The year 1906 holds special significance for the city of Chicago for a number of reasons, but probably nothing generated as much excitement as the all-Chicago World Series that pitted the White Sox against the Cubs.

Upton Sinclair had just written The Jungle, which revealed the inner workings of the city's slaughterhouses. There was also a new central city and county government building rising in the Loop. In considerations of that year, however, it is the city's two baseball teams that probably generate the most attention. More than one hundred years have passed, and we still haven't seen a repeat of the all-Chicago World Series.

This history examines the bold moves made by ballclub owners and managers, and puts the significance of baseball in context with this detailed account of the events of 1906. It also introduces Charles Comiskey before the "Black Sox" scandal as well as Charles Murphy, the feisty, lively owner of the Cubs. The entire season is relived in Windy City World Series I: 1906, White Sox-Cubs.

There is no question that the physical and mental demands of the sport of baseball are rigorous. Not only is it difficult to successfully hit a ninety-mile-per-hour fastball in front of a crowd of passionate spectators, but it is also challenging to navigate an often confusing system that leads players through youth leagues, high school, college, and for a lucky few, the Minor and Major Leagues.

Rod Humphries, sports journalist, television writer, and former administrator of a worldwide professional tennis tour, shares his personal experiences and advice from experts in this complete insider's guide designed to help players, their parents, and baseball fans understand how Major Leaguers "pay their dues." Humphries, who closely studied the entire baseball assembly line when his son was drafted out of high school by the Houston Astros, offers valuable information on:

- The professional baseball structure- Little League vs. select/travel ball- Player analysis and recruitment- Scholarships and coaching camps- Draft day decisions, salaries, and career chances

"Little League to the Major Leagues" provides proven tips and time-tested advice for any family or player who dares to dream of journeying beyond youth baseball to high school, college, and the professional game.

Fresh and innovative, American History and Baseball: Liberty, Freedom, and the National Pastime is a unique approach that uses a thematic view of American history as a lens through which to understand baseball. The text of each chapter is initially devoted to historical background, composed of various themes surveying key trends and events. Additionally, there is a corresponding focus on major developments in the evolution of baseball. The book sets out to differentiate myth from history and to see American society as a nation of contradictions. Specific topics include liberty and freedom, myths and origins, excess and celebrity in the 1920s, imperialism and World War I, and the challenges and prosperity of post-war America. The second edition features a new opening chapter that explores the concepts of liberty and freedom. Additional references that highlight definitions of key terms, a heightened focus on critical thinking, and new chapter summaries and study questions are included. American History and Baseball can be used in courses on history, sports media, and issues in American sport.

From Tom Seaver to Gary Carter, Ron Swoboda to Al Leiter, from the team's inception to the current day, the New York Mets' road to success has been a rutted and furrowed path. Now, with the help of New York Times bestselling author Peter Golenbock, the complete story of one of the most controversial teams in baseball history comes to life. Told from the voices of the men who experienced it firsthand, this compulsively readable account gives baseball fans the inside scoop on one of baseball's most popular teams. This is the true story of a group of men who won the hearts and shattered the dreams of generations.

Utilizing dozens of personal interviews with players, coaches, fans, and sportswriters, Amazin' takes readers on a journey from the Mets' bumbling days as a new team in 1962, to their stunning World Championships in 1969 and 1986, right up through to today. In time for the fortieth anniversary of the New York Mets, Amazin' is rich with unforgettable personalities and wondrous stories both funny and poignant.

In early 1969, New York City and all it represented was in disarray: politically, criminally, and athletically. But while Simon and Garfunkel lamented the absence of a sports icon like Joe DiMaggio, a modern Lancelot rode forth to lead the New York Mets to heights above and beyond all sports glory. This book tells the complete, unvarnished story of the great Tom Seaver, that rarest of all American heroes, the New York Sports Icon. In a city that produces not mere mortals but sports gods, Seaver represented the last of a breed. His deeds, his times, his town-it was part of a vanishing era, an era of innocence. In 1969, six years after John F. Kennedy's assassination, Seaver and the Mets were the last gasp of idealism before free agency, Watergate, and cynicism. Here is the story of "Tom Terrific" of the "Amazin' Mets," a man worthy of a place alongside DiMaggio, Ruth, Mantle, and Namath in the pantheon of New York idols.