American Sports History Series – serie

Given the popularity of all types of skating—on the ice, on the boards, and on the streets—why isn't roller skating an Olympic event? Author David H. Lewis sought out people involved in every aspect of the sport in an attempt to answer this question. He talked to competition judges and coaches, rink operators and rink organists, and scores of skaters from around the world. The answers he found—and there are many—are likely to anger and astound readers in turn. Those answers, along with a wealth of information on the world of roller skating past, present and future, are detailed Whether you skate for the love of it, or have higher aspirations in the world on wheels,Roller Skating for Gold is fascinating and illuminating reading.

Sports history has emerged as a popular study over the past quarter century, and scholars have fueled this interest by providing a wealth of information on baseball and its role in American culture. Despite this increasing focus on the connection between sports and societal values, football, the sport that emerged in the late nineteenth century and merged the values of winning and commercialization with the culture of higher education, has been left relatively unexplored. This gap in sports history has left many questions unanswered, including football's link to American cultural values.Gerald R. Gems has filled this gap in sports history with his latest title, For Pride, Profit, and Patriarchy: Football and the Incorporation of American Cultural Values. This intriguing resource covers a host of issues including the rise of football, football and feminism, militarism and leadership training, and multiculturalism in football. A broad and comprehensive analysis of the ways in which football addressed the cultural and ideological tensions within American society during its period of development and consolidation after the Civil War, this study is ideal for everyone from the football enthusiast to the general reader.

On August 31, 1934, the first College All-Star Football Game was played at Soldier Field in Chicago. This gridiron spectacular series, which continued until 1976, served as a major factor in the popularization and growth of professional football into its current position as the "National Game" of the United States.Football's Stars of Summer reviews each year of this classic series, including the excitement of selecting the college players; the frequent battles between the two sides over game rules; and the All-Stars' grueling pre-game training camps in the heat of summer, that often produced plenty of surprises for everyone. For all public and high school library collections.

What baseball player had more hits than Babe Ruth, a better batting average than Willie Mays, a better slugging average than Ty Cobb, and more bases on balls than Stan Musial? This is the inspirational story of Melvin Thomas Ott, who at the strapping age of sixteen became a major league baseball player under the tutelage of the legendary manager of the New York Giants, John McGraw. Beyond the statistical record of this truly great baseball player, this book focuses on Mel Ott's personal life, his strong family ties, and the contributions which he made to the game of baseball. This volume is enhanced by intimate contact with the Ott family, particularly his daughters Lyn and Barbara, both of whom contributed to the story.

Paperback edition available October, 2003. Billy Sunday was among the greatest of American evangelists. During the first quarter of the twentieth century his sermons reached hundreds of thousands of people, and he was widely quoted and admired. He was an influential social leader who supported and popularized conservative causes, and he was an ardent champion of Prohibition.But this was not all Billy Sunday was noted for. He was also well known as a former professional baseball player. During the heyday of Ty Cobb and Christy Matthewson, he set base-stealing records in the 1880s and to have been the first baseball player to refuse to play on Sundays. Many say his reputation as a baseball player was not rightfully deserved. Although his skill alone may not have topped the charts, he was exceptional in his personality, behavior and exciting style of play.In this work, Wendy Knickerbocker explores Sunday's professional baseball career to examine the coming of age of an interesting and important character in American history. Detail is given to the entirety of his career as well as his playing style. She includes his struggles and accomplishments in his professional career as well as his religious one. A bibliography encourages further reference.

While major league baseball gained popularity in large American cities at the beginning of the twentieth century, it was still relatively unseen by small town inhabitants who could only read about it in the newspaper or catch an exhibition game as major league teams traveled through the United States. What was popular was ''town baseball,'' fierce competitions between local teams to best the other in all aspects of baseball, particularly power hitting. It was from this environment that Jimmie Foxx, one of major league baseball''s most talented players, began his journey toward the majors. Jimmie Foxx: The Pride of Sudlersville, is the story of one of baseball''s most ferocious hitters. Growing up in small town Maryland, Jimmie seemed destined to play major-league baseball. By age 16 he was already playing professionally and wowing fans with his ability to smash homers. During his major-league career he appeared in three straight World Series, played for the Philadelphia Athletics and the Boston Red Sox, and spent the 1932 baseball season closely pursuing Babe Ruth''s single-season home run record. The comparison to Babe Ruth has not been lost on many baseball scholars, but goes relatively unknown by the general public and many baseball fans. The most inclusive biography of Jimmie Foxx to date, Millikin''s book provides a complete picture of his subject.

Mike "King" Kelly was the hard-living, hard-drinking son of a Civil War veteran whose skills at baseball and infectious charm turned him into the game''s first hero, and a symbol of what it meant to be a celebrity in America in the 1880s and 1890s. Slide, Kelly, Slide reacquaints baseball fans and scholars with this little-known pioneer of the game. Marty Appel, the author of several baseball books, conducted a thorough search of local archives to bring the story of King Kelly to light and place him in his proper historical context. An innovator on the field, who was not above taking advantage of the only umpire running the game, Kelly touched many aspects of American culture while a ballplayer. He was the first player to sign autographs, and wrote the game''s first autobiography. A Hall of Famer and a two-time batting champion, Kelly''s greatest contribution was the popularity that he brought to the game. Slide, Kelly, Slide will truly delight.

It was the " American Menace" according to the Scottish and English newspapers of the 1920s. The best players in the Scottish leagues were being drawn to American companies that offered good jobs in return for playing on the company soccer team. The resulting squads, many of them ethnic, beat the best teams in the world at that time. This period from 1921 to 1931 were the "Golden Years of American Soccer."With the skyrocketing economic prosperity of the United States and its corollary flood of new immigrants to America''s shores, came interest in soccer as a new form of sports entertainment. It grew rapidly around Northeastern industrial towns like Fall River, Massachusetts, and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. As with the popular North American Soccer League of the 1970s and 80s and its imported stars like Pele, the American Soccer League of the 1920s bid for the best soccer players in the world, creating a competitive, fertile environment for the growth of soccer. Unfortunately, few detailed records remain about these great teams and players. League records were lost after W.W. II and newspaper coverage was concentrated in smaller cities. Many of the League''s heretofore unknown players possess no first name in print, and the unfortunate losers of matches and league championship games often went unreported altogether. During the later, tougher years of the Depression, many of the foreign players hunkered down in jobs or returned to their native countries. The disbanded American Soccer League was revived under the same name but very different circumstances in 1933, but never reached the same level of skill as during the 1920s. American Soccer League 1921-1931 is the result of Colin Jose''s tireless determination to provide accurate history of soccer''s evolution in the United States. Soccer was one of the most popular sports in the United States during the 1920s, often drawing huge crowds in relatively small towns to see the world''s best players compete. Documented through thousands of newspaper clipp

Coaches have played a vital yet changing role throughout basketball''s professional history. Biographical Directory of Professional Basketball Coaches is a comprehensive directory of all the professional coaches in the history of United States basketball. Jeff Marcus provides, in alphabetical order, the year-by-year coaching records for every pro major league coach in basketball history beginning with the American Basketball League (ABL), which formed in 1925 and was the first league to play in larger arenas on the East Coast and in the Mid West, then tracking the birth of the National Basketball League (NBL) from its onset in 1937 to its convergence 12 years later with the BAA, forming what we know today as the NBA. Brief but detailed biographical sketches are provided for every coach in these leagues. A wonderful resource for basketball fans and sports buffs.

Mike "King" Kelly was the hard-living, hard-drinking son of a Civil War veteran whose skills at baseball and infectious charm turned him into the game's first hero, and a symbol of what it meant to be a celebrity in America in the 1880s and 1890s. Slide, Kelly, Slide reacquaints baseball fans and scholars with this little-known pioneer of the game. Marty Appel, the author of several baseball books, conducted a thorough search of local archives to bring the story of King Kelly to light and place him in his proper historical context. An innovator on the field, who was not above taking advantage of the only umpire running the game, Kelly touched many aspects of American culture while a ballplayer. He was the first player to sign autographs, and wrote the game's first autobiography. A Hall of Famer and a two-time batting champion, Kelly's greatest contribution was the popularity that he brought to the game. Slide, Kelly, Slide will truly delight.

Baseball by the Numbers is the ultimate reference for baseball numerology. Carefully compiled from widely scattered sources, many of which are obscure or difficult to obtain, it is a massive work that lists over 50,000 players, their teams, and their uniform numbers from the 1930s through the 1990s. A chronological listing by team includes every number used by the team, by year, and the player who wore that number. An alphabetical index lists players, their correlating teams, years, and numbers. Finally, a numerical index by team identifies each player, his number, and the years he wore it. Recommended for baseball fanatics everywhere, as well as for school, public, and college libraries.

From 1937 to 1998, eight national athletic associations have organized 493 national championship tournaments for men's and women's basketball, of which the NCAA tournament is only one. Additionally, in 1904, and then since 1938, nine other organizations have conducted 105 quasi-national championship tournaments. College Basketball's National Championships details every one of these tournaments. The tournaments are presented for each sponsoring organization by men and women, by year, and by division. All of the participating teams are listed in order of their final standing in the tournament.

Many believe that soccer's popularity in the United States is a recent phenomenon, that Pele introduced the sport to the U.S. market. Soccer has in fact enjoyed a long and illustrious history in this country. This book examines American soccer from the 1860s up through the 1999 Women's World Cup and the 1999 MLS season. Entries are present for the many professional and semi-professional leagues that have existed since the 1890s and their great players, teams, and coaches. Important cup competitions, national teams, and major international competitions are also noted. Over two hundred individuals who have contributed to American soccer - coaches, players, administrators, and referees - also have entries. The perfect reference resource for sports scholars, but is also of interest to the ardent soccer fan.