Hank Aaron: A Biography (Baseball's All-Time Greatest Hitters)

Book Description

At the time of Hank Aaron's birth in 1934, Babe Ruth reigned as baseball's home run king, and the Negro Leagues were an African American's only hope of playing professional baseball. Latent hopes for a different future thrived on Carver Park in Alabama, however, where a young Hank Aaron was soon to be seen perfecting the powerful stroke that would later make him one of the greatest hitters and most revered players in the history of the game. The owner of over 3,000 career base hits, the winner of two batting titles and one world championship, and the all time RBI leader and home run king, Hank Aaron began his historic career integrating the South Atlantic League, and spent much of his professional tenure as a member of the only major league team in the South. Despite the animosity that thus surrounded him both at home and on the road, Aaron never ceased to excel, and even achieved his most enduring feat-breaking Babe Ruth's career home run record-under threats to his own life. This enlightening biography provides a stunning portrait of one of the great hitters and great men of major league baseball history. It has been said that hitting a baseball is the hardest thing in professional sports. Baseball's All-Time Greatest Hitters presents biographies on Greenwood's selection for the 12 best hitters in Major League history, written by some of today's best baseball authors. These books present straightforward stories in accessible language for the high school researcher and the general reader alike. Each volume includes a timeline, bibliography, and index. In addition, each volume includes a "Making of a Legend" chapter that analyses the evolution of the player's fame and (in some cases) infamy.

Customer Reviews:

An outstanding survey of an outstanding key player.......2005-07-04

Charlie Vascellaro's Hank Aaron follows the developments of one of the greatest hitters in baseball history. When Aaron was born in 1934, Babe Ruth was baseball's home run king and the Negro Leagues were the only hope Aaron had of playing professional baseball. Aaron established thirteen Major League career records for both home runs and RBI and even broke Ruth's career home run record - despite death threats. An outstanding survey of an outstanding key player.

A great book about Aaron, Baseball, and America.......2005-06-26

This inspirational new biography takes a fresh look and gives an even-handed account of the life and career of baseball's All-Time Home Run King Hank Aaron from a contemporary perspective.
Hank Aaron's story is not only about the triumph of one man, but also represents the spiritual growth and enlightenment of America as the country came to terms with its continuing struggle to realize its promise of liberty and justice for all during the turbulent years of the Civil Rights Movement.
Aaron's baseball career ran concurrently with African-Americans struggle for equal rights and by his words and deeds he became a leader for an underrepresented portion of American society and catalyst for change. More than thirty years have passed since Aaron set the All-Time home run record and this book is an opportunity for new generation of baseball fans to learn of his accomplishments on and off the field.
Vascellaro delivers Aaron's story in direct language that is easily accessible to both adult and young adult readers. In this day of inflated statistics, Aaron's consistent performance at the plate as holder of baseball's most hallowed record remains the sport's quintessential benchmark.
Aaron's story is truly the American Dream come true. Like it reads in author Vascellaro's introduction: If a poor, black child from rural Alabama, raised in a ramshackle shack without plumbing and electricity, could grow up to be the all-time home run king, then anything is possible!

Stan Musial: A Biography (Baseball's All-Time Greatest Hitters)

Average customer rating:

A deftly written, meticulously definitive, and very highly recommended history

Stan Musial: A Biography (Baseball's All-Time Greatest Hitters)
Joseph Stanton
Manufacturer: Greenwood Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0313336091

Book Description

When Stan "The Man" Musial retired after 22 years with the Cardinals (disrupted only by a year of service with the U.S. Navy during World War II), he held 17 Major League records, 29 National League records, and 9 All Star game records. His unwavering consistency with the bat still has no peer: he hit over .300 17 times in his career, and left the game 2nd all-time in total bases, 4th in hits, 5th in RBIs, and 6th in number of games played. Despite his extreme production at the plate-achieved, in fact, only after a shoulder injury forced him to drop his duties as a pitcher-he never achieved the fame or iconic status of a Joe DiMaggio in New York or a Ted Williams in Boston; but when he collected his last hit in 1963, he departed with one of the most magical and representative statistics in the history of the game: 1,815 hits at his home ballpark, and 1,815 hits away from home. His career is a testament to concentration and integrity, and to this day Stan Musial's statistics and legacy place him among the true greats of baseball's pantheon. It has been said that hitting a baseball is the hardest thing in professional sports. Baseball's All-Time Greatest Hitters presents biographies on Greenwood's selection for the 12 best hitters in Major League history, written by some of today's best baseball authors. These books present straightforward stories in accessible language for the student researcher and the general reader alike. Each volume includes a timeline, bibliography, and index. In addition, each volume includes a "Making of a Legend" chapter that analyses the evolution of the player's fame and (in some cases) infamy.

Customer Reviews:

A deftly written, meticulously definitive, and very highly recommended history.......2007-10-07

After playing professional baseball for twenty-two years (disrupted for one year to serve in the U.S. Navy during World War II) with the Cardinals, Stan 'The Man' Musial retired holding seventeen Major League records, 29 National League records, and 9 all Star game records. He hit over .300 seventeen times in the course of his career and was second in all-time total bases, fourth in hits, fifth in runs batted in (RBI), and sixth in the number of games played. But every bit as important to his fans as Stan's prowess on the field, was his exemplary character off it. Now the latest titles in the outstanding Greenwood Publishing Group's 'Baseball's all-time Greatest Hitters' series of baseball greats, "Stan Musial: A Biography" by baseball historian and enthusiast Joseph Stanton presents a deftly written, meticulously definitive, and very highly recommended history of Stan's life and accomplishments that will be greatly appreciated by baseball enthusiasts in general, and Stan Musial's legions of fans in particular.

Coming Home: A Story Of Josh Gibson, Baseball's Greatest Home Run Hitter

Average customer rating:

An Overlooked Baseball Legend.
Coming Home
Family Baseball

Coming Home: A Story Of Josh Gibson, Baseball's Greatest Home Run Hitter
Mellage
Manufacturer: Troll Communications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Satchel Paige
Just Like Josh Gibson

ASIN: 0816770107

Book Description

He hit more home runs than Mark McGwire, Babe Ruth, or Hank Aaron. He was the best in the game, yet he was never allowed to play in the Major Leagues. And he died just four months before Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier. His name was Josh Gibson, and Coming Home is his incredible story. This beautifully illustrated tribute to baseball's greatest home run hitter is the first picture book ever published about Josh Gibson.

Customer Reviews:

An Overlooked Baseball Legend........2005-03-04

Very few baseball fans, let alone people in general, have ever heard of a player named Josh Gibson. Gibson hit more homeruns than any professional baseball player ever and was considered one of the greatest ever to play the game. But Gibson never gained the fame or recognition he deserved because he was black and was forced to play in the Negro League. Gibson loved baseball and played it with a passion that many of today's million-dollar players have long since lost or never had. From the stories I've heard, watching Gibson play was like watching Michael Jordan play basketball at the top of his game; there wasn't anything like it and there never would be again. Gibson had hoped to eventually play in Major League Baseball and had inclinations of being the person to break the color barrier. But the toils and hardships of a difficult life and the poverty of being a baseball player in the Negro Leagues affected his health and he died in 1947. He was only 35 years old. Just three months after his death Jackie Robinson became the first black player to play Major League Baseball when he was hired by the Brooklyn Dodgers.

COMING HOME is a story about a grandfather telling his grandson about the best hitter he had ever seen. Explaining some of the very basics of history, the grandfather tells his grandson about the time he saw Josh Gibson play in the Negro League Championship in Yankee Stadium. The story is well told and the illustrations of Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu do a great job of augmenting the text (the illustration of the grandfather's father trying to rip his hat in two as Gibson strikes out is perfect). This is a delightful book for anyone interested in baseball or black history. Reading it is a good start in helping to keep the memory of Josh Gibson alive.

Coming Home.......2004-02-27

This book gives a lot of information about Josh Gibson, if you never heard of him. In the book, a grandfather tells his grandson about Josh Gibson, and about witnessing a famous home run Josh hit in Yankee Stadium.

I recommend this book to learn about the best home run hitter of the Negro Leagues, and maybe of all of Major League Baseball.

Family Baseball.......2004-02-27

Book Description

Babe Ruth is the most recognized figure in baseball and a true American icon. In this brief but readable biography, author Wayne Stewart engagingly describes the highlights of Ruth's career and deftly examines the reasons for the unprecedented impact Ruth had on the game. Ruth's ability to hit the long ball and the flamboyance of his off-field persona infused the game with a new excitement that rescued baseball from the negative effects of the 1919 "Black Sox" scandal. The author draws new insights into Ruth's life and career through interviews he conducted with members of Ruth's family and with other baseball players who knew him. Readers are also provided with a quick reference chronology to Ruth's career, a bibliography of important print and non-print information resources on Ruth, a statistical appendix summarizing Ruth's on-field production by season, and a discussion of how Ruth has been depicted in books, movies, plays, and other media since his death. This biography will both explain and satisfy the continuing curiosity about Ruth among young basbeball fans who never had the opportunity to see him play.

Willie Mays: A Biography (Baseball's All-Time Greatest Hitters)

Average customer rating:

An average biography
Captures all the highlights of his career and life.

Willie Mays: A Biography (Baseball's All-Time Greatest Hitters)
Mary Kay Linge
Manufacturer: Greenwood Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Willie's Time: Baseball's Golden Age (Writing Baseball)
Hank Aaron: A Biography (Baseball's All-Time Greatest Hitters)
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MLB Vintage World Series Films - New York Giants 1954

ASIN: 0313334013

Book Description

Willie Mays' career bridged eras in baseball history, from the Negro Leagues to expansion to free agency. Through it all, his all-around ability and his love of the game set him apart. His career accomplishments include 660 home runs, 2 MVPs, Rookie of the Year, and the first 30-30 season. No other player is cited by so many of his peers as the best they have ever seen. From his childhood growing up in segregated Birmingham, Alabama to becoming the first black team captain in baseball, Mays' life is described in detail. Readers will learn of his early life, his career with the Giants and the Mets, his induction into the Hall of Fame, understanding why he is regarded by many today as baseball's greatest living player.

Customer Reviews:

An average biography.......2007-07-18

Not the standard by which biographies should be judged, but okay. Unless you're a huge Willie or Giants fan, it's not a must read. There are a few editing mistakes and several factual errors. Juan Marichal was suspended eight days not nine in 1965 for his fight with John Roseboro as reported in the book. There were other errors that a baseball fan would know as obviously wrong, such as making a 400' throw from the outfield to 2nd base.

It covers Willie's life equally. Talks of his special relationship with Leo Durocher and how Willie didn't care for Bill Rigney. It talks about Willie's two marriages a sufficient amount and his problems in buying a house when he first moved to SF. It also tells that Willie moved back to NY to placate his first wife to try to save his marriage. Maintaining homes on both coasts was a strain on Willie financially. The book also mentions that Willie worn large baseball hats, so it was easier for his hat to fall off and impress the crowd. Now we know!

Captures all the highlights of his career and life........2007-01-07

For a solid biography of baseball's great, look no further than Mary Kay Linge's WILLIE MAYS: A BIOGRAPHY: it covers everything from his segregated childhood in Birmingham Alabama to how he became the first black team captain in baseball, then moved up to become a world-famous player. From his army stint to his championship season, WILLIE MAYS captures all the highlights of his career and life.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Average customer rating:

Stats may be suspect . . .
Bic's Pick

Who Is Baseball's Greatest Hitter?
Jeff Kisseloff
Manufacturer: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Who Is Baseball's Greatest Pitcher?

ASIN: 0805067337

Book Description

Filled with biographical anecdotes, batting stats and historical comparisons, here is the one book young fans can use to become instant experts in baseball's great debate.

Who is it: Babe Ruth? Ted Williams? Ty Cobb? Mark McGwire? or . . .?

Here is your one-stop resource for answering the question all baseball fans ask: Who is the best batter ever? You'll find thirty-two of baseball's greatest hitters, with each player's batting statistics, special achievements and records, along with interesting anecdotes and photographs.

With all this great information, Who Is Baseball's Greatest Hitter? is more than just a book of stats. Experienced sports writer Jeff Kisseloff gives young readers the tools to analyze, compare and contrast each player's career batting records. Unlike other baseball books, this one challenges the reader to make his own choices and add his own favorite batters to the debate.

Can you match the question on the left with the player on the right?
1) Who hit 755 home Runs? A) Mark McGwire
2) Who hit .367 lifetime? B) Hank Aaron
3) Who has the best home run/at bat ratio? C) Ty Cobb

And the big question, which statistic matters most?
Who Is Baseball's Greatest Hitter?

Answers: 1-B, 2-C, 3-A

Customer Reviews:

Stats may be suspect . . ........2006-04-18

With all due respect to Jeff Kisseloff and the previous reviewer, Hank Aaron didn't play for the Kansas City Clowns. He played for the Indianapolis Clowns. That contract was bought by the Braves and Aaron was sent to Eau Claire, Wisconsin to play for the Eau Claire Bears, a farm team for the Braves. That's a pretty basic stat - which leads me to wonder about some of the other "facts" in the book. Guess I'll either have to take it all with a grain of salt or double check Kisseloff's facts. Geez, what good is an editor?

Bic's Pick.......2000-06-16

Who is baseball's greatest hitter? Is it Ted Williams? Of all the players who hit more than 500 home runs he holds the lowest strike out ratio. Is it Mark McGwire? He hit 70 home runs in the 1998 regular season. Or could it be Ken Griffey Jr.? He's the youngest player ever to hit 350 home runs. And Mark McGwire and Ken Griffey are still playing. Who Is Baseball's Greatest Hitter? by Jeff Kisseloff is chockfull of player's stats and information on how to compare old time players to modern day players. This book is obviously a baseball book, so you have to like baseball to love it. I love baseball. I think the greatest hitter is either Ken Griffey or Barry Bonds because they are really good at hitting round trippers and 2 baggers. It's really easy to image one of them as baseball's greatest hitter. Who is baseball's greatest hitter?

Baseball's Greatest Hitters (Step-Into-Reading, Step 5)

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Baseball's Greatest Hitters (Step-Into-Reading, Step 5)
Sydelle Kramer
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0375805834
Release Date: 2000-03-28

Book Description

Sports maven S. A. Kramer's backlist favorite has been revised to include a new chapter and a cover featuring Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa--the home run kings who in 1998 broke the most famous record in all of sports, Roger Maris's 61 homers in a single season.

Ty Cobb: A Biography (Baseball's All-Time Greatest Hitters)

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Ty Cobb: A Biography (Baseball's All-Time Greatest Hitters)
Dan Holmes
Manufacturer: Greenwood Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Ted Williams: A Biography (Baseball's All-Time Greatest Hitters)
Hank Aaron: A Biography (Baseball's All-Time Greatest Hitters)
Willie Mays: A Biography (Baseball's All-Time Greatest Hitters)

ASIN: 0313328692

Book Description

When the National Baseball Hall of Fame inducted its first class of players in 1936, Ty Cobb received more votes than any other player--even more than did fellow inductee Babe Ruth. Cobb, known as the "Georgia Peach," was universally recognized as the best player from the "dead ball" era. He also had the reputation of being its most ferocious player. His fierce determination to succeed helped Cobb equal or surpass more offensive records than any other player, and his career average of .367 is still the highest of all time. Cobb's unyielding and often ferocious work ethic, though, made him many enemies, and his occasional episodes of violence marked an otherwise impeccable career. Baseball author Dan Holmes offers a fresh and fair-handed look at the life of baseball's first true superstar. It has been said that hitting a baseball is the hardest thing to do in professional sports. "Baseball's All-Time Greatest Hitters" presents biographies on Greenwood's selection for the 12 best hitters in Major League history, written by some of today's best baseball authors. These books present straightforward stories in accessible language for the high school researcher and the general reader alike. Each volume includes a timeline, bibliography, and index. In addition, each volume includes a "Making of a Legend" chapter that analyses the evolution of the player's fame and (in some cases) infamy.

Joe DiMaggio: A Biography (Baseball's All-Time Greatest Hitters)

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Joe DiMaggio: A Biography (Baseball's All-Time Greatest Hitters)
David Jones
Manufacturer: Greenwood Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0313330220

Book Description

Immortalized in song and story, Joe DiMaggio is one of baseball's most accomplished players--and also one of its most enigmatic stars. DiMaggio's life is often seen as embodying the American Dream. The son of Sicilian immigrants, he rose from an unexceptional childhood in San Francisco to stardom on the national pastime's greatest stage--Yankee Stadium. As a player, DiMaggio fought off injuries and earned a reputation for unyielding excellence, exemplified by his Major-League-record 56-game hitting streak. DiMaggio's celebrity and sense of style and grace transcended the game, and his brief marriage to America's sex symbol, Marilyn Monroe, remains the stuff of legends. But "Joltin'Joe" struggled with the attention and scrutiny that came with fame, and he became increasingly reclusive in later life. In this concise biography, David Jones offers a complex new look at the man who was once voted baseball's greatest living player. It has been said that hitting a baseball is the hardest thing in professional sports. Baseball's All-Time Greatest Hitters presents biographies on Greenwood's selection for the 12 best hitters in Major League history, written by some of today's best baseball authors. These books present straightforward stories in accessible language for the high school researcher and the general reader alike. Each volume includes a timeline, bibliography, and index. In addition, each volume includes a "Making of a Legend" chapter that analyses the evolution of the player's fame and (in some cases) infamy.

Joe Jackson: A Biography (Baseball's All-Time Greatest Hitters)

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Joe Jackson: A Biography (Baseball's All-Time Greatest Hitters)
Kelly Boyer Sagert
Manufacturer: Greenwood Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Rogers Hornsby: A Biography (Baseball's All-Time Greatest Hitters)

ASIN: 0313329613

Book Description

"Shoeless" Joe Jackson's rise from the cotton mills of the American South to the big cities of the North is a classic American tale of rags to riches. Born of sharecropping parents in South Carolina, Jackson's perfect swing and legendary fielding ability would make him a star in the Major Leagues. Unfortunately, Jackson's legend was interrupted by his alleged involvement in baseball's darkest chapter, the Black Sox Scandal of 1919, which ultimately banished him to participation in "outlaw" baseball leagues. Kelly Boyer Sagert recounts all phases in this legendary hitter's life--from mill worker to major league outfielder, to a central figure in a national scandal, and later, to his ventures as an entrepreneur and sometime ballplayer. In analyzing the life and surrounding cultural contexts of Jackson's time, the author examines how "Shoeless Joe" became the controversial but enduring legend that he is today. A timeline, bibliography, statistical appendix, and narrative chapter on the making of Jackson legend enhance this biography. It has been said that hitting a baseball is the hardest thing to do in professional sports. "Baseball's All-Time Greatest Hitters" presents biographies on Greenwood's selection for the twelve best hitters in Major League history, written by some of today's best baseball authors. These books present straightforward stories in accessible language for the high school researcher and the general reader alike.

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