Al Oliver is a former Major League Baseball player. Over the course of his eighteen year career, he has been blessed to be able to play for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1968-77), Texas Rangers (1978-81), Montreal Expos (1982-83), San Francisco Giants (1984), Philadelphia Phillies (1984), Los Angeles Dodgers (1985) and Toronto Blue Jays (1985). From 1970 to 1976, he played for five Pirates division champions, including the team that defeated the Orioles in the 1971 World Series. Al Oliver was a career .303 hitter with 219 home runs and 1326 RBI's in 2368 games. He batted .300 or more eleven times and retired with 2,743 hits (45th on the all-time list). He is ranked among the all-time top 50 in games played (2368), total bases (4083), RBI (1326) and extra-base hits (825). Oliver was among the league's top ten in doubles nine times and among the league's top ten in hits nine times as well and finished in the top ten in batting average nine times. During his career, five times he was among the league's top ten in total bases and four times he was in the top ten in RBIs. Oliver is a seven time All Star player, a three time Sliver Slugger Award winner, and has won the 1982 National League Batting Title. Oliver's autobiography covers his faith and determination on both on and off the diamond. It also discuss Olivers life from overcoming hardships as a child to his eventual triumph of becoming a Major League Baseball player. His inspiring story will touch the hearts of many.

An intimate portrait of a tortured player, this biography culls interviews, letters, and the personal account of baseball legend Willie Mays Aikens. Touted from a young age as the next Reggie Jackson, Aikens' promising career quickly turned disastrous when he fell into drug abuse and was ultimately sentenced to the longest prison sentence ever given to a professional athlete in a drug case. Not only an exploration of baseball and culture in the 1980s, this book also delves into the United States justice and penal systems.

Most Texas Rangers fans have gone to at least a game or two in Arlington and were gripped by every captivating moment of the team's 2015 postseason run. But only real fans know the significance of the numbers 8, 34, and 1972, or where to find the best Rangers bars in Texas. 100 Things Rangers Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die is the ultimate resource for true fans of the Texas Rangers, whether you cheered on the Ryan Express or are a recent supporter of the team under Jeff Bannister. From the bizarre and wonderful 1977 season to the Josh Hamilton saga and beyond, experienced sportswriter Rusty Burson has collected every essential piece of Rangers knowledge, plus must-do activities, and ranks them all from 1 to 100, providing an entertaining and easy-to-follow checklist as you progress on your way to fan superstardom. This updated edition includes the Rangers' recent memorable successes, including the push to the 2015 playoffs, and new faces like Yu Darvish and Cole Hamels.

Paul Petricca draws on his experience as a coach, player, blogger, and student of baseball and softball to share what hes learned about hitting in this essential guide for players seeking dramatic results at the plate. The author presents easy to understand hitting mechanics highlighting how the engineering concept of torque can be applied to hitting and is often the difference between a weak groundball or a long home run. Topics covered include understanding where hitting power really comes from and the importance of increasing bat speed through the fundamentals of a repeatable and powerful rotational swing. Hitters of all ages who adopt his eight hitting keys will enjoy a dramatic increase in bat speed and power almost immediately. Hitting with Torque is more than a set of hitting mechanics---its a mindset. Readers will be challenged to look past the worn-out hitting theories and myths that have been holding back hitters from reaching their full potential. With an open mind and practice, all hitters can unlock the power and consistency that is Hitting with Torque.

This devotional is an entertaining and engaging book that combines highlights from classic and extreme sports with a fun, inspiring daily devotional thought aimed specifically at tweens.

Most sports fans know that Ted Williams ended his major league career with style, swatting a home run in his final at bat. But what about Babe Ruth? Ty Cobb? Joe DiMaggio? Willie Mays? How did some of baseball's greatest players bow out of The Game? Last Time Out answers that question as it examines how the greatest players in baseball history left the game they once ruled. The stories of these men and how they finished their careers, never collected anywhere before now, show another side of the men whose achievements on the field made them legends. After hours and hours of research, through biographies, microfilm, magazines, and memories, award-winning sportswriter John Nogowski culled the stories of the final games of 25 of The Game's greatest athletes-Babe Ruth, Christy Mathewson, Ty Cobb, Jackie Robinson, Dizzy Dean, Satchel Paige, Carlton Fisk, Bob Feller, Joe Morgan, and Carl Yastrzemski are among those featured. This impressive work recounts the circumstances surrounding these final games and puts you in a box seat to witness and sense the moment as these glorious careers ceased, most often with little fanfare. Whether it be Shoeless Joe Jackson, Lou Gehrig, Pete Rose, or Cal Ripken, Jr., Last Time Out beautifully captures in words and photographs the essence of these players' last time in uniform and celebrates the magic of the game these famed players mastered and loved.

Author Patrick Flaherty and his brothers honor their mother by sharing stories and life's lessons learned from her during their childhood. Doris Flaherty was typical of the millions of moms raising families in the 1950's, 60's and 70's. Much of what these moms did on a daily basis for teaching and disciplining their children can easily be used by today's mothers. Many stories are humurous anecdotes of how common situations were handled through the wisdom of motherhood.