This is a collection of stories for sports fans and lovers of historical fiction. The stories feature different sports idols from the twentieth century, like Babe Ruth, Jim Thorpe, Jack Dempsey, and Mickey Mantle. Others showcased in these stories - Smoky Joe Wood, Tony Lazzeri, Pancho Gonzáles, and Larry Doby - are no longer household names, but continue to be esteemed by aficionados of their sports and eras of play. Some of the book''s erstwhile stars - John Meyers, Charles Bender, George Von Elm, and Carl Mulleneaux - are scarcely remembered by anyone at all. In their day, all were deliriously cheered and idolized by American sports fans. While the book''s fictional stories include descriptions of games, contests, or sporting events, they also humanize their characters to appeal to literate readers of every kind, even those who are not knowledgeable sports fans. The stories'' narratives focus primarily on mentors, friendships, and the connection of sports to both the aspirational ideals and discriminatory contradictions of American culture.
