Arguing about the merits of players is the baseball fan's second favorite pastime and every year the Hall of Fame elections spark heated controversy. In a book that's sure to thrill--and infuriate--countless fans, Bill James takes a hard look at the Hall, probing its history, its politics and, most of all, its decisions.

The latest book by Canada’s Trivia Guys is an entertaining where-are-they-now look at the fate of some 100 celebrities, newsmakers, and significant artifacts from this country’s past. Lake Ontario swimmer Marilyn Bell, CFL legend Russ Jackson, Canada’s first automobile, and Roger Woodward, a boy who survived the waters of Niagara Falls more than 40 years ago, are among those tracked down. Long after making headlines or burrowing their way into our collective consciousness, these Canadian icons have travelled different roads or in some cases kept more quietly to the path that gained them attention in the first place. Kearney and Ray spice up their stories with dozens of fascinating facts. With website links to further information, this book is a great resource to learn more about Canada’s heritage.

For over 60 years, the color barrier excluded Black ballplayers from the major leagues, forcing them to form their own teams and leagues. After Jackie Robinson broke down that barrier, Black players faced another: the barrier to the Hall of Fame. At the time of the founding of the Hall of Fame, segregation was firmly entrenched in baseball, and it was defended by the same power brokers who kept the Hall successful with their support. The fight for the recognition that Black players had earned on the field lasted nearly as long as the color barrier itself. This book presents the full history of that fight: the exclusion of Black players for so many years, the many efforts to fix that, and the fights for Hall of Fame recognition of the Negro Leagues that are still ongoing.

There is no question that football is indeed America's most popular sport, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame's 50th Anniversary book totally captures our passion for the game. Having opened its doors in Canton, Ohio on September 7, 1963, the Hall will be celebrating its 50th anniversary year from 2012 to 2013, commencing with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival, a ten-day period in early August which culminates in the annual Hall of Fame Game. The Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival draws close to a million fans each year. The book has been crafted by Joe Horrigan, the Hall's VP of Communications/Exhibits, along with John Thorn, creator of Total Football, and the end result is a beautifully bound keepsake for any serious football fan. The 50th Anniversary Book features essays by football writers, broadcasters, and celebrated players. Every living Hall of Famer will contribute a commentary on some aspect of the game and its history; each deceased member will be represented in a sidebar or pullout quote. In addition, the book features rarely seen photos and artifacts of some of the Hall's greatest treasures.

This book chronicles his turbulent life and focuses on the reverential mystique that envelopes the Los Angeles Dodger even this day.

Provides color photographs and miscellaneous information about some of the fascinating individuals, lore, facts, and statistics in America's national pastime.

Widely regarded as the best manager of his time, Bill McKechnie built winners at every stop, took four teams to the World Series and became the only man to do it in three different cities. He tamed roughneck players with a fatherly approach to leadership and a scholarly approach to strategy. This biography covers the life of McKechnie from his birth in a Pittsburgh suburb in 1886, through his playing and managing days, to his retirement years in west central Florida. Firsthand accounts come from the author's interviews with McKechnie's only surviving child, who also provided family photographs for the book.

The basic elements of baseball remain essentially the same as they were when the first professional game was played in the 1870s. Changes in this sport--when they come--come slowly. In 1973, one of baseball's most drastic changes was legislated: American League owners voted to add one player to the traditional nine-man line-up, creating a "10-man game" in which a designated hitter (or DH) had a regular spot in the batting order, and he or a replacement for him batted for his club's pitcher(s) throughout the game. This change to baseball rules was approved in the hopes that DH's would provide a spark for the AL's sagging offenses; an explosion in hits, homers and runs would draw more people to their ballparks and enable their clubs to surpass the National League in the annual attendance race. This work offers a fascinating exploration of the history and place of the designated hitter in the major leagues.

Like virtually every other aspect of American life, baseball was affected by World War II. Many of its players left the playing field for the battlefield, but the game continued, played by those who stayed behind. Wartime baseball entertained a nation in desperate need of a diversion and a morale boost in a time of crisis. This book studies baseball during World War II, with both a statistical analysis of the game and stories of its players--those who went to war and those who did not. It provides recaps for each season between 1942 and 1945, and season-by-season recaps and highlights for each team. Starting lineups of the war years are compared to the starting lineups of 1941 (the last year of peacetime baseball) to show how dramatically the war changed the game. A list of players who went to war is provided, along with a list of players who replaced them on the roster if they were starters or starting pitchers. Brief statistical sketches of players who went to the war discuss their play before and after and how they were replaced. Other lists include wartime players who lost their starting jobs in 1946; minor league players who died in the war; and Negro League players who were drafted.

In the world of sports, Iowa is probably best known for wrestling but the state has also produced more than 200 major league baseball players. Sixteen of them are profiled here, including six Hall of Famers, the game's brightest star of the 19th century, an American League batting champion, the only pitcher to lead the National League in strikeouts seven years in a row, the only catcher to catch two back-to-back no-hitters and one of the most dominant pitchers in American League history. They made their presence felt off the field, too. One helped fortify the game's racial barriers. One helped tear them down. One invented devices that changed the game. Two wrote instructional books on baseball. One became famous so young that he graced the cover of national magazines before graduating from high school. Each has a compelling story, some interwoven with the game's greatest moments.