From the spark of ambition to play baseball professionally to the necessity of reinventing life after baseball, the anthropologist and former Minor Leaguer George Gmelch describes the lives of the men who work at America's national game. Twenty-four years after his own final road trip as a minor leaguer, Gmelch went back on the road with ballplayers, this time with a pen and pad to record the details of life around the diamond. Drawing on more than one hundred interviews with Major and Minor League players, coaches, and managers, Gmelch explores players' experiences throughout their careers: being scouted, becoming a rookie, moving through or staying in the Minors, preparing mentally and physically to play day after day, coping with slumps and successes, and facing retirement. He examines the ballplayers' routines and rituals, describes their joys and frustrations, and investigates the roles of wives, fans, and groupies in their lives. Based on his own experience as a player in the 1960s, Gmelch charts the life cycle of the modern professional ballplayer and makes perceptive comparisons to a previous generation of players.
The story of Major League Baseball's shortest-lived team and its quirky characters--from the dugout to the front office. The year 1969 ushered a new Major League Baseball team into Seattle: the Pilots. After many earlier years of successful minor league ball, the city had high hopes for a similar outcome. With plans for a new ballpark and a temperamental but hot-hitting young player named Lou Piniella in the spring training dugout, Seattle was finally getting their shot in the bigs. But the team lasted only one year before going broke and abruptly moving to Milwaukee to become the Brewers. How did that happen? Jim Bouton's popular 1970 book, Ball Four, immortalized the Pilots' colorful cast of clubhouse characters. Inside Pitch goes beyond the gloves and cleats to tell the story of management misfits and administrative mistakes as the team was played into bankruptcy. On the fiftieth anniversary of the team's 1970 bankruptcy and move to Milwaukee, Inside Pitch takes baseball fans on a behind-the-scenes look into the brief and quirky history of the Seattle Pilots from the unique perspective of two young team administrators. They share their recollections of the team's seemingly inevitable collapse and the Herculean efforts to save it by many in the organization. These same young men--who moved to Milwaukee with the team--also reveal some of the administrative hiccups and hilarities during the early days with the Brewers and their new owner, Bud Selig.
One of the greatest pitchers of his generation, Tom Glavine delivered the defining moment of the Atlanta Braves' 1990s dynasty. Glavine took the Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium mound for Game 6 of the 1995 World Series and allowed just one hit as the Braves won 1–0 to clinch Atlanta's first, and only, World Series title. Glavine captured the World Series MVP trophy and the hearts of Braves fans forever. In Inside Pitch, the left-hander tells the story that led up to this moment of glory and countless others in a Hall of Fame career that spanned 22 seasons. Glavine provides an in-depth look at the Braves' glory years, including his friends and fellow Cy Young Award winners Greg Maddux and John Smoltz and manager Bobby Cox. Glavine also shares memories of teammates from Deion Sanders to Chipper Jones and of playing for owner Ted Turner. He also tells his own story from growing up in a working-class family, pushing himself to succeed and his decision to turn down a chance to play pro hockey, opting for baseball instead. He describes his 300th win, his election to baseball's Hall of Fame, and his later seasons with the New York Mets before returning to close out his career with the Braves. Fans of the Braves, and of baseball, will love Glavine's book. It is filled with all the drama and inspiration that make the game America's passion.
Gold Medal Winner--Tops Sales World's Best Sales and Marketing Book “Fast, fun and immensely practical.” —JOE SULLIVAN, Founder, Flextronics “Move over Neil Strauss and game theory. Pitch Anything reveals the next big thing in social dynamics: game for business.” —JOSH WHITFORD, Founder, Echelon Media “What do supermodels and venture capitalists have in common?They hear hundreds of pitches a year. Pitch Anything makes sure you get the nod (or wink) you deserve.” —RALPH CRAM, Investor “Pitch Anything offers a new method that will differentiate you from the rest of the pack.” —JASON JONES, Senior Vice President, Jones Lang LaSalle “If you want to pitch a product, raise money, or close a deal, read Pitch Anything and put its principles to work.” —STEVEN WALDMAN, Principal and Founder, Spectrum Capital “Pitch Anything opened my eyes to what I had been missing in my presentations and business interactions.” —LOUIE UCCIFERRI, President, Regent Capital Group “I use Oren’s unique strategies to sell deals, raise money, and handle tough situations.” —TAYLOR GARRETT, Vice President, White Cap “A counter-intuitive method that works.” —JAY GOYAL, CEO, SumOpti About the Book: When it comes to delivering a pitch, Oren Klaff has unparalleled credentials. Over the past 13 years, he has used his one-of-a- kind method to raise more than $400 million—and now, for the fi rst time, he describes his formula to help you deliver a winning pitch in any business situation. Whether you’re selling ideas to investors, pitching a client for new business, or even negotiating for a higher salary, Pitch Anything will transform the way you position your ideas. According to Klaff, creating and presenting a great pitch isn’t an art—it’s a simple science. Applying the latest findings in the field of neuroeconomics, while sharing eye-opening stories of his method in action, Klaff describes how the brain makes decisions and responds to pitches. With this information, you’ll remain in complete control of every stage of the pitch process. Pitch Anything introduces the exclusive STRONG method of pitching, which can be put to use immediately: Setting the Frame Telling the Story Revealing the Intrigue Offering the Prize Nailing the Hookpoint Getting a Decision One truly great pitch can improve your career, make you a lot of money—and even change your life. Success is dependent on the method you use, not how hard you try. “Better method, more money,” Klaff says. “Much better method, much more money.” Klaff is the best in the business because his method is much better than anyone else’s. And now it’s yours. Apply the tactics and strategies outlined inPitch Anything to engage and persuade your audience—and you’ll have more funding and support than you ever thought possible.
One of the greatest pitchers of his generation, Tom Glavine delivered the defining moment of the Atlanta Braves' 1990s dynasty. Glavine took the Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium mound for Game 6 of the 1995 World Series and allowed just one hit as the Braves won 1-0 to clinch Atlanta's first, and only, World Series title. Glavine captured the World Series MVP trophy and the hearts of Braves fans forever. In Inside Pitch, the left-hander tells the story that led up to this moment of glory and countless others in a Hall of Fame career that spanned 22 seasons. Glavine provides an in-depth look at the Braves' glory years, including his friends and fellow Cy Young Award winners Greg Maddux and John Smoltz and manager Bobby Cox. Glavine also shares memories of teammates from Deion Sanders to Chipper Jones and of playing for owner Ted Turner. He also tells his own story from growing up in a working-class family, pushing himself to succeed and his decision to turn down a chance to play pro hockey, opting for baseball instead. He describes his 300th win, his election to baseball's Hall of Fame, and his later seasons with the New York Mets before returning to close out his career with the Braves. Fans of the Braves, and of baseball, will love Glavine's book. It is filled with all the drama and inspiration that make the game America's passion.
You're straddling the pitcher's mound in Shea Stadium. The game rests in your hands. Your heart is pounding. Big money is at stake. You feel thousands of eyes burning your jersey as they wait for a pitch. You gulp at the air trying to settle your nerves. It's go time. Insight Pitch is a sports story that spills over three decades. Retired Major League Baseball pitcher Skip Lockwood tells anecdotes from throughout his career as a ballplayer, starting with his days as a Little Leaguer through his professional tenure with the Kansas City Athletics, Seattle Pilots, Milwaukee Brewers, California Angels, New York Mets, and Boston Red Sox, before his retirement in 1980. Along the way, he details both the on- and off-the-field shenanigans as well as the enormous psychological process that he underwent each and every time he took the mound. Readers will find some laughs along the way and marvel as they share the locker room with legends like Jesse Owens, Satchel Paige, Catfish Hunter, and Yogi Berra. Humorous but insightful, this book makes the perfect addition to any baseball fan's shelf.
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Nic Stone comes a challenging and heartwarming coming-of-age story about a softball player looking to prove herself on and off the field. Shenice Lockwood, captain of the Fulton Firebirds, is hyper-focused when she steps up to the plate. Nothing can stop her from leading her team to the U12 fast-pitch softball regional championship. But life has thrown some curveballs her way. Strike one: As the sole team of all-brown faces, Shenice and the Firebirds have to work twice as hard to prove that Black girls belong at bat. Strike two: Shenice’s focus gets shaken when her great-uncle Jack reveals that a career-ending—and family-name-ruining—crime may have been a setup. Strike three: Broken focus means mistakes on the field. And Shenice’s teammates are beginning to wonder if she’s captain-qualified. It's up to Shenice to discover the truth about her family’s past—and fast—before secrets take the Firebirds out of the game forever.
"Hitting can be tough enough without trying to follow confusing technical advice and pet philosophies. Keep it simple, and keep making contact. Take the knowledge available in this book with you to every at-bat, and you'll have The Hitting Edge."--BOOK JACKET.
Author H.A. Dorfman brings his years of expertise as instructor/counselor with the A's, Marlins, and Devil Rays to provide an easy-to-use, A-to-Z handbook which will give insight and instruction on how to pitch to peak performance at every level of the game. Perfect for pitchers who need that extra edge or hitters who want to better understand the mental moves on the mound. With a new foreword by Rick Wolff!
