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braves spring training florida: The Cactus League Emily Nemens, 2020-02-04 Named a Best Book of 2020 by NPR and Lit Hub. A Los Angeles Times Bestseller. A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice In The Cactus League [Emily Nemens] provides her readers with what amounts to a miniature, self-enclosed world that is funny and poignant and lovingly observed. --Charles McGrath, The New York Times Book Review An explosive, character-driven odyssey through the world of baseball Jason Goodyear is the star outfielder for the Los Angeles Lions, stationed with the rest of his team in the punishingly hot Arizona desert for their annual spring training. Handsome, famous, and talented, Goodyear is nonetheless coming apart at the seams. And the coaches, writers, wives, girlfriends, petty criminals, and diehard fans following his every move are eager to find out why—as they hide secrets of their own. Humming with the energy of a ballpark before the first pitch, Emily Nemens's The Cactus League unravels the tightly connected web of people behind a seemingly linear game. Narrated by a sportscaster, Goodyear’s story is interspersed with tales of Michael Taylor, a batting coach trying to stay relevant; Tamara Rowland, a resourceful spring-training paramour, looking for one last catch; Herb Allison, a legendary sports agent grappling with his decline; and a plethora of other richly drawn characters, all striving to be seen as the season approaches. It’s a journey that, like the Arizona desert, brims with both possibility and destruction. Anchored by an expert knowledge of baseball’s inner workings, Emily Nemens's The Cactus League is a propulsive and deeply human debut that captures a strange desert world that is both exciting and unforgiving, where the most crucial games are the ones played off the field. |
braves spring training florida: A False Spring Pat Jordan, 2016-04-19 “One of the best and truest books about baseball, and about coming to maturity in America.” —Time In the late 1950s, acclaimed sportswriter Pat Jordan was a young pitching phenom, blowing away opposing batters for his Fairfield, Connecticut, high school baseball team. Fifteen major league clubs offered him a contract, but it was the Milwaukee Braves who won out, signing Jordan to a $45,000 bonus—one of the largest paid to any new player by the organization—and shipping him off to McCook, Nebraska, to play for their Class D ball club. It did not take long, however, for Jordan to realize he was out of his depth in professional baseball’s backwoods. He battled with inconsistency and a lack of control for three dismal seasons in such far-flung locales as Keokuk, Iowa, and Palatka, Florida, before the Braves released him and he gave up his dreams of big league greatness. Declared “unforgettable” by the Los Angeles Times and “a major triumph” by the Philadelphia Inquirer, A False Spring is a powerful and deeply affecting memoir about the gift of athletic talent and the heartbreak of unfulfilled promise. |
braves spring training florida: Spring Training Dan Shaughnessy, Stan Grossfeld, 2003 Before the purpose-pitch that zips inches from the batter's head, before greenfly autograph-seekers stalk hotel lobbies, before thousands of fans stand up and boo in 50,000-seat stadiums, before the proverbial dog days of summer and the pressure-packed moments of October . . . there is sweet spring. The long hello. Baseball's early season. The words spring training have long held special power over baseball fans. They signal the arrival of fresh air and sunshine after a long winter devoid of bare feet and box scores. The chance to see the game up close and personal, in beautiful slow motion. No other sport undergoes this slow, glorious unfolding. And no other book captures baseball's rite of passage in all its magic. Come on a wild ride through spring training's many attractions and peculiarities, from Florida to Arizona, the National to the American League, the dugouts to Section D. Glimpse retirees in Hawaiian shirts singing Take Me Out to the Ball Game, million-dollar players taking it easy on the field and in the bars, young rookies flashing their skills, grizzled vets going through the motions, wide-eyed children dressed from head to toe in their favorite team's garb. It's all here, from Alligator Alley to Cactus Way, sit-ups to sunblock, home runs to hangovers -- a lively tribute to America's favorite pastime in its purest, most wonderful form. |
braves spring training florida: My 1961 Andy Strasberg, 2021-04-26 |
braves spring training florida: Behind the Plate Javy Lopez, Gary Caruso, 2012-04-01 Popular Atlanta Braves catcher Javier “Javy” Lopez opens up in this autobiography to tell his amazing story, from learning to play baseball on a neighborhood basketball court to his record of 42 home runs in a season by a catcher. The product of a lower-middle-class background in Puerto Rico, Javy had to overcome numerous hardships—not the least of which was a language barrier—to fulfill his destiny as one of the most accomplished catchers of the modern era. He tells of bumps along the way to success, including why he overstated his signing bonus as well as the time in the minors when he cried during an all-night meltdown due to his struggles on the field. But he went on to be named MVP of the 1996 National League Championship Series, and played on 12 of the Atlanta Braves' unprecedented 14 straight division-winning teams of the 1990s and 2000s. From his relationship with great teammates such as Greg Maddux and John Smoltz, to his failed comeback attempt with the Braves in 2008, this autobiography tells all about the handsome, warm, engaging Lopez and how he became one of baseball's most popular players. |
braves spring training florida: 100 Things Braves Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die Jack Wilkinson, 2019-04-02 Most Atlanta Braves fans have taken in games at both Turner Field and SunTrust Park, have fond memories of the team's pitching dominance in the '90s, and proudly watched Chipper Jones get inducted into the Hall of Fame. But only real fans have traveled to Florida to watch the Fire Frogs, can recall all 14 of the franchise s no-hitters, and can tell you the only man to play for the Boston, Milwaukee, and Atlanta Braves. 100 Things Braves Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die is the ultimate resource guide for true fans of the Atlanta Braves. Whether you're a die-hard booster from the days of Hank Aaron or a recent supporter of Freddie Freeman and Dansby Swanson, these are the 100 things all fans need to know and do in their lifetime. Veteran sportswriter Jack Wilkinson has collected every essential piece of Braves knowledge and trivia, as well as must-do activities, and rank them all from 1 to 100, providing an entertaining and easy-to-follow checklist as you progress on your way to fan superstardom. |
braves spring training florida: Under the March Sun Charles Fountain, 2009-03-04 There is nothing in all of American sport quite like baseball's spring training. This annual six-week ritual, whose origins date back nearly a century and a half, fires the hearts and imaginations of fans who flock by the hundreds of thousands to places like Dodgertown to glimpse superstars and living legends in a relaxed moment and watch the drama of journeyman veterans and starry-eyed kids in search of that last spot on the bench. In Under the March Sun, Charles Fountain recounts for the first time the full and fascinating history of spring training and its growth from a shoestring-budget roadtrip to burn off winter calories into a billion-dollar-a-year business. In the early days southern hotels only reluctantly admitted ballplayers--and only if they agreed not to mingle with other guests. Today cities fight for teams by spending millions in public money to build ever-more-elaborate spring-training stadiums. In the early years of the 20th century, the mayor of St. Petersburg, Florida, Al Lang, first realized that coverage in northern newspapers every spring was publicity his growing city could never afford to buy. As the book demonstrates, cities have been following Lang's lead ever since, building identities and economies through the media exposure and visitors that spring training brings. An entertaining cultural history that taps into the romance of baseball even as it reveals its more hard-nosed commercial machinations, Under the March Sun shows why spring training draws so many fans southward every March. While the prices may be growing and the intimacy and accessibility shrinking, they come because the sunshine and sense of hope are timeless. |
braves spring training florida: Field of Schemes Neil deMause, Joanna Cagan, 2015-03 |
braves spring training florida: Ballplayer Chipper Jones, Carroll Rogers Walton, 2018-04-03 Atlanta Braves third baseman and National Hall of Famer Chipper Jones—one of the greatest switch-hitters in baseball history—shares his remarkable story, while capturing the magic nostalgia that sets baseball apart from every other sport. Before Chipper Jones became an eight-time All-Star who amassed Hall of Fame–worthy statistics during a nineteen-year career with the Atlanta Braves, he was just a country kid from small town Pierson, Florida. A kid who grew up playing baseball in the backyard with his dad dreaming that one day he’d be a major league ballplayer. With his trademark candor and astonishing recall, Chipper Jones tells the story of his rise to the MLB ranks and what it took to stay with one organization his entire career in an era of booming free agency. His journey begins with learning the art of switch-hitting and takes off after the Braves make him the number one overall pick in the 1990 draft, setting him on course to become the linchpin of their lineup at the height of their fourteen-straight division-title run. Ballplayer takes readers into the clubhouse of the Braves’ extraordinary dynasty, from the climax of the World Series championship in 1995 to the last-gasp division win by the 2005 “Baby Braves”; all the while sharing pitch-by-pitch dissections of clashes at the plate with some of the all-time great starters, such as Clemens and Johnson, as well as closers such as Wagner and Papelbon. He delves into his relationships with Bobby Cox and his famous Braves brothers—Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz, among them—and opponents from Cal Ripken Jr. to Barry Bonds. The National League MVP also opens up about his overnight rise to superstardom and the personal pitfalls that came with fame; his spirited rivalry with the New York Mets; his reflections on baseball in the modern era—outrageous money, steroids, and all—and his special last season in 2012. Ballplayer immerses us in the best of baseball, as if we’re sitting next to Chipper in the dugout on an endless spring day. |
braves spring training florida: Fodor's 2012 Florida Fodor's Travel Publications, Inc. Staff, Fodor's, 2011-10-15 Provides information on hotels and resorts, restaurants, beaches, walking and driving tours, nighttime entertainment, shopping, and sightseeing. |
braves spring training florida: Intangibles Geoff Miller, 2012-09-15 “Geoff Miller has devised a virtually flawless program to assist anyone who aspires to become a winning major league player.” —Roland Hemond, 2011 Baseball Hall of Fame Buck O’Neil Lifetime Achievement Award “One of the most remarkable books to come out in years is called Intangibles by Geoff Miller.” —Collegiate Baseball “Intangibles is filled with lessons and tools for helping baseball players in all stages of their development.” —Fredi Gonzalez, Manager, Atlanta Braves “Geoff Miller is insightful in explaining the mental aspect of baseball with real issues, simple terms and practical solutions.” —Dave Littlefield, Chicago Cubs, Special Asst. to the General Manager, Pittsburgh Pirates General Manager (2001-2007) “I am convinced that this book is one of the best compositions written on the mental aspects within the game of baseball.” —College Baseball Lineup “A must read for athletes looking to gain a mental edge or simply better identify their own strengths.” —Bryan Minniti, Assistant General Manager, Washington Nationals Foreword by Vince Gennaro, author of Diamond Dollars: The Economics of Winning in Baseball A must read for all baseball players, coaches, and fans… Mental skills coach Geoff Miller has spent years helping professional baseball players improve their mental toughness—both on and off the field. Now, he’s making these invaluable lessons available to everyone who loves the game of baseball. From high school to the Major Leagues, all baseball players struggle with competition, pressure, and their own personal challenges. This book, through inspiring stories about professional baseball players in various stages of their careers, as well as hands-on tips and questionnaires, will help players evaluate and improve the mental skills that are necessary for that competitive edge. In Intangibles, you’ll find stories, instruction, and practical applications that teach players and coaches how to put forth their best mental games—portrayed through the eyes of those who have experienced those learning moments firsthand in their quests to become Major Leaguers. From a local park’s baseball diamond to dusty minor league dugout benches to the musty concrete tunnels under Major League stadiums, Intangibles meets players where they are, offering specific ways to improve performance and outlook. Players features in the book include Brandon Moss, Nyjer Morgan, Nate McLouth, Ryan Vogelsong, Jason Bay, Adam LaRoche, Matt Capps, among others. Whether you hope to be a big league player someday, or whether you simply want to play your best game, this book is essential for all athletes who want to learn how to overcome fear, build confidence, and develop a mental framework for success. |
braves spring training florida: The Last Innocents Michael Leahy, 2016-05-10 Winner of the CASEY Award for Best Baseball Book of the Year Finalist for the PEN/ESPN Award for Literary Sports Writing From an award-winning journalist comes the riveting odyssey of seven Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1960s—a chronicle of a team, a game, and a nation in transition during one of the most exciting and unsettled decades in history. Legendary Dodgers Maury Wills, Sandy Koufax, Wes Parker, Jeff Torborg, Dick Tracewski, and Tommy Davis encapsulated 1960s America: white and black, Jewish and Christian, wealthy and working class, pro-Vietnam and anti-war, golden boy and seasoned veteran. The Last Innocents is a thoughtful, technicolor portrait of these seven players—friends, mentors, confidants, rivals, and allies—and their storied team that offers an intriguing look at a sport and a nation in transition. Bringing into focus the high drama of their World Series appearances from 1962 to 1972 and their pivotal games, Michael Leahy explores these men’s interpersonal relationships and illuminates the triumphs, agonies, and challenges each faced individually. Leahy places these men’s lives within the political and social maelstrom that was the era when the conformity of the 1950s gave way to demands for equality and rights. Increasingly frustrated over a lack of real bargaining power and an oppressive management who meddled in their personal affairs, the players shared an uneasy relationship with the team’s front office. This contention mirrored the discord and uncertainty generated by myriad changes rocking the nation: the civil rights movement, political assassinations, and growing hostility to the escalation of the Vietnam War. While the nation around them changed, these players each experienced a personal and professional metamorphosis that would alter public perceptions and their own. Comprehensive and artfully crafted, The Last Innocents is an evocative and riveting portrait of a pivotal era in baseball and modern America. |
braves spring training florida: A Second Look at Sports Dwight Allen, 2008-03 Go deep Behind the Scenes with America's Top Athletes. As the founder and host of the radio ministry A Second Look at Sports, Dr. Dwight Allen over the past 30 years has interviewed hundreds of the world's most famous athletes representing nearly every sport. From his time as a scout for the Chicago Cubs to his current A Second Look at Sports, Racing World, and 60 Second Look at Sports radio programs, Dwight's humble, unassuming approach has earned him unparalleled respect among the athletic community and resulted in some of the most revealing behind-the-scenes interviews in sports. Now Dwight gives you a glimpse into the lives of these top athletes as they share their advice and life lessons, revealing a spiritual passion not often seen in the world of sports. |
braves spring training florida: Baseball Fantography Fantography LLC, Andy Strasberg, 2012-04-01 Baseball Fantography is a celebration of baseball through the eyes of fans via photos they've taken of players, ballparks, and related subjects over the past nine decades, along with essays, sidebars, and quotes. The project originated when the author discovered an old 1960s snapshot of himself as a teenager with his idol, Roger Maris, at Yankee Stadium. Realizing that he couldn't be the only one with these hidden photographic gems, he began collecting baseball photos taken by fans. The book contains more than 250 never-before-published images (Roberto Clemente, Mickey Mantle, Derek Jeter, Josh Hamilton) in chapters on subjects like ballparks, spring training, broadcasters, dugouts, and baseball cards, and features contributions from baseball aficionados and notables like Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith, a 35-year veteran Topps baseball photographer, and a former president of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Praise for Baseball Fantography:The never-before-published shots are cool, offering a new look at the familiar. --New York Post |
braves spring training florida: Fodor's Florida 2011 Debbie Harmsen, Salwa Jabado, Jess Moss, 2010-09-28 Provides complete travel information on the cities, small towns, and resorts of Florida with advice on transportation, dining, sightseeing, accommodations, sports, shopping, and other attractions |
braves spring training florida: Promises to Keep: How Jackie Robinson Changed America Sharon Robinson, 2016-11-29 The bestselling classic biography of Jackie Robinson, America's legendary baseball player and civil rights activist, told from the unique perspective of an insider: his only daughter. Sharon Robinson shares memories of her famous father in this warm loving biography of the man who broke the color barrier in baseball -- and taught his children that the only measure of life is the impact you have on others lives'. Promises to Keep is the story of Jackie Robinson's hard-won victories in baseball, business, politics, and civil rights. It looks at the inspiring effect the legendary Brooklyn Dodger had on his family, his community ... his country. Told from the unique perspective of Robinson's only daughter, this intimate and uplifting book includes photos from the Robinson family archives and family letters never published before. Jackie Robinson is one our great national heroes. Promises to Keep reminds us what made him a champion -- on and off the field! |
braves spring training florida: Spring Training Handbook Josh Pahigian, 2013-06-04 Spring training is a time of renewal for baseball, when teams and fans descend on Florida and Arizona to begin the ever hopeful new season. The pace is a little slower, the fans are closer to the action, and the players are more accessible: the sport returns to its idyllic roots. When the first edition of this book was released, 18 of the MLB teams trained in Florida and 12 in Arizona. As 2013 arrives each league consists of 15 teams; together they utilize 14 parks in Florida and 10 in Arizona. This heavily illustrated work dedicates a chapter to each park, including modern Cactus League marvels like Camelback Ranch and Salt River Fields, and Grapefruit League bastions like Joker Marchant Stadium and McKechnie Field. Florida's Fenway Park replica, which opened in 2012, is included. In addition to profiling the five parks that have opened since the first edition, the author has updated the other chapters. Each provides a description of the park, and a recounting of its history, followed by a summary of the home team or teams' spring history. Next is a review of the park's seating, concessions and fan traditions. Each chapter concludes with information about nearby baseball landmarks and attractions. |
braves spring training florida: Summers at Shea Ira Berkow, 2013-03 Culled from 50 years' worth of columns from one of the country's most popular sportswriters, this work stands as a remarkable collection of opinions that is guaranteed to delight Mets fans of all ages. Former New York Times columnist Ira Berkow captures the spirit of the Mets in this unforgettable collection of opinions, stories, and observations from his long and distinguished career as he interviews and comments on the team. From memories of inaugural franchise manager Casey Stengel and Hall of Famer Tom Seaver to reflections on ace Johan Santana and the superstar David Wright, this collection combines Berkow's eye for detail with the comedy and drama revealed by the subjects themselves, bringing to life Mets' personalities from the last half century. |
braves spring training florida: The Summer of '64 William A. Cook, 2002-06-13 The 1964 season, highlighted by two significant trades, a game-winning home run, and three no-hitters, was a dramatic one for the National League. But even more thrilling was that season's final week and the race for the pennant. All the drama of the 1964 National League season through the Cardinals' league championship is in this book. It covers Johnny Callison's All-Star game-winning home run, Duke Snider's trade from the New York Mets to the San Francisco Giants and Lou Brock's trade from the Cubs to the Cardinals, Reds manager Fred Hutchinson's battle with cancer (and his replacement, and death in November 1964), the controversial remarks made by Giants manager Alvin Dark about African American and Latin players on his own team, the no-hitters pitched by Sandy Koufax of the Dodgers, Jim Bunning of the Phillies, and Ken Johnson of the Colt .45s (later the Astros), the opening of Shea Stadium, and the demolition of the Polo Grounds. Special attention is given to the final weeks of the season when the Phillies collapsed with a six and a half game lead and twelve games to go, while battling it out with the Cardinals and the Reds. |
braves spring training florida: The Football Thesaurus 2e Jesse Goldberg-Strassler, 2021-07-27 Field generals throw back-shoulder passes to vertical threats, working off the bump and run. Penalties were originally signaled by horns, not flags. Tailbacks follow the big uglies to paydirt for a touchdown. Football is a sport with its own lingo and jargon - a colorful patois that's developed over the years and millions of games, college and pro, with today's broadcasters developing their own descriptions of America's Game. In The Football Thesaurus, a fascinating compendium of football terms, Jesse Goldberg-Strassler - broadcaster, storyteller, talker, voice - explains what football terms mean and how they came to be. Whether it's a discussion of how Doug Plank was the inspiration for Buddy Ryan's 46 defense or why legendary Chicago Bears owner/coach George Halas referred to a football as a cantaloupe, Goldberg-Strassler's book succeeds both as a football reference and a history of the game. Football is the country's favorite sport, the heartbeat of most every town, community, and metropolis, Goldberg-Strassler says. We watch it, we breathe it, and - above all else - we talk it. The Football Thesaurus is filled with all the ways the game is talked, from the casual jargon of the armchair quarterback to the barking cadence of the signal-caller in the shotgun. The Football Thesaurus comes from the author of The Baseball Thesaurus. The Baseball Thesaurus has been an Amazon bestseller and is currently in a third edition. Professionals in the sport agree: Sports fans have their own unique language. The Football Thesaurus delves into the terms that have helped turn football into America's Game. I've always been fascinated by the words used to describe the action on the field, Jesse not only provides the terminology but also the context. A terrific resource that will be a part of my preparation for every new season. - Ian Eagle, broadcaster, CBS Sports A fabulous read, whether as a refresher for the die-hard fan, a scroll for the football historian, or as a foundation to learn about the game itself. Jesse hits many of the fine points that make the game unique. I imagine if aliens ever came down and asked what football is, I'd give them this text and then slowly back away, cowering in fear. - Adam Amin, broadcaster, ESPN For the casual fan, The Football Thesaurus weaves the basic concepts of the game with entertaining stories from Army's Lonely End to Michigan State's Little Giants, Goldberg-Strassler says. For the 12th Man, the Thesaurus collects every type of technique and play imaginable, sharing how to differentiate between a stalk and a trap block, a jet and an orbit sweep, and a flare and a banana route. |
braves spring training florida: My Home Team Dave Kindred, 2023-09-12 In this poignant memoir, a legendary sports journalist writes about the team that changed his life: the Morton High School Lady Potters basketball team. Dave Kindred has covered dozens of Super Bowls and written about stars like Muhammad Ali, Tiger Woods, and Michael Jordan. But a high-school girls basketball team—the Lady Potters of Morton, Illinois—stands apart from the rest. In this moving and intimate story, Kindred writes about his rise to professional success and the changes that brought him back to his hometown late in life. As he dealt with personal hardship, his urge to write sustained him. For years, he has recapped the games of the Lady Potters, including their many runs to state championships. He attended game after game, sitting in the stands and making notes, paid nothing but Milk Duds. And the team and their community were there for him as he lost a grandson to addiction and his wife to long-term illness. Tender and honest, Kindred’s story reminds readers what sports are really about. He trades in the exhausting spectacle of Super Bowl Sunday for the joy of togetherness, the fire of competition, and the inexhaustible hope for victory tomorrow. |
braves spring training florida: Atlanta , 2004-02 Atlanta magazine’s editorial mission is to engage our community through provocative writing, authoritative reporting, and superlative design that illuminate the people, the issues, the trends, and the events that define our city. The magazine informs, challenges, and entertains our readers each month while helping them make intelligent choices, not only about what they do and where they go, but what they think about matters of importance to the community and the region. Atlanta magazine’s editorial mission is to engage our community through provocative writing, authoritative reporting, and superlative design that illuminate the people, the issues, the trends, and the events that define our city. The magazine informs, challenges, and entertains our readers each month while helping them make intelligent choices, not only about what they do and where they go, but what they think about matters of importance to the community and the region. |
braves spring training florida: Shark River Randy Wayne White, 2002-06-04 Randy Wayne White's Ten Thousand Islands was one of the most satisfying thrillers in recent memory--Chicago Tribune Of all the writers [in] the Florida mayhem boom, only White can claim to have created a series hero to match Hemingway's memorable outdoorsmen and John D. MacDonald's much-missed Travis McGee.--Publishers Weekly (starred review) The past comes disconcertingly alive for Doc Ford in Randy Wayne White's most electrifying novel yet. On a working vacation to Guava Key, marine biologist Doc Ford notices two female joggers who follow the same route at the same time every day. He can't help thinking how easy it would be for a predator to become aware of them, too. As it turns out, he isn't the only one. There seem to be more and more predators these days. Forced to step in, Ford finds himself involved in a story of intrigue and revenge that becomes more dangerous with every turn-and some of them hit pretty close to home. Add to that a Bahamian relative he never knew he had, a letter leading to a treasure that may or may not exist, and some past history that becomes very alarmingly present, and his life has suddenly become very complicated. Not to mention the prospect of his death. . . . Filled with crackling power and atmosphere, and some of the best suspense characters in fiction, Shark River is a triumph of storytelling. |
braves spring training florida: The Cultural Encyclopedia of Baseball, 2d ed. Jonathan Fraser Light, 2016-03-25 More than any other sport, baseball has developed its own niche in America's culture and psyche. Some researchers spend years on detailed statistical analyses of minute parts of the game, while others wax poetic about its players and plays. Many trace the beginnings of the civil rights movement in part to the Major Leagues' decision to integrate, and the words and phrases of the game (for example, pinch-hitter and out in left field) have become common in our everyday language. From AARON, HENRY onward, this book covers all of what might be called the cultural aspects of baseball (as opposed to the number-rich statistical information so widely available elsewhere). Biographical sketches of all Hall of Fame players, owners, executives and umpires, as well as many of the sportswriters and broadcasters who have won the Spink and Frick awards, join entries for teams, owners, commissioners and league presidents. Advertising, agents, drafts, illegal substances, minor leagues, oldest players, perfect games, retired uniform numbers, superstitions, tripleheaders, and youngest players are among the thousands of entries herein. Most entries open with a topical quote and conclude with a brief bibliography of sources for further research. The whole work is exhaustively indexed and includes 119 photographs. |
braves spring training florida: The Extra 2% Jonah Keri, 2011-03-08 What happens when three financial industry whiz kids and certified baseball nuts take over an ailing major league franchise and implement the same strategies that fueled their success on Wall Street? In the case of the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays, an American League championship happens—the culmination of one of the greatest turnarounds in baseball history. In The Extra 2%, financial journalist and sportswriter Jonah Keri chronicles the remarkable story of one team’s Cinderella journey from divisional doormat to World Series contender. When former Goldman Sachs colleagues Stuart Sternberg and Matthew Silverman assumed control of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2005, it looked as if they were buying the baseball equivalent of a penny stock. But the incoming regime came armed with a master plan: to leverage their skill at trading, valuation, and management to build a model twenty-first-century franchise that could compete with their bigger, stronger, richer rivals—and prevail. Together with “boy genius” general manager Andrew Friedman, the new Rays owners jettisoned the old ways of doing things, substituting their own innovative ideas about employee development, marketing and public relations, and personnel management. They exorcized the “devil” from the team’s nickname, developed metrics that let them take advantage of undervalued aspects of the game, like defense, and hired a forward-thinking field manager as dedicated to unconventional strategy as they were. By quantifying the game’s intangibles—that extra 2% that separates a winning organization from a losing one—they were able to deliver to Tampa Bay something that Billy Beane’s “Moneyball” had never brought to Oakland: an American League pennant. A book about what happens when you apply your business skills to your life’s passion, The Extra 2% is an informative and entertaining case study for any organization that wants to go from worst to first. |
braves spring training florida: Race and Sport Charles Kenyatta Ross, 2004 An examination of the connection between race and sport in America |
braves spring training florida: The Cooperstown Symposium on Baseball and American Culture, 2001 William M. Simons, Alvin L. Hall, 2002-04-01 This is an anthology of 23 papers that were presented at the Thirteenth Cooperstown Symposium on Baseball and American Culture, held June 6-8, 2001, and co-sponsored by the State University of New York at Oneonta and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Featuring keynote remarks from George Plimpton, author of Home Run: The Best Writing About Baseball's Most Exciting Moment, this Symposium examined such topics as baseball's myths, legends and tall tales. These essays, divided into sections titled Mythic Heroes, Media Mythology, Myth and Mystery and Myths in Progress, go beyond the quick and easy judgments of the media and offer instead the longer, more informed views of scholars and researchers. |
braves spring training florida: The Chicken Runs at Midnight Tom Friend, 2018-10-02 Discover the nearly unbelievable true story of how a goofy catchphrase spoken by a coach's dying daughter inspired the 1992 Pittsburgh Pirates in game seven of the National League Championship Series and later became a sign from heaven to a grieving family at the end of game seven of the 1997 World Series. As a Major League Baseball coach, Rich Donnelly was dedicated, hardworking, and successful. But as a husband and father, he was distant, absent, and a failure. He'd let baseball take over his life, and as a result, his family suffered--that is, until the day he received some harrowing news. Dad, I have a brain tumor, and I'm sorry. These words from his seventeen-year-old daughter, Amy, turned his world upside down. Now, more than ever, he was determined to put his family first. The time they spent together in the months before Amy's death were moments that Rich and his family will treasure forever, but they'll especially remember the inside joke that became a catchphrase for not only the Donnelly family but also the Pittsburgh Pirates as they played in the National League Championship Series that year: The chicken runs at midnight. This book shares the heartwarming story behind the odd catchphrase--and how it still lives on as a symbol for never giving up--and proves that God can work in any person's life, even despite their mistakes and failures. As you learn more about Amy's incredible story, you'll discover: The life-changing power of forgiveness How to find peace and joy in the midst of loss The gift of God's grace Weaving baseball history with personal memoir, this book is one that will make you thrill to victory, believe in hope, and stand up to cheer for what is good in people's lives. It reminds us that God can work in our lives even when we think it's too late to change--and sometimes he sends us signs from heaven, if we only have eyes to see. Praise for The Chicken Runs at Midnight: The Chicken Runs at Midnight is a beautiful story of baseball, family, and faith. Tom Friend does a wonderful job of weaving these three themes together and telling you a story that will give you the chills. You will cry; you will laugh; and you will tell the story over and over again--just as I have. --Craig Counsell, manager of the Milwaukee Brewers The Chicken Runs at Midnight is the kind of heartwarming story all of us need, not just baseball fans. In our loud, busy world, it's a poignant reminder of what is truly important. --Tom Verducci, bestselling author of The Yankee Years and The Cubs Way |
braves spring training florida: Blackout Chris Lamb, 2006-03-01 Chronicles the story of Jackie Robinson's first spring training during 1946, a time when America was struggling with racism and segregation, as well as with the impact of the Second World War, documenting the player's ordeal on and off the field, the reaction of the black and white communities, the influence of the press, and Robinson's own determination and anxieties. |
braves spring training florida: The Phenomenon Rick Ankiel, 2017-04-18 Rick Ankiel had the talent to be one of the best pitchers ever. Then, one day, he lost it. The Phenomenon is the story of how St. Louis Cardinals prodigy Rick Ankiel lost his once-in-a-generation ability to pitch -- not due to an injury or a bolt of lightning, but a mysterious anxiety condition widely known as the Yips. It came without warning, in the middle of a playoff game, with millions of people watching. And it has never gone away. Yet the true test of Ankiel's character came not on the mound, but in the long days and nights that followed as he searched for a way to get back in the game. For four and a half years, he fought the Yips with every arrow in his quiver: psychotherapy, medication, deep-breathing exercises, self-help books, and, eventually, vodka. And then, after reconsidering his whole life at the age of twenty-five, Ankiel made an amazing turnaround: returning to the Major Leagues as a hitter and playing seven successful seasons. This book is an incredible story about a universal experience -- pressure -- and what happened when a person on the brink had to make a choice about who he was going to be. |
braves spring training florida: The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball Lloyd Johnson, Miles Wolff, Steve McDonald, 1997 |
braves spring training florida: The Rough Guide to Florida Sarah Hull, Stephen Keeling, 2012-10-11 The Rough Guide to Florida is the ultimate travel guide to this fascinating US state, with clear maps and detailed coverage of all the best attractions. Discover Florida's highlights, with expert information on everything from the bars and art deco gems of South Beach and the iconic theme parks of Orlando to the vast 'gator-filled swamps of the Everglades and the dazzling coral reefs of the Keys - all made accessible with easy-to-use maps and reliable advice on how to get around. Find detailed practical information on what to see and do in Miami, Tampa and Palm Beach, as well as lesser-visited spots, with up-to-date, insider reviews of the best hotels, bars, clubs, shops and restaurants for all budgets, as well as stunning photography that brings it all to life. Explore every corner of the state with The Rough Guide to Florida, to help make sure you don't miss the unmissable. You'll be sure to make the most of your time in the city with The Rough Guide to Florida. Now available in ePub format. |
braves spring training florida: The Rough Guide to Florida Stephen Keeling, Sarah Hull, Rebecca Strauss, 2015-07-14 The new, full-colour Rough Guide to Florida is the ultimate travel guide to this massively popular U.S. state, with clear maps and detailed coverage of its world-famous attractions and quirkier hidden gems. Discover Florida's highlights, with expert information on everything from the glorious Art Deco architecture of South Beach and the must-do theme parks of Orlando to the vast gator-filled swamps of the Everglades and the dazzling coral reefs of the Keys--all made accessible with clear maps and reliable advice on how to get around. Detailed practical information on what to see and do in Miami, Tampa and Palm Beach, as well as lesser-visited spots, with up-to-date, insider reviewers of the best hotels, bars, clubs, shops and restaurants for all budgets, as well as stunning photography that brings it all to life. Explore every corner of Florida with the Rough Guide and make sure you don't miss the unmissable. |
braves spring training florida: The Rough Guide to Florida Rough Guides, 2015-07-01 The new, full-colour Rough Guide to Florida is the ultimate travel guide to this massively popular US state, with clear maps and detailed coverage of its world-famous attractions and quirkier hidden gems. Discover Florida's highlights, with expert information on everything from the glorious Art Deco architecture of South Beach and the must-do theme parks of Orlando to the vast 'gator-filled swaps of the Everglades and the dazzling coral reefs of the Keys - all made accessible with clear maps and reliable advice on how to get around. Detailed practical information on what to see and do in Miami, Tampa and Palm Beach, as well as lesser-visited spots, with up-to-date, insider reviewers of the best hotels, bars, clubs. shops and restaurants for all budgets, as well as stunning photography that brings it all to life. Explore every corner of Florida with the Rough Guide and make sure you don't miss the unmissable. |
braves spring training florida: The Essential Guide to Walt Disney World Jessie Sparks, 2023-02-15 Updated 2/15/2023! Walt Disney World is more than its four amazing theme parks and two water parks. It goes far beyond the hundreds of restaurants and themed hotels. Learn valuable, time-saving secrets that show you how to travel like a VIP in this comprehensive tour guide, written by Orlando locals and Disney insiders. It's Disney Made Easy. Here is just a portion of what we share: * Lightning Lane & Genie+; * Recent Operational Changes; * Over 50 freebies you can take advantage of around Disney World; * Special activities outside of the parks; * How to reserve Lightning Lanes and use Genie+ so that you don't waste time in hot lines; * How to get extra hours in the parks; * How to save money on food; * The best hotel value for your size of family; * Where to dine with your favorite characters; * How to get the most of your character meet-and-greet experience; * Romance in the parks; * What you will find inside Florida’s newest “town,” Disney Springs, Walt Disney World’s downtown shopping center with food and entertainment; * Information on behind-the-scene tours and special events; * How to avoid crowds; * What months and days to visit; and * What to wear to ensure your comfort during any season |
braves spring training florida: The Christian at Play Robert K. Johnston, 1997-09-09 Play, as an event of the inventive human spirit, invites our most able Christian reflection. The person at play is expressing his or her God-given nature. Unable to understand our play as God-given, Christians are often inauthentic players. Johnston tries to help us to see that Christians are created to work and to play. |
braves spring training florida: DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Walt Disney World Resort & Orlando DK Publishing, 2010-07-01 With beautifully commissioned photographs, and spectacular 3-D aerial views revealing the charm of each destination, these amazing travel guides show what others only tell. DK Eyewitness Travel Guides have been updated to include: expanded hotel& restaurant listings, enhanced itineraries, and easier-to-read print! Fully Revised and Updated! |
braves spring training florida: Baseball and American Culture Frank Hoffmann, Edward J Rielly, Martin J Manning, 2014-01-02 Discover baseball's role in American society! Baseball and American Culture: Across the Diamond is a thoughtful look at baseball's impact on American society through the eyes of the game's foremost scholars, historians, and commentators. Edited by Dr. Edward J. Rielly, author of Baseball: An Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, the book examines how baseball and society intersect and interact, and how the quintessential American game reflects and affects American culture. Enlightening and entertaining, Baseball and American Culture presents a multidisciplinary perspective on baseball's involvement in virtually every important social development in the United Statespast and present. Baseball and American Culture examines baseball’s unique role as a sociological touchstone, presenting scholarly essays that explore the game as a microcosm for American societygood and bad. Topics include the struggle for racial equality, women’s role in society, immigration, management-labor conflicts, advertising, patriotism, religion, the limitations of baseball as a metaphor, and suicide. Contributing authors include Larry Moffi, author of This Side of Cooperstown: An Oral History of Major League Baseball in the 1950s and Crossing the Line: Black Major Leaguers, 1947-1959, and a host of presenters to the 2001 Cooperstown Symposium on Baseball and American Culture, including Thomas Altherr, George Grella, Dave Ogden, Roberta Newman, Brian Carroll, Richard Puerzer, and the editor himself. Baseball and American Culture features 23 essays on this fascinating subject, including: On Fenway, Faith, and Fandom: A Red Sox Fan Reflects Baseball and Blacks: A Loss of Affinity, A Loss of Community The Hall of Fame and the American Mythology Writing Their Way Home: American Writers and Baseball God and the Diamond: The Born-Again Baseball Autobiography Baseball and American Culture: Across the Diamond is an essential read for baseball fans and historians, academics involved in sports literature and popular culture, and students of American society. |
braves spring training florida: Race and Sport Charles K. Ross, 2009-09-18 Even before the desegregation of the military and public education and before blacks had full legal access to voting, racial barriers had begun to fall in American sports. This collection of essays shows that for many African Americans it was the world of athletics that first opened an avenue to equality and democratic involvement. Race and Sport showcases African Americans as key figures making football, baseball, basketball, and boxing internationally popular, though inequalities still exist today. Among the early notables discussed is Fritz Pollard, an African American who played professional football before the National Football League established a controversial color barrier. Another, the boxer Sugar Ray Robinson, exemplifies the black American athlete as an international celebrity. African American women also played an important role in bringing down the barriers, especially in the early development of women's basketball. In baseball, both African American and Hispanic players faced down obstacles and entered the sports mainstream after World War II. One essay discusses the international spread of American imperialism through sport. Another shows how mass media images of African American athletes continue to shape public perceptions. Although each of these six essays explores a different facet of sports in America, together they comprise an analytical examination of African American society's tumultuous struggle for full participation both on and off the athletic field. |
braves spring training florida: A Pitcher's Story Roger Angell, 2008-12-14 Baseball's best writer offers an extraordinarily candid and thorough exploration of the inner craft of pitching from one of the game's best, David Cone. There is no big league pitcher who is more respected for his skill than David Cone. In his stellar career Cone has won multiple championships andcountless professional accolades. Along the way, the perennial all-star has had to adjust to five different ballclubs, recover from a career-threatening arm aneurysm, cope with the lofty expectations that are standard for the games highest paid players, and overcome a humbling three-month, eight-game losing streak in the summer of 2000. Cone granted exclusive and unlimited access to baseballs most respected writer Roger Angell of the New Yorker. The result is just what baseball fans everywhere would expect from Angell: an extraordinary inside account of a superstar. |
Official Atlanta Braves Website - MLB.com
The official website of the Atlanta Braves with the most up-to-date information on news, tickets, schedule, stadium, roster, rumors, scores, and stats.
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Visit ESPN for Atlanta Braves live scores, video highlights, and latest news. Find standings and the full 2025 season schedule.
Holmes' 'special' game with 15 strikeouts is wasted in loss as Braves ...
The Braves tweaked their rotation, moving Sale from his scheduled start on Sunday so he could follow Schwellenbach against the Mets, with Strider planned for the third game. The Mets will …
Cheraw Braves - Official Athletic Website – Cheraw, SC
Welcome to the Official athletic website for the Cheraw Braves. Stay up to date with Cheraw Sports schedules, team rosters, photos, updates and more.
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Breaking Atlanta Braves news and in-depth analysis from the best newsroom in sports. Follow your favorite clubs. Get the latest injury updates, player news and more from around the league.
Atlanta Braves News, Scores, Status, Schedule - MLB
Jun 7, 2025 · Get the latest news and information for the Atlanta Braves. 2025 season schedule, scores, stats, and highlights. Find out the latest on your favorite MLB teams on CBSSports.com.
Harris, Acuña, Ozuna provide boost to lineup, give Braves hope …
1 day ago · The Braves trailed 4-1 before recovering to beat the lowly Rockies after winning two of three games at Milwaukee — their first series win since May 16-18. The Braves (30-38) still …
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Be the best Atlanta Braves fan you can be with Bleacher Report. Keep up with the latest storylines, expert analysis, highlights, scores and more.
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3 days ago · Braves Today is where you find the latest news, rumors and analysis for the Atlanta Braves fans.
Official Atlanta Braves Website - MLB.com
The official website of the Atlanta Braves with the most up-to-date information on news, tickets, schedule, stadium, roster, rumors, scores, and stats.
Atlanta Braves: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights | Yardbarker
4 days ago · Atlanta Braves rumors, news and videos from the best sources on the web. Sign up for the Braves newsletter!
Atlanta Braves Scores, Stats and Highlights - ESPN
Visit ESPN for Atlanta Braves live scores, video highlights, and latest news. Find standings and the full 2025 season schedule.
Holmes' 'special' game with 15 strikeouts is wasted in loss as Braves ...
The Braves tweaked their rotation, moving Sale from his scheduled start on Sunday so he could follow Schwellenbach against the Mets, with Strider planned for the third game. The Mets will …
Cheraw Braves - Official Athletic Website – Cheraw, SC
Welcome to the Official athletic website for the Cheraw Braves. Stay up to date with Cheraw Sports schedules, team rosters, photos, updates and more.
Atlanta Braves - News, Schedule, Scores, Roster, and Stats - The …
Breaking Atlanta Braves news and in-depth analysis from the best newsroom in sports. Follow your favorite clubs. Get the latest injury updates, player news and more from around the league.
Atlanta Braves News, Scores, Status, Schedule - MLB
Jun 7, 2025 · Get the latest news and information for the Atlanta Braves. 2025 season schedule, scores, stats, and highlights. Find out the latest on your favorite MLB teams on CBSSports.com.
Harris, Acuña, Ozuna provide boost to lineup, give Braves hope …
1 day ago · The Braves trailed 4-1 before recovering to beat the lowly Rockies after winning two of three games at Milwaukee — their first series win since May 16-18. The Braves (30-38) still …
Atlanta Braves | Atlanta Braves News, Scores, Highlights, Stats ...
Be the best Atlanta Braves fan you can be with Bleacher Report. Keep up with the latest storylines, expert analysis, highlights, scores and more.
Braves Today - Atlanta Braves MLB News & Updates
3 days ago · Braves Today is where you find the latest news, rumors and analysis for the Atlanta Braves fans.