The New York Yankees' history is filled with great achievements, outstanding performances, and unprecedented success. For more than 40 years, from 1921 to 1964, the Yankees and their fans had much to cheer about--the team won 29 pennants and 20 world championships and featured such greats as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Bill Dickey, Yogi Berra and Whitey Ford. Yankee haters waited endlessly for the fall of the seemingly unbeatable team from New York, and finally, in 1965, the Yankees began to flounder. The team didn't win anything for the next eleven years. Each losing season, from 1965 through 1975, is fully covered in this book. The author maintains that in their long losing streak and mediocrity, the Yankees somehow acquired a more endearing quality that had not previously existed. The team that had once offered its fans Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle and other greats now offered Bill Robinson, Danny Cater, Jerry Kenney and Jake Gibbs, and standouts Bobby Murcer, Mel Stottlemyre, Thurman Munson and Roy White--men who knew the Yankees' long and glorious history, but also knew first-hand the decade of frustration and disappointment that Yankees players and fans had to live through.

In the years following the decline of the New York Yankees dynasty that ended in 1964, three American League teams endeavored to stake their claim to the Junior Circuit's crown. From 1965 to 1975, the Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles, and Oakland Athletics emerged as the most significant AL clubs, but this trio achieved varying degrees of success. Through the prism of these three teams, this book examines facets of their dynastic aspirations: the way in which key personnel were assembled into a cohesive roster, the glory that was won by the clubs, and the factors leading to their decline. Drawing on a rich variety of primary and secondary sources, the story is told of vital players from Latin America who made their way to Minnesota, the select few who ventured from the Orioles' training facility in Thomasville, Georgia, to Baltimore, and the collegiate stars selected in the early years of the newly-created amateur draft who went on to help forge a winning combination in Oakland.

Dating back to 1869 as an organized professional sport, the game of baseball is not only the oldest professional sport in North America, but also symbolizes much more. Walt Whitman described it as “our game, the American game,” and George Will compared calling baseball “just a game” to the Grand Canyon being “just a hole.” Countless others have called baseball “the most elegant game,” and to those who have played it, it’s life. The Historical Dictionary of Baseball is primarily devoted to the major leagues it also includes entries on the minor leagues, the Negro Leagues, women’s baseball, baseball in various other countries, and other non-major league related topics. It traces baseball, in general, and these topics individually, from their beginnings up to the present. This is done through a chronology, an introductory essay, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 900 cross-referenced entries on the roles of the players on the field—batters, pitchers, fielders—as well as non-playing personnel—general managers, managers, coaches, and umpires. There are also entries for individual teams and leagues, stadiums and ballparks, the role of the draft and reserve clause, and baseball’s rules, and statistical categories. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about the sport of baseball.

The New York Yankees are baseball's most storied team. They first played at Hilltop Park, then moved to the Polo Grounds, then Yankee Stadium, Shea Stadium, back to the renovated Yankee Stadium, and now in the new Yankee Stadium. They also frequently opened the season in Boston's historic Fenway Park, fondly remembered Shibe Park in Philadelphia, Griffith Stadium in Washington, and all around the expanded leagues after 1961. This book details every opening-day celebration and game from 1903 to 2017, while noting how each was affected by war, the economy, political and social protest and population shifts. We see presidents and politicians, entertainers, celebrities, and fans, owners, managers, and most of all, the players.

The St. Louis Cardinals are perhaps the most popular and successful franchise in National League history, having won more world championships than any other club in the league. Baseball greats such as Stan Musial, Rogers Hornsby, and Albert Pujols have all worn the Cardinals uniform. But which Cardinals are the finest in franchise history? Examining every player who has donned the Redbird uniform since 1892, Robert W. Cohen ranks the best of the best in The 50 Greatest Players in St. Louis Cardinals History. This book carefully studies the careers of the players who made the greatest impact while playing for the St. Louis Cardinals. The ranking was determined based on such factors as the extent to which each player added to the Cardinals legacy, the degree to which he impacted the fortunes of his team, and the level of dominance he attained while wearing the Redbird uniform. Features of The 50 Greatest Players in St. Louis Cardinals History include: Each player’s notable achievements Recaps of the player’s most memorable performances Summaries of each player’s best season Quotes from opposing players and former teammates Including players such as Bob Gibson, Ozzie Smith, Lou Brock, and Mark McGwire, this book is sure to fuel debate among Cardinals fans. A fascinating collection of bios, stats, recaps, quotes, and more, The 50 Greatest Players in St. Louis Cardinals History is a must-read not only for die-hard Cardinals fans, but for all fans of baseball.

This book carefully examines the careers of the 50 men who made the greatest impact on one of the most successful franchises in the history of professional sports. Features of The 50 Greatest Players in New York Yankees History include quotes from opposing players and former teammates, summaries of each player s best season, recaps of their most memorable performances, and listings of their notable achievements.

Who comprised the most productive pairs in the history of professional team sports? Joe Montana and Jerry Rice of the San Francisco 49ers? Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen of the Chicago Bulls? What about the prolific hockey tandem of Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier? And that all-time great New York Yankees twosome of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig certainly can't be excluded. Using various selection criteria--including longevity, level of statistical compilation, impact on one's team, and overall place in history--The 50 Most Dynamic Duos in Sports History attempts to ascertain which twosome truly established itself as the most dominant tandem in the history of the four major professional team sports: baseball, basketball, football, and hockey. Arranged and ranked by sport, this work takes an in-depth look at the careers of these men, including statistics, quotes from opposing players and former teammates, and career highlights. Finally, all 50 duos are placed in an overall ranking. Covering every decade since the 1890s, this book will find widespread appeal among sports fans of all generations. And with photographs of many of the tandems, The 50 Most Dynamic Duos in Sports History is a wonderful addition to any sports historian's collection.

This book carefully examines the careers of the 50 men who made the greatest impact on the New York Giants of the National Football League. Including iconic figures such as Lawrence Taylor, Mel Hein, Frank Gifford, Harry Carson, Michael Strahan, and Eli Manning, the top 50 ranking is sure to fuel debate among Giants fans. A fascinating collection of bios, stats, quotes from opposing players and former teammates, photographs, and recaps of memorable performances and seasons, this book is a must-read not only for Giants fans, but for all fans of professional football.

Four teams, 175 games, 3,738,546 fans—one stadium. If 1975 wasn’t the most successful year in New York sports—and it wasn’t—then it was certainly one of the oddest. For that one crazy season, all four New York teams—the Mets, Jets, Yankees, and Giants—called Shea Stadium home. When Shea was Home includes interviews with the stadium’s former head groundskeeper, the legendary Pete Flynn, as well as Jerry Koosman, Bud Harrelson and Ed Kranepool of the Mets, Giants owner John Mara, Rich Caster of the Jets, former Super Bowl MVP quarterback Doug Williams, who played that year at Shea for Grambling, and many more! This well-written narrative includes information about the stadium, the teams, the players, how the teams coexisted, and how they didn't. When Shea was Home takes New York sports fans on a unique trip down memory lane, offering context on the national and local history and culture of the time. It is perfect for the avid New York sports aficionado—regardless of team allegiance! 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.

Examines the best professional basketball players from each of the five distinct periods and ranks the five greatest players at each position throughout the history of the game.