From his status as the #17 pick overall in the 1970 June draft in the shadow of his induction notice to his post-game minor league antics with Goose Gossage, Gorman Thomas and Charlie "Country Chuck" Manuel, former Rookie Pitcher of the Year John D'Acquisto explores the free love and "free agency" of 1972 California; the tragedy at Spring Training '74; John's role as a pawn in the struggle for clubhouse power between manager Charlie Fox and Bobby Bonds; deep inside the untold story of the Bob Gibson/D'Acquisto pitching duels; the endless nightlife and shady characters of 1976 San Francisco; the despair of ex-major leaguers deserted in the 1977 AAA baseball purgatory of sunny Honolulu; the backroom dealings between players and management ahead of the 1981 players' strike, and the fateful meeting between John and his former owner that may have derailed his career. "Heinie." Randy. Buzzie. "Sweet Matt." "Davvy." Marvin. "Mac." Juan. Jimmie Reese. Gibby & Torre. "Moff." Keith. "Onti." "Ras." Pete. "Simba" & Geno, among many others along for the ride. Featuring a foreword by popular 70's baseball historian Dan Epstein and flavored by music of the era. If you love the narrative structure of cable dramas like Mad Men and House of Cards, then you will adore this rich, period love story between a man and his profession.

Great success stories all start the same way... You can't do it. Saying this book is about baseball is like saying Rudy is about football, and Rocky is about boxing. It is so much more than that. These stories are of ordinary people accomplishing extraordinary feats by simply believing in their dreams, with a steadfast determination to realize their goal. The Team is such a story. Paul Babcock, an ordinary man with a dream initiated as a young boy on a farm in Illinois. The youngest of ten s

A fascinating and charming encyclopedic collection of baseball firsts, describing how the innovations in the game—in rules, equipment, styles of play, strategies, etc.—occurred and developed from its origins to the present day. The book relies heavily on quotations from contemporary sources.

After receiving the news that he must report back to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Aries Constantine finds himself with Eva on a flight back to Hyannis. Joining the duo, are their old close friends, Lucas and Vera. The task at hand for Aries, is to solve the problem that ails him. As the struggle for redemption begins, it is inevitable that Aries must confront his nemesis. The run for glory begins. Will Aries redeem himself in the wake of his struggles? And what will become of him in the coming confrontation with his rival? Lights of Summer: The Run for Glory is the third and final installment in the Lights of Summer series, a thrilling and uplifting tale of hope, love, sex, rediscovered dreams, and the sport of baseball.

New York magazine was born in 1968 after a run as an insert of the New York Herald Tribune and quickly made a place for itself as the trusted resource for readers across the country. With award-winning writing and photography covering everything from politics and food to theater and fashion, the magazine's consistent mission has been to reflect back to its audience the energy and excitement of the city itself, while celebrating New York as both a place and an idea.

Caryl Phillips is one of the most respected writers of his generation. An award-winning author best known for his fiction, essays and stage plays, he is also the author of radio plays, nine of which were broadcast by the BBC between 1984 and 2016. Previously locked away in Phillips's archives, housed at the Beinecke Library at Yale University, these hidden gems are now published in Caryl Phillips's Radio Plays, the first collection of these important works of drama. Despite being previously overlooked, these radio plays are fully creative works and constitute an integral part of Caryl Phillips's literary universe. Not only do these dramatic texts display the author's hallmark mix of formal elegance and sharp social criticism, but they also offer compelling points of comparison with the rest of his wider writing. From the experience on an eighteenth-century slave ship and the life of a migrant family in 1980s England, to an account of James Baldwin's time in Paris and Marvin Gaye's stay in Belgium, these plays grapple with expansive themes in creative and dramatic ways. Contextualized by a scholarly introduction by Bénédicte Ledent, this volume introduces these works in the published form for the first time, allowing readers a better grasp of Phillips's narrative techniques, offering fascinating vistas into his imaginary world, which ranges from the history of the African diaspora to the predicament of displaced individuals the world over.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A surprising and moving novel of fathers and sons, forgiveness and redemption, set in the world of Major League Baseball… “Grisham knocks it out of the park.”—The Washington Post It’s the summer of 1973, and Joe Castle is the boy wonder of baseball, the greatest rookie anyone has ever seen. The kid from Calico Rock, Arkansas, dazzles Chicago Cubs fans as he hits home run after home run, politely tipping his hat to the crowd as he shatters all rookie records. Calico Joe quickly becomes the idol of every baseball fan in America, including Paul Tracey, the young son of a hard-partying and hard-throwing New York Mets pitcher. On the day that Warren Tracey finally faces Calico Joe, Paul is in the stands, rooting for his idol but also for his dad. Then Warren throws a fastball that will change their lives forever. Don’t miss John Grisham’s new book, THE EXCHANGE: AFTER THE FIRM!