The Knuckleball Club

Author : Richard A. Johnson
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
Page : 321 pages
File Size : 55,5 Mb
Release : 2016-06-09
Category : Sports & Recreation
ISBN : 9781442261709

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The Knuckleball Club by Richard A. Johnson Pdf

The knuckleball—so difficult to hit but also difficult to control and catch—has been a part of major league baseball since the early 1900s and continues to be used to this day. This remarkable and unusual pitch is the instrument of a special breed of pitcher, a determined athlete possessing tremendous concentration, self confidence, and a willingness to weather all kinds of adversity. In The Knuckleball Club: The Extraordinary Men Who Mastered Baseball's Most Difficult Pitch, Richard A. Johnson provides an informal history of the wildest, weirdest, most mesmerizing pitch of all time. Beginning with an examination of the invention of the knuckleball, Johnson then briefly touches upon the science and psychology of the pitch before profiling the game’s great knuckleballers. Rich in anecdotes and interviews, this book shares the unique stories of Hoyt Wilhelm, Phil Niekro, Jim Bouton, Tom Candiotti, Tim Wakefield, R.A. Dickey, and many others. Also featured are the stories of the best knuckleball catchers, from Bob Uecker and Doug Mirabelli to Rick Ferrell and Paul Richards. While knuckleballers today are an anomaly, decades ago a surprisingly large number of major league pitchers used the knuckler. The Knuckleball Club is the first book to provide a comprehensive survey of the pitch and the players who used it, offering a deep understanding of how the knuckleball has fit into the fabric of the game over the past one hundred years. Anyone wanting to learn more about this unusual pitch, from baseball historians and fans to current and former players, will find this book an entertaining and enlightening read.

Author : Lew Freedman
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
Page : 320 pages
File Size : 51,7 Mb
Release : 2015-03-17
Category : Sports & Recreation
ISBN : 9781613217948

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Knuckleball by Lew Freedman Pdf

“It took me a day to learn [the knuckleball] and a lifetime to learn how to throw it for a strike.” This quote, by pitcher and coach Charlie Hough, is the best way to understand baseball’s most baffling and mysterious pitch. Not even the best practitioners of the art of throwing a knuckleball know where it is going most of the time. As a pitch that floats and comes into the plate in what appears to be slow motion, it is miraculous that those who employ the pitch don’t get creamed all over the park by batters who seem to know that it’s coming. Including interviews with Hall of Famer Phil Niekro, former All-Stars Wilbur Wood and Tim Wakefield, as well as other famed knuckleballers, Lew Freedman (Clouds over the Goalpost, A Summer to Remember), breaks down the history of this infamous pitch, which it seems can be traced back to Chicago White Sox pitcher Ed Cicotte, as well as its effect on baseball as a whole. With pitcher R. A. Dickey, who rejuvenated his career from castoff to 2011 Cy Young Award winner, the knuckleball is still a topic of conversation in the sport, and it continues to be one of the many marvels of our national pastime. 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.

Author : Jonathan Fraser Light
Publisher : McFarland
Page : 1112 pages
File Size : 50,5 Mb
Release : 2016-03-25
Category : Sports & Recreation
ISBN : 9781476617442

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The Cultural Encyclopedia of Baseball, 2d ed. by Jonathan Fraser Light Pdf

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.

Author : Lew Freedman
Publisher : McFarland
Page : 219 pages
File Size : 55,7 Mb
Release : 2024-01-26
Category : Sports & Recreation
ISBN : 9781476692067

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Hoyt Wilhelm by Lew Freedman Pdf

Hoyt Wilhelm's intriguing baseball career lasted two decades. A veteran of the Battle of the Bulge, the eight-time All-Star from Huntersville, North Carolina, was a standout for the New York Giants, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox and Atlanta Braves, though he did not reach the majors until he was nearly 30. He pitched a no-hitter as a starter, won as many as 15 games a season, was the first reliever to win more than 100 games and save more than 200, and broke Cy Young's record for most games on the mound. Along the way, he relied almost entirely on his baffling skill with a rare weapon of choice--the knuckleball. This first full-length biography covers the life and career of the first relief pitcher in the Hall of Fame.

Author : K.P. Wee
Publisher : McFarland
Page : 269 pages
File Size : 41,7 Mb
Release : 2014-08-21
Category : Sports & Recreation
ISBN : 9780786494255

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Tom Candiotti by K.P. Wee Pdf

Most baseball fans know Tom Candiotti as a knuckleballer but he began his career as a conventional pitcher in 1983--after becoming just the second player to appear in the major leagues following Tommy John surgery, at a time when only Tommy John himself had ever come back from the operation. Candiotti, whose arm recovered, threw fastballs and curveballs in his first two years in the majors before switching over to the knuckleball for the 1986 season. He would then go on to use primarily the knuckleball for the rest of his career, though he threw a good enough curveball to get hitters out. This biography is based on the recollections of Candiotti himself, his former teammates and managers, newspaper and periodical accounts, and archival resources.

Author : Gene Elston
Publisher : Halcyon Press Ltd.
Page : 346 pages
File Size : 49,7 Mb
Release : 2006
Category : Baseball
ISBN : 9781931823333

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A Stitch in Time by Gene Elston Pdf

Author : C. Norman Willis
Publisher : Xlibris Corporation
Page : 281 pages
File Size : 46,7 Mb
Release : 2018-02-13
Category : Sports & Recreation
ISBN : 9781543475609

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Washington Senators All-Time Greats by C. Norman Willis Pdf

Washington Senators All-time Greats is one of the first books covering the first 101-year history of the senators/nationals before they were reborn with the transfer of the Montreal Expos to Washington in 2005. Hundreds of players appeared in Washington uniforms over the years, and from these, Mr. Willis selected an all-time team. In addition, all-star teams from five eras were chosen. Career highlights and statistics are included in each of the sixty-seven minibiographies. Photographs and anecdotes bring the players to life. The author also presents team records and summaries for each year and era and for the entire 101-year history covered. The last chapter of the book honors the best of senators managers and owners and the best Washington play-by-play announcer and sportswriter. Readers are invited to compare their selections with the authors. The book contains a foreword by senators great Frank Howard and is recommended by former Washington stars and managers Mickey Vernon and Jim Lemon.

Author : Peter Morris
Publisher : Ivan R. Dee
Page : 663 pages
File Size : 51,8 Mb
Release : 2006-03-23
Category : Sports & Recreation
ISBN : 9781566639545

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A Game of Inches by Peter Morris Pdf

A fascinating and charming encyclopedic collection of baseball firsts, describing how the innovations in the game—in rules, equipment, styles of play, strategies, etc.—occurred and developed from its origins to the present day. The book relies heavily on quotations from contemporary sources.

Author : Gary Caruso
Publisher : Temple University Press
Page : 566 pages
File Size : 46,9 Mb
Release : 1995
Category : Sports & Recreation
ISBN : 1566393841

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The Braves Encyclopedia by Gary Caruso Pdf

1996 marked the 125th season of the oldest continuously operating professional sports franchise in America: the Atlanta Braves. This comprehensive reference begins with the team's birth in 1871 as the Boston Red Stockings, and follows them to Milwaukee in 1953 and to Atlanta in 1966, playing under such a variety of names as Beaneaters, Doves, Rustlers, Braves, Bees, and back to the Braves. Because of this transient past, much of the franchise's history has been misplaced over the years—until now. Beloved not only by their tomahawk-chopping local fans but by baseball fans everywhere, the Braves have become one of today's most successful sports organizations. The Braves Encyclopedia brings it all together. 150 player profiles—from Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Warren Spahn, and Eddie Matthews to all-time greats Dale Murphy, Phil Niekro, and Terry Pendleton to today's stars like David Justice, Greg Maddux, and Steve Avery 600 photographs of players, game highlights, and memorabilia extensive statistics, including box scores, team and individual records, and trades season-by-season descriptions bring to life the great moments, the World Series championships, the managerial strategies, the personalities, and the milestones a comprehensive history of the ballparks a wealth of little-known facts and surprising anecdotes Author note: Gary Caruso is the editor of Chop Talk a monthly magazine covering the Atlanta Braves. As a sports reporter for nearly 25 years, he has written for the Atlanta Journal has been executive sports editor of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and a senior editor and writer for The National Sports Daily.

Author : K.P. Wee
Publisher : McFarland
Page : 269 pages
File Size : 55,9 Mb
Release : 2014-08-23
Category : Sports & Recreation
ISBN : 9781476615592

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Tom Candiotti by K.P. Wee Pdf

Most baseball fans know Tom Candiotti as a knuckleballer but he began his career as a conventional pitcher in 1983--after becoming just the second player to appear in the major leagues following Tommy John surgery, at a time when only Tommy John himself had ever come back from the operation. Candiotti, whose arm recovered, threw fastballs and curveballs in his first two years in the majors before switching over to the knuckleball for the 1986 season. He would then go on to use primarily the knuckleball for the rest of his career, though he threw a good enough curveball to get hitters out. This biography is based on the recollections of Candiotti himself, his former teammates and managers, newspaper and periodical accounts, and archival resources.

Author : Joseph A. Reaves
Publisher : U of Nebraska Press
Page : 254 pages
File Size : 51,8 Mb
Release : 2004-05-01
Category : Sports & Recreation
ISBN : 0803290012

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Taking in a Game by Joseph A. Reaves Pdf

In Taking in a Game, Joseph A. Reaves examines the development of baseball in Korea, the Philippines, Mainland China, and Taiwan, as well as the more widely known story of baseball in Japan. In this entertaining and informed account, Reaves covers everything from baseball in Qing Dynasty China in the nineteenth century to the 2000 Sydney Olympics bronze-medal match between Japan and Korea. Reaves guides the reader through a history of Asian baseball, the cultures that surround it, and the future of what has become a great Asian game.

Author : Andy North,Burton Rocks
Publisher : St. Martin's Griffin
Page : 256 pages
File Size : 41,6 Mb
Release : 2016-01-12
Category : Sports & Recreation
ISBN : 9781250111203

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The Long and the Short of It by Andy North,Burton Rocks Pdf

Andy North is a two-time United States Open champion, current player on the Senior PGA Tour, and a commentator for ESPN. In this book, Andy offers golfing fans a treasure chest of anecdotes and shares his insight and wisdom into the game of golf. Andy first talks about the pioneers of the game and shares memories of his time with the likes of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Gary Player, and many others. He shares the heartwarming story of his life growing up in Wisconsin and his rise to success on the PGA Tour. He offers advice on how to better understand and play golf. This book has both the drills and games you can play with your children to make golf fun and the games that you as an amateur golfer should play to improve your own game. Finally, Andy talks about the changes facing golf in the coming years and shares his experiences working with his friends at ESPN. The drama, the excitement, and the suspense of professional golf are all captured in this book. Golfers of all ages will enjoy Andy North's unique perspective on golf.

Author : Dorothy Jane Mills
Publisher : McFarland
Page : 268 pages
File Size : 44,7 Mb
Release : 2004-02-24
Category : Sports & Recreation
ISBN : 0786418486

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A Woman's Work by Dorothy Jane Mills Pdf

From 1949 until 1990, Dorothy Jane Mills quietly contributed her research and writing to the first baseball histories ever written by a historian. The wife of historian Harold Seymour, she found herself increasingly involved with his books, as the couple presided over mountains of records on the game and worked to prepare his imposing manuscripts for press. But she received no official credit. It was after Dr. Seymour's passing that other researchers learned she was the unattributed co-author of much of his work. This important memoir reveals details of the author's partnership with baseball's most revered historian. Many new facts regarding Mills' role come to light. Mills, now recognized as the game's first woman historian, also explains how her work as a teacher, editor, novelist, children's author, and public speaker fit into her baseball work. The book contains numerous photographs from the author's personal collection, most of them in print for the first time as well as a foreword by Steve Gietschier of The Sporting News.

Author : Bill James,Rob Neyer
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
Page : 500 pages
File Size : 43,5 Mb
Release : 2008-06-16
Category : Sports & Recreation
ISBN : 9781439103777

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The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers by Bill James,Rob Neyer Pdf

Preeminent baseball analyst Bill James and ESPN.com baseball columnist Rob Neyer compile information on pitches and their origins, nearly two thousand pitchers, and more in this comprehensive guide. Pitchers, the pitches they throw, and how they throw them—they’re the stuff of constant scrutiny, but there's never been anything like a comprehensive source for such information…until now. Bill James and Rob Neyer spent over a decade compiling the centerpiece of this book, the Pitcher Census, which lists specific information for nearly two thousand pitchers, ranging throughout the history of professional baseball. Their guide also includes a dictionary describing virtually every known pitch, biographies of great pitchers who have been overlooked, and top ten lists for fastballs, spitballs, and everything in between. James and Neyer also weigh in on the debate over pitcher abuse and durability, offer a formula for predicting the Cy Young Award winner, and reveal James’s Pitcher Codes. Learn about the origins and development of baseball’s most important pitches and more knuckleballers and submariners than you ever thought existed! Baseball’s action always starts with the pitchers. Begin to understand them and join in on entertaining debates while having a great deal of fun with the history of the game that captivates so many with this one-of-a-kind guide.

Author : Brett Kiser
Publisher : iUniverse
Page : 220 pages
File Size : 50,7 Mb
Release : 2006-11-21
Category : Sports & Recreation
ISBN : 9780595861699

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Ghosts of Baseball's Past by Brett Kiser Pdf

Baseball has existed since the mid 1800's and has been the occupation for thousands of men through history. Defining the best amongst such a wide array of players always sparks a debate, as the Hall-of-Fame in Cooperstown is seen as the debate settler, a place where only legends reside. However, the Hall-of-Fame has overlooked many of the game's star players, failing to immortalize them with their peers. Ghosts of Baseball's Past details the careers of ball diamond legends who have been past over by Hall-of-Fame voters. So take a look inside and decide for yourself whether players like Bert Blyleven, Ted Kluszewski, Riggs Stephenson and more deserve to dwell in Cooperstown. Read about Herb Score, Turkey Mike Donlin and Buddy Lewis, and help keep the names of these legends alive.