In Bottom of the Ninth, Michael Shapiro brings to life a watershed moment in baseball history, when the sport was under siege in the late 1950s "A fascinating look at an almost forgotten era . . . One of the best baseball books of recent seasons." -Cleveland Plain Dealer Shapiro reveals how the legendary executive Branch Rickey saw the game's salvation in two radical ideas: the creation of a third major league—the Continental League—and the pooling of television revenues for the benefit of all. And Shapiro captures the audacity of Casey Stengel, the manager of the Yankees, who believed that he could remake how baseball was played. The story of their ingenious schemes—and of the powerful men who tried to thwart them—is interwoven with the on-field drama of pennant races and clutch performances, culminating in the stunning climax of the seventh game of the 1960 World Series, when one swing of the bat heralds baseball's eclipse as America's number-one sport.

Harry "The Hat" Walker's life in and out of baseball was full of adventures and conflict. He got the game winning hit in the 1946 World Series as St. Louis defeated Boston on Enos Slaughter's mad dash for home, he won the National League batting title in 1947, and he managed three major league teams. In between, he was a decorated war hero in World War II and had an inside view as Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier. Bottom of the Ninth looks at his career -- from his view, those of his friends, and some of his enemies.

Skillfully edited by John McNally, Bottom of the Ninth: Great Contemporary Baseball Short Stories collects nineteen contemporary baseball short stories from a successful mix of well-established writers, lesser-knowns, and a few up-and-comers. These stories are characterized by the same dramatic elements that draw people to the sport itself--the mythologizing of players, the obsessions and romance of the game, the bonds between players and fans, parents and children. From a key play, a missed catch, a chance lost, these are tales of characters facing high stakes and calls to action, metaphorically and literally, in the bottom of the ninth.

There are moments in baseball that sparkle with magic. And moments that break our hearts. And then there was the moment in 1946 when one minor league baseball team's hope for magical moments came crashing to a a fiery end. That season began like seasons begin, except this time even more sweetly. It was the first season right after World War II, with men returning from foxholes to dugouts, back to a game that had been put on hold, back to their dreams of the Big League. Some of those men found their way to Spokane, Washington to play for the minor league club there. they were special men. They knew how to be a team and they knew how to win, especially in the waing moments of the ninth, when all that seemed lost could be won if they just imagined it. They knew how to play ball as it was meant to be played. What they did not know was how to die too young. That, they had to learn.

Revised and updated, including the 2019 World Series! 100 Things Nationals Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die is the ultimate resource guide for true fans of the Washington Nationals. Whether you're a die-hard booster from the days of the Senators or a newer supporter of Max Scherzer and Juan Soto, these are the 100 things all fans need to know and do in their lifetime. It contains every essential piece of Nationals knowledge and trivia, as well as must-do activities, and ranks them all from 1 to 100, providing an entertaining and easy-to-follow checklist as you progress on your way to fan superstardom.

Baseball analysts often criticize pitcher win-loss records as a poor measure of pitcher performance, as wins are the product of team performance. Fans criticize WAR (Wins Above Replacement) because it takes in theoretical rather than actual wins. Player won-lost records bridge the gap between these two schools of thought, giving credit to all players for what they do--without credit or blame for teammates' performance--and measuring contributions to actual team wins and losses. The result is a statistic of player value that quantifies all aspects of individual performance, allowing for robust comparisons between players across different positions and different seasons. Using play-by-play data, this book examines players' won-lost records in Major League Baseball from 1930 through 2015.

Marion Morrison's 'A History of the Ninth Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry' presents a comprehensive account of the regiment's military actions during the American Civil War. Initially, Morrison compiled the history as a newspaper article, but on the urging of officers and soldiers, expanded it to include not only battles but also personal accounts of daily life during marches and scouts. Using information provided by Adjutant Klock and the soldiers themselves, Morrison felt it was crucial to bring to light the Ninth Regiment's deeds, often unrecognized by the media. This book is a tribute to the brave men who served and an important source for future historians seeking to understand this critical period in American history.

When the Civil War erupted in April 1861, many German immigrants in Illinois rushed to enlist in the Union Army. Volunteers from Illinois towns in St. Clair County--Belleville, Millstadt, Mascoutah, Lebanon, and others--marched to Springfield under the command of August Mersy, a veteran of the failed 1848 revolt in Baden, Germany. Marion Morrison notes that when the German immigrants reached Springfield, August Mersy was rejected as commander because of his limited facility with English. Replaced by Colonel Eleazer A. Paine, an Ohioan and West Point graduate, Lieutenant Colonel Mersy fell to second in command of the Ninth Illinois Infantry Volunteers. Within a few months, however, Paine received a promotion to general that left Mersy in charge of the "Bloody Ninth." Once Grant began his Tennessee River campaign, the Ninth found itself in the thick of battle, bearing the brunt of the Confederate attempt at Fort Donelson to break Grant's siege lines. Less than two months later, the Ninth shored up sagging Union lines after the surprise Confederate attack at Shiloh Church, retreating only when their ammunition was gone. Morrison's account of the "Bloody Ninth" is one of the few histories written during the war.