Bruce Bohrer was a Wrigley Field usher for nine seasons, and during that time he saw it all. Brushes with greatness, marriage proposals, creative signs and cheers, unique crowd control issues, and the sheer awe and excitement of Wrigley patrons are captured beautifully in the pages of this book. Maybe you’ll even recognize yourself, because after all, the real stars of “Best Seat in the House: Diary of a Wrigley Field Usher” are not the players on the field. They are the people who come to...

The Big 50: Toronto Blue Jays is an extensive and dynamic look at the 50 top moments and figures that make the Blue Jays the Blue Jays. In this revised and updated edition, longtime sportswriter Shi Davidi recounts the living history of the Blue Jays, counting down from No. 50 to No. 1. The Big 50: Toronto Blue Jays brilliantly brings to life the Blue Jays remarkable story, from Dave Stieb and Roy Halladay to the roller-coaster that was Roberto Alomar to Joe Carter's 1993 World Series–winn...

World Series champion, former All-Star, and award-winning television analyst Ron Darling gives readers a inside look at one of the most demanding and strategic positions in all of sports: the pitcher. Drawing on vivid situations from his playing days for the New York Mets and the Oakland Athletics, and from moments he has observed as a broadcaster, Darling offers an engaging look at the art, strategy, and psychology of pitching. Throughout, we get a glimpse of what it feels like to stand a...

A collection of essays for ardent seamheads and casual baseball fans alike, The Utility of Boredom is a book about finding respite and comfort in the order, traditions, and rituals of baseball. It’s a sport that shows us what a human being might be capable of, with extreme dedication—whether we're eating hot dogs in the stands, waiting out a fog delay in our living rooms, or practising the lost art of catching a stray radio signal from an out-of-market broadcast. From learning about Americ...

PRACTICE PERFECT,PLAY FOR FUNAugust “Augie” Garrido has led his baseball teams to more victories than any coach in any sport in NCAA Division I history. He is also the winner of more National Coach of the Year awards than any other college coach. Garrido’s former teams at Cal State Fullerton and, more recently, at the University of Texas together have compiled a total of five College World Series championships under his leadership.But despite his unmatched record as a winne...

While baseball is touted as America’s favourite pastime, everyone will know the score with this grand slam of Q&A that’s sure to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Doug Lennox hammers it out of the park by filling us in on who’s won the most Cy Young Awards, what the Green Monster is, and the five ways that a player can be called "out." In this treasure trove of baseball lore, you’ll learn all about the leagues and teams that have come and gone, the players who are legends, and the achieve...

Get inside the minds of the stars of the diamond in this extraordinary tour of brain power, psyche, and sheer will.Yogi Berra once said, "Baseball is 90 percent mental. The other half is physical." Even so, the Yankee great may have underestimated the brain power professional baseball players routinely draw on to perform such astounding feats of athleticism as hitting 98-mph fastballs and diving to catch line drives. In The Psychology of Baseball, Mike Sta...

There are very few major personalities in the world of sports who have so much to say about our National Pastime. And even fewer who are as well respected as Bill White.Bill White, who's now in his mid 70s, was an All-Star first baseman for many years with the New York Giants, St.Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies before launching a stellar broadcasting career with the New York Yankees for 18 years. He left the broadcast booth to become the President of the National League f...

It’s What’s Inside the Lines That Counts brings together ballplayers, managers, an umpire, and the first head of the players’ union to describe the momentous changes to the game that took place in the 1970s and 1980s. Former MLB commissioner Fay Vincent draws from his ongoing oral history of the game to celebrate the era that spans the Miracle Mets through free agency to Cal Ripken’s historic consecutive-games streak.Willie McCovey remembers meeting the Gi...

Play Ball!Everything baseball—from the popular Utterly Confused SeriesWhat's a foul ball?Or a swinging third strike?New fans, parents, and first-time coaches need no longer be Utterly Confused about baseball, as the popular series introduces the basics of the sport in a fun and easy-to-follow guide.Peppered with big league interviews and examples, Baseball for the Utterly Confused cuts through the jargon and history to deliver ...

In the tradition of Tuesdays With Morrie, a sportswriter recounts his friendship with legendary Tigers manager Sparky Anderson, the man who taught him not only the nuances of baseball, but also the importance of life's unwritten rules."For decades, it seemed like everyone in baseball knew Sparky Anderson, and almost all of us considered him a friend. But few knew him as Dan Ewald did. Here, Dan provides a unique ...

The Dodgers have played more than 10,000 games as a franchise. Their 50 greatest games span two coasts and three centuries worth of baseball. They include:• A doubleheader that lasted six and a half innings combined• A single game that featured three teams on the field• A game in which the Dodgers didn’t record a hit – and won• The games in which the single-season and career home run records were broken• Three perfect games and two no-hitters• The...