Baseball's premier national television analyst Tim McCarver presents fascinating tales from the game's greatest players and personalities

"Tim McCarver's Diamond Gems" is a treasure trove of fabulous anecdotes from the many baseball celebrities who have appeared on "The Tim McCarver Show." A valuable mix of baseball history with a personal touch, this book is a natural for everyone who loves the game. Includes tales from baseball greats Sandy Koufax, Stan Musial, Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks, Willie Mays, Yogi Berra, Tom Seaver, Cal Ripken Jr., Johnny Bench, Don Mattingly, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Chipper Jones, David Wright, and many more.

"Baseball is THE storyteller's game. So, if you love the game, you'll love Tim McCarver's treasure trove of stories. And you'll also understand why Tim never has to fear a rain delay."
--Bob Costas, NBC & HBO Sports

""Tim McCarver's Diamond Gems" is the modern version of "The Glory Of Their Times." It's fun and engaging and instructive and even sweet now and then. Tim could always call the pitches, and he also seems to get everyone to deliver their best stuff here."
--Frank Deford, author, "The Entitled"

Curt Flood was a dazzling center fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals when, in 1969, he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. But instead of accepting his fate, Flood shocked baseball by suing the sport over its Reserve Clause, an age-old rule that bound players to their teams in perpetuity. His extraordinary case went all the way to the Supreme Court and helped pave the way for major advancements in the rights of professional athletes. Stepping Up is Flood's astonishing story. Accessible to teens but of interest to baseball fans of all ages, it begins with Flood as a an artistic black kid in Oakland, and continues with his eye-opening experience as a minor leaguer in the racist South. It describes Flood's years with the exciting Cardinals teams of the 1960s (with teammates like Stan Musial, Joe Torre, and Bob Gibson), and his increasing frustrations with baseball's mistreatment of players especially blacks. The book culminates with his historic suit, which changed his life and the sports world forever. In lively, conversational prose, Alex Belth provides fascinating details and anecdotes about Flood's Cardinals, the Negro Leagues, and many of the dramatic differences in baseball and America between Flood's era and today. Including a foreword by acclaimed broadcaster Tim McCarver (who, as a player, was traded with Flood to the Phillies), Stepping Up is the compelling tale of a ballplayer's desire to make a difference.