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!

There is only one casino game in which players, if they play perfectly, can gain a mathematical advantage over the house. That game is blackjack.
Blackjack Strategy teaches you everything you need to know to fatten your wallet and have a good time at the tables. At last, here is an easy-to-understand guide to blackjacks basic strategy and card counting. Michael Benson explains when to take a hit, when to stand, when to split, and when to double-down - and how all these decisions are influenced by the card count. Included are:
* A comprehensive list of blackjack rules, including those particular to specific casinos,
regions, and foreign countries
* How to avoid the surveillance techniques houses use to weed out card counters
* Inside tips from the professionals
* A money-management guide to maximize winnings and minimize losses
* Forty strategy charts
Blackjack Strategy is entirely up-to-date for todays casino play and, unlike many other blackjack guides, doesnt require a mathematicians skill to comprehend.

Writers have long been attracted to boxing. Hemingway, Mailer, Algren, Plimpton, Oates, and many others have stepped into the ring--at least in spirit--to give voice to an otherwise wordless sport, to celebrate that "sweet science," and to bear witness to its romance and tragedy. In this acclaimed book, hailed by Norman Mailer as an "impressive event," we are brought for the first time into the ring for a close-up look at the "manly art" through the eyes of Jose Torres, a man who was a great boxer himself. When former light-heavyweight world champion Torres traded in his gloves for a typewriter, boxing finally found its eyewitness.
In the classic "Sting Like a Bee," Torres turns his well-trained eye on one of the most celebrated and controversial athletes of all time: Muhammad Ali. In this penetrating view of Ali and the world of prizefighting, told by a true insider and "boxing's Renaissance man," Torres delivers exciting and explicit accounts of all of Ali's major fights with the cool authenticity of one who has lived it.

A fantastic and far-flung compilation of stats, figures, and little-known nuggets about our national pastime

An addictive read, sure to spark conversation wherever baseball is spoken, The Baseball Maniacs Almanac is part reference, part trivia, part brain teaser--and absolutely the greatest, most unusual and thorough compendium of baseball stats and facts ever compiled-- all verfied for accuracy by the Baseball Hall of Fame. Renowned sportswriter Bert Sugar, with his trademark tough-guy swagger, presents thousands of fascinating lists, tables, data, and stimulating facts about:

• Individual players and teams
  
• Managers • Player relatives
  
• The Hall of Fame
  
• Annual awards
  
• The World Series
  
• All-Star Games
  
• A list of the all-time statistical leaders for all all the major league teams PLUS: A truly unforgettable miscellany section answers such mind-boggling questions as, Which major-leaguers have palindromic surnames? and Which players born under each zodiac sign have hit the most career home runs?
  

In "The Sweet Science Goes Sour, " boxing writer Thomas Myler recounts some of the sport's most controversial fixes, fakes, and frauds. Like a ringside seat at the sport's greatest and most troubled bouts, the book brings to life boxing's many outrageous characters. They include Primo Carnera, tragically manipulated and ultimately destroyed by mobsters; Sonny Liston, who lost to Muhammad Ali because of a suspicious phantom punch; and Roberto Duran's, who was involved in a baffling surrender to Sugar Ray Leonard. Here too are notorious matchups like Riddick Bowe versus Andrew Golota, which ended in an unprecedented full-scale riot at Madison Square Garden. There's also Mike Tyson's infamous ear-munch on a shocked Evander Holyfield. Based on solid research and written in a dramatic, "you-are-there" style, this book pulls back the curtain on the squared circle to reveal the seamier side of the sweet science.