Baseball Dreams

Baseball is life. So is fly fishing. But what if neither is quite as fulfilling as you expected them to be? A talented pitcher and cocksure small-town kid with big dreams, Nick Grimes is certain his blazing fastball will send him straight to the Major Leagues. And he's not the only one with big dreams. Jess, a young waitress who captures his heart, dreams of becoming a famous novelist. The future is bright, they can both feel it - and barely out of high school, Grimes signs a professional contract to pitch for the Detroit Tigers. But what if it turns out that the minor leagues are a lot ...

In 1940, at just 15 years old, small-town baseball star Gene Moore was signed to the Brooklyn Dodgers, who saw in him the potential to become one of the great catchers of all time. Before that could happen, though, WWII intervened. Gene's story, a surprising paean to the power and humanity of a game, is told here by his son, a first-time author who exhibits the confidence and pacing of a pro.

This compendium of baseball writing covers it all—recollections of Hall of Famers and narratives from top baseball writers; stories on the rich iconography and history of the game across the full diversity of players, teams, and leagues; and reflections on the way America's pastime has shaped our culture. Selected from the Baseball Hall of Fame's member magazine, Memories & Dreams brings to life the best of baseball, showcasing the best of baseball facts, baseball biographies, and baseball media personalities into a robust catalogue of known and unknown information.

Jim Morris is no stranger to big dreams. Since he was five years old, he passionately yearned to play baseball in the major leagues. However, despite all his hard work and determination, a series of unfortunate events and injuries scuttled his career before he was 25. Doctors told him he would never play again. Then at age 35 - after a string of highly implausible events and at an age when most players are retiring - Morris found himself on the mound as a relief pitcher for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Before the floodlights and television deals, before analytics and billion-dollar contracts, baseball was the story of a nation learning who it was. It rose from muddy fields and smoke-filled taverns, from gentlemen’s clubs and back alleys, from dreams stitched into horsehide and hope. It was America in miniature—its courage, its contradictions, its relentless ambition played out between the baselines. In Baseball- The Untold Story of America's Pastime, bestselling author, Tim Cooper, tells the sweeping, cinematic story of baseball’s evolution from a 19th-century curiosity to the ...

Like many American boys, Tony Barnette yearned to one day make it to “The Show,” playing baseball professionally. The Arizona State pitcher was drafted in 2006 by the in-state Diamondbacks. Gradually ascending the minor-league ladder, it looked like this was the beginning of a blessed life, where he could play the game he loved on the grandest of stages. But things don’t always work out the way we want. On the verge of achieving his lifelong dream after notching a league-high 14 wins in Triple A, Tony looked ahead to 2010 with optimism. That’s when Japan came calling.

If I were a Major League baseball player, I would smack the ball out of the park! I would scoop up a grounder and throw out the runner. Dream big, and see what fun it is to be a Major League baseball player.

⚾️ Two bestselling baseball books combined into one must-read bundle! Baseball isn’t just a game—it’s a story of dreams, determination, and unforgettable heroes. With this special bundle, kids get the ultimate baseball experience: Baseball Facts for Kids and Inspirational Baseball Stories for Kids brought together in one exciting volume. This book doesn’t just teach the rules—it inspires kids to believe in themselves, work hard, and never give up. It’s packed with history, fun challenges, quizzes, and the most incredible true stories from the diamond. Perfect for readers ...

It’s a tennis story. It’s a family story. It’s a teamwork story. It’s the story of how I got to where and who I am today. I’m only in my mid-twenties, and some might think that’s young to write a memoir. Who does that, right? But for me and my team it’s always been important to...

ECPA BESTSELLER New York Times bestselling author Tim Tebow motivates readers to stop postponing dreams and start making them happen now—because this is the day. Beyond Tim Tebow’s exploits as a Heisman-winning football player, he is widely known and respected for his exemplary character...

The companion to Ken Burns’s magnificent PBS television series—updated and expanded to coincide with the broadcast of a new, two-part Tenth Inning directed with Lynn Novick. The authors of the acclaimed and bestselling The Civil War, Jazz, and The War turn to another uniquely American...

Best-selling author George Vecsey is an esteemed and award-winning sports journalist for the New York Times. In Baseball, he recounts the history of America's national pastime. Baseball has been around in various forms for thousands of years, but only within the last 200 years has it become an American institution. Growing from a sport played in open fields and big-city streets, baseball has seen its share of innovators and detractors, heroes and villains.

The story of Jackie Robinson valiantly breaking baseball’s color barrier in 1947 is one that most Americans know. But less recognized is the fact that some seventy years earlier, following the Civil War, baseball was tenuously biracial and had the potential for a truly open game. How, then, did the game become so firmly segregated that it required a trailblazer like Robinson? The answer, Ryan A. Swanson suggests, has everything to do with the politics of “reconciliation” and a wish to avoid the issues of race that an integrated game necessarily raised.

Before travel-ball rankings and radar guns, there was the sandlot. Dreams of the Sandlot is a heartfelt baseball memoir about a last-pick kid, one stubborn summer, and one grieving mentor who changed everything on a dusty field most people drove past without noticing. This isn’t a highlight reel. Effort is a choice; you earn respect, and treating people well is more important than the numbers in a box score. Inside you’ll find: A coming-of-age baseball story rooted in small-town summers and simple games Real-life lessons for young players who feel a step behind A powerful message for ...

Roger Kahn's first major league hit was a grand slam: The Boys of Summer, his runaway best seller that immortalized the 1950s Brooklyn Dodgers. Now Kahn does the same for players whose moment in the sun has not yet arrived. Good Enough to Dream is the story of his year as owner of the Class A, very minor league, Utica Blue Sox. Most of the Blue Sox will never make it to the majors, but they all share the dream that links the small child in the sandlot with the bonus baby who has just smacked one out of the stadium.

Clarinda, Iowa, population 5,000, sits two hours from anything. There, between the cornfields and hog yards, is a ball field with a bronze bust of a man named Merl Eberly, a baseball whisperer who specialized in second chances and lost causes. The statue was a gift from one of Merl's original long-shot projects, a skinny kid from the ghetto in Los Angeles who would one day become a beloved Hall of Fame shortstop: Ozzie Smith.

Twin brothers David and Jason Benham grew up with big dreams of baseball and an even bigger trust in God. Though they attended a small high school with no baseball field, turned down a professional offer so they could attend college together, and faced more than one missed pitch and injuries...

This book is written by Coach Chris Romano, who is a Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Detroit Tigers, as well as the father of two youth baseball players. Coach Romano decided to write this book to share his expertise with the awesome dads who volunteer to coach their kids youth baseball teams. Everyone wants to help their kids and their team to be better ball players, and a lot of youth travel teams have incorporated some type of Strength, Speed, and Conditioning work into their practices. However, most of these coaches are not experienced in the science of Strength & Conditioning, ...

"Maybe the good Lord was just waiting for me to put on the pinstripes." When Joe Torre was fired as manager of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1995, he thought his career in baseball was over. After more than three decades and 4,200 games as a player and manager, one thing had always eluded...

From their first encounter, figure skater Paisley Harris knows she should stay away from famous snowboarder Knox Winterbottom. But that's easier said than done. The chemistry between them is palpable, but both have secrets that could destroy their dreams in this sexy, sporty, emotionally fraught...