Baseball

Hardcover. New Haven CT, Yale University Press, 1st, 1991, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright dust jacket, 179 pages, b&w photos. In the Dominican Republic baseball is not only a game but a national obsession. Exported from the United States and still controlled by it, the game is also a crucial arena of intercultural relations. Sugarball describes how Dominican baseball fosters national pride and competition with the United States while at the same time promoting acceptance of the North American presence in the country. Clean copy.

Hardcover. NY, Bantam Books, 1st, 1991, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright, unclipped dust jacket, 305 pages, b&w illustrations. First Printing of the First Edition, with complete number row (0987654321) on the copyright page. Illustrated with 16 pages of photos. Appendix (career stats). Clean copy.

Hardcover. NY, A Mountain Lion Book / Hearst Books, 3rd pr., 1984, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright, unclipped dust jacket, b&w illustrations and photos, 223 pages. More than two hundred photographs comprehensively illustrate pitching technique from grip to follow through in a guide that details the Cy Young Award-winning pitcher's conditioning regimen and his ideas on mental preparedness. Includes contribution by Nolan Ryan, Steve Rogers, Steve Carlton, Mario Soto. Clean copy.

Hardcover. NY, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1st, 1984, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright, unclipped dust jacket. The teenage character of this story is taken to Japan after his father gets a job. Getting used to his new life in Japan is hard for him due to the fact that he had to leave his team behind and after the death of his mother. The move to Japan was supposed to be a fresh start for this whole family yet, he doesn't truly find happiness there until the discover of the baseball team at the high school. Clean copy.

Hardcover. Champaign IL, Sagamore Publishing, 1st, 1997, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright dust jacket. 307 pages, b&w illustrations. SIGNED by all contributors on the front free endpaper - Kerry Keene, Raymond Sinibaldi, David Hickey, and Babe Ruth's granddaughter Linda Ruth Tosetti. The definitive work on his early years, The Babe in Red Stockings, represents not only a detailed study of his remarkable on-field achievements, but also delves into his happy-go-lucky, playful, and occasionally temperamental nature. Dozens of new pieces of information are added to further complete the portrait of one of America's most fascinating figures, the one and only Babe Ruth.

Hardcover. NY, Total Sports, 1st, 1997, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright, unclipped dust jacket. 296 pages, Foreword by Hank Aaron. In the crisp, evocative prose of Lawrence S. Ritter and in Mark Rucker's glorious selection of 350 rare photographs, this lavish gift book celebrates George Herman Ruth and the big-bang game he invented. Originally issued in 1988, this book created a new form of sports biography that has been widely imitated since, but never with such commercial success or critical acclaim. Includes unopened CD Rom game for Windows 95. (Will work on later Windows). DUE TO SIZE & WEIGHT, DOMESTIC SHIPPING ONLY.

Hardcover. NY, Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster, 1st, 2023, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright, unclipped dust jacket. A magnum opus from acclaimed baseball writer Joe Posnanski, The Baseball 100 is an audacious, singular, and masterly book that took a lifetime to write. The entire story of baseball rings through a countdown of the 100 greatest players in history, with a foreword by George Will. Longer than Moby-Dick and nearly as ambitious, The Baseball 100 is a one-of-a-kind work by award-winning sportswriter and lifelong student of the game Joe Posnanski. In the book's introduction, Pulitzer Prize-winning commentator George F. Will marvels, "Posnanski must already have lived more than two hundred years. How else could he have acquired such a stock of illuminating facts and entertaining stories about the rich history of this endlessly fascinating sport?" Clean, bight copy.

Hardcover. NY, St. Martin's Press, 1st, 2014, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright, unclipped dust jacket. A reminder of the time when America fell in love with a tall, lanky, curly-haired pitcher for the Detroit Tigers. For a time in the 1970s, the country was in thrall to Mark Fidrych, who came to be known as "The Bird" for his resemblance to Big Bird. Fidrych emerged in the summer of 1976 and became an unlikely but legitimate phenomenon. Wilson tells the Bird's story in this biography of the Massachusetts native whose antics included tending to his own pitching mound during games and allegedly talking to the baseball. Clean copy.

Hardcover. NY, Abrams Press, 1st, 2021, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright, unclipped dust jacket. 352 pages, b&w illustrations. The first full biography of the star Negro Leaguer and Hall of Famer James 'Cool Papa" Bell (1903-1991) was a legend in black baseball, a lightning fast switch hitter elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974. Bell's speed was extraordinary; as Satchel Paige famously quipped, he was so fast he could flip a light switch and be in bed before the room got dark. Wheeler recounts the life of this extraordinary player, a key member of some of the greatest Negro League teams in history. Born to sharecroppers in Mississippi, Bell was part of the Great Migration, and in St. Louis, baseball saved Bell from a life working in slaughterhouses. Wheeler charts Bell's ups and downs in life and in baseball, in the United States, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico, where he went to escape American racism and MLB's color line.

Hardcover. NY, Harper & Row, 1st, 1972, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright, unclipped dust jacket ($8.95 on flap), Stated "first edition" on copyright page, with complete number line on Page 442. Author Roger Kahn follows the history of the Brooklyn Dodgers through their 1955 season, which took them to the World Series. A nice copy of this timeless favorite. Mild discoloration to covers, hidden by dust jacket.

Hardcover. Boston, Waverly House, 1st, 1948, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Good, Hardcover in an edgeworn and chipped dust jacket. Excellent history of the Boston Braves written after their '48 Pennant Year. 224 pages, clean copy.

Hardcover. Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 1st, 1989, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright dust jacket. "...identifies the many economic pressures exerted on the game today and measures their effects both on the field and in the ticket office. He presents a detailed and original analysis of traditional baseball performance statistics from slugging to fielding and draws on a wealth of previously unpublished data divulged in recent collusion suits. At the heart of the controversy are the disparate claims of owners, who say they are loosing money and stay on only out of love for the game, and players, who insist they are being exploited by owner reaping huge profits."

Hardcover. NY, William Morrow, 1st, 2007, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright, unclipped dust jacket, 245 pages, b&w illustrations. Only a few dozen T206 Wagners are known to still exist, having been released in limited numbers just after the turn of the twentieth century. Most, with their creases and stains, look like they've been around for nearly one hundred years. But one -- The Card --appears to have defied the travails of time. Its sharp corners and still-crisp portrait make it the single-most famous -- and most desired -- baseball card on the planet, valued today at more than two million dollars. It has transformed a simple hobby into a billion-dollar industry that is at times as lawless as the Wild West. Everything about The Card, which has made men wealthy as well as poisoned lifelong relationships, is fraught with controversy -- from its uncertain origins to the nagging possibility that it might not be exactly as it seems. In this intriguing, eye-opening, and groundbreaking look at a uniquely American obsession, award-winning investigative reporters Michael O'Keeffe and Teri Thompson follow The Card's trail from a Florida flea market to the hands of the world's most prominent collectors.

Hardcover. Chicago, Triumph Books, 1st, 2007, Hardcover, oblong format, 306 pages with color photos throughout. A trip into the world of a Cubs fan, this brilliant collection of photos and insightful essays highlights 15 years with the Chicago Cubs, from the winter Cubs Convention to their springs in Mesa and, finally, to the Friendly Confines during the season. This passionate photo documentary is a must-have for any and all Cubs fans who love to reminisce about past seasons while looking forward to the future with unguarded optimism. Remainder line on top edge otherwise clean.

Hardcover. NY, Crown Archetype, 1st, 2017, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright, unclipped dust jacket. 375 pages with index of names. Illustrated. General Manager Theo Epstein in 2012 joined the Chicago Cubs - a baseball team that had not won a National League pennant since 1945 and not won a World Series in ober a century. Here is the story of how Epstein rebuilt the team, hired manager Joe Maddon after the 2014 season, and how the Cubbies finally broke the "Curse of the Billy Goat" to win the 2016 World Series. Clean copy.

Hardcover. Franklin Center PA, The Franklin Library, 1st, 1987, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: None, Hardcover, rich maroon leather boards with decorations in gold on front and rear boards. Title in gold on spine between raised leather bands. All edges are gilt. Text is clean and crisp. Satin ribbon marker. SIGNED BY PLIMPTON on a blank prelim page. In April 1985, Sports Illustrated published an article that stunned the sports community. George Plimpton's 13-page profile of Sidd Finch, a mysterious pitcher who had been signed by the New York Mets and reportedly threw 168 mph, came complete with photos from spring training, scouting reports, and interviews with Mets players and management. A week later, SI apologized to readers around the world for their role in what is generally regarded as the greatest hoax in the history of sports journalism. The magazine had teamed up with the legendary author and Paris Review bon vivant for an April Fool's Day prank of unprecedented proportions. After the success of the article, Plimpton decided to turn the story into a novel -- a rousing baseball fairy tale that is considered one of the most memorable sports novels of the last half-century.

Hardcover. NY, Macmillan, 1st, 1987, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: None, Hardcover in a bright, unclipped dust jacket, 275 pages. In April 1985, Sports Illustrated published an article that stunned the sports community. George Plimpton's 13-page profile of Sidd Finch, a mysterious pitcher who had been signed by the New York Mets and reportedly threw 168 mph, came complete with photos from spring training, scouting reports, and interviews with Mets players and management. A week later, SI apologized to readers around the world for their role in what is generally regarded as the greatest hoax in the history of sports journalism. The magazine had teamed up with the legendary author and Paris Review bon vivant for an April Fool's Day prank of unprecedented proportions. After the success of the article, Plimpton decided to turn the story into a novel -- a rousing baseball fairy tale that is considered one of the most memorable sports novels of the last half-century. Clean copy.

NY, Simon and Schuster, 1st, 1967, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright, unclipped dust jacket. 256 pages, 16 pages of B&W photos. Over a 45 year span the Yankees were the most magnetic drawing card in American sports. Why did the House That Ruth Built come tumbling down after so many years of triumph? Long inscription on front fly leaf otherwise clean.

Hardcover. Chicago, Ziff-Davis Publishing , 1st, 1948, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Good, Hardcover in a worn, chipped dust jacket that has the $2.50 flap price. The Brooklyn Dodgers and Leo "Lippy" Durocher were made for each other. Here are the breezy accounts of internal struggles, clubhouse brawls and front-office tempests that marked the Dodgers climb to national fame and the National League Pennant. Has green boards and is in good condition. Has a number of black and white photos: Pete Reiser, Pee Wee Reese, Al Gionfriddo's World Series catch, and Leo arguing with the umpires. Mild soil and rubbing to rear of dj, book is bright and clean.

Hardcover. NY, The Dial Press, 1st, 1974, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: None, Hardcover, black cloth with red gilt lettering on cover and spine. No dust jacket. It was the year the Babe hit 60 and Lou Gehrig hit 47 home runs and drove in 175 runs. Plus the team had Bob Meusel, Tony Lazzeri, Earle Combs, Herb Pennock, Urban Shocker, and manager Miller Huggins. The team won 110 games (in a 154 game season) and won the pennant by 19 games. Inscription on front fly leaf otherwise clean.

Hardcover. NY, Grosset & Dunlap, Revised Ed., 1956, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright, price-clipped dust jacket. 253 pages, b&w photos. Expanded with new material for this 1956 editon. Clean copy.

Hardcover. NY, Da Capo Press, 2nd pr., 2004, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright, unclipped dust jacket with autographed sticker. SIGNED BY COLLINS on the title page. Inscribed by the author on the front fly leaf. Clean, bright copy. Every summer, in ten small towns across Cape Cod, young college baseball players showcase their talents in hopes of making it to the "show." A vicious filter, the league has produced one out of every six major league players, from Nomar Garciaparra and Todd Helton to Jeff Bagwell and Barry Zito.In this brilliantly crafted narrative, Jim Collins chronicles a season in the life of the Chatham A's, perhaps the most celebrated team in the Cape Cod Baseball League. Set against a seemingly bucolic backdrop--a well-heeled resort town on the bend of the outer Cape -- the story charts the changing fortunes of a handful of players, all of whom battle slumps and self-doubt in an effort to impress major league scouts and make the playoffs. Several players go home with career-threatening injuries; one blue-chip prospect fulfills great expectations while another is dubbed "the biggest disappointment on the Cape." A pitcher hides an arm injury while negotiating a minor league contract; another leaves early to tend to his dying father. And nearly all look to the following year's major league draft as a barometer of their worth.

Hardcover. NY, Harper, 1st, 2010, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover in a bright, unclipped dust jacket, 456 pages, illustrated in color and b&w. Award-winning sports writer Jane Leavy follows her New York Times runaway bestseller "Sandy Koufax" with the definitive biography of baseball icon Mickey Mantle. The legendary Hall-of-Fame outfielder was a national hero during his record-setting career with the New York Yankees, but public revelations of alcoholism, infidelity, and family strife badly tarnished the ballplayer's reputation in his latter years. In "The Last Boy", Leavy plumbs the depths of the complex athlete, using copious first-hand research as well as her own memories, to show why The Mick remains the most beloved and misunderstood Yankee slugger of all time. Clean copy.

Softcover. Los Angeles, Rosebud Books., 1st, 1982, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: None, Softcover, pictorial covers with edgewear. 96 pages illustrated with b&w and color photos. A recap of the 1981 season with profiles of players, statistics. Clean copy.