In the nearly 120-year-history of the New York Yankees, fans have been treated to countless firsts-the first Yankee to hit a home run in the original Yankee Stadium (Babe Ruth), the first to hit a homer in the current stadium (Jorge Posada), the first Cy Young Award winner (Bob Turley), the first to hit for the Triple Crown (Lou Gehrig), and the first to amass 3,000 hits (Derek Jeter). The list goes on. In New York Yankees Firsts, Howie Karpin presents the stories behind the firsts in Yankees history in question-and-answer format. More than a mere trivia book, Karpin's collection includes substantive answers to the question of "who was the first...?" on a variety of topics, many of which will surprise even seasoned fans of the Bronx Bombers.

When the Philadelphia Phillies signed Dick Allen in 1960, fans of the franchise envisioned bearing witness to feats never before accomplished by a Phillies player. A half-century later, they're still trying to make sense of what they saw. Carrying to the plate baseball's heaviest and loudest bat as well as the burden of being the club's first African American superstar, Allen found both hits and controversy with ease and regularity as he established himself as the premier individualist in a game that prided itself on conformity. As one of his managers observed, "I believe God Almighty hisself would have trouble handling Richie Allen." A brutal pregame fight with teammate Frank Thomas, a dogged determination to be compensated on par with the game's elite, an insistence on living life on his own terms and not management's: what did it all mean? Journalists and fans alike took sides with ferocity, and they take sides still. Despite talent that earned him Rookie of the Year and MVP honors as well as a reputation as one of his era's most feared power hitters, many remember Allen as one of the game's most destructive and divisive forces, while supporters insist that he is the best player not in the Hall of Fame. God Almighty Hisself: The Life and Legacy of Dick Allen explains why. Mitchell Nathanson presents Allen's life against the backdrop of organized baseball's continuing desegregation process. Drawing out the larger generational and business shifts in the game, he shows how Allen's career exposed not only the racial double standard that had become entrenched in the wake of the game's integration a generation earlier but also the forces that were bent on preserving the status quo. In the process, God Almighty Hisself unveils the strange and maddening career of a man who somehow managed to fulfill and frustrate expectations all at once.

Suitable for anyone who enjoys logic puzzles Could be used as a companion book for a course on mathematical proof. The puzzles feature the same issues of problem-solving and proof-writing. For anyone who enjoys logical puzzles. For anyone interested in legal reasoning. For anyone who loves the game of baseball.

Suitable for anyone who enjoys logic puzzles Could be used as a companion book for a course on mathematical proof. The puzzles feature the same issues of problem-solving and proof-writing. For anyone who enjoys logical puzzles. For anyone interested in legal reasoning. For anyone who loves the game of baseball.

Superstition has been a part of baseball from the beginning. From good luck charms to human mascots to ritual statues of Babe Ruth to the curse of Colonel Sanders, there may be almost as many superstitions as players (or fans). Drawing on social science, religious studies and SABRmetrics, this book explores the rich history of supernatural belief in the game and documents a wide variety of rituals, fetishes, taboos and jinxes. Some have changed over time but the preoccupation of coping with uncertainty on the field through magical thinking remains a constant.

For more than a hundred years, baseball has been woven into the American way of life. By the time they reach high school, children have learned about the struggles and triumphs of players like Jackie Robinson. Generations of family members often gather together to watch their favorite athletes in stadiums or on TV. Famous players like Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Hank Aaron, Cal Ripken, and Derek Jeter have shown their athletic prowess on the field and captured the hearts of millions of fans, while the sport itself has influenced American culture like no other athletic endeavor. In Baseball and American Culture: A History, John P. Rossi builds on the research and writing of four generations of baseball historians. Tracing the intimate connections between developments in baseball and changes in American society, Rossi examines a number of topics including: *the spread of the sport from the North to the South during the Civil War *the impact on the sport during the Depression and World War II *baseball's expansion in the post-war years *the role of baseball in the Civil Rights movement *the sport's evolution during the modern era Complimented by supplementary readings and discussion questions linked to each chapter, this book pays special attention to the ways in which baseball has influenced American culture and values. Baseball and American Culture is the ultimate resource for students, scholars, and fans interested in how this classic sport has helped shape the nation.

A Constraints-Led Approach to Baseball Coaching presents a new approach to baseball coaching and practice. Applying a CLA to player development process across the skill spectrum from the beginners to elite, this book uses practical examples to demonstrate the theoretical principles of the Constraints-led coaching style embedded in research showing the numerous benefits of the approach. This book incorporates cases studies and examples of how constraints are manipulated to develop more adaptable players that can perform at a higher level with a reduced risk of injury, shifting the reader's view of skill acquisition from the concept of one "correct" solution, acquired through repetition, to the ecological dynamics framework focused on variability, adaptability and self-organization. Individual chapters cover major topics such as hitting, pitching and fielding for players at range of levels form little leagues to the pros and illustrating the underlying principles so that coaches can develop their own practice activities. A Constraints-Led Approach to Baseball Coaching is key reading for undergraduate students and practising sports coaches, physical education teachers and sport scientists alike as well as practising players and coaches in baseball and related sports.

One of the most underrated players in baseball history, Bill Virdon went on to successfully manage four Major League teams. Rookie of the Year with the 1955 St. Louis Cardinals, he played center field for 10 seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, next to right fielder Roberto Clemente. Virdon's key plays clinched the Pirates' victory over the New York Yankees in the 1960 World Series. He was instrumental in coaching the "Bucs" during the 1971 Series against the Baltimore Orioles, and later that year became their manager, Virdon was American League Manager of the Year with the Yankees in 1974, and National League Manager of the Year with the Houston Astros in 1980. In 1984 he ended his MLB managerial career while with the Montreal Expos yet continued to coach through the 2002 season. This first-ever biography covers his remarkable career, with previously untold stories from Virdon and his wife, Shirley.

The 1948 World Series gave fans an unusual showdown—neither of the contestants had seen the Fall Classic for a generation. The Cleveland Indians had last won the American League pennant in 1920. The Boston Braves had not been atop the National League since 1914. Both teams featured excellent pitching. Boston's aces were Warren Spahn and Johnny Sain. Cleveland had stalwarts of the mound Bob Feller and Bob Lemon, and surprise knuckleball phenom Gene Bearden. Despite being prohibitive favorites, Cleveland battled through six hard-fought games for the championship. This book recounts every at-bat of the 1948 Series, along with key moments of the regular season, including the antics of colorful Indians' owner Bill Veeck and a near fatality on the diamond.

Hastily formed in 1883 as a rival, third major league, the Union Association upset the moguls of the baseball world and disrupted the status quo. Backed by Henry V. Lucas, an impetuous 26-year-old millionaire from St. Louis, the UA existed for one chaotic season in 1884. This first full-length history of the Union Association tells the captivating story of the league's brief and enigmatic existence. Lucas recruited to the field a wild mix of disgruntled stars, misfits, crooks, has-beens, drunks, and the occasional spectator to take the field--along with a future star or two. The result was a bizarre experiment that sowed both turmoil and hope before fading into oblivion.

The Hollywood Stars were the most inventive team in baseball history, known for their celebrity ownership and movie star following during the Golden Age of Hollywood. In Lights, Camera, Fastball: How the Hollywood Stars Changed Baseball, Dan Taylor delivers a fascinating look at the Hollywood Stars and their glorious twenty-year run in the Pacific Coast League. Led by Bob Cobb, owner of the heralded Brown Derby restaurant and known more famously as the creator of the Cobb salad, the Hollywood Stars took professional baseball to a new and innovative level. The team played in short pants, instigated rule changes, employed cheerleaders and movie-star beauty queens, pioneered baseball on television, eschewed trains for planes, and offered fans palatable delicacies not before served at ballparks. On any given night, Clark Gable, Jimmy Stewart, Barbara Stanwyck, Humphrey Bogart, and dozens more cheered on their favorite team from the boxes and grandstands of Gilmore Field. During the Hollywood Stars' history, its celebrity owners pushed boundaries, challenged existing baseball norms, infuriated rivals, and produced an imaginative product, the likes of which the game had never before seen. Featuring interviews with former players, Lights, Camera, Fastball is an inside look at a team that was far ahead its time, whose innovations are still seen in professional baseball today.

Widely considered the best black player of the 19th century, Hall-of-Famer Frank Grant challenged baseball's color barrier in the 1880s to play for all-white professional teams--two of which fought a legal battle for his services. This first full-length biography documents Grant's career highlights, including successful games against Major League teams and at-bats against Hall-of-Fame pitchers. Stories overlooked for more than a century are examined, including a falsified anecdote that obscured one of Grant's best games from history. New light is shed on the early years of the Cuban Giants, the first black pro ball club.

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

From its modest beginnings in rural America to its current status as an entertainment industry in postindustrial America enjoyed worldwide by millions each season, the linkages between baseball's evolution and our nation's history are undeniable. Through war, depression, times of tumultuous upheaval and of great prosperity - baseball has been held up as our national pastime: the single greatest expression of America's values and ideals. Combining a comprehensive history of the game with broader analyses of America's historical and cultural developments, National Pastime encapsulates the values that have allowed it to endure: hope, tradition, escape, revolution. While nostalgia, scandal, malaise and triumph are contained within the study of any American historical moment, we see in this book that the tensions and developments within the game of baseball afford the best window into a deeper understanding of America's past, its purpose, and its principles.

The 1972 World Series was a terrific clash between two rising Major League franchises, the Oakland A's and the Cincinnati Reds. Neither had won the pennant in decades. Twice removed from their original home in Philadelphia and unappreciated in Oakland, the A's quietly played excellent ball, their long hair and mustaches symbols of rebellion. Led by manager Sparky Anderson, the clean-cut Reds--baseball's most conservative club--were becoming a powerhouse and were the favorites entering the Series. This book chronicles both the A's and the Reds' journeys to the memorable '72 Fall Classic--where six of seven games were won by a single run--with batter-by-batter coverage of the diamond exploits of Bench, Perez, Rose, Rudi, Odom, Tenace, and others.

Focusing on the ten most influential baseball books of all time, this volume explores how these landmark works changed the game itself and made waves in American society at large. Satchel Paige's Pitchin' Man informed the dialog surrounding integration. Ring Lardner's You Know Me Al changed the way Americans viewed their baseball heroes and influenced the work of Hemingway and Fitzgerald. Bill James's Baseball Abstract transformed the way managers-including those in fields other than baseball-analyzed numbers. Pete Rose's My Story and My Prison Without Bars exposed and deepened a cultural divide that paved the way for Donald Trump.

When major league baseball cancelled its 1994 season following a player strike, fans were shocked that the national pastime could be brought to a standstill by a collective bargaining dispute. The strike was largely responsible for bringing the economics of the game into sports discussions and raising questions about the business of baseball. Will players' rising salaries destroy baseball? How will revenue-sharing and luxury taxes affect competitive balance? Should taxpayers subsidize their local team? This volume answers the basic questions about the economics of the sport, from salary arbitration to baseball's antitrust exemption, in a clear style geared for readers with no formal background in economics.