St. Louis trailed Milwaukee by ten games in the NL Central on August 25, 2011, and even more discouraging was the 10.5 game deficit to Atlanta that the Cardinals faced in the Wild Card chase. That frustration was completely erased on September 29, however, as the Cardinals completed one of the greatest comebacks in history to make the postseason. It took a lot of help from a Braves team that lost 20 of its final 31 games, but the Cardinals did their part, winning 23 of 32 to close out the regular season and claim the Wild Card berth on the season's final day. But the fun was just starting for this club. The Phillies and the Brewers were expected to meet in the NLCS, but the Cardinals spoiled their postseason plans as well, knocking off the Phillies first, and then taking care of the Brewers in the NLCS to claim the pennant and set up a seven-game showdown with the Texas Rangers in the 2011 World Series. The drama of the 2011 season unfolded against the backdrop of Albert Pujols' looming free agency and an uncharacteristic slow start offensively for arguably the greatest player of his generation -- but when a fractured left forearm threatened to sideline the three-time MVP in late June for up to six weeks, Pujols demonstrated the tenacity and intense desire to win that come October would define this Cardinals team ... and he returned to the field after only two weeks. No wonder this team was down to it's final strike in consecutive innings in Game 6 of the World Series, with the season, hopes, and dreams of its fans all hanging in the balance, and somehow still prevailed. This second volume of Cardinals history and trivia from author Larry Underwood and Black Mesa Publishing is a tribute not only to the 2011 World Series Champion Cardinals, but to the many legends and heroes who's exploits on the field of play have made this organization one of the most respected and accomplished in professional sports. With eleven chapters of history and more than 225 brand new trivia questions, author Larry Underwood takes readers through every era of this beloved franchise -- from the American Association days to their first World Series appearance in 1926, the dominance of Stan Musial and the 1940s teams to the struggles of the 1950s, the resurgence of the club and the dominance of Bob Gibson in the 1960s and its fall back to mediocrity in the 1970s ... and then finally, the success of the Herzog and La Russa eras all the way to the story of 2011, when baseball gave its fans a season that will be written about for decades, and the Cardinals run at history was its greatest chapter.

New in this edition: - 60 additional, brand new questions - improved layout for questions and answer keys makes it easier than ever to quiz family and friends - brand new chapters on Orb, California Chrome and American Pharaoh - improved functionality for e-readers, smartphones and tablets - print edition includes 17 B&W photographs - digital edition includes 25 full color photographs - 320 total Kentucky Derby trivia questions Spying the twin spires, hugging the rail, hearing the snap of the gate, the crowd takes a nervous deep breath in unison. The horses lunge, the jockeys crouch. Now the race for the roses is run and timelessness has begun. Long-shot odds, winning tickets, record crowds, Hall of Fame statistics, and historical dates all add up to the "most exciting two minutes in sports." Think you know Kentucky Derby history? Think again. This IQ Series book will test even the best horsemen and trainers who have been around the sport their whole lives. Test your skills. Wrack your brain. It's the ultimate Kentucky Derby IQ test.

For half a century the St. Louis Browns were nothing short of spectacular ... when it came to futility. Whatever promise or hope or grandeur dreams held by the franchise and its fans after a second place finish in its inaugural season in St. Louis was quickly replaced by this abysmal reality: the Browns were dead last in the eight-team American League ten times in 52 seasons. Then in 1954 the club began play in Baltimore and its new owners shed the "Browns" and every imaginable link to the club's past. It's not that the Orioles don't respect history ... it's that from the very beginning Baltimore was intent on making its own history. And to that end the franchise has been extraordinarily successful. In St. Louis, the Browns had more 100-loss seasons than any team in baseball history—in Baltimore, it barely took Earl Weaver a decade to manage the Orioles to five 100-win seasons. In St. Louis, the Browns backed into one Pennant in five decades. In Baltimore, the Orioles built a powerhouse that dominated the better part of two decades and won six Pennants. There have been ups-and-downs obviously—like every franchise—and plenty of lean years to go with the championships, but with its successes and the many legends its produced since 1954, the Orioles have achieved the same "status" if you will as its division rivals New York and Boston as being one of baseball's truly great franchises. A virtual who's who of baseball royalty spent time playing in Baltimore from Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson and Jim Palmer, to Cal Ripken, Jr. and Eddie Murray, to today's superstars Chris Davis and Manny Machado. You can't discuss the game's greatest moments without including the Orioles. You can't tour the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown without seeing the influence of the Birds. This is a book of trivia and history. It's meant for diehard baseball fans, but whether or not you count yourself part of Orioles fandom is irrelevant, because the history of the Birds is inextricably linked with the history of baseball—so sit back and reminisce with ten chapters of Baltimore Orioles history, baseball stories, and 200 brand new trivia questions that will wrack your brain and test your skills. It's your Orioles 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, 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!

The team edition based on The New York Times Bestselling Guide. This more portable team edition of the full 26th edition of the industry-leading baseball annual contains all of the important statistics, player projections, and insider-level commentary that readers have come to expect, but focused on your favorite organization. It also features detailed reports on the top prospects, data visualization, and deeper statistical profiles. Take it out to the ball game or wherever you follow your team!

The team edition based on the The New York Times Bestselling Guide. This portable team edition of the full 24th edition of the industry-leading baseball annual contains all of the important statistics, player projections and insider-level commentary that readers have come to expect, but focused on your favorite organization. It also features detailed reports on top 10 prospects for the team, including fantasy values and commentary. Take it out to the ball game or wherever you follow your team!

No parent is ever ready for a terminal diagnosis of their child. No mother should see the day where turning off your son's ventilator is the only option to end his pain. And no grandfather should see the day when your grandchild is scheduled to die in his mother's arms. But on September 10, 2005, this was the harsh reality facing our family, and this was the day we’d never forget. I am no pastor; nor a preacher. I am no miracle worker, nor a missionary. I am a struggling husband, a decent father, a survivor of brutal child abuse, and from the miraculous survival and extraordinary life of a Progeria child, I am a believer saved by the Grace of God through Jesus Christ. In A Short Season: Faith, Family, and a Boy's Love for Baseball, Dave Bohner, the story’s narrator and Grandfather to Josiah, and Jake Gronsky, former professional baseball player with the St. Louis Cardinals organization, tell the powerful story of Josiah Viera’s fight for life that not only sparked a family's journey towards healing but inspired a generation of baseball players from one of the most historic organizations in Major League Baseball. A Short Season is a story of hope; a story of acceptance; and a story of faith based on the idea that sometimes a person’s only journey to peace is first trekked through pain. A Short Season is a family’s journey through sorrow and joy, it is a baseball team’s inspiration, and it is the story of one exceptional child’s ray of hope that changed all of their lives forever.