Product Description
Meet baseball's greatest kings of swing--back to back--in this fabulous, all-in-one flip book filled with facts, superstar stats, and an eight-page souvenir photo insert. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

An account of the year baseball was reborn
The year 1998 was the one when major league baseball was reborn. The labor difficulties of a few years earlier had soured the fans; many of them simply put the game aside and established other recreational priorities. However, when Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa both launched credible assaults on the record of 61 homers set by Roger Maris in 1961, the entire country was transfixed by their exploits. What they had done that day was always a story in the sports section of the local broadcast news every night, even when they had an off day.
Both men had the advantage that they were very likable, even if you were a fan of the opposing team, you had to root for Mark and Sammy when they stepped to the plate. Fans came to their games in record numbers and when the season was over, McGuire had hit an incredible 70 homeruns and Sosa was not far behind with 66. Layden captures the likable qualities of these two men, humble in greatness, a rare commodity in the modern world of athletics.
This story, written at the level of the late elementary school student, will capture the interest of the young sports fan. It was a magical and rejuvenating year for major league baseball and Layden writes as a true baseball fan, just the right amount of fact interspersed with the appropriate level of hype.

Best Heroes
Dear reader,
This book is about Mark Macgwire and Sammy Sosa.
I like this book because it gives you lots of information you want to know about these heroes. If you're a fan of the Chicago Cubs(Sammy) and the Cardinals(Mark)then you will like this book a lot.

Record Broken
This is an okay book.It's mostly the story about how Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa break Babe Ruth's and Roger Maris' record.They hit more than 62 homeruns, nobody has been able to do that, but Mark and Sammy have.Mark McGwire hit 70 homers!Sammy Sosa hit 66 homers!I would reccommend this book for 5th graders and up.

This is one in Million!!!!!!!!
This book is great it not only tells you about their homerun records but their lifes too! This book has ineresting facts. If you are still interested about the homerun race you should read this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Presents a biography of the St. Louis Cardinal power hitter who broke Roger Maris' single-season home run record in 1998. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Mark McGwire
This is a really good Mark McGwire book, especially for young people, because it's easy to read and tells a great story. It was interesting howhe gave up pitching to be a better batter. ... Read more

Product Description
When Mark McGwire sent the first pitch from Montreal Expos rookie pitcher Carl Pavano rocketing into the left field stands at Busch Stadium on September 27, 1998, it was baseball's latest "shot heard round the world." A 26-year-old research scientist named Phil Ozersky happened to be sitting in those left field stands that fateful afternoon, and when he dove on the ball and hugged it close, his world was remade.

The Ball offers readers an inside account of what happened next --and what happened first. Author Daniel Paisner retraces the arc of this one ball, from the moment it was stitched by factory workers in a Rawlings plant in Turrialba, Costa Rica; to the moment it was finally sold at auction for a staggering $3.005 million to comic-book publisher Todd McFarlane.

This is a tale of fortune and legend, honor and greed, substance and style, based in large part on Paisner's unique access to Ozersky and his advisers, including St. Louis sports agent Michael D. Barnes. The Ball is the only in-depth account of the remarkable aftermath to this remarkable baseball season, shot through with compelling personalities, backroom dealings and unearthed legends from our national game. It is itself a gem of a collector's item, sure to find a place on the bookshelves of baseball fans and observers of the American scene.Amazon.com Review
"The Ball" begins innocently enough in a Costa Rican factoryas a Rawlings baseball, like thousands of others each year, is woundand sewn for use in the major leagues. The story ends months later atauction, when that very ball is sold for more than $3 million. Betweenthose two events, Cardinal slugger Mark McGwire has hit it--and, up inthe stands, a young research scientist named Phil Ozersky hasretrieved what turned out to be a shot for history, the Mighty Mac's70th home run of the season. Now, a hunk of horsehide is suddenlybaseball's ultimate object of desire, an instrument of potentialwealth and thus ineffable greed.

The story of this ball and itsmovements--and what it tells us about who we are as a society--makesfor an odd and riveting cautionary tale, almost totemic inquality. McGwire made it clear during his hunt for Roger Maris'slegendary record of 61 home runs in a season that he'd never pay forany of the record-breaking homers he hit and that their rightful placewas on display in Cooperstown. Still, the smart money knows thateverything today has a price, and someone is always willing to payit. "We live in a time," Paisner reminds us, "when dollar bills changehands as carelessly as if they'd been printed by Milton Bradley... when money burns the kinds of holes in our deep pockets that can'tkeep us from our impulses." On cue, Ozersky sleeps with the ball thefirst night and then puts it in his girlfriend's parents' safe thenext day before securing it in a safe deposit box the day after. Thenthe marketers, agents, and auctioneers take centerstage. Interestingly, the only person who exits the tale with handscompletely clean is the star himself, Mark McGwire, happy to do hispart and leave it at that. --Jeff Silverman ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

DEAD-ON ACCURATE
Daniel Paisner has hit another home run.The absurdity that has entered into the sports memorabilia market is clearly exposed here. He accuarately illuminates just how hard it is for the average fan to collect that"special piece." Unfortunately, sports memorabilia collecting canno longer be just for the love of the game.The book was a great read andhighly recommended!

Quick, Pleasurable Read
You'll be amazed how quickly 200 pages turn with this well-written, fast-paced dialogue of Mark McGuire's 70th baseball and the hoopla that endured for a lucky scientist in St. Louis.Even if you're not a hugebaseball fan, this story is likely to keep your attention.Thanks toBarron's newspaper for the recommendation!

witty, funny and interesting stories that surround the sale
an adventure of a young scientist into the world of big money and big people with "good" guys and villans...with cameos from mcgwire, sosa and donald trump....this was a home run catch with a home run ending

You'll never look at a baseball the same way again!
Round and round and round she goes...Someone, maybe you, could strike it rich at the ballpark and bring home #62 or #63 or, heaven forbid, #70.Here it is, the great lottery of the magical 1998 baseball season.Thebuzz about Sammy and McGwire was matched by an undercurrent of instant fameand wealth, the American pastime promising to bestow the American dream. THE BALL captures it all.And it is truly a fascinating and highlyentertaining read.I recommend this book not only to baseball fans (forwhom it is a must) but also for anyone interested at a look behind thescenes of one of the great fairy tales of our times.

Excellent, a must read
This book captivates you as you get a first hand look into the pursuit of the so-called American Dream.Not only is the story interesting in itself but it prompts you to analyse and question your own values.This book isjust marvalous on so many levels.I can't wait for the next Paisner bookto again enjoy his insights into the human personality. ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Mark Mcgwire, Will Clark, Barry Larkin, Sun Dong-Yeol, Kuo Tai-Yuan, B. J. Surhoff, John Marzano, Bobby Witt, Shane Mack, Bill Swift, Oddibe Mcdowell, Rob Thomson, Mike Gardiner, Chiang Tai-Chuan, Steve Wilson, Cory Snyder, Chris Gwynn, Yutaka Wada. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 80. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: MLB Records Mark McGwire, nicknamed "Big Mac" (born October 1, 1963) is a former Major League Baseball player who played his major league career with the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. He replaced Hal McRae as the hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals for 2010. For his career, McGwire averaged a home run once every 10.61 at bats, the lowest at bats per home run ratio in baseball history (Babe Ruth is second at 11.80). In 1987, he broke the single-season home run record for rookies, with 49. In 1998, McGwire and Sammy Sosa achieved national fame for their home run-hitting prowess in pursuit of Roger Maris' single season home run record; McGwire would break the record and hit 70 home runs that year. Barry Bonds now holds the record, after hitting 73 home runs during the 2001 season. In 2010, McGwire publicly admitted having used performance-enhancing drugs throughout his career. After three years at Southern California and a stint on the 1984 U.S. Olympic team, McGwire was drafted 10th overall by the Oakland Athletics in the 1984 Major League Baseball Draft. McGwire made the major leagues in August 1986. As a rookie in 1987 he hit 33 homers before the All-Star break and was a unanimous choice for AL Rookie of the Year after finishing with 49 homers, 118 RBIs and a .289 average. His 49 longballs smashed the old rookie record of 38, jointly held by Frank Robinson and Wally Berger. He also exhibited a healthy perspective by sitting out the seas...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=20548 ... Read more

Product Description
The 500 Home Run Club: Baseballs Greatest Home Run Hitters from Babe Ruth to Mark McGwire is one of the most unusual and revealing baseball books ever written. It tells the stories of the 16 men who have hit more than 500 home runs. They are all here, from Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth to Mark McGwire, the latest player to hit 500 homers. In first-person accounts with friend and agent Bob Allen, baseballs most legendary sluggers describe and assess their own careers and lives, and each others, including the obstacles along the way. Hank Aaron tells of his impoverished boyhood in Mobile, Alabama; of his fears for his own safety as he chased Babe Ruths record while getting many death threats; and of his pride in what he accomplished. April 8, 1999, marked the 25th anniversary of Aarons memorable 715th home run. Allen interviewed 180 former major leaguers to get their first-person accounts of playing with and against baseballs most dominant sluggers. Stories from and about Aaron, Ruth, Mays, Robinson, Killebrew, Jackson, Schmidt, Mantle, Foxx, McCovey, Williams, Banks, Mathews, Ott, and Murray are all here, in what is destined to become one of the best baseball books of all time. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Updated with McGwire
Right now there are sixteen players who have hit over 500 home runs.Each one has a nice write-up and stories that are very enjoyable to read. Fifteen are retired or deceased and one is still playing.

New and Improved.
I have always dreamed of meeting the 16 baseball players that have hit over 500 home runs. Now I realize that meeting Ruth, Ott, Mantle and Matthews would be impossible that's why I'm glad to have a copy of this book.

Along with those listed earlier you read about Aaron, Schmidt, Jackson, Foxx, Killebrew, Mays, Robinson, Williams, McCovey, Banks, Murray and the newest member McGwire.

The book is new and updated and the 16 players are listed alphabetically and no ranking system is used. I like this concept as it gives the reader the choice as to which they consider the best of this very special and elite group.

Each chapter is written to not only discuss the career of the player but also let others who knew them talk about the person as well. The book also includes photos of each of the players. This is for every baseball fan young and old - excellent work and well done!! ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 928 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Signed essays ranging from 500 to 2,500 words, written by subject experts and edited to form a consistent, readable, and straightforward reference. Entries include subject-specific bibliographies and textual cross-references to related essays. ... Read more

Product Description
Aus Wikipedia. Nicht dargestellt. Auszug: Alexander Emmanuel "Alex" Rodriguez (born July 27, 1975) is an American Major League Baseball third baseman of Dominican parentage. Nicknamed "A-Rod", he currently plays third base for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. He previously played shortstop for the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers. Rodriguez is considered one of the best all-around baseball players of all time. He is the youngest player ever to hit 500 home runs, breaking the record Jimmie Foxx set in 1939. In December 2007, Rodriguez and the Yankees agreed to a 10-year, $275 million contract. This contract was the richest contract in baseball history (breaking his previous record of $252 million). In February 2009, after previously denying use of performance-enhancing drugs, including during a 2007 interview with Katie Couric on 60 Minutes, Rodriguez admitted to using steroids, saying he used them from 2001 to 2003 due to what he called "an enormous amount of pressure" to perform. Rodriguez was born in the Washington Heights section of New York City to a Dominican family. When he was four, Rodriguez and his parents moved to the Dominican Republic, then to Miami, Florida. Rodriguez's favorite baseball players when he was growing up were Keith Hernandez, Dale Murphy, and Cal Ripken, and his favorite team was the New York Mets. Rodriguez was a star shortstop at Miami's Westminster Christian High School. In 100 games he batted .419 with 90 steals. Westminster went on to win the high school national championship in his junior year. He was first team prep All-American as a senior, hitting .505 with 9 home runs, 36 RBIs, and 35 steals in 35 tries in 33 games, and was selected as the USA Baseball Junior Player of the Year and as Gatorade's national baseball student athlete of the year. Rodriguez was the first high school player to ever try out for Team USA in 1993, and was regarded as the top prospect in the count...http://booksllc.net/?l=de ... Read more

Product Description
Mark McGwire is baseball's first slugger since Babe Ruth to hit 50 or more home-runs in consecutive seasons. The St. Louis Cardinals' first baseman was the first player in major league history to hit thirty or more home runs in each of his first four seasons. Mark McGwire: Slugger! is a biography of the baseball superstar geared toward children ages 6-11. Slugger! describes how McGwire overcame poor eyesight and various injuries to become one of the most revered hitters in baseball today. He quickly has become an almost legendary figure in St. Louis, the home to baseball legends such as Stan Musial, Lou Brock, Bob Gibson, Red Schoendienst and Ozzie Smith. McGwire thought about being a police officer growing up, but he hit a home run in his first Little League at-bat and the rest is history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Slugger is a real hit with second graders
I used this biographical book in conjunction with a baseball unit that Iwas teaching in my second grade classroom.Of course the initial appeal ofthe book to the students was the biography subject, Mark McGwire.Thestudents were able to understand the text during a read aloud and enjoyedthe photos.The book has an interesting layout and is a good read-aloudfor 2nd or 3rd grade.As an educator I appreciated the book not only forthe biographical information but also for the underlying message of thebook.Mark McGwiretouches on a variety of topics including losing yourtemper, needing to see a counselor, and trying your best even through timesof adversity.I would recommend the book highly.Weeks after our baseballunit has concluded, Mark McGwire - Slugger is still a hot book in ourreading center.The children are reading it over and over again. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from St. Louis Journalism Review, published by SJR St. Louis Journalism Review on October 1, 1998. The length of the article is 968 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the supplier: A theory is currently making the rounds that the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team and its supporters in media conspired to encourage fans to return the home run balls of Mark McGwire. A radio call-in show, for instance, painted a black picture of fans who decided to keep a home-run ball. The dilemma of fans was not helped by McGwire's failure to encourage fans to keep their home run balls and his ready acceptance of these returned balls.

Citation Details
Title: The ethical dilemma of a home-run ball. (fans returning Mark McGwire's home run balls)
Author: Don Corrigan
Publication: St. Louis Journalism Review (Magazine/Journal)
Date: October 1, 1998
Publisher: SJR St. Louis Journalism Review
Volume: v28Issue: n210Page: p6(1)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
Mark McGwire has been hitting home runs ever since he drove a ball over the fence in his very first Little League game.

Big Mac went on to become the greatest single-season home run hitter in major league history, banging 70 Big Flys in 1998. The Big Guy not only shattered the previous record, he hit home runs faster and farther than any other player ever had.

Now you can read all about Mark's rise to stardom while enjoying lots of full-color, action-packed photos. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Big Mac
This is a good children's sports book highlighting the Mark McGwire's record breaking 70 home runs in 1998.The brief book (about 30 pages) traces his power hitting from his youth to high school and to college at USC, then picks up his home run stats at Oakland and St. Louis.There are excellent color photos throughout.Somehow, the book doesn't quite capture the magnitude or excitement of his achievement (later broken by Barry Bonds), and a page devoted to his full stats would have been helpful. But the book does mention some of the more subtle reasons why that year was special, such as the competition with Sammy Sosa, and the respect McGwire showed to the family of Roger Maris.McGwire also established a foundation to help abused children, and is presented as a good role model for kids.Enjoyable reading, with great pictures, this would be appreciated by a young baseball fan. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a pre-pack of 2 books including: Mark McGwire: Slugger and Ozzie Smith: Road to Cooperstown. Slugger! is a biography of one of baseball's most popular and prolific home run hitters. Geared toward children between the ages of 6 and II, it describes how Mark overcame poor eyesight and various injuries to become one of baseball's most revered hitters. This inspirational book encourages children to overcome life's difficult experiences and to "never give up on following" their dreams. Ozzie Smith has lived a legendary life of baseball, capped by the ultimate honor - induction into Cooperstown. The Wizard of Oz, best known for his on-field acrobatics and his ability to make the impossible play from shortstop, played in the major leagues for 19 years, the final 15 in St. Louis. He retired in 1996, was voted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, ans was named to the All-Century team as one of the 100 best players in the 20th century. ... Read more

Product Description
Just when baseball was in danger of being demoted in the eyes of American sports fans, the grand old game stepped up to the plate in 1998 and re-earned its title as the National Pastime. In Home Run! The Year the Records Fell, baseball fans can celebrate the remarkable home run assault by the Cardinals' Mark McGwire and the Cubs' Sammy Sosa. This 144-page reflection of the 1998 long-ball battle -- compiled from the files of The Associated Press -- chronicles every one of McGwire's amazing 70 home runs as well as all of Sosa's 66 blasts. Accompanying the stores are AP photographs that recapture the magical moments of "the year the records fell." From Big Mac's dramatic grand slam on opening day to his record-breaking 62nd to hitting home run No. 70 in his final at-bat, the colorful details are all re-created in Home Run! From Sammy's inauspicious start to his explosive month of June to the home runs that led his Cubs to the playoffs, fans will recall the excitement generated by the Dominican Republic's most famous celebrity. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Mark McGwire Home Run Hero
If you love baseball, you'll love this. Just one problem, doesn't include 70 HR season. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Notable Sports Figures, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 2289 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Takes a close look at the people in sports who have captured attention because of success on the playing field, or controversy off the playing field. This work features biographies on more than 600 people from around the world and throughout history who have had an impact not only on their sport, but also on the society and culture of their times. It also includes not only the record-breakers that dominated and changed their sport, but also the controversial figures that made headlines even apart from athletic events. ... Read more