Sabermetrics, the specialized analysis of baseball through empirical evidence, provides an impartial perspective from which to explore the game. In this work, the third in a series, three mathematicians employ statistical science in an attempt to answer some of baseball's toughest questions. For instance, how good were the 1961 New York Yankees? How bad were the 1962 Mets? Which team was the best of the Deadball Era? They also strive to determine baseball's greatest player at various positions. Throughout, the objective evidence allows for debate devoid of emotion and personal biases, providing a fresh, balanced evaluation of these and many other challenging questions.

With more losses and last-place finishes than any other club in Major League Baseball, the Philadelphia Phillies have earned a reputation as one of the most unsuccessful teams ever to take the field. Even so, the Phillies have boasted many unforgettable players and achieved a number of notable triumphs. This history of the Phillies begins with the club's inception in 1883 and goes through the 2012 season, highlighting the team's finer moments and players but also covering less memorable times. Among the people and events it recounts are the great outfield of the 1890s, Chuck Klein's slugging feats, the 1980 World Series, the surprise 1993 pennant win, and the very successful years in Citizens Bank Park, including the world champions of 2008. An exploration of the Phillies' special relationship with Philadelphia and numerous historic photographs complete this comprehensive celebration of the oldest continuous one-name, one-city franchise in professional sports history.

This book is about the realities baseball as an economic force and as a product of popular culture. Baseball does not happen only between the white lines or in the ballparks--it's in the media, bobblehead giveaways, and mobile device apps. Issues of globalization, race and ethnicity, nationality, legacy making, iconic value building, and marketing concerns are all essential to understanding the complex and global product that Major League Baseball is today. A rich...intersection shall we say of fan, corporate, player, media, and owner values exist in each of these parts of the whole. These parts combine in nearly countless ways.

Buck Ewing (1859-1906) was regarded by contemporaries as the greatest catcher and all-around player of his era, though he is virtually forgotten today. A lifetime .300-hitter, he played every position on the diamond and led the league in fielding at two different positions. The first hitter to reach double digits in home runs, Ewing once stole six bases in a game, pioneered the snap forearm throw to catch runners napping, averaged 35 steals a season, and is the only catcher to lead his team in stolen bases (53 in 1888). Off the field, Ewing's personality proved as multifaceted as his playing skills. Considered both affable and modest, he still received criticism from fellow players for negotiating contracts directly with the National League and was accused of faking injuries. This revealing biography provides a detailed exploration of Ewing's life and career, shedding new light on one of baseball's most talented and versatile players.

This first book-length biography of Jimmy Collins examines the life of an intensely private, business-oriented ballplayer who was the first third baseman to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Collins' life is covered in depth from his early years growing up in Buffalo, through his 14-year major league baseball career 1895-1908 primarily in Boston, to his post-baseball life as a real estate investor. This book sheds new light on Collins' motivations to leverage his baseball success--which included leading Boston to victory in the first modern-day World Series in 1903--into lucrative baseball contracts to fund his real estate investments. When he led the Boston Americans to successive American League championships in 1903 and 1904, Collins was instrumental in the foundation of today's highly successful Boston Red Sox franchise and its intense rivalry with the New York Yankees.

In 1972, the Philadelphia Phillies experienced one of their worst seasons in franchise history, finishing with an abysmal 59-97 record. Yet throughout this disastrous season, Steve ""Lefty"" Carlton proved to be a diamond in the rough. In his first year with the club, he led the league with 27 wins, eight shutouts, and a sizzling 1.98 ERA, earning an astounding 45.8 percent of Philadelphia's wins. He also won his first Cy Young award, the first pitcher to do so with a last-place team. This work chronicles Carlton's magical season, including the Rick Wise-for-Carlton trade, Lefty's 5-1 start following the players' first-ever strike, his 15-game winning streak, and a number of memorable games along the way. Interviews with Phillies icons, Hall of Famers, and legendary sports writers add insights to this account of Carlton's remarkable achievements amidst one of the most calamitous period in Phillies history.

Between 1870 and 2010, 165 Jewish Americans have played Major League baseball. This work presents oral histories featuring 23 of these Jewish major leaguers. From Bob Berman, a catcher for the Washington Senators in 1918, to Adam Greenberg, an outfielder for the Chicago Cubs in 2005, the players discuss their careers and consider how their Jewish heritage has affected their lives in and out of baseball. Legends like Hank Greenberg and Al Rosen join lesser-known players to reflect on topics such as the annual dilemma of whether to play on high holidays, efforts to rebut anti-Semitism on and off the field, bonds formed with black teammates also facing prejudice, and personal and Jewish pride in their accomplishments. Together, these oral histories paint a vivid portrait of what it was like to be a Jewish major leaguer and shed light on a fascinating facet of American baseball history.

One of major league baseball's first Native American stars, John Tortes ""Chief"" Meyers (1880-1971) was the hard-hitting, award-winning catcher for John McGraw's New York Giants from 1908 to 1915 and later for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He appeared in four World Series and remains heralded for his role as the trusted battery mate of legendary pitcher Christy Mathewson. Unlike other Native American players who eschewed their tribal identities to escape prejudice, Meyers--a member of the Santa Rosa Band of the Cahuilla Tribe of California--remained proud of his heritage and become a tribal leader after his major league career. This first full biography explores John Tortes Meyers's Cahuilla roots and early life, his year at Dartmouth College, his outstanding baseball career, his life after baseball, and his remarkable legacy to both baseball and the Native American community.

On August 16, 1920, Yankees pitcher Carl Mays threw a fastball that struck Cleveland Indians shortstop Ray Chapman in the head. Chapman died the next morning. Hit by Pitch is a nonfiction graphic novel about these men, their lives and legacies, and the event that linked them forever. Born the same year (1891), both in Kentucky, they had similar beginnings but opposing personalities. This wonderfully drawn work brings the two men and their era back to life.

Since the Boston Red Sox came into existence in 1901, some of the greatest players ever to step onto a baseball diamond have filled its rosters. Starting with Cy Young, the parade of legendary players included Tris Speaker, Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx, Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski, Carlton Fisk, Roger Clemens, Pedro Martinez, Manny Ramirez, and David Ortiz, among others. This work profiles 200 of the most memorable players to have donned Boston's red, white and blue. Some, like Williams, enjoyed long, illustrious careers with the Red Sox. Others, like Smokey Joe Wood, shone brightly for only a brief period. Also included are journeymen who became legends as a result of one glorious World Series game, like Bernie Carbo, or players with just one memorable post-season appearance, like Dave Roberts. Together, these legends, idols, and heroes made Red Sox history and forever changed American baseball.

After coming close to winning the pennant on more than one occasion during the early 1920s, the Pittsburgh Pirates finally shed the stigma of being underachievers and claimed the National League flag in 1925, ending the New York Giants' four-year reign at the top of the league. Manager Bill McKechnie's brigade of young guns moved on to oppose the defending world champion Washington Senators in the World Series. After falling behind three games to one, Pittsburgh pulled off the greatest comeback in World Series history when they rallied to win in a thrilling seventh game. This detailed history recounts the entire 1925 Pittsburgh Pirates season, paying special attention to the team's construction and the World Series. Appendices provide complete statistics for the 1925 Pittsburgh Pirates, box scores for all seven games of that year's World Series, and World Series statistics for both teams.

Professional baseball has always consisted of a variety of characters, from likeable youngsters to notorious rebels. From 1871 to the present, the sport has witnessed the likes of Germany Schaeffer, an infielder with a penchant for "stealing" first base; Joe Medwick, the only player ever removed from a game for his own safety; and first baseman Hal Chase, noted for being one of the most corrupt players in baseball history. The Cooperstown Chronicles takes an entertaining look at the unusual lives, strange demises, and downright rowdy habits of some of the most colorful personalities in the history of baseball. Chapters profile the game's well-known tough-guys, the hard-drinking revelers, head-hunting pitchers, players who took their own lives, and those who died far too young from accidents or diseases. Frank Russo goes beyond the stats and delves into each player's personality, his life outside of baseball, and even his final resting place. The stories of little-known players like Terry Enyart, who pitched just one and two-thirds innings in the major leagues, are told next to those of superstars such as Mike Flanagan, who played professional ball for 18 years. However brief or long a career he may have had, every major league player has a story to tell. The Cooperstown Chronicles gives a voice to many of those players who are no longer able to tell their stories themselves. Compelling, fun, and often surprising, this book will entertain baseball fans and historians alike.

When African American first baseman George "Boomer" Scott made his debut in the major leagues in 1966, he took the field for the Boston Red Sox--the last major league team to field a black ballplayer, only seven years before. An eight-time Gold Glove Award winner, a three-time All-Star, and an important member of the Red Sox 1967 Impossible Dream American League Champions, Scott stroked 271 "taters"--a term he coined for home runs that has been memorialized in baseball lexicon. Yet throughout his career, the outspoken player faced an ongoing struggle to gain racial acceptance. This detailed biography chronicles Scott's youth in violently racist Mississippi, his impressive 14-year professional career, and the challenges he faced off the field. Based on hundreds of hours of interviews with the former slugger, this work celebrates one of Boston's legends and reveals the barriers that still existed for black ball players years after Jackie Robinson paved the way.

While most serious fans know that the Deadball Era was characterized by low scoring, aggressive baserunning, and strong pitching, few understand the extent to which ballparks determined the style of play. As it turns out, the general absence of standardization and the ever-changing dimensions, configurations, and ground rules had a profound effect on the game, as offensive production would rise and fall, sometimes dramatically, from year to year. Especially in the early years of the American League, home teams enjoyed an unprecedented advantage over visiting clubs. The 1901 Orioles are a case in point, as the club batted an astounding .325 at Oriole Park IV--some 60 points above their road average and 54 points better than visitors to the park. Organized by major league city, this comprehensive study of Deadball parks and park effects provides fact-filled, data-heavy commentary on all 34 ballparks used by the American and National Leagues from 1901 through 1919. Illustrations and historical photos are included, along with a foreword by Philip J. Lowry and a final chapter that offers an assessment of the overall impact of parks on the era.

The nicknames for over 3,600 players, umpires, managers, owners, broadcasters, writers, executives, other officials, and fans are included in this comprehensive reference work. Each entry provides the given name of the individual, nickname, position, years played (or associated with the game for nonplayers), and origin of the nickname. A separate section (compiled by Brenda S. Wilson) lists players and nicknames for the All American Girls Baseball League. An extensive name index completes the work.

The last independent major league ended its brief run in 1915, after only two seasons at the national pastime's top level. But no competitor to establishment baseball ever exerted so much influence on its rival, with some of the most recognizable elements of the game today--including the commissioner system, competition for free agents, baseball's antitrust exemption, and even the beloved Wrigley Field--traceable to the so-called outlaw organization known as the Federal League of Base Ball Clubs. This comprehensive history covers the league from its formation in 1913 through its buyout, dissolution, and legal battles with the National and American leagues. The day-to-day operation of the franchises, the pennant races and outstanding players, the two-year competitive battle for fans and players, and the short- and long-term impact on the game are covered in detail.

Major League Baseball today would be unrecognizable without the large number of Latin American players and managers filling its ranks. Their strong influence on the sport can trace its beginnings to professional leagues established south of the border over six decades ago. This narrative history of Latin American baseball leagues during the 1940s and 1950s provides an in-depth, year-by-year chronicle of seasonal leagues in the seven primary baseball-playing areas in the region: Mexico, the Caribbean, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Panama. The success of these leagues, and their often acrimonious competition with U. S. Organized Baseball, eventually ushered in a new era of contract concessions from owners and general labor advancements for players that forever changed the game.

When Babe Ruth left the New York Yankees in 1935, some feared that the loss would cripple the club for years. However, the post-Ruth era Yankees continued to dominate until the start of World War II. Their forward-thinking administrative staff signed and developed top-flight talent like Joe DiMaggio and retained superstars like Lou Gehrig, who remained the greatest first baseman in the game until he succumbed to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This history of Yankees from 1936 to World War II details the team's swift recovery from losing Ruth, reintroduces unheralded players, examines the personal styles of the key men, and chronicles the team's remarkable achievements, including winning six American League pennants in eight years and five World Series, a time triumph and tragedy, of characters colorful and sorrowful.

Roger Conner, the Babe Ruth of the 1880s and inventor of the pop-up slide, ranks number one for 19th century players in home runs and was an expert bunter. Called "The Gentleman of the Diamond," and played well into his fifties. This biography covers Conner's entire baseball career as well as his early life.

In March 1999, the Baltimore Orioles played a team of Cuban all-stars, the first time a major league baseball team from the United States had played a Cuban team since 1959. Before communism, Cuba had a rich baseball history, fielding teams that often defeated U.S. major league opponents. This text presents basic statistical information and listings for every Cuban baseball team from 1878 until 1961, when the communist government of Fidel Castro shut down professional sports. The information for each season includes the final standings, team rosters, all-time records, individual statistics arranged by team, and background information. The appendix lists the Cuban players in the first three eras, all-time leaders for batting average, runs, hits, doubles, triples, home runs, RBI, stolen bases, pitching, completed games, wins, losses, MVPs, Rookies of the Years, and much more. The book is profusely illustrated with photographs.

Among the great pitchers in baseball history, Charles ""Deacon"" Phillippe and Samuel ""The Schoolmaster"" Leever hardly stand out as household names. But during the first decade of the twentieth century, these two Pittsburgh Pirates were among the most celebrated pitchers in the major leagues. From 1900 through 1906, these models of consistency posted a combined record of 261 victories against 131 losses for a win-loss percentage of .666. During the years Deacon and the Schoolmaster toiled on the mound, the Pirates never finished out of the first division, won four National League pennants, and came in second four times. With little flamboyance or controversy to color their legacy, their fame faded quickly after their workman-like playing days. This narrative chronicles the thriving careers of these unassuming aces and returns them to their rightful place among the most important players in the history of the Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Club.

In 1995, William B. Gould, IV, then chairman of the National Labor Relations Board, cast the deciding vote to obtain the injunction that ended the longest strike in baseball history. Sixteen years of peaceful relations between baseball labor and management have followed, as well as unprecedented prosperity in a relationship that previously endured 30 years of strikes and lockouts. This study, which clearly illustrates the practical impact of law on America's pastime, considers the full, 140-year sweep of labor-management relationships and conflict, exploring player-owner disputes, the development of free agency, the collective bargaining process, and the racial integration of baseball, among other topics. It concludes with a discussion of the "steroids era," the problem with maintaining Jackie Robinson's legacy in the 21st century, and globalization.

Every spring, thousands of ball players across the country step back to the nineteenth century to play vintage base ball (two words in those days) using the equipment, uniforms, rules, and customs of the game's early years. A unique combination of athletic contest, living history, and outdoor theatre, vintage base ball transports players and spectators alike to that fascinating and innocent time when athletes gathered on the diamond for recreation, exercise, and pure enjoyment of the game. This helpful how-to provides all the information needed to play this entertaining, educational, and fast-growing game and to present it to the public, covering everything from historically accurate equipment and etiquette to the rules of play and game-day preparations.

In 1924, at the age of 27, manager and second baseman Stanley ""Bucky"" Harris--aka ""The Boy Wonder""--led the Washington Senators to their only World Series championship. His incredible debut season at the helm of the Senators marked the beginning of remarkable 29-year managerial career that earned him a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame. This detailed biography chronicles Harris's road to the top of his sport, including his youth in the coal mining region of eastern Pennsylvania, his brief stint in professional basketball, his early days as a baseball player, his 1947 world championship as manager of the Yankees, and his role in the racial integration of both the Senators and the Boston Red Sox. By highlighting Harris' easy-going nature and intelligence, this profile makes it perfectly clear why one player being traded to Harris' Senators declared, ""Ask any ballplayer who he'd like to play for and he'd say Bucky Harris.

Earl Weaver put his best defensive players on the field early in the game instead of just making late-inning defensive replacements. Whitey Herzog became one of baseball's great managers by his use of players who could bunt and by playing for one run over and over again. Both of these men are known for their styles and tactics and full coverage of them, along with many other managers, can be found in this biographical dictionary. The entries are based on interviews, data and anecdotes from owners, coaches, and players on the more than 600 men who have managed major league teams over the past 125 years. The entries include birth and death dates, the teams and dates they managed, win-loss records, winning percentages, and standings. Listings are included of managers of 1,000 games or more, managers with one-game careers, managers with the best winning percentages, and managers with the most wins. A complete listing of managers in the history of each team is provided in this title.