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Stubble scruffed up their chins. Tobacco wads ballooned their cheeks. The 1993 Philadelphia Phillies had the look of a slow-pitch softball team itching to kick some serious butt. They did kick butt, too, on and off the field. "They lived the life of professional baseball players as fully as it can be done," manager Jim Fregosi said. Though they weren´t a photogenic bunch, their mugs were everywhere, on "Baseball Today," on David Letterman, and on "Saturday Night Live." Even President Clinton quipped about them.

The updated softcover edition of Robert Gordon´s and Tom Burgoyne´s More than Beards, Bellies and Biceps: The Story of the 1993 Phillies (And the Phillie Phanatic Too) tells the complete story of this gang of baseball throwbacks that quickly seduced the hometown fans. By season´s end they had won over the rest of the country, too. America´s Most Wanted Team became America´s Team in a heart-thumping World Series against Toronto.

The ´93 Phils drew more spectators than any other Philadelphia franchise in the city´s century-and-a-quarter of professional sports. More than Beards, Bellies and Biceps offers the story of a team that burned the candle at both ends and lit up a city like a firecracker. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A Great Book About A Great Team
I absolutely loved this book.The author brought me back to a time when the Phillies were on top of the world and had the Philadelphia area and soon, the whole country, rallying around them.They called themselved 'gypsies, tramps and thieves' and even though they were, to a certain extent, they were also great ballplayers who cared about winning and each other.I love sports books and what I especially love about this book is all the behind the scenes stories off all the athletes.They were a bunch of jokesters and the pranks and the one-liners they pulled on each other were hilarious.But they knew when to put the jokes aside and just go out and play ball.I also loved the sidebars from the Phillie Phanatic.It was good and inciteful to see the game from his viewpoint as well.

What this book showed me is that all the talent in the world is not totally necessary to having a winning team.You just need a bunch of guys who think they can win and have fun with each other and have complete trust in each other to breed success.That is what that team had and what the book truly showed.

Great memories
This book brought back some great memories of an unforgettable team, the 1993 Philadelphia Phillies, told by the author and many members of the organization as well. It also gives good information about the years preceding the magical '93 season, with Lee Thomas taking over as general manager in 1988, then acquiring players like Lenny Dykstra, John Kruk, and Terry Mulholland in 1989. It also captures the public outcry during the winter between the 1992 and 1993 seasons, when the Phils negotiated with several high-priced free agents such as David Cone and Kirby Puckett, but ended up with retreads such as Danny Jackson and Pete Incaviglia.

Things quickly came together in spring training, and it carried over to the regular season. The team got off to a fast start, and went on to win the National League East, holding first place for all but one day during the season. In the National League Championship Series, the Phils upset the heavily-favored Atlanta Braves. Many Phillies players detested the Braves, feeling they didn't respect the Phils or any other team in general. The book ends with the World Series loss to the Toronto Blue Jays and the immediate aftermath, followed by a "where are they now?" listing of the team's players.

Also included are a series of anecdotes from Tom Burgoyne, the main man inside the Phillie Phanatic costume since 1994. Burgoyne was the backup Phanatic to Dave Raymond during the 1993 season. Though many are not relevant to the main story, they are entertaining nonetheless.

The only problem I had with the book, and it is a minor one at that, is that it plays up the Philadelphia-New York rivalry a little too heavily. Had the Phillies and Mets been battling for the NL East title that season, or if the Phils had met the Yankees in the World Series, then this would have been an interesting aside. As it was, the Mets lost 103 games in 1993, and the Yankees were in the beginning stages of what would become yet another dominant run (as of this writing, the 1993 postseason was the last one to not include the Bronx Bombers), so this angle seems a little out of place.

All in all, an excellent read, especially for those of us who enjoyed that magical ride and have been waiting ever since for the next one.

Half Great, Half Lame
This is really two books in one. The white pages which depict the '93 team, and the gray pages which are stories about the Phanatic's exploits since 1978. The white pages are very, very good. There are lots of quotes from the major people involved, and the author does a great job of weaving them in with the story of the season. On the other hand, the gray pages are beyond worthless. I recommend this book, but just read the white pages. It serves as a reminder of what it means to have a baseball team to be proud of in Philly. The only downside is that as you read it, you will probably become angry at the current Philles roster. You'll catch yourself wondering..."why can't these guys play this way."

love these guys!
This was one of the greatest teams I've seen in my lifetime!I don't think there will ever be another group like them.This book really captures what it was like from the beginning to the end of the '93 season! I couldn't put it down!!!

1993 Revisited....
This is a great book for every die hard Phillies fan as it takes you back to the magical ride of 1993. Burgoyne provides a unique 'insider's look' at the 1993 team and recaptures the cavalier spirit and 'never say die' attitude this team embodied. Interspersed througout his narrative are several anecdotes about the players as well as some of the more infamous moments of that summer. These anecdotes heighten the reader's understanding of the players, the team as a whole and the dynamic that captured the city. This is a must read for all of the fans of Danny Jackson and the 'DJ Pump Me Up', John Kruk ("I ain't an athlete, lady. I'm a ballplayer."), Pete Incaviglia, Nails, Wild Thing, Darren Daulton and his 'Ghetto Row' and the rest of this motley crew. You can't help but get excited about being a Phillies fan-past, present, and future, after reading this book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great for College Sports Fans.
I really enjoyed this book as I am a big fan of both college football and college basketball. It has the stories behind the nicknames of most of the major schools and some of the smaller ones as well. I thought it was well written and extremely interesting. I have also loaned it to many friends after they have seen it at my house and they enjoyed it as well. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR), published by The Register Guard on December 8, 2004. The length of the article is 1626 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.

Citation Details
Title: Activists rap mascot, demand cancellation of game with Illinois.(Sports)
Publication: The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR) (Newspaper)
Date: December 8, 2004
Publisher: The Register Guard
Page: A1

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A history of the University of Texas told by the Littlest Longhorn ("LL"), the spirit of the University of Texas. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from New York Times Upfront, published by Thomson Gale on February 19, 2007. The length of the article is 939 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.

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Title: What's in s Mascot? When the N.C.A.A. cracked down on Indian mascots last year, not every tribe applauded. A look at the relationship between the Seminoles and Florida State University.
Author: Joe Lapointe
Publication: New York Times Upfront (Magazine/Journal)
Date: February 19, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 139Issue: 10Page: 14(2)

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Long live the Chief
Chief Illiniwek lives on forever in this beautiful volume. Loaded with rare and interesting photographs of the greatest university symbol ever. ... Read more

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This book is the definitive reference guide that lists the athletic nickname and/or mascot of 1,500 U.S. senior college and universities, 740 U.S. junior and community colleges, over 115 Canadian institutions, and Puerto Rican institutions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great book for any sports fan
This is a must book for any sports fan. It covers every school in both the United States and Canada. Great trivia book. ... Read more

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In 1911, Connie Mack and John McGraw—arguably baseball’s all-time greatest managers—shaped the game as each pitch was thrown and every base was stolen. And they did it with the help of their quirky mascots and superstitious players.

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High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Wally is the name of the official mascot of the Australian rugby union team - the Wallabies. As his name implies, Wally is a Wallaby. The stuffed version of the mascot is carried with the Wallabies on overseas tours to Europe. It then becomes the duty of the youngest member of the touring party to protect the mascot from pranks by older players to hide and sabotage it. It is considered an embarressment to the protector if Wally is not safely guarded. For example when Berrick Barnes was forced to protect Wally during the 2007 World Cup in France he had to stitch it up several times and perform a search of every member's hotel room to retrieve it - despite the help of Lote Tuqiri. As the protector is forced to hold Wally at all times it becomes a source of entertainment for senior players when the team is out socialising. During the 2008 tour it became a long running joke among the players that the mascot could be used by 18 year old James O'Connor to break the ice with young ladies. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from The Sporting News, published by Thomson Gale on March 24, 2006. The length of the article is 594 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.

Citation Details
Title: Going to a potluck party: you bring the furry mascots, and I'll bring all the teams that wear red. Together, we'll make one heck of a bracket.(MY TURN)
Author: Joe Buck
Publication: The Sporting News (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 24, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 230Issue: 12Page: 7(1)

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This digital document is an article from National Catholic Reporter, published by National Catholic Reporter on February 25, 2005. The length of the article is 873 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.

Citation Details
Title: American Indian mascots should go.(Earth & Spirit)
Author: Rich Heffern
Publication: National Catholic Reporter (Magazine/Journal)
Date: February 25, 2005
Publisher: National Catholic Reporter
Volume: 41Issue: 17Page: 18(1)

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When Damian Tennant is chosen by his local Football League club to be their mascot, it's the happiest day of his life. But his selection causes jealousy among his team-mates and threatens his captaincy of Sunday League side Darton United. The author also wrote "The Team That Wouldn't Give In". ... Read more

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The game will bring NRL teams mascots to life in an action adventure. There are 48+ levels, 16 playable characters and numerous mini-games including an unlockable mini-game of Rugby League. Each team has its own themed world, with 3 levels, including 1 boss arena. All the team mascots come with their own powers which you use to defeat the enemies. Abilities include fiery fists & ground smash. Your character will face other teams mascots in 'boss battles'. Players can also collect and trade NRL playing cards wirelessly in the game. As well as collectable cards, gold can be found around the game world to purchase the cards from an ingame shop. The cards are used to unlock players for the minigame. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Soccer Digest, published by Century Publishing on March 1, 2003. The length of the article is 1650 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.

Citation Details
Title: Redemption song: unfairly characterized as the mascot of U.S. soccer, Alexi Lalas proved that beneath his famous mane he had the heart of a lion.
Author: Michael Lewis
Publication: Soccer Digest (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 1, 2003
Publisher: Century Publishing
Volume: 25Issue: 6Page: 34(6)

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This digital document is an article from The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR), published by Thomson Gale on March 23, 2006. The length of the article is 733 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.

Citation Details
Title: Every mascot for him/herself at game time.(Columns)(Column)
Publication: The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR) (Newspaper)
Date: March 23, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Page: D1

Article Type: Column

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In 1959 Carolyn Clark and her pony Dixie rode into the pages of football history as the first female mascot in professional football.An accomplished horsewoman by the age of ten and daughter of legendary jockey Willie Clark, Carolyn dreamed of starting a riding academy for handicapped children.Her fame as a Baltimore Colt created a touching story of faith, family, friendship and football.This is her story, a look at life in the 1950s, professional football, horses, and rock and roll as seen through the eyes of a young cowgirl. ... Read more

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Follow Aubie around the campus of Auburn University in this fun and beautifully illustrated hardcover children's book. Read along as Aubie stops at some of Auburn's most beloved landmarks - Hargis Hall, Samford Hall, University Chapel and Foy Student Union - before arriving at Jordan-Hare Stadium for a football game. There is even a special appearance by Coach Tuberville.A great book for Auburn fans of any age! ... Read more