Athletes Once: 100 Famous People Who Were Once Notable Athletes


Book Description

It has long been thought that there was a connection between athletics and success in later life. But nowhere is that connection brought home more dramatically than in this book. Presented are 100 people who were once notable athletes, and who went on to lead even more notable lives in fields as diverse as entertainment, politics, the military, and the arts. Everyone knows that Dwight David Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States; but did you know that he once tacked the legendary Jim Thorpe in a football game? Millions of people have laughed at the antics of the comedy team of Abbot and Costello; but did you know that the roly-poly Lou Costello was once a professional boxer? How about the famous General George S. Patton? Did you know he was in the 1912 Olympics? Or that the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Roberts, was once a wrestling champion? Or that Robert Stack, before he became a famous actor, was a national champion competitive skeet shooter, with two world records to his name. Athletes Once is a fascinating glimpse into the lives of the rich and famous-before they became either.







The Sports 100


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Babe Ruth and the Creation of the Celebrity Athlete


Book Description

From his first year in the majors, George Herman "Babe" Ruth knew he could profit from celebrity. Babe Ruth Cigars in 1915 marked his first attempt to cash in. Traded to the Yankees in 1920, he soon signed with Christy Walsh, baseball's first publicity agent. Walsh realized that stories of great deeds in sports were a commodity, and in 1921 sold Ruth's ghostwritten byline to a newspaper syndicate for $15,000 ($187,000 today). Ruth hit home runs while Walsh's writers made him a hero, crafting his public image as a lovable scalawag. Were the stories true? It didn't matter--they sold. Many survive but have never been scrutinized until now. Drawing on primary sources, this book examines the stories, separating exaggerated facts from clear falsehoods. This book traces Ruth's ascendance as the first great media-created superstar and celebrity product endorser.




The 100 Greatest Athletes of All Time


Book Description

Profiles the top one hundred athletes in baseball, basketball, boxing, football, and other sports; ranks them in accordance with their achievements; and includes a large number of accompanying illustrations.




Harper's Weekly


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The 50 Greatest Players in New York Yankees History


Book Description

The New York Yankees are Major League Baseball’s most renowned and successful franchise. Baseball greats such as Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, and Derek Jeter have all worn the famous navy blue and white pinstripes. The Yankees have won twenty-seven World Series, and twenty-nine players who spent at least a year with the team have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. With so many Hall of Famers to choose from, selecting the best players in the history of the franchise might seem impossible; yet, that is exactly what Robert W. Cohen has done. This book carefully examines the careers of the players who made the greatest impact on the most successful franchise in the history of professional sports. The ranking was determined based on such factors as the extent to which each player added to the Yankees legacy, the degree to which he impacted the fortunes of his team, and the level of dominance he attained while wearing the Yankee uniform. Features of The 50 Greatest Players in New York Yankees History include Each player’s notable achievements Recaps of the player’s most memorable performances Summaries of each player’s best season Quotes from opposing players and former teammates Yankees fans and baseball fans in general will find The 50 Greatest Players in New York Yankees History a fascinating collection of bios, stats, recaps, quotes, and more. And with such iconic figures as Yogi Berra, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Alex Rodriguez, and Andy Pettitte, this book is sure to inspire debate and controversy among true Yankees fans.







Western Athletics


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