Synopses & Reviews
What do Mark Koenig, Red Rolfe, Frank Crosetti, Sandy Alomar, Bobby Murcer, Wayne Tolleson, and Derek Jeter all have in common? They all wore #2 for the New York Yankees, even though nearly eight decades have passed between the first time Koenig buttoned up a Yankee uniform with that number and the last time Jeter performed the same routine.
Since 1929, the Yankees have issued 73 different numbers to more than 1,500 players. Thats a lot of overlap. That also makes for a lot of good stories. Yankees by the Numbers tells those stories for every Yankee since 29from Earle Combs (the original #1) to Charlie Keller (the only Yankee to ever wear #99)providing insightful and humorous commentary about the more memorable players, from a fans perspective. Complete with more than 100 baseball cards (courtesy of the Topps Company), each chapter also features a fascinating sidebar that reveals which players were the most obscure to wear a certain number, and also which numbers produced the most wins, home runs and stolen bases in club history. For data seekers, the Yankees Alphabetical Roster is a complete listing of every single Yankee since 1929, the numbers they wore, and their years of service at the House that Ruth Built.
Review
"[Baseball's New Frontier] serves its purpose well. . . . From the Angels having just eight days (!) to stock their team, to the Mets and Astros getting a siginificantly less talented and promising pool from which to draw, to the huge franchise fees collected from the Diamondbacks and Devil Rays in 1998, viewing those waves in one narrative gives an interesting refection of each era and just how much that side of the game has changed, and how expansion both caused and reflected."and#8212;Jerry Milani, Going 9 Baseball
Review
and#8220;The expansion of baseballand#8212;with a wrong turn here and thereand#8212;raised the prosperity and popularity of the industry to record heights, and Fran Zimniuch captures it all in this comprehensive book. Can Tokyo, Havana, or Mexico City be next?and#8221;and#8212;Ross Newhan, recipient of the J. G. Taylor Spink Award by the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000
Review
and#8220;The expansion of baseball has been a barometer of the sportand#8217;s cultural impact. Fran Zimniuch provides his readers with an understanding of the circumstances affecting baseballand#8217;s growth. He relates how the gameand#8217;s expansion impacted its popularity and influence. Once this dispersal was accepted, baseball evolved into a truly national sport.and#8221;and#8212;Jerrold Casway, baseball historian and author of Ed Delahanty in the Emerald Age of Baseball
Review
and#8220;Fran Zimniuch is a wonderful baseball historian. This account of the expansion of Major League Baseball over the years will be of interest to all baseball fans.and#8221;and#8212;Mike Schmidt, Hall of Fame third baseman who hit 548 home runs during his eighteen-year career with the Philadelphia Phillies
Review
andquot;The University of Nebraska Press has produced this book most attractively, a fitting tribute to the genuine joy baseball fans will find in savoring the stories of Philadelphia's Top 50 Baseball Players. Read this fine book with pleasureandmdash;and happy memories!andquot;andmdash;Dr. McKim, Baseball Almanac
Review
"If you love Philadelphia baseball . . . this volume will give you enjoyment. . . . You are likely to learn a little something whenever you pick it up."and#8212;Larry Eichel, Philly.com
Review
andquot;Any baseball fan would love this book. Let the debating begin.andquot;andmdash;Town Talk newspapers
Review
and#8220;This compilation of Philadelphia baseball legends takes me back to my childhood with idols like Schmidt, Carlton, and Bowa. Even my fatherand#8217;s teammatesand#8212;Bunning, Allen, and Taylorand#8212;and some of the gameand#8217;s greats reminiscent of Roberts and Whitey and Ennis. It also includes our current stars like Rollins, Utley, and Howard. It is a great grouping of athletes that traverses time and eras here in Philly. An enjoyable read for all fans, especially those looking for a trip down memory lane.and#8221;and#8212;Ruben Amaro Jr., senior vice president and general manager of the Phillies
Review
and#8220;Philadelphia has always been a great baseball city that has produced its share of stars. When the time came to discuss and debate the fifty top players produced here, the areaand#8217;s best baseball historian and writer, Rich Westcott, does not disappoint. His latest work will induce fun baseball conversation about those who made the list and those who missed it.and#8221;and#8212;Chris Wheeler, longtime broadcaster for the Phillies
Review
and#8220;Rich Westcottand#8217;s latest historic survey of Philadelphia baseball provides an in-depth look at the greatest players with links to our talent-rich area. It brings to life names like Chief Bender, Chuck Klein, and Jimmie Foxx and reminds us why modern-day players like Mike Schmidt, Mike Piazza, and Dick Allen were such incredible stars.and#8221;and#8212;Bob Brookover, baseball columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer
Synopsis
The story of the world's most popular baseball team as told through a history of its uniform numbers.
Synopsis
The story of the world"s most popular baseball team as told through a history of its uniform numbers.
Synopsis
When Major League Baseball first expanded in 1961 with the addition of the Los Angeles Angels and the Washington Senators, it started a trend that saw the number of franchises almost double, from sixteen to thirty, while baseball attendance grew by 44 percent. The story behind this staggering growth, told for the first time in
Baseballand#8217;s New Frontier, is full of twists and unexpected turns, intrigue, and, in some instances, treachery. From the desertion of New York by the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants to the ever-present threat of antitrust legislation, from the backroom deals and the political posturing to the impact of the upstart Continental League, the book takes readers behind the scenes and into baseballand#8217;s decision-making process.
Fran Zimniuch gives a lively team-by-team chronicle of how the franchises were awarded, how existing teams protected their players, and what the new teamsand#8217; winning (or losing) strategies were. With its account of great players, notable characters, and the changing fortunes of teams over the years, the book supplies a vital chapter in the history of Major League Baseball.and#160;
Synopsis
Philadelphiaand#8217;s Top Fifty Baseball Players takes a look at the greatest players in Philadelphia baseball history from the earliest days in 1830 through the Negro Leagues and into the modern era. Their ranks include batting champions, home run kings, Most Valuable Players, Cy Young Award winners, and Hall of Famersand#8212;from Ed Delahanty, Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Grove, Roy Campanella, Mike Schmidt, and Ryan Howard to Negro League stars Judy Johnson and Biz Mackey and other Philadelphia standouts such as Richie Ashburn, Dick Allen, Chuck Klein, Eddie Collins, and Reggie Jackson. For each player the book highlights memorable incidents and accomplishments and, above all, his place in Philadelphiaand#8217;s rich baseball tradition.
About the Author
Rich Westcott is the author of twenty-two other books, many of which are about Philadelphia sports, including The Phillies Encyclopedia, Philadelphiaand#8217;s Old Ballparks, Tales from the Phillies Dugout, and A Century of Philadelphia Sports. He is a past president of the Philadelphia Sports Writersand#8217; Association and is a member of three Halls of Fame.and#160;Dallas Green managed the Philadelphia Phillies to the 1980 World Series championship.
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