There is no more thrilling moment in the game of baseball than the seconds before the ball flies out of the park, never to be seen again. As Greg Maddux famously said, chicks dig 'em, and men fantasize about hitting them. Now, The Complete History of the Home Run told decade by decade, traces this ultimate macho symbol. Mark Ribowsky looks at how the big hit evolved from a rarity to centerpiece because of Babe Ruth's prowess. Baseball fans will also learn how the home run has been mythologized, written about, and discussed in the media, baseball literature, and in bars all across the county. Featured are such epic swings as: -- Ruth's #60, Roger Maris's #61, Mark McGwire's #70, Barry Bonds's #73, Hank Aaron's K -- Ted Williams's All-Star Game Blast off Rip Sewell; -- Bobby Thomson's Shot Heard Around the World; -- Mickey Mantle's 565-footer in Washington; -- Bill Mazeroski's and Joe Carter's Series-ender; -- Reggie Jackson's Series trio; -- The Tino/Jeter/Brosius trinity.Including commentary on the men who hit these long balls -- Willie Mays, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds, and Ted Williams -- the book also brings out the facts and statistics. Readers will find out the truth behind Ruth's Called Shot, Josh Gibson's alleged blast out of Yankee Stadium, who had the best-ever power season, the myth of the lively ball era, the science of the home run, and why yesterday's hits will always be better than today's.

A brief biography emphasizing the careers of the two baseball players famous for their record number of home runs.

A poetic account of the legendary Babe Ruth as he prepares to make a home run.

Professional baseball player Cory Brand returns to his hometown in an effort to get his life together, but instead runs into memories he can't escape and the love he left behind.

Baseball star Cory Brand knows how to win. But off the field, he’s spiraling out of control. Haunted by old wounds and regrets, his future seems as hopeless as his past. Until one moment—one mistake—changes everything. To save his career, Cory must go back to the town where it all began. His plan is simple: coach the local baseball team, complete a recovery program, and get out as fast as possible. Instead, he runs headfirst into memories he can’t escape ... and the love he left behind. Faced with a second chance he never expected, Cory embarks on a journey of faith, transformation and redemption. And along the way, he discovers a powerful truth: no one is beyond the healing of God. A novel based on the major motion picture starring Vivica A. Fox and Scott Elrod, Home Run is an inspirational story of the hope and freedom God offers each of us. www.HomeRunTheMovie.com

The tape measure home run is the greatest single act of power in the game of baseball, and the tales of these homers are the most cherished legacies players and fans hand down through the generations. Fully illustrated with photos of the players and aerial ballpark photos showing the landing spots of each stadium's longest homers.

The Deadball Era (1901û1920) is a baseball fanÆs dream. Hope and despair, innocence and cynicism, and levity and hostility blended then to create an air of excitement, anticipation, and concern for all who entered the confines of a major league ballpark. Cheating for the sake of victory earned respect, corrupt ballplayers fixed games with impunity, and violence plagued the sport. Spectators stormed the field to attack players and umpires, ballplayers charged the stands to pummel hecklers, and physical battles between opposing clubs occurred regularly in a phenomenon known as ôrowdyism.ö At the same time, endearing practices infused baseball with lightheartedness, kindness, and laughter. Fans ran onto the field with baskets of flowers, loving cups, diamond jewelry, gold watches, and cash for their favorite players in the middle of games. Ballplayers volunteered for ôbenefit contestsö to aid fellow big leaguers and the country in times of need. ôJoke gamesö reduced sport to pure theater as outfielders intentionally dropped fly balls, infielders happily booted easy grounders, hurlers tossed soft pitches over the middle of the plate, and umpires ignored the rules. Winning meant nothing, amusement meant everything, and league officials looked the other way. Mark Halfon looks at life in the major leagues in the early 1900s, the careers of John McGraw, Ty Cobb, and Walter Johnson, and the events that brought about the end of the Deadball Era. He highlights the strategies, underhanded tactics, and bitter battles that defined this storied time in baseball history, while providing detailed insights into the players and teams involved in bringing to a conclusion this remarkable period in baseball history.

A collection of unusual and offbeat tales taken from baseball history includes the world's shortest bona fide home run and the baseball player who literally bit himself in the posterior while sliding into second base

Take kids out to their very first ballgame in this adorable storybook for our youngest fans! The bases are loaded as two more Cows get on base. It’s the clean-up hitter against the Bears’ pitching ace! This charming, illustrated sports book for toddlers features the game of the year: the Cows vs. the Bears! Each spread introduces baseball terms, gear, players, and umps within the context of the story of a nine-inning game between all-animal teams. Read along as the Cow shortstop leaps for an inning-ending catch, a Bear runner slides home . . . “Safe!” . . . all culminating in a bottom-of-the-ninth showdown that is the epitome of a never-to-be-forgotten baseball classic!

In an unprecedented look at Babe Ruth's amazing batting power, sure to inspire debate among baseball fans of every stripe, one of the country's most respected and trusted baseball historians reveals the amazing conclusions of more than twenty years of research. Jenkinson takes readers through Ruth's 1921 season, in which his pattern of battled balls would have accounted for more than 100 home runs in today's ballparks and under today's rules. Yet, 1921 is just tip of the iceberg, for Jenkinson's research reveals that during an era of mammoth field dimensions Ruth hit more 450-plus-feet shots than anybody in history, and the conclusions one can draw are mind boggling.