A round up of the most outrageous group of malcontents, characters, rebels, nut jobs, reprobates, wing-nuts, wackos, space cadets, head cases, goofs, free thinkers, and oddballs who ever livened up the grand old game of baseball, this collection not only describes their most bizarre antics in often-hilarious detail, but also includes the unique thoughts of Bill "Spaceman" Lee, a man known for his colorful quotes and offbeat personality.
Throughout the twentieth century, baseball has been blessed with a slew of colorful characters, funny men, and “flakes.” And though many fans lament the apparent vanishing of such players, there are still plenty of characters in the game today. In Wits, Flakes, and Clowns: The Colorful Characters of Baseball, Wayne Stewart brings to life the funniest, craziest, and cleverest men ever associated with the game. From the hilarious but unheralded Casey Candaele and the witty Andy Van Slyke to All-Stars Jimmy Piersall and Bryce Harper, this book shares many never-before-heard stories about some of the most entertaining men in baseball. In addition, this book features quotes from personal player interviews with the author that span decades, providing a personal, inside look at these zany stars. Wits, Flakes, and Clowns is packed with rich and colorful characters and plenty of humor, as well as unexpected insights into the national pastime. It is a celebration of those unique players who keep fans and teammates on their toes, those known for their wit, their pranks, or for doing just about anything for a laugh. Any baseball fan, but especially those who love the humor of the game, will be entertained by the exploits of the game’s most comical players.
A captivating history of the baseball reformers and revolutionaries who challenged their sport and society—and in turn helped change America. Athletes have often used their platform to respond to and protest injustices, from Muhammad Ali and Colin Kaepernick to Billie Jean King and Megan Rapinoe. Compared to their counterparts, baseball players have often been more cautious about speaking out on controversial issues; but throughout the sport’s history, there have been many players who were willing to stand up and fight for what was right. In Major League Rebels: Baseball Battles over Workers' Rights and American Empire, Robert Elias and Peter Dreier reveal a little-known yet important history of rebellion among professional ballplayers. These reformers took inspiration from the country’s dissenters and progressive movements, speaking and acting against abuses within their profession and their country. Elias and Dreier profile the courageous players who demanded better working conditions, battled against corporate power, and challenged America’s unjust wars, imperialism, and foreign policies, resisting the brash patriotism that many link with the “national pastime.” American history can be seen as an ongoing battle over wealth and income inequality, corporate power versus workers’ rights, what it means to be a “patriotic” American, and the role of the United States outside its borders. For over 100 years, baseball activists have challenged the status quo, contributing to the kind of dissent that creates a more humane society. Major League Rebels tells their inspiring stories.
Offering a fresh approach to the familiar concept of all-time baseball teams, this exhaustive work ranks more than 2,500 players by state of birth and includes both major league and Negro League athletes. Each chapter covers one state and opens with the all-time team, naming a top selection for each position followed by honorable mentions. Also included are all-time stat leaders in nine categories--games, hits, average, RBI, home runs, stolen bases, pitching wins, strikeouts and saves--a brief overview of the state's baseball history, notable player achievements, historic baseball places to see, potential future stars, a comprehensive list of player nicknames, and the state's all-time best player.
Major League Baseball was in crisis in 1968. The commissioner was inept, professional football was challenging the sport's popularity and the game on the field was boring, with pitchers dominating hitters in a succession of dull, low-scoring games. The major league expanded for the 1969 season but the muddled process by which new franchises were selected highlighted the ineffective management of the sport. This book describes how baseball reached its nadir in the late 1960s and how it survived and began its slow comeback. The lack of offense in the game is examined, taking in the great pitching performances of Denny McLain, Bob Gibson, Don Drysdale and others. Colorful characters like Charley Finley and Ken Harrelson are covered, along with the effects that dramatic changes in American society and the war in Vietnam had on the game.
Long before L.A. Dodger pitcher Brian Wilson, in his buzz-cut Mohawk and hillbilly beard, there was Dizzy. And Daffy. And Ducky, Goofy, Babe, Pepper and Yogi - not cartoon characters, but baseball players - great ones, who made America's pastime playful and fun and sometimes outrageous. Before Peyton and Eli, there were the Mad Duck and Broadway Joe, the Tooz and Golden Boy. Football was not for sissies but for men who jarred loose a few brain cells and bloodied each other's noses on a Sunday afternoon.Decades before pro golfer John Daly whacked a golf ball out of a stranger's mouth, Walter Hagen barnstormed the world from Terra Haute to Timbuktu, and the Merry Mex with his army of Lee's Fleas invaded venerable courses ruled over by the Lords of Golf. Before Lebron, before Shaq and Charles Barkley, even before Pistol Pete and Wilt the Stilt, there was Goose and Meadowlark and little boys with big dreams.Revisit Billie Jean King defending women against sexist pigs like Bobby Riggs, wrestling in its pre-TV heyday, the hilarious escapades, pranksters and jokesters of yester yore and more in this revised and updated collection of rollicking sports anecdotes.
A sequel to The Wrong Stuff describes how the talented but iconoclastic baseball pitcher found himself blacklisted from professional baseball and his adventures around the world in his quest to play the sport he loved, competing in pickup games, town tournaments, senior leagues, and fantasy camps across the U.S. and Canada, China, Cuba, Russia, and South America. Reprint. 25,000 first printing.
100 great sports debates for each city—from who was the best coach to what was the best play of all time. The perfect gift for sports fans—the series that's sweeping the nation, and is already a hit in Boston, Chicago and New York. The best debates for rabid fans The Best Sports Arguments gives each city or region all the best arguments of their hometown teams, with expert answers from top sports media figures. In fact, the Best Sports Arguments series is the #1 sports debates series on the market! Why? -Each book features 100 debates, the most of any series! -Each city's book is written by authors well-known in the region, leading to fan recognition and media interest. -They make perfect gifts for sports fans of any age. -And the debates go on!
Described by famed baseball scribe Roger Angell as looking like “a festive prison yard” during the 1962 World Series, Candlestick was loved and hated by sports teams and fans alike for its 43 years of existence. Built on a landfill above a garbage dump in a city rocked by an 8.6 earthquake only 54 years earlier, it was notorious for the tornadic winds that came off the bay, probably costing Willie Mays at least 100 career home runs. The fogs that rolled in looked like something God sent to pass over His Chosen people. And of course, there was the famous 1989 World Series earthquake that postponed the opening game for 10 days. But it was also home to the greatest run of sustained excellence in pro football history: the 1981–1994 49ers, as well as the exploits of baseball stars such as Mays and Juan Marichal.
