Galveston survived the Great Depression with a healthy dose of baseball, boll weevils and bootleg business. Farmers like future Galveston Buccaneers star Buck Fausett fled the insect infestation of North Texas for the city's sunny shores along with throngs of visitors eager to visit Sam Maceo's clubs and catch a ballgame. Galvestonians had a long love affair with America's favorite pastime, fielding the first game played in the state. Cotton heir Shearn Moody purchased the Buccaneers in 19...

At the close of the nineteenth century, railroad expansion in Texas at once shrank the state and expanded opportunities, including that of Texas League Baseball. Previously, the major cities monopolized Texas minor-league ball, but with the rails came small-town teams without which the league may have floundered. Sherman, Denison, Paris, Corsicana, Cleburne, Greenville and Temple teams produced some of the Texas League's greatest players and provided unprecedented statewide interest. The 1...

Blake Creekmore just cost his middle-school basketball team its shot at the district championship—and hes not even on the team. Blake would much rather be at a Boy Scout meeting than any sporting event. He convinces his best friend Dustin, the schools star athlete, to join him in an afternoon on the lake, where tragedy strikes. Dustin is injured and lost for the season, and Blake bears the blame of the team, the coach, and his classmates. Battling his guilt, Blake seeks refuge in the act...

Chad Griffin can't hit a baseball to save his life. When he steps up to home plate, he usually leaves after the umpire shouts, "Strike Three!" He always bats in the same spot for the Rangers—ninth—the worst hitter on the team. Even worse, he falls short of his dad's high expectations. But when the Rangers get a major-league all-star as their new coach, Chad's hitting begins to turn around. But hitting a baseball isn't Chad's only problem. As his team strives for the championship trophy, Chad ...

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 Oatman massacre is among the most famous and dramatic captivity stories in the history of the Southwest. In this riveting account, Brian McGinty explores the background, development, and aftermath of the tragedy.Roys Oatman, a dissident Mormon, led his family of nine and a few other families from their homes in Illinois on a journey west, believing a prophecy that they would find the fertile “Land of Bashan” at the confluence of the Gila and Colorado Rivers. On February 18, 185...

Celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of the Newbery Honor–winning survival novel Hatchet with a pocket-sized edition perfect for travelers to take along on their own adventures. This special anniversary edition includes a new introduction and commentary by author Gary Paulsen, pen-and-ink illustrations by Drew Willis, and a water resistant cover. Hatchet has also been nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read.

Tommi, Kate, and Zara are well established in the world of elite horse showing. But being a pro in your sport doesn't mean you're a pro in your social life.Tommi, the billionaire heiress, is training a young horse to prove to her father that she can make horses a real career. But when her new beau, Alex, convinces her to skip a horse show in order to party in the Hamptons, the results could be disastrous. Meanwhile, Zara, the celebutante wild child is finally taking her riding seri...

Albuquerque, New Mexico, is more than a refueling place for motorists on I-40. Professional baseball has been played here for more than 70 years, and fans have had the opportunity to see future Dodgers stars like Don Sutton, Ron Cey, Steve Garvey, Orel Hershiser, Eric Karros, and Mike Piazza hone their skills. Hall of Fame members Tom Lasorda and Duke Snider managed here; Darryl Strawberry, Eddie Murray, and Manny Ramirez have spent short stints �rehabbing� here; and big-league preseason g...

The basis of the celebrated Paramount Network miniseries starring Michael Shannon and Taylor Kitsch -- Waco is the critically-acclaimed, first person account of the siege by Branch Davidian survivor, David Thibodeau.Twenty-five years ago, the FBI staged a deadly raid on the Branch Davidian compound in Waco. Texas. David Thibodeau survived to tell the story.When he first met the man who called himself David Koresh, David Thibodeau was a drummer in a l...

Series streaming now on Disney+, with executive producers including NBA great LeBron James!The Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award–winning middle grade bestseller! Basketball and heartache share the court in this slam-dunk novel in verse.“With a bolt of lightning on my kicks . . . The court is SIZZLING. My sweat is DRIZZLING. Stop all that quivering. ’Cuz tonight I’m delivering,” raps twelve-year-old Josh Bell. Thanks to their dad, he and his twin brother, Jordan, ar...

In the history of the Pittsburgh Pirates, no team has been more memorable than that of 1960. In the decade before, the team produced only two winning records: a second-place finish in 1958 and in 1959. In 1960, they put it all together to win the pennant. Their reward was a trip to the World Series against the favored New York Yankees. In the Yankees" three winning games, they outscored Pittsburgh 38-3, but the Pirates were able to win three to send it to Game 7. In one of the most excitin...