Profiles of every rookie to win the award, from the storied Jackie Robinson to the short career of Joe Charboneau, to today's current super stars.

Rodney is a teenager who got caught up in drugs and was helped by God-loving people. When he thought he could not be forgiven for his sin and no one could ever love him, he found Gods love by reading the Bible. Now he was torn between his love for baseball and God. He was invited to spring training with the New York Yankees, but he also wanted to preach. After each game, he walked the streets of New York, preaching on every corner. He drew huge crowds and converted so many people that pimps and drug dealers threatened his life and beat him in their attempt to get him off the streets. But Rodney would not stop preaching and was willing to die, if that was Gods will. The Yankees won the pennant, and Rodney was their starting pitcher in games one, four, and seven in the World Series. The death threats never stopped, and Rodney could have been killed at any time, but he was sure God would protect him. His courage and faith led thousands to Christ as a result. When the rapture came at the end of game seven, Rodney was the first to meet Jesus in the air, followed by thousands of others who were believers.

Brief biographies of each winner of the Rookie of the Year Award from 1941 to 1994.

A classic quartet of baseball stories, repackaged for a new generation.

More than any other sport, baseball has developed its own niche in America's culture and psyche. Some researchers spend years on detailed statistical analyses of minute parts of the game, while others wax poetic about its players and plays. Many trace the beginnings of the civil rights movement in part to the Major Leagues' decision to integrate, and the words and phrases of the game (for example, pinch-hitter and out in left field) have become common in our everyday language. From AARON, HENRY onward, this book covers all of what might be called the cultural aspects of baseball (as opposed to the number-rich statistical information so widely available elsewhere). Biographical sketches of all Hall of Fame players, owners, executives and umpires, as well as many of the sportswriters and broadcasters who have won the Spink and Frick awards, join entries for teams, owners, commissioners and league presidents. Advertising, agents, drafts, illegal substances, minor leagues, oldest players, perfect games, retired uniform numbers, superstitions, tripleheaders, and youngest players are among the thousands of entries herein. Most entries open with a topical quote and conclude with a brief bibliography of sources for further research. The whole work is exhaustively indexed and includes 119 photographs.

In the 111-year-history of the Boston Red Sox, fans have been treated to countless firsts— the first manager of the franchise (Jimmy Collins), the first American League MVP to play for the Sox (Tris Speaker), the first 20-game winner (Bill Dineen), the first to hit 500 home runs (Ted Williams), and the first Red Sox pitcher to win the Cy Young Award (Roger Clemens). The list goes on. In Boston Red Sox Firsts, veteran Red Sox historian Bill Nowlin presents the stories behind the firsts in Red Sox history in question-and-answer format. More than a mere trivia book, Nowlin’s collection includes substantive answers to the question of “who was the first…?” on a variety of topics, many of which will surprise even seasoned fans of the Sox.

This book goes around the horn to celebrate the legends at each position on the field and visits the memorable and distinctive ballparks that have housed the team on two ends of the continent.