Split Season: 1981 PDF Download

Author: Jeff Katz
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 1250045215
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 337

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Book Description
"1981 was a watershed moment in American sports, when players turned an oligarchy of owners into a game where they had a real voice. Midway through the season, a game-changing strike ripped baseball apart, the first time a season had ever been stopped in the middle because of a strike. Marvin Miller and the Players' Association squared off against Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn and the owners in a fight to protect players' rights to free agency and defend America's pastime. Though a time-bomb was ticking as the 1981 season began, the game rose to impressive--and now legendary--heights. Pete Rose chased Stan Musial's National League hit record and rookie Fernando Valenzuela was creating a sensation as the best pitcher in the league when the stadiums went dark and the players went on strike. For the first time in modern history, there were first and second-half champions and the two teams with the overall best records in the National League were not awarded playoff berths. When the season resumed after an absence of 712 games, the season picked up again with a Nolan Ryan no-hitter. The Dodgers bested their long-time rivals in a Yankees-Dodgers World Series, the last classic matchup of those storied opponents. Pulling from incredible and extensive interviews with almost all of the strike's major players, Split Season: 1981 brings back the on-field and off-field drama of an unforgettable baseball year"--

Author: Eric Vickrey
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476651396
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 242

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Book Description
The 1982 St. Louis Cardinals played an entertaining style of baseball built on speed and defense. The roster was constructed and piloted by Whitey Herzog, a baseball visionary who tailored his team for the AstroTurf and spacious dimensions of Busch Stadium. Herzog traded for closer Bruce Sutter, speedsters Lonnie Smith and Willie McGee, and defensive wizard Ozzie Smith, adding to a talented roster that included the likes of Bob Forsch, Keith Hernandez, and George Hendrick. The result was an exhilarating season filled with winning streaks, numerous obstacles, and one unforgettable steal of home. The Cardinals won the National League pennant despite hitting the fewest home runs in the major leagues, then overcame baseball’s most powerful team—the Milwaukee Brewers—in the World Series. This exhaustive account chronicles the Cardinals from Herzog’s rebuild to the final out of the Fall Classic. Hundreds of sources, including original interviews, were compiled to revisit a championship season and tell the backstories of an eclectic group of players who reached baseball’s pinnacle.

Author: Elmore Leonard
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 0061809411
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 388

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“Constant action and top-notch writing.” —New York Times A Palm Beach playboy who amuses himself with murder finds himself on a collision course with a vacationing Motown cop in Elmore Leonard’s Split Images—a gripping and electrifying example of noir gold from “the coolest, hottest writer in America” (Chicago Tribune). Split Images is Grand Master Leonard at the top of his game, a bravura example of how exemplary crime fiction is done by a writer who stands tall among the all-time mystery greats: John D. MacDonald, Dashiell Hammett, James M. Cain, et al. The brilliant creator of U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (of TV’s Justified) now brings us a cast of vivid and unforgettable characters on both sides of the law, in a twisting masterwork of unrelenting suspense that the Washington Post calls, “Brilliant...impressive...superb.”

Author: David Jerome
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476688214
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 268

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Book Description
One of the most underrated players in baseball history, Bill Virdon went on to successfully manage four Major League teams. Rookie of the Year with the 1955 St. Louis Cardinals, he played center field for 10 seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, next to right fielder Roberto Clemente. Virdon's key plays clinched the Pirates' victory over the New York Yankees in the 1960 World Series. He was instrumental in coaching the "Bucs" during the 1971 Series against the Baltimore Orioles, and later that year became their manager, Virdon was American League Manager of the Year with the Yankees in 1974, and National League Manager of the Year with the Houston Astros in 1980. In 1984 he ended his MLB managerial career while with the Montreal Expos yet continued to coach through the 2002 season. This first-ever biography covers his remarkable career, with previously untold stories from Virdon and his wife, Shirley.

Author: Rusty Burson
Publisher: Triumph Books
ISBN: 1633197735
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 374

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Book Description
Most Texas Rangers fans have gone to at least a game or two in Arlington and were gripped by every captivating moment of the team's 2015 postseason run. But only real fans know the significance of the numbers 8, 34, and 1972, or where to find the best Rangers bars in Texas. 100 Things Rangers Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die is the ultimate resource for true fans of the Texas Rangers, whether you cheered on the Ryan Express or are a recent supporter of the team under Jeff Bannister. From the bizarre and wonderful 1977 season to the Josh Hamilton saga and beyond, experienced sportswriter Rusty Burson has collected every essential piece of Rangers knowledge, plus must-do activities, and ranks them all from 1 to 100, providing an entertaining and easy-to-follow checklist as you progress on your way to fan superstardom. This updated edition includes the Rangers' recent memorable successes, including the push to the 2015 playoffs, and new faces like Yu Darvish and Cole Hamels.

Author: Glenn Stout
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN: 0618213554
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 480

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Book Description
In the annals of baseball, the history of few other teams can compare to the rich legacy of the Dodgers. Stout provides their definitive story, from their birth in Brooklyn in 1884 to their move to Los Angeles to present day.

Author: Jason Turbow
Publisher: Mariner Books
ISBN: 1328715531
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 401

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Book Description
The wildly entertaining narrative of the outrageous 1981 Dodgers from the award-winning author of Dynastic, Fantastic, Bombastic and The Baseball Codes In the Halberstam tradition of capturing a season through its unforgettable figures, They Bled Blue is a sprawling, mad tale of excess and exuberance, the likes of which could only have occurred in that place, at that time. That it culminated in an unlikely World Series win--during a campaign split by the longest player strike in baseball history--is not even the most interesting thing about this team. The Dodgers were led by the garrulous Tommy Lasorda--part manager, part cheerleader--who unyieldingly proclaimed devotion to the franchise through monologues about bleeding Dodger blue and worshiping the "Big Dodger in the Sky," and whose office hosted a regular stream of Hollywood celebrities. Steve Garvey, the All-American, All-Star first baseman, had anchored the most durable infield in major league history, and, along with Davey Lopes, Bill Russell, and Ron Cey, was glaringly aware that 1981 would represent the end of their run together. The season's real story, however, was one that nobody expected at the outset: a chubby lefthander nearly straight out of Mexico, twenty years old with a wild delivery and a screwball as his flippin' out pitch. The Dodgers had been trying for decades to find a Hispanic star to activate the local Mexican population; Fernando Valenzuela was the first to succeed, and it didn't take long for Fernandomania to sweep far beyond the boundaries of Chavez Ravine. They Bled Blue is the rollicking yarn of the Los Angeles Dodgers' crazy 1981 season.

Author: Dennis Brackin
Publisher: Quarto Publishing Group USA
ISBN: 1610602692
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 193

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Book Description
A treasury of Twin Cities baseball history packed with photos from the archives. Major League Baseball came to the Minnesota prairie in the spring of 1961, and ever since, the Minnesota Twins have held a cherished place in the hearts of sports fans throughout the region. With Hall of Famers like Harmon Killebrew, Rod Carew, and Kirby Puckett and beloved characters from Billy Martin to Kent Hrbek to Joe Mauer, the history of the Twins encompasses highs and lows, heroes and goats, but always nonstop excitement. Minnesota Twins: The Complete Illustrated History provides an in-depth and entertaining look at the team, its players, its stadiums, and the memorable moments through the years. Illustrated with photos from the Star Tribune’s archives, it is the ultimate celebration of a beloved franchise.

Author: Charles Kupfer
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476626774
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 213

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Book Description
"Orioles Magic" is a phrase fans still associate with the 1979-1983 seasons, Baltimore's last championship era, when they played excellent, exciting ball with a penchant for late-inning heroics. This book analyzes the Orioles not just as a great team but as the team to be marked by the fabled "Oriole Way," an organizational commitment to fundamentally sound baseball that guided them for nearly 30 years. The Magic years are discussed in the context of Baltimore sports, fan culture and baseball history, recalling the thrills of a splendid squad that delighted fans and reminding us why Peter Gammons called the 1979-1983 Orioles one of the major league's "last fun teams."

Author: Steven Riess
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 0313083061
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 1103

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Book Description
From exploits on the field, to machinations in the front office, to data on the cities where they play, the Encyclopedia of Major League Baseball Clubs presents the team history of each of the 30 MLB teams. Intelligent, in-depth essays provide social and economic histories of each club that go beyond the recounting of team glories or failures year by year. Team origins, annual campaigns, and players and managers all figure into the story, but so do owners, financiers, politicians, neighborhoods and fans. Teams are also looked at as business enterprises, with special attention given to labor issues like the reserve clause and free agency, as well as stadium construction and financing. Social and political issues are covered as well, including racism and integration, ethnic makeup of fans and players, gambling, liquor sales, and Sunday play. National events, like World War I, World War II, the Great Depression and the Cold War, and their impact on the national pastime, are also brought into the picture where they are relevant. Media coverage and broadcasting rights are discussed, as is the great influence the flood of media money has had on the sport. As America's sport, baseball reflects not just our ideas and beliefs about competition, it also reflects our national and regional identities. Readers will be able to find useful information about: important players, managers, owners; community relations/charity work; business and labor issues (television income, free agency); race relations; baseball/sports economics (including stadium construction, team relocations; and teams in local and national culture (Fenway Park, Wrigley Field as local icons, Yankees as a national team). Every essay is signed, and concludes with suggested readings and a bibliography. The work is illustrated, has a comprehensive bibliography, and is thoroughly indexed.