Hank Haney's Essentials of the Swing
"Hank knows more about ball flight and what controls it than anyone in the game." --Masters and British Open champion Mark O'Meara Get back to basics and build your best possible golf swing Lots of golf instructors can show you tricks to correct a hook or to stop hitting the ball fat, but these are just quick fixes that leave you with a swing built on mistakes. In Hank Haney's Essentials of the Swing, the world's premier expert on the golf swing takes you back to step one to master the essentials and build a complete, powerful, and consistent swing that will improve your game quickly and keep you playing better for years to come. This step-by-step guide brings you the same careful analytical approach that Hank has shared with the hundreds of touring pros who have been his students -- including the world's #1 golfer. It walks you through every aspect of your swing, from grip to contact to follow-through, and shows you how to analyze ball flight to shape your shots and put the ball where you want it more frequently and with much more consistency. Packed with helpful pictures, invaluable practice tips, and insightful pointers on everything from club selection to the difference between a good miss and a bad miss, Hank Haney's Essentials of the Swing is the resource you need to hit the top of your game and stay there.
Freddie & Me
Though he was born and raised in Augusta, Georgia, home of fabled Augusta National and The Masters, as a child Tripp Bowden was too young and too removed from the game of golf to realize what Augusta National really was, what it meant to his town and the world and the sport; its history, nostalgia, prestige and secrecy. All the ten year old Bowden knew about golf was that it was a stupid game that took up too much of his father's time, and that he'd much rather kick around a soccer ball or stay home and read a book. But all that changed once Bowden's father, a renowned local doctor, introduced him to one of his patients, Freddie Bennett, the legendary Augusta National caddie master. Though Bowden was a white child of considerable privilege and Bennett was an older black gentleman of more modest means, the two formed an unusual bond. It was Bennett who introduced Bowden to the game of golf, a sport that would one day earn him a Division 1 golf scholarship and lead him to the final stage of a British Open qualifier. But it was the lessons Bennett taught the young Bowden off the course that had their profoundest impact on his life. Through Freddie and his particular brand of homespun wisdom, the author learned invaluable lessons about personal responsibility, hard work, and respect for others regardless of age, race or religion. He also learned that there's much more to life than just playing golf. Like the bestsellers Tuesdays With Morrie and Seasons of Life before it, Freddie & Me is a heartwarming tale of two unlikely friends and their uncommon bond forged through sport.
Branch Rickey
He was not much of a player and not much more of a manager, but by the time Branch Rickey (1881-1965) finished with baseball, he had revolutionized the sport--not just once but three times. In this definitive biography of Rickey--the man sportswriters dubbed "The Brain," "The Mahatma," and, on occasion, "El Cheapo"--Lee Lowenfish tells the full and colorful story of a life that forever changed the face of America's game. As the mastermind behind the Saint Louis Cardinals from 1917 to 1942, Rickey created the farm system, which allowed small-market clubs to compete with the rich and powerful. Under his direction in the 1940s, the Brooklyn Dodgers became truly the first "America's team." By signing Jackie Robinson and other black players, he single-handedly thrust baseball into the forefront of the civil rights movement. Lowenfish evokes the peculiarly American complex of God, family, and baseball that informed Rickey's actions and his accomplishments. His book offers an intriguing, richly detailed portrait of a man whose life is itself a crucial chapter in the history of American business, sport, and society.
The Eight-Step Swing
This fully updated edition of the classic Eight-Step Swing reveals the best advice from the top golf school in America, offering a detailed explanation of the true fundamentals of the golf swing. PGA Master Instructor Jim McLean, who has coached many of the game's greatest professionals, has incorporated his latest research into the art and science of the golf swing, breaking it down into a new building block approach.In this indispensable instructional manual, McLean presents the innovative swing system that has helped championship winners like Tom Kite, Alexis Thompson, Cristie Kerr, and Bernhard Langer elevate their game. With characteristic clarity and expertise, McLean breaks down the swing action into the eight key checkpoint positions that will build a grooved, repeatable, and mechanically sound swing. Helpful practice tips, drills, and mental exercises supplemented with technically accurate photographs and more than 50 new illustrations keep you on track. McLean also presents brilliant strategies and advice for the long game, the short game, the mental game, and overall game management to boost your performance to the next level no matter how long you've been playing.
Take Me Out to the Ball Game
For anyone who has ever sung "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" during the seventh-inning stretch and wondered why we sing it when we are already at the ball game, this entertaining book supplies the answers. And why did this song become the sport's anthem rather than one of hundreds of other baseball songs, such as George M. Cohan's "Take Your Girl to the Ball Game," written the same month? This story, told here in full for the first time, evokes the bright hope of turn-of-the-century America, the backstage drama of vaudeville, and the beguiling charm of baseball itself.Amy Whorf McGuiggan supplies the fascinating details behind the song's beginnings in 1908, when Jack Norworth, a vaudeville headliner and Tin Pan Alley songwriter who had never even been to a game, was inspired by a subway advertisement to create the song that, though a hit in its day, did not become a time-honored tradition until broadcaster Harry Caray and team owner and marketing genius Bill Veeck Jr. reintroduced it during the 1970s. Here is America's game and the American century seen through the prism of one impossibly catchy tune and illustrated throughout with vintage photographs, advertising images, and sheet music culled from America's premier collections.
The Fifth Season
"If you were much of a boy growing up in the Maspeth section of Queens in the late 1930s and 1940s, you had the baseball fever. It seemed contagious, but it struck mostly from within. . . . Often, in later years, when I was writing a long series of books on the game, some well-intended philistine would ask to have explained to him the fascination with baseball. I offered my stock answer: 'If you have to ask the question, you'll never understand the answer.'" With this small confession Donald Honig begins his charming memoir of a life devoted to the charms of baseball, including the many great figures of the game he has known in the past half-century.
The Baseball Entertainer
Here's the perfect leisure-time and take-along book for baseball fans: a compendium of challenging quizzes, crossword puzzles, rules interpretation problems, brain teasers, humorous anecdotes, cartoons, and eye-opening statistical charts, all about baseball and all drawn from more than sixty years of the most popular baseball publication in America, Baseball Digest. Tumbling from its pages are the stories of old-time stars like Ruth, Feller, DiMaggio, and Williams as well as such recent luminaries as Cal Ripken, Nolan Ryan, Ken Griffey, Jr., and Derek Jeter. Trivia buffs will be challenged by questions such as What manager has been ejected from the most games? What pitchers have recorded three wins in one World Series? What St. Louis Cardinal hit two grand slams in one inning?
The Match
In 1956, a casual bet between two millionaires eventually pitted two of the greatest golfers of the era -- Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan -- against top amateurs Harvie Ward and Ken Venturi. The year: 1956. Decades have passed since Eddie Lowery came to fame as the ten-year-old caddie to U.S. Open Champion Francis Ouimet. Now a wealthy car dealer and avid supporter of amateur golf, Lowery has just made a bet with fellow millionaire George Coleman. Lowery claims that two of his employees, amateur golfers Harvie Ward and Ken Venturi, cannot be beaten in a best-ball match, and challenges Coleman to bring any two golfers of his choice to the course at 10 a.m. the next day to settle the issue. Coleman accepts the challenge and shows up with his own power team: Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson, the game's greatest living professionals, with fourteen major championships between them. In Mark Frost's peerless hands, complete with the recollections of all the participants, the story of this immortal foursome and the game they played that day-legendarily known in golf circles as the greatest private match ever played-comes to life with powerful, emotional impact and edge-of-your-seat suspense.
Carl Runk's Coaching Lacrosse
From one of the most successful coaches in NCAA history, the only total lacrosse instructional for high-end championship play at every levelFilled with his beloved personal style and know-how, Carl Runk's Coaching Lacrosse goes beyond X's and O'sto give you expert guidance forinspiring excellence in your team. Packed with illustrationsand diagrams, this handbook covers all thefundamentals and equips you with drills and strategiesfor firing up your players.
Why She Plays
Why does she play basketball? Since the enactment of Title IX in 1972, that question has come to be asked of more girls and women--and answered in more ways--than ever before. Christine A. Baker, herself an avid player and an assistant coach, pursues an answer through the ranks of the sport from youth basketball to the WNBA. Baker sets the stage with a quick look at current statistics and trends in women's basketball nationwide, noting the profound changes in the last thirty-five years. A series of exclusive interviews then takes us into the heart and soul of the sport. Her subjects are players and coaches, from neophytes to stars such as Dawn Staley and Nancy Lieberman; from legendary coaches such as Jody Conradt to the masterminds of USA Basketball and the 1996 Women's Dream Team; from Donna Lopiano, former CEO of the Women's Sports Foundation, to tomorrow's Olympic athletes. A richly detailed, all-encompassing portrait of the sport, these interviews offer a wealth of insight into the game, American sports culture, and, indeed, why Baker plays.
The Assist
Jack O'Brien, the impossibly demanding basketball coach at Charlestown High School in Boston, has led his team to five state championship titles in six years. Less talked about is O'Brien's other winning record: Nearly every one of the players who stuck with his program -- poor kids growing up in high-crime neighborhoods and saddled with the lousy educational system available in urban America -- managed to get to college. But O'Brien is no saint. Saints give without expecting anything in return. O'Brien needs his players and their problems as much as they need him. Revolving around fascinating, complex characters, The Assist is a captivating narrative of a basketball team in pursuit of a championship that also drills down into the legacy of desegregation and explores issues of education, family, and race. O'Brien is a middle-aged white guy coaching an all-black team playing in an all-white neighborhood that three decades ago was at the center of the busing wars dividing cities across the country -- a time and place indelibly described in J. Anthony Lukas's powerful book Common Ground. It's the inspiring story of a man who makes a difference, and of boys surmounting nearly impossible odds; it is also the story of the ones who don't make it, and why.
Total Access
Football fans are tired of lame memoirs or technical fantasy football books. Rich Eisen's Total Access gives them what they want--a chance to share in his world of a never-ending football season. It's about eating, living, and breathing the most popular sport in the history of America. The passion. The pageantry. The pigskin. Thanks to his role as host of NFL Total Access, Eisen gets to go to virtually every event on the NFL calendar--the Super Bowl, the Pro Bowl, the Scouting Combine, the NFL Draft, and the Hall of Fame Weekend. You name it, Eisen is there. And thanks to this book, you can go along for the ride with him--in front of the camera interviewing league MVPs or behind the scenes with some of the game's all-time greats. Total Access is the ultimate football book for fans everywhere.
Expatriate Games
When Dave Fromm graduated from college with good grades and high LSAT scores, he planned to apply to law school. But he actually wasn't that sure he wanted to go, at least not right away. A few years earlier, he'd been to Prague for a vacation and played a game of pickup basketball there. He was a decent basketball player, though not good enough to make the team at Boston College either time he'd tried out. So he did the kind of thing we'd all do if we had the guts (and a foolhardy sense of determination)--he moved to Prague to play basketball, even though he didn't speak Czech, or know anyone in Prague, or if the Czechs had basketball leagues there, much less professional leagues, still less if they let foreigners play. Expatriate Games is Dave Fromm's touching and amusing memoir of the year (1994) he spent playing basketball for TJ Sokol Kr獺lovsk矇 Vinohrady, a Czech semi-pro team. Throughout, Fromm, a self-proclaimed "gym-rat," struggles with his teammates, the European style of play, and the language barrier. But miraculously, Fromm describes how, despite the struggles, the team came together, a girl appeared, and he was introduced to a side of Prague most foreigners can't see--a Prague full of ghosts and back alleys and a people simultaneously embracing and reeling from transition.
Minnesota North Stars
After the 1992-1993 season, the Minnesota North Stars were moved to Dallas; 26 years of hockey were erased. Now that legacy is restored. Through vintage photos, team stats and the storytelling of Lou Nanne, this book captures the team's rich history.
A Passion to Lead
Motivation...Success...Leadership...Passion. Hall of Fame college basketball coach Jim Calhoun shares his secrets for success for the first time ever in A Passion to Lead. Coach Jim Calhoun is one of the most successful coaches in college basketball history. Having sent countless players to the NBA, Coach Calhoun is known for producing not just great athletes but great human beings. He is both an exceptional leader and self-made man whose ability to motivate and inspire young men is unsurpassed. In A Passion to Lead, he shares the fundamental principles that have allowed him to have an impact on so many. When he took command of the Connecticut Huskies, the team had had a losing record for five straight seasons. In twenty-one years of leadership, Calhoun has transformed a middling regional program into a national powerhouse with two NCAA championships. But what makes Coach Calhoun such an excellent leader? How did he take a program with a modest tradition and turn it into a national champ and perennial title contender? What is his management style? What are his motivational techniques? Calhoun reveals them here and includes anecdotes about his life as a coach, family man, and, ultimately, a teacher--as well as the following key principles: *Win Every Day: Talent determines what you can do in life. Motivation determines what you decide to do. Attitude determines how well you do it.*Standards, Then Victories: To build a winning organization, establish a culture of winning and make everyone accountable. Out of high standards come victories. *Tough Love: Pushing is only half the equation. Individuals perform best when they feel good about themselves. *And much more. A Passion to Lead is for all those who are serious about making their dreams a reality. It's a motivational tool for achieving success both at work and in life, and it can help turn any adversity into an advantage.
Won’t Back Down
Whether on a baseball field as the only girl on an all-boys team in Hammond, Louisiana, or on a basketball court where her play-making ability was compared to Louisiana legend Pistol Pete Maravich, Kim Mulkey was a young athlete so gifted she was named to Parade magazine's 1980 All-America High School Girls Basketball team.Mulkey went on to win two national championships at Louisiana Tech, as well as a gold medal with the 1984 U.S. Women's Olympic basketball team. She served as an assistant coach on Louisiana Tech's 1988 national championship, then turned around Baylor University's women's basketball program by coaching them to a national championship in a mere five years.In Won't Back Down, Mulkey reveals the many trials she has overcome, and how her children and her coaching have sustained her in her most difficult moments.
Understanding the Golf Swing
For the first time in paperback, this modern classic of golf instruction by renowned teacher Manuel de la Torre (the 1986 PGA Teacher of the Year and the #11 teacher in America as ranked by the editors of Golf Digest in 2007) presents a simpler approach to the golf swing based on Ernest Jones' principles. Understanding the Golf Swing includes information on the philosophy of the golf swing (with emphasis on the development of a true swinging motion), the most thorough analysis of ball flights available, and analysis of the principles of special shot play (including sand play, pitching, chipping, putting, and playing unusual shots) and the mental side of golf and effective course management. The final chapter offers an organized approach to understanding golf courses and playing conditions. The result is a blend of philosophy and practical advice found in few golf instructional books. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, is proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports--books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team. In addition to books on popular team sports, we also publish books for a wide variety of athletes and sports enthusiasts, including books on running, cycling, horseback riding, swimming, tennis, martial arts, golf, camping, hiking, aviation, boating, and so much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
The Blueprint
Moneyball for the New England Patriots, award-winning sportswriter Christopher Price goes into the inner workings of the legendary football franchise in The Blueprint For years, the New England Patriots were a certifiable joke of a franchise. They were run on the cheap and were once the very example of how not to manage a team. They hired inept coaches--one of whom (Clive Rush) was nearly electrocuted when he grabbed a microphone at his introductory press conference. In 1968 their scouting director, Ed McKeever, suggested they draft a wide receiver . . . before someone in the organization realized the player had been dead for six months. They plucked ex-players out of the stands minutes before kickoff--Bob Gladieux was enjoying a beer at the game when he heard his name called over the P.A. (The Patriots had cut a player earlier that morning and found themselves short. Gladieux, who would go on to spend four years in the league as a running back, made the tackle on the opening kickoff.) And they played in a run-down stadium that was one of the worst venues in professional sports. There were brief moments of success, but on each occasion, front-office infighting would invariably cause the franchise to slide back down to the basement again. But in the first four months of 2000, everything changed. The hiring of head coach Bill Belichick and Vice President of Player Personnel Scott Pioli and the drafting of quarterback Tom Brady turned the fortunes of the franchise around. And their nontraditional approach to acquiring personnel--remembering that it's not about collecting talent, it's about assembling a team--quickly led to three Super Bowl titles in four seasons. It's a feat that, in the salary cap era, with free agency, planned parity and balanced scheduling, is in many ways even more impressive than anything achieved by the past dynasties of Green Bay, Pittsburgh, Dallas, and San Francisco. Along the way, Christopher Price has had a front-row seat for football history, chronicling the rise to power of the NFL's unlikeliest superpower. Price takes the reader inside the franchise to give him a dynamic portrait of a mighty organization at the height of its power. Readers are immersed in the locker room during the strange and tumultuous days of 2001 and 2003, when major personnel moves involving a pair of the most popular players in franchise history--Drew Bledsoe and Lawyer Milloy--threatened to rock their championship foundation to the core. Readers get an up-close look at the team that dominated the league on the way to a record-setting winning streak in 2004. And Price analyzes what went wrong when they fell short in 2005 and 2006, and how they plan to return to Super Bowl form. The Blueprint explores how the Patriots went from the dregs to a dynasty, becoming the gold standard for professional sports franchises everywhere. It will prompt sports fans (and those who study organizations) to acknowledge what many football insiders have believed for a long time: when it comes to building a successful system, the Patriots have the Blueprint.
Dan Rooney
Legendary chairman of the five-time Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, Dan Rooney, tells his life story for the first time. From growing up on Pittsburgh's notorious North Side, to vying with Johnny Unitas for top high school quarterback honors in Western Pennsylvania, from learning how to run a major sports franchise from his father, Art Rooney ("the Chief"), to helping shape the modern NFL, Rooney serves up a fascinating account of personal and professional achievement.He also discusses his relationships with players, coaches, NFL commissioners, his beloved family, and the devoted fans known as "Steelers Nation."Whether advocating hiring more minority head coaches through creation of the Rooney Rule or helping pave the way for the merger of the AFL and NFL, Rooney reveals the dynamics that have made him such a respected force in pro football.
War Without Death
In this masterpiece of sports reportage, Washington Post staff writer Mark Maske--one of the most respected journalists working both on and off the field--draws on unprecedented access to produce a behind-the-scenes look at the NFL's bitterest rivals: the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants, Washington Redskins, and Dallas Cowboys. Relentlessly reported from the leadership level, War Without Death delivers all the dramatic personality conflicts and unexpected changes in personnel and fortune, creating a complete narrative of four intensely competitive organizations locked in a steel-cage match with each other over the course of a year--nothing less than nirvana for sports fans.
Twelve Mighty Orphans
Now a movie starring Luke Wilson, Vinessa Shaw, and Wayne Knight!Jim Dent, author of the New York Times bestselling The Junction Boys, returns with his most powerful story of human courage and determination in Twelve Mighty Orphans: The Inspiring True Story of the Mighty Mites Who Ruled Texas Football.More than a century ago, a school was constructed in Fort Worth, Texas, for the purpose of housing and educating the orphans of Texas Freemasons. It was a humble project that for years existed quietly on a hillside east of town. Life at the Masonic Home was about to change, though, with the arrival of a lean, bespectacled coach by the name of Rusty Russell. Here was a man who could bring rain in the midst of a drought. Here was a man who, in virtually no time at all, brought the orphans' story into the homes of millions of Americans. In the 1930s and 1940s, there was nothing bigger in Texas high school football than the Masonic Home Mighty Mites--a group of orphans bound together by hardship and death. These youngsters, in spite of being outweighed by at least thirty pounds per man, were the toughest football team around. They began with nothing--not even a football--yet in a few years were playing for the state championship on the highest level of Texas football. This is a winning tribute to a courageous band of underdogs from a time when America desperately needed fresh hope and big dreams. The Mighty Mites remain a notable moment in the long history of American sports. Just as significant is the depth of the inspirational message. This is a profound lesson in fighting back and clinging to faith. The real winners in Texas high school football were not the kids from the biggest schools, or the ones wearing the most expensive uniforms. They were the scrawny kids from a tiny orphanage who wore scarred helmets and faded jerseys that did not match, kids coached by a devoted man who lived on peanuts and drove them around in a smoke-belching old truck. In writing a story of unforgettable characters and great football, Jim Dent has come forward to reclaim his place as one of the top sports authors in America today. A remarkable and inspirational story of an orphanage and the man who created one of the greatest football teams Texas has ever known . . . this is their story--the original Friday Night Lights.
Never Give Up
Tedy gives you something to believe in. Whether we're winning or losing, he holds his head high, and he knows himself and handles himself so well, others can't help but follow him. The way he practices and plays forces you to become a better teammate; the way he demands hustle and toughness forces you to become a better leader; and the way he carries himself inspires you to become a better person. This made his return to playing on October 30 against Buffalo all the more electrifying. The stadium was louder that night than the nights we had raised our Super Bowl banners. Our captain, our leader, our inspiration was back on the field doing what he loved to do. Tedy had spent months rehabbing, had countless doctor visits, and had undergone hundreds of tests trying to play again. Just eight months after our victory in Super Bowl XXXIX, here we were celebrating a much bigger victory on our home field. Sure it was great to win the game, but that night we were celebrating Tedy's return as he showed us teammates, fans, family, and friends what it takes to become victorious in life. You might be coming to this book as a fan of Tedy's football skills and, don't get me wrong, gaining the insights of one of the best defenders in Patriots history is worth the price of admission, but that's just part of the story. There are a lot of reasons to look up to him, and I promise you will finish this book with an admiration for him on a much deeper level.""--Tom Brady (from the Foreword)
Left-Handers' Golf Manual
The "Left-Handers' Golf Manual" is intended to provide players at all levels step-by-step instructions on how to play golf and is designed to help you develop your skills and ability. It is presented in manual format so that it can be used not only as an instruction manual but also as a reference book. Golfers at all levels can benefit from the detailed instructions found in each manual chapter. Included is information on how to prepare to play the game, the fundamentals of grip, stance, and golf swing dynamics. There are chapters covering how to use the driver and fairway woods, the long irons, the mid irons and the short irons. There is instruction on the short game, bunker play, putting, playing from different lies, pre-shot routines and how to practice properly so that you get maximum benefit from the time you spend on your practice sessions. There are over 90 illustrations in the manual. Each of the illustrations includes step-by-step instructions on how to successfully execute the golf shots encountered in everyday play. The Left Handers' Golf Manual has something for every golfer. It will provide you with the tools needed to improve your game, lower your score, and improve your disposition on the golf course. You will come away from your golf games with a smile on your face.
Science and Football V
This volume contains a selection of papers presented at the Congress on Science and Football in Lisbon in 2003. The meeting was held under the aegis of the International Steering Group on Science and Football.
Away From The Ball
AWAY FROM THE BALL presents the stories of a different kind of NFL player. In it Alan Ross takes a look at the positive accomplishments generated by many of today's athletes, such as Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy, Atlanta Falcons running back Warrick Dunn, Seattle Seahawks lineman Grant Wistrom, New York Giants linebacker Michael Strahan, New Orleans Saints running backs Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush, and former Dallas Cowboys cornerback, Everson Walls. AWAY FROM THE BALL is a timely book that tells a part of the NFL story that is frequently overshadowed by negative news events and overlooked by the sports media. An inspirational look at the positive influence many NFL players have in their communities, AWAY FROM THE BALL will be an encouragement to football fans who love the game and want to look up to the men who play it.
Hockey Tonk
Hard-hitting, nonstop action (and that's just what happens off the ice).Hockey is the fastest of all team sports?an emotional, exhilarating, and highly entertaining blend of speed, finesse, intensity, and bone-crunching physical impact. And the NHL's Nashville Predators are, in every respect, a team to watch. But the story leading up to, and through, the Predators' triumphant first season is every bit as exciting as the game itself.Hockey Tonk tells of one man's dream of bringing a pro team to a city best known for its music industry. The journey from that dream to its fulfillment in an arena filled with 17,000 screaming fans is a story of vision, passion, hard work, perseverance, and commitment to long-term success. It's a story of teamwork and hard-nosed competition, both on and off the ice.Just a few short years ago, the majority of Nashville, Tennessee, didn't know the difference between a blue line and a line dance. But now Music City has become a pro sports town, thanks to a fiercely competitive hockey team, its business-and community-minded front office, and fan support that, according to USA Today, is second to none.
Ty and The Babe
Tom Stanton's Ty and The Babe tells of the incredible saga of baseball's fiercest rivals, the forging of a surprising friendship, and the battle for the 1941 Has-Beens Golf ChampionshipEarly in the twentieth century, fate thrust a young Babe Ruth into the gleaming orbit of Ty Cobb. The resulting collision produced a dazzling explosion and a struggle of mythic magnitude. At stake was not just baseball dominance, but eternal glory and the very soul of a sport. For much of fourteen seasons, the Cobb-Ruth rivalry occupied both men and enthralled a generation of fans. Even their retirement from the ball diamond didn't extinguish it. On the cusp of America's entry into World War II, a quarter century after they first met at Navin Field, Cobb and Ruth rekindled their long-simmering feud-this time on the golf course. Ty and Babe battled on the fairways of Long Island, New York; Newton, Massachusetts; and Grosse Ile, Michigan; in a series of charity matches that spawned national headlines and catapulted them once more into the spotlight. Ty and The Babe is the story of their remarkable relationship. It is a tale of grand gestures and petty jealousies, superstition and egotism, spectacular feats and dirty tricks, mind games and athleticism, confrontations, conflagrations, good humor, growth, redemption, and, ultimately, friendship. Spanning several decades, Ty and The Babe conjures the rollicking cities of New York, Boston, and Detroit and the raucous world of baseball from 1915 to 1928, as it moved from the Deadball days of Cobb to the Lively Ball era of Ruth. It also visits the spring and summer of 1941, starting with the Masters Tournament at Augusta National, where Cobb formally challenged Ruth, and continuing with the golf showdown that saw both men employ secret weapons. On these pages, author Tom Stanton challenges the stereotypes that have cast Cobb forever as a Satan and Ruth as a Santa Claus. Along the way, he brings to life a parade of memorable characters: Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen, Grantland Rice, Tris Speaker, Lou Gehrig, Will Rogers, Joe DiMaggio, a trick shot-shooting former fugitive, and a fifteen-year-old caddy with an impeccable golf lineage. No other ball players dominated their time as formidably as Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth. Even today, many decades since either man walked this earth, they tower over the sport. Who was better? Who was the greatest? Those questions followed them throughout their baseball careers, into retirement, and onto the putting greens. That they linger yet is a testament to their talents and personalities.
Is This a Great Game, or What?
ESPN's Tim Kurkjian has spent more than twenty-five years covering almost three thousand major league baseball games and interviewing about that many players, coaches, managers, and executives.In Is This a Great Game, or What?, Kurkjian combines his years of experience, uncanny knowledge, and deep love of the game, to create a book filled with some of the most fascinating insight into Major League Baseball this side of Jim Bouton's bestseller, Ball Four. Whether he's explaining what goes through a ballplayer's mind when he faces a fastball in the chapter "My Face Was Crushed by a Bowling Ball Going 90 MPH," detailing bizarre rituals and superstitions performed by baseball's greatest players, or taking us into the locker room to see what transpires in the clubhouse of a major league team, Kurkjian's tales are at times hilarious, other times horrifying, yet always entertaining. Kurkjian has spoken to some of the greatest ballplayers ever over the years, and they have revealed details about themselves and the game they love with a candor that readers won't find anywhere else. Filled with anecdotes and fascinating insights, this is an essential book for baseball fans or anyone curious about America's pastime.
Crashing the Borders
Unflinching, timely, and authoritative, Crashing the Borders is the beginning of a much-needed conversation about sport and American culture. For those who care about both, this book will be the must-read work of the season. The game of basketball has gone global and is now the world's fastest-growing sport. Talented players from Europe, Asia, South America, and Africa are literally crashing the borders as the level of their game now often equals that of the American pros, who no longer are sure winners in international competition and who must compete with foreign players for coveted spots on NBA rosters. Yet that refreshing world outlook stands in stark contrast to the game's troubled image here at home. The concept of team play in the NBA has declined as the league's marketers and television promoters have placed a premium on hyping individual stars instead of teams, and the players have come to see that big-buck contracts and endorsements come to those who selfishly demand the spotlight for themselves. In this taut, simmering book, Harvey Araton points his finger at the greed and exploitation that has weakened the American game and opens a discussion on the volatile, undiscussed subject that lies at the heart of basketball's crisis: race. It begins, he argues, at the college level, where, too often, undereducated, inner-city talents are expected to perform for the benefit of affluent white crowds and to fill the coffers of their respective schools in what Araton calls a kind of "modern-day minstrel show." Harvey Araton knows the players well enough to see beyond the stereotypes, and by combining passion and knowledge he calls on the NBA to heal itself and, with a hopeful sense of the possible, he points the way to a better future.
The Times Cricket Quiz Book
The definitive cricket quiz book with 2000 quality questions on all aspects of the game. Since England won the Ashes in 2005 cricket has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity. This book will appeal to quiz goers but also to cricket enthusiasts to enjoy as an informative read.Some of the facts and brainteasers will amuse and entertain as well.Questions allude to all facets of the game including the laws of cricket, the politics, the history, the venues, the teams, the players, the results and the winners and the losers. The major tournaments are covered - the Test Matches, One Day Internationals, The World Cup, Twenty 20, County Cricket and Ashes contests.Each quiz deals with a single category such as a county, a venue or a player but there are also some quirkier sections such as 'Cricket's Bad Boys', 'The Big Hitters', 'Players nicknames and middle names'. The questions vary in their level of difficulty and follow the formats listed here: - straightforward question and answer- true or false- who am I?- anagrams e.g. which player's name is an anagram of 'Fanned off twirl'- who said?- brainteaser e.g. which England player's name end in the letter i?
Paddle 'til Dark
This solo, wilderness kayaking journey began many years ago, years before I even knew anything about kayaks and paddling down remote, legendary rivers. Poring over maps of those pleases revealed very little. The blank spaces spread far and wide. At last, after decades of dreaming, I stood on the shore of Lake Atlin in British Columbia where the headwaters of the Yukon River are. I stood there and thought about all those hope filled years and thrilled at the anticipation of leaving that morning in mid-June. Crossing the expanse of Lake Atlin in a fine mist, I guided the kayak toward Graham Channel, which would take me to Tagish Lake. There I met Jim and Marion Brook at their cabin. After hot coffee and freshly baked cookies, they sent me on my way. They were the first of many people who helped me on my journey. That evening, having found the "perfect" campsite, I inspected the area for bear tracks. Finding none I started a large campfire before setting up the tent. Supper had been eaten at a previous stop, so there was no cooking where I stayed for the night. This was the procedure I followed every night. It kept animals bigger and hungrier than me from visiting my campsites. As I paddle down the lakes, I stopped at villages such as Tagish; I paddled down Marsh Lake, down dangerous Lake Laberge; stopped in historic towns such as Whitehorse and Dawson City. I passed by wrecked and beached steamboats form the gold rush days and finally crossed the US/Canadian line into Alaska. I had paddled through a forest fire so immense that it took a day to pass the flames. The current carried me past Eagle, Circle City, though the Yukon flats (where he river was 10-20 miles wide) and crossed the Artic Circle at Fort Yukon. Then came the small villages of Beaver, Stevens Village, and then the oil pipeline. I paddled on to Rampart where the fierce head wind nearly drove me back upstream. Next I passed through Tanana, where I met Emmet Peter who has won the Iditarod long ago; then on to Ruby, Galena, Nulato and Holy Cross where Bergie Demientieff served me coffee and gave good advice. Finally I arrived at Russian Mission where I ran out of time after 51 days and 2, 000 miles of paddling my kayak. There Harvey Pitka and his wife Ester fed me a wonderful dinner before I flew out. As the plane climbed and banked toward Bethel, I knew that I would return one day to finish my Kayak trip to the Bering Sea.
Tip-Off
The 1984 NBA draft is most remembered as the one where Michael Jordan slipped to third behind number-one pick Hakeem Olajuwon...and the immortal Sam Bowie. You could understand the Houston Rockets choosing Olajuwon, but how on earth could the Portland Trailblazers pass up Jordan for the injury-prone Bowie? For the first time, Filip Bondy pieces together the entire backstory of the draft: from Michael Jordan's indecision over whether he should declare himself eligible for the NBA draft after his junior year...to Charles Barkley's calculated attempt to avoid being drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers and to improve his position at the Olympic trials...to the trades that were considered but fatefully never made.
Football Weekends at Notre Dame
When people ask the question, "What makes a football weekend at Notre Dame so special?"members of the Notre Dame family know that it could take an entire book to give the whole answer. This is that book. It tells the gameday story with over one hundred color photographs that bring the experience alive from the perspectives of many different groups, and its words add a context that is rich in the traditions, community connections, values, and spirit that make Notre Dame unique. Writer Bill Schmitt and photographer Lou Sabo approached the question with the kind of wide-ranging curiosity that goes beyond sports books, guidebooks, and history books. Their work reveals that the answer comes from many sources and primarily from the people who share the experience. The book focuses on students, many of whom have no involvement on the field; Catholics and believers of all faiths; alumni; visitors from around the country and the world; South Bend neighbors and business owners; athletes; and the coaches. The reader will enjoy deeper insights into Notre Dame football's connections to all sorts of traditions- some profound, some trivial, but always bringing people closer to each other and to the past, present, and future. As seen in chapters that explore the acts of faith, hope, and charity that surround the football program and reflect the nature and mission of the university, there is a real sense in which, regardless of the tally on the scoreboard, everyone who participates emerges from a Notre Dame football weekend as a winner.
Big Papi
The inspiring and dramatic story of Big Papi, from growing up poor to becoming one of the most popular and successful players in Major League Baseball.Raised in the Dominican Republic, signed by the Seattle Mariners, and released by the Minnesota Twins, David Ortiz landed in baseball-crazy Boston, of all places. Generally regarded as an underachiever to that point in his career, Ortiz blossomed into one of the most feared and adored sluggers in baseball while altering the course of the game's history, helping Boston win its first World Series in eighty-six years and thereby breaking the infamous "Curse of the Bambino." Along the way, Ortiz established his place as a truly Ruthian figure in the annals of our national pastime: an imposing figure in the batter's box, yet an endearing man to the young, particularly in his native Dominican Republic, where he has focused his charitable efforts on improving the health of children. The son of two caring parents, and a loving father of three, Ortiz is a hero to many. Now, in his memoir, the man affectionately known as "Big Papi" recounts his life from growing up in an impoverished area of the Dominican Republic (where baseball is king) to his ascension in Boston (where he became one). Ortiz discusses, in detail, his historic and record-setting performances as a member of the Red Sox, his exploding popularity, the challenges of playing in Boston, and life in the Red Sox clubhouse. Big Papi is a unique memoir by a charismatic man who appeals to young and old, on the baseball field or off.
Start 'em Right... Keep 'em Playing
"Start 'Em Right . Keep 'Em Playing breaks down the basic fundamental skills of softball by incorporating interactive and goal oriented drills and challenges for young children. Not only does this book teach players and parents basic softball skills but the intangible life lessons of respect, accountability, and resiliency."-Kim Maher, head coach, Purdue Softball, 1996 Olympic Gold Medalist All too often, children lose interest in playing baseball and softball because of poor coaching practices or too much emphasis on winning instead of having fun. Parent and fifteen-year Little League coach Mike Schmidt will show you how to bring back the joy of the game for kids, parents, and coaches alike. Schmidt focuses on the all-important basic elements of catching, fielding, throwing, hitting, and base running. He also includes tips and insights into the emotional and psychological aspects of building good players and making a winning team. Most importantly, you'll learn how to start children on the right path, help them conquer their fears, and make practices at home or on the ball field exciting and fun. Master the art of youth coaching and bring families and communities together for a wonderful athletic experience, year after year.
Baseballs Grtst Quotations PB
Baseball has always had its share of colorful characters, and over the years they have expressed themselves in eminently quotable ways. In this treasury of more than 5,000 quotations, noted baseball writer and observer Paul Dickson has captured the flavor of the game, in the words of its most important participants and onlookers.They are all here--from Aaron (Estella, Hank's mother) to Zoldack ("Sad Sack" Sam), and everyone in between. From the players, sportswriters, and politicians, to noted personalities in other fields (a very diverse group), everyone has his or her say on our nation's pastime. Dickson skillfully selects and annotates each remark, presenting the good, the bad, and the ugly of baseball lore. Included are extended lessons in Stengelese, Reggiespeak, Earl Weaverisms, and famous announcers' home run calls (who can forget Mel Allen's classic "Going, going, gone!"?).These and thousands of other cheerful, pithy, and memorable voices from the past through the present day are all captured in Baseball's Greatest Quotations.
Baseball's Great Experiment
In this gripping account of one of the most important steps in the history of American desegregation, Jules Tygiel tells the story of Jackie Robinson's crossing of baseball's color line. Examining the social and historical context of Robinson's introduction into white organized baseball, both on and off the field, Tygiel also tells the often neglected stories of other African-American players--such as Satchel Paige, Roy Campanella, Willie Mays, and Hank Aaron--who helped transform our national pastime into an integrated game. Drawing on dozens of interviews with players and front office executives, contemporary newspaper accounts, and personal papers, Tygiel provides the most telling and insightful account of Jackie Robinson's influence on American baseball and society. The anniversary issue features a new foreword by the author.
The Baseball Economist
Freakonomics meets Moneyball in this provocative expos矇 of baseball's most fiercely debated controversies and some of its oldest, most dearly held myths. Providing far more than a mere collection of numbers, economics professor and popular blogger J.C. Bradbury shines the light of his economic thinking on baseball, exposing the power of tradeoffs, competition, and incentives. Utilizing his own "sabernomic" approach, Bradbury dissects baseball topics such as: - Did steroids have nothing to do with the recent homerun records? Incredibly, Bradbury's research reveals steroids probably had little impact.- Which players are ridiculously overvalued? Bradbury lists all players by team with their revenue value to the team listed in dollars--including a dishonor role of those players with negative values--updated in paperback to include the 2007 season.- Does it help to lobby for balls and strikes? Statistics alone aren't enough anymore. This is a refreshing, lucid, and powerful read for fans, fantasy buffs, and players--as well as coaches at all levels--who want to know what is really happening on the field.
Tim McCarver's Diamond Gems
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
Little League Drills and Strategies
Expert advice and innovative drills to propel your team to success Endorsed by Little League Baseball(R) and a favorite among coaches and parents, Little League Drills and Strategies is built around three easy-to-follow rules: (1) teach the basics, (2) keep it fun, and (3) practice, practice, practice. Following these simple yet successful tenets, author Ned McIntosh has packed this book with imaginative drills that you can use to help your players strengthen their baseball skills. These innovative exercises and minigames will keep practice fun for your players while they sharpen their abilities on the field. Accompanied by engaging instructional photographs, this authoritative resource features drills that will teach all of the fundamentals: Hitting Pitching Fielding Baserunning And more McIntosh also pays special attention to the latest rule changes, including everything you need to know about pitch counts and how to use them to your team's advantage. Also included is a special troubleshooting section with strategies on how to correct players' technique.
Baseball’s Sixth Tool
Put your game into overdrive with this complete guide to harnessing your athletic instincts.In baseball, a five-tool player possesses the five most important skills: hitting for power, hitting for average, defense, arm strength, and speed. But there is one essential skill that brings it all together: the sixth tool. It's that extra something, an X-factor that can make a good player great. In this fully illustrated, information-packed guide, coach Mark Gola shows you how to use your smarts to channel your instincts, psych out your opponents, deal with pressure, and much more. Whether you're in Little League or heading for the majors, Baseball's Sixth Tool will teach you how to: Fire up your baserunning without increasing speedStep up your defensive play using keen observation and communicationMaster pitching with super-smart strategiesPerfect your swing by getting prepared before you step to the plateBecome the all-around all-star player that every coach wants
Coach's Guide to Game-Winning Softball Drills
"Mastering these drills will arm your players with one of the biggest intangibles necessary to perform well--confidence."--Michele SmithTwo-time Olympic gold medalist and Hall of Fame pitcher Michele Smith throws one right down the middle with this big collection of more than 250 skill-building drills developed especially for coaches of fast-pitch recreation league, travel ball, and high school softball players, ages eight to eighteen. Straight from the Michele Smith Gold Camps and Clinics, these drills are designed to give you all the tools you need to teach the entire range of offensive and defensive softball skills. With Michele's expert guidance and instruction, you'll coach your players to: Master the mechanics of footwork for fielding with hustleSwing for the fences and hit the fastest pitchesCatch the ball proactively and throw it quickly and accurately to its targetDefend the infield and outfield with speed and confidenceRun the bases swiftly and strategicallyRefine fast-pitch skills so they can windmill like Michele And much more
'77
Asserting that the 1977 AFC champion Denver Broncos were the tipping point for the transformation of Denver, Colorado from an outpost city with an inferiority complex to today's sports and entertainment mecca, award-winning author Terry Frei provides an intimate look at both a professional sports team and the city it brought together at a time of great change. Frei offers profiles of catalyst coach Red Miller and such legendary players as Randy Gradishar, Craig Morton, Louis Wright, Billy Thompson, Tom Jackson, and Lyle Alzado, but doesn't stop there, making readers feel as if they intimately know virtually everyone on the roster as the often ground-breaking narrative of that season continues. Frei describes Denver's evolving politics that year-when Richard Lamm was a young and controversial governor and Bill McNichols was one of the last machine-style mayors-plus the metro-area culture in the late 1970s as the Broncos go from victory to victory on their way to their first Super Bowl. As '77 wide receiver Haven Moses, part of the famed M&M Connection, put it, "Denver should have gotten the Nobel Peace Prize that year. There was more done that year to bring people together than I've ever seen in my life . . . And this brought attention to what Denver was about to become."
The Best Tennis Of Your Life
Play with Freedom...And Win More! The Best Tennis of Your Life is an inspirational and practical guide that will help players of all levels finally master the mental game. Author Jeff Greenwald draws from his unique background as a world-class player, sports psychology consultant, psychotherapist, and former coach to provides 50 specific tools you can immediately apply in any match situation. This comprehensive guide will show you how to: - Embrace nerves and play even better under pressure - Maintain confidence to win more consistently - Develop a pin-point focus - Access an ideal level of intensity - Play with a renewed sense of passion and freedom Why wait any longer to play the best tennis of your life? Get the mental edge with this invaluable resource and watch your game soar.
Seven
There simply is no other current record like it in men's or women's college basketball: seven national championships in the last twenty-one years. That is the record of the unquestioned queenpins"" of women's college basketball: the University of Tennessee Lady Vols, coached by the summit of all court coaches, the incomparable Pat Head Summitt. ""Seven"" presents an intimate portrait of those championship seasons, with a thorough look at the makeup, execution, and final achievement of each championship squad. The chapters include the turning point of each season, the highs and lows, the rivalries, the highlight moments, the stars, and the force behind them all: Coach Pat Summit. Alan Ross presents a courtside look at all the great Tennessee stars: Candace Parker, Shannon Bobbitt, Chamique Holdsclaw, Tamika Catchings, Michelle Marciniak, Daedra Charles, Dena Head, Bridgette Gordon, Tonya Edwards, Sheila Frost, and the other magnificent players who helped cut down the nets.""
Love and Blood
Every four years the thirty-two-team, sixty-four-game World Cup captivates the planet's populace for a month. Work absenteeism skyrockets. Political campaigns grind to a halt. Fans mortgage their houses to buy tickets. And teams employ every means possible--even consulting witch doctors and astrologers--in their quest for national glory. Veteran soccer commentator Jamie Trecker traveled to Germany for FIFA World Cup 2006. Here, reported from the restaurants, trains, bars, town squares, hostels, press boxes, and brothels, is his unvarnished account of the games and parties, great plays and fistfights, gossip and tacky souvenirs that turn the largest sporting event on earth into a true world bazaar. With equal measures insight and irreverence, Trecker captures the passion, politics, controversies, and economics that make soccer a reflection of the world.
