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First published in 1948, Lee Allen's history of the Reds, like Franklin Lewis's history of the Cleveland Indians, was originally published by G. P. Putnam's Sons. Allen narrates the historic organization's success, beginning shortly after the Civil War with baseball's rising popularity among Cincinnati's elite. Eventually, as interest increased, America's first professional baseball team was established in 1868 - Cincinnati's Red Stockings. ""The Cincinnati Reds"" chronicles each season from the...

With a line-up that included future Hall of Famers Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Tony Perez and Pete Rose, the 'Big Red Machine' powered its way to six division titles, four pennants, and two World Series, all in the 1970s. Three other times in that decade they finished second in their division to the eventual pennant winner.While much has been written about the players and manager Sparky Anderson, no book until now has given adequate attention to the man behind the Machine, general manager Bob Hows...

"Pitch by Pitch gets inside Bob Gibson's head on the evening of October 2, 1968, when he took the mound in Game One of the World Series against the Detroit Tigers and struck out a record seventeen batters. Gibson, known as one of the most intimidating pitchers in baseball history, relives each inning and each pitch. Facing down batter after batter, Gibson shares his insights into every player that stepped into the batter's box against him that day--recounting in candid and in-depth detail the pi...

House of David barnstorming baseball (1915-1957) was played without pre-determined schedules, leagues, player statistics or standings. The Davids quickly gained popularity for their hirsute appearance and flashy, fast-paced style of play. During their 200 seasons, they travelled as many as 30,000 miles, criss-crossing the United States, Canada and Mexico. The Benton Harbor teams invented the pepper game and were winners year after year, becoming legends in barnstorming baseball. Initially a loo...

"An examination of the unique parallels between New York City's evolution and that of the New York Yankees, How the Yankees Explain New York illustrates how the storied history of the Bronx Bombers mirrors that of the Big Apple itself. The oldest professional sports franchise in the city, the Yankees have played in front of sold out crowds in the Bronx for nearly a century, and this work explores the relationship between Wall Street high-rollers and the Yankees' record-setting payroll, describes...

 Nikkei Baseball examines baseball's evolving importance to the Japanese American community and the construction of Japanese American identity. Originally introduced in Japan in the late 1800s, baseball was played in the United States by Japanese immigrants first in Hawaii, then San Francisco and northern California, then in amateur leagues up and down the Pacific Coast. For Japanese American players, baseball was seen as a sport that encouraged healthy competition by imposing rules and standard...

Though not a well-known name today, Pop Lloyd was a trailblazer in the world of baseball. The great Honus Wagner said, ""It is a privilege to have been compared with him."" This work looks at the life and career of John Henry ""Pop"" Lloyd, who played in the early Negro Leagues and went on to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. In an era when players could easily become a kind of commodity for their teams, Pop Lloyd worked hard to retain his autonomy, refusing to agree to a binding serve...