Lawn Griffiths was a columnist, reporter and editor for 40 years in daily newspapers including 12 years with the Waterloo (Iowa) Courier where he was farm editor and Rural at Random columnist, which inspired this book. His last 28 years were with Arizona dailies. He earned a journalism degree from Iowa State University and master's degree in journalism from Northwestern University. He served in the Peace Corps and U.S. Army. Lawn earned 80 writing or community leadership awards. His blog is Lawn Cares: Someone Has to Say It (Tempelawn.wordpress. com). He edits manuscripts, is a community volunteer and lives in Tempe, Arizona.

Lawn Griffiths was a columnist, reporter and editor for 40 years in daily newspapers including 12 years with the Waterloo (Iowa) Courier where he was farm editor and Rural at Random columnist, which inspired this book. His last 28 years were with Arizona dailies. He earned a journalism degree from Iowa State University and master's degree in journalism from Northwestern University. He served in the Peace Corps and U.S. Army. Lawn earned 80 writing or community leadership awards. His blog is Lawn Cares: Someone Has to Say It (Tempelawn.wordpress. com). He edits manuscripts, is a community volunteer and lives in Tempe, Arizona.

This is the story of a farm kid who grew up on a small dairy farm with the dream of playing baseball for the Tennessee Volunteers. There was no Little League, nor did his high school have a baseball program. He was left to develop his skills through creative techniques in preparation for his time to come. He became a “rock hitter”, pitching up rocks and smacking them with old axe handles. The book details how he dealt with Loser’s Balls and how he worked through his losses by not giving up, but “giving out” with his determined work ethic to “pocket” the negatives and climb out of the loser’s bracket as he turned his Loser’s Balls into “Opportunity Balls”, winning many championships along the way. You will learn that losses are often disguised as foundations for upcoming victories greater than your expectations, not only in sports, but in the extra innings of the game of life. Philippians 4:13.

This eccentric title recalls a collection of tales first told to grandchildren at bedtime. Each chapter begins with a fun-to-read farmer-boy story from the 1940s, an era before industrial farming when horses, cows, and chickens were still members of the family. These anecdotes each launch a theme that splashes down with further development in later decades of life. Diverse topics include imaginative play, construction crew humor, animal intelligence, contemplative prayer and journal writing, rural and urban farming, communal wisdom, and affordable housing, along with a few serious pranks and the prophetic mischief that follows. This memoir is also a confession in the pattern of Augustine, reflecting on God's in-breaking initiatives and the writer's emerging sense of calling in lifelong conversation with Jesus. Its stories offer a series of curiosity-driven on-ramps into eight decades of transformative experiences for curious souls to ponder an open-eyed faith and a communal way of life for the long haul.

This is the autobiography of the author’s early years growing up and becoming a man before his wife and children could know him. It is a story of economic and family struggles, lessons learned, first brushes with faith, and people who made a difference along the way.

The twelve-time All-Star catcher describes the inspiration he gleaned from his self-made father, his early career with the Dodgers, his memorable 2000 World Series with the Mets, and the controversies that have marked his career.

The works in Incredible Baseball Stories cover the full span of baseball’s rich history. Fans of all ages will enjoy recalling the great and not-so-great moments of the most popular names in the sport. Found in this collection are timeless tales that enable the reader to: • Relive great World Series moments like Kirk Gibson’s home run off Dennis Eckersley • Find out what it’s like to pitch to Ted Williams • Witness record-breaking performances by Babe Ruth and Henry Aaron • Learn what goes on behind the scenes of drafting stars like Jim Thome and Manny Ramirez • And follow along for many more baseball adventures! With three dozen photographs that beautifully illustrate the anecdotes, Incredible Baseball Stories is the perfect gift for baseball fans of all ages.