Bob Robinson's Books

Willie Wells

"El Diablo" of the Negro Leagues

By: Bob Luke

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Willie Wells

"El Diablo" of the Negro Leagues

By: Bob Luke

The first complete biography of an important Negro League baseball player from Austin, Texas. Willie Wells was arguably the best shortstop of his generation. As Monte Irvin, a teammate and fellow Hall of Fame player, writes in his foreword, “Wells really could do it all. He was one of the slickest fielding shortstops ever to come along. He had speed on the bases. He hit with power and consistency. He was among the most durable players I’ve ever known.” Yet few people have heard of the feisty ballplayer nicknamed “El Diablo.” Willie Wells was black, and he played long before Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier. Bob Luke has sifted through the spotty statistics, interviewed Negro League players and historians, and combed the yellowed letters and newspaper accounts of Wells’s life to draw the most complete portrait yet of an important baseball player. Wells’s baseball career lasted thirty years and included seasons in Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Canada. He played against white all-stars as well as Negro League greats Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, and Buck O’Neill, among others. He was beaned so many times that he became the first modern player to wear a batting helmet. As an older player and coach, he mentored some of the first black major leaguers, including Jackie Robinson and Don Newcombe. Willie Wells truly deserved his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame, but Bob Luke details how the lingering effects of segregation hindered black players, including those better known than Wells, long after the policy officially ended. Fortunately, Willie Wells had the talent and tenacity to take on anything—from segregation to inside fastballs—life threw at him. No wonder he needed a helmet. “Willie Wells: “El Diablo” of the Negro Leagues is well researched and well written, so the average baseball fan should find it to be an entertaining read.” —Dale Petroskey, president, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum “The story of Willie Wells opens another window on the conditions and constraints of Jim Crow America, and how painfully difficult it can be, even now, to remedy the persistent effects of discrimination. Every baseball fan will love this story. Every American should read it.” —Ira Glasser, executive director, American Civil Liberties Union, 1978-2001 “Reconstructing, indeed resurrecting, the career of a peripatetic Negro League baseball player is a daunting task. Negro and Major League great Monte Irvin tells us that his fellow Hall of Famer, shortstop Willie Wells, belongs on the same baseball page as Gibson, DiMaggio, Paige, and Feller. This fine biography by Bob Luke does a wonderful job in telling us why and how that is the case. We have here a Hall of Fame telling of the story of a true Hall of Famer.” —Lawrence Hogan, author of Shades of Glory: The Negro Leagues and the Story of African American Baseball

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282

Publisher

Univ of TX + ORM

Published Date

ISBN 10

0292794983

ISBN 13

9780292794986

Integrating the Orioles

Baseball and Race in Baltimore

By: Bob Luke

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Integrating the Orioles

Baseball and Race in Baltimore

By: Bob Luke

The struggle to integrate the Baltimore Orioles mirrored the fight for civil rights in Baltimore. The Orioles debuted in 1954, the same year the Supreme Court struck down public school segregation. As Baltimore experienced demonstrations, white flight and a 1968 riot, team integration came slowly. Black players--mostly outfielders--made cameo appearances as black fans stayed away in droves. The breakthrough came in 1966, with the arrival of a more enlightened owner, and African American superstar Frank Robinson. As more black players filled the roster, the Orioles dominated the American League from 1969 through much of the 1970s and into the early 1980s. Attempts to integrate the team's executive suite were less successful. While black players generally did not participate in civil rights actions, several under Robinson's leadership pushed for front office jobs for former black players. Drawing on primary sources and interviews with former executives, players and sportswriters, this book tells the story of the integration of the Orioles. The author describes how tensions between community leaders and team officials aborted negotiations to both increase black attendance and put an African American in the club's executive ranks.

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215

Publisher

McFarland

Published Date

ISBN 10

1476662126

ISBN 13

9781476662121

Built in Detroit

A Story of the Uaw, a Company, and a Gangster

By: Bob Morris

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Built in Detroit

A Story of the Uaw, a Company, and a Gangster

By: Bob Morris

Ken Morriss journey began one cold Pittsburgh morning in 1935. In the middle of the Great Depression, he was going to see the country as a door-to-door salesman. Detroit was to be his first and last stop. Life was hard and few people during this time of crisis knew how their future would evolve. After months of unemployment, Ken found a job at the Briggs Manufacturing Company, the toughest auto company in Detroit. Ken could not have known then he would eventually play a pioneering role in building one of the cleanest, most socially progressive labor unions the world has known-the United Automobile Workers. In Built in Detroit, author Bob Morris, Kens son, tells not only his fathers story, but also the UAWs story-the battles with companies, the struggles within the union, and then the vicious attacks on Detroit labor leaders in the late 1940s. This story tells of the efforts to investigate these terrorist attacks on Detroits union leaders, including Ken Morris, Walter Reuther and others. This narrative sheds new light on the mystery of who tried to assassinate UAW president Walter Reuther. Rich with personal and historical details, Built in Detroit narrates a story unique to Detroit. It tells the story of a thriving city and the factories that gave the city life. Author Bob Morris deftly portrays many of the top labor leaders of the 1930s and 1940s, as well as the rank and file members who supported these labor leaders. It also provides portraits of early auto industrialists, their companies, their henchmen and the gangsters they hired to destroy the labor movement. In the case of the Briggs Manufacturing Company, it shows how a company that played loose with the law ultimately floundered, its Detroit heritage largely forgotten.

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415

Publisher

iUniverse

Published Date

ISBN 10

1475994370

ISBN 13

9781475994377

Frantic Frank Lane

Baseball's Ultimate Wheeler-Dealer

By: Bob Vanderberg

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Frantic Frank Lane

Baseball's Ultimate Wheeler-Dealer

By: Bob Vanderberg

The book follows the colorful career of Frank Lane, who as baseball's busiest general manager during the 1950s made the deals that turned the Chicago White Sox, St. Louis Cardinals and Cleveland Indians from losers into pennant contenders almost overnight. He also worked--or tried to--as general manager of the Kansas City A's (Lane lasted eight months in 1961 under first-year owner Charlie Finley) and for the Milwaukee Brewers, where his boss was Bud Selig. He is best known for having traded 1959 American League home run champion Rocky Colavito to Detroit for the AL's 1959 batting champ, Harvey Kuenn, and for trading Indians manager Joe Gordon to Detroit for Tigers manager Jimmy Dykes. During his brief absence from baseball (1962-1964), he signed on as general manager of the National Basketball Association's second-year expansion team, the Chicago Zephyrs. He became a "superscout" for the Baltimore Orioles for several years and, after leaving Milwaukee, had the same job with the Texas Rangers and, finally, the California Angels. He completed well over 500 major- and minor-league transactions in his career. Joe Garagiola put it best: "They used to say that the toughest job on any club Frank Lane was running belonged to the guy who had to take the team picture.

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215

Publisher

McFarland

Published Date

ISBN 10

1476600376

ISBN 13

9781476600376

Taking a Knee, Taking a Stand

African American Athletes and the Fight for Social Justice

By: Bob Schron

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Taking a Knee, Taking a Stand

African American Athletes and the Fight for Social Justice

By: Bob Schron

A history of the activism and achievement of African American athletes from Jesse Owens to Serena Williams to Colin Kaepernick, who advanced the cause of social justice through their outspokenness, commitment, and integrity. Muhammad Ali refused to fight in a war he believed was immoral. Wilma Rudolph retired from track and field to campaign for civil rights. Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem to draw attention to the oppression of black bodies. Taking a Knee, Taking a Stand tells their stories and the stories of other prominent African American male and female athletes who often risked their careers to fight racial discrimination and promote social justice. From Jackie Robinson breaking the color line in major league baseball to NBA great Bill Russell sitting at the feet of Dr. Martin Luther King at the 1963 March on Washington to Althea Gibson asserting her tennis dominance at a time when many clubs would not allow African Americans to play on their courts, this moving and celebratory history shows how the tradition of black protest in sports has been consistent, necessary, and organic, and that the present crisis of misunderstanding and intolerance demands that this tradition continue as the country struggles toward fairness and equity.

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196

Publisher

Charlesbridge Publishing

Published Date

ISBN 10

1632892189

ISBN 13

9781632892188

Summit County's Narrow-Gauge Railroads

By: Sandra F. Mather Ph.D.,Bob Schoppe

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Summit County's Narrow-Gauge Railroads

By: Sandra F. Mather Ph.D.,Bob Schoppe

Summit County's Narrow-Gauge Railroads tells the story of the two railroads that fought for dominance in Summit County, Colorado, during the late 1800s and early 1900s: the Denver, South Park & Pacific and the Denver & Rio Grande. The two railroads developed an intense rivalry as they sought to monopolize the county's economic potential. Altitude, heavy winter snow, and rugged mountainous terrain combined to provide a unique set of challenges to company management as well as to the crews as they battled to lay the tracks and provide much-needed rail service to the residents and businesses of the county. Intimately tied to the mining economy, the fortunes of the railroads plummeted when the mining economy collapsed. Although poorly financed and poorly built, the railroads changed the living conditions for county residents. Without the railroads bringing the necessary equipment and lumber, nine huge gold-dredging boats would not have scoured the county's major waterways between 1898 and 1942.

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128

Publisher

Arcadia Publishing

Published Date

ISBN 10

143965865X

ISBN 13

9781439658659

Run to Win

My Packers Life from Lombardi to Canton

By: Jerry Kramer,Bob Fox

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Run to Win

My Packers Life from Lombardi to Canton

By: Jerry Kramer,Bob Fox

From Green Bay to Canton, a comprehensive and insightful autobiography from a Packers fan favorite "You can if you will." A phrase uttered to a young Jerry Kramer by his line coach at Sandpoint High School in tiny Sandpoint, Idaho, that would go on to push him to a celebrated NFL career with the Green Bay Packers and a sentiment that he would repeat to close his speech at his long awaited enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame almost seven decades later in 2018. In the spirit of Jerry Kramer's unforgettable and bestselling collaborations with the great Dick Schaap, his first book about his life and career in over two decades, Run to Win will serve as Kramer's definitive statement about a remarkable life and career of perseverance, teamwork, and gridiron greatness. Spanning the beginning of the legendary Vince Lombardi era through Kramer's confoundingly long wait to receive his bust in Canton, Kramer tells his amazing story as one of the most memorable and toughest Packers in franchise history. Including insightful commentary about the eminently intriguing Lombardi, as well as fellow Hall of Fame teammates Jim Taylor, Forrest Gregg, Willie Davis, Bart Starr, Emlen Tunnell, and many more, Run to Win is a must read for all true Packers fans from one of the legends who helped lay the foundation for one of the most identifiable and successful franchises in the history of professional sports.

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261

Publisher

Triumph Books

Published Date

ISBN 10

1637273029

ISBN 13

9781637273029

Blues

A Regional Experience

By: Bob L. Eagle,Eric S. LeBlanc

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Blues

A Regional Experience

By: Bob L. Eagle,Eric S. LeBlanc

Examining the blues genre by region, and describing the differences unique to each, make this a must-have for music scholars and lay readers alike. A melding of many types of music such as ragtime, spiritual, jug band, and other influences came together in what we now call the blues. Blues: A Regional Experience is the most comprehensive and up-to-date reference book of blues performers yet published, correcting many errors in the existing literature. Arranged mainly by ecoregions of the United States, this volume traces the history of blues from one region to another, identifying the unique sounds and performers of that area. Each section begins with a brief introduction, including a discussion of the region's culture and its influence on blues music. Chapters take an in-depth look at blues styles from the following regions: Virginia and the tidewater area, Carolinas and the Piedmont area, the Appalachians and Alabama, the Mississippi Delta, Greater Texas, the Lower Midwest, the Midwest, the Northeast, and California and the West. Biographical sketches of musicians such as B.B. King and T-Bone Walker include parental data and up-to-date biographical information, including full names, pseudonyms, and burial place, when available. The work includes a chapter devoted to the Vaudeville era, presenting much information never before published. A chronology, selected artists' CD discography, and bibliography round out this title for students and music fans.

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382

Publisher

Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published Date

ISBN 13

9798216054931

The Most Famous Woman in Baseball

Effa Manley and the Negro Leagues

By: Bob Luke

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The Most Famous Woman in Baseball

Effa Manley and the Negro Leagues

By: Bob Luke

Never one to mince words, Effa Manley once wrote a letter to sportswriter Art Carter, saying that she hoped they could meet soon because "I would like to tell you a lot of things you should know about baseball.” From 1936 to 1948, Manley ran the Negro league Newark Eagles that her husband, Abe, owned for roughly a decade. Because of her business acumen, commitment to her players, and larger-than-life personality, she would leave an indelible mark not only on baseball but also on American history. Attending her first owners’ meeting in 1937, Manley delivered an unflattering assessment of the league, prompting Pittsburgh Crawfords owner Gus Greenlee to tell Abe, "Keep your wife at home.” Abe, however, was not convinced, nor was Manley deterred. Like Greenlee, some players thought her too aggressive and inflexible. Others adored her. Regardless of their opinions, she dedicated herself to empowering them on and off the field. She meted out discipline, advice, and support in the form of raises, loans, job recommendations, and Christmas packages, and she even knocked heads with Branch Rickey, Bill Veeck, and Jackie Robinson. Not only a story of Manley’s influence on the baseball world, The Most Famous Woman in Baseball vividly documents her social activism. Her life played out against the backdrop of the Jim Crow years, when discrimination forced most of Newark’s blacks to live in the Third Ward, where prostitution flourished, housing was among the nation’s worst, and only menial jobs were available. Manley and the Eagles gave African Americans a haven, Ruppert Stadium. She also proposed reforms at the Negro leagues’ team owners’ meetings, marched on picket lines, sponsored charity balls and benefit games, and collected money for the NAACP. With vision, beauty, intelligence, discipline, and an acerbic wit, Manley was a force of nature--and, as Bob Luke shows, one to be reckoned with.

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326

Publisher

Potomac Books, Inc.

Published Date

ISBN 10

1612341187

ISBN 13

9781612341187

American Pop [4 volumes]

Popular Culture Decade by Decade [4 volumes]

By: Bob Batchelor

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American Pop [4 volumes]

Popular Culture Decade by Decade [4 volumes]

By: Bob Batchelor

Pop culture is the heart and soul of America, a unifying bridge across time bringing together generations of diverse backgrounds. Whether looking at the bright lights of the Jazz Age in the 1920s, the sexual and the rock-n-roll revolution of the 1960s, or the thriving social networking websites of today, each period in America's cultural history develops its own unique take on the qualities define our lives.American Pop: Popular Culture Decade by Decade is the most comprehensive reference on American popular culture by decade ever assembled, beginning with the 1900s up through today. The four-volume set examines the fascinating trends across decades and eras by shedding light on the experiences of Americans young and old, rich and poor, along with the influences of arts, entertainment, sports, and other cultural forces. Whether a pop culture aficionado or a student new to the topic, American Pop provides readers with an engaging look at American culture broken down into discrete segments, as well as analysis that gives insight into societal movements, trends, fads, and events that propelled the era and the nation. In-depth chapters trace the evolution of pop culture in 11 key categories: Key Events in American Life, Advertising, Architecture, Books, Newspapers, Magazines, and Comics, Entertainment, Fashion, Food, Music, Sports and Leisure Activities, Travel, and Visual Arts. Coverage includes: How Others See Us, Controversies and scandals, Social and cultural movements, Trends and fads, Key icons, and Classroom resources. Designed to meet the high demand for resources that help students study American history and culture by the decade, this one-stop reference provides readers with a broad and interdisciplinary overview of the numerous aspects of popular culture in our country. Thoughtful examination of our rich and often tumultuous popular history, illustrated with hundreds of historical and contemporary photos, makes this the ideal source to turn to for ready reference or research.

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1703

Publisher

Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published Date

ISBN 10

0313364117

ISBN 13

9780313364112

Corporate Holiness

Pulpit Preaching and the Church of England Missionary Societies, 1760-1870

By: Bob Tennant

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Corporate Holiness

Pulpit Preaching and the Church of England Missionary Societies, 1760-1870

By: Bob Tennant

Corporate Holiness puts literary criticism and archival research to the service of an account of the Church of England missions to the overseas territories in the period 1760-1870. It describes how pulpit rhetoric sustained a dialogue that enabled the development of the three main Anglican missionary societies.

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Page Count

355

Publisher

Oxford University Press, USA

Published Date

ISBN 10

0199567859

ISBN 13

9780199567850

New England's Greatest Boxers

By: Bob Trieger

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New England's Greatest Boxers

By: Bob Trieger

From the pivotal crossover from bare knuckles to gloves, when John L. Sullivan was the No. 1 sports celebrity in the United States, despite blacks such as Sam Lanford being prohibited from fighting white world champions, through the forties with Willie Pep and Sandy Saddler, to Rocky Marciano ruling the fifties, Marvelous Marvin Hagler prominent as one of the Four Kings (Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran and Tommy Hearns) during the eighties, up to contemporary times with the lone active fighter, Demetrius Andrade. Who are New England's greatest boxers of all-time, in order, from 1 to 25?

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139

Publisher

Xlibris Corporation

Published Date

ISBN 10

1669837122

ISBN 13

9781669837121

Thalberg

Life and Legend

By: Bob Thomas

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Thalberg

Life and Legend

By: Bob Thomas

More than seventy-five years after his death, Irving Thalberg remains a legendary Hollywood figure. In this definitive biography, his legend comes to life -- from his beginnings as the "Boy Wonder of Hollywood", to the creation with Louis B. Mayer of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, to his tragic death at the age of thirty-seven. With his remarkable talent for developing stars and doctoring scripts, this architect of the American film created some of America's best-loved movies: Ben-Hur, Mutiny on the Bounty, A Night at the Opera, Grand Hotel, Romeo and Juliet, The Good Earth, Camille. His genius has made his name a legend in the land of legends.

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471

Publisher

Phoenix Books

Published Date

ISBN 10

1614670846

ISBN 13

9781614670841

The Top 20 Moments in Cleveland Sports

Tremendous Tales of Heroes and Heartbreaks

By: Bob Dyer

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The Top 20 Moments in Cleveland Sports

Tremendous Tales of Heroes and Heartbreaks

By: Bob Dyer

Relive the most memorable and sensational events in Cleveland sports history. Many of them are known by shorthand: Red Right 88. The Drive. The Fumble. The Shot. Beer Night. Some were gut-wrenching. Some, like the 1964 NFL championship game, were glorious. All are highlight of the shared experience of all Cleveland sports fans.

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Page Count

332

Publisher

Gray & Company

Published Date

ISBN 10

1598510304

ISBN 13

9781598510300

Fighting to Win

Sheriff Bob Vogel

By: Bob Vogel

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Fighting to Win

Sheriff Bob Vogel

By: Bob Vogel

How a lone Florida Sheriff fought the U.S. Justice Department--and won! The amazing career of Bob Vogel began in the Florida Highway Patrol, where he personally took over billion dollars in street value of drugs off the market in just three years. Bob tells his story about the war on drugs, on the controversial practice of profiling, and about his years-long battle to prove that his law enforcement efforts were both lawful and prudent. His results helped stem the flow of drugs north and south up Interstate 95 for a number of years, and he was featured on 60 Minutes for his remarkable record. Bob Vogel had taken the upper hand in the fight against drugs. Word in the drug trade spread - avoid Volusia County. His office and officers received numerous citations for a job well done. What should have followed was thankful support from the local media, the state of Florida and even the U.S. Justice Department. Despite full clearance by two separate FBI investigations and a Governor's Panel, and further vindication from a judge who tossed out a class action lawsuit for lack of evidence, two Department of Justice attorneys spent more than two years investigating Sheriff Vogel and his office, at a cost of millions to taxpayers. Fighting to Win is Bob Vogel's own story of his nightmarish odyssey against forces he never dreamed he'd have to battle. But, as he will tell you throughout this compelling chronicle of his career, when you have right on your side you will ultimately triumph.

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257

Publisher

Turner Publishing Company

Published Date

ISBN 10

1681622920

ISBN 13

9781681622927

Genius Denied

How to Stop Wasting Our Brightest Young Minds

By: Jan Davidson,Bob Davidson,Laura Vanderkam

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Genius Denied

How to Stop Wasting Our Brightest Young Minds

By: Jan Davidson,Bob Davidson,Laura Vanderkam

With all the talk of failing schools these days, we forget that schools can fail their brightest students, too. We pledge to "leave no child behind," but in American schools today, thousands of gifted and talented students fall short of their potential. In Genius Denied, Jan and Bob Davidson describe the "quiet crisis" in education: gifted students spending their days in classrooms learning little beyond how to cope with boredom as they "relearn" material they've already mastered years before. This lack of challenge leads to frustration, underachievement, and even failure. Some gifted students become severely depressed. At a time when our country needs a deep intellectual talent pool, the squandering of these bright young minds is a national tragedy. There are hundreds of thousands of highly gifted children in the U.S. and millions more whose intelligence is above average, yet few receive the education they deserve. Many school districts have no gifted programs or offer only token enrichment classes. Education of the gifted is in this sorry state, say the Davidsons, because of indifference, lack of funding, and the pernicious notion that education should have a "leveling" effect, a one-size-fits-all concept that deliberately ignores the needs of the gifted. But all children are entitled to an appropriate education, insist the authors, those left behind as well as those who want to surge ahead. The Davidsons show parents and educators how to reach and challenge gifted students. They offer practical advice based on their experience as founders of a nonprofit organization that assists gifted children. They show parents how to become their children's advocates, how to win support for gifted students within the local schools, and when and how to go outside the school system. They discuss everything from acceleration ("skipping" a grade) to homeschooling and finding mentors for children. They tell stories of real parents and students who overcame poor schooling environments to discover the joy of learning. Genius Denied is an inspiring book that provides a beacon of hope for children at risk of losing their valuable gift of intellectual potential.

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258

Publisher

Simon and Schuster

Published Date

ISBN 10

1416595686

ISBN 13

9781416595687

Encyclopedia of Pop Music Aliases, 1950-2000

By: Bob Leszczak

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Encyclopedia of Pop Music Aliases, 1950-2000

By: Bob Leszczak

Recording Artists don't always enjoy success with their first release. A hit record relies on any number of factors: the right song, a memorable performance, a healthy promotional budget, great management, a spot of luck, and even some intangibles. Take choice of a name. For a single artist, duo, vocal group or band, the name can carry a lot of weight. Some recording artists changed their name to appeal to an entirely different demographic, like when country superstar Garth Brooks recorded as Chris Gaines to score on the pop charts. The Beefeaters became the Byrds—and they spelled the band name with a "y" in the wake of the meteoric success of the Beatles, whose letter "A" turned the image of a nasty bug into something intriguing. Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel amassed a litany of aliases—Simon went by True Taylor, Jerry Landis, and Paul Kane; Art Garfunkel as Artie Garr; together they were Tom & Jerry before finally using their very ethnic-sounding given names. Bob Leszczak has amassed several hundred examples of musical pseudonyms in The Encyclopedia of Pop Music Aliases, 1950-2000, describing the history of these artists from their obscure origins under another name to their rise to prominence as a major musical act. Music trivia buffs, rock historians, and popular music fans will uncover nugget after nugget of eye-opening information about their favorite acts and perhaps learn a thing or two about a number of other acts. Leszczak goes the extra yard of gathering critical data directly from many of these famous recording artists through in-person interviews and archival research. Whether skipping around randomly or reading from cover-to-cover, readers will find The Encyclopedia of Pop Music Aliases, 1950-2000 a must-have for that music library.

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495

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield

Published Date

ISBN 10

1442240083

ISBN 13

9781442240087

The Forgotten First

Kenny Washington, Woody Strode, Marion Motley, Bill Willis, and the Breaking of the NFL Color Barrier

By: Keyshawn Johnson,Bob Glauber

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The Forgotten First

Kenny Washington, Woody Strode, Marion Motley, Bill Willis, and the Breaking of the NFL Color Barrier

By: Keyshawn Johnson,Bob Glauber

The unknown story of the Black pioneers who collectively changed the face of the NFL in 1946. THE FORGOTTEN FIRST chronicles the lives of four incredible men, the racism they experienced as Black players entering a segregated sport, the burden of expectation they carried, and their many achievements, which would go on to affect football for generations to come. More than a year before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball, there was another seismic moment in pro sports history. On March 21,1946, former UCLA star running back Kenny Washington—a teammate of Robinson's in college—signed a contract with the Los Angeles Rams. This ended one of the most shameful periods in NFL history, when African-American players were banned from league play. Washington would not be alone in serving as a pioneer for NFL integration. Just months after he joined the Rams, thanks to a concerted effort by influential Los Angeles political and civic leaders, the team signed Woody Strode, who played with both Washington and Robinson at UCLA in one of the most celebrated backfields in college sports history. And that same year, a little-known coach named Paul Brown of the fledgling Cleveland Browns signed running back Marion Motley and defensive lineman Bill Willis, thereby integrating a startup league that would eventually merge with the NFL. THE FORGOTTEN FIRST tells the story of one of the most significant cultural shifts in pro football history, as four men opened the door to opportunity and changed the sport forever.

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288

Publisher

Grand Central Publishing

Published Date

ISBN 10

1538705478

ISBN 13

9781538705476

Bears I Have Known

A Park Ranger's True Tales from Yellowstone & Glacier National Parks

By: Bob Murphy

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Bears I Have Known

A Park Ranger's True Tales from Yellowstone & Glacier National Parks

By: Bob Murphy

In this very entertaining book, retired National Park Service ranger Bob Murphy recounts his most memorable experiences with bears in Yellowstone and Glacier national parks. Go behind the scenes as Murphy deals with grizzly and black bears in all situations—good, bad, tragic, humorous, and odd—from the 1940s through the 1980s. These are unforgettable bear tales.

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113

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield

Published Date

ISBN 10

1493081926

ISBN 13

9781493081929

Ali and Liston

The Boy Who Would Be King and the Ugly Bear

By: Bob Mee

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Ali and Liston

The Boy Who Would Be King and the Ugly Bear

By: Bob Mee

... Follows the contrasting paths these two men took, from their backgrounds in Arkansas and Kentucky through to that sixteen-month period in 1964 and 1965 when the story of the world heavyweight championship centered on them and all they stood for"--From publisher description.

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337

Publisher

Skyhorse Publishing Inc.

Published Date

ISBN 10

1616083697

ISBN 13

9781616083694

Bird Hunting in Brooklyn: Ebbets Field, the Dodgers and the 1949 National League Pennant Race

By: Bob Mack

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Bird Hunting in Brooklyn: Ebbets Field, the Dodgers and the 1949 National League Pennant Race

By: Bob Mack

Those were the days, my friends ... so grab a hot dog and an egg cream, and travel back in time to learn how Babe Ruth won a farting contest, how the first chest protector almost killed Wilbert Robinson, how Leo Durocher rescued the Dodgers from a flaming train wreck, how Jackie Robinson's sore arm landed him in Brooklyn, why the spitball was good for baseball, why Burt Shotton would not wear a uniform, who stole the Kaiser's ashtray, and how the Bums from Flatbush snatched the National League pennant from the St. Louis Cardinals on the last day of the 1949 baseball season...

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479

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Lulu.com

Published Date

ISBN 10

1435711904

ISBN 13

9781435711907

Burial at Home Plate

An Oddball History of the Pittsburgh Pirates

By: Bob Fulton

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Burial at Home Plate

An Oddball History of the Pittsburgh Pirates

By: Bob Fulton

About the Book Burial at Home Plate offers a colorful look at the Pittsburgh Pirates, with an emphasis on offbeat moments in team history. Read about the doubleheader completed underwater; the Pittsburgh outfielders whose pursuit of a batted ball was halted by a gun-wielding Cincinnati fan; the pitcher who earned a victory while taking a nap; the dead man who tied a franchise record for games played; the sparrow that flew from beneath batter Casey Stengel’s cap; and the rookie who struck out while seated on the bench. Burial at Home Plate touches on the indoor game that was rained out; the throng of 50,000 that turned out in Pittsburgh for a game played more than 400 miles away; the tipsy pitcher who fell asleep inside the tarp during a game; the future MVPs who delivered their first major league hits while still in the minors; the FBI agent who “pinch hit” for Ralph Kiner; and the Pirates manager who disproved the notion that you can’t steal first base. Burial at Home Plate also shines the spotlight on the Green Weenie, the alabaster plaster, Aunt Minnie, the Rickey Dinks, Destiny’s Darlings, Dr. Strangeglove, eephus pitches and—the inspiration for the book’s title—a strange pre-game interment that took place at home plate. About the Author Bob Fulton has written extensively about the Pittsburgh Pirates for regional and national publications such as Sports History, Pittsburgh Magazine, The National Pastime, Pittsburgh Sports Now, Pennsylvania, the Major League Baseball All-Star Game program and On Deck, formerly the official magazine of the Pirates. His work has also appeared in American Heritage, Football Digest, The NCAA News, NFL Exclusive, Delta Sky, Marathon and Beyond, Basketball Weekly, Referee, The Elks Magazine, Collegiate Baseball and Sports Heritage, among others. Fulton is the author of The Summer Olympics: A Treasury of Legend and Lore; Never Lost a Game (Time Just Ran Out); Top Ten Baseball Stats: Interesting Rankings of Players, Managers, Umpires and Teams; and Pirates Treasures: Facts, Feats, Firsts in Pittsburgh Pirates History. In addition, his story on the major league debut of 15-year-old pitcher Joe Nuxhall was included in an anthology, The Ol’ Ball Game. Fulton, a member of the Society for American Baseball Research, resides in Indiana, Pa.

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392

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Dorrance Publishing

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ISBN 13

9798888126394

Encyclopedia of African American Actresses in Film and Television

By: Bob McCann

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Encyclopedia of African American Actresses in Film and Television

By: Bob McCann

The first work of its kind, this encyclopedia provides 360 brief biographies of African American film and television acPER010000tresses from the silent era to 2009. It includes entries on well-known and nearly forgotten actresses, running the gamut from Academy Award and NAACP Image Award winners to B-film and blaxpoitation era stars. Each entry has a complete filmography of the actress's film, TV, music video or short film credits. The work also features more than 170 photographs, some of them rare images from the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

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463

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McFarland

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ISBN 10

1476691401

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9781476691404

The Greatest Ballpark Ever

Ebbets Field and the Story of the Brooklyn Dodgers

By: Bob McGee

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The Greatest Ballpark Ever

Ebbets Field and the Story of the Brooklyn Dodgers

By: Bob McGee

Generations after its demise, Ebbets Field remains the single most colorful and enduring image of a baseball park, with a treasured niche in the game's legacy and the American imagination. In this lively story of sports, politics, and the talented, hilarious, and charming characters associated with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Bob McGee chronicles the ballpark's vibrant history from the drawing board to the wrecking ball, beginning with Charley Ebbets and the heralded opening in 1913, on through the eras that followed. McGee weaves a story about how Ebbets Field's architectural details, notable flaws, and striking facade brought Brooklyn and its team together in ways that allowed each to define the other. Drawing on original interviews and letters, as well as published and archival sources, The Greatest Ballpark Ever explores the struggle of Charley Ebbets to build Ebbets Field, the days of Wilbert Robinson's early pennant winners, the eras of the Daffiness Boys, Larry MacPhail, and Branch Rickey, the tumultuous field leadership of Leo the Lip, the fiery triumph of Jackie Robinson, the golden days of the Boys of Summer, and Walter O'Malley's ignominious departure. With humor and passion, The Greatest Ballpark Ever lets readers relive a day in the raucous ballpark with its quirky angles and its bent right-field wall, with the characters and events that have become part of the nation's folklore.

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355

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Rutgers University Press

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ISBN 10

0813537754

ISBN 13

9780813537757

Saws—Season Adjusted Wins Above Replacement Score

A New Way of Ranking Baseball Players in the Hall of Fame

By: Bob Glidewell

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Saws—Season Adjusted Wins Above Replacement Score

A New Way of Ranking Baseball Players in the Hall of Fame

By: Bob Glidewell

The crux of this book is to introduce a new mathematical formula and ranking of Baseball Hall of Fame members to complement WAR (Wins Above Replacement) and JAWS (Jaffe Wins Above Replacement Score). It judges all players by the same standard162 nine inning gamesand normalizes for short or long careers.

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180

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AuthorHouse

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ISBN 10

1546243372

ISBN 13

9781546243373

Single Season Sitcoms of the 1980s

A Complete Guide

By: Bob Leszczak

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Single Season Sitcoms of the 1980s

A Complete Guide

By: Bob Leszczak

As the cable TV industry exploded in the 1980s, offering viewers dozens of channels, an unprecedented number of series were produced. For every successful sitcom--The Golden Girls, Family Ties, Newhart--there were flops such as Take Five with George Segal, Annie McGuire with Mary Tyler Moore, One Big Family with Danny Thomas and Life with Lucy starring Lucille Ball, proving that a big name does not a hit show make. Other short-lived series were springboards for future stars, like Day by Day (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), The Duck Factory (Jim Carrey), Raising Miranda (Bryan Cranston) and Square Pegs (Sarah Jessica Parker). This book unearths many single-season sitcoms of the '80s, providing behind-the-scenes stories from cast members, guest stars, writers, producers and directors.

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272

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McFarland

Published Date

ISBN 10

0786499583

ISBN 13

9780786499588

Glory of Old IU, Indiana University

By: Bob Hammel,Kit Klingelhoffer

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Glory of Old IU, Indiana University

By: Bob Hammel,Kit Klingelhoffer

A handsome coffee-table book, Glory of Old IU is the most comprehensive book ever written about Indiana University athletics. Never-before-published details about the 100 years of IU's membership in the Big Ten Conference are captured in this one-of-a-kind book. Glory of Old IU includes vignettes about all of IU's greatest moments, including its five NCAA basketball championships. There are stories about Bob Knight, Mark Spitz, Isiah Thomas, Harry Gonso, and many others. Thousands of other names are included in the all-time letter-winners list. Glory of Old IU is must reading for anyone who is loyal to the Hoosiers.

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330

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Sports Publishing LLC

Published Date

ISBN 10

1582610681

ISBN 13

9781582610689

The Baltimore Elite Giants

Sport and Society in the Age of Negro League Baseball

By: Bob Luke

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The Baltimore Elite Giants

Sport and Society in the Age of Negro League Baseball

By: Bob Luke

Provides a history of the Elite Giants of Baltimore baseball team in the Negro League. Highlights pivotal games, players, and league decisions. Also discusses the relationship between the team and major league baseball during integration.

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204

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JHU Press

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ISBN 10

0801891167

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9780801891168

A Banner Year at Indiana

By: Bob Hammel

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A Banner Year at Indiana

By: Bob Hammel

The Indiana University Hoosiers may have missed anothr NCAA title in 1993, but it was a banner year nonetheless: Big Ten champs, a 31-4 record (their 17-1 in the conference was the best in the Big Ten in 17 years), and an outstanding line-up, including the Big Ten's all-time scoring leader and college basketball's Player of the Year, Calbert Cheaney. The stroy unfolds here, game by game, brimming with exciting photos -- by the award-winning sports writer who has covered the last 27 Indiana basketball teams. A Banner Year at Indiana captures the spirit of the 1993 team's well-loved players and, of course, Bob Knight -- the coach who led them all in this, another banner year.

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166

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Indiana University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0253326877

ISBN 13

9780253326874

The Deceivers

By: Josh McDowell,Bob Hostetler,David H. Bellis

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The Deceivers

By: Josh McDowell,Bob Hostetler,David H. Bellis

Three high school students on a wilderness trip with their church group struggle with moral decisions, while several of Satan's underlings try to lead them astray. Includes sections that relate the story to real-life decisions and matters of spiritual growth.

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182

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Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

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ISBN 10

084237969X

ISBN 13

9780842379694

What Earl Scruggs Heard

String Music Along the North Carolina-South Carolina Border

By: Bob Carlin

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What Earl Scruggs Heard

String Music Along the North Carolina-South Carolina Border

By: Bob Carlin

When the story of banjo superstar Earl Scruggs is told, the rich musical environment that produced him is often ignored. During his lifetime Scruggs spun a creation myth around his playing, convincing many that he was the sole originator of a three-finger, up-picking, banjo style. For the first time, this book tells the full story of the music and musicians of the western Carolinas that influenced Earl Scruggs. Based on more than 15 years of in-depth research, this book includes the story of country music recording pioneers Parker and Woolbright, Fisher Hendley and Martin Melody Boys; rare images of area music makers; and the history and development of fiddlers' conventions and radio barn dances. Together, these stories are woven into the biographies of Earl's mentors to reveal the musical atmosphere in which they developed the "three-finger picking" style that so enchanted a young Earl Scruggs.

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213

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McFarland

Published Date

ISBN 10

1476644241

ISBN 13

9781476644240

Crack of the Bat

The Louisville Slugger Story

By: Bob Hill

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Crack of the Bat

The Louisville Slugger Story

By: Bob Hill

Crack of the Bat is a comprehensive and entertaining look at the most famous icon in the history of baseball, the Louisville Slugger bat. It includes the evolution of bats from pioneer wagon tongues to the sleek aluminum models of today. It examines the amazing physics involved in hitting a baseball, where .003 seconds means the difference between a home run and a foul ball. It tells the fascinating history of the still family-owned Hillerich & Bradsby Company, which in just 80 years went from making butter churns to making seven million bats a year. Reinforcing this are dozens of stories about the bats themselves, and the personal idiosyncracies of the most famous hitters in baseball history, including Honus Wagner, Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Stan Musial, Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams, Tony Gwynn, Cal Ripken Jr. and Derek Jeter. The book explains why the players picked the bats they did, the amazing lengths they would go to to protect them, and how valuable these bats have now become in the hands of collectors. Illustrated with hundreds of archival photographs, baseball decals, and icons, many in color, this book will become as much a cherished keepsake as some of the bats it describes.

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170

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Sports Publishing LLC

Published Date

ISBN 10

1582614342

ISBN 13

9781582614342

Rub of the Green Revisited

By: Bob Arnett

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Rub of the Green Revisited

By: Bob Arnett

On and off the links, Bob has been a strong competitor and an even stronger friend to fellow aficionados of the game. He taught golf for beginners in grades 4 through 8 in Vigo County for five summers before he coached high school golf for 26 seasons, the past 24 at Terre Haute South where his boys finished second, third and fourth at the IHSAA State Finals and his girls claimed eighth in the 1988 finals. Bobs students have gone on to display exceptional sportsmanship, win championships and secure positions as golf pros and competitive professionals around the country. As a result, in 1994, Bob was inducted into the Terre Haute Golf Association Hall of Fame. He is also in the Indiana Golf Coaches Hall of Fame. Bobs competitive golf game was set in motion when he won the Terre Haute Junior title in 1949. He later played at Indiana State Teachers College, now Indiana State University (ISU), and was the No. 1 player for three seasons, winning three Indiana Collegiate Conference titles and two Little State Championships. He was named ISUs Most Outstanding Athlete in 1954, the first golfer in the history of the institution to win the award. He won three Casey Opens, the Spaghetti Open, the Roundup of Champions and the 1988 City Seniors Championship. Bob teamed with Art Blakely to win the Terre Haute Four Ball title in 1963 and was medalist in the 1971 Terre Haute Golf Association Interclub Tournament. He has also served as president of the Rea Park Mens Club, Hulman Links Mens Club and the Terre Haute Golf Association.

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535

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Trafford Publishing

Published Date

ISBN 10

1466988657

ISBN 13

9781466988651

Maroon & Gold

A History of Sun Devil Athletics

By: Bob Eger

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Maroon & Gold

A History of Sun Devil Athletics

By: Bob Eger

In Maroon & Gold: A History of Sun Devil Athletics, veteran sportswriter Bob Eger recounts not only the most celebrated moments but many little-known items from the university's colorful sports history. From turn-of-the-century football legend Charlie Haigler to the electrifying Whizzer White to latterday star Jake Plummer, the rich football lineage is well documented. But this is much more than a football book. Who could forget coach Ned Wulk's great basketball teams of the early 1960s or the five national basketball titles? It's a little-known fact that women were participating in an early form of aerobics on campus as early as 1891 and playing basketball in 1898, though the school didn't begin attracting national attention for women's athletics until golfer JoAnne Gunderson and diver Patsy Willard began to dominate their sports in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Maroon & Gold: A History of Sun Devil Athletics is must reading for any true Sun Devil fan from any generation.

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300

Publisher

Sports Publishing LLC

Published Date

ISBN 10

1582612234

ISBN 13

9781582612232

Baseball Managers

Stats, Stories, and Strategies

By: Bob Bloss

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Baseball Managers

Stats, Stories, and Strategies

By: Bob Bloss

Why is baseball the only team sport whose managers wear a uniform? Which two managers have led three different teams to the World Series? Who was the last player-manager? Which managers' uniform numbers have been retired? What happened when Ted Turner took over as manager after Atlanta had posted 16 consecutive losses? These and many more questions are answered in Bob Bloss'sBaseball Managers. The perfect book to have for settling a baseball argument, it contains records of each of the more than 400 twentieth-century managers. It traces managing evolution from the original Cincinnati Red Stockings to the Arizona Diamondbacks and from the early days of player-managers and their fourteen-man squads to today's relentless fan and media second-guessing and the emergence of free agency—which now often forces managers to enter battle with teams vastly restructured from the previous season. With chapters on controversial managerial decisions Hall-of-Fame manager profiles and oddball managerial situations, humorous and sometimes poignant anecdotes, and many useful tables listing managers alphabetically, by teams, and by winning percentages,Baseball Managersis a fascinating compilation of statistics, trivia, and memories. Author note:Bob Blossis a freelance baseball journalist who began his writing career in 1960. He has played the role of announcer as well as reporter and is a member of the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association and SABR, the Society of American Baseball Research. Once a slow, second-string high school outfielder in Erie, PA, who could hit a curve ball only when he knew it was coming—and then not very far—Bloss now chronicles baseball and baseball managing.

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420

Publisher

Temple University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1566396611

ISBN 13

9781566396615

Book's by Bob Robinson

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