Sports & Recreation

The story of Willie Mays's rookie year with the Negro American League's Birmingham Black Barons, the Last Negro World Series, and the making of a baseball legend

Baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays is one of baseball's endearing greats, a tremendously talented and charismatic center fielder who hit 660 career homeruns, collected 3,283 hits, knocked in 1,903 runs, won 12 Gold Glove Awards and appeared in 24 All-Star games. But before Mays was the "Say Hey Kid", he was just a boy. Willie's Boys is the story of his remarkable 1948 rookie season with the Negro American League's Birmingham Black Barons, who took a risk on a raw but gifted 16-year-old and gave him the experience, confidence, and connections to escape Birmingham's segregation, navigate baseball's institutional racism, and sign with the New York Giants. Willie's Boys offers a character-rich narrative of the apprenticeship Mays had at the hands of a diverse group of savvy veterans who taught him the ways of the game and the world.

• Sheds new light on the virtually unknown beginnings of a baseball great, not available in other books
• Captures the first incredible steps of a baseball superstar in his first season with the Negro League's Birmingham Black Barons
• Introduces the veteran group of Negro League players, including Piper Davis, who gave Mays an incredible apprenticeship season
• Illuminates the Negro League's last days, drawing on in-depth research and interviews with remaining players
• Explores the heated rivalry between Mays's Black Barons and Buck O'Neil's Kansas City Monarchs , culminating in the last Negro League World Series
• Breaks new historical ground on what led the New York Giants to acquire Mays, and why he didn't sign with the Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Yankees, or Boston Red Sox

Packed with stories and insights, Willie's Boys takes you inside an important part of baseball history and the development of one of the all-time greats ever to play the game.

Top golfing instructor Jim McLean uses rare film footage of Ben Hogan to break down the greatest swing of all time

Golf legend Ben Hogan had the perfect golf swing, but how exactly it worked has long been a mystery—until now. Using footage from three never-before analyzed films of Hogan at his very best, Jim McLean analyzes the crucial motions of Hogan's entire golf swing and shows you how to integrate his mechanics into your own game. You'll study Hogan's blend of club head, club shaft, hands, ankles, knees, hops, shoulders, and head motion—a symphony of movements with an ideal sequential development of power. It's as close as you can get to teeing it up with Hogan yourself.

• Uses more than one hundred stills from three rare films to analyze every key detail of Hogan's perfect swing before the car accident that changed his play, something no book on Hogan has ever done
• Reveals the fifteen secrets of Hogan's swing, covering important topics such as the grip, the waggle, the left hip action, lateral motion, rotation and turning movements, head position, and more
• Draws extensively on the knowledge of Hogan's friends and competitors, many of them golfing greats themselves
• Written by one of Golf Digest's top five teachers , a pioneer in video analysis who also saw Hogan play first hand

There have been many books on Hogan's swing, but never one, including his own, that illustrates his swing at its most perfect, and never one that shows its mechanics so clearly and completely.

In The Fight of the Century, sportswriter Michael Arkush delves behind the scenes to explore the richly textured history and the ongoing impact of one of the most important sporting events of all time, a battle not only between two undefeated champions, but between two competing views of a nation still reeling from the turbulent 1960s. 

Arkush draws from interviews with Ali’s trainer, Angelo Dundee; his doctor, Ferdie Pacheco; and more than 100 others to examine how the fight, watched by more than 300 million viewers around the world, ushered in a new era of sports marketing. From then on, every game would be turned into an “event,” powered by over-the-top hype and carefully staged pageantry.

This sweeping real-life saga features insightful portraits of both fighters. The outspoken Ali, coming back to boxing after a three-and-a-half-year ban for evading the military draft, was already one of the best-known human beings on the planet—a hero to millions, though certainly a thorn in the side of America’s power structure. Frazier, by contrast, did not feel compelled to constantly weigh in on the political issues of his time, though he did refuse to call his opponent by his adopted Islamic name, instead referring to him as Cassius Clay.

Among many telling details in this fascinating account, you’ll discover why Ali’s favorite foil, Howard Cosell, who had defended the champ passionately during his exile, did not call the fight, and how a prominent Hollywood agent and a California businessman teamed up to promote the event. You’ll also learn how a little-known Georgia legislator helped make Ali’s comeback possible.

Complete with photos of both fighters at the peak of their careers, The Fight of the Century is very likely the most dramatic, compelling, and moving sports story you will ever read.

From one of the world's most respected sailors-the knowledge and secrets every sailor needs

Peter Isler, two-time America's Cup winner, has sailed in and won hundreds of races over the last forty years. In that time, he has acquired a vast array of knowledge about sailing techniques and tactics, not to mention a boatload or two of entertaining stories along the way. In this book, he brings them all together into a single guide to help you make the most of your time on the water, whether you're going for a leisurely sail with friends or competing to win.

• Filled with tips and secrets every sailor craves, from the international competitor to the weekend dinghy sailor
• Includes wisdom and advice gleaned from Peter's time spent sailing with top international sailors, from America's Cup veterans Ted Turner, Dennis Conner and Russell Coutts to and three-time Olympic gold medalist Ben Ainslie
• Covers a range of important sailing topics, including understanding the inner game, leading a team, reading the wind, preparing your boat (and yourself), and much more

Filled with information that will help you become a better sailor, Peter Isler's Little Blue Book of Sailing Secrets is an invaluable source of guidance you'll rely on every time you set sail.

Voted One of Golf Spy's Top 25 Golf Books of All-Time

The doctor is on the golf course!

Dr. Craig Farnsworth has helped more than 125 Tour pros improve their putting games from good to outstanding. Now, you can raise the level of your game using the same innovative techniques that have helped Nick Faldo, Annika Sörenstam, Bernhard Langer, and many others become masters of the green. Whether you suffer from sloppy setup, tight grip, pushing, pulling, or "the yips," The Putting Prescription will cure what ails you!

The last word on putting from one of the greatest golfers-and putters-ever

Jack Nicklaus is considered the greatest player of all time by countless golf fans around the world. His astounding tournament achievements (including a record eighteen professional major championship victories, among them six Masters), along with the powerful legacy he has built as a golf-course designer and golf book author, give him both an unrivaled grasp and multifaceted understanding of the game.

Nicklaus's classic Golf My Way—the sport's all-time worldwide instructional bestseller—has helped millions of players improve their all-around game. In Putting My Way, Nicklaus presents his clear and cohesive approach every element of the craft of superb putting, from finding the right putter to the mechanics of stroking the ball, to the strategies involved in the most neglected part of golf by amateurs, despite it representing at least 45 percent of their play.

Whether you're new to golf or have been playing for years, Putting My Way will help you take charge of your putting technique, practice, and execution and see results that lift your game.

• Explains every mental and physical element of putting, from equipment through greens-reading and stroking techniques to productive practice and foolproof strategizing
• Reveals Nicklaus's own lifelong putting "musts," along with highly successful practice systems
  Includes 29 b/w illustrations and eight color paintings to help you understand Jack's concepts and better apply them personally

Packed with inside pointers and "how-to's" from one of the greatest putters ever to play the game, this book is the one you'll turn to again and again for the advice you need on how to become a permanently lower-scoring golfer through vastly improved greens work.

Volume 5 of the popular book, Ken Schultz's Fishing Encyclopedia, containing entries N–R

The most comprehensive fishing encyclopedia in the world, Ken Schultz's Fishing Encyclopedia is the standard for knowledge on fishing and everything related to it. With complete, insightful information for both freshwater and saltwater anglers at all levels of experience, it is the only authoritative fishing encyclopedia set available. More than 2,000 detailed entries and over 1,400 color illustrations and photos across 7 volumes cover every aspect of fishing today, including fish species, equipment, places, techniques, and a wide array of other information. Ken Schultz, internationally known fishing expert and 26-year editor at Field & Stream, and his team of international experts have created the definitive fishing guide for the new millennium. Their combined expertise spans the world—from Montana to Mozambique—and is uniquely modern in scope, covering current conservation programs and issues as well as the most recent developments in technique and equipment.

"Ken Schultz's Fishing Encyclopedia is the only complete book of fishing knowledge. With expert information from cover to cover, it dwarfs every fishing book on the market. This book is indispensable." --Vin T. Sparano, Editor Emeritus/Senior Field Editor, Outdoor Life 

"A new resource for a new century, Ken Schultz's Fishing Encyclopedia is destined to become the last word in fishing information." --Slaton White, Editor, Field & Stream

Volume 7 of the popular book, Ken Schultz's Fishing Encyclopedia, containing entries T-Z

The most comprehensive fishing encyclopedia in the world, Ken Schultz's Fishing Encyclopedia is the standard for knowledge on fishing and everything related to it. With complete, insightful information for both freshwater and saltwater anglers at all levels of experience, it is the only authoritative fishing encyclopedia set available. More than 2,000 detailed entries and over 1,400 color illustrations and photos across 7 volumes cover every aspect of fishing today, including fish species, equipment, places, techniques, and a wide array of other information. Ken Schultz, internationally known fishing expert and 26-year editor at Field & Stream, and his team of international experts have created the definitive fishing guide for the new millennium. Their combined expertise spans the world--from Montana to Mozambique--and is uniquely modern in scope, covering current conservation programs and issues as well as the most recent developments in technique and equipment.

"Ken Schultz's Fishing Encyclopedia is the only complete book of fishing knowledge. With expert information from cover to cover, it dwarfs every fishing book on the market. This book is indispensable." --Vin T. Sparano, Editor Emeritus/Senior Field Editor, Outdoor Life 

"A new resource for a new century, Ken Schultz's Fishing Encyclopedia is destined to become the last word in fishing information." --Slaton White, Editor, Field & Stream

Volume 6 of the popular book, Ken Schultz's Fishing Encyclopedia, containing S entries

The most comprehensive fishing encyclopedia in the world, Ken Schultz's Fishing Encyclopedia is the standard for knowledge on fishing and everything related to it. With complete, insightful information for both freshwater and saltwater anglers at all levels of experience, it is the only authoritative fishing encyclopedia set available. More than 2,000 detailed entries and over 1,400 color illustrations and photos across 7 volumes cover every aspect of fishing today, including fish species, equipment, places, techniques, and a wide array of other information. Ken Schultz, internationally known fishing expert and 26-year editor at Field & Stream, and his team of international experts have created the definitive fishing guide for the new millennium. Their combined expertise spans the world—from Montana to Mozambique—and is uniquely modern in scope, covering current conservation programs and issues as well as the most recent developments in technique and equipment.

"Ken Schultz's Fishing Encyclopedia is the only complete book of fishing knowledge. With expert information from cover to cover, it dwarfs every fishing book on the market. This book is indispensable." --Vin T. Sparano, Editor Emeritus/Senior Field Editor, Outdoor Life 

"A new resource for a new century, Ken Schultz's Fishing Encyclopedia is destined to become the last word in fishing information." --Slaton White, Editor, Field & Stream

Volume 4 of the popular book, Ken Schultz's Fishing Encyclopedia, containing entries J–M

The most comprehensive fishing encyclopedia in the world, Ken Schultz's Fishing Encyclopedia is the standard for knowledge on fishing and everything related to it. With complete, insightful information for both freshwater and saltwater anglers at all levels of experience, it is the only authoritative fishing encyclopedia set available. More than 2,000 detailed entries and over 1,400 color illustrations and photos across 7 volumes cover every aspect of fishing today, including fish species, equipment, places, techniques, and a wide array of other information. Ken Schultz, internationally known fishing expert and 26-year editor at Field & Stream, and his team of international experts have created the definitive fishing guide for the new millennium. Their combined expertise spans the world—from Montana to Mozambique—and is uniquely modern in scope, covering current conservation programs and issues as well as the most recent developments in technique and equipment.

"Ken Schultz's Fishing Encyclopedia is the only complete book of fishing knowledge. With expert information from cover to cover, it dwarfs every fishing book on the market. This book is indispensable." --Vin T. Sparano, Editor Emeritus/Senior Field Editor, Outdoor Life 

"A new resource for a new century, Ken Schultz's Fishing Encyclopedia is destined to become the last word in fishing information." --Slaton White, Editor, Field & Stream

Volume 7 of the popular book, Ken Schultz's Fishing Encyclopedia, containing entries T-Z

The most comprehensive fishing encyclopedia in the world, Ken Schultz's Fishing Encyclopedia is the standard for knowledge on fishing and everything related to it. With complete, insightful information for both freshwater and saltwater anglers at all levels of experience, it is the only authoritative fishing encyclopedia set available. More than 2,000 detailed entries and over 1,400 color illustrations and photos across 7 volumes cover every aspect of fishing today, including fish species, equipment, places, techniques, and a wide array of other information. Ken Schultz, internationally known fishing expert and 26-year editor at Field & Stream, and his team of international experts have created the definitive fishing guide for the new millennium. Their combined expertise spans the world--from Montana to Mozambique--and is uniquely modern in scope, covering current conservation programs and issues as well as the most recent developments in technique and equipment.

"Ken Schultz's Fishing Encyclopedia is the only complete book of fishing knowledge. With expert information from cover to cover, it dwarfs every fishing book on the market. This book is indispensable." --Vin T. Sparano, Editor Emeritus/Senior Field Editor, Outdoor Life 

"A new resource for a new century, Ken Schultz's Fishing Encyclopedia is destined to become the last word in fishing information." --Slaton White, Editor, Field & Stream

Volume 6 of the popular book, Ken Schultz's Fishing Encyclopedia, containing S entries

The most comprehensive fishing encyclopedia in the world, Ken Schultz's Fishing Encyclopedia is the standard for knowledge on fishing and everything related to it. With complete, insightful information for both freshwater and saltwater anglers at all levels of experience, it is the only authoritative fishing encyclopedia set available. More than 2,000 detailed entries and over 1,400 color illustrations and photos across 7 volumes cover every aspect of fishing today, including fish species, equipment, places, techniques, and a wide array of other information. Ken Schultz, internationally known fishing expert and 26-year editor at Field & Stream, and his team of international experts have created the definitive fishing guide for the new millennium. Their combined expertise spans the world—from Montana to Mozambique—and is uniquely modern in scope, covering current conservation programs and issues as well as the most recent developments in technique and equipment.

"Ken Schultz's Fishing Encyclopedia is the only complete book of fishing knowledge. With expert information from cover to cover, it dwarfs every fishing book on the market. This book is indispensable." --Vin T. Sparano, Editor Emeritus/Senior Field Editor, Outdoor Life 

"A new resource for a new century, Ken Schultz's Fishing Encyclopedia is destined to become the last word in fishing information." --Slaton White, Editor, Field & Stream

Volume 5 of the popular book, Ken Schultz's Fishing Encyclopedia, containing entries N–R

The most comprehensive fishing encyclopedia in the world, Ken Schultz's Fishing Encyclopedia is the standard for knowledge on fishing and everything related to it. With complete, insightful information for both freshwater and saltwater anglers at all levels of experience, it is the only authoritative fishing encyclopedia set available. More than 2,000 detailed entries and over 1,400 color illustrations and photos across 7 volumes cover every aspect of fishing today, including fish species, equipment, places, techniques, and a wide array of other information. Ken Schultz, internationally known fishing expert and 26-year editor at Field & Stream, and his team of international experts have created the definitive fishing guide for the new millennium. Their combined expertise spans the world—from Montana to Mozambique—and is uniquely modern in scope, covering current conservation programs and issues as well as the most recent developments in technique and equipment.

"Ken Schultz's Fishing Encyclopedia is the only complete book of fishing knowledge. With expert information from cover to cover, it dwarfs every fishing book on the market. This book is indispensable." --Vin T. Sparano, Editor Emeritus/Senior Field Editor, Outdoor Life 

"A new resource for a new century, Ken Schultz's Fishing Encyclopedia is destined to become the last word in fishing information." --Slaton White, Editor, Field & Stream

"Cecilia Tan has written a Yankee Doodle Dandy of a book. The reader is taken through the dramatic ebb and flow of the 50 greatest Yankee games. We learn a lot about the team from the Bronx in this fact-filled, entertainingly written opus. Should be required reading for all fans of the New York Yankees." — Harvey Frommer, author of A Yankee Century and The New York Yankee Encyclopedia

• Babe Ruth performs the most debated gesture in sports history
• Joe DiMaggio reaches one milestone on his way to another
• "The Wild Man" tames the Dodgers, but the Bombers fail to score
• Bobby Murcer delivers the game-winning hit just hours after delivering the eulogy at Thurman Munson's funeral
• Dave Righetti throws his no-hitter against the Red Sox
• Don Mattingly shines, but Seattle savors the day
• Derek Jeter saves the game and the season with a "shovel pass"

From the Yankees' first World Series to the pennant race that pitted Joe DiMaggio against Ted Williams to the Bucky Dent home run game, you'll have the best seat in the stadium as you experience all the excitement and drama. Featuring fascinating anecdotes and vintage photographs, The 50 Greatest Yankee Games is the perfect book for every Yankee fan and anyone who cherishes the game.

"Tan does a fine job choosing the most important contests from 100 seasons of Yankee baseball and recounting them in a gripping style . . . developing entertaining, dramatic story lines." —Publisher's Weekly

Volume 4 of the popular book, Ken Schultz's Fishing Encyclopedia, containing entries J–M

The most comprehensive fishing encyclopedia in the world, Ken Schultz's Fishing Encyclopedia is the standard for knowledge on fishing and everything related to it. With complete, insightful information for both freshwater and saltwater anglers at all levels of experience, it is the only authoritative fishing encyclopedia set available. More than 2,000 detailed entries and over 1,400 color illustrations and photos across 7 volumes cover every aspect of fishing today, including fish species, equipment, places, techniques, and a wide array of other information. Ken Schultz, internationally known fishing expert and 26-year editor at Field & Stream, and his team of international experts have created the definitive fishing guide for the new millennium. Their combined expertise spans the world—from Montana to Mozambique—and is uniquely modern in scope, covering current conservation programs and issues as well as the most recent developments in technique and equipment.

"Ken Schultz's Fishing Encyclopedia is the only complete book of fishing knowledge. With expert information from cover to cover, it dwarfs every fishing book on the market. This book is indispensable." --Vin T. Sparano, Editor Emeritus/Senior Field Editor, Outdoor Life 

"A new resource for a new century, Ken Schultz's Fishing Encyclopedia is destined to become the last word in fishing information." --Slaton White, Editor, Field & Stream

""The 100-Yard War"" showcases two great football teams who want nothing more than to beat each other, celebrating their storied history and going behind the scenes with the players and the fans to reveal the bitterness, the passion, and the pride surrounding the Game.

ESPN called it the number one sports rivalry of the century. It transcends the years, the standings, and all other distractions. And thanks to the countless remarkable football games between Michigan and Ohio State--and hundreds of thousands of devoted alumni and followers--the rivalry is now an enormous cultural event.

The last word on putting from one of the greatest golfers-and putters-ever

Jack Nicklaus is considered the greatest player of all time by countless golf fans around the world. His astounding tournament achievements (including a record eighteen professional major championship victories, among them six Masters), along with the powerful legacy he has built as a golf-course designer and golf book author, give him both an unrivaled grasp and multifaceted understanding of the game.

Nicklaus's classic Golf My Way—the sport's all-time worldwide instructional bestseller—has helped millions of players improve their all-around game. In Putting My Way, Nicklaus presents his clear and cohesive approach every element of the craft of superb putting, from finding the right putter to the mechanics of stroking the ball, to the strategies involved in the most neglected part of golf by amateurs, despite it representing at least 45 percent of their play.

Whether you're new to golf or have been playing for years, Putting My Way will help you take charge of your putting technique, practice, and execution and see results that lift your game.

• Explains every mental and physical element of putting, from equipment through greens-reading and stroking techniques to productive practice and foolproof strategizing
• Reveals Nicklaus's own lifelong putting "musts," along with highly successful practice systems
  Includes 29 b/w illustrations and eight color paintings to help you understand Jack's concepts and better apply them personally

Packed with inside pointers and "how-to's" from one of the greatest putters ever to play the game, this book is the one you'll turn to again and again for the advice you need on how to become a permanently lower-scoring golfer through vastly improved greens work.

The story of Willie Mays's rookie year with the Negro American League's Birmingham Black Barons, the Last Negro World Series, and the making of a baseball legend

Baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays is one of baseball's endearing greats, a tremendously talented and charismatic center fielder who hit 660 career homeruns, collected 3,283 hits, knocked in 1,903 runs, won 12 Gold Glove Awards and appeared in 24 All-Star games. But before Mays was the ""Say Hey Kid"", he was just a boy. Willie's Boys is the story of his remarkable 1948 rookie season with the Negro American League's Birmingham Black Barons, who took a risk on a raw but gifted 16-year-old and gave him the experience, confidence, and connections to escape Birmingham's segregation, navigate baseball's institutional racism, and sign with the New York Giants. Willie's Boys offers a character-rich narrative of the apprenticeship Mays had at the hands of a diverse group of savvy veterans who taught him the ways of the game and the world.

• Sheds new light on the virtually unknown beginnings of a baseball great, not available in other books
• Captures the first incredible steps of a baseball superstar in his first season with the Negro League's Birmingham Black Barons
• Introduces the veteran group of Negro League players, including Piper Davis, who gave Mays an incredible apprenticeship season
• Illuminates the Negro League's last days, drawing on in-depth research and interviews with remaining players
• Explores the heated rivalry between Mays's Black Barons and Buck O'Neil's Kansas City Monarchs , culminating in the last Negro League World Series
• Breaks new historical ground on what led the New York Giants to acquire Mays, and why he didn't sign with the Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Yankees, or Boston Red Sox

Packed with stories and insights, Willie's Boys takes you inside an important part of baseball history and the development of one of the all-time greats ever to play the game.

Last year Football Bowl Subdivision college football programs produced over $1 billion in net revenue. Record-breaking television contracts were announced. Despite the enormous revenue, college football is in upheaval. Schools are accused of throwing their academic mission aside to fund their football teams. The media and fans are beating the drum for athletes to be paid. And the conferences are being radically revised as schools search for TV money. Saturday Millionaires shows that schools are right to fund their football teams first; that athletes will never be paid like employees; how the media skews the financial facts; and why the TV deals are so important. It follows the money to the heart of college football and shows the real game being played, covering such areas as:

Myth #1: All Athletic Departments Are Created Equal
Myth #2: Supporting Football Means Degrading Academics
Myth #3: College Football Players Could Be Paid Like Employees
Myth #4: Football Coaches Are Overpaid
Myth #5: A Playoff Will Bring Equality to College Football
Myth #6: Only a Handful of Athletic Departments Are Self-Sustaining

"The 100-Yard War" showcases two great football teams who want nothing more than to beat each other, celebrating their storied history and going behind the scenes with the players and the fans to reveal the bitterness, the passion, and the pride surrounding the Game.

ESPN called it the number one sports rivalry of the century. It transcends the years, the standings, and all other distractions. And thanks to the countless remarkable football games between Michigan and Ohio State--and hundreds of thousands of devoted alumni and followers--the rivalry is now an enormous cultural event.

• Details on how the 2007 Masters Invitees qualified
• Scores and stat leaders from each round
• Quotes from the participants
• Holes and Shots of the Day
• All-time scoring records
• Past Masters results and all-time Tournament participants

ESPN.com Insider KC Joyner, “The Football Scientist,” explores and explodes many of the myths of NFL football

Have free agency and salary caps put an end to football dynasties? Does it take an elite running back to win a Super Bowl? Which players belong in the Hall of Fame? What defense is the greatest of all time? Does playing creampuffs work for NFL teams? Do coaches have a ten-year shelf life?

In Blindsided, pro football’s statistical iconoclast™ challenges conventional wisdom with fact-based and fi lm-based answers to these and many other key NFL questions. Whether you’re a devout fantasy football player, a football fanatic, or a fan who wants the real, straight-from-the-fields-and-films scoop instead of the typical hype and hoopla, this book will inform and transform your thinking about the game.

Who was the greatest NASCAR driver ever? Are crashes good for NASCAR? How will Danica Patrick fare as a NASCAR driver? What are the best and worst NASCAR cities and racetracks?

In Trading Paint, veteran NASCAR writer Jerry Bonkowski gets inside the sport's most contentious issues and gives you fuel for the debates that drive NASCAR lovers around the bend.

So the next time you're arguing with your friends over whether NASCAR races should be shorter or whether double-file restarts are good for the sport, read Trading Paint and you'll be ready to argue—and win.

• Covers 101 NASCAR questions that get fans revved up the most—about rules, drivers, car design, money, and more 
• Written by NASCAR expert Jerry Bonkowski, on-air personality on Sirius NASCAR Radio and former NASCAR and motorsports columnist/writer for USA Today, ESPN.COM and Yahoo! Sports 
• Takes a comprehensive look at the sport—including the past, present, and the future of NASCAR—from both on and off the track 

Whether you're new to NASCAR or a longtime fan, this insider's guide will get you up to speed on controversies and concerns of your favorite sport.

"Cecilia Tan has written a Yankee Doodle Dandy of a book. The reader is taken through the dramatic ebb and flow of the 50 greatest Yankee games. We learn a lot about the team from the Bronx in this fact-filled, entertainingly written opus. Should be required reading for all fans of the New York Yankees." — Harvey Frommer, author of A Yankee Century and The New York Yankee Encyclopedia

• Babe Ruth performs the most debated gesture in sports history
• Joe DiMaggio reaches one milestone on his way to another
• "The Wild Man" tames the Dodgers, but the Bombers fail to score
• Bobby Murcer delivers the game-winning hit just hours after delivering the eulogy at Thurman Munson's funeral
• Dave Righetti throws his no-hitter against the Red Sox
• Don Mattingly shines, but Seattle savors the day
• Derek Jeter saves the game and the season with a "shovel pass"

From the Yankees' first World Series to the pennant race that pitted Joe DiMaggio against Ted Williams to the Bucky Dent home run game, you'll have the best seat in the stadium as you experience all the excitement and drama. Featuring fascinating anecdotes and vintage photographs, The 50 Greatest Yankee Games is the perfect book for every Yankee fan and anyone who cherishes the game.

"Tan does a fine job choosing the most important contests from 100 seasons of Yankee baseball and recounting them in a gripping style . . . developing entertaining, dramatic story lines." —Publisher's Weekly

The epic 1980 Wimbledon final that ended with John McEnroe's defeat by his idol, Björn Borg, is considered the greatest tennis match ever. The U.S. Open final later that year, when McEnroe got his revenge, is considered the greatest U.S. Open ever. These two matches marked McEnroe's transformation from tennis player into an American icon, the high point of tennis's gigantic leap into the national consciousness, and the beginning of Borg's rapid and surprising decline. This book takes you back to that amazing summer at the height of the golden age of tennis.

• Includes fascinating details about John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg both on and off the court, from grueling practice sessions to late-night partying
• Packed with stories and anecdotes of top tennis players and coaches, including Vitas Gerulaitis, Mary Carillo, Lennart Bergelin, and others
• Highlights a pivotal moment in the evolution of the game?from quiet to loud, from wood to metal racquets, and from European to American dominance
• Written by veteran tennis writer and analyst Matthew Cronin

Whether you're a longtime tennis fan or a recent convert, Epic will give you a deeper understanding of the game and of two of the most amazing players ever to have played it.

Voted One of Golf Spy's Top 25 Golf Books of All-Time

The doctor is on the golf course!

Dr. Craig Farnsworth has helped more than 125 Tour pros improve their putting games from good to outstanding. Now, you can raise the level of your game using the same innovative techniques that have helped Nick Faldo, Annika Sörenstam, Bernhard Langer, and many others become masters of the green. Whether you suffer from sloppy setup, tight grip, pushing, pulling, or "the yips," The Putting Prescription will cure what ails you!

The workout book that really packs a punch

Who needs to be in better shape than a professional boxer? Who better to help a woman of any age get into her finest possible physical condition and stay there than WBC Welterweight Champion Mia St. John? In The Knockout Workout, Mia helps you master the exercises and workouts that keep boxers and martial arts experts fit and trim. With clear, step-by-step instructions and plenty of detailed photos, she shows you how to punch and kick your way to a level of fitness you never thought possible. She provides diet tips and meal plans that keep you healthy, satisfied, and slim, along with mental strategies to achieve power, calmness, and tenacity.

Don't try to slim down with quick fixes or bulk up with heavy weights. Follow the simple three-step program you'll find in The Knockout Workout, and you'll be a knockout in no time!

From one of the world's most respected sailors-the knowledge and secrets every sailor needs

Peter Isler, two-time America's Cup winner, has sailed in and won hundreds of races over the last forty years. In that time, he has acquired a vast array of knowledge about sailing techniques and tactics, not to mention a boatload or two of entertaining stories along the way. In this book, he brings them all together into a single guide to help you make the most of your time on the water, whether you're going for a leisurely sail with friends or competing to win.

• Filled with tips and secrets every sailor craves, from the international competitor to the weekend dinghy sailor
• Includes wisdom and advice gleaned from Peter's time spent sailing with top international sailors, from America's Cup veterans Ted Turner, Dennis Conner and Russell Coutts to and three-time Olympic gold medalist Ben Ainslie
• Covers a range of important sailing topics, including understanding the inner game, leading a team, reading the wind, preparing your boat (and yourself), and much more

Filled with information that will help you become a better sailor, Peter Isler's Little Blue Book of Sailing Secrets is an invaluable source of guidance you'll rely on every time you set sail.

In The Fight of the Century, sportswriter Michael Arkush delves behind the scenes to explore the richly textured history and the ongoing impact of one of the most important sporting events of all time, a battle not only between two undefeated champions, but between two competing views of a nation still reeling from the turbulent 1960s. 

Arkush draws from interviews with Ali’s trainer, Angelo Dundee; his doctor, Ferdie Pacheco; and more than 100 others to examine how the fight, watched by more than 300 million viewers around the world, ushered in a new era of sports marketing. From then on, every game would be turned into an “event,” powered by over-the-top hype and carefully staged pageantry.

This sweeping real-life saga features insightful portraits of both fighters. The outspoken Ali, coming back to boxing after a three-and-a-half-year ban for evading the military draft, was already one of the best-known human beings on the planet—a hero to millions, though certainly a thorn in the side of America’s power structure. Frazier, by contrast, did not feel compelled to constantly weigh in on the political issues of his time, though he did refuse to call his opponent by his adopted Islamic name, instead referring to him as Cassius Clay.

Among many telling details in this fascinating account, you’ll discover why Ali’s favorite foil, Howard Cosell, who had defended the champ passionately during his exile, did not call the fight, and how a prominent Hollywood agent and a California businessman teamed up to promote the event. You’ll also learn how a little-known Georgia legislator helped make Ali’s comeback possible.

Complete with photos of both fighters at the peak of their careers, The Fight of the Century is very likely the most dramatic, compelling, and moving sports story you will ever read.

Julius Erving, aka Dr. J, was a wizard with the basketball, performing feats the world had never seen before: midair spins and whirls punctuated by powerful slam dunks, which he was the first to glamorize. In a career that lasted from the 1970s well into the 1980s, he was one of the first players to make extemporaneous individual expression an integral part of the game, setting the style of play that has prevailed ever since. He's also long been respected as a gracious, dignified, and disciplined man. As there are great men of history, there are great men of sports, and Dr. J is just such a man.

This book tells Dr. J's amazing story, following his basketball journey from his Long Island childhood to the street games of New York City to a college career as his skills, reputation, and character grew. It follows his entrance into the ABA, where he revolutionized the game by glamorizing the dunk, and his conquering of the NBA, where he was Michael Jordan before there was a Jordan. It relates the family struggles he's had since leaving the game and charts the transformation of the man into myth.

• The first complete biography of one of the greatest and most popular basketball players of all time
• Draws on interviews with Dr. J's childhood friends and his family to teammates and coaches at all levels
• Written by a New York Times sports journalist and author of Asphalt Gods: An Oral History of the Rucker Tournament
• Includes Erving's years as a player with the Virginia Squires, New York Nets, and Philadelphia 76ers

Read Doc and follow the incredible journey of the basketball genius who elevated the game off the hardwood and helped make it America's passion.

Bring out the Beast in your golf game!

Now Fister has taken all the winning tips and techniques he has learned over the years and organized them in this book so that you too can drive better and more consistently. With Fister’s Ten Commandments of Distance, you’ll learn proven secrets to increase the power and accuracy of your drive, including:

• Anti-slice tips
• How high to set your tee
• The best launch angle
• Exercise routines to strengthen your swing
• How to find the best shaft-clubhead combination
  
• Practice drills and techniques
• And more

San Francisco Chronicle Bestseller

"From the speedy rise of the Big Three to their stunning breakup, Urban's book says it all." —John Shea, National baseball Writer, San Francisco Chronicle

During the 2004 season, each of Oakland's Big Three aces had something to prove. Tim Hudson was determined to demonstrate his recovery from a recurring injury. Barry Zito had to show the world that after a ho-hum 2003, his 2002 Cy Young Award was not a fluke. Mark Mulder missed the 203 playoffs entirely with a stress fracture, but the way he saw it, he simply needed to be himself—the natural-born pitcher.

Given unprecedented access to the Big Three, Mychael Urban recreates their tumultuous season through their eyes. he explores the nuts and bolts of major league pitching, examining each player's unique approach to this craft while revealing how three very different personalities cope with the demands, rewards, and challenges of sports stardom.

Now with a new afterword on the 2005 season

Urban traces the fortunes of the Big Three after Hudson was sent to Atlanta and Mulder to St. Louis, trades which held the dramatic promise of them being reunited again-as opponents-in the playoffs.

Why does your team float around the .500 mark year after year while other franchises always seem to be in contention? How do some teams make that incredible leap from worst to first in just a season or two? If you could corner your team's owner and general manager—say in mid-October when neither you nor they have anything better to do—what advice would you give them so that you can spend next October at the stadium? Plenty of ideas, but you're not sure which ones really work? You need to read Winners!

In this raucous, entertaining, and sure-to-be-controversial guide for the dedicated fan and unpaid organizational watchdog, Baseball Prospectus columnist Dayn Perry dives deep into the stats and comes up with some mind-blowing answers to the most important question in baseball: How to winners win?

Analyzing record, lineups, defense, and pitching staffs of the 124 teams that made it to the playoffs between 1980 and 2003, Perry separates baseball myth from hardball reality, slays some sacred cows, and gives you new, more accurate ways to analyze both individual and team performance.

You'll discover why stats like batting average, RBI, and even OBP don't tell you what you really need to know about a hitter's contribution to the team; why that much ballyhooed trading-deadline pickup probably won't help your team move up in this year's standings; and why you need only one certified ace in the rotation to make it into the post season. You'll also find out why:

• A huge payroll doesn't guarantee success (but it helps)
• Slugging percentage is a hitter's most important traditional slat
• There's no such thing as a player who "knows how to win"
• Middle relievers are typically the most important people in the bullpen
• Speed helps, stealing bases doesn't

Perry backs up every one of his brash claims with solid statistical evidence. He illustrates each point with colorful, engaging stories about some of the most successful teams and admired players of the last quarter century, from dynasties like the Braves and the Yankees to one-season wonders like the '87 Tigers and the '01 Diamondbacks. He shows you how to identify the young players most likely to have long and successful careers; analyzes the achievements of such greats as George Brett, Rickey Henderson, Pedro Martinez, and Barry Bonds; and reveals how one of the greatest teams of all time managed an eleven-year winning spree using ten (count 'em—ten!) different closers.

Whether you're buttonholing the GM, dialing your local sports call-in show, or commiserating with your buddies as the local nine go down in flames yet again, Winners gives you a leg up in every baseball argument. maybe your team still can't win—but you can!