At forty-four years old, Tim Wakefield is the longest-serving member of one of baseball's most popular franchises. He is close to eclipsing the winning records of two of the greatest pitchers to have played the game, yet few realize the full measure of his success. That his career can be characterized by such words as dependability and consistency defies all odds because he has achieved this with baseball's most mercurial weapon—the knuckleball.Knuckler i...

Billy Beane and the Oakland A's flipped Major League Baseball on its head by questioning widely accepted narratives and approaching roster construction from a scientific, data-driven viewpoint. "Moneyball" revolutionized baseball, and now it's your turn to be the GM.Fantasy Baseball for Smart People: How to Profit Big During MLB Season is a Moneyball-esque guide to profiting big bucks from your love of fantasy sports. With analysis from top-ranked daily fantasy player CSURAM88, the...

The New York Times–bestselling memoir from the legendary, former Boston Red Sox pitcher.Pedro Martinez entered the big leagues a scrawny power pitcher with a lightning arm who they said wasn't "durable" enough, who they said was a punk. Yet Martinez willed himself to become one of the most intimidating pitchers to have ever played the game, an eight-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young Award winner, World Series champion, and Hall of Famer.In Pedr...

“Intangibles is filled with lessons and tools for helping baseball players in all stages of their development.”—Fredi Gonzalez, Manager, Atlanta Braves“Geoff Miller is insightful in explaining the mental aspect of baseball with real issues, simple terms and practical solutions.”—Dave Littlefield, Chicago CubsSpecial Asst. to the General ManagerPittsburgh Pirates General Manager (2001-2007)“A must read for athletes lookin...

This book will appeal to life-long baserball fans, particularly those who have followed the game for many years--specifically males over the age of 60, perhaps even age 50, too. Younger followers of athletic contests may also likely have an interest, given the revitalized impact to the sport currently--yearly Major League attendance numbers reflect over 73 Million paying customers in 2009. Cable network coverage proliferates--ESPN and MLB to name just two--continuously streaming the latest...

The Arkansas Connection Frank Munro, manager of the New York Mets, leads a turbulent life trying to win with a team of mostly dysfunctional underachievers. Soon after the Mets lose the final game of the season in spectacular fashion, Frank hears of his mother’s death back in Catsville, Arkansas, and must return there for her funeral. His attempt to give her remains a grand send-off results in mayhem, and out of pity his mother’s old friend Alice invites him to a ...

Based in part on the life of baseball legend Ty Cobb, this book belongs in the pantheon of great baseball novels.John Barr is the kind of player who isn't supposed to exist anymore. An all-around superstar, he plays the game with a single-minded ferocity that makes his New York Mets team all but invincible. Yet Barr himself is a mystery with no past, no friends, no women, and no interests outside hitting a baseball as hard and as far as he can. Not even Ellie Jay, the jaded sportsw...

"Brosnan obviously knows his baseball, writes about it wittily, informally and with irony. He is a cynical, tough professional athlete and his book makes wonderful reading."— New YorkerFrom the author of The Long Season—considered by many to be the greatest baseball book of all time—comes another classic sports memoir by legendary pitcher Jim Brosnan, which chronicles how his team, the Cincinnati Reds, went on to win the 1961 National League penna...

From the author of "Pitching Strategies Explained", "Pitching Mechanics Explained" is the most comprehensive and up-to-date resource for coaches, parents, and players seeking to improve all aspects of a pitcher’s development. It is one of the very few books available specifically intended to help a coach or parent instruct a pitcher on how to improve his game.Complete with dozens of drills and more than 100 photographs, "Pitching Mechanics Explained" illustrates the sequential move...

My E-Book looks at George Washington Keefe from the perspective of a player and family member. He was the son of a diabled Pennsylvania Union Civil War soldier. Charles Keefe was a cabinetmaker who drew a pension after being wounded as a reservist in combat with the Pennsylvania infantry. His son, George pitched for three seasons for the Washington Nationals. It was a different time in baseball history. The Detroit Wolverines played in the National League. Baltimore's club was also in the ...

From the first third-generation player in Major League history, a sometimes moving, always candid inside look at his family’s seventy years in baseballA five-foot-ten fireball questioned by scouts because of his small stature, supposed lack of power, and cocky attitude, Bret Boone didn’t care about family legacy as he fought his way to the Major Leagues in 1992; he wanted to make his own way. He did just that, building a career that featured three All-Star appearan...

The closer is the ace reliever who specializes in closing out the game without surrendering the lead. Facing a power hitter in the ninth inning with a man on base and no outs takes nerves of steel. The pressure on the mound is intense. It takes a special breed to hold it together in these situations. Legendary manager Tony LaRusso said "Sure, games can get away from you in the seventh and eighth, but those last three outs in the ninth are the toughest."It wasn't until the creation ...