Quilvio McFurgus is a man with problems. Problems with the bottle, problems with dealing with the departure of his wife. Problems in dealing with his boss. Problems in the raising of his two children and the problem in looking for a new mate. Then theres the problems of coping with setbacks that never seem to end, and mother nature herself. The unusual weather, storms and earthquakes. The eco-terrorists he doesnt know about until later. Surviving a tidal wave and the journey back to civilization. But he finds out that life has a way of working out for the best.

Completely updated for 1996, this definitive guide to all the Big League players--and the best prospects of the minor leagues--has the state-of-the-art computer-generated graphics and statistics that make it the best book of its kind and a vital reference for fantasy league players. 700 b&w photos.

Presents a series of lineups from each baseball franchise and explores the careers of baseball players both famous and obscure.

Every sport has its subtleties, and in baseball, one subtlety is the batting line-up. Leadoff batters can make or break a team. Who are the men who have taken that position, and how have they performed in their important role? From 1900 through 2005, the major leagues' leadoff batters for more than 160,000 games are covered in this reference work. The first of the book's five parts discusses the annual records of the principal leadoff batters. Part Two identifies the principal leadoff batter for each team in each year, as well as the top career leadoff batters. Part Three presents composite statistics for those players with five or more principal leadoff batter seasons. Part Four looks at leadoff home runs, and Part Five offers essays on assorted leadoff batter achievements, such as RBIs, runs scored, and awards and honors. Appended to the text is a discussion of the accuracy of the statistics and a list of "Make It Happen" award winners.

The first color action photo of Ted Williams (as shown on the front cover) was taken at Lane Field in San Diego on October 5, 1941 by an amateur photographer. Nobody knew of its existence until an old wooden cigar box was found in a basement in 1999. This book is a treasure chest of such old San Diego baseball pictures and memories. From the Padres to Petco focuses on San Diego's love affair with the Padres from the Pacific Coast League years at Lane Field (1936-57), Westgate Park (1958-67), San Diego Stadium (1968) and through 35 more exciting and often exasperating National League summers in Mission Valley (1969-2003). Through it all, Padre fans have been faithful and forgiving. With a new ballpark, San Diego looks to build a winning tradition.

Baseball historian, Dennis Purdy, performs the feat of marrying statistics, scholarship, biography, trivia, and anecdote to create a massively pleasurable work.

Unrivaled coverage of the year in baseball offers full player statistics sorted by team and position, fantasy values for every major league player, and postseason wrap-ups from the staff of USA Today Baseball Weekly. 300 tables. Illustrations.