pebble Beach Company on reading Hole No. 11
"This is the best side-by-side presentation and analysis I've seen."

-George Peper, editor, LINKS Magazine on reading Hole No. 9
"Wayne really captured the Augusta National you see in person. It was an enjoyable chapter to read and evoked strong memories of playing the Masters. Well done."

-Gary Player, nine-time major championship winner on reading Hole No. 1
"The Verma Cuppers certainly seemed to enjoy themselves and you did well to 'run' on the West Sands, albeit in slow motion, after your experiences the day before We are delighted you enjoyed the experience at St Andrews and can certainly detect from your writing your appreciation of the history surrounding the Home of Golf."

-John Grant, Director of Golf, St. Andrews Links Trust on reading Hole No. 6

"Golf Shorts and Plus Fours: Musings from a Golfing Traditionalist" from Wayne T. Morden is a sometimes comic look at the game of golf in all its glory and idiosyncrasies. Arranged like an eighteen-hole golf course-including trivia refreshments and three additional playoff holes-this collection of short stories offers life lessons and relies heavily on golf's fundamental tenets to remind golfers why they are so obsessed with this pastime.

Morden conveys exasperation over the proverbial sand trap and laughs over Star Wars lingo and Verma Cup antics. Golf has not only taught him how to be a sportsman but it has also taught him how to be a better man to his friends, family, and fellow golfers. "Golf Shorts and Plus Fours" is a collection of well-informed, analytical and entertaining bits of wisdom that will warm the heart of any devoted golfer.

The 1923 Yankees started the dynasty - with stars like Babe Ruth, Wally Pipp, Joe Dugan and Bob Meusel, they won the pennant by 16 games before claiming the franchise's first World Series title. Five Yankees pitchers won 16 games that year, led by Sam Jones (21-8), and the team finally defeated McGraw's Giants after losing to them in the Series two years in a row. This book covers that first Yankees championship team in great detail, taking the reader through the entire season, game-by-game.

"The View from the Stands" is both the story of one fan's love of the game and an examination of the effect baseball has had on fans everywhere throughout its history. A collection of stories and insights compiled during the summer of 2002 in each of MLB's thirty parks, "The View from the Stands" provides us with the fans' perspective on every team and stadium in the league, and on the most important issues currently affecting the game. It gives a voice to the masses of people who fill our stadiums, and it explains how a child's game became the business it is today.

This book examines the entire experience of live baseball, from the uncomfortable seats to the misplaced marketing ventures to the incredible feeling of seeing Bonds circle the bases. Baseball touches our lives in so many unexpected ways. By introducing us to the little boys who rush to the edge of the stands in Wrigley, the recovering alcoholic who found a new family at the Metrodome, and many others from all walks of life, "The View from the Stands" tells the story of our love of the game--what draws us in and what keeps us coming back for more.

Daniel Dumile Qeqe (1929–2005), ‘Baas Dan’, ‘DDQ’. He was the Port Elizabeth leader whose struggles and triumphs crisscrossed the entire gamut of political, civic, entrepreneurial, sports and recreational liberation activism in the Eastern Cape. Siwisa tells the story of Qeqe’s life and times and at the same time has written a social and political biography of Port Elizabeth – a people’s history of Port Elizabeth. As much as Qeqe was a local legend, his achievements had national repercussions and, indeed, continue to this day.

Central to the transformation of sports towards non-racialism, Qeqe paved the way for the mainstreaming and liberation of black rugby and cricket players in South Africa. He co-engineered the birth of the KwaZakhele Rugby Union (Kwaru), a pioneering non-racial rugby union that was more of a political and social movement. Kwaru was a vehicle for political dialogues and banned meetings, providing resources for political campaigns and orchestrations for moving activists into exile.

This story is an attempt at understanding a man of contradictions. In one breath, he was generous and kind to a fault. And yet he was the indlovu, an imposing authoritarian elephant, decisively brutal and aggressive. Then there was Qeqe, the man whose actions were not in keeping with the struggle. This story narrates his role in ‘collaborationist’ civic institutions and in courting reactionary homeland structures, yet through all that he was the signal actor in the emancipation of rugby in South Africa.

Hall of Famer Charles Albert Bender has been the subject of renewed interest in recent years, as researchers have usefully described his experiences as an American Indian who dominated a game played mostly by whites. Lost in much of the discussion, however, has been Bender's steady excellence on the mound, where, year in and year out, he was one of the great pitchers in an age famous for pitching.

This biography puts the emphasis squarely on Bender the player, and in particular on the more than 330 regular-season starts in his 16 year major league career, which began and ended in the deadball era. New attention is also given to his time in the minors and to his days after major league stardom, when he worked as a coach and a scout.

A GREAT MAN On June 21, 1954, Brooks Lawrence, a minor league baseball player, got word that he was to play in the major leagues. Though elated, he still recalled his lifelong quest to reach that goal and capture his dream. His story, of his family and his youth, college years, and service during World War II, features his ongoing love of the game of baseball. The difficulties and adversities he confronted as an African-American in both the minor and major leagues and how he overcame them make his ultimate triumph as a Hall of Famer an inspiring story. Brooks was a remarkable man with a remarkable story.

Also Available as an Time Warner AudioBook

After an injury-plagued stint in the minor leagues in his twenties, Jim Morris hung up his cleats and his dreams to start a new life as a father, high school physics teacher, and baseball coach. Jim's athletes knew that his dream was still alive — he threw the ball so hard they could barely hit it - and made a bet with him: if they won the league championship, he would have to try out for a major league ball club. They did — and he did, and during that tryout threw the ball faster than he ever had, faster than anyone there, nearly faster than anyone playing in the Bigs. He was immediately drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and three months later made his major league debut, striking out All-Star Royce Clayton.

Baseball fans are often passionate about statistics, but true numbers fanatics want to go beyond the 'baseball card' stats and make comparisons through other objective means. ""Sabermetrics"" uses algebra to expand on statistics and measure a player's value to his team and how he ranks among players of different eras. The mathematical models in this book, a follow-up to ""Understanding Sabermetrics"" (2008), define the measures, supply examples, and provide practice problems for readers.

Billy Hamilton, whose major league career spanned 1888-1901, holds the all-time record for runs scored in a season (196 in 129 games), number of consecutive games scoring a run (24), and career runs scored per game (1.06); he shares records for most triples in a game (4) and sacrifices in a game (4); and his average of one steal every 1.74 games bests Ricky Henderson's. Despite these records, and his 1961 induction into the Hall of Fame, little has been written about his life and career. This biography covers Hamilton's entire life, including his major league career with the Kansas City Cowboys, Philadelphia Phillies, and Boston Nationals, as well as his later career as a minor league player-manager and bench-manager, team owner, major league scout, and plant foreman. The author exclusively uses primary sources for all information dealing with Hamilton's career and personal life.

July 1966: The dreams of an Iranian political correspondent are shattered to pieces when he is informed that instead of flying to Saigon, he will have to travel to London to report on the World Cup. To him, this is an insignificant matter at a time when the world is silently burning in the flames of wars and in the coldness of the Cold War. However, to his surprise, he finds football to be a new global language. World Cup 1966, in particular, appears to be reuniting people all over the globe. In the middle of the world's unrest, World Cup 1966 is a moment of fresh air. From the early elimination of the two time champions, Brazil and Italy, to the phenomenal appearance of North Korea; from the brave Portuguese men who gave their all to stay longer in the competition to the proud Germans who made every effort to repair the broken image of their nation; from the tears of Black Pearl to the nine goals of Black Panther; and from England's disappointing draw in the opening match to their glorious victory in the Final; the story brings back all the ups and downs of World Cup 1966, set against a stark backdrop of world events that defined that tumultuous time period.