Author Rick Vaughn uncovers the stories that keep Tampa's passion for the National Pastime burning . /b/p

When the Boston Red Sox faced the New York Yankees in the historic 2003 American League Championship Series, the meeting seemed to serve as the climax to perhaps the greatest rivalry in professional sports. Yet, following New York’s comeback victory in scintillating Game 7, both the Red Sox and Yankees entered the off-season without a world title--and with renewed conviction to finish the job in 2004. In A Tale of Two Cities, respected baseball writers John Harper (New York Daily News) and Tony Massarotti (Boston Herald) chronicle the Yankees and Red Sox in parallel story lines through the summer of 2004. The authors take you behind the scenes with the teams, cities, and media during one of the most intense baseball seasons in history.

Baseball fans in the Bronx and beyond will delight in this incomparable, far-reaching collection of insider tales When 19-year-old Marty Appel got a job as a mail clerk for the New York Yankees, assigned to spend the summer of '68 answering Mickey Mantle's fan letters, he couldn't have known it was just the start of over a half-century entwined with the Bronx Bombers. As a PR director, television producer, writer, and historian, Appel never missed an opportunity to get to know the main characters— and supporting cast— of Yankees lore. The result is an unparalleled trove of colorful stories featuring a seemingly unending parade of characters including Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Thurman Munson, Derek Jeter, George Steinbrenner, and everyone in between. By turns hilarious and heartrending, Pinstripes by the Tale is an intimate look at an iconic franchise through the lens of its foremost historical authority. Told as a series of captivating vignettes, it invites readers to consider the small moments that quietly shape the contours of baseball history.

From the club’s inception in the late ’70s to winning the division for the first time in the ’80s, Joe Carter’s epic home run, the two World Series titles in the early ’90s, the reign of Roy Halladay, Josh Donaldson’s MVP season, and everything in between, the Blue Jays have continued to build a storied history as one of baseball’s most exciting teams. In Tales from the Toronto Blue Jays Dugout, Jim Prime captures all of the best moments in Blue Jays history, from the most thrilling to the most humorous, and so much more. Stories of players and coaches from both on and off the field can be found here, including tales of All-Stars Dave Stieb and Carlos Delgado, Hall of Famers Dave Winfield, Rickey Henderson, and Roberto Alomar, and many more memorable Blue Jays, past and present. It’s all here, in the latest addition to the Tales From series, the perfect gift for any fan of the only current Major League Baseball team playing in Canada!

Larry Andersen, Richie Zisk, and Joe Simpson made sure that everywhere bewildered manager Rene Lachemann went during the 1982 season, some Jell-O was sure to follow—from his hotel bathroom sink, tub, and toilet (filled to the brim) to a postgame can of beer. Jay Buhner, one of the stars in the Seattle Mariners’ 1995 “Refuse to Lose” season, maintained the team's proud, prank-filled history well into the ’90s with his “blurping”—vomiting on command. It’s a good thing Mariners players had senses of humor, because for many years the play on the field wasn't going to keep their spirits high, as the team lost a combined 202 games over their first two seasons. Twelve consecutive losing campaigns later, they finally posted a winning record in 1991. Four years later, they won their first division title and then their first playoff series. This reissue of Tales from the Seattle Mariners Dugout, now newly revised, chronicles Seattle's rise from a hopeless and hapless franchise in the 1970s and ’80s to a proud team in the 1990s that went on to capture three division championships and earn four playoff appearances. It’s a must-read walk down memory lane for every fan of the team. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports—books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team. Whether you are a New York Yankees fan or hail from Red Sox nation; whether you are a die-hard Green Bay Packers or Dallas Cowboys fan; whether you root for the Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville Cardinals, UCLA Bruins, or Kansas Jayhawks; whether you route for the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, or Los Angeles Kings; we have a book for you. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Tall tales and historical stories of Florida's alligators

Amos Otis, Frank White, George Brett, Hal McRae, Dan Quisenberry, Bret Saberhagen, Paul Splittorff—one mention of any of those names can bring about visions of great baseball, determination, and winning. However, one vision outweighs all others: the boys in blue… the Kansas City Royals. The Kansas City Royals, an expansion club in the American League in 1969, struggled during their early existence. It didn't take long, however, before the Royals established themselves as one of the most successful franchises in baseball. That success culminated with the winning of the 1985 World Series. Since 1969, the Royals have developed great players that have had fun. Along the way, they also have developed a winning tradition. Although the Royals have received the "small-market" tag in recent years, the organization still boasts a proud heritage. In this reissue of Tales from the Kansas City Royals Dugout, longtime Royals radio broadcaster Denny Matthews relives the club’s great moments and proud tradition. Sit back and enjoy never-before-told anecdotes, including from the team’s great rivalries with the New York Yankees, Oakland A’s, and the remarkable players who have helped form the legend of the Kansas City Royals. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports—books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team. Whether you are a New York Yankees fan or hail from Red Sox nation; whether you are a die-hard Green Bay Packers or Dallas Cowboys fan; whether you root for the Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville Cardinals, UCLA Bruins, or Kansas Jayhawks; whether you route for the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, or Los Angeles Kings; we have a book for you. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Amazing Tales from the 2004 Boston Red Sox Dugout is a different kind of look back at the incredible championship season—through the eyes of the players involved. It is packed full of anecdotes, quotes, and perspectives from each member of the team, presented in the context of their on-field heroics. The book includes intimate snapshots of particularly relevant moments—rare glimpses behind the scenes—in order bring you back to the moment. This was a group of bona fide characters who showed great character in facing every challenge put before them—including overcoming a three games to none deficit in the ALCS against their archrivals. The season had more than its share of the humorous, the poignant, and the downright weird. Thanks to an unconventional and irreverent—but effective—approach to the game, the underdog 2004 Red Sox captured the imagination of New England and the entire nation. In their quixotic quest, they defied an ancient curse and slew the hated Yankees en route to the October Classic and a meeting with the St. Louis Cardinals. Amazing Tales from the 2004 Boston Red Sox Dugout is a personal and informal look at the first Red Sox team to win a World Series championship in 86 frustrating years. Like the team itself, it is quirky; but also like the team, it is a winner. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports—books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team. Whether you are a New York Yankees fan or hail from Red Sox nation; whether you are a die-hard Green Bay Packers or Dallas Cowboys fan; whether you root for the Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville Cardinals, UCLA Bruins, or Kansas Jayhawks; whether you route for the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, or Los Angeles Kings; we have a book for you. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Offering readers more than just a sneak peek into the dugout, Bob Forsch’s Tales from the St. Louis Cardinals Dugout takes fans into the clubhouse, out to the bullpen, onto the mound, up to the batter’s box, around the base paths, along for the ride to spring training, and even on a fishing trip or two in this tribute to the long and storied tradition of St. Louis Cardinals baseball. In his own witty style, Bob Forsch, known to many as “Forschie” during his playing days, has drawn from his exciting history with the Cardinals to bring fans stories that are laugh-out-loud funny, like his rookie gaffes and lifelong antics with his older brother Ken, a fellow big leaguer and no-hit artist. Other tales are poignant, such as his tributes to St. Louis favorite Willie McGee, legendary broadcaster Jack Buck, and “The Cardinal Way.” Some of the stories reveal inside tricks, like how to confuse sign stealers. Still more are rarely-told true confessions, like throwing at 2003 National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Gary Carter, following Jim Kaat’s tips for doctoring a baseball, or playing silly clubhouse pranks on the superstitious Joaquin Andujar. Forsch also includes the story of the pre-victory party that helped the Cardinals win the 1982 World Series—not even manager Whitey Herzog knew about that one. These stories and many more come to life in Tales from the Cardinals Dugout. No Cardinals fan’s bookrack should be without it.

When it comes to baseball glory, no other team comes close to the New York Yankees, winners of forty American League pennants and twenty-seven World Series championships. Amazing Tales from the Yankee Dugout is a compilation of the funniest, strangest, and most unique stories, anecdotes, and tall tales that have been attributed to baseball’s legendary New York Yankees through the years. Fans will gain new insights about the famed Bronx Bombers that they’ve never read before.