Using various (and completely subjective) criteria including lifetime statistics, personal and professional contributions to the game at large, sportsmanship, character, popularity with the fans, and more, sports writer Derek Gentile ranks the best players of all time from 1 to 1,000. The selection spans the generations from Edward "Cocky" Collins (1906-1930) to Miguel Cabrera (2003-present). Dozens of Negro league players are also included, as well as sidebars on the greatest Japanese players, women players, and "pre-historic" players from the time before stats and other information was formally recorded. Each entry includes the player's name, positions played, teams played for, and years played, as well as lifetime stats and a biography of the player including his great (and not-so-great) moments and little-known facts. Baseball's Best 1,000 is sure to spark controversy and debate among fans.

For many New Yorkers, the removal of the Brooklyn Dodgers--perhaps the most popular baseball team of all time--to Los Angeles in 1957 remains one of the most traumatic events since World War II. Neil J. Sullivan's controversial reassessment of a story that has reached almost mythic proportions in its many retellings shifts responsibility for the move onto the local governmental maneuverings that occurred on both sides of the continent.

Conventional wisdom has it that Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley cold-heartedly abandoned the devoted Brooklyn fans for the easy money of Los Angeles. Sullivan argues that O'Malley had, in fact, wanted to stay in Brooklyn, hoping to build a new stadium with his own money. Situated in an increasingly unsafe neighborhood and without parking facilities, Ebbets Field had become obsolete. Yet an uncooperative New York City administration, led by Robert Moses, blocked O'Malley's plan to use the ideal site at the Atlantic Avenue Long Island Railroad terminal. A political battle over the Dodgers' move also erupted in Los Angeles. Mayor Poulson's suggestion to use Chavez Ravine as the new stadium site triggered opposition from residents concerned about a giveaway. Eventually a telethon campaign that enlisted the help of celebrities such as Groucho Marx, George Burns, and Ronald Reagan enabled the approval of the deal.

Set against a backdrop of sporting passion and rivalry, and appearing over thirty years after the Dodgers' last season in Brooklyn, this engrossing book offers new insights into the power stuggles existing in the nation's two largest cities.

At the start of the 1947 baseball season, reporters projected the Boston Red Sox would repeat as American League champions. The New York Yankees were picked to finish no higher than third place. The reporters were wrong. The Yankees were a veteran team as Joe DiMaggio, Phil Rizzuto, Tommy Henrich, and Charlie Keller returned from World War II military service. It was also a team that introduced New York fans to rookies Yogi Berra, Bobby Brown, and Frank Shea. The team saw stand-out performances from players such as Allie Reynolds, who was obtained in a trade with Cleveland and was a nineteen-game winner, and Joe Page, who became baseball's top relief hurler that same year. Frank Strauss was a twelve-year-old fan in 1947; he kept meticulous scrapbooks and even met some of the players. In "Dawn of a Dynasty," he relives for readers how this team won nineteen straight games in midseason and later claimed the pennant-then capped the season with a memorable World Series win against the Brooklyn Dodgers. The unforgettable 1947 Yankee team launched a remarkable record of winning fifteen American League pennants and ten World Championships between 1947 and 1964 and truly marked the "Dawn of a Dynasty."

For most of the first half of the twentieth century, African-Americans were excluded from Organized Baseball. But their love of the game, and their desire to play could not be denied. Despite that ban, "blackball" was being played in just about every cow pasture and field available throughout the country. Black players criss-crossed the country in Negro League games and on barnstorming tours, bringing baseball to places where the Major Leagues never dreamed of going. Many gifted athletes never got the chance to compete in the Majors, until the door was finally opened in 1947 with the signing of Jackie Robinson and Larry Doby. Once given that chance to compete, African-Americans showed the country that they were deserving of the opportunity. Many became superstars, but, on the mound, only 13 African-Americans ever reached the magic plateau of twenty wins in a season. This book tells the story of those thirteen men and a few of their predecessors, the obstacles they faced, and the determination they showed to succeed. But it is a story about so much more than just baseball. Against the backdrop of their grit and determination, it reflects the story of all African-American baseball players through the creation of the Negro Leagues, the evolution of the game, and the parallel integration of baseball and America.

Growing up in a tiny shack in the Dominican Republic, Felipe Alou never dreamed he would be the first man born and raised in his country to play and manage in Major League Baseball-and also the first to play in the World Series. In this extraordinary autobiography, Alou tells of his real dream to become a doctor, and an improbable turn of events that led to the pro contract. Battling racism in the United States and political turmoil in his home country, Alou persevered, paving the way for his brothers and scores of other Dominicans, including his son Moises. Alou played seventeen years in the Major Leagues, accumulating more than two thousand hits and two hundred home runs, and then managed for another fourteen years-four with the San Francisco Giants and ten with the Montreal Expos, where he became the winningest manager in franchise history. Alou's pioneering journey is embedded in the history of baseball, the Dominican Republic, and a remarkable family.

The 1977-78 Los Angeles Dodgers came close. Their tough lineup of young and ambitious players squared off with the New York Yankees in consecutive World Series. The Dodgers' run was a long time in the making after years of struggle and featured many homegrown players who went on to noteworthy or Hall of Fame careers, including Don Sutton, Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes, and Steve Yeager. Dodgerland is the story of those memorable teams as Chavez Ravine began to change, baseball was about to enter a new era, and American culture experienced a shift to the "me" era. Part journalism, part social history, and part straight sportswriting, Dodgerland is told through the lives of four men, each representing different aspects of this L.A. story. Tom Lasorda, the vocal manager of the Dodgers, gives an up-close view of the team's struggles and triumphs; Tom Fallon, a suburban small-business owner, witnesses the Dodgers' season and the changes to California's landscape-physical, social, political, and economic; Tom Wolfe, a chronicler of California's ever-changing culture, views the events of 1977-78 from his Manhattan writer's loft; and Tom Bradley, Los Angeles's mayor and the region's most dominant political figure of the time, gives a glimpse of the wider political, demographic, and economic forces that affected the state at the time. The boys in blue drew baseball's focus in those two seasons, but the intertwining narratives tell a larger story about California, late 1970s America, and great promise unrealized.

Big League Trivia - Interesting Facts, Figures, Oddities, and Coincidences from our National Pastime is a unique trivia book divided into twenty-four chapters dealing with various areas of the great game of major league baseball. Chapters include: All-Star Game, Awards, Ballparks, Coincidences, Debuts, Family, Golden Oldies, Home Runs, League Leaders, Managers, Milestones, Moment of Glory, No-Hitters, Oddities, One and Only, Opening Day, Performances, Pitching, Playoffs and World Series, Runs Batted In, So Close, Teams, Triples, and Two of a Kind. Rather than using a simple question-and-answer format, the material in Big League Trivia is presented in sentence form - varying in length from a single line to an entire paragraph - to give more detailed information on various items from major league baseball. The items covered in Big League Trivia span from the beginning of the modern baseball era in 1900 through the 2005 season and include everything from the most famous moments in baseball history to unusual coincidences and quirky statistical oddities that only baseball can produce.

Once the days of glory have passed and the cheers have faded, what becomes of the man who was that youthful athlete? What became of the slim pitcher with the blazing fastball or the muscular, young batter who could drive that same pitch to the deepest part of the ballpark? Life goes on. Time waits for no man. SO MANY SUMMER FIELDS allows us to visit with a few of these former ballplayers or their surviving family members to see for ourselves. With each subject we find a gracious, noble man who is treasured by those who know him or loved and honored by those he left behind. These chapters are not just about baseball.They are about God, love, kindness and friendships....the best things in life.

What if the world had never heard of Steve Bartman? What if Alex Gonzalez had fielded that ground ball cleanly, and turned the pair? What if Grady Little had listened when Pedro told him he was tired, and gone to the bullpen, which had, after all, been extremely effective throughout the post-season. This story is about how the world and the 2003 World Series would have been had those things happened. The stories in this book are a mixture of fact, fiction, fantasy, and fanaticism. Outside of New York and Florida, there was not a lot of sentiment for the Yankees and Marlins to get to the 2003 World Series. Even Fox Sports, Sports Business Journal, ESPN, and every other media in the country were pulling for a Cubs vs. Red Sox World Series.

"Out of the Blue" is the story of the 2002 World Series champion Anaheim Angels, chronicling the championship season while reflecting on the franchise's star-crossed history, starting with original owner Gene Autry's acquisition of the club in 1961. "Out of the Blue" includes profiles of certain players, like shortstop David Eckstein, first baseman Scott Spiezio and right fielder Tim Salmon. Included is a profile of manager Mike Scioscia, who put into practice the club's egoless style and work ethic. "Out of the Blue" reflects on the Angels' long road to glory, having to overcome playing in the shadow of their regional neighbors, the Dodgers, the previous employers of Scioscia and his coaching staff. And finally, "Out of the Blue" focuses on the Angels' World Series championship, the club's only one in 42 seasons, which shocked the baseball world.

"Of all the people I play against, the only one I truly fear is Larry Bird."--Magic Johnson, from the Foreword.

The heart and soul of a champion: his life, his career, his game. To understand basketball, you have to understand Larry Bird. Arguably the greatest all-around player the game has ever known, he led the Boston Celtics from the basement to three world championships, collecting three NBA Most Valuable Player awards along the way. Yet, despite these massive accomplishments, Bird has rarely talked to the press, and much about the man has remained a mystery. Now in Drive, the long-silent superstar sets the record straight, revealed a side of himself-and of basketball-you've never see before. Inside, you'll learn Bird's most private feelings about: The momentous decision to transfer from Bobby Knight's Indiana University to Indiana State. The heartbreak of his father's suicide and his own failed marriage. The single-minded discipline that tumed a small-town hero into a national superstar. The Boston Garden and the legendary Celtic charm. The Isiah Thomas controversy and the fierce Celtic-Laker rivalry. The great players of the NBA: including Magic Johnson, Dominique Wilkins, and Michael Jordan, and much more. here is the book that puts a basketball legend-and his game-on the line. And scores!

Explanation, demonstration, correction and repetition are essential to the activity of teaching. Successful coaches must be able to effectively and consistently incorporate each of these teaching methods into lessons for their teams. Ideal for any age group, the concepts in this guide help coaches to master these basic principles as they focus on the most important elements of how to teach hitting. Introduced with the author's own teaching-coaching philosophy, this work offers 21 chapters covering a hitting coach's every need. When to Start, Bat Size, Grip, Stance, Swing, Drills and Station Work, Bat Speed, Mental Preparation and Confidence, Pinch Hitting and Running a Hitting Clinic are a few examples of the many specific instructional sections included here. There are 137 photographs that supplement the text.

When R.J "Squat" Hansen returns to the University of Michigan for his fourth and final year to play in the Maize and Blue, he finds out that his old coach has turned in an untimely resignation and his best friend, Benny, is one more collision with the outfield fence away from permanent brain damage. Now, if he could only impress his new coaches enough to score some playing time, keep Benny from killing himself, stop his all-star roommate from shooting off at the mouth, help the team's closer with his drinking problem, and influence a group of tough guys on the team to stop beating up every student who got in their way, he just might find time to enjoy his senior year. But soon the seniors find out the only thing harder than playing collegiate athletics is having to give it all up.

Ever since there has been a professional game, baseball fans have enjoyed debating comparisons of one player to another--both contemporaries and players across various eras in the sport's history. "The Baseball Same Game" adds to those debates. However, rather than focus on the traditional "Who's better?" arguments (such as "Mantle or Mays?" or "Ruth or Aaron?") "The Baseball Same Game" takes on the particular cases of "Which players were the same?" Unique baseball metrics--apart from those common and conventional baseball statistics that one would typically see on the back of a player's bubble gum card--are used to analyze career performance. And, "The Baseball Same Game" gives consideration to relativity when comparing statistics of baseball players from different eras in the game. Which baseball all-time greats were the same in terms of their relative performance? Who are the recently retired players that match-up to the stars of baseball's past? What players not in the Baseball Hall of Fame measure up to those already in the Hall? "The Baseball Same Game" provides these answers and more.

"The View from the Stands" is both the story of one fan's love of the game and an examination of the effect baseball has had on fans everywhere throughout its history. A collection of stories and insights compiled during the summer of 2002 in each of MLB's thirty parks, "The View from the Stands" provides us with the fans' perspective on every team and stadium in the league, and on the most important issues currently affecting the game. It gives a voice to the masses of people who fill our stadiums, and it explains how a child's game became the business it is today.

This book examines the entire experience of live baseball, from the uncomfortable seats to the misplaced marketing ventures to the incredible feeling of seeing Bonds circle the bases. Baseball touches our lives in so many unexpected ways. By introducing us to the little boys who rush to the edge of the stands in Wrigley, the recovering alcoholic who found a new family at the Metrodome, and many others from all walks of life, "The View from the Stands" tells the story of our love of the game--what draws us in and what keeps us coming back for more.

The history of the New York Mets spans over four decades, all of which have been a roller coaster ride. Society has gone through many changes, some very good and others horrible. This also applies to the Mets; their fans can attest to this.

They began as a "Phoenix," rising out of the ashes of the "ghosts" of the Dodgers and Giants, long lost stalwarts of the Big Apple. Despite their ineptitude (or maybe because of it), New York National League fans took them in as an animal lover would take to the "runt of the litter." However, after seven years, the Mets finally rewarded their fans by winning what was considered a "Miracle Championship." "Double Blackjack" also sheds light on the lean years, which unfortunately occurred more often than the opposite.

I know I have only scratched the surface of the Mets' transactions, especially for all the "Monday Morning Quarterbacks" out there. I also know that there will be quite a lot of controversy associated with my writing. However, I have never been one to back down from an unpopular opinion; if I believe in a cause, no matter how futile it may be, I won't be swayed. All Mets' fans can commiserate with me.

An in-depth look at the intersection of judgment and statistics in baseball Scouting and scoring are considered fundamentally different ways of ascertaining value in baseball. Scouting seems to rely on experience and intuition, scoring on performance metrics and statistics. In Scouting and Scoring, Christopher Phillips rejects these simplistic divisions. He shows how both scouts and scorers rely on numbers, bureaucracy, trust, and human labor to make sound judgments about the value of baseball players. Tracing baseball's story from the nineteenth century to today, Phillips explains that the sport was one of the earliest fields to introduce numerical analysis, and new methods of data collection were supposed to enable teams to replace scouting with scoring. But that's not how things turned out. From the invention of official scorers and Statcast to the creation of the Major League Scouting Bureau, Scouting and Scoring reveals the inextricable connections between human expertise and data science, and offers an entirely fresh understanding of baseball.

Explore the varied and colorful origins of the international passion for baseball through the eyes of those who played. In these uniquely personal accounts, given by dozens of people from all over the world, Sandlot Stories invites its readers into the lives of everyday people as they look back and remember the sport they love. Watch through their own eyes as the multiple authors of all titles and descriptions relive the events that made baseball for them what it is to all those who have ever experienced and loved the great American game. This is my story, and yours, and that of every other kid that ever played the game. Reading these stories will bring back the smell of fresh cut grass, memories of friends long past, and take you back to a time when your life was all about just scoring the winning run. - Robert J. Day CEO, Pawnee Leasing Corporation

The story of Jackie Robinson valiantly breaking baseball's color barrier in 1947 is one that most Americans know. But less recognized is the fact that some seventy years earlier, following the Civil War, baseball was tenuously biracial and had the potential for a truly open game. How, then, did the game become so firmly segregated that it required a trailblazer like Robinson? The answer, Ryan A. Swanson suggests, has everything to do with the politics of reconciliation and a wish to avoid the issues of race that an integrated game necessarily raised. The history of baseball during Reconstruction, as Swanson tells it, is a story of lost opportunities. Thomas Fitzgerald and Octavius Catto (a Philadelphia baseball tandem), for example, were poised to emerge as pioneers of integration in the 1860s. Instead, the desire to create a national game--professional and appealing to white Northerners and Southerners alike--trumped any movement toward civil rights. Focusing on Philadelphia, Washington DC, and Richmond--three cities with large African American populations and thriving baseball clubs--Swanson uncovers the origins of baseball's segregation and the mechanics of its implementation. An important piece of sports history, his work also offers a better understanding of Reconstruction, race, and segregation in America.

From the team's inception in 1903, the New York Yankees were a floundering group that played as second-class citizens to the New York Giants. The team was purchased in 1915 by Jacob Ruppert and his partner, Til Huston. Three years later, when Ruppert hired Miller Huggins as manager, the unlikely partnership of the two figures began, one that set into motion the Yankees' run as the dominant baseball franchise of the 1920s and the rest of the twentieth century, capturing six American League pennants with Huggins at the helm and four more during Ruppert's lifetime. The Yankees' success was driven by Ruppert's executive style and enduring financial commitment, combined with Huggins's philosophy of continual improvement and personnel development. The Colonel and Hug tells the story of how these two men transformed the Yankees in their rise to dominance. It also tells the larger story of America's gradual move from neutrality to entry into World War I and the emergence and impact of Prohibition on American society. This story tells of the end of the Deadball Era and the rise of the Lively Ball Era, a gambling scandal, and the collapse of baseball's governing structure-and the significant role the Yankees played in it all. While the hitting of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig won many games for New York, Ruppert and Huggins institutionalized winning for the Yankees.