As part of every Reds game broadcast on the Reds Radio Network, Greg Rhodes, noted baseball historian and director of the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum, presents a brief, colorful account of a memorable moment in the history of America's longest-running baseball team. These pieces have become a favorite feature for Reds fans, who love to celebrate the Big Red Machine's long and storied history and traditions. This collection brings together every single one of Rhodes' pieces in a single book for both Reds fans and baseball aficionados. Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame Highlights chronicles more than 130 years of history and five world series championships and includes over 300 short accounts of the team's greatest, saddest, wildest, and weirdest players and moments. Packed with over 100 photos furnished by the Reds and their museum, the book pays tribute to a team that remains one of America's favorites.

Yankee fan? Red Sox fan? Dodger fan? Do you think you know everything about baseball from the Black Sox to the White Sox? Then test yourself . Every era of is represented from Cap Anson to Mike Trout, Cy Young to Clayton Kershaw, Ty Cobb to Jose Altuve, Babe Ruth to Giancarlo Stanton. Match wits with the father of baseball trivia, David Nemec, a ten-time national champion as he presents more than 200 baseball stumpers that are artfully designed to test the depth of the reader's knowledge about the game since 1871, including. Who is the most recent major leaguer to compile 100 or more hits, 20 or more complete games, and 20 or more decisions in the same season? No, the answer is not who you think! Who is the only pitcher to hurl a minimum of 5,000 career innings and surrender fewer hits per 9 innings than Walter Johnson? What team had a record of 52-62 when the strike shut down the 1994 season but was on track to qualify for postseason play with the lowest winning percentage ever by a division or league first-place finisher? Incredible Baseball Trivia is the ultimate test for knowledgeable baseball fans!

Nebraska is not usually thought of as a focal point in the history of black baseball yet the state has seen its share of contributions to the African American baseball experience. This book focuses on nine of the most significant, including the rise and fall of the Lincoln Giants, Satchel Paige's adventures in the Cornhusker State, a visit from Jackie Robinson, and the maturation of Bob Gibson both on and off the field. Recollections are featured from individuals who participated in or witnessed the African American baseball experience in the Omaha area.

The Big Red Machine dominated major league baseball in the 1970s, but the Cincinnati franchise began its climb to that pinnacle in 1961, when an unlikely collection of cast-offs and wannabes stunned the baseball world by winning the National League pennant. Led by revered manager Fred Hutchinson, the team featured rising stars like Frank Robinson, Jim O'Toole, and Vada Pinson, fading stars like Gus Bell and Wally Post, and a few castoffs who suddenly came into their own, like Gene Freese and 20-game-winner Joey Jay. In time to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their pennant-winning season, the amazing story of the "Ragamuffin Reds" is told from start to finish in Before the Machine. Written by long-time Reds Report editor Mark J. Schmetzer and featuring dozens of photos by award-winning photographer Jerry Klumpe of the Cincinnati Post & Times Star, this book surely will be a winner with every fan in Reds country and coincides with an anniversary exhibit at the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum. Through interviews and research, Before the Machine captures the excitement of a pennant race for a team that had suffered losing seasons in 14 of the past 16 years. Schmetzer also beautifully evokes the time and place--a muggy Midwestern summer during which, as the new song of the season boasts, "the whole town's batty for that team in Cincinnati." Led by regional talk-show star Ruth Lyons (the Midwest's "Oprah") fans rallied around the Reds as never before. The year didn't begin well for the team. Budding superstar Frank Robinson was arrested right before spring training for carrying a concealed weapon, and long-time owner Powel Crosley Jr., died suddenly just days before the start of the season. Few experts--or fans--gave the Reds much of a chance at first place anyway. With powerhouse teams in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Milwaukee, the National League pennant was unlikely to fly over Cincinnati's Crosley Field. But manager Hutchinson somehow galvanized his motley crew and led them to victory after victory. Joey Jay, who had languished with the Braves, mowed down hitters while his rotation mates O'Toole and knuckleballer Bob Purkey did the same. The team also featured a dynamic duo in the bullpen in Bill Henry and Jim Brosnan, whose book about the season, Pennant Race, became a national bestseller the following year. As the rest of the league kept waiting for the Reds to fade, Hutch's boys kept winning--and finally grabbed the pennant. Though they couldn't continue their magic in the World Series against the Yankees, the previously moribund Reds franchise did continue to their success throughout the decade, winning 98 games in 1962 and falling just short of another pennant in 1964. They established a recipe for success that would lead, a few years later, to the emergence of the Big Red Machine.

"This is one of the very best baseball books in years." Booklist, Starred Review Reaching the major leagues is a pipe dream for most young baseball players in America. Very few ever get to live it out. A select number of those players face the elation and frustration of getting to play in just one major league game. The Cup of Coffee Club: 11 Players and Their Brush with Baseball History tells the unique stories of eleven of these players. It details their struggles to reach the major leagues, their one moment in the limelight, and their struggles to get back. They include a former Major League Baseball manager, the son of a Baseball Hall of Famer, and two different brothers of Hall of Famers. Exclusive interviews with each of the players provide insight into what that single seminal moment meant and how they dealt with the blow of never making another major league appearance again. Spanning half a century of baseball, each player's journey to Major League Baseball is distinct, as is each of their responses to having played in just a single game. The Cup of Coffee Club shares their unique perspectives, providing a better understanding of just how special each major league game can be.

Bursting onto the scene as a 20-year-old rookie, Arky Vaughan quickly established himself as the next great Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop. In 1935 his .385 batting average eclipsed even that of the immortal Honus Wagner, who was a steadying influence for Vaughan during his 10 seasons with the Pirates. Vaughan never hit under .300 with Pittsburgh and his versatility later made him an asset to the Brooklyn Dodgers. One of the quietest men in baseball, the nine-time All-Star eschewed the limelight but received plenty of attention for his on-field performance, for his one-man mutiny against Brooklyn manager Leo Durocher, and for walking away from the game to take care of his family and his beloved ranch during World War II. Drawing on dozens of articles, personal writings, recorded interviews and his daughter's unpublished biography, this book covers the life and career of an often overlooked Hall of Famer who died in a tragic boating accident at age 40.

1966: Baseball and America in the Space Age brings to life a year of transition in a country on the cusp of radical changes in politics, mores, and popular culture. What was mainstream in 1966 could be considered old-fashioned just a year or two later when the counterculture emerged as an important societal force; by the early 1970s, standards had loosened further when Hollywood producers broke free of the constraint of benign storylines in favor of movies and TV shows with political issues as their foundation. With the baseball season as its narrative arc, 1966 traces the end of one baseball dynasty and the beginning of another while revealing untold stories and offering new perspectives about highly significant events in both baseball and the country's affairs. The Orioles shocked the baseball world with a World Series sweep; it sparked an American League dynasty and ended the Dodgers' National League reign that had begun after World War II. But baseball's significance went beyond box scores to establish equality, fairness, and social justice. In his Hall of Fame induction speech, Ted Williams used his clout to do what few, if any, of his peers had done publicly-call for the induction of players from the Negro Leagues; Emmett Ashford became the first black umpire in Major League Baseball; and Marvin Miller helped form the Major League Baseball Players Union, which changed the status of players from property of owners to free agents with bargaining power. Against a backdrop of NASA's five successful Gemini missions that set the stage for the Apollo moon landings, 1966 brings this amazing year to life. In addition to baseball and the Space Race, it will uncover massive changes in popular culture. Producer William Dozier brought a satirical version of the comic-book icon Batman to television, igniting a superhero phenomenon. Jacqueline Susann's controversial novel Valley of the Dolls exposed the dark side of Hollywood with stories about drugs, sex, and mental illness. And Mission: Impossible premiered in 1966, offering great espionage fodder for Cold War audiences after James Bond became a household name in the early 1960s. This book will remind readers of a time when social progress and cultural revolutions made Americans feel that the country's promise was limitless.

The St. Louis Cardinals are perhaps the most popular and successful franchise in National League history, having won more world championships than any other club in the league. Baseball greats such as Stan Musial, Rogers Hornsby, and Albert Pujols have all worn the Cardinals uniform. But which Cardinals are the finest in franchise history? Examining every player who has donned the Redbird uniform since 1892, Robert W. Cohen ranks the best of the best in The 50 Greatest Players in St. Louis Cardinals History. This book carefully examines the careers of the fifty men who made the greatest impact on one of the most successful franchises in the history of professional sports. Features include quotes from opposing players and former teammates, summaries of each player's best season, recaps of their most memorable performances, and listings of their notable achievements. Including players such as Bob Gibson, Ozzie Smith, Lou Brock, and Mark McGwire, this book is sure to fuel debate among Cardinals fans.

Part reference, part trivia, part brain teaser, and absolutely the most unusual and thorough compendium of baseball stats and facts ever assembled-all verified for accuracy by the Baseball Hall of Fame. First created by legendary sportswriter Bert Randolph Sugar, and now updated, here are thousands of fascinating lists, tables, data, and stimulating facts. Inside, you'll find all of the big name baseball heroes like Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Ernie Banks, Pete Rose, Denny McLain, Ty Cobb, and a lot of information that will be new to even the most devoted fans: Highest batting averages not to win batting titles Home-run leaders by state of birth Players on last-place teams leading the league in RBIs, by season Most triples by position, season Winners of two "legs" of triple crown since last winner Oldest pitchers with losing record, leading league in ERA Career pitching leaders under six feet tall Managers replaced wile team was in first place Hall of Famers whose sons played in the majors Players with palindromic surnames And so much more! Not just a collection of facts or records, this is a book of glorious fun that will astound even the most bookish baseball fan. Read up and amaze your friends!

The most up-to-date and in-depth book on the business of professional team sports Pro team sports are the biggest and most important sector of international sport business Strong focus on applied analysis and performance measurement, invaluable real-world skills Covers sports, teams and leagues all over the world from the EPL to the NFL Addresses key themes from ownership and competitive balance to media revenue and the role of agents

In what is sure to be the definitive book on Eddie Collins's life and long career, author Rick Huhn covers the Hall of Fame player's experiences from childhood through his days at Columbia University; his tenure with the great Athletics clubs of 1906-1914, the highs and lows of a championship and scandal with the White Sox, and his return to the A's during their final run at greatness. By the time his 25-year playing career had ended, he had been a pivotal performer on five all-time great clubs, dominated his position like no one before (or since), and earned a reputation for intelligent, selfless play that followed him to Cooperstown. Also covered in detail is his tenure with the Boston Red Sox, a team he served variously as part owner, vice-president and general manager until 1951, when after 45 years in major league baseball a stroke effectively ended his career and, weeks later, his life.

True story of how a hoodoo that afflicted the Chicago Cubs for over 100 years was revealed and ultimately---according to the author--exorcized by Cub fans around the world through a series of discoveries, rituals, and hoodoo cleansing events. A story of goats, black cats, Red Sox, White Sox, superstitions and at least one incredible account of voodoo. Ground Zero for Cubs fans near and far.

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.

When award-winning journalist Dave Jamieson rediscovered his childhood baseball card collection he figured that now was the time to cash in on his "investments." But when he tried the card shops, they were nearly all gone, closed forever. eBay was no help, either. Baseball cards were selling for next to nothing. What had happened? In Mint Condition, the first comprehensive history of this American icon, Jamieson finds the answers and much more. In the years after the Civil War, tobacco companies started slipping baseball cards into cigarette packs as collector's items, launching a massive advertising war. Before long, the cards were wagging the cigarettes. In the 1930s, baseball cards helped gum and candy makers survive the Great Depression, and kept children in touch with the game. After World War II, Topps Chewing Gum Inc. built itself into an American icon, hooking a generation of baby boomers on bubble gum and baseball cards. In the 1960s, royalties from cards helped to transform the players' union into one of the country's most powerful, dramatically altering the business of the game. And in the '80s and '90s, cards went through a spectacular bubble, becoming a billion-dollar-a-year industry before all but disappearing. Brimming with colorful characters, this is a rollicking, century-spanning, and extremely entertaining history.

A young German immigrant, Barney Dreyfuss was an American success story in business and in baseball. He fell in love with the game after settling in Paducah, Kentucky, where he discovered he had a knack for assembling good players on the diamond. Relocating to Louisville, he became involved in the professional game with the Colonels. Faced with ouster from the National League, he took his players to Pittsburgh, where he became owner of the Pirates and forged a winning tradition, leading the club to six pennants and two World Series. This first biography of Dreyfuss chronicles the innovative career of the Hall of Famer executive who built Forbes Field-the National League's first concrete-and-steel ballpark, into which he put $1 million of his own money-pushed for creation of the office of commissioner to govern the game and helped initiate the modern World Series.

In 1954, one year after Baltimore bought the St. Louis Browns, the New York Yankees hired former Browns executive and owner William O. DeWitt as assistant to general manager George Weiss. "DeWitt," the paper announced, "was considered an astute baseball man who would have a definite role to play with the Yankees." Baseball fans had assumed that once the Yankees were no longer the American League's doormats, DeWitt would quietly retire. But DeWitt, a protege of Branch Rickey, was shrewd and intelligent and his years with the Browns were only the beginning of a long and fascinating career, including his years as owner and general manager of the Cincinnati Reds. This first ever biography focuses on the life and career of a baseball executive who contributed greatly to America's pastime.

Offers a first hand description by the players themselves of historic moments that helped shape our national game. There is an examination of social events with interviews of former Negro League players such as Larry Doby, the first African American player to break the color line in the American league. We also hear from Jim "Mudcat" Grant who in 1965 became the first black pitcher to win a World Series game in the junior circuit. Hank Aaron explains the challenge of breaking Babe Ruth's home run record wasn't only on the diamond. There is an examination of the war years when 500 major-league players served in the armed forces during WWII. Prominent players such as Bob Feller, Cecil Travis, Tommy Henrich and Jerry Coleman talk about their experience and sacrifice without fanfare. Bobby Thompson and Ralph Branca address the "Shot Heard Round the World" in the Giants vs Dodgers playoff of 1951. Bill Mazeroski tells us what went through his mind as he watched his game seven walk off home run win the fall classic for his Pittsburgh Pirates, and Pitcher Bob Gibson brings you back to 1968 and the year of the pitcher when he finished with an ERA of 1.12. It is certainly an All - Star lineup of not only great baseball players but outstanding men who were gracious enough to look back at a time when they displayed talent and heart for the game.