Baseball Superstars
3 total works
Before 1947, professional baseball was as segregated as the rest of American society: Black baseball players were forced to compete in the Negro Leagues, rather than in Major League Baseball. But on April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier and changed history by becoming the first African American to play in the Major League Baseball. Signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers and managed by the visionary Branch Rickey, Robinson spent 10 seasons in the major leagues, during which time the Dodgers won six pennants. Robinson was a six-time All-Star, the National League Rookie of the Year in 1947, and the National League MVP in 1949. This fully illustrated, highly readable biography traces the phenomenal rise of this all-American icon.
Standing 6 feet 10 inches tall, Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Randy Johnson is one of the tallest players in Major League Baseball history, and his accomplishments on the diamond have taken the sport to new heights. Nicknamed the ""Big Unit,"" the five-time Cy Young Award winner leads active players in strikeouts per nine innings (10.77) and is second in both strikeouts (4,544) and shutouts (37). And his achievements don't end there: Johnson holds the MLB record for consecutive seasons with 300 strikeouts (five) and ranks third all time in career strikeouts behind Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens. Readers will marvel at these remarkable statistics and more in this fun and informative new biography of one of the true giants of America's favorite pastime.