Idols of the Spring

Idols of the Spring PDF Author: Dan Zachofsky
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 9780786482313
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 226

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Book Description
Baseball players and fans alike feel that spring is a magical time of year. For the players, spring training is a rebirth, with high expectations for the upcoming season. For fans, it is a chance to see their favorite players return to the diamond as well as to hear about the up-and-coming players. This work is a compilation of interviews with 23 players, an umpire and a trainer: Chipper Jones, Walt Weiss, Glenn Hubbard, J.D. Drew, Jim Kaat, Craig Counsell, Ryan Dempster, Harold Baines, Andre Dawson, Mike Hargrove, Will Clark, Gary Sheffield, Davey Johnson, Shawn Green, Mike Bordick, Tim Bishop (trainer), Al Clark (umpire), Brady Anderson, Dave Cash, Al Jackson, Robin Ventura, Rondell White, Monte Irvin, Rick Ankiel, and Red Schoendienst. Each interviewee shares his own personal spring training experiences and thoughts on why spring training is such a special time of year for the players and fans.

Idols of the Spring

Idols of the Spring PDF Author: Dan Zachofsky
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 9780786482313
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 226

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Book Description
Baseball players and fans alike feel that spring is a magical time of year. For the players, spring training is a rebirth, with high expectations for the upcoming season. For fans, it is a chance to see their favorite players return to the diamond as well as to hear about the up-and-coming players. This work is a compilation of interviews with 23 players, an umpire and a trainer: Chipper Jones, Walt Weiss, Glenn Hubbard, J.D. Drew, Jim Kaat, Craig Counsell, Ryan Dempster, Harold Baines, Andre Dawson, Mike Hargrove, Will Clark, Gary Sheffield, Davey Johnson, Shawn Green, Mike Bordick, Tim Bishop (trainer), Al Clark (umpire), Brady Anderson, Dave Cash, Al Jackson, Robin Ventura, Rondell White, Monte Irvin, Rick Ankiel, and Red Schoendienst. Each interviewee shares his own personal spring training experiences and thoughts on why spring training is such a special time of year for the players and fans.

The Love of Baseball

The Love of Baseball PDF Author: Chris Arvidson
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 147666983X
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 195

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Book Description
Written by and for baseball fans (or those trying to live with one), this collection of essays joins a perennial conversation all fans have--"Why do we love baseball?" Thirty contributors share personal narratives of how they found an abiding passion for the sport and how their relationship to it changed over the years. Tracing the thematic arc of a typical season, the essays begin with stories of spring training optimism, followed by the guts and grind of the regular season, and ending with the glory (or heartbreak) of the playoffs.

Intangibles

Intangibles PDF Author: Geoff Miller
Publisher: Byte Level Books
ISBN: 1618220195
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 166

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Book Description
“Geoff Miller has devised a virtually flawless program to assist anyone who aspires to become a winning major league player.” —Roland Hemond, 2011 Baseball Hall of Fame Buck O’Neil Lifetime Achievement Award “One of the most remarkable books to come out in years is called Intangibles by Geoff Miller.” —Collegiate Baseball “Intangibles is filled with lessons and tools for helping baseball players in all stages of their development.” —Fredi Gonzalez, Manager, Atlanta Braves “Geoff Miller is insightful in explaining the mental aspect of baseball with real issues, simple terms and practical solutions.” —Dave Littlefield, Chicago Cubs, Special Asst. to the General Manager, Pittsburgh Pirates General Manager (2001-2007) “I am convinced that this book is one of the best compositions written on the mental aspects within the game of baseball.” —College Baseball Lineup “A must read for athletes looking to gain a mental edge or simply better identify their own strengths.” —Bryan Minniti, Assistant General Manager, Washington Nationals Foreword by Vince Gennaro, author of Diamond Dollars: The Economics of Winning in Baseball A must read for all baseball players, coaches, and fans… Mental skills coach Geoff Miller has spent years helping professional baseball players improve their mental toughness—both on and off the field. Now, he’s making these invaluable lessons available to everyone who loves the game of baseball. From high school to the Major Leagues, all baseball players struggle with competition, pressure, and their own personal challenges. This book, through inspiring stories about professional baseball players in various stages of their careers, as well as hands-on tips and questionnaires, will help players evaluate and improve the mental skills that are necessary for that competitive edge. In Intangibles, you’ll find stories, instruction, and practical applications that teach players and coaches how to put forth their best mental games—portrayed through the eyes of those who have experienced those learning moments firsthand in their quests to become Major Leaguers. From a local park’s baseball diamond to dusty minor league dugout benches to the musty concrete tunnels under Major League stadiums, Intangibles meets players where they are, offering specific ways to improve performance and outlook. Players features in the book include Brandon Moss, Nyjer Morgan, Nate McLouth, Ryan Vogelsong, Jason Bay, Adam LaRoche, Matt Capps, among others. Whether you hope to be a big league player someday, or whether you simply want to play your best game, this book is essential for all athletes who want to learn how to overcome fear, build confidence, and develop a mental framework for success.

Ego Vs. Soul in Sports

Ego Vs. Soul in Sports PDF Author: Ken Reed
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
ISBN: 1524541508
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 339

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Book Description
Imagine. Imagine the world of sports without ego. No more trashtalking, showboating, cheating, cheap shots, or running up the score. No more wackadoo parents and coaches ruining youth sports. No more prima donna athletes with an inflated view of their own importance. The win-at-all-costs mentality? Gone. The me-first athlete? History. Greedy owners that put their wallets ahead of whats best for the game? Bye-bye. As John Lennon once sang, Imagine . . . Sports have always brought out the best and worst in people. One of the compelling aspects of sports is that character is openly on display. Problem is, the ugly side of sports is getting way too loud these days. The ego in sports has run amok. And as the ego takes center stage, win-at-all-costs (WAAC) and profit-at-all-costs (PAAC) mentalities and behaviors begin to dominate. Things like sportsmanship start to take a backseat. Nevertheless, despite all the ego- and greed-based negativity in todays sports world, there are still some pearls out there, little stories in the back of the sports section that stir the soul. While too many sports center headlines bring forth feelings of shame, its the snippets about obscure athletes that bless us with shining examples of the human spirit and give us reason for hope. This is a book of short essays about sport at its best and sport at its worst. Hopefully, the book is somewhat entertaining and, occasionally, even enlightening. Ultimately, however, the books goal is to inspire those who love sports to find a way to make the sports world a better place to be. And that means a place with a lot less ego and a lot more soul. Because in the big picture, it really is about how you play the game.

Love Reports to Spring Training

Love Reports to Spring Training PDF Author: Linda Kittell
Publisher: Turning Point
ISBN: 9781625490162
Category : Poetry
Languages : en
Pages : 80

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Book Description
LOVE REPORTS TO SPRING TRAINING is a book about a baseball pitcher, and also passion for baseball: love of the game. In all respects, these poems embody this love story. "Love may be on the mound, but Huck, Dean Moriarty and Tom Joad are behind him in the field. Kittell's words shine like new nickels. Her language is tough as saw teeth, pure and limitless as a high-plains summer sky. This is American English, wild and actual."-Bryan Di Salvatore "I found this to be a superb collection, rich with the language, sounds, and feel of the game. The poems helped me rediscover my own journey through OB, and why I loved playing baseball so much. How beautifully these poems describe the arc of a career ('... But everything/passes by too quick') in 'Love Works on the Change.' In 'Love, Life, and Ballpark Lights, ' I felt like I was sitting in the dugout with Love; the game over, 'the grounds crew all done with raking, the mound/covered and the sprinklers on, /their ssprit ssprit, ssprit spritpritpritpritprit/regular as a heartbeat...' That's great stuff "-John Curtis

Frank Robinson

Frank Robinson PDF Author: John C. Skipper
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 0786475617
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 219

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Book Description
Frank Robinson was one of the greatest baseball players of the 20th century. He was Rookie of the Year for the Cincinnati Reds in 1956, won the Triple Crown in 1966, led the Baltimore Orioles to four World Series appearances, and is the only player in baseball history to be voted Most Valuable Player in both the American and National leagues. When his playing career was over, he became the first black manager in both leagues and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1982. Amid these accomplishments, he continually strived for recognition--as if he had something to prove--and as a manager demanded respect from his players and his bosses. This is a biography of a man who "crowded the plate" in all aspects of his baseball life.

Inside the Ropes

Inside the Ropes PDF Author: Zachary Michael Jack
Publisher: U of Nebraska Press
ISBN: 0803219075
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 509

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Book Description
Most of us will never know what it's like to parachute out of a Cessna, tend goal for the Boston Bruins, burn rubber on a NASCAR track, scale Everest, or quarterback the Detroit Lions. So it's our good fortune when dauntless literary journalists actually play the sports they cover--returning with firsthand tales from "inside the ropes." Here, in the tradition popularized by George Plimpton, is participatory sportswriting at its finest and most far-out. Editor Zachary Michael Jack fields a dream team of today's best sports journalists, hotshots, and rising stars in search of the game behind the.

Faith and Fear in Flushing

Faith and Fear in Flushing PDF Author: Greg W. Prince
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing Inc.
ISBN: 1602396817
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 321

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Book Description
Voted by Esquire as one of the top 100 baseball books ever written! The New York Mets fan is an Amazin’ creature whose species finds its voice at last in Greg Prince’s Faith and Fear In Flushing, the definitive account of what it means to root for and live through the machinations of an endlessly fascinating if often frustrating baseball team. Prince, coauthor of the highly regarded blog of the same name, examines how the life of the franchise mirrors the life of its fans, particularly his own. Unabashedly and unapologetically, Prince stands up for all Mets fans and, by proxy, sports fans everywhere in exploring how we root, why we take it so seriously, and what it all means. What was it like to enter a baseball world about to be ruled by the Mets in 1969? To understand intrinsically that You Gotta Believe? To overcome the trade of an idol and the dissolution of a roster? To hope hard for a comeback and then receive it in thrilling fashion in 1986? To experience the constant ups and downs the Mets would dispense for the next two decades? To put ups with the Yankees right next door? To make the psychic journey from Shea Stadium to Citi Field? To sort the myths from the realities? Greg Prince, as he has done for thousands of loyal Faith and Fear in Flushing readers daily since 2005, puts it all in perspective as only he can.

Running: A Love Story

Running: A Love Story PDF Author: Jen A. Miller
Publisher: Seal Press
ISBN: 1580056113
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 244

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Book Description
Jen Miller has fallen in and out of love, but no man has been there for her the way running has. In Running: A Love Story, Jen tells the story of her lifelong relationship with running with wit, thoughtfulness, and brutal honesty. Jen first laces up her sneakers in high school, when, like many people, she sees running as a painful part of conditioning for other sports. But when she discovers early in her career as a journalist that it helps her clear her mind, focus her efforts, and achieve new goals, she becomes hooked for good. Jen, a middle-of-the-pack but tenacious runner, hones her skill while navigating relationships with men that, like a tricky marathon route, have their ups and downs, relying on running to keep her steady in the hard times. As Jen pushes herself toward ever-greater challenges, she finds that running helps her walk away from the wrong men and learn to love herself while revealing focus, discipline, and confidence she didn’t realize she had. Relatable, inspiring, and brutally honest, Running: A Love Story, explores the many ways that distance running carves a path to inner peace and empowerment by charting one woman’s evolution in the sport.

Casey Stengel

Casey Stengel PDF Author: Marty Appel
Publisher: Anchor
ISBN: 1101911743
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 434

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Book Description
A Boston Globe Best Book of the Year Winner of the 2017 Casey Award for the Best Baseball Book of the Year “The ultimate biography.” —The New York Times As a player, Charles Dillon “Casey” Stengel's contemporaries included Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, and Christy Mathewson. As a legendary manager, he formed indelible, complicated relationships with Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, and Billy Martin. For more than five glorious decades, Stengel was the undisputed, quirky, hilarious, and beloved face of baseball—and along the way he revolutionized the role of manager. But for a man who spent so much of his life in the limelight Stengel remains an enigma. Acclaimed New York Yankees' historian and bestselling author Marty Appel digs into Casey Stengel's quirks and foibles, unearthing a tremendous trove of baseball stories, perspective, and history. Weaving in never-before-published family documents, Appel creates a matchless and intimate portrait of a private man. Casey Stengel is a biography that will be treasured by fans of our national pastime for years to come.