Baseball’s No-Hit Wonders honors such legendary pitchers as Cy Young, Bob Feller, Nolan Ryan and Sandy Koufax, while introducing readers to other eccentrics and one-shot wonders who have thrown no-hitters. The book, the first of its kind in more than fifteen years, fleshes out the colorful characters, compelling narratives and statistical oddities from baseball’s 289 no-hit efforts-as well as the many near misses that are also part of the national pastime’s storied history.Painstak...

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Season Inside presents a thoroughly entertaining and deeply reflective examination of America’s greatest sport: baseball.What makes baseball what it is—the good as well as the bad? Who are the game’s heroes, and who its villains? What roles do managers play, and umpires and announcers and mascots and the media? What is the game’s future?To answer these questions, renowned sports journalist John...

BLOOPER: BALL SQUIRTS THROUGH BILLY BUCKNER'S LEGS.BLUNDER: BILLY BUCKNER'S MANAGER LEFT HIM IN THE GAME.Baseball bloopers are fun; they're funny, even. A pitcher slips on the mound and his pitch sails over the backstop. An infielder camps under a pop-up...and the ball lands ten feet away. An outfielder tosses a souvenir to a fan...but that was just the second out, and runners are circling the bases (and laughing). Without these moments, the highlight reels wouldn't...

Tracing the careers of four instrumental players who turned around the Yankees ball club, this book shares behind-the-scenes stories from their early days together in the minors through the 2013 season, and follows them on their majestic ride to the top of the baseball world. At a time when the New York Yankees were in free fall, having failed to win a World Series in 17 years and had not played in one in 14 years—the Bronx Bombers' longest drought since before the days of Babe Ruth—along ...

The latest and greatest in ESPN.com baseball guru Rob Neyer'sBig Book series, Legends is a highly entertaining guide to baseball fables thathave been handed down through generations.The well-told baseball story has long been a staple for baseball fans. In Rob Neyer's Big Book of Baseball Legends, Neyer breathes new life into both classic and obscure stories throughout twentieth-century baseball -- stories that, while engaging on thei...

The Philadelphia Phillies franchise has been providing thrills and chills for its faithful fanatics for more than 125 years---with the 2008 World Series victory providing the ultimate high for the team and its city. The Phillies have boasted great legends of the game, including sluggers like Chuck Klein, Richie Ashburn, Mike Schmidt, and Ryan Howard; beloved characters like Tug McGraw, Lenny Dykstra, and John Kruk; and stellar hurlers from Pete Alexander to Robin Roberts to Steve Carlton t...

The extraordinary story of the 1968 baseball season--when the game was played to perfection even as the country was being pulled apart at the seamsFrom the beginning, '68 was a season rocked by national tragedy and sweeping change. Opening Day was postponed and later played in the shadow of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s funeral. That summer, as the pennant races were heating up, the assassination of Robert Kennedy was later followed by rioting at the Democratic National...

As America's pastime since the mid-1800s, baseball offers the sights, sounds, and even smells that are deeply entrenched in our culture. But for some, the experience can be less sensory. Some, such as Ryan Spaeder and Kevin Reavy, live for baseball statistics. Stats give the game historical context and measurables for past, present, and predictive analysis.Incredible Baseball Stats helps tell unique baseball stories, showcasing extraordinary stats and facts in baseball his...

Explore the life and times of one of the most storied franchises in baseball—it's the next best thing to a seat at Wrigley Field on a summer afternoon.Pairing historical black-and-white images with contemporary photos of the modern game, Chicago Cubs Yesterday & Today celebrates more than 130 years of ups and downs in the history of the team and its legions of rabid fans. The book examines the ballparks, the teams, the players, and the colorful characters t...

The 1975 Cincinnati Reds, also known as the “Big Red Machine,” are not just one of the most memorable teams in baseball history—they are unforgettable. While the Reds dominated the National League from 1972 to 1976, it was the ’75 team that surpassed them all, winning 108 games and beating the Boston Red Sox in a thrilling 7-game World Series. Led by Hall of Fame manager Sparky Anderson, the team’s roster included other legends such as Johnny Bench, Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, Tony Pérez, Ken G...

Big League Trivia - Facts, Figures, Oddities, and Coincidences from our National Pastime is a unique trivia book divided into twenty-four chapters dealing with various areas of the great game of major league baseball.Chapters include: All-Star Game, Award Winners, Ballparks, Coincidences, Debuts, Family, Golden Oldies, Home Run Feats, League Leaders, Managers, Milestones, Moment of Glory, No-Hitters, Oddities, One and Only, Opening Day, Pitching Feats, Runs Batted In, So Close, Te...

From 1882 to 2012 all the most notable milestones and moments are covered along with the many little known facts that provides hours of fun for readers to rekindle old memories, learn new tidbits and tales while enhancing their knowledge of Cardinals’ history, postseason play, superstars, players, managers, stadiums and more.1,001 Little-Known Fun Facts about the St. Louis Cardinals is a great book for Cardinals’ fans to read through a page at a time, or chapter by chapter...