Ballpark Facts for Fun! American League


Book Description

Ballpark Fans, how much do you know about the stadium's that have hosted America's pastime? Can you name the ballpark that has a section of seating known as "Mount Davis"? Or the one with four catwalks that encircle its dome's interior? What about the ballpark containing a train that runs forward and back along the left outfield whenever a home run is hit? For years, ballparks have served as the home for America's pastime. They span the entire country, varying in quality, size, and history. From the small sandlots in tiny Midwestern town to the massive Yankee Stadium, the variety of ballparks speaks volumes about the game. This interactive book focuses on the American League portion of Major League Baseball. So if you think you know quite a bit about the stadiums where America's pastime is hosted, you can put it to the test. The trivia questions cover a variety of the American League stadiums, and are sure to be an entertaining experience for friends and family alike.




How Baseball Happened


Book Description

The untold story of baseball’s nineteenth-century origins: “a delightful look at a young nation creating a pastime that was love from the first crack of the bat” (Paul Dickson, The Wall Street Journal). You may have heard that Abner Doubleday or Alexander Cartwright invented baseball. Neither did. You may have been told that a club called the Knickerbockers played the first baseball game in 1846. They didn’t. Perhaps you’ve read that baseball’s color line was first crossed by Jackie Robinson in 1947. Nope. Baseball’s true founders don’t have plaques in Cooperstown. They were hundreds of uncredited, ordinary people who played without gloves, facemasks, or performance incentives. Unlike today’s pro athletes, they lived full lives outside of sports. They worked, built businesses, and fought against the South in the Civil War. In this myth-busting history, Thomas W. Gilbert reveals the true beginnings of baseball. Through newspaper accounts, diaries, and other accounts, he explains how it evolved through the mid-nineteenth century into a modern sport of championships, media coverage, and famous stars—all before the first professional league was formed in 1871. Winner of the Casey Award: Best Baseball Book of the Year




What Would You Be?


Book Description

What would you be? An author, astronaut, farmer or fireman? Do you know what you would be if you delivered products to stores? What about if you made special dishes in a restaurant? Or what would you be if you moved dirt to help make roads and buildings? There are so many jobs in this world. From architects to truck drivers, or from chefs to store clerks, each job does its part in helping the world be a better a place. But for various reasons, the younger generation is not aware of many of them. If your child doesn't know about many of the careers in the world, this picture book is the perfect educational tool for them. Pictures are provided that relate to the question but aren't necessarily hints, engaging the child to answer the questions. And since each question is multiple choice, even the wrong answers are a chance for education, as each one is explained. Better than a career day, through a fun and interactive learning experience, your child will be introduced to more than 22 fascinating careers! The next words you may hear are, "When I grow up, I want to be..."




Cellar Dwellers


Book Description

In 1890, baseball's Pittsburgh Alleghenys won a measly 23 games, losing 113. The Cleveland Spiders topped this record when they lost an astonishing 134 games in 1899. Over 100 years later, the 2003 Detroit Tigers stood apart as the only team in baseball history to lose 60 games before July in a season. These stories and more are told in Cellar Dwellers: The Worst Teams in Baseball History, a colorful tribute to the sport's least successful clubs. Cellar Dwellers spans three centuries of professional baseball, recounting the seasons of those teams whose misadventures have largely been forgotten over time. Chapters not only cover the stories of the luckless teams, they also include reams of statistics and detailed player profiles of those who helped the clubs--and those who helped them fail. In addition to the Alleghenys, Spiders, and Tigers, the cellar dwellers of baseball include: -1904 and 1909 Washington Senators -1916 Philadelphia Athletics -1928 and 1941 Philadelphia Phillies -1932 Boston Red Sox -1935 Boston Braves -1939 St. Louis Browns -1952 Pittsburgh Pirates -1962 New York Mets While many books revel in the glories of teams whose exploits have become legendary, the stories found in this volume offer an engaging alternative to the thrill of victory. Embellished with comical and amusing anecdotes alongside historical perspectives, Cellar Dwellers will entertain baseball fans and fascinate those who love baseball history.




The Dogs Who Play Baseball


Book Description




20 Fun Facts About Football


Book Description

The National Football League is America’s favorite sports league. Football is fast-paced and full of big hits and even bigger plays from its superstars. These players have set some impressive records over the years. From the amazing seasons running backs have had breaking the 2,000-yard rushing mark, or quarterbacks gunning for the single-season touchdown record, learning about the stats and facts that make up football’s history fun! Graphics and photographs show how the game’s rules, equipment, and even its field have changed over the years, letting readers dive into the huddle and explore football at their own pace.




Baseball


Book Description

Jam-packed with cool baseball trivia, history-making records, unforgettable moments, and wacky true tales of your favorite games, players and events. This book hits a grand slam right out of the park! A perfect gift for the die-hard fan of America's favorite pasttime. Baseball is rich in anecdotes about team superstitions (from the black cat that haunted the Cubs to the "Curse of the Babe"), the antics of the superstars, and other facts that come out of left field. Think today's umpires have a temper? Wait till you read about the 19th century New Jersey ump who pulled out a gun and shoved it in the face of a player who came at him with a bat. Or about the time three Brooklyn Dodger runners found themselves at third base--together. Fans will laugh, they'll learn--and they won't put this down!




20 Fun Facts About Congress


Book Description

Who makes the laws for our country? Congress does. Readers learning about Congress in school will get a much-needed jolt of excitement thanks to this book. Filled with factoids about strange members of Congress, unbelievable laws, fascinating fights, and other events from the history of Congress, this book draws even the most reluctant readers into history. Each fact is accompanied by an image that allows for further visual comprehension and a caption that adds a splash more of learning and fun.




Root for the Home Team


Book Description

Delve deep into to the grass roots of baseballs—the Minor League—and you’ll find Cannibals, Shoemakers, and Zephyrs! From the Coal Sox Nation to the Texarkana Casketmakers, Root for the Home Team brings you the most oddly original team names and the stories behind them. Root for the Home Team includes profiles of more than 150 teams and lists of hundreds more—plus fun facts, action shots, and team logos. Impress your baseball buddies with your depth of knowledge! Did you know? - The Altoona Curve were dubbed without ever throwing a breaking ball, thanks to local railroad history. - The Wichita Izzies had a fan so fanatical they named the team after him. - The Mudville Nine were named after the fictitious team in the poem “Casey at the Bat.” Root for the Home Team is a unique book any baseball fan will love.




A Team for the Ages


Book Description

Certain to create new controversies, and stir up some old ones, here is a fascinating historical and comparative look at the national pastime and its greatest players over the past one hundred years.