Life is hard on a dairy farm in the heartland of Minnesota. Milking, haying, planting and harvesting leave little time for the thing Billy Baggs loves most--baseball. When Billy's father is sent to jail, the burden of providing for the family falls to Billy, and the long-awaited season of summer baseball becomes an impossibility. The sequel to the ALA Best Book Striking Out.
Delve deep into to the grass roots of baseballs—the Minor League—and you’ll find Cannibals, Shoemakers, and Zephyrs! From the Coal Sox Nation to the Texarkana Casketmakers, Root for the Home Team brings you the most oddly original team names and the stories behind them. Root for the Home Team includes profiles of more than 150 teams and lists of hundreds more—plus fun facts, action shots, and team logos. Impress your baseball buddies with your depth of knowledge! Did you know? - The Altoona Curve were dubbed without ever throwing a breaking ball, thanks to local railroad history. - The Wichita Izzies had a fan so fanatical they named the team after him. - The Mudville Nine were named after the fictitious team in the poem “Casey at the Bat.” Root for the Home Team is a unique book any baseball fan will love.
The city of Columbus, Ohio, had always struggled to support any professional sports franchise. It’s a town where Ohio State University reigns supreme, and everything else is less important. That was until 1991, when the Columbus Chill, a minor-league hockey franchise, arrived. Using Veeckian marketing tactics and on-ice shenanigans, the Chill became the talk of the city and gained a religious local fan base. Based on the success of the Chill, from 1991–99, the city of Columbus was awarded with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2000, the city’s own NHL franchise. Chill Factor follows the wild ride through the eyes of team president and general manager David Paitson, from the early formation of the minor-league franchise through the decision to rattle the status quo by going to the edge and beyond with a marketing and promotional plan that was both edgy and controversial. The success of the Chill after their first season gave the organization the impetus to challenge local civic and business leaders to build a world-class arena and emerge from the shadow of OSU. There were setbacks and triumphs on and off the ice, and eventually the realization that the Columbus of today would not be possible without the aid of the Chill. Chill Factor takes readers into the front office and onto the rink, giving every angle of how a small town was able to get behind a working-class team that fought both on and off the ice. This thrilling account will appeal to those who remember the Chill’s reign, as well as those who enjoy seeing the underdog climb the ladder to sports supremacy. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, are 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. Whether you are a New York Yankees fan or hail from Red Sox nation; whether you are a die-hard Green Bay Packers or Dallas Cowboys fan; whether you root for the Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville Cardinals, UCLA Bruins, or Kansas Jayhawks; whether you route for the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, or Los Angeles Kings; we have a book for you. 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.
Minor league baseball team names tell the stories of towns throughout North America. From amateur collegiate summer leagues all the way through affiliated Triple-A teams, whose players are on the brink of the Major Leagues, nicknames like T-Bones, Crosscutters, RubberDucks, Wingnuts, and Isotopes-to name just a few-are more than just whimsical, catchy brands. They carry significance unique to their local communities. This book explores the stories behind the nicknames of 100 baseball teams based on interviews with front-office personnel who chose the names and the designers who created the logos.
Professional baseball is full of arcane team names. The Los Angeles Dodgers, for instance, owe their nickname to the trolley tracks that honeycombed Brooklyn in the early 1880s. (Residents were "trolley dodgers.") From the Negro Leagues, there were the Pittsburgh Crawfords (sponsored early by the Crawford Bath House and Recreation Center); from the minors, the Tucson Waddies (slang for cowboy) and, later, the Montgomery Biscuits (for the would-be concessions staple); from overseas, the Adelaide, Australia, Bite (a shark reference but also a pun for bight) and the Bussum, Netherlands, Mr. Cocker HCAW (the sponsoring restaurant chain, followed by the acronym for the official team name, Honkbalclub Allan Weerbaar). This comprehensive reference book explains the nicknames of thousands of major and minor league franchises, Negro League and early independent black clubs, and international teams--from 1869 through 2011.
In this eye-opening and engaging book, founder and chief executive of REAL Success, Paul Harris, examines some of the hard truths and challenges behind why so many farm owners and managers struggle to maintain a thriving, happy and loyal workforce. The lessons and learning uncovered throughout this captivating story will help you think differently about your team and your role as a leader. Whether you’re working with family members, long-term employees or casual hired hands, you’ll see how careful listening and communication, as well as embracing the diversity and difference in your team, are key to creating a happy, supportive and successful working environment for everyone involved. Tensions and conflicts are rising on Peter’s farm, putting team and family dynamics under enormous pressure. Then a potentially devastating event forces everyone to reflect on their beliefs and attitudes. With help from the enigmatic ‘Chairman’ and driven by Peter’s wife’s deep desire to keep the family together and their business alive, the whole team comes together on an odyssey of change that will transform them, the farm and everyone’s future. Throughout the story you’ll discover insights and takeaways about how small changes in style and slight shifts in mindset can make a huge difference to the success of your team and how they feel about working with you, putting you, your farm and your team on course to a brighter future.
From the early days of town ball to the latest seasons of the Twins and Saints, Stew Thornley offers the ultimate history of the Great American Pastime in the North Star State.
