In the 1970s, after a decade of stagnant fan interest that seemed to signal the demise of Major League Baseball, the game saw growth and change. In 1972, the players became the first in professional sports to go on strike. Four years later, contractual changes allowed those with six years in the majors to become free agents, leading to an unprecedented increase in salaries. Developments in the play of the game included new ballparks with faster fields and artificial turf, and the introduction of the designated hitter in 1973. Eminent personalities emerged from the dugout, including many African Americans and Latinos. Focusing on the stars who debuted from 1970 through 1979, this book covers the highs and lows of more than 1,300 players who gave fans the most exciting decade baseball has ever seen.
Major League Baseball has been in crisis in recent years. Game attendance is down by millions and fan interest is in free fall. The future of the game is in jeopardy. While the League acknowledges the issues, many are stumped as to how to address them. This book explores in detail the critical challenges facing MLB, and their ramifications, along with some potential solutions. Interviews with baseball insiders, players to executives, give a perspective on baseball's struggle to reinvent itself for future generations.
During the 1956 baseball season in the city of Los Angeles, Mickey Mantle’s pursuit of Babe Ruth’s single-season home run record was matched only by the day-to-day drama of Steve Bilko’s exploits in the Pacific Coast League. While Mantle was winning the Triple Crown in the American League, Bilko was doing the same in the highest of all the minor leagues with the Los Angeles Angels. He led the league hitters in eight categories, and the Angels romped to the pennant. Bilko hit one mighty home run after another to earn Minor League Player of the Year honors and inspire the team’s nickname, “The Bilko Athletic Club.” The Bilko Athletic Club tells the story of the 1956 Los Angeles Angels, a team of castoffs and kids built around Steve Bilko, a bulky, beer-loving basher of home runs.Author Gaylon H. White provides an intimate portrait of life in minor league baseball in the 1950s and gives readers a glimpse inside the heads and hearts of the players as they experience the same doubts and frustrations many face in the pursuit of a dream. The Angels’ unforgettable season unfolds through stories told by the players themselves, as they racked up runs and rolled to a 107-61 won-loss record, finishing sixteen games ahead of their closest competitor. Featuring in-depth interviews with Steve Bilko and twenty-five of his ’56 Angels teammates, The Bilko Athletic Club also includes several photos and is highlighted by never-before-told anecdotes. A fascinating account of a season to remember, The Bilko Athletic Club will take fans and historians of the national pastime back to the golden era of baseball.
A story about baseball, family, the American Dream, and the fight to turn Los Angeles into a big league city. Dodger Stadium is an American icon. But the story of how it came to be goes far beyond baseball. The hills that cradle the stadium were once home to three vibrant Mexican American communities. In the early 1950s, those communities were condemned to make way for a utopian public housing project. Then, in a remarkable turn, public housing in the city was defeated amidst a Red Scare conspiracy. Instead of getting their homes back, the remaining residents saw the city sell their land to Walter O'Malley, the owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Now LA would be getting a different sort of utopian fantasy -- a glittering, ultra-modern stadium. But before Dodger Stadium could be built, the city would have to face down the neighborhood's families -- including one, the Aréchigas, who refused to yield their home. The ensuing confrontation captivated the nation - and the divisive outcome still echoes through Los Angeles today.
An insider’s look at baseball’s unwritten rules, explained with examples from the game’s most fascinating characters and wildest historical moments. Everyone knows that baseball is a game of intricate regulations, but it turns out to be even more complicated than we realize. All aspects of baseball—hitting, pitching, and baserunning—are affected by the Code, a set of unwritten rules that governs the Major League game. Some of these rules are openly discussed (don’t steal a base with a big lead late in the game), while others are known only to a minority of players (don’t cross between the catcher and the pitcher on the way to the batter’s box). In The Baseball Codes, old-timers and all-time greats share their insights into the game’s most hallowed—and least known—traditions. For the learned and the casual baseball fan alike, the result is illuminating and thoroughly entertaining. At the heart of this book are incredible and often hilarious stories involving national heroes (like Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays) and notorious headhunters (like Bob Gibson and Don Drysdale) in a century-long series of confrontations over respect, honor, and the soul of the game. With The Baseball Codes, we see for the first time the game as it’s actually played, through the eyes of the players on the field. With rollicking stories from the past and new perspectives on baseball’s informal rulebook, The Baseball Codes is a must for every fan.
Baseball books span the spectrum from the All-Stars to the has-beens but invariably overlook the endless string of things that could have happened but didn't. Baseball’s Memorable Misses fills that void, pointing out little-known facts perfect for both rabid and casual fans. Who knew that Willie Mays never won an RBI crown or that Stan Musial hit the most home runs in one day but never led his league in a season? Nolan Ryan had zero Cy Young Awards despite owning records for strikeouts and no-hitters. Roger Clemens, on the other hand, had a record seven Cy Youngs and two 20-strikeout games but zero no-hitters.There were also zero no-hitters by Greg Maddux, who has more wins than any living pitcher. Players took zeroes and sometimes double-zeroes as uniform numbers. Veteran baseball writer Dan Schlossberg delves into the previously-unknown world of baseball zeroes, exploring everything from Christy Mathewson's zero runs allowed in the 1905 World Series to the three perfect games pitched in Yankee Stadium. This book also reveals that there were zero no-hitters pitched by Pirates at Pittsburgh's Forbes Field even though visiting pitchers did not fall victim to that hex. There have been zero players who hit five home runs in one game but two who have hit five in one day. This is a book of Almost But Not Quite (ABNQ for short) but also a book that suggests baseball's second century can be almost as intriguing as its first. With the help of author Doug Lyons, who wrote the foreword, and celebrated baseball cartoonist Ronnie Joyner, this is also a utilitarian volume, perfect for the living room coffee table or even the bathroom. Like the game itself, Baseball’s Memorable Misses is fun--and perfect for rain delays in season or off-season enjoyment.
Organized by theme, this comprehensive encyclopedia examines all aspects of life in Japan, from geography and government to food and etiquette and much more. Japan, or the "Land of the Rising Sun," is home to more than 126 million people, nearly 10 million of whom live in Tokyo alone. How did this tiny island nation become such a powerhouse in the 21st century, and where will it go from here? Modern Japan examines history and contemporary life through thematic entries organized into chapters covering such topics as geography; history; government and politics; economy; religion and thought; social classes and ethnicity; gender, marriage, and sexuality; education; language; etiquette; literature and drama; art and architecture; music and dance; food; leisure and sports; and media and popular culture. Each chapter contains an overview of the topic and alphabetized entries on examples of each theme. A chronology covers from prehistoric times to the present, and special appendices offer profiles of a typical day in the life of representative members of Japanese society, key facts and figures about Japan, and a holiday chart. This volume is ideal for students researching Japan, as well as general readers interested in learning more about the country.
The best resource for projecting future performance of minor league athletes— essential for fantasy league baseball players The first book of its kind to fully integrate sabermetrics and scouting, the 2023 Minor League Baseball Analyst provides a distinctive brand of analysis for more than 1,000 minor league baseball players. Features include scouting reports for all players, batter skills ratings, pitch repertoires, performance trends, major league equivalents, and expected major league debuts. A complete sabermetric glossary is also included.This one-of-a-kind reference is ideally suited for baseball analysts and those who play in fantasy leagues with farm systems.
Friends Secrets: 236 Episodes, Thousands of Facts is written by an authoritative expert who penned the most comprehensive reference book ever written on the series—Friends Behind the Scenes: Backstage Pass to the Series, A Comprehensive History. The follow-up effort, Friends Secrets, is the best source for insider facts and never-before-revealed tidbits about the sitcom that industry experts have voted the Greatest TV Series of All Time. This type of thoroughness cannot be found anywhere else in the entire Friends Universe. The first section provides insider information about the creators, cast regulars, supporting actors, and guest actors as well as cast stand-ins, crew members, scene extras, and even famous actors who auditioned for roles in the immensely popular show. The second section discusses little-known facts about the series, including behind-the-scenes activities, casting decisions, notable directors, secrets behind writing episodes, and so much more. The final section recounts numerous secrets behind the making of Friends. Every episode has a history and many contain a few skeletons in the closet. The little-known facts encompass the inspirations for episode plots, how personal experiences influenced storylines, when actors ad-libbed lines, how scenes developed and evolved, the way actors and guest stars impacted the creative process, and even the “lost” episode that was written but never filmed. There are over 3000 fun facts about the show that are sure to amaze and mystify the most die-hard and inquisitive Friends fan. Friends Secrets is an essential book for every fan of the show. It is a great conversation starter and readers are guaranteed to impress friends and family with nuggets of insider information that most Friends fans do not know. Photos included, 299 pages paperback.
