Pinch Hit

Trevor and Sam look alike. But their lives couldn't be more different. Trevor is a movie star, living the Hollywood life in a huge mansion with his own limo, pool, and bowling alley. There's nothing he doesn't have except the one thing he wants most: to play baseball for real. Sam is a regular kid who seems to have what it takes to make it to baseball's Major Leagues. He's determined to get the scouts at the big USC tournament to recognize his talent. And he really wants to see his dad, a struggling screenwriter, realize his own dream. When Sam signs up at Casting Central to make some extra money, he and Trevor come together on a movie set and see the chance to trade places—to pinch hit for each other and make everyone's dreams come true. At first, it's all good. . . . But what happens when the boys take their game too far?

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.

Think you know everything about our National Pastime? Think again! It's time to find out how much trivia you really know about Major League Baseball. Are you a rookie? Are you a tested, hardcore veteran? Or will you be clearing waivers for your pending release halfway through the book? We'll let you know. Ten chapters, 200 brand new questions, fascinating history, the best trivia from every era of the game, and all the big name players you'd expect to find, MLB IQ is the most comprehensive and challenging book of baseball trivia available today. Test your skills. Wrack your brain. It's your MLB IQ, the ultimate test of true fandom!

Three full-length sports history and trivia books from Black Mesa Publishing and authors Joel Katte and Tucker Elliot: Green Bay Packers IQ, Milwaukee Brewers IQ and Major League Baseball IQ. More than 750 challenging questions, the most up-to-date trivia and the greatest stories in franchise history … Black Mesa’s IQ series will elicit a cheer from sports fans everywhere who claim allegiance to Cheesehead or Brew Crew fandom.

Three full-length sports history and trivia books from Black Mesa Publishing and author Tucker Elliot. Cincinnati Reds IQ: The Ultimate Test of True Fandom In 1968, Johnny Bench was a 20-year-old rookie embarking on his first full Major League season with the Cincinnati Reds. He was also the Reds starting catcher, an All-Star, and the National League Rookie of the Year. And he was one other thing as well: the foundation for one of the greatest teams ever assembled in Major League history—the Big Red Machine. Bench’s Major League journey lasted 17 seasons—all in Cincinnati—and earned him a place in the Baseball Hall of Fame as one of the game’s greatest legends. But when talking about the legendary Reds teams of the 1970s, it was Bench who said, "The Big Red Machine teams will never be forgotten ... They'll be remembered because of the professionals they had, the character they had, the skill they had. Those teams were a symbol of what baseball really should be." The professionals included Tony Perez and Pete Rose, who were already on the club when Bench burst on the scene in 1968, and then one by one the rest of the pieces fell into place: manager Sparky Anderson (1970), followed by Dave Concepcion and George Foster (1971), Joe Morgan and Cesar Geronimo (1972), and Ken Griffey (1973). In 1975, with all the pieces firmly in place, the Reds were World Champions. In 1976, the Reds defended their title and became a dynasty. This is a book of history and trivia that covers all eras of Reds baseball but it is also a tribute to the legacy of Sparky Anderson and the professionals who made up the Big Red Machine. Think you know everything about Reds baseball? Think again. With ten chapters and 200 brand new trivia questions to challenge fans of all ages and skill levels, it’s time to find out how smart you really are about the Cincinnati Reds. Each chapter profiles a member of the Big Red Machine and then offers 20 brand new exciting and challenging trivia questions. And we’re keeping score … so test your skills, wrack your brain, and get ready for the ultimate Cincinnati Reds IQ test! Cleveland Indians IQ: The Ultimate Test of True Fandom Cleveland ranks right up there with the Chicago Cubs and the pre-2004 Boston Red Sox when it comes to breaking hearts—its fans have suffered much, wandering in the proverbial desert since tasting postseason success for the second time in team history in 1948—but the Indians have never disappointed when it comes to producing great players and unforgettable moments … and they’re all in this book. Are you an expert on Cleveland Indians history and trivia? Think you know it all? It’s time to find out. Test your skills. Wrack your brain. It’s your Cleveland Indians IQ, the Ultimate Test of True Fandom. Major League Baseball IQ: The Ultimate Test of True Fandom Think you know everything about our National Pastime? Think again! It's time to find out how much trivia you really know about Major League Baseball. Are you a rookie? Are you a tested, hardcore veteran? Or will you be clearing waivers for your pending release halfway through the book? We'll let you know. Ten chapters, 200 brand new questions, fascinating history, the best trivia from every era of the game, and all the big name players you'd expect to find, Major League Baseball IQ is the most comprehensive and challenging book of baseball trivia available today. Test your skills. Wrack your brain. It's your MLB IQ, the ultimate test of true fandom!

Bill James and Baseball Info Solutions team of analysts continue to pack in new content, including a fresh look at the continues rise and effectiveness of The Shift and a new breakdown of home runs and long flyouts. And, as always, the book forecasts fresh hitter and pitcher projections for those looking to get an early jump on the next season.

The first-to-market, most comprehensive, insightful, and groundbreaking annual baseball book on the market. A must-have book or gift for every true fan, with lifetime statistics and leader boards for every player in the major leagues and projections for how they might do in the future.

When Sports Illustrated was launched in 1954, baseball was, indisputable, the national pastime, its stars America's epic heroes, its rivalries the era's mythology. As baseballs fortunes rose and fell over the next 50 years - and then rose again to new heights, drawing more than 65 million fans to ballparks in 2004 - the game never failed to produce great drama and inspired storytelling. This collection is a virtual Hall of Fame from the pages of SI, bringing together the stories of baseball's greatest heroes (Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams, Sandy Koufax) and villains (Ty Cobb, Pete Rose, Denny McLain) and characters (Casey Stengel, Max Patkin, Yogi Berra); its legendary quests (the home run chases of Roger Maris, Hank Aaron, Mark McGwire, and Barry Bonds; the thrilling pennant races, from the Dodgers - Giants in 1951 to the Yankees-Red Sox in 1978); its world-class writers (Frank Deford, Mark Kram, George Plimpton, Peter Gammons, and Tom Verducci) and its own players writing from the inside about their game (Ted Williams, Jim Brosnan, and Jim Bouton). In the wake of SI's acclaimed Fifty Years of Great Writing comes this baseball anthology worthy of Cooperstown.