Pete Rose is baseball's "Hit King," the Major Leagues' all-time leader in career hits. But some fans consider his off-the-field actions a black mark on the sport. Major League Baseball's investigations into Rose's gambling led to his lifetime banishment from the game--which, in turn, has barred him from otherwise--certain induction into the Hall of Fame. Rose brought to the sport an unparalleled drive to succeed. Now, people from every part of society debate the nature of his legacy. Baseball author David Jordan presents an even-handed look at Rose's life, career, and post-baseball life, and lets the reader decide for him- or herself. It has been said that hitting a baseball is the hardest thing in professional sports. Baseball's All-Time Greatest Hitters presents biographies on Greenwood's selection for the 12 best hitters in Major League history, written by some of today's best baseball authors. These books present straightforward stories in accessible language for the high school researcher and the general reader alike. Each volume includes a timeline, bibliography, and index. In addition, each volume includes a "Making of a Legend" chapter that analyses the evolution of the player's fame and (in some cases) infamy.

CATCHING-101: The Complete Guide for Baseball Catchers is the most comprehensive book ever written for baseball catchers. It contains tips, drills, and proper mechanics that will help every catcher or coach better understand the most difficult position on the field. This book contains information on EVERY aspect of catching that Coach Barksdale has learned through his years of experience from coaching nationally ranked NCAA teams, and playing at almost every level from Little League to professional baseball. A few of the topics covered in CATCHING-101 are: Receiving Blocking Catching Pop Flies Throwing Fielding Bunts Plays at Home Plate Drills Pitchouts Pass Balls/Wild Pitches Giving Signals And More If you have been searching for a source with lots of high quality information about catching, this is the book for you CATCHING-101 was written by Coach Xan Barksdale who is currently an NCAA Division I baseball coach and an ex-professional baseball player. Coach Barksdale played in the Atlanta Braves organization and has been a featured speaker at the prestigious ABCA (American Baseball Coaches Association) national convention.

Benny and Babe is a sports story about a young man "Benny" who lacks confidence in himself. He desperately needs to believe in himself. A very unique friend "Babe" meets Benny and teaches him the power in believing. Benny had all the ability and talent to be a good pitcher but in his own mind he just did not think that he could do it. We all at time in life lack confidence to be successful, but there are people out there in your life that will help you garner that success. They are your teachers, parents, coaches, grandparents and good friends. They are out there, you must find them. Benny believed in himself and the rest as they say is history. Benny and Babe is more than a good sports story. It is a real lesson in life...

During the more than one hundred years that baseball has been our national pastime, all types of individuals have been managers of teams. They have run the gamut from political appointees to tyrants, schemers, incompetents and geniuses. Legendary baseball stars have been managers such as Ty Cobb, Rogers Hornsby, Walter Johnson, Mel Ott, George Sisler, and Honus Wagner. And Mediocre players, including Branch Rickey, Earl Weaver, Walter Alston have become managers. Antics galore have accentuated managerial behavior: the pratfalls of Charley Grimm in the third-base coaching box; the umbrella-carrying Frankie Frisch arguing with the umpires that a game should be called; the cap twisting, body-gyrating movements of Earl Weaver, puffing cigarettes in the dugout and attempting to use body language to will his players to perform better. Idiosyncrasies and special styles have characterized managers through the years. An entire collection of one-liners has developed over the years to characterize the managing profession. For trivia buffs, there's an entire world of statistical records about managers. This books attempts to capture the style and substance of some of the greatest managers of all time. An effort has been made to give representation to the different eras of baseball, the various managing styles, and all the nuances and nostalgia that shape this fascinating subject.

Explore the important influence of Japanese-American players on baseball history in California.

This book will appeal to life-long baserball fans, particularly those who have followed the game for many years--specifically males over the age of 60, perhaps even age 50, too. Younger followers of athletic contests may also likely have an interest, given the revitalized impact to the sport currently--yearly Major League attendance numbers reflect over 73 Million paying customers in 2009. Cable network coverage proliferates--ESPN and MLB to name just two--continuously streaming the latest information and highlights 24 hours daily to a vast majority of USand international households. Americans are now living longer on average than they did during the time of this book, there currently existing an ever increasing focus on nostalgia-- perhaps due to a wistful longing for certain things and events from the past--when society seemed to be far less complex and simpler pleasures abounded. E-Bay and the numerous flea markets scattered throughout our nation readily attest to this phenomenon. Like any good history book, this work attempts to create a perspective of the circumstances and participants who influenced the relative events of 50 odd years ago. These events helped shape the evolution of the modern game today, a game now more widely driven by economics and media hype.

Another peek at baseball's good old days-or, in this case, bad old days-by veteran sports-historian Harvey Frommer. 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 utensils consisted of knife and fingers), and an innocent man snared by the greatest scandal in baseball history.