Böcker av Dennis Snelling

The untold story of Lefty O’Doul, one of baseball’s greatest hitters, most colorful characters, and the unofficial father of professional baseball in Japan.

Chronicles the history of the Pacific Coast League and covers its foremost personalities, governance, and contentious relationship with the majors, proving that the history of the game involves far more than the happenings in the American and National Leagues.

From San Francisco to the Ginza in Tokyo, Lefty O'Doul relates the untold story of one of baseball's greatest hitters, most colourful characters, and the unofficial father of professional baseball in Japan. Lefty O'Doul is still beloved in Japan, where in 2002 he was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame.

Johnny Evers was the heartbeat of one of the greatest Baseball teams of the 20th century and the fiercest competitor this side of Ty Cobb. Spanning the time from his birth in Troy, New York, to his death less than a year after his election to the Hall of Fame, this is the biography of a man who literally wrote the book about playing his position and set the standard for winning baseball.

Ron Necciai once struck out 27 hitters in a nine-inning minor league game. Floyd Giebell beat Bob Feller to clinch the 1940 American League pennant for the Detroit Tigers. John Paciorek had three hits in three at bats in his big league debut--and never played another game in the majors. These three players and twelve other talented men (Bill Koski, Ed Sanicki, Joe Stanka, Bill Rohr, Al Autry, Joe Brovia, John Leovich, Bert Shepard, Doug Clarey, Marshall Mauldin, Bernie Williams, and Frank Leja) reached the top of their profession only to sink back into obscurity. Through interviews with all the players and extensive research, their stories are told. Major and minor league year-by-year statistics for each player are included.

The Pacific Coast League enjoyed a reputation as one of the premier minor leagues in baseball. This reference work is a season-by-season guide to the glory days of the PCL. It includes a listing of starters and primary reserves for all teams from 1903 to 1957, as well as playoff results, managerial records, and statistical leaders for each season.