Walter "Smokey" Alston is best known for his long and successful tenure as manager of the Dodgers--first in Brooklyn, then in Los Angeles. Yet few fans are aware of his years in the minors, where he honed the skills that would make him famous. Raised in rural Ohio, Alston graduated from Miami University, where he was noticed by scouts for the St. Louis Cardinals. Signed in 1935, he played on minor league teams in the Cardinals' system. He went to bat in the majors just once--and struck out. But Cardinals President Branch Rickey recognized other talents in Alston and made him a player-manager for several clubs. He steadily produced winning teams and in 1946 led the racially integrated Nashua "Little" Dodgers to a championship. In 1953, he was tapped to run the big club and over the next 23 seasons led the Dodgers to nine pennants and four World Series wins. This book traces Alston's rise through the minor and major leagues to become a Hall of Famer with more than 2000 career wins.

The Dodgers Encyclopedia is the definitive book on Los Angeles and Brooklyn Dodgers baseball. It traces the history of one of Major League Baseball's most successful organizations, from the misty beginnings of its predecessors in rural Brooklyn more than 140 years ago, through their formative years in the major leagues, as a member of the American Association from 1884 through 1889, to a full-fledged representative of the National League since 1890. It covers the exciting and oftenzany years in Brooklyn through 1957, as well as a long and successful sojourn in Southern California during the last half of the 20th century.

Why is baseball the only team sport whose managers wear a uniform? Which two managers have led three different teams to the World Series? Who was the last player-manager? Which managers' uniform numbers have been retired? What happened when Ted Turner took over as manager after Atlanta had posted 16 consecutive losses? These and many more questions are answered in Bob Bloss'sBaseball Managers. The perfect book to have for settling a baseball argument, it contains records of each of the more than 400 twentieth-century managers. It traces managing evolution from the original Cincinnati Red Stockings to the Arizona Diamondbacks and from the early days of player-managers and their fourteen-man squads to today's relentless fan and media second-guessing and the emergence of free agency—which now often forces managers to enter battle with teams vastly restructured from the previous season. With chapters on controversial managerial decisions Hall-of-Fame manager profiles and oddball managerial situations, humorous and sometimes poignant anecdotes, and many useful tables listing managers alphabetically, by teams, and by winning percentages,Baseball Managersis a fascinating compilation of statistics, trivia, and memories. Author note:Bob Blossis a freelance baseball journalist who began his writing career in 1960. He has played the role of announcer as well as reporter and is a member of the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association and SABR, the Society of American Baseball Research. Once a slow, second-string high school outfielder in Erie, PA, who could hit a curve ball only when he knew it was coming—and then not very far—Bloss now chronicles baseball and baseball managing.

An addictive read that is sure to spark conversation wherever baseball is spoken, The Baseball Maniac’s Almanac is part reference, part trivia, part brain teaser, and absolutely the greatest, most unusual, and thorough compendium of baseball stats and facts ever compiled—all verified for accuracy by the Baseball Hall of Fame. In its pages, renowned sportswriter Bert Randolph Sugar presents thousands of fascinating lists, tables, data, and stimulating facts about: Individual players and teams Managers Player relatives The Hall of Fame Annual awards The World Series All-Star Games The book also contains a list of the all-time statistical leaders for every major league team as well as a truly unforgettable miscellaneous section that answers such mind-boggling questions as, “Which major-leaguers have palindromic surnames?” and “Which players born under each zodiac sign have hit the most career home runs?”

Walter "Smokey" Alston is best known for his long and successful tenure as manager of the Dodgers--first in Brooklyn, then in Los Angeles. Yet few fans are aware of his years in the minors, where he honed the skills that would make him famous. Raised in rural Ohio, Alston graduated from Miami University, where he was noticed by scouts for the St. Louis Cardinals. Signed in 1935, he played on minor league teams in the Cardinals' system. He went to bat in the majors just once--and struck out. But Cardinals President Branch Rickey recognized other talents in Alston and made him a player-manager for several clubs. He steadily produced winning teams and in 1946 led the racially integrated Nashua "Little" Dodgers to a championship. In 1953, he was tapped to run the big club and over the next 23 seasons led the Dodgers to nine pennants and four World Series wins. This book traces Alston's rise through the minor and major leagues to become a Hall of Famer with more than 2000 career wins.

Presents a series of lineups from each baseball franchise and explores the careers of baseball players both famous and obscure.