The Cincinnati Reds
1950-1985
Part of the Images of Baseball series
Imagine crouching 15 feet from home plate during a Cincinnati Reds baseball game with a camera at eye level. A major league player like Ted Kluszewski comes barreling towards the plate as you flash the bulb while the catcher makes the tag. That was one of Jack Klumpe's experiences for over a quarter century (1950-1985) covering Reds baseball for the Cincinnati Post. Jack followed the Reds from spring training to the World Series, from Crosley Field to Riverfront Stadium. He witnessed-and captured-some of the greatest players and events in franchise history, and nearly every day of every summer of his career, Jack shared his view with the fans.
Part of the Images of Baseball series
The Chicago Cubs of the mid-1920s through 1940 were one of the most talented and exciting ball clubs the city ever produced. The Northsiders enjoyed 14 consecutive winning seasons and claimed the National League pennant four times (1929, 1932, 1935, and 1938), but fell to a dominant American League club in each World Series appearance. Four legendary baseball names led these Cub teams during this amazing stretch. Three eventually landed in Cooperstown (McCarthy, Hornsby, Hartnett), and many believe the fourth (Grimm) should have joined them. This was also the era when Cubs Park was transformed into Wrigley Field, under the guidance of Bill Veeck Jr., with its trademark bricks and ivy, hand-operated scoreboard, and outfield bleachers.
1967 Red Sox
The Impossible Dream Season
Part of the Images of Baseball series
The Impossible Dream became a fitting moniker for the Boston Red Sox season of 1967, a summer that still evokes memories of a time that united a city and transformed a franchise. Led by 1967 MVP Carl Yastrzemski and Boston's first Cy Young Award winner, Jim Lonborg, the youngest Red Sox team since the days of Babe Ruth went from ninth to first place in what remains the closest pennant race in baseball history. Tony Conigliaro, Rico Petrocelli, George Scott, Reggie Smith, Billy Rohr, Jerry Adair, and their teammates became household names to the Fenway Faithful as they carried the Red Sox to their first World Series in 21 years under manager Dick Williams.
Baseball in Montgomery
Part of the Images of Baseball series
In 2004, Riverwalk Stadium ushered in a new era of professional baseball in Montgomery. After a more-than-20-year absence, the new ballpark became a catalyst for the revitalization of downtown Montgomery. Biscuit baseball and Riverwalk Stadium have given citizens something to be proud of. The stadium is nestled between the Alabama River and railroad tracks and incorporates the old Western Railroad building as part of the ballpark. This has made Riverwalk an example for other cities looking to keep their identity and add something new and exciting. Montgomery's rich baseball history includes hall of fame players like Fred Clarke, Joe McGinnity, Casey Stengel, and Turkey Stearnes. There is also the forgotten history of an Alabama native, Roy "Goat" Walker, a fan favorite of Montgomery baseball for two generations.
Sacramento Baseball
Part of the Images of Baseball series
Sacramento has enjoyed baseball since the Gold Rush. As early as 1869, the first professional baseball team in America, the Cincinnati Red Stockings, came to Sacramento and played against a locally organized team. A few years later, the Sacramento team joined the California League to compete against those from San Francisco and Oakland, becoming a charter member of the newly formed Pacific Coast League in 1903. All the while, children and adults alike were picking up the sport in the many parks, sandlots, and schoolyards throughout the city. In the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, amateur and sponsored teams competed against each other for trophies and bragging rights. Then, in the 1950s, Little League, Babe Ruth League, and American Legion Baseball flourished.
Baseball in Northwest Iowa
Part of the Images of Baseball series
While new railroad tracks cut through Northwestern Iowa in the mid-19th century, hardy pioneers cultivated the fertile soil, and the burgeoning sport of baseball took root and flourished. An integral element of the developing culture, it promoted community pride. Eight Northwestern Iowa towns supported professional teams by 1912, the first being Sioux City in 1888. Over time, that city's clubs produced hall-of-fame shortstop Dave Bancroft and initiated the still-existing American League. Homegrown talent from an abundance of professional, semiprofessional, and amateur clubs throughout the area's 19 counties yielded 38 major-league players before 1960 and more since.
Mexican American Baseball in El Paso
Part of the Images of Baseball series
Mexican American Baseball in El Paso chronicles the vibrant and colorful history of baseball in the El Paso-Juárez border region. For more than a century, baseball along the border has served as a means of bringing together people of all backgrounds, races, and nationalities, from the fly-by-night teams of the Pancho Villa era to the fabled semiprofessional clubs of the Lower Valley League. For the area's Mexican and Mexican American citizens, storied teams like the Juárez Indios, Fabens Merchants, 1949 Bowie Bears, and El Paso Diablos served as both community rallying points and signposts of cultural identity. From the legendary semiprofessional players of decades past to the most recent major leaguers, this book presents the photographic history of baseball in America's largest border community.
Mexican American Baseball in Ventura County
Part of the Images of Baseball series
Mexican American Baseball in Ventura County pays tribute to the legendary teams and players from Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo, Simi Valley, Moorpark, Santa Paula, and other surrounding neighborhoods. From the early 20th century through the 1950s, baseball in Ventura County safeguarded opportunities for nurturing athletic and educational skills, asserting ethnic identity, promoting political self-confidence, developing economic autonomy, and redefining gender roles for women. Outside the ball field, these players and their families helped create the multibillion-dollar agricultural wealth that relied heavily on their backbreaking labor. These extraordinary photographs and remarkable stories shed unparalleled light on the long and rich history of baseball and softball in this celebrated region of California.
Mexican American Baseball in Houston and Southeast Texas
Part of the Images of Baseball series
Mexican American Baseball in Houston and Southeast Texas pays tribute to the baseball and softball players and teams from Houston, Sugar Land, Texas City, Richmond, and other surrounding communities in the region. Since the early 1900s, this game has had an important role in the lives of area Mexican Americans. In the Houston barrios, when entrenched discriminatory practices obstructed city unity, the diamond brought people together. In the Sugar Land region, Mexican Americans, African Americans, and Anglos worked and played together, blurring racial lines. Baseball and softball built community pride and connected generations of Mexican American families. The wonderful stories and breathtaking images in this book help resurrect the rich and little-known history of Mexican American baseball and softball in this key part of Texas.
1975 Red Sox
American League Champions
Part of the Images of Baseball series
The 1975 American League Champion Boston Red Sox squared off with the Cincinnati Reds in what is widely recognized as one of the best World Series ever played. The Major League Baseball Network has named its sixth game "the greatest game ever played." The Red Sox were led by two rookies, 21-year-old Jim Rice and 22-year-old Fred Lynn, who formed a rookie duo the likes of which baseball had never seen. They combined with a budding superstar in Carlton Fisk and his aging counterpart Carl Yastrzemski to lead the Red Sox attack, while a wily Luis Tiant anchored the pitching staff. After a first-round sweep of the three-time World Champion Oakland A's, they advanced to a Fall Classic that echoes through the ages, and in the words of Carlton Fisk, the Red Sox won "three games to four.
Mexican American Baseball in South Texas
Part of the Images of Baseball series
Mexican American Baseball in South Texas pays tribute to the former baseball teams and players from Edinburg, McAllen, Mission, Pharr, Donna, Alamo, San Juan, Brownsville, Harlingen, and other surrounding communities. From the late 19th century through the 1950s, baseball in South Texas provided opportunities for nurturing athletic and educational skills, reaffirming ethnic identity, promoting political self-determination, developing economic autonomy, and reshaping gender roles for women. Games were special times where Mexican Americans found refuge from backbreaking work and prejudice. These unmatched photographs and stories shed light on the rich history of baseball in this region of Texas.
Detroit Sluggers
The First 75 Years
Part of the Images of Baseball series
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 sluggers at the plate. Big Dan Brouthers helped the Detroit ball club win its first National League pennant with 12 home runs, 101 RBIs, and a league-leading 153 runs scored in 1887. Twenty years later, a rookie named Ty Cobb, at the start of a hall-of-fame career, led the league in batting and the Tigers to three successive American League pennants. Hank Greenberg, Rudy York, and Al Kaline joined the ranks of Motor City sluggers in the coming decades who thrilled fans with the long ball in pennant race after exciting pennant race. Written from the perspective of an old-time fan, Detroit Sluggers: The First 75 Years is a fun read for any Motor City baseball enthusiast.
Chicago Sluggers
The First 75 Years
Part of the Images of Baseball series
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 hitters. Even pitcher Al Spalding hit an impressive .312. Thus began the "northsiders" tradition of producing some of the major leagues' greatest sluggers--including "Cap" Anson, "Gabby" Hartnett, and "Hack" Wilson. The Chicago White Sox--still named the White Sox--won the inaugural American League Pennant in 1901, led by Fielder Jones' .311 average for a team built more around pitching than hitting--a team that won its first World Series title in 1906 with the nickname "The Hitless Wonders." But the "southsiders" also put up some lofty offensive numbers with the likes of Shoeless Joe Jackson and Eddie Collins.
Detroit Aces
The First 75 Years
Part of the Images of Baseball series
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 ball club to its first National League pennant with 29 wins. The rubber-armed "Wild" Bill Donovan led the Detroit Tigers to the city's first American League pennant in 1907, notching up an astounding .862 winning percentage despite a legendary lack of control. More great pitchers were to follow in the coming decades, and, written from the perspective of an old-time fan, Detroit Aces: The First 75 Years is a fun read for any Motor City baseball enthusiast.
Chicago Aces
The First 75 Years
Part of the Images of Baseball series
Al Spalding was the first of many Chicago aces, leading the city's 1876 club to an inaugural National League Pennant with a 46-12 record and a whopping 528 innings pitched. Among the legendary pitchers to follow were Larry Corcoran, owner of two no-hitters with the White Stocking dynasty of the 1880s; Clark Griffith, who had six 20-win seasons in a row for a mediocre Orphans/Colts club in the 1890s; and "Rube" Foster, who dominated the Negro leagues of the early twentieth century. Also featured are Mordecai "Three Fingers" Brown, Eddie Cicotte, Ed Walsh, Grover Cleveland Alexander, and many others. In Chicago Aces: The First 75 Years, readers will discover the compelling stories of these great pitchers, highlighted by over 100 rare and striking images.
The College World Series
Part of the Images of Baseball series
Since 1950, Omaha's Rosenblatt Stadium (formerly Municipal Stadium) has hosted the nation's top college baseball programs in the College World Series. Baseball fans from every corner of the country have taken the annual "Road to Omaha" and packed the seats to see championship baseball at its best. In 1954 thousands saw Jim Ehrler of Texas toss the tourney's first no-hitter en route to the Longhorns winning back-to-back CWS championships. Fans at the 1970 tournament saw Southern Cal defeat Florida State in the midst of their unmatched five-year championship run. In 1996 Rosenblatt's faithful took in the dramatic bottom-of-the-ninth, two-out, two-run homer by Louisiana State's Warren Morris, giving his team a 9-8 upset victory over powerhouse Miami.
Baseball in Greenville and Spartanburg
Part of the Images of Baseball series
Baseball, an important institution in every American town, takes centerfield in the histories of Greenville and Spartanburg, South Carolina. These two cities have hosted some of the most well-known players of all time, from Tommy Lasorda and Chipper Jones to "Shoeless Joe" Jackson, the man who will forever link Greenville and Spartanburg with America's game. Baseball in Greenville and Spartanburg chronicles the diamond game as it has been played in the Carolina Upstate. More than a century of games from the Minor League, Textile League, and Big League clubs, along with high school and collegiate teams, are showcased. An older Joe Jackson still plays ball, a patriotic Joe Anders impresses crowds in the 1940s, and the Greenville Spinners, Greenville Braves, and the Spartanburg Phillies bring the crowds to their feet. The greats teach the game to tomorrow's stars, while tomorrow's stars perfect their talent, all with the Blue Ridge Foothills rising in the distance.
New York Aces
The First 75 Years
Part of the Images of Baseball series
It was in the New York City area in the mid-nineteenth century that various pitching styles were invented, developments that changed baseball history. In 1883, the Giants became a powerhouse, hiring the finest pitchers in the country. In the twentieth century, the talent pool kept changing, but the quality did not. Christy Mathewson, "Iron Man" McGinnity, and Rube Marquard all won more than two hundred games in the majors, and each played a part in many pennant victories for John McGraw's Giants. In 1921, the Yankees won their first championship, and their domination of the American League that followed was unprecedented. Pitching was both effective and exciting for New York fans, whether in Yankee Stadium or the Polo Grounds. New York Aces: The First 75 Years covers the history of pitching in the Big Apple, with equal attention to the American League and National League franchises.
New York Sluggers
The First 75 Years
Part of the Images of Baseball series
New York City was the original hotbed of baseball, so it is not surprising that fans in the five boroughs are very knowledgeable about the game. It did not take long after baseball was established in the city in the late 1850s for heavy hitters to rise in popularity. New York has continued to set the standard. When thinking about hitting, or better yet, smashing or crushing a baseball, the first team to come to mind is always the New York Yankees. Slugging was actually invented by the Yanks and was most prominently demonstrated by Babe Ruth. When Lou Gehrig joined the team in 1923, a one-two punch was established that set a standard seldom equaled in major-league history. Meanwhile, across the East River, the Giants manufactured lots of hitting, and the New York Nationals rattled the walls in the Polo Grounds. This book is a pictorial story of the sluggers that made history in New York, in both the American and National Leagues.
Chicago White Sox
1959 and Beyond
Part of the Images of Baseball series
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 Leo Labau, Mark Fletcher, and Gerry Bilek, three lifelong White Sox fans. The images show dramatic, emotional, and light moments that could only happen in a baseball game played on the south side of Chicago. In these pages you will find showmen Bill Veeck and Harry Carey, the 1959 World Series, sluggers like Allen, Melton, Zisk, Gamble, and Kittle, and great pitchers like Peters, Horlen, and Wood. There are no world championships in this story, just the great moments of a team that has given its fans great memories.
Baseball in San Diego
From the Padres to Petco
Part of the Images of Baseball series
The first color action photo of Ted Williams (as shown on the front cover) was taken at Lane Field in San Diego on October 5, 1941 by an amateur photographer. Nobody knew of its existence until an old wooden cigar box was found in a basement in 1999. This book is a treasure chest of such old San Diego baseball pictures and memories. From the Padres to Petco focuses on San Diego's love affair with the Padres from the Pacific Coast League years at Lane Field (1936-57), Westgate Park (1958-67), San Diego Stadium (1968) and through 35 more exciting and often exasperating National League summers in Mission Valley (1969-2003). Through it all, Padre fans have been faithful and forgiving. With a new ballpark, San Diego looks to build a winning tradition.
Baseball in Little Rock
Part of the Images of Baseball series
Professional baseball in Little Rock dates back to 1895. Fans in Arkansas' capital city have been entertained by Travelers' baseball for parts of three centuries. Using only one team name and playing on just two home fields, the Travelers have displayed stability unique in minor league baseball. The team is fan owned, another rarity in professional sports. Baseball in Little Rock follows the team's long diamond history, from the struggles of the Southern Association through the triumphs of the Texas League.
Mexican American Baseball in the San Fernando Valley
Part of the Images of Baseball series
Mexican American Baseball in the San Fernando Valley explores the teams and players that dotted the valley landscape throughout the 20th century. In a time and place where Mexican Americans were closed off from many city recreation centers, neighborhoods formed their own teams. Baseball and softball reinforced community and regional ties, strengthened family bonds, instilled discipline and dedication that translated into future professional careers, provided women opportunities outside their traditional roles in the home, and fostered lifelong friendships. These photographs serve as a lens to both local sports history and Mexican American history.
Baseball in Toledo
Part of the Images of Baseball series
Professional baseball teams in Toledo, Ohio, were first known as the Mud Hens-for the local marsh birds-more than a century ago. About a dozen other team names have been used over the course of 106 seasons dating back to the first in 1883. The city has been represented in minor leagues of various levels, the Negro leagues, and the major leagues as well. For most of the last 100 years, Toledo teams have played at the highest minor league classification. Many associated with Toledo baseball have gone on to successful major league careers as players, managers, and umpires. Fifteen have been enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and others hold numerous major league records. Baseball in Toledo traces the long and rich Toledo baseball history through pictures drawn from several major collections, along with detailed captions. Included is a summary of every Toledo season, and an all-time Toledo roster that lists all the players ever to wear a Toledo uniform.
Baseball in Buffalo
Part of the Images of Baseball series
Since the time of the Civil War, baseball has played an important role in Buffalo, New York. Though most of the area's baseball pioneers, including Ollie Carnegie and Luke Easter, are gone, they live on in the memories of fans, and some of their names have even graced the facades of facilities, like Offermann Stadium. In this book, Paul Langendorfer and the Buffalo History Museum have included each inning of the Queen City's rich baseball heritage, from the 19th-century Niagaras and the 1913-1915 Federal League to the Buffalo Bisons.
New Mexico's Pueblo Baseball League
Part of the Images of Baseball series
Baseball began in the New Mexico pueblos before 1900. The game was learned by watching soldiers and settlers and by playing in the Indian schools throughout the country. The first competition was with Albuquerque teams, mining teams, other pueblo teams, and the state penitentiary. Today, the game has evolved into a family and tribal tradition. The games are played on barren fields with enthusiastic spectator support. The players' objective is to win that game, with little thought of individual achievement; they are playing for family and tribe.
The Minneapolis Millers of the American Association
Part of the Images of Baseball series
The Minneapolis Millers graced the fields of the American Association for six decades, from 1902 to 1960. Known as a high-level training ground for professional ballplayers, the Millers were also famous for their heated rivalry with the neighboring St. Paul Saints. Drawing on the extensive array of photographs from the Hennepin County Library Special Collections and the author's private collection, Images of Baseball: The Minneapolis Millers of the American Association presents the history of these "boys of summer."
Baseball in San Diego
From the Plaza to the Padres
Part of the Images of Baseball series
Baseball in San Diego: From the Plaza to the Padres, takes the reader on a seven-decade journey from Horton Plaza, the site of San Diego's first base ball game in 1871, to lower Broadway and the future home of Lane Field. Before the Pacific Coast League, San Diego had three Class D teams. One was the Bears, whose frustrated owner Dick Cooley complained, "I don't believe they'll make baseball pay here in a thousand years." With America's finest year-round climate, barnstorming and black baseball were popular attractions. Rube Foster's Chicago American Giants practically lived in San Diego in the winter of 1913. All the while, there were constant struggles between the forces of amateur and professional baseball for players, diamonds, and sports coverage.
Baseball in Asheville
Part of the Images of Baseball series
Baseball has served as the pastime of preference in Asheville, North Carolina, for more than a century. Nearly anywhere a flat lot can be found in the rolling hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, baseball has been played by locals and visitors alike, with many of the city's greatest thrills created by the hometown Tourists, who have been mainstays in the professional ranks for most of the past 80 years. Oates Park, where author Thomas Wolfe toiled as a batboy prior to attending the University of North Carolina, served as the home of the Mountaineers, Tourists, and the semi-pro Asheville Royal Giants during the first three decades of the 20th century until McCormick Field was built in the mid-1920s. The ballpark, just south of downtown Asheville, welcomed the likes of Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth during exhibition contests, while future Hall of Famers Eddie Murray and Willie Stargell and current standouts Todd Helton and Juan Pierre honed their skills in the mountains on their way to the game's top level.
Baseball in Hot Springs
Part of the Images of Baseball series
Hot Springs, Arkansas, with its thermal water baths, attracted its first big-league outfit when the National League champion Chicago White Stockings traveled south for spring training in 1886. The baseball colony grew as dozens of other clubs followed. Individual players flocked here as well to hike, golf, and "boil out" in bathhouse steam cabinets prior to leaving for training camps elsewhere. Nearly half of Cooperstown's Hall of Famers made the pilgrimage to this baseball mecca. Major- and minor-league aggregations, legendary teams, players of the Negro Leagues, and baseball schools for budding players and umpires all come to bat in Images of Sports: Baseball in Hot Springs.
Reading's Big League Exhibition Games
Part of the Images of Baseball series
While Reading may be known today for the Fightin' Phils, it has also been the site of 72 games played by 17 major-league franchises and barnstorming teams since 1874. Among the teams that have played in these exhibition games are the Philadelphia Phillies, Philadelphia Athletics, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Giants, and St. Louis Cardinals, along with appearances by baseball greats Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Mike Schmidt, Ernie Banks, and Rogers Hornsby. Reading fans have looked on as both the 1906 Phillies and A's tried to catch a bunny on the field mid-game, cheered for Christy Mathewson's shutouts, sang "Happy Birthday" to Pete Rose, and watched "Shoeless" Joe Jackson hit a home run.
Mexican American Baseball in Los Angeles
by Francisco E. Balderrama
Part of the Images of Baseball series
Images of Baseball: Mexican American Baseball in Los Angeles celebrates the flourishing culture of the great pastime in East Los Angeles and other communities where a strong sense of Mexican identity and pride was fostered in a sporting atmosphere of both fierce athleticism and social celebration. From 1900, with the establishment of the Mexican immigrant community, to the rise of Fernandomania in the 1980s, baseball diamonds in greater Los Angeles were both proving grounds for youth as they entered their educations and careers, and the foundation for the talented Forty-Sixty Club, comprised of players of at least 40, and often over 60, years of age. These evocative photographs look back on the great Mexican American teams and players of the 20th century, including the famous Chorizeros--the proclaimed "Yankees of East L.A."
The Philadelphia Phillies
Part of the Images of Baseball series
The Philadelphia Phillies, one of the oldest teams in Major League Baseball, have maintained a strong, loyal fan base for over 125 years. Despite historic setbacks, the franchise has proven resilient and evolved into a perennial contender with consistently large attendance figures. In fact, the Phillies claim 37 Hall of Famers, two World Series championships, seven National League pennants, and nine division titles. The Philadelphia Phillies chronicles the greatness of Grover Cleveland Alexander, the remarkable career of Richie Ashburn, the perfection of Jim Bunning, and the teams of success and luster as well as those shining stars of the less successful eras.
Baseball in Memphis
Part of the Images of Baseball series
Auto Zone Park, arguably the best minor-league baseball park built in the past 25 years, is nestled in a corner of downtown Memphis. Located across the street from the historic Peabody Hotel and two blocks from Beale Street, Auto Zone opened in 2000 to rave reviews. It is the phoenix that rose from the ashes of Russwood Park. Baseball enthusiasts remember Russwood and the players who roamed the field, like Dazzy Vance, one-arm Pete Gray, Big Klu, and Moonlight Graham. Images of Baseball: Baseball in Memphis highlights the history of the Chicks and the Redbirds and pays homage to the original amateur Chickasaws, the Red Sox, and the Blues.
Mexican American Baseball in the Inland Empire
Part of the Images of Baseball series
Mexican American Baseball in the Inland Empire celebrates the thriving culture of former teams from Pomona, Ontario, Cucamonga, Chino, Claremont, San Bernardino, Colton, Riverside, Corona, Beaumont, and the Coachella Valley. From the early 20th century through the 1950s, baseball diamonds in the Inland Empire provided unique opportunities for nurturing athletic and educational skills, ethnic identity, and political self-determination for Mexican Americans during an era of segregation. Legendary men's and women's teams-such as the Corona Athletics, San Bernardino's Mitla Café, the Colton Mercuries, and Las Debs de Corona-served as an important means for Mexican American communities to examine civil and educational rights and offer valuable insight on social, cultural, and gender roles. These evocative photographs recall the often-neglected history of Mexican American barrio baseball clubs of the Inland Empire.
Baseball in Tacoma-Pierce County
Part of the Images of Baseball series
The Tacoma-Pierce County area has enjoyed a rich tradition of baseball from the sandlot beginnings in 1874, to the first professional game at the "Eleventh Street Ball Grounds" in 1890, to the "100 Day Wonder" known as Cheney Stadium, which was opened in the spring of 1960. While Tacoma has laid claim to six Pacific Coast League championships since the 1904-1905 season, it was the players who competed in the City, Valley, Sunset, Community, Timber, Commercial, Industrial, and Shipbuilders leagues that formed the backbone of the sport. Among notables that have dotted local rosters or competed in the major leagues are Ron Cey, "Indian" Bob Johnson, Mike Blowers, Jon Lester, Steve Whitaker, and Doug Sisk, as well as Baseball Hall of Famers Walter Johnson, Joe McGinnity, Juan Marichal, Gaylord Perry, and Willie McCovey.
Baseball in Reading
Part of the Images of Baseball series
On a crisp April evening or a sizzling August afternoon, before a handful of friends or a throng of thousands, on a playground sandlot or in one of America's storied minor-league stadiums-whenever and wherever baseball is played in Reading, Pennsylvania, it is played with passion. Baseball in Reading captures for the first time the images of the teams, players, and ballparks that have made the city one of minor-league baseball's true legends. Claiming the title Baseballtown in 2002, Reading has a baseball legacy that dates back to the late 1800s. Only three other minor-league teams have remained in the same location for a longer period of time. Players such as Charlie Wagner, Roger Maris, and Rico Petrocelli have contributed to the rich history that unfolds in Baseball in Reading.
Baseball in Springfield
Part of the Images of Baseball series
It has been more than half a century since Springfield last hosted minor league baseball. That draught will end at downtown's newly constructed Hammons Field in the spring of 2005, when the Springfield Cardinals of the AA Texas League bring professional baseball back to the Queen City of the Ozarks. The new team will have quite a legacy to fulfill, as the Springfield Cardinals of the Western Association won several pennants those many years ago, and brought to town such legendary baseball names as Branch Rickey, Joe Garagiola, and Stan Musial. Before the Cardinals came teams like the Midgets, Reds, and Merchants, and a rich tradition of professional and semi-pro baseball dating back to the mid-1880s. Drawing from a wide range of primary sources and complimented by over 100 vintage images, Baseball in Springfield is must-have for those ready to discover the historic connection this city has to the national pastime.
South Side Hitmen
The Story of the 1977 Chicago White Sox
Part of the Images of Baseball series
By self-admission, the 1977 Chicago White Sox couldn't catch, run, or throw; and only on occasion could they pitch. Some felt unwanted and unloved by past teams. Two were told by skeptics that they didn't even belong on the field. Yet it was these qualities that made them one of the most entertaining teams in franchise history. They didn't bunt to move runners along, steal bases to distract the opposing defense, or turn the double play. They just hit and hit until demoralized opponents cried uncle. They didn't win the World Series or even a division title. They couldn't be called champions, but they lived up to another title. They were the South Side Hitmen. Team owner Bill Veeck transformed a hapless 1976 ball club into contenders and big-time draws at the ticket box. New acquisitions Oscar Gamble, Richie Zisk, and Eric Soderholm led the team to a franchise record 192 home runs, while legendary broadcaster Harry Caray led Comskey Park fans through the seventh-inning stretch. The White Sox won 90 games that season (including 22 in an amazing month of July) and finished first in the hearts of baseball fans across the city's South Side.
Mexican American Baseball in the Pomona Valley
Part of the Images of Baseball series
This volume pays homage to the wonderful teams and players from Azusa, La Verne, Claremont, Pomona, Chino, Cucamonga, Ontario, and Upland. A common thread of all these diverse communities was the establishment of baseball teams and, later, softball teams. Baseball played a critical role in advancing civil and political rights, labor reform, gender equality, educational integration, and cultural legitimacy. These remarkable photographs revive the often-overlooked history of Mexican American baseball in the Greater Pomona Valley.
Mexican American Baseball in the Central Coast
Part of the Images of Baseball series
Mexican American Baseball in the Central Coast pays tribute to the teams and players who brought joy and honor to their fans and communities in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. Baseball was played before enthusiastic crowds in Piru, Santa Paula, Fillmore, Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo, Ojai, Carpinteria, Santa Barbara, Goleta, Santa Maria, Guadalupe, Lompoc, and other communities. Players and their families helped create the economic infrastructure and prosperity that are evident today in the Central Coast. For women, softball was a social counterbalance to the strict cultural roles defined by society. Many former players dedicated their lives to the unrelenting struggle for social justice, while others devoted themselves to youth sports. This book remedies the glaring omission of baseball images and stories of Mexican American neighborhoods in the Central Coast of California.
The Cincinnati Reds
1900-1950
Part of the Images of Baseball series
In the first half of the twentieth century, the Cincinnati Reds--though only rarely dominant on the field--exerted considerable influence over the world of organized baseball. The creation of the World Series, baseball's first "de facto" commissioner, nighttime baseball beneath the lights, radio broadcasts, and modern groundskeeping--all innovations in major league baseball that can be attributed to the Cincinnati Reds. The 1919 Reds played in one of the most infamous sporting events ever, winning the World Series over the scandal-ridden Chicago "Black Sox." They returned to the Fall Classic in 1939 and 1940 without controversy, winning the championship in '40. This is the era of The Palace of the Fans and Crosley Field, of a 15-year-old pitcher turned Cincinnati legend, and of Hall of Famers Ed Roush, Eppa Rixey, and Ernie Lombardi.
The American Association Milwaukee Brewers
Part of the Images of Baseball series
Many people know of Milwaukee's famous beer brewers, such as Schlitz, Pabst, and Miller, but these pages contain the story of the original baseball Brewers. The Milwaukee Brewers of the American Association spent 51 seasons (1902-1952) on the city's near north side. To have had the opportunity to stretch out in the sun-soaked stands of Borchert Field during that era was to witness minor league baseball at its best. The Brewers were the second-winningest franchise in the league's history, and names like Tom "Sugar Boy" Dougherty and Nick "Tomato Face" Cullop were once household words throughout the city. This book stands as a tribute to the colorful history of this team and to all the former players, coaches, and managers who ever wore the woolens for Milwaukee.
As Good As It Got
The 1944 St. Louis Browns
Part of the Images of Baseball series
World War II threatened to ruin Major League Baseball. By 1945, over 500 major leaguers and 3,000 minor league prospects had been enlisted for the war effort, leaving a dearth of talent for the Big Leagues. The St. Louis Browns, like other AL and NL clubs, would be forced to fill holes in their roster with scrubs-4-F players (those dismissed from the military due to physical ailments), retired major leaguers, and youngsters not yet ready to leave the minors. But there were still some top level players to be had, and 1944 Browns manager Luke Sewell assembled the franchise's most successful team ever, taking the St. Louis ball club to its first and only Fall Classic.
Chicago's Wrigley Field
Part of the Images of Baseball series
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, generations of Cubs' fans have made that summer pilgrimage to the home of Gabby Hartnett's "Homer in the gloamin'" that clinched the 1938 pennant, Hack Wilson's record 190 RBI season, Ernie Banks' 500th career home run, Sammy Sosa's 60 plus home run seasons, and Kerry Wood's 20-strikeout masterpiece. It was originally built as Wheeghman Park in 1914 to host the Chicago Whales of the upstart Federal League. The Cubs moved in two years later, and, with an 11-inning 7-6 victory over the rival Cincinnati Reds, one of the greatest traditions in all of American sports was established: National League baseball at Chicago's picturesque north side ballpark. Renamed Cubs Park in 1920 and finally Wrigley Field in 1926, the hallmark bricks and ivy, hand operated scoreboard, and high flying "W" (or, regrettably, "L") flag over Wrigley have become longstanding symbols of summertime in the city.
Kane County Cougars
Part of the Images of Baseball series
In 1991, it seemed odd (if not unwise) when a minor league franchise moved into a major league market-- one with two big league teams, no less. But the story of the Kane County Cougars of the single-A Midwest League has been one of tremendous successes on the field, at the gates, and above all in the hearts of baseball fans in Chicago's western suburbs. The team continues to draw more than half a million fans to Geneva's cozy Elfstrom Stadium year after year, without ever being affiliated with the Cubs or Sox in the nearby city. They have fielded some top prospects, including 2003 World Series MVP Josh Beckett and his teammate Dontrelle Willis. They have battled in the post-season several times in their brief history, and they thrilled fans by winning the 1991 Midwest League Championship. Cougar fans will enjoy this pictorial tour through the club's first 15 seasons, which provides a local view of the history of the national pastime.
Baseball in Indianapolis
Part of the Images of Baseball series
Victory Field, built in 1996 as home to the Indianapolis Indians, is considered by many today as the best minor league ballpark in the nation. But baseball has deeper roots in the Circle City, as fans of the Tribe will discover in the pages of Baseball in Indianapolis, which tells the story of the American pastime in the state capitol from the post-Civil War era up to the present day. Legends like Rube Marquard, Oscar Charleston and Roger Maris are all a part of Indianapolis' baseball heritage. So too are present-day stars like Randy Johnson, Larry Walker and Aaron Boone. Even Hank Aaron had a stint with the barnstorming Indianapolis Clowns in 1952, en route to his record-breaking career.
Baseball in Tulsa
Part of the Images of Baseball series
The rich tradition and history of professional baseball are brought to life in Baseball in Tulsa. Wayne McCombs traces Tulsa's baseball past from the cow pastures of Indian Territory into the 21st century. The book documents the struggle many players endure in the coveted quest to become a major league baseball player. Showcasing a collection of over 170 rare photographs, this new volume vividly documents the sport that makes Tulsa one of the best minor league cities in America. See all the greats from the original Tulsa Oilers through today's Tulsa Drillers, including hall-of-famers Satchel Paige, Frank Robinson, Steve Carlton, Dizzy Dean, and Warren Spahn-each of these legends either played or coached in Tulsa.