Grand Junction accepted a formidable challenge in hosting the fledgling national junior college baseball tournament in 1959. Nearly half a century later, the JUCO World Series and the city of Grand Junction are inextricably linked in one of the country's longest running baseball tournaments. Dedicated leaders and a supportive community have allowed young stars Kirby Puckett, Curt Schilling, David Wells, Eric Gagne, and many others to enjoy this gem of an event on Colorado's Western Slope. Grand Junction's JUCO World Series chronicles the tourney's humble beginnings and lets the reader discover this American tradition that combines local pride with high quality baseball.

Covering nine teams from Divisions I, II and III, NAIA, and junior college, this book provides a view of college baseball from close up. Chapters draw on the action of nine weekend series, incorporating interviews of players, coaches, and administrators to cover topics such as recruiting, summer ball, academics, and the Major League draft. Fan support and the fundamentals of collegiate hitting, pitching, coaching, and conditioning are also closely discussed.

One of only four modern major league pitchers to strike out more than 300 batters in a year for two different teams, Curt Schilling delivered on a famous promise to help bring a world championship to the Boston Red Sox in 2004. Pitching on a mangled and bloody ankle, he fought through the pain to win crucial games in that postseason against the New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals. In 2001, he also helped lead the then-four-year-old Arizona Diamondbacks to the team's one-and-only world championship. Off the mound, this father of four is an outspoken political voice, a dynamic business owner, and a generous volunteer of his time and money, benefiting charitable causes such as ALS and melanoma research, among others. In Curt Schilling, find out how this right-hander delivers success on and off the field.

It is widely, and wrongly, assumed that books are never so valuable as when they lie unopened before us, waiting to be read. Good books bear multiple readings, and not merely because our memories fail us; the desire to repeat a good reading experience can be its own powerful motivation. And for bibliophiles, books can also be works of art, physical objects with an aesthetic value all their own. This guide for the book-loving baseball fan is written by one of the most knowledgeable collectors in the country, author and editor Mike Shannon. Beginning with a history of baseball books and collecting, it also identifies the most sought-after titles and explains how to find them, what to pay, and how to maintain their condition.

From exploits on the field, to machinations in the front office, to data on the cities where they play, the Encyclopedia of Major League Baseball Clubs presents the team history of each of the 30 MLB teams. Intelligent, in-depth essays provide social and economic histories of each club that go beyond the recounting of team glories or failures year by year. Team origins, annual campaigns, and players and managers all figure into the story, but so do owners, financiers, politicians, neighborhoods and fans. Teams are also looked at as business enterprises, with special attention given to labor issues like the reserve clause and free agency, as well as stadium construction and financing. Social and political issues are covered as well, including racism and integration, ethnic makeup of fans and players, gambling, liquor sales, and Sunday play. National events, like World War I, World War II, the Great Depression and the Cold War, and their impact on the national pastime, are also brought into the picture where they are relevant. Media coverage and broadcasting rights are discussed, as is the great influence the flood of media money has had on the sport. As America's sport, baseball reflects not just our ideas and beliefs about competition, it also reflects our national and regional identities. Readers will be able to find useful information about: important players, managers, owners; community relations/charity work; business and labor issues (television income, free agency); race relations; baseball/sports economics (including stadium construction, team relocations; and teams in local and national culture (Fenway Park, Wrigley Field as local icons, Yankees as a national team). Every essay is signed, and concludes with suggested readings and a bibliography. The work is illustrated, has a comprehensive bibliography, and is thoroughly indexed.

An . . . instant source of statistical data on every player in baseball. A must to have within reach at all times.--Joe McIlvaine, president, New York Mets.