This is a history of the New York Yankees over a decade which saw them at the top of the American League and at the bottom. Based upon thorough background research and interviews with over 100 former players, the book covers the major stories of the period as well as some not seen elsewhere. The seventh games of the 1960 and 1962 World Series are described in detail, replete with the remembrances of many of the participants. The infamous Phil Linz harmonica incident, the fruitless search for another Mickey Mantle and the surprising emergence of Mel Stottlemyre are some of the stories that...

This book traces the history of the New York Mets from the franchise's inauspicious beginnings--the 1962 team, led by Casey Stengel and made up of players like Rod Kanehl and Jay Hook, lost 120 games--through the miraculous championship season of 1969. Based on interviews with more than one hundred former players and extensive research by one of the more highly regarded baseball historians writing today, the book covers the era in unprecedented detail. Any Met fan from the 1960s will find some familiar stories along with some they've probably never read before. Presented in an easy-to-read,...

Describes the evolution of baseball from early bat and ball games to its growth and acceptance in different regions of the country. This title focuses on The New York clubs (the Atlantics, Excelsiors and Mutuals), serving as examples of how the sport became more sophisticated and popular.

It was a novel experiment as baseball's leading men formed the National Association, bringing order to the hodgepodge of professional and amateur clubs that made up the sport from the end of the Civil War through 1870. It was an imperfect beginning to organized professional sports in America--the league was plagued by gambling, contract jumping and rumors of dishonest play--but it laid the groundwork for the multi-billion-dollar enterprises of the 21st century. Like most sporting endeavors, it was entertaining, with the best players in the world displaying their talents throughout the...

This narrative history of minor league football teams in Connecticut during the 60s and 70s is based on extensive newspaper and periodical research and interviews with nearly 70 former players, broadcasters and journalists. Only a few players - such as Marv Hubbard, Lou Piccone and Bob Tucker - emerged from the minors and made it to the NFL, but many more played for as little as $25 per game in their quest to make it big, or just to have fun playing the game they loved. Wealthy men like Pete Savin and Frank D'Addario got to live their dreams by owning teams in Hartford and Bridgeport. In the...