In the wake of the 1919 White Sox scandal and the suspension for life of eight players, baseball saw a precipitous decline in popularity, especially among America's youth. To combat this, a group of World War I veterans who were members of the newly formed American Legion created an organization to promote teenage interest in baseball. Led by John L. Griffith, who became the first commissioner of the Big Ten Conference, the Legion undertook the revival of baseball. In the 1920s and through...

The small and midsized cities of western Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia reached their peaks of population and prosperity in the second quarter of the 20th century. The baseball teams from these towns formed the Middle Atlantic League, the strongest circuit in the low minors and the one with the most alumni to advance to the majors.This thorough history chronicles the MAL through three distinct phases from its 1925 inaugural season to its dissolution in 1952. During the first ...

They dig through tons of coal to find a single diamond. They spend countless hours traveling miles and miles on lonely back roads and way too much time in hotels. Their front offices expect them to constantly provide player reports and updates. So much of their time is spent away from family and friends, missing birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays. Their best friend is Rand McNally. Always asking the question, "CAN HE PLAY?" Such is the life of a professional scout....

**#1 New York Times bestselling author John Feinstein returns to his first love--college basketball--with a fascinating and compelling journey through a landscape of unsung, unpublicized and often unknown heroes of Division-1 college hoops."Uplifting...[A] heartfelt missive to college basketball." —The Wall Street Journal**John Feinstein pulls back the curtain on college basketball's lesser-known Cinderella stories--the smaller programs who no one expects ...

The Ohio State Buckeyes, one of the most storied college football programs in the nation, have a rich and colorful history that spans more than a century. In Buckeye Madness Ohio native Joe Menzer tells the exhilarating story of the Scarlet and Gray from the days of Woody Hayes in the late 1960s to Jim Tressel and OSU's recent national championship.In the fall of 1968, Hayes's Buckeyes went 10-0 and won the national championship—a feat that the Buckeyes wo...

**Award-winning sports columnist Michael Rosenberg chronicles the extraordinary days of campus unrest and civil turmoil during the Vietnam War years as seen through the prism of two legendary college football coaches."Superb ... the best sports book I've read in years." —Cleveland Plain Dealer**The Vietnam War. Nixon. Kent State.The late 1960s and early 1970s were a time of total turmoil in America. The country was being torn apart by a war most people didn...

The history of basketball spans more than a century, from its humble origin as a simple diversion during the harsh winters in America to today's perennial, rim-rattling show of international renown. Throughout the last 60 years, Pennsylvania has been at the forefront of the sports evolution, supplying the world with a steady stream of stars, from Wilt Chamberlain to Kobe Bryant, who have proven to be some of the best to ever play the game.In Heads of State: Pennsylvanias Greate...

In less than 120 years an activity invented by one man to alleviate winter boredom for a college gym class has evolved into a worldwide multi-billion dollar enterprise. It is impossible for Dr. James Naismith, basketball's inventor, to have envisioned the extent to which his simple game would reach. Without major changes to his original 13 rules, basketball is now played in more than 200 countries by people of all ages. Thanks to basketball, players like Michael Jordan, Earvin "Magic" John...

From an AP sports writer and author, a history of Pennsylvania State University's Nittany Lions, with personal stories from coaches and players.In Tales from Penn State Football, Ken Rappoport puts you on the fifty-yard line and sometimes gets you a seat on the bench or a stall in the locker room. From the first team in the 1880s to the celebrated Joe Paterno teams of the 20th century, Penn State's most entertaining—and legendary—football stories are chroni...

Wrestling is as much a part of winter in Iowa as is snow and cold. Dreams of state championships begin in elementary school and, since 1972, come to fruition - or heart-breakingly fall short - at an arena in Des Moines in February or March. In 2011, the tournament finals sold out for the 24th consecutive year. Individuals and teams carve their names on the sports history tree each year. Some champions were blind, some were deaf, some were amputees but all earn the respect of thousands for ...

This is a straightforward history of the Athletics franchise, from its Connie Mack years in Philadelphia with teams featuring Eddie Collins, Chief Bender, Jimmy Foxx, Mickey Cochrane and Lefty Grove, through its 13 years in Kansas City, under Arnold Johnson and Charles O. Finley, and on to its great years in Oakland--with the three World Series wins featuring Catfish Hunter, Reggie Jackson, Sal Bando and Vida Blue, and the conflicts with Finley--as well as the less successful seasons that ...

"Double Duty" Radcliffe is the biography of one of the most unique baseball stars in history. Nicknamed "Double Duty" because he was an all-star pitcher and catcher, Radcliffe played from 1919-1954 in the Negro Leagues with teams such as the Chicago American Giants, Homestead Grays, Kansas City Monarchs, Birmingham Black Barons, New York Black Yankees and Memphis Red Sox. In this book, called "amazing" by Sports Illustrated, Radcliffe's own words are intertwined with background information...