Facing Mariano Rivera: Players Recall the Greatest Relief Pitcher Who Ever Lived

The all-time career leader in saves, with 652, Mariano Rivera is one of the greatest professional athletes in history. Since taking over the closer's role for the New York Yankees in 1997, until his retirement in 2013, Rivera saved 30 or more games in every season but one. In addition, he has an astonishing MLB record 42 postseason saves, with 11 of them coming in the World Series. After 19 seasons in the Major Leagues, his preeminence among relief pitchers is assumed and his induction into Cooperstown assured.
And he accomplished it all, mostly, with one devastating pitch: his signature cut fastball. As third baseman Corey Koskie put it: "You knew what pitch [Rivera's] going to throw, a cutter. . . . You start to swing at the pitch and the next thing you know, the ball explodes your bat. I tried multiple things hoping to figure out a way get the barrel [of the bat] on one of his pitches. . . . Nothing worked."
Far from a conventional biography, "Facing Mariano Rivera" offers perspectives and testimonials from opponents and teammates alike, including Rivera's minor-league roommate and the final batter he faced in the major leagues. Some opponents had uncommon success against "The Sandman," and they share their secrets for hitting him. Most, however, echo the sentiments of five-time All-Star Mike Sweeney: "When you're at Yankee Stadium and Mariano Rivera is coming in the game, it feels like a horror movie . . . when you hear the music and you're scared to death, because you know what's going to happen."
Truly dominant pitchers come along only rarely. This book tells the reader what it's like to battle one of the all-time best, in the words of the players who did just that.

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The Sailing Bible: The Complete Guide for All Sailors from Novice to Expert

"The Sailing Bible" is a comprehensive handbook for all sailors, whatever their experience. It takes novice sailors from learning the anatomy of their boat to handling emergencies while experienced sailors get sound advice and expert tips that will improve their skills, safety and enjoyment on the water.
Jam-packed with vital data, step-by-step instructions, explanatory diagrams and lively action photos, "The Sailing Bible" is thorough, user-friendly and appropriate for all sailboats. Organized progressively from learning to sail to navigation and boat maintenance, the authors cover everything sailors must know to get the most out of the sport.
Topics include: Dinghies and yachts Cruising and racing Launching, helming, trapezing and capsizing Racing techniques and tactics Buoys, tides, charts and navigation Anchoring and marina berthing Knots, ropes and flags Boat etiquette and seamanship Safety and emergencies and much more.

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Brooklyn Bounce: The Highs and Lows of Nets Basketball's Historic First Season in the Borough

When the Brooklyn Nets played their first game at Barclays Center in downtown Brooklyn in the fall of 2012, they succeeded in bringing a major professional sports franchise back to Brooklyn for the first time since the Dodgers abandoned the borough in 1957.
Now, "Brooklyn Bounce" chronicles the Nets' historic inaugural season in the borough, full of highs and lows--plenty of them entirely unexpected. Jake Appleman takes us inside the locker room and courtside, examining the team's transition from the New Jersey swamp to gentrified Brooklyn, from an opening night delayed by Hurricane Sandy to an epic seven-game playoff showdown with the Chicago Bulls.
The Nets were the game's foremost paradox in 2013, a team that managed to be the most improved in the NBA, but also consistently disappointed. What made them interesting wasn't their style of play or even their unique collection of personalities; it was their constant state of reinvention and their evolving relationship with their new home: as the Barclays crowds would chant it, BROOOOOOK-LYN!

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Autocourse Official History of the Indianapolis 500 (Revised, Updated) (2ND ed.)

THE Indianapolis "500" is much more than merely the best known automobile race in the world. It is a cherished time-honored institution with a glorious history dating back more than one hundred years. Known to most as, quite simply, "The 500," it has been held every year since 1911, the only exceptions being 1917-18 and 1942-45, during the periods when America was involved in the two world wars. Steeped in tradition, it has meant many things to many people and has played an enormous role in the lives of human beings, perhaps even more so for the spectators and devotees than for the participants themselves. For over half a century, Memorial Day meant either trekking to the track or else ensuring that whatever other activity was planned for the day, a radio would always be within earshot. In more recent decades, settling down in front of the television has been added to the equation, while it is now the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend on which the extravaganza takes place, rather than on Memorial Day itself. But the feeling is the same. For the participants, it has been a nearly 100-year saga of dreams, innovation, ingenuity, bravery, triumph, and tragedy. Paupers became millionaires, young men from small towns and broken homes became international celebrities, and regrettably, some of them gave their lives. The "500" has endured world wars, depressions, recessions, political strife, and negative journalism, and yet it continues to draw massive passionate and emotional crowds, whose loyalty is rewarded with never-to-be-forgotten moments such as the finishes of 2006 and 2011, when Dan Wheldon snatched victory on literally the final turn. This, then, is the story of the Indianapolis 500 and how it came to be. This is the story of more than 100 editions of the race, interspersed with a look at some of the compelling personalities, some little-known facts, an attempt to document the origins of some of the traditions, and perhaps even to dispel a few myths.
From Harroun to Franchitti, it's all here...

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Orr: My Story

One of the greatest sports figures of all time breaks his silence in a memoir as unique as the man himself.
He has never written a memoir, authorized a biography, or talked to journalists about his past, but now he is finally ready to tell his story.
Bobby Orr is often referred to as the greatest ever to play the game of hockey. From 1966 through the mid-seventies, he could change a game just by stepping on the ice. No defenseman had ever played the way he did, or received so many trophies, or set so many records, several of which still stand today.
But all the brilliant achievements leave unsaid as much as they reveal. They don't tell what inspired Orr, what drove him, what it was like for a shy small-town kid to suddenly land in the full glare of the media. They don't tell what it was like when the agent he regarded as a brother betrayed him and left him in financial ruin. They don't tell what he thinks of the game of hockey today.
He is speaking out now because "I am a parent and a grandparent and I believe that I have lessons worth passing on." "Orr: My Story" is more than a book about hockey--it is about the making of a man.

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Winning American Mah Jongg Strategies: A Guide for the Novice Player

Following up on the success of her acclaimed book, "A Beginner's Guide to American Mah Jongg," bestselling author Elaine Sandberg's new book offers novice players the advice they need to excel at mah jongg. "Winning American Mah Jongg Strategies: A Guide for the Novice Player" provides beginners with the information they need to strategize, excel, and win!
This book teaches players how to overcome common difficulties and provides the knowledge to sharpen strategic skills and increase win ratios. By showing beginners how to see and utilize different strategic elements, players learn how to elevate their skills and increase their wins. A gem of a book that is the perfect gift for mah jongg players of all ages!

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The Trad Climber's Bible

Traditional, or simply, " trad climbing," is a do-it-yourself adventure requiring the climbing team to negotiate the climb and to carry, hand-place and remove most if not all components of the roped safety system. In The Trad Climber's Bible, two of the most revered and respected trad climbers in the world, John Long and Peter Croft, offer hard-won knowledge to aspiring trad climbers in a narrative format that is as informative as it is entertaining. With photos by iconic climbing photographer Greg Epperson and AMGA Certified Rock Instructor Bob Gaines, this full color book will appeal to climbers of all stripes.

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National Geographic Secrets of the National Parks: The Experts' Guide to the Best Experiences Beyond the Tourist Trail

Find the best National Geographic picks in 32 amazing national parks including Yellowstone's Lamar Valley, the Everglades' Nine Mile Pond Canoe Trail, and Yosemite's exquisite Snow Creek Trail. Discover that Lamar Valley is home to many of the park's wolf packs; why the Everglades is the domain of the pink flamingo; and that astounding views of Yosemite's Half Dome and Tenaya Canyon are accessible on an easy day hike. The majority of national park visitors often stick to the most celebrated trails and scenic overlooks, missing a whole world of stunning scenery in the process. Informed by park rangers, superintendents, and frequent park visitors, "National Geographic Secrets of the National Parks" provides all the inspiration and information you need to plan your visit beyond the well-trodden, touristy spots in these 32 great national parks. Stunning photographs, informative sidebars, and easy-to-use maps will help make your next national park adventure memorable.
FEATURED PARKS:
EAST: Acadia - Shenandoah - Great Smoky Mountains - Biscayne - Everglades
SOUTHWEST & ROCKIES: Big Bend - Petrified Forest - Grand Canyon - Bryce Canyon - Zion - Capitol Reef - Mesa Verde - Canyonlands - Arches - Rocky Mountain - Wind Cave - Badlands - Theodore Roosevelt - Yellowstone - Grand Teton - Glacier
PACIFIC: Mount Ranier - Olympic - Crater Lake - Redwood - Yosemite - Channel Islands - Sequoia & Kings Canyon - Death Valley - Joshua Tree - Hawaii Volcanoes - Haleakala

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I Run, Therefore I Am Still Nuts!

Whether you are just getting acquainted with the joys of running or you can recite the brand and model number of your last 12 pairs of running shoes, you'll identify with this book as runners did with the popular first volume, "I Run, Therefore I Am--Nuts!"
Best-selling running humorist Bob Schwartz--the Dave Barry of running--is back and will once again have you laughing as he captures the humor, craziness, and obsessions of runners--new and old--with this new collection of 43 hilarious stories.
"I Run, Therefore I Am-- STILL Nuts!" brings out the humor in situations that every runner can relate to:
- Suffering from RWIA, otherwise known as running watch information addiction
- The addictive nature of high-intensity interval training
- The depths of despair upon learning your favorite shoe will be discontinued
- Embracing the saving grace of age-graded race time calculators
- Attempting to run with a reluctant canine companion
- Trying out running in the oxymoron of barefoot shoes
If you know that the iliotibial band is not an alternative rock group, wear bruised toenails like badges of honor, and know the feeling of having an elephant resting on your shoulders as you've hit the wall--this book is for you!

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Dr. J: The Autobiography

With startling honesty and an unmistakable voice, Dr. J is a historic self-portrait of an American legend, Julius "The Doctor" Erving.
With his flights of improvisation around the basket and his towering afro, Julius Erving became one of the most charismatic (and revolutionary) players basketball has ever known. But while the public has long revered this cultural icon, few have ever known of the double life of Julius Erving. Dr. J traces the inner lives of the nearly perfect player and the imperfect man--and how he has come to terms with both.

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