"A fascinating account of the mysterious proving ground of America's national pastime, pulling back the veil on the minor leagues of baseball."--

"In baseball's early days, catchers stood a safe distance back of the batter without protective gear. Then the introduction of the curveball in the 1870s led them to move up directly behind home plate, even though they still wore no gloves or other protection. Courage became the catcher's most notable requirement. But the new position also demanded that the catcher have lightning-fast reflexes, great hands, and a great throwing arm. A special mystique...

This is a book about young men who learned to play baseball during the 1930s and 1940s, and then went on to play for one of the most exciting major-league ball clubs ever fielded, the team that broke the color barrier with Jackie Robinson. It is a book by and about a sportswriter who grew up near Ebbets Field, and who had the good fortune in the 1950s to cover the Dodgers for the Herald Tribune. This is a book about what happened to Jackie, Carl Erskine,...

The history of the early game by the Official Historian of Major League Baseball. Who really invented baseball? Forget Abner Doubleday at Cooperstown and Alexander Cartwright. Meet Daniel Lucius Adams, William Rufus Wheaton, and other fascinating figures buried beneath the falsehoods that have accrued around baseball's origins. This is the true story of how organized baseball started, how gambling shaped the game from its earliest days, and how it...

A collection of fun facts about baseball.

Chris von der Ahe knew next to nothing about baseball when he risked his life's savings to found the franchise that would become the St. Louis Cardinals. Yet the German-born beer garden proprietor would become one of the most important — and funniest — figures in the game's history.
Von der Ahe picked up the team for one reason — to sell more beer. Then he helped gather a group of ragtag professional clubs together to create a maverick new...

Every October, millions of baseball fans around the country anxiously wait to see which team wins baseball's biggest championship. But the original games of the 1900s hardly look like they do today. Take a look back over one hundred years and discover the history of baseball's greatest series. With triumphs, heartbreak, and superstitious curses, this action-packed book brings America's Pastime to life.

When modern baseball fans think of African American players, they may think of Ken Griffey Jr. or Derek Jeter. But what about the black stars who didn't play Major League Baseball? In the early 1900s, black players were not allowed in the Major Leagues. The Negro Leagues provided an alternative for African American players. Discover the Negro Leagues in this book packed full of facts, photos, and stories. Learn about the biggest games and wildest...

Presents the extraordinary inside story of baseball's last twenty years, during which the genius and struggle for power of three men saved the game from self-destruction.

"From the New York Times bestselling author of K: A History of Baseball in Ten Pitches, a highly-entertaining history of the World Series, based on years of archival research and interviews with hundreds of players and managers, filled with never-before-heard details of the most exciting and fascinating tales from 117 years of the Fall Classic. The World Series is baseball's greatest stage. From Babe Ruth's famous called shot, to Jackie Robinson stealing...