The Chicago area today hosts two of the most historic major league franchises and half a dozen minor or independent league teams. Baseball's roots run deep in the Windy City. Indeed, it was Chicago businessman William "I'd rather be a lamp-post in Chicago than a millionaire in any other city" Hulbert, who, according to baseball lore, staged the coup that in 1876 would put the National League on the map. The Chicago White Stockings (now ironically called the Cubs) were one of eight charter ...

The Chicago White Stockings�later renamed the Cubs�won the inaugural National League Pennant in 1876 with a barrage of offensive numbers. Ross Barnes led the league at a .421 clip, and three other Chicago batters finished among the league�s top five hitters. Even pitcher Al Spalding hit an impressive .312. Thus began the "northsiders" tradition of producing some of the major leagues� greatest sluggers�including "Cap" Anson, "Gabby" Hartnett, and "Hack" Wilson.The Chicago White Sox�still na...

Al Spalding was the first of many Chicago aces, leading the city�s 1876 club to an inaugural National League Pennant with a 46-12 record and a whopping 528 innings pitched. Among the legendary pitchers to follow were Larry Corcoran, owner of two no-hitters with the White Stocking dynasty of the 1880s; Clark Griffith, who had six 20-win seasons in a row for a mediocre Orphans/Colts club in the 1890s; and "Rube" Foster, who dominated the Negro leagues of the early twentieth century. Also fea...

The no-nonsense, no BS guide to becoming a prolific author!Do you want to write a lot of novels, but can't improve your writing speed?Writing fast is the most important skill you can develop as a writer. While it seems hard to hit high word counts, the secrets are easier than you think.In this writer's guide, prolific author M.L. Ronn pulls back the curtain on the process that he uses to write 6-8 novels a year. He has kept this pace while juggling ...

Are you still dreaming about writing that book?Learning how to write your first novel can be overwhelming. You have to master outlining, writing, revising, and so much more...and it can be scary if you've never done it before.While it seems daunting, writing your first novel is simple when you have someone experienced to help you through it.In this writer's guide, prolific writer M.L. Ronn shares an easy step-by-step process of writing compelling fi...

The sequel to the bestselling productivity book for writers—available in ebook, paperback, large print, and audiobook!OK, so you're ready to write faster and smarter, beat writer's block, and be prolific. Now, the real struggle begins.Since writing the first Be a Writing Machine, bestselling author and YouTuber M.L. Ronn has traveled across the world, teaching writers how to unlock new levels of creativity.Many books and many questions later, he gat...

“Who Else Wants To Write a Book This Weekend?”It’s easier than you think!Best-selling author Vic Johnson actually wrote this book in a weekend to prove how easy it is. And he gives you step-by-step detail of everything he did, including the resources he uses to turn out content-rich books in no time at all.How To Write a Book This Weekend is a perfect strategy for first-time book writers who have been discouraged by the thought of pounding out words for months at a ...

With this outrageous new novel, China Miéville has written one of the strangest, funniest, and flat-out scariest books you will read this—or any other—year. The London that comes to life in Kraken is a weird metropolis awash in secret currents of myth and magic, where criminals, police, cultists, and wizards are locked in a war to bring about—or prevent—the End of All Things.In the Darwin Centre at London’s Natural History Museum, Billy Harrow, a cephalopod specialist, is conductin...

Imagine crouching 15 feet from home plate during a Cincinnati Reds baseball game with a camera at eye level. A major league player like Ted Kluszewski comes barreling towards the plate as you flash the bulb while the catcher makes the tag. That was one of Jack Klumpe's experiences for over a quarter century (1950-1985) covering Reds baseball for the Cincinnati Post. Jack followed the Reds from spring training to the World Series, from Crosley Field to Riverfront Stadium. He witnessed-and c...

The Cubs have called Wrigley their home since 1916 and have treated their loyal followers with memories that have lasted for generations. From the legend of Babe Ruth's called shot to Kerry Wood's dominant twenty-strikeout performance, great games, notable names and a multitude of memorable moments have played out at Clark and Addison to create baseball's most recognizable relationship: the Cubs and Wrigley Field. The authors of Wrigley Field: 100 Stories for 100 Years return to celebrate ...

The world of sports in the earlier decades of the 20th century certainly wasn't like the one we know today--it's even wilder. From the Roaring Twenties and up to the golden age of the 1950s, chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr. owned both the Chicago Cubs and Santa Catalina Island in Southern California, so despite being over 2000 miles apart, the team would hold their spring training on the island from 1921 to 1951. Despite a rigorous training schedule, the players obviously felt the s...

Nestled at the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio Rivers in the first permanent settlement in the Northwest Territory resides one of the most dominant college baseball dynasties in the nation. The Marietta College Pioneers�known as the �Etta Express for the way they�ve barreled over opponents for half a century�own a record five NCAA Division III National Championships, including 2011. Finally, the best-kept secret in college sports springs to life as author Gary Caruso digs into the per...