It took something truly remarkable to save the 1981 Major League Baseball season from being remembered only as the year of the players’ strike. It took the Los Angeles Dodgers: Fernandomania and Lasorda and Garv and Bake and the Penguin. It took three amazing October comebacks to beat the Houston Astros, the Montreal Expos, and, finally, the New York Yankees, avenging Dodger World Series losses to the Yankees in 1977 and 1978. Rick Monday was right in the middle of that magical 1981 Dodger season. His recollections and conversations with teammates provide a behind-the-scenes view of one of the most amazing teams and seasons in baseball history in the newly revised version of Tales from the Dodgers Dugout.
Since moving from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 1958, the Dodgers have had an eventful—and frequently successful—history. From playing in the 100,000-seat Coliseum to five World Series titles, from Fernandomania to Mannywood, and from Sandy Koufax to Clayton Kershaw, the Boys in Blue have long been a team to watch. This history of the Dodgers provides a closer look at the great moments and the lowlights that have made them one of the seminal teams in the major leagues. Through multiple interviews conducted with current and former players, readers will meet the athletes, coaches, and management and share in their moments of triumph and defeat. The author recalls key moments in Dodgers history such as the building and breakup of the Garvey-Lopes-Russell-Cey infield, the sad decline of Steve Howe, the amazing comeback at the tail-end of the 1980 season, and the Frank McCourt saga. If These Walls Could Talk: Los Angeles Dodgers brings the storied history of the team come to life.
Former Dodgers All-Star Tommy Davis spins little-known stories about the Golden Age of baseball in Los Angeles and the team's 1963 and 1965 World Series championships.
It took something truly remarkable to save the 1981 Major League Baseball season from being remembered only as the year of the players? strike. It took the Los Angeles Dodgers: Fernandomania and ?Sorda and Garv and Bake and the Penguin. It took three amazing October comebacks to beat the Houston Astros, the Montreal Expos and, finally, the New York Yankees, avenging Dodger World Series losses to the Yankees in 1977 and 1978. Rick Monday was right in the middle of that magical Dodger season. His recollections and conversations with teammates provide a behind-the-scenes view of one of the most amazing teams and seasons in baseball history in Rick Monday's Tales from the Dodgers Dugout.
"The history of the Los Angeles Dodgers professional baseball team from its inaugural 1890 season in Brooklyn to today, spotlighting the team's greatest players and most memorable moments"--Provided by publisher.
The wildly entertaining narrative of the outrageous 1981 Dodgers from the award-winning author of Dynastic, Fantastic, Bombastic and The Baseball Codes In the Halberstam tradition of capturing a season through its unforgettable figures, They Bled Blue is a sprawling, mad tale of excess and exuberance, the likes of which could only have occurred in that place, at that time. That it culminated in an unlikely World Series win--during a campaign split by the longest player strike in baseball history--is not even the most interesting thing about this team. The Dodgers were led by the garrulous Tommy Lasorda--part manager, part cheerleader--who unyieldingly proclaimed devotion to the franchise through monologues about bleeding Dodger blue and worshiping the "Big Dodger in the Sky," and whose office hosted a regular stream of Hollywood celebrities. Steve Garvey, the All-American, All-Star first baseman, had anchored the most durable infield in major league history, and, along with Davey Lopes, Bill Russell, and Ron Cey, was glaringly aware that 1981 would represent the end of their run together. The season's real story, however, was one that nobody expected at the outset: a chubby lefthander nearly straight out of Mexico, twenty years old with a wild delivery and a screwball as his flippin' out pitch. The Dodgers had been trying for decades to find a Hispanic star to activate the local Mexican population; Fernando Valenzuela was the first to succeed, and it didn't take long for Fernandomania to sweep far beyond the boundaries of Chavez Ravine. They Bled Blue is the rollicking yarn of the Los Angeles Dodgers' crazy 1981 season.
The St. Louis Cardinals are one of the oldest franchises in Major League Baseball, a team that actually began play in the American Association in 1882 and joined the National League 10 years later. No other National League team can match their nine World Series titles. They have had more than their share of characters, funny men, and oddball moments, involving stories such as the Gas House Gang and outstanding players such as Dizzy Dean and Mark McGwire. Some of the stories will make you laugh, some will make you cry.
The 1983 American League West champion Chicago White Sox will forever be remembered by their trademark slogan: “Winning Ugly.” The star of that colorful bunch was an unlikely hero, a twenty-five-year-old rookie from Northwest Indiana. Ron Kittle led the 1983 White Sox with 35 home runs, 100 RBIS, and Rookie of the Year honors. Now Kittle shares the adventures, struggles and triumphs of his incredible journey from the South Side to ’83 champion. A one-of-a-kind collection of stories, anecdotes, and humor, Tales from the Chicago White Sox Dugout opens a window into the life of more than just one Sox legend. Kittle shares insights about manager Tony La Russa, catcher Carlton Fisk, outfielder Harold Baines, Cy Young winner LaMarr Hoyt, and a host of others. Peppered with stories from on and off the field, Tales from the Chicago White Sox Dugout catalogs more than just stats and facts; Kittle shares inspiring stories of overcoming the physical pain he dealt with every day, as well as his dedication to raising funds for cancer research, adventures in the dugout, and so much more.
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.
