Sports Books

The Polo Grounds is one of baseball's most sacred ballparks. Built below Coogan's Bluff in 1891, the bathtub-shaped stadium played host to iconic baseball moments, including Willie Mays's famous catch in the 1954 World Series and Bobby Thomson's "shot...

From Daddy Boschen's first professional baseball "shoe shop team" to our current Richmond Braves, from the ballyards of the old fairgrounds of Monroe Park to the Diamond on the Boulevard, baseball in Richmond has flourished. Whether known as the...

Since the late 1800s, sports have played a key role in shaping the very character of western Pennsylvania. The area's largest city, Pittsburgh, boasts well-known professional sports teams in baseball, football, and hockey. In fact, no other city of...

Few high school football programs can match the success of Highlands. Having captured 17 state championships since 1960, the school ranks fifth in total wins among all high schools in the United States. The program has produced many outstanding college...

Few cities can boast as rich a baseball history as Baltimore. With longtime entries in the majors, minors, and Negro Leagues, the city's core of faithful fans have seldom lacked a team to root for. They revel in the feats of their stars (Keeler, Ruth,...

Baton Rouge has always been a baseball town. The game was played by occupying Union troops during the Civil War, continued during the Reconstruction Period, and marched forward with the Louisiana State University Tigers in the 1890s. LSU would become one...

Professional baseball was introduced to Chattanooga in the summer of 1885, and the Lookouts moniker and legacy dates to 1909. Baseball in Chattanooga presents the shapers of the franchise, most notably Joe Engel, and the players who found success, glory,...

Rodeos have been around in what is now North Dakota since the early cattle drives brought cattle and ranching to the Northern Plains and Badlands. The horse culture was there much earlier, as Native American tribes used horses for transportation and...

Houston has been a sports-crazy town since its founding in 1836 when the biggest pastime was watching the horse races held south of what was then the capitol of Texas. By 1900, spectators and athletes alike enjoyed the team sports played at every school...

After more than 50 years, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca near Monterey is regarded as one of the most famous racetracks in the world. Mazda Raceway offers competitors challenges unlike any other with its mix of corners, which includes the Corkscrew, where...

For 100 years, golf in Scottsdale, Arizona, has challenged and entertained professionals, duffers, and spectators alike. Courses have evolved from the oiled sand courses of the early 1900s to championship layouts with breathtaking scenery--lush green...

The Surf City USA(r) lifeguards and marine safety officers protect and serve one of the busiest and most famous beaches in the world. World-class surfing events, volleyball tournaments, and other activities transform Huntington Beach's waterfront into a...

Nashville's first professional baseball team was organized in 1885, but the city's baseball roots can be traced to 1862, as Union soldiers camped along the Cumberland River taught the Northern game to the citizens. The Seraphs, Blues, Tigers, Americans,...

Louisville and baseball share a long and strong bond that also happens to be one rollicking tale. From scandals and superstars, to Louisville Slugger(r) bats and beyond, Baseball in Louisville explores the ups, downs, eccentricities, and historic...

Ever since the city was granted its first major league team, the Wolverines in 1881, Detroit baseball fans have packed the parks to loyally cheer for their favorite hurlers on the mound. In 1887, Charlie Getzein, nicknamed "Pretzels," led the Detroit...

Erie has had a love affair with professional baseball since the 1880s, though it has been an on-again off-again relationship. Whatever they were called--the Olympics, Blackbirds, Sailors, or SeaWolves--the Flagship City's teams have thrilled fans and won...

From the first organized game in 1865 on the fields owned by sea captain Edward Nichols along School Street in Sandwich, the game of baseball has prospered among the dunes and beaches of Cape Cod. Today, it is home to the country's premier collegiate...

Green-Wood Cemetery was founded in 1838 and soon became one of America's foremost tourist attractions. It is the resting place for many notables, including Tiffany, Steinway, and Currier and Ives, but the cemetery also has a hidden baseball history...

Wrigley Field is the second oldest ballpark currently in use in the major leagues, but it ranks first in the hearts of Cubs fans. Rooting for the home team from the corner of Clark and Addison to small towns and city streets across the country,...

The city of Dallas has a rich baseball history extending back to the 1870s when the professional game first found roots in Texas. In 1888, the Dallas Hams were a founding member (and first champion) of the professional Texas League. With the major...

Professional baseball history in Omaha began in 1869 when the Cincinnati Red Stockings came to town, besting local teams 65-1 and 56-3, and touching off a barnstorming tradition that would bring Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and others over the years to...

Michigan State University's football history is overflowing with famous, interesting, and colorful figures. From Gideon "Charlie" Smith, who in 1913 became one of the nation's first black collegiate players, to George Webster, the "Greatest Spartan of...

The Chicago White Stockings--later renamed the Cubs--won the inaugural National League Pennant in 1876 with a barrage of offensive numbers. Ross Barnes led the league at a .421 clip, and three other Chicago batters finished among the league's top five...

Oregon State University began its football program in 1893 and has been a study in contrasts ever since. The Beavers went to the Rose Bowl after the 1941, 1956, and 1964 seasons and to the Liberty Bowl in 1962. There was also a streak of losing seasons...

In 2003, over 160,000 fans watched professional baseball in downtown Fort Worth's near north side. Baseball, which had been played in this north side area since 1911, had returned after a near 40-year absence. Fort Worth's rich tradition of professional...

There was little fanfare when Art "Mickey" McBride flew into Chicago in 1945 to purchase a professional football team for Cleveland. But that act set in motion a tradition that has brought the city of Cleveland together on Sunday afternoons for (most of)...

Rockford, IL, and the surrounding area, the Rock River Valley, is rich in baseball history. The town first attracted national baseball attention in 1867 when its Forest City team defeated the touring Washington Nationals, who were previously undefeated...

The art of baseball is evident at Wichita State University's Eck Stadium. The bronze sculpture, "Put Me in Coach," overlooks the stadium entry. Behind it a 70-foot mural, the longest of its kind at any university ballpark, depicts WSU's storied baseball...

A city wrapped by the Gulf of Mexico's beaches, Mobile has a history as rich as the azalea-saturated soil on which it rests. Recipient of the All-American City distinction, Mobile is home to the original Mardi Gras celebration, the Junior Miss...

The Chicago White Sox are a charter member of the American League. Through a little over a century of baseball, they have accumulated a history of triumphs, scandals, and heartbreaking setbacks. The photographs in this book come from the collections of...

Sports are as much a part of the fabric of Detroit, Michigan, as is the automobile. From its professional teams such as the Red Wings, Lions, Pistons, and Tigers, to its local collegiate programs, the Motor City takes its sports seriously. Television and...

Hershey, Pennsylvania, and hockey have been synonymous since the early 1930s. The small town Milton S. Hershey made famous with chocolate has also earned a place of honor on the sports map with its tradition-rich hockey club, the Hershey Bears. The...

From the first intercollegiate hockey contest in American history, in 1896, to today, Yale hockey has provided its fans with countless memorable moments. Over the course of more than one hundred seasons, the Bulldogs have won intercollegiate, league, and...

Progression in sustainable sports practices is an up-and-coming area of research that also has an overarching impact on other professional fields. Analyzing the latest trends and methods in this niche area allows for further advancements in the field of...

This book deals with the sporting life of fifteen Australian Rugby League players who almost reached the pinnacle of their sporting career. Sadly, for many reasons, they were to fall at the final hurdle. The book also gives fascinating insights into the...

I grew up in Washington, DC, in the public housing system. The most positive influences in helping to keep me on the right path were the Police Boys Club and DC Rec Department. I've always felt it was important to give to young children what was given to...

Revolutionising the Court: A New Era of TennisDive into a world where technology meets tradition, where the quiet hum of artificial intelligence revolutionises every serve, volley, and rally. Imagine a game where strategy is not just human but powered by...

A collection of whitetail hunting stories. Every hunt is a cherished memory. Each outing is an opportunity to observe and learn. Over time, the accumulation of incremental knowledge and experience leads to the...