A revealing look at the history of women's exclusion from America's national pastime

"Someone is stealing the equipment from Eva and Becca's softball team"--Unedited summary from book.

The stolen base is one of the most fascinating plays in all of sports. In no other sport is the opportunity present for the offense to literally take away what belongs to the defense. In other sports it is the ball (or puck) that must do the scoring; in baseball, however, it is the runner, and base stealing is the runner's greatest weapon. Not just ball games but entire World Series have turned on a steal. This book traces the history of the stolen base and stealing in the major leagues from its humble beginnings through its current status as an indispensable part of a team's offense. Also covered are the players who were synonymous with base stealing: Ty Cobb, Luis Aparicio, Maury Wills, Lou Brock, Rickey Henderson, and others. The most memorable steals in baseball history are also recalled.

Beginning readers are introduced to the detective mystery genre in these chapter books. Perfect for the Common Core, kids can problem-solve with Nate, using logical thinking to solve mysteries! Rosamund's baseball team has a very unusual second base—Oliver’s gloopy purple plastic octopus. But one morning . . . it’s gone! Nate the Great must pick up clues so he can find the missing octopus and go up to bat! Check out the Fun Activities section in the back of the book! Visit Nate the Great and Sludge! NatetheGreatBooks.com "Subtle humor sparkles through the young detective's narration and his interactions with his friends. Budding mystery fans will line up for this one."--School Library Journal

Who was better, Mickey Mantle or Willie Mays? At their peak, who was more valuable, Joe DiMaggio or Ted Williams? If Lefty Grove, Sandy Koufax, and Roger Clemens had pitched at the same time against the same hitters, who would have won the most games? If Jackie Robinson had been white, would he be deserving of the Hall of Fame? Who was the greatest all-around player of the last century? ø Clearing the Bases is the first book to tackle these and many other of baseball?s most intriguing questions and offer hard, sensible answers?answers based on exhaustive research and analysis. Sports journalist Allen Barra, whose weekly sports column ?By the Numbers? attracted millions of fans and whose outspoken opinions are discussed regularly on National Public Radio, takes on baseball?s toughest arguments. Using stats and methods he himself has developed, Barra takes you to the heart of baseball's ultimate question??Who's the best???in this, the ultimate baseball debate book, one guaranteed to spark thousands of heated discussions and to supply the fuel for thousands more.

Featuring every relevant team record, statistic, and award winner from the St. Louis Cardinals’ incredible past, this book includes a comprehensive collection of Redbirds all-time leaders in every conceivable category, from hits to strikeouts. From Dizzy Dean’s 30 wins or Lou Brock’s 938 career stolen bases to Bob Gibson’s single-season ERA of 1.12 or Mark McGwire’s 70 home runs in a season, this reference captures the legends and lore of the Cardinals. More than a collection of statistics, this guide provides profiles of the men behind the records and explores the context in which they were set while featuring stories which, in many cases, are even more fascinating than the actual records. Historical game details and evocative photographs blend with compelling statistics and the great players responsible for them to capture the rich history of this storied and celebrated franchise.

Baseball analysts often criticize pitcher win-loss records as a poor measure of pitcher performance, as wins are the product of team performance. Fans criticize WAR (Wins Above Replacement) because it takes in theoretical rather than actual wins. Player won-lost records bridge the gap between these two schools of thought, giving credit to all players for what they do--without credit or blame for teammates' performance--and measuring contributions to actual team wins and losses. The result is a statistic of player value that quantifies all aspects of individual performance, allowing for robust comparisons between players across different positions and different seasons. Using play-by-play data, this book examines players' won-lost records in Major League Baseball from 1930 through 2015.