Chris von der Ahe knew next to nothing about baseball when he risked his life's savings to found the franchise that would become the St. Louis Cardinals. Yet the German-born beer garden proprietor would become one of the most important, and funniest, figures in the game's history. Von der Ahe picked up the team for one reason, to sell more beer. Then he helped gather a group of ragtag professional clubs together to create a maverick new league that...

Treasure trove of facts, stories, and photos that trace baseball from its origins in the nineteenth century through its expansion and evolution to the game it is today, all told through the lens of those who played it best.

"Night games transformed the business of professional baseball, as the smaller, demographically narrower audiences able to attend daytime games gave way to larger, more diversified crowds of nighttime spectators. Many ball club owners were initially conflicted about artificial lighting and later resisted expanding the number of night games during the sport's existential struggle to balance ballpark attendance and television viewership in the 1950s....

A collection of fun facts about baseball.

"From the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees, Babe Ruth's epic rise to the Baseball Hall of Fame is one to remember. Learn more about Ruth in this epic biography"--

The first book to draw back the veil on the Hall of Fame, combining an insider's history of the Hall and its players with a consideration of baseball's place in culture.

Tells the story of baseball greatest heroes Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams and how during the summer of 1941 they each set records that still stand.

"Baseball's Great Expectations features the fascinating stories of baseball players who were on the cusp of greatness, who everyone expected to be the next superstar, but never quite lived up to the hype-or through tragic circumstances, never had the chance"--