Mount Rushmore, located in the Black Hills of Keystone, South Dakota, is one of the most iconic landmarks in the United States. The face of the mountain features 60-foot heads of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. It depicts four of the greatest men our country has ever known. In recent years, it has become fashionable for sports fans to select the Mount Rushmore of their franchise’s history. For some franchise’s, which have been around for 100+ years, it can be a daunting task. Even for younger franchises, such as the New York Mets, picking a Mount Rushmore can be a challenge. Mostly because fans always seem to favor players that they have seen play—leading older and younger fans to differ on who belongs carved on that fictional mountain in Queens. In 2015, Major League Baseball announced its decision for each team’s Mount Rushmore. For the Mets, voters chose Keith Hernandez, Mike Piazza, Tom Seaver, and David Wright. No one would argue that Tom Seaver is on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore. He was, after all, “The Franchise.” Some might even argue that the Mets’ Mount Rushmore is Tom Seaver four times! However, that not-withstanding, when it comes to rounding out the other three players, did MLB get it right?? Thankfully, Mount Rushmore of the New York Mets tackles such a question. Covering the team by decade, author Brett Topel share the best players from the team’s almost sixty-year history. From Jerry Koosman and Ed Kranepool, Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry, to Edgardo Alfonzo and Jose Reyes, each decade is covered, reliving the highs and lows of the Metropolitans. So whether you remember the Miracle Mets, the Amazin’ run of 1986, or the almost of the 2000s, Mount Rushmore of the New York Mets breaks down the fan favorites who earned their prominence in the Polo Grounds, Shea Stadium, and Citi Field.

Bringing fresh perspectives to the team that has brought joy, triumph and even a miracle to New York City, this collection of new essays examines portrayals of the Mets in film, television, advertising and other media. Contributors cover little-known aspects of Mets history that even die-hard fans may not know. Topics include the popularity of Rheingold's advertising in the 1950s and 1960s, Bob Murphy's broadcasting career before joining the Mets' announcing team in 1962, Mr. Met's rivalry with the Phillie Phanatic, Dave Kingman's icon status, the pitching staff's unsung performance after the 1969 World Series victory, and Joan Payson's world-renowned art collection and philanthropy.

2017 Seymour Medal from the Society for American Baseball Research 2016 Pete Delohery Award for Best Sports Book from Shelf Unbound When it opened in 1965, the Houston Astrodome, nicknamed the Eighth Wonder of the World, captured the attention of an entire nation, bringing pride to the city and enhancing its reputation nationwide. It was a Texas-sized vision of the future, an unthinkable feat of engineering with premium luxury suites, theater-style seating, and the first animated scoreboard. Yet there were memorable problems such as outfielders’ inability to see fly balls and failed attempts to grow natural grass—which ultimately led to the development of AstroTurf. The Astrodome nonetheless changed the way people viewed sports, putting casual fans at the forefront of a user-experience approach that soon became the standard in all American sports. The Eighth Wonder of the World tears back the facade and details the Astrodome’s role in transforming Houston as a city while also chronicling the building’s storied fifty years in existence and the ongoing debate about its preservation.

Provides illustrations and short essays about U.S. and foreign postage stamps related to Texas history and events, people, or locales.

This work follows the journey Peter Taylor undertook during the summer of 2007 (and a bit of 2009), when he set out to achieve a long held ambition and see a baseball game in every major league ballpark, a minor league game in those states without a major league franchise, plus the All-Star game and the post-season. His adventures along the way include throwing out a first pitch in Connecticut, becoming a TV reporter for the post-season, and undergoing an eye operation. It also looks whimsically at America's pastime, and America, through the eyes of an Englishman, and how we are, in the words of George Bernard Shaw, "two nations separated by a common language."

With careers spanning two to three times that of an average player, baseball’s best broadcasters have no shortage of history to offer. They have witnessed opening days, no hitters, slugfests, and perfect games, all from arguably the best seats in the house. From former Baltimore Orioles announcer Jon Miller calling Cal Ripken Jr.’s record-breaking 2,131st straight game, to Red Sox announcer Joe Castiglione witnessing the “Curse of the Babe” being lifted the night Boston won its first World Series in eighty-six years, broadcasters know their clubs, their stadiums, and their teams in a way that no one else can. In The Voices of Baseball: The Game's Greatest Broadcasters Reflect on America's Pastime, Kirk McKnight provides an in-depth look at each of Major League Baseball’s thirty ballparks from the perspectives of the game’s longest-tenured storytellers. These broadcasters share their fondest memories from the booth, what makes their ballparks unique, and even how their ballparks’ structural features have impacted games. Thirty-three of today’s broadcasters—from “newbie” Brian Anderson to sixty-five-year veteran Vin Scully—pay tribute not only to the edifices that host their broadcasting craft but also to their predecessors, such as Harry Caray and Red Barber, who influenced and inspired them. With decades of broadcasting between them, their stories encapsulate some of Major League Baseball’s greatest moments. Generations of baseball fans—from the veteran who witnessed Joe DiMaggio coming back from World War II to the son or daughter going through the gate’s turnstiles for the first time—will all enjoy the historic and triumphant moments shared by some of the game’s greatest broadcasters in The Voices of Baseball.

How did Reggie Jackson go from superstar to icon? Why did Joe DiMaggio's nickname change from "Deadpan Joe" to "Joltin' Joe"? How did Seinfeld affect public perception of George Steinbrenner? The New York Yankees' dominance on the baseball diamond has been lauded, analyzed and chronicled. Yet the team's broader impact on popular culture has been largely overlooked--until now. From Ruth's called shot to the Reggie! candy bar, this collection of new essays offers untold histories, new interpretations and fresh analyses of baseball's most successful franchise. Contributors explore the Yankee mystique in film, television, theater, music and advertising.