Sports

You can click the links to check availability.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

The Last Boy: Mickey Mantle and the End of America's Childhood

Meticulously reported and elegantly written, The Last Boy is a baseball tapestry that weaves together episodes from the author's weekend with The Mick in Atlantic City, where she interviewed her hero in 1983, after he was banned from baseball, with reminiscences from friends and family of the boy from Commerce, Oklahoma, who would lead the Yankees to seven world championships, be voted the American League's Most Valuable Player three times, win the Triple Crown in 1956, and duel teammate Roger Maris for Babe Ruth's home run crown in the summer of 1961---the same boy who would never grow up.

As she did so memorably in her biography of Sandy Koufax, Jane Leavy transcends the hyperbole of hero worship to reveal the man behind the coast-to-coast smile, who grappled with a wrenching childhood, crippling injuries, and a genetic predisposition to alcoholism. In The Last Boy she chronicles her search to find out more about the person he was and, given what she discovers, to explain his mystifying hold on a generation of baseball fans, who were seduced by that lopsided, gap-toothed grin. It is an uncommon biography, with literary overtones: not only a portrait of an icon, but an investigation of memory itself. How long was the Tape Measure Home Run? Did Mantle swing the same way right-handed and left-handed? What really happened to the red-haired, freckle-faced boy known back home as Mickey Charles?

Check Catalog

Monday, October 18, 2010

The Last Putt: Two Teams, One Dream, and a Freshman Named Tiger

Based on exhaustive reporting and interviews, The Last Putt tells the story of an epic rivalry that encapsulated the changing face of the game. On one side was Oklahoma State, a true golfing dynasty featuring the young bloods of a privileged golf family and a coach whose winning record and reputation for toughness made him a mythical figure. On the other side was the Stanford Cardinal, progressive, diverse, and born of the creative recruiting of an unforgettable group of players: Notah Begay (golf’s first prominent Native American), Casey Martin (who broke down barriers by playing with a severe disability), and Tiger Woods, who was already the most famous young name in golf but was also a freshman that year, carrying his upperclassmen’s bags, learning how to be teammate, and harnessing a talent that would define a new generation in the sport.

Check Catalog

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Think Like a Caddie...Play Like a Pro: Golf's Top Caddies Share Their Winning Secrets

All professional touring golfers depend on their caddie to serve as a valuable team member to help them make better decisions and achieve the lowest possible score. This book will provide golfers with insight into competitive preparation and play, course strategies, and clear thinking on the golf course. Every golfer will benefit from the inside tips and advice provided by the world's best caddies. This lively, accessible book will feature 50+ color photos of these caddies in action on some of the greatest golf courses. Forward by Arnold Palmer. Preface by Ben Crenshaw.

Check Catalog

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Backpacker Trailside Navigation: Map and Compass

Backpacker's Trailside Navigation informs readers about choosing and using a compass; basic map reading skills; plotting a course and finding your way through the wilderness; using stars to navigate rivers, streams and trails at night; using maps and compass in concert with a GPS receiver. This handy pocket-sized guide is 96 pages, includes two popouts, and incorporates color photos, charts, and illustrations as needed throughout the interior.

Check Catalog