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One Season in Rocket City: How the 1985 Huntsville Stars Brought Minor League Baseball Fever to Alabama
by Dale TafoyaIt&’s 1984. Minor League Baseball mogul Larry Schmittou needs a new home for his Southern League Nashville Sounds franchise. Walt Jocketty, an Oakland A&’s executive, searches for a new town for his Double-A club. Fate brings them together in Huntsville, Alabama, a city in need of an outlet to unite its residents. Thus the Huntsville Stars are born. One Season in Rocket City brings to life the baseball renaissance that shook up Huntsville, a city many doubted would support professional baseball. Named after Huntsville&’s celebrated space industry, the Stars electrified the town with baseball fever to become one of the biggest attractions in Minor League Baseball that first season. Composed of Oakland&’s top prospects, who later fueled the A&’s championship run in the late 1980s, the Stars were the hottest ticket in town. Visiting teams called Huntsville the &“Minor League show,&” and the Stars were the toast of the Southern League. Wearing patriotic red, white, and blue team colors, the team won the Southern League championship in their first year, led by future Major Leaguers Darrel Akerfelds, Tim Belcher, Greg Cadaret, José Canseco, Brian Dorsett, Stan Javier, Eric Plunk, Luis Polonia, and Terry Steinbach. But besides the lineup of touted prospects on the club, it was the gutsy role players who never reached the Major Leagues that willed them to a championship. Through interviews with former players, managers, executives, coaches, and beat writers who witnessed the Stars take the Southern League by storm, Dale Tafoya depicts the city&’s romance with the club, success on the field, and push for a championship. Beginning with a glimpse into Huntsville&’s rich history, One Season in Rocket City takes readers on a journey through the team&’s dramatic founding, Huntsville politics, tape-measure home runs, and the club&’s resilience to win the championship despite losing top players to promotions in midseason. The Stars were just what Huntsville needed.
One Shot at Forever: A Small Town, an Unlikely Coach, and a Magical Baseball Season
by Chris Ballard"One Shot at Forever is powerful, inspirational. . . . This isn't merely a book about baseball. It's a book about heart."--Jeff Pearlman, New York Times bestselling author of Boys Will Be Boys and The Bad Guys WonIn 1971, a small-town high school baseball team from rural Illinois, playing with hand-me-down uniforms and peace signs on their hats, defied convention and the odds. Led by an English teacher with no coaching experience, the Macon Ironmen emerged from a field of 370 teams to represent the smallest school in Illinois history to make the state final, a distinction that still stands. There the Ironmen would play against a Chicago powerhouse in a dramatic game that would change their lives forever.In this gripping, cinematic narrative, Chris Ballard tells the story of the team and its coach, Lynn Sweet: a hippie, dreamer, and intellectual who arrived in Macon in 1966, bringing progressive ideas to a town stuck in the Eisenhower era. Beloved by students but not administration, Sweet reluctantly took over the ragtag team, intent on teaching the boys as much about life as baseball. Together they embarked on an improbable postseason run that buoyed a small town in desperate need of something to celebrate. Engaging and poignant, One Shot at Forever is a testament to the power of high school sports to shape the lives of those who play them, and it reminds us that there are few bonds more sacred than that among a coach, a team, and a town."Macon's run at the title reminds us why sports matter and why sportswriting has such great power to inspire. . . . [It's] one hell of a good story, and Ballard has written one hell of a good book." --Jonathan Eig, Chicago Tribune
One Shot Away
by T. Glen CoughlinThey're all just one shot away It's senior year and the last season for Diggy, Jimmy, and Trevor on the Molly Pitcher High School varsity wrestling team. And they all want the same thing: to win. But Diggy's got to compete with his older brother's legacy, and now he's in danger of losing his spot to the newcomer, Trevor. Not to mention he's got girl problems. Jimmy's got the cops on his tail and a girlfriend who looks down on him. Then Diggy does the unthinkable—he betrays a teammate. Can the team forgive him? And can he forgive himself? With the pressure building and loyalties splintering, Diggy, Jimmy, and Trevor have got one shot to make weight and get onto the mat. Because pinning your opponent is about more than just winning.
One Small Town, One Crazy Coach: The Ireland Spuds and the 1963 Indiana High School Basketball Season
by Mike RoosIn the summer of 1962, the peripatetic and irrepressible Pete Gill was hired on a whim to coach basketball at tiny Ireland High School. There he would accomplish, against enormous odds, one of the great small-town feats in Indiana basketball history. With no starters taller than 5'10", few wins were predicted for the Spuds. Yet, after inflicting brutal preseason conditioning, employing a variety of unconventional motivational tactics, and overcoming fierce opposition, Gill molded the Spuds into a winning team that brought home the town's first and only sectional and regional titles. Relying on narrative strategies of creative nonfiction rather than strict historical rendering, Mike Roos brings to life a colorful and varied cast of characters and provides a compelling account of their struggles, wide-ranging emotions, and triumphs throughout the season.
One Smooth Move (The Extreme Team #1)
by Matt ChristopherWhen new kid Charlie Abbott meets his neighbor X (short for Xavier) who shares his interest in extreme sports, it's a dream come true. But when Charlie's new skateboard goes missing and X shows up riding one just like it, Charlie's dream becomes a nightmare.
One Sweet Ride: Play-By-Play Book 6 (Play-By-Play #6)
by Jaci BurtonOne Sweet Ride is the sixth sizzling, exciting novel in the Play-By-Play series from New York Times bestselling author Jaci Burton. Perfect for fans of Lori Foster, Maya Banks and Jill Shalvis.To get what you want, you have to move fast. Gray Preston was born into money, but he's built his racing empire on hard work and muscle. And now that Gray has millions of fans, his senator father sends one of his aides, Evelyn Hill, to elicit Gray's help in garnering votes for the upcoming national election. The more time Evelyn spends with Gray, the more she wants him. But any desire that threatens to derail the carefully laid plans for her future in politics is a dangerous one. With the passion Gray and Evelyn share running hotter than either imagined, one of them is going to have to compromise, or else run the risk of losing more than their hearts.Want more sexy sporting romance? Don't miss the rest of this steamy series which began with The Perfect Play. And check out Jaci's gorgeously romantic Hope series beginning with Hope Flames.
The One That Got Away: The addictive, claustrophobic thriller with a twist you won't see coming
by Egan HughesSHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA NEW BLOOD DAGGER ***Don't miss the utterly gripping new thriller from Egan Hughes - LEAVE THE LIGHTS ON is out now*** 'This one really pulled me in' JANE CORRY 'Tense, thrilling and full of twists and turns' ANGELA MARSONS 'A summer must-read' WOMAN'S WEEKLY 'A masterclass in storytelling' THE COURIER 'Addictive, I was gripped from the opening chapter' JO SPAIN 'Plunges the reader in and leaves them gasping for air' RACHEL EDWARDS 'Utterly addictive' CRIME MONTHLY 'Gripping' HELLO __________________You love him. You trust him.YOU CAN'T ESCAPE HIM. Mia thinks she has escaped her controlling ex-husband, Rob. She's found herself a new home, a new boyfriend and a new life.But when the police arrive to tell her that Rob has been found dead on his boat, things quickly fall apart. Mia is terrified she'll be suspected, however the police are keeping all options open. They know Mia had reason to hate her ex-husband, but she's not the only one. Plenty of people wanted Rob Creavy dead, not least his new wife, Rachel. What they don't know is that Mia has a secret, one she's desperate to protect.But someone else knows. Someone with very dark secrets of their own . . . A claustrophobic, twisty psychological thriller about love, trauma and revenge - perfect for fans of, THE HOLIDAY, SOMETHING IN THE WATER and THE WOMAN IN CABIN TEN.___________________WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY 'One of my favourite thrillers of the year' ***** 'Clear your schedule. Once you start reading, you won't be able to stop' ***** 'All the twists and turns kept me guessing until the very last page' ***** 'The ending is incredibly hard to predict' ***** 'Wow, is all I can say for this book' ***** 'An incredible novel that drew me in and didn't let me go' 'What a thrilling read' ***** 'Dark, twisted and utterly unpredictable. A must-read!' *****
The One That Got Away: The addictive, claustrophobic thriller with a twist you won't see coming
by Egan HughesSHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA NEW BLOOD DAGGER ***Don't miss the utterly gripping new thriller from Egan Hughes - LEAVE THE LIGHTS ON is out now*** 'This one really pulled me in' JANE CORRY 'Tense, thrilling and full of twists and turns' ANGELA MARSONS 'A summer must-read' WOMAN'S WEEKLY 'A masterclass in storytelling' THE COURIER 'Addictive, I was gripped from the opening chapter' JO SPAIN 'Plunges the reader in and leaves them gasping for air' RACHEL EDWARDS 'Utterly addictive' CRIME MONTHLY 'Gripping' HELLO __________________You love him. You trust him.YOU CAN'T ESCAPE HIM. Mia thinks she has escaped her controlling ex-husband, Rob. She's found herself a new home, a new boyfriend and a new life.But when the police arrive to tell her that Rob has been found dead on his boat, things quickly fall apart. Mia is terrified she'll be suspected, however the police are keeping all options open. They know Mia had reason to hate her ex-husband, but she's not the only one. Plenty of people wanted Rob Creavy dead, not least his new wife, Rachel. What they don't know is that Mia has a secret, one she's desperate to protect.But someone else knows. Someone with very dark secrets of their own . . . A claustrophobic, twisty psychological thriller about love, trauma and revenge - perfect for fans of, THE HOLIDAY, SOMETHING IN THE WATER and THE WOMAN IN CABIN TEN.___________________WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY 'One of my favourite thrillers of the year' ***** 'Clear your schedule. Once you start reading, you won't be able to stop' ***** 'All the twists and turns kept me guessing until the very last page' ***** 'The ending is incredibly hard to predict' ***** 'Wow, is all I can say for this book' ***** 'An incredible novel that drew me in and didn't let me go' 'What a thrilling read' ***** 'Dark, twisted and utterly unpredictable. A must-read!' *****
The One That Got Away: A Memoir
by Howell Raines"Lost fish," writes Howell Raines, "chasten us to the knowledge that we are all, in each and every moment, dwindling. Imagine my surprise when I discovered well into my sixth decade that losing fish can prepare us for a blessing as well as for pain." Confronting loss -- of an elusive fish or something larger -- is at the heart of The One That Got Away, the graceful sequel to Raines's much-loved, bestselling memoir Fly Fishing Through the Midlife Crisis, published to great acclaim in 1993. With the same winning combination of reminiscences, anecdotes, philosophy and fishing lore, his bold new memoir covers the eventful years in this latest passage of his life, and the realization that in relinquishing his former identity as a newspaperman he has actually gotten what he wanted, just in the most unlikely way. In wry and witty prose, Raines shifts between fishing vignettes and personal reflections on his childhood, his second marriage, his relationships with his two sons, the trajectory of his career at The New York Times and his move toward old age. At the center of his narrative is his most thrilling fishing adventure -- an epic battle with a marlin he hooked and fought for more than seven hours in the South Pacific -- which comes to symbolize his growing understanding and acceptance of the unpredictability of luck, love, lies and life, and how the unexpected can, in fact, be an opportunity to make life more interesting. Raines's wonderful descriptions of streams, people and fish; his passion for angling and writing; and his wise and perceptive commentary on the vagaries of his own life combine to create a profound book -- one of undeniable appeal and uncommon heart.
One-Way Ticket: Nine Lives on Two Wheels
by Jonathan VaughtersThe new memoir tracing story of cycling since the 1980s, through the eyes of Jonathan Vaughters, founder of team Education First and one of the sport's most towering figures.Jonathan Vaughters' story is the story of modern cycling. From his early years as a keen cyclist in his hometown in Colorado to his unflinching rite of passage as a professional rider with US Postal to his elevation as one of cycling's most resilient, ethical and intelligent team bosses, the highs and lows of his career have mirrored those of the sport itself. Vaughters has had a front-row seat for most of the major events in cycling over the past three decades. He was both a former teammate of Lance and a leading witness against him. And he went on to renounce doping and start the first pro cycling team to dedicate itself to clean riding, which has grown into one of the most successful teams competing today and started a movement that has swept across the sport.This is also not simply a story of races won and lost: Vaughters shows readers how he navigated the complex, international business of building Slipstream into a world-class cycling team. Over the past decade, he has led the sport out of the scandal-plagued Armstrong era. By presenting the world with a team made of talented racers built around a rigorous approach to clean racing, he set a new standard within cycling that has since spread across the peloton. Written from the unique perspective of both a racer and a team manager, One-Way Ticket gives the complete story of what it takes to build a winning team and repair the reputation of a sport.
One Way Ticket: Nine Lives on Two Wheels
by Jonathan VaughtersONE WAY TICKET is the story of a man and modern cycling.Jonathan Vaughters is one of the leading figures in world cycling, a record-breaking mountain climber, Tour de France stage winner and former teammate to Lance Armstrong. He is now manager and influential figurehead of the renowned Education First World Tour team.In ONE-WAY TICKET: Nine Lives and Two Wheels he describes a journey from driven teenage prodigy, travelling to races in the back of his Dad's station wagon, to an obsessive determination to make it big in European racing - whatever the cost. He tells the story of his transformation from poacher to gamekeeper, detailing his painful decision to finally come clean about his own descent into doping - and to persuade others to do likewise - by providing more than enough shocking testimony to USADA (US Anti-Doping Agency) to explode the Armstrong myth. Working in collaboration with Jeremy Whittle, former cycling correspondent to The Times, now writing for The Guardian, Vaughters reveals the ease with which, his illusions shattered, he walked away from European racing. He documents his own suffering in races, the trials of establishing a team and mentoring young riders, and the dizzying highs of success in races such as the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and Paris-Roubaix.Vaughters' long and winding road mirrors that of cycling itself, as this compelling but troubled sport still struggles, after years of scandal, to restore its credibility. Along the way, he shares his unique experience to lift the lid on a world he has both loathed and loved, detailing the fights and fall-outs with cycling's leading figures, including Lance Armstrong, Pat McQuaid, Johan Bruyneel, Bradley Wiggins and Dave Brailsford.
One Way Ticket: Nine Lives on Two Wheels
by Jonathan VaughtersONE WAY TICKET is the story of a man and modern cycling.Jonathan Vaughters is one of the leading figures in world cycling, a record-breaking mountain climber, Tour de France stage winner and former teammate to Lance Armstrong. He is now manager and influential figurehead of the renowned Education First World Tour team.In ONE-WAY TICKET: Nine Lives and Two Wheels he describes a journey from driven teenage prodigy, travelling to races in the back of his Dad's station wagon, to an obsessive determination to make it big in European racing - whatever the cost. He tells the story of his transformation from poacher to gamekeeper, detailing his painful decision to finally come clean about his own descent into doping - and to persuade others to do likewise - by providing more than enough shocking testimony to USADA (US Anti-Doping Agency) to explode the Armstrong myth. Working in collaboration with Jeremy Whittle, former cycling correspondent to The Times, now writing for The Guardian, Vaughters reveals the ease with which, his illusions shattered, he walked away from European racing. He documents his own suffering in races, the trials of establishing a team and mentoring young riders, and the dizzying highs of success in races such as the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and Paris-Roubaix.Vaughters' long and winding road mirrors that of cycling itself, as this compelling but troubled sport still struggles, after years of scandal, to restore its credibility. Along the way, he shares his unique experience to lift the lid on a world he has both loathed and loved, detailing the fights and fall-outs with cycling's leading figures, including Lance Armstrong, Pat McQuaid, Johan Bruyneel, Bradley Wiggins and Dave Brailsford.(P)2019 Quercus Editions Limited
The Ones Who Hit the Hardest
by Millman Chad Shawn CoyneA stirring portrait of the decade when the Steelers became the greatest team in NFL history, as their city was crumbling around them. In the 1970s, the city of Pittsburgh was in need of heroes. In that decade the steel industry, long the lifeblood of the city, went into massive decline, putting 150,000 steelworkers out of work. And then the unthinkable happened: The Pittsburgh Steelers, perennial also-rans in the NFL, rose up to become the most feared team in the league, winning four Super Bowls in six years and lifting the spirits of a city on the brink. In The Ones Who Hit the Hardest, Chad Millman and Shawn Coyne trace the rise of the Steelers amidst the backdrop of the fading city they fought for, bringing to life characters such as: Art Rooney, the owner of the team so beloved by Pittsburgh that he was known simply as "The Chief"; Chuck Noll, the headstrong coach who used the ethos of steelworkers to motivate his players; and Jack Lambert, the linebacker whose snarling, toothless grin embodied the Pittsburgh defense. Thoroughly researched and grippingly written, The Ones Who Hit the Hardest is a stirring tribute to a city, a team, and an era. .
Onkologische Rehabilitation: Grundlagen, Methoden, Verfahren und Wiedereingliederung
by Richard CrevennaDurch die steigenden Überlebensraten in der Krebstherapie trägt die onkologische Rehabilitation wesentlich zur Verbesserung des funktionellen Status, der Lebensqualität und der Partizipation onkologischer Patienten bei. Erstmalig im deutschen Sprachraum präsentiert dieses Buch unter Einbindung der jeweiligen Experten die Aspekte und Vielfalt der Methoden sowie die unterschiedlichen Verfahren in der Rehabilitation von Krebspatienten. Der Grundlagenteil geht dabei auf Rahmenbedingungen, Voraussetzungen und Bausteine der onkologischen Rehabilitation ein. Des Weiteren werden rehabilitative Strategien zur Verbesserung von relevanten Begleitsymptomen, wie u.a. Erschöpfbarkeit, Tagesmüdigkeit, Polyneuropathie, Schmerz, Beweglichkeits- und Ernährungsstörungen, reaktive Traurigkeit (Depression), sexuelle Funktionsstörungen, Inkontinenz und Lymphödem vorgestellt. Eine zunehmend wichtige Rolle für Patienten im arbeitsfähigen Alter spielen Zukunftsthemen wie „Arbeitsfähigkeit“ und „Return to work“. Das Buch ist ein unverzichtbarer Leitfaden für Ärzte und Therapeuten, die in der Nachbetreuung onkologischer Patienten tätig sind.
Online Doping: The Digital Ecosystem and Cyborgification of Drug Cultures
by Jesper Andreasson April HenningThis book examines the bodies, communities, and cultures that evolve in different online doping spaces. By engaging in critical analysis of the interrelatedness of online and offline doped realities, the book provides a comprehensive analysis influenced by digital sociology and feminist theory. It focuses on the intersection of doping, bodies, and technology, and is structured around three interconnected themes prominent in doping research but less acknowledged in online environments: doping spaces and communities; gender and power relationships; and the relationship between online activities and offline social life. Building on extensive online research with different drug communities and doping spaces, the authors illustrate how the online world of doping has developed into a digital ecosystem, and present an argument for understanding doping as a cyborgified concept. It will be of interest to students and researchers of sport and digital sociology, media studies, social work, drug studies and gender studies
Online Research Methods in Sport Studies
by Jamie Cleland Kevin Dixon Daniel KilvingtonThe internet and digital technologies have transformed sport and the way that we research sport, opening up new ways to analyse sport organisations, fan communities, networks, athletes, the media, and other key stakeholders in the field. This engaging and innovative book offers a complete introduction to online research methods in sport studies, guiding the reader through the entire research process, and bringing that process to life with sport-related cases and examples. Covering both qualitative and quantitative methods, the book introduces key topics such as generating a research idea, implementing the research design, maintaining good ethical standards, and collecting, analysing and presenting data. It explains how to conduct online surveys, online interviews, and online ethnography in practice, and every chapter contains individual and group activities to encourage the reader to engage with real online research, as well as further reading suggestions to help them develop their knowledge. Online Research Methods in Sport Studies is essential reading for undergraduate and postgraduate students, academics, and researchers with an interest in sport studies, and is a useful reference for practitioners working in sport or sport media who want to improve their professional research skills.
Only and Forever (The Bergman Brothers #7)
by Chloe LieseIt&’s a room-mance for the books in this tender, steamy story about unexpectedly finding love and being brave enough to let it revise life&’s narrative in the final book in the beloved Bergman Brothers series. Viggo Bergman, hopeless romantic, is thoroughly weary of waiting for his happily ever after. But between opening a romance bookstore, running a romance book club, coaching kids' soccer, and adopting a household of pets—just maybe, he&’s overcommitted himself?—Viggo&’s chaotic life has made finding his forever love seem downright improbable. Enter Tallulah Clarke, chilly cynic with a massive case of writer&’s block. Tallulah needs help with her thriller&’s romantic subplot. Viggo needs another pair of hands to keep his store afloat. So they agree to swap skills and cohabitate for convenience—his romance expertise to revive her book, her organizational prowess to salvage his store. They hardly get along, and they couldn&’t be more different, but who says roommate-coworkers need to be friends? As they share a home and life, Tallulah and Viggo discover a connection that challenges everything they believe about love, and reveals the plot twist they never saw coming: happily ever after is here already, right under their roof.
The Only Book You'll Ever Need: Running (The\only Book You'll Ever Need Ser.)
by Art LibermanThese handy, accessible books provide literally all the information you need to know to gain a new hobby or understand a difficult topic. From gentle jogs to intense marathons, "Running" will help you to choose the right equipment, get going and keep going, train safely, and meet your running and racing goals. It covers everything you need to know: correct posture and mechanics, avoiding injuries and plateaus, regulating water intake, physical and mental strength, and more. With additional information on tailoring running to your age, training for marathons and eating right, this practical guide has everything you need - from start to finish!
The Only Crow in Crickshaw
by Tori TelferSally is the only child at the only school in Crickshaw. Day after day, Crow played alone in the streets of Crickshaw. But when the two meet on Sally's fifth birthday, they become fast friends.
Only Earth and Sky Last Forever
by Nathaniel BenchleyYoung Dark Elk understood Crazy Horse's words. Brought up at a U.S. Government agency, he saw his people humiliated and impoverished as the white men's promises were broken. Yearning to live free and unshackled on the remaining Indian land, Dark Elk wanted only to prove himself a warrior and win Lashuka, the girl he loved. But when the white man invaded the Black Hills, another promise of freedom was broken. There could be no other choice for Dark Elk but to join Crazy Horse and fight for a future for himself and Lashuka.
The Only Game
by Mike LupicaCan a young baseball star maintain his love of the game after the loss of his brother? Find out in this start to the Home Team series about a small town with high hopes, from New York Times bestselling author and sportswriting legend Mike Lupica. <p><p> Jack Callahan is the star of his baseball team and sixth grade is supposed to be his year. Undefeated season. Records shattered. Little League World Series. The works. That is, until he up and quits. Jack's best friend Gus can't understand how Jack could leave a game that means more to them than anything else. But Jack is done. It's a year of change. Jack's brother has passed away, and though his family and friends and the whole town of Walton thinks baseball is just the thing he needs to move on, Jack feels it's anything but. <p> In comes Cassie Bennett, star softball player, and the only person who seems to think Jack shouldn't play if he doesn't want to. As Jack and Cassie's friendship deepens, their circle expands to include Teddy, a guy who's been picked on because of his weight. Time spent with these new friends unlocks something within Jack, and with their help and the support of his family and his old friends, Jack discovers sometimes it's more than just the love of the game that keeps us moving--and he might just be able to find his way back to The Only Game.
The Only Game in Town: Sportswriting from the New Yorker
by David RemnickFor more than eighty years, The New Yorker has been home to some of the toughest, wisest, funniest, and most moving sports writing around. Featuring brilliant reportage and analysis, profound profiles of pros, and tributes to the amateur in all of us, The Only Game in Town is a classic collection from a magazine with a deep bench. Including such authors as Roger Angell and John Updike, both of them synonymous with New Yorker sports writing, The Only Game in Town also features greats like John McPhee and Don DeLillo. Hall of Famer Ring Lardner is here, bemoaning the lowering of standards for baseball achievement-in 1930. A. J. Liebling inimitably portrays the 1955 Rocky Marciano-Archie Moore bout as "Ahab and Nemesis . . . man against history," and John Cheever pens a story about a boy's troubled relationship with his father and "The National Pastime. " From Tiger Woods to bullfighter Sidney Franklin, from the Chinese Olympics to the U. S. Open, the greatest plays and players, past and present, are all covered in The Only Game in Town. At The New Yorker, it's not whether you win or lose-it's how you write about the game.
The Only Game in Town
by Fay VincentIn this delightful book that every baseball fan will cherish, ten outstanding ballplayers remember the heyday of the game in the 1930s and 1940s. It was the era of Gehrig and DiMaggio; of Foxx, Greenberg, and Williams; of Grove and Feller. Elden Auker, Tommy Henrich, Dom DiMaggio, Johnny Pesky, and Bob Feller recall some great rivalries: Auker pitched to Ruth and Gehrig, then faced Dizzy Dean in an unforgettable World Series; Henrich was a clutch player for the Yankees who alertly turned a passed-ball third strike into a World Series victory; Dom DiMaggio was a superb center fielder who batted .298 lifetime and nearly ended his brother Joe's hitting streak; Pesky, a Red Sox mainstay, was blamed for Enos Slaughter's dash home that was the most memorable play of the 1946 Red Sox-Cardinals World Series; and Feller was a teenager when he faced -- among others -- Foxx, Greenberg, and Joe DiMaggio. But this was also the era of great Negro Leagues stars who never had the opportunity to play in the major leagues. Buck O'Neil remembers the outstanding players of his day who never got their chance or whose turn came too late -- Oscar Charleston, Cool Papa Bell, Josh Gibson, and Satchel Paige among them. Two great events happened in the 1940s, and one of them would change the game forever. World War II took some of these great players off the diamond and put them into a different kind of uniform. Warren Spahn pitched his first game in 1942 and didn't pitch again until the war ended, getting his first victory in 1946 (nonetheless he won more games than any other left-hander in history). As he recalls here, he served his country memorably in the war. Then in 1947 Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, followed only a few months later by Larry Doby, the first African-American in the American League, who vividly describes what it felt like to be the only black ballplayer in the clubhouse -- and the league. The game began to change after integration, and home run king Ralph Kiner remembers how some clubs were quick to sign African-American players and thrive. Meanwhile, some Negro Leagues stars, such as Monte Irvin, itched for the opportunity to face the major leaguers and prove that, like Robinson and Doby, they could compete with the best. All of these ballplayers recall their favorite memories: the games that mattered most, the players they all admired, the childhood experiences that shaped their lives, and the deep affection for the game that has always remained with them. Illustrated throughout, The Only Game in Town is a fascinating trip through two decades when baseball changed profoundly. Like The Glory of Their Times, it is a book that will find a permanent place on every fan's bookshelf.
The Only Game That Matters: The Harvard / Yale Rivalry
by Bernard M. Corbett Paul SimpsonAs Harvard graduate Roger Angell once said, "The Game picks us up each November and holds us for two hours and... all of us, homeward bound, sense that we are different yet still the same. It is magic." For hundreds of thousands of alumni and fans, the annual clash between Harvard and Yale inspires a sense of nostalgia and pride unequaled anywhere in sports. For much of the year Ivy League football is overshadowed by powerhouse programs such as Miami and Michigan. But not on the third Saturday of November, when all eyes turn to New England for the legendary battle between the Crimson and the Blue. In The Only Game That Matters, Bernard M. Corbett and Paul Simpson explore what makes this iconic rivalry so revered, so beloved, and so pivotal in college football history. Known simply as "The Game," this tradition-soaked Ivy League feud began in 1875, and it has been leading the evolution of college football ever since. Although the Ivy League hasn't had a national champion in decades, The Game still stands alone in the college football pantheon. It is a living history, its roots reaching back to a time when young men took to the field for the sake of competition, not for a chance at a million-dollar pro contract. The Game, then and now, features the true student athlete. Of course, it also features bloody brawls, ingenious pranks, and breathtaking comebacks. The Only Game That Matters recounts the 2002 season through the eyes of players and coaches, interweaving the modern-day experience with great stories of classic games past. By tracing this venerable competition from its inception--looking at such legendary games as 1894's Bloodbath in Hampden Park and Harvard's 29-29 "win" in 1968 and such influential coaches as Yale's Walter Camp, the father of football as we know it--the anatomy of a rivalry emerges. Culminating in the thrilling 2002 contest, The Only Game That Matters illuminates the unique place this storied feud occupies in today's sports world. To the game of football, to the spirit of rivalry, to the Crimson and Blue faithful, The Game is the only game that matters. "In this book about the remarkable football rivalry between Harvard and Yale, Bernard M. Corbett and Paul Simpson capture the unique intensity of this famous game, as felt by the teams who go all out on each play, and by the families and the alumni in the stands who live and die by each touchdown." --From the Foreword by Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Harvard '56. "The Only Game That Matters does a great job of explaining why Yale/Harvard is The Game - one that does matter, and should matter more. It is a shining example of what college football and amateur sports should be." --From the Foreword by Governor George E. Pataki, Yale '67. "Harvard is playing Yale in football again and again in The Game, and you're part of the crowd with Bernard M. Corbett and Paul Simpson's wonderful look at this great rivalry. Stand next to a Kennedy on one side, a Bush on the other, and watch The Only Game That Matters unfold through the years. By the end you'll feel like a successful alum. Great stuff!" --Leigh Montville, author of Ted Williams and At the Altar of Speed. "In 1894, Harvard president Charles Eliot claimed football was 'unfit for colleges,' and condemned the game as 'more brutalizing than prizefighting, cockfighting, or bullfighting.' Happily, his view didn't prevail over the long run, or else we'd not have The Only Game That Matters." --Bill Littlefield, Yale '70.
The Only Golf Lesson You'll Ever Need: Easy Solutions to Problem Golf Swings
by Hank Haney John HugganThe Only Golf Lesson You'll Ever Need, Hank Haney, one of the most respected and soughtafter golf instructors in the world, shares the secrets he's learned by observing hundreds of thousands of students--from top PGA Tour pros to high-handicappers. He explains how intelligent observation of your ball-flight tendencies--the way your shot behaves in the air--provides the answers to helping you develop a consistent repeating swing that will lower your scores. You'll also pick up valuable pointers on how to precisely match your equipment to your game. Hank Haney believes that a "flawed swing" that still produces a good shot is a good swing. By focusing on the outcome of your swing first, rather than on the swing itself, he believes you can often avoid making the awkward and unnatural changes to grip, stance, posture and alignment that many golf instructors ask of their students.The Only Golf Lesson You'll Ever Need will help you straighten your hook or slice, add distance to your drives, identify and fix the flaws in your swing, and become a wizard around the greens. "I'm proud of the way my swing holds up ion all kinds of conditions and under the severest pressure. Both are a tribute to Hank Haney and his teaching. Hank knows more about ballflight and what controls it than anyone in the game. And if you understand that, you're on your way." -- Mark O'Meara from the Foreword to The Only Golf Lesson You'll Ever Need