In 1968, Johnny Bench was a 20-year-old rookie embarking on his first full Major League season with the Cincinnati Reds. He was also the Reds starting catcher, an All-Star, and the National League Rookie of the Year. And he was one other thing as well: the foundation for one of the greatest teams ever assembled in Major League history-the Big Red Machine. Bench's Major League journey lasted 17 seasons-all in Cincinnati-and earned him a place in the Baseball Hall of Fame as one of the game's greatest legends. But when talking about the legendary Reds teams of the 1970s, it was Bench who said, "The Big Red Machine teams will never be forgotten ... They'll be remembered because of the professionals they had, the character they had, the skill they had. Those teams were a symbol of what baseball really should be." The professionals included Tony Perez and Pete Rose, who were already on the club when Bench burst on the scene in 1968, and then one by one the rest of the pieces fell into place: manager Sparky Anderson (1970), followed by Dave Concepcion and George Foster (1971), Joe Morgan and Cesar Geronimo (1972), and Ken Griffey (1973). In 1975, with all the pieces firmly in place, the Reds were World Champions. In 1976, the Reds defended their title and became a dynasty. This is a book of history and trivia that covers all eras of Reds baseball-but it is also a tribute to the legacy of Sparky Anderson and the professionals who made up the Big Red Machine. Think you know everything about Reds baseball? Think again. With ten chapters and 200 brand new trivia questions to challenge fans of all ages and skill levels, it's time to find out how smart you really are about the Cincinnati Reds. Each chapter profiles a member of the Big Red Machine and then offers 20 brand new exciting and challenging trivia questions. And we're keeping score ... so test your skills, wrack your brain, and get ready for the ultimate Cincinnati Reds IQ test

THE TEAM: The Braves are the oldest continuously operated franchise in National League history and are one of just six Major League clubs with more than 10,000 victories-that's more than the Boston Red Sox or the New York Yankees and nearly 1,000 more than the Philadelphia Phillies (though the Phils have lost 10,000-plus games). In baseball's modern era the Braves franchise has won three World Series titles, 17 Pennants, and made 21 playoff appearances ... not to mention an unprecedented run of 14 consecutive Division Titles and the team of the 1990s under the leadership of Bobby Cox. A virtual who's who of Hall of Fame legends also claim the Braves as their home team: Hank Aaron, Warren Spahn, Eddie Mathews, and Phil Niekro to name a few. THE FORMAT: Atlanta Braves: An Interactive Guide to the World of Sports is composed of ten chapters, each offering numbered "mini-stories"-facts, anomalies, records, coincidences, and enthralling lore and trivia from Hall of Fame legends Aaron, Spahn, Mathews and Niekro to future Hall of Famers Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz to contemporary stars Chipper Jones, Brian McCann and Tim Hudson.Each chapter begins with an introduction that highlights the many exciting stories found in these pages such as the "Worst-to-First" 1991 Braves, the legendary career of Manager Bobby Cox, and the unprecedented Cy Young success for the Braves during the 1990s. SPORTS BY THE NUMBERS books are not just for diehard sports fans, but for every fan and sports history reader who loves sports and wants to know more about their heroes and favorite teams-and this title is the definitive source for history and trivia on your Atlanta Braves.

For half a century the St. Louis Browns were nothing short of spectacular ... when it came to futility. Whatever promise or hope or grandeur dreams held by the franchise and its fans after a second place finish in its inaugural season in St. Louis was quickly replaced by this abysmal reality: the Browns were dead last in the eight-team American League ten times in 52 seasons. Then in 1954 the club began play in Baltimore and its new owners shed the "Browns" and every imaginable link to the club's past. It's not that the Orioles don't respect history ... it's that from the very beginning Baltimore was intent on making its own history. And to that end the franchise has been extraordinarily successful. In St. Louis, the Browns had more 100-loss seasons than any team in baseball history-in Baltimore, it barely took Earl Weaver a decade to manage the Orioles to five 100-win seasons. In St. Louis, the Browns backed into one Pennant in five decades. In Baltimore, the Orioles built a powerhouse that dominated the better part of two decades and won six Pennants. There have been ups-and-downs obviously-like every franchise-and plenty of lean years to go with the championships, but with its successes and the many legends its produced since 1954, the Orioles have achieved the same "status" if you will as its division rivals New York and Boston as being one of baseball's truly great franchises. A virtual who's who of baseball royalty spent time playing in Baltimore-from Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson and Jim Palmer, to Cal Ripken, Jr. and Eddie Murray, to today's superstars Chris Davis and Manny Machado. You can't discuss the game's greatest moments without including the Orioles. You can't tour the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown without seeing the influence of the Birds. This is a book of trivia and history. It's meant for diehard baseball fans, but whether or not you count yourself part of Orioles fandom is irrelevant, because the history of the Birds is inextricably linked with the history of baseball-so sit back and reminisce with ten chapters of Baltimore Orioles history, baseball stories, and 200 brand new trivia questions that will wrack your brain and test your skills. It's your Orioles IQ, the ultimate test of true fandom.

Cleveland ranks right up there with the Chicago Cubs and the pre-2004 Boston Red Sox when it comes to breaking hearts-its fans have suffered much, wandering in the proverbial desert since tasting postseason success for the second time in team history in 1948-but the Indians have never disappointed when it comes to producing great players and unforgettable moments ... and they're all in this book. Are you an expert on Cleveland Indians history and trivia? Think you know it all? It's time to find out. Test your skills. Wrack your brain. It's your Cleveland Indians IQ, the Ultimate Test of True Fandom.

You won't see many of these players in an NFL uniform on a Sunday afternoon, but while you're sitting there with your friends and family watching the big game with a bowl of snacks in your lap, the men who played football for Army at West Point are holding up much bigger lines than what the pros are holding up on your TV screen, and they are doing it all over the globe. Army football players prepare for a bigger game, and they do it for you, for me and for freedom everywhere. How much do you know about Army football? This program is as rich in tradition as any program in America yet the names are far from household. Dive into West Point Football IQ: The Ultimate Test of True Fandom. While some of you West Point graduates may earn your 5-Stars, others of us will get a good dose of Army football's long and storied history, a program that continues to produce the men who lead America.

Think you know everything about the Boston Celtics? Think again The follow-up to the original Boston Celtics IQ, this test will strain your brain even harder. Volume II contains five chapters and 200 brand new trivia questions that will stump even the most seasoned Celtics fans. No Celtics topics are off-limits. Are you a Celtics Hall of Famer, or should you start rooting for a lesser franchise like the Lakers or Knicks? It's time to find out - test your skills, wrack your brain, it's the ultimate Boston Celtics IQ test.

The team that won the first World Series in baseball's modern era is now officially a part of the Sports by the Numbers franchise THE TEAM: The Boston Red Sox dominated the early 20th century, winning five World Series titles before the Evil Empire tasted postseason success for the first time. With the 86-year nightmare that followed now firmly in the past, Boston is dominant once again, having become the first team to win multiple World Series titles in the 21st century. The Sports by the Numbers team will take you back to the very beginning, to Huntington Avenue Grounds and names like Cy Young and Tris Speaker, and then one number at a time you will relive the greatest moments in Red Sox history. THE FORMAT: The presentation created by the authors distinguishes Sports by the Numbers from everything else available today. Boston Red Sox is composed of ten chapters, each offering one hundred numbered "mini-stories" - facts, anomalies, records, coincidences, and enthralling lore and trivia from contemporary stars such as David Ortiz, Jason Varitek, and Dustin Pedroia, to Hall of Fame legends from the past like Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Bobby Doerr, Carl Yastrzemski, Carlton Fisk, and Wade Boggs. Each chapter begins with an introduction that highlights the many exciting stories found in these pages such as the first modern World Series in 1903, Teddy Ballgame's only World Series in 1946, the Impossible Dream in 1967, the postseason heartache in 1975 and 1986, and the postseason miracle in 2004. Sports by the Numbers books are not just for diehard sports fans, but for every fan and sports history reader who loves sports and wants to know more about their heroes and favorite teams.

The first National League franchise to be featured in the new, exciting, and completely original Sports by the Numbers series THE TEAM: The Giants franchise is the winningest in professional baseball history, having won more regular season games than the Cubs, Yankees, Dodgers, or Red Sox. The Giants have been to the World Series 18 times and claimed six championships during baseball's modern era-and the success of this franchise has been built on legends, as the club also boasts more Hall of Fame players than any other in the sport. THE FORMAT: The presentation created by the authors distinguishes Sports by the Numbers from everything else available today. San Francisco Giants is composed of ten chapters, each offering one hundred numbered "mini-stories"-facts, anomalies, records, coincidences, and enthralling lore and trivia from Hall of Fame legends such as Willie Mays, Mel Ott, and Bill Terry, to contemporary stars such as Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and Buster Posey. Each chapter begins with an introduction that highlights the many exciting stories found in these pages such as the "Shot Heard 'Round the World," Mays' catch in the 1954 World Series, Barry Bonds' pursuit of Hank Aaron, and rivalry games against the hated Dodgers. Sports by the Numbers books are not just for diehard sports fans, but for every fan and sports history reader who loves sports and wants to know more about their heroes and favorite teams.

The New England Patriots came into being as a bargain basement franchise in an untested upstart professional football league. During the first ten years of their existence, they were nomads without a home field and lost more games than they won. Yet the team, then known as the Boston Patriots, eventually captured the hearts and minds of football fans across the six state region and in "Patriots Nation" throughout America. Over its colorful five-decade history, the once rag-tag establishment has become a model franchise in the National Football League and an organization symbolic with excellence, championships, and with one of the finest stadiums in the NFL. From their humble beginning in Boston to their impressive evolution as multiple Super Bowl Champions in Foxboro, the Patriots have provided fans with years of great victories along with heartbreaking defeats, heroes and scapegoats, and thousands of memorable moments from the ridiculous to the sublime. It's all here. New England Patriots IQ: The Ultimate Test of True Fandom will challenge every Patriots football follower with over 200 interesting, entertaining, and sometimes hilarious questions and answers along with some enlightening editorial comments about the history of the storied franchise. So take the challenge Test your New England Patriots IQ See if you if you are an "Average Fan," an "All-Time Great," a "Hall of Famer," or maybe even a "Patriots Genius" as you enjoy this ultimate test of true Patriots fandom

Think you know Rays baseball? Think again ... you're about to find out how smart you really are about the Tampa Bay Rays. You know that in 1998 the Tampa Bay Devil Rays were an expansion franchise playing its first official, painful season. You know that in 2008, minus the Devil, the Rays were the best team in the American League. But if you think you know everything that transpired as Tampa went from "worst to first" and made itself into one of the elite franchises in professional sports ... well, it's time to prove it. Co-authored by Rays' pitcher Andy Sonnanstine, Tampa Bay Rays IQ contains ten chapters of Rays' history and offers up 200 brand-new trivia questions that will, in fact, reveal the true level of your fandom.

Rock & Roll It burst upon the scene in the 1950s, turned political in the 1960s, self-indulgent in the 1970s, philanthropic in the 1980s, and historical by the 1990s. It's the soundtrack to the post-WWII American experience. Each generation has its own anthems, superstars, styles and sounds. And, they're all here in this rockin' new tome from Black Mesa Publishing-Rock & Roll Music IQ: The Ultimate Test of True Fandom. With 200 questions and 800 possible answers it has everything from greasers to grungers and vinyl to video. You are invited to take the challenge Test your Rock & Roll IQ See if you if you can "make the charts," "achieve a gold record," or maybe even earn "an induction into the Rock & Roll Music IQ Hall of Fame" as you enjoy this ultimate test of true Rock & Roll fandom

St. Louis trailed Milwaukee by ten games in the NL Central on August 25, 2011, and even more discouraging was the 10.5 game deficit to Atlanta that the Cardinals faced in the Wild Card chase. That frustration was completely erased on September 29, however, as the Cardinals completed one of the greatest comebacks in history to make the postseason. It took a lot of help from a Braves team that lost 20 of its final 31 games, but the Cardinals did their part, winning 23 of 32 to close out the regular season and claim the Wild Card berth on the season's final day. But the fun was just starting for this club. The Phillies and the Brewers were expected to meet in the NLCS, but the Cardinals spoiled their postseason plans as well, knocking off the Phillies first, and then taking care of the Brewers in the NLCS to claim the pennant and set up a seven-game showdown with the Texas Rangers in the 2011 World Series. The drama of the 2011 season unfolded against the backdrop of Albert Pujols' looming free agency and an uncharacteristic slow start offensively for arguably the greatest player of his generation-but when a fractured left forearm threatened to sideline the three-time MVP in late June for up to six weeks, Pujols demonstrated the tenacity and intense desire to win that come October would define this Cardinals team ... and he returned to the field after only two weeks. No wonder this team was down to it's final strike in consecutive innings in Game 6 of the World Series, with the season, hopes, and dreams of its fans all hanging in the balance, and somehow still prevailed. This second volume of Cardinals history and trivia from author Larry Underwood and Black Mesa Publishing is a tribute not only to the 2011 World Series Champion Cardinals, but to the many legends and heroes who's exploits on the field of play have made this organization one of the most respected and accomplished in professional sports. With eleven chapters of history and more than 225 brand new trivia questions, author Larry Underwood takes readers through every era of this beloved franchise-from the American Association days to their first World Series appearance in 1926, the dominance of Stan Musial and the 1940s teams to the struggles of the 1950s, the resurgence of the club and the dominance of Bob Gibson in the 1960s and its fall back to mediocrity in the 1970s ... and then finally, the success of the Herzog and La Russa eras all the way to the story of 2011, when baseball gave its fans a season that will be written about for decades, and the Cardinals run at history was its greatest chapter.

Think you know Yankees baseball? Think again. Find out how smart you really are about the New York Yankees. Are you a rookie? Are you a tested, hardcore veteran? Or will you be clearing waivers for your pending release halfway through the book? We'll let you know. Five chapters, ten categories, more than 250 questions: The Numbers Game, Rookies, Veterans, Legends, Hitters, Pitchers, Managers and Coaches, Fabulous Feats, Teams, and Miscellaneous. That's what you're up against, and we're keeping score. Test your skills. Wrack your brain. It's the ultimate New York Yankees IQ test. "If you consider yourself a tested veteran at baseball trivia in general or a hardcore expert at Yankees trivia in particular, it doesn't matter. You owe it to yourself to test your skills with this book. If you pass this test you can truly claim to be a cut above everyone else." - Daniel J. Brush, award-winning co-author of New York Yankees: An Interactive Guide to the World of Sports

Think you knowBuffalo BillsFootball? Think again. It's time to find out how smart you really are about the Bills. Anybody can tailgate, but can you make it through the whole game, playing in frozen Ralph Wilson Stadium, grinding it out in the chill of the Buffalo winter? Will you earn that cool drink that tastes of success as you savor memories of O.J., Drew Bledsoe, Marv Levy, Jim Kelly or Doug Flutie marking yet another victory? We'll let you know. Test your skills. Wrack your brain. It's the ultimate Buffalo Bills IQ test If you love Bills football then you'll love this book, and you will definitely be given plenty of chances to prove your mad-trivia skills: eight chapters and 200 questions. That's what you're up against, and we're keeping score. This book, however, is not just a test of your fandom - it is also a celebration of the many legends who have made the Bills one of the most successful and celebrates franchises in football history.

Think you know everything about our National Pastime? Think again It's time to find out how much trivia you really know about Major League Baseball. Are you a rookie? Are you a tested, hardcore veteran? Or will you be clearing waivers for your pending release halfway through the book? We'll let you know. Ten chapters, 200 brand new questions, fascinating history, the best trivia from every era of the game, and all the big name players you'd expect to find, MLB IQ is the most comprehensive and challenging book of baseball trivia available today. Test your skills. Wrack your brain. It's your MLB IQ, the ultimate test of true fandom This edition includes exclusive excerpts with material on the 2010 and 2011 MLB postseasons.

Think you know Braves baseball? Think again. In this brand new book in the IQ Sports Series find out how smart you really are about the Atlanta Braves. Are you a rookie? Are you a tested, hardcore veteran? Or will you be clearing waivers for your pending release halfway through the book? We'll let you know. Test your skills. Wrack your brain. It's the ultimate Atlanta Braves IQ test. "There are just two Hall of Famers who really know the Braves road from Boston to Milwaukee to Atlanta - Eddie Mathews and Braves IQ This book will determine if you can win fourteen-straight division titles or if you will get lost trying to get off I-285. If you're a Braves fan or you know a Braves fan, this is a must-have." - Dr. Keith Gaddie, award-winning broadcast journalist and author of University of Georgia Football: An Interactive Guide to the World of Sports