The former ESPN columnist and analytics pioneer dramatically recreates an action-packed 2017 game between the Oakland A's and eventual World Series Champion Houston Astros to reveal the myriad ways in which Major League Baseball has changed over the last few decades.On September 8, 2017, the Oakland A's faced off against the Houston Astros in a game that would signal the passing of the Moneyball mantle. Though this was only one regular season game, the match-up of these two teams demonstrated how Major League Baseball has changed since the early days of Athletics general manager Billy Beane and the publication of Michael Lewis' classic book.Over the past twenty years, power and analytics have taken over the game, driving carefully calibrated teams like the Astros to victory. Seemingly every pitcher now throws mid-90s heat and studiously compares their mechanics against the ideal. Every batter in the lineup can crack homers and knows their launch angles. Teams are relying on unorthodox strategies, including using power-losing - purposely tanking a few seasons to get the best players in the draft.As he chronicles each inning and the unfolding drama as these two teams continually trade the lead - culminating in a 9-8 Oakland victory in the bottom of the ninth - Neyer considers the players and managers, the front office machinations, the role of sabermetrics, and the current thinking about what it takes to build a great team, to answer the most pressing questions fans have about the sport today.
Harper
|
9780062853615
|
Hardcover
Unguarded
By Pippen, Scottie
Scottie Pippen has been called one of the greatest NBA players for good reason. Simply put, without Pippen, there are no championship banners - let alone six - hanging from the United Center rafters. There's no Last Dance documentary. There's no "Michael Jordan" as we know him. The 1990s Chicago Bulls teams would not exist as we know them. So how did the youngest of twelve go from growing up poor in the small town of Hamburg, Arkansas, enduring two family tragedies along the way, to become a revered NBA legend? How did the scrawny teen, overlooked by every major collegiate basketball program, go on to become the fifth overall pick in the 1987 NBA Draft? And, perhaps most compelling, how did Pippen set aside his ego (and his own limitless professional ceiling) in order for the Bulls to become the most dominant basketball dynasty of the last half century? In Unguarded, the soft-spoken, six-time champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist finally opens up to offer pointed and transparent takes on Michael Jordan, Phil Jackson, and Isiah Thomas, among others.
Atria Books
|
9781982165192
|
Hardcover
Yoke
By Stanley, Jessamyn
Jessamyn Stanley's first book, Every Body Yoga, with 59,000 copies in print, taught us how to do yoga. Now, in she tells us why. Writing about what she calls the yoga of the everyday - which is not just about poses but about applying the hard lessons we learn on the mat to the even harder daily project of living - presents a series of deeply honest, funny, gritty, thoughtful, and largely autobiographical essays that explores the issues of race, self-love, capitalism, sex and sexuality, cannabis, and more.Drawing its name from a literal translation of the Sanskrit root "yuj," from which the word "yoga" derives, , invites every reader to find their own authentic "yoga of the everyday," and learn to handle life's toughest moments with the same flexibility, strength, grounding energy, and core awareness found in a headstand or Tadasana or cobra pose.
Workman Publishing Company
|
9781523505210
|
Paperback
My Conference Can Beat Your Conference
By Finebaum, Paul
An all-access pass into the powerhouse teams and passionate fanbases of the legendary Southeastern Conference from one of the most influential men in college football ESPNs Paul FinebaumProud owner of prestigious college football programs producing seven consecutive national championships twelve NFL first round draft choices and a budget that crushes the GDP of Samoa the Southeastern Conference collects the most coveted ratings rankings and revenue of any conference in college football With its pantheon of illustrious alumni like Bear Bryant Herschel Walker Peyton Manning and Nick Saban the SEC is the altar at which millions of Americans worship every Saturday from Texas to Kentucky to FloridaIf the SEC is a religion its deity is radio talk-show host Paul Finebaum In My Conference Can Beat Your Conference Finebaum chronicles the rise of the SEC and his own unlikely path to college football fame Finebaum offers his blunt wisdom on everything from Joe Paterno and the Penn State scandal to the relevancy of Alabama quarterback AJ McCarrons girlfriend and chronicles the best of his beloved callers and the worst of his hatersMy Conference Can Beat Your Conference is illustrated with pages of color photos.
Harper
|
9780062297419
|
Hardcover
Wooden
By Davis, Seth
A provocative and revelatory new biography of the legendary UCLA coach John Wooden, by one of America's top college basketball writersNo college basketball coach has ever dominated the sport like John Wooden. His UCLA teams reached unprecedented heights in the 1960s and '70s capped by a run of ten NCAA championships in twelve seasons and an eighty-eight-game winning streak, records that stand to this day. Wooden also became a renowned motivational speaker and writer, revered for his "Pyramid of Success."Seth Davis of Sports Illustrated and CBS Sports has written the definitive biography of Wooden, an unflinching portrait that draws on archival research and more than two hundred interviews with players, opponents, coaches, and even Wooden himself.
Henry Holt & Co
|
9780805092806
|
Hardcover
The Year's Best Sports Writing 2021
By Stout, Glenn
A must-read collection featuring the best in sports journalism Glenn Stout, founding editor of the Best American Sports Writing, has curated an essential anthology showcasing incredible feats and diverse perspectives across the world of sports. Selected from a wide range of newspapers, magazines, and digital publications during the previous year, these stories capture enduring moments while celebrating the craft of writing at its most sublime. This extraordinary collection reveals the fascinating stories behind the sports we love, the competitors who push their boundaries, and the cultures they are ultimately embedded in.
Triumph Books
|
9781629378879
|
Paperback
The Game Plan
By Polian, Bill
As one of the most successful general managers and team presidents in NFL history, few people understand how to create the blueprint for a winning football team like Bill Polian. After building the Buffalo Bills team that went to four consecutive Super Bowls and taking the expansion Carolina Panthers to the NFC Championship just two years after the team’s creation, he was responsible for the Indianapolis Colts drafting Peyton Manning with the first overall pick in 1998 and oversaw the team’s victory in Super Bowl XLI. Now, Polian shares his blueprint for building a successful football team in The Game Plan. He details the decisions both a team needs to make in the regular season and the offseason to bring teams to the postseason and the NFL’s ultimate test of a well-built team: the Super Bowl.
Triumph Books
|
9781600789816
|
Hardcover
The Six Pack
By Balukjian, Brad
From the bestselling author of The Wax Pack, comes another eye‑opening road trip adventure into a pocket of iconic pop culture - professional wrestling - starring the Iron Sheik, Hulk Hogan, Tito Santana, and many more larger‑than‑life characters of the WWF of the 1980s. In 2005, Brad Balukjian left his position as a magazine fact-checker to pursue a dream job: partner with his childhood hero, The Iron Sheik (whose real name was Khosrow Vaziri) , to write his biography. Things quickly went south, culminating in the Sheik threatening Balukjian's life. Now seventeen years later, Balukjian returns to the road in search of not only a reunion with the Sheik, but something much bigger: truth in a world built on illusion. Balukjian seeks out six of the Sheik's contemporaries, fellow witnesses to the World Wrestling Federation's (WWF) explosion in the mid-'80s, to unearth their true identities.
Hachette Books
|
9780306831553
|
Hardcover
Home Game
By Boone, Bret
From the first third-generation baseball player in Major League Baseball history, a sometimes moving, always candid look at his family's 70 years in the world of professional baseball.A five-foot-ten firecracker who was spurned by scouts for his small size, supposed lack of power, and temper tantrums (one scout called him a "helmet-throwing terror") , Bret Boone didn't care about family legacy as fought his way into the Major Leagues in 1992; he wanted to make his own way. He did just that, building a 14-year career that included three all-star appearances, four Gold Gloves, a bout with alcoholism, and the ignominy of being traded for the infamous "player to be named later." Now that he's coaching minor leaguers half his age, and his 15-year-old son has the potential to be a fourth-generation major leaguer, Bret is ready to reflect on and tell the story of baseball from the perspective of his family's 70-year history in the sports. Combining the brashness and candor of Ball Four with a dollop of Big Russ and Me sentiment, this book will trace the evolution of the game--on the field and behind the scenes--from Ray Boone's era in the 1950s to Bob Boone's in the 70s and 80s to Bret and Aaron's era in the 90s and 2000s, when players made millions, dined on lobster in the clubhouse, injected themselves with PEDs, and had their choice of "Annies"--female clingers-on, or as today's players call them, "road beef." Along the way, the book will touch on pieces of Boone family lore, including Bret hitting zero dingers in a home run derby and Aaron's home run (if you don't know what this is referring to, then consult the nearest Red Sox fan) . Blending nostalgia, behind-the-scenes profanity, close analysis of the game that only players can offer, and insight into baseball's ongoing evolution as a sport and a business, Bret Boone will offer a one-of-a-kind look at America's favorite pastime from a family who has seen it all.
Crown Archetype
|
9781101904909
|
Print book
The Complete Book of Pickleball
By Brungardt, Kurt
A holistic workout program that shares ways to improve the fitness benefits of this wildly popular sport while remaining injury-free.. Build Your Best Pickleball Body and Play Fast, Strong, and Injury-Free. Easy to learn and fun to play, pickleball is also a surprisingly athletic sport. In this user-friendly book, fitness superstars, the Brungardt brothers, focus their expertise on the needs of pickleball players of all levels, applying the same innovative training methods they've used with NBA MVPs, Cy Young Award-winners, and Olympic and tennis champions, to make picklers more athletic and injury-resistant.. To safely reach your pickleball potential, health and fitness professionals agree that the sport should not be your only form of exercise. To fill this critical gap, the Brungardts have created PB-150, a comprehensive program that delivers all the components of an elite pro training center experience - with the fun and flexibility of the pickleball spirit.
Power Ball
By Neyer, Rob
The former ESPN columnist and analytics pioneer dramatically recreates an action-packed 2017 game between the Oakland A's and eventual World Series Champion Houston Astros to reveal the myriad ways in which Major League Baseball has changed over the last few decades.On September 8, 2017, the Oakland A's faced off against the Houston Astros in a game that would signal the passing of the Moneyball mantle. Though this was only one regular season game, the match-up of these two teams demonstrated how Major League Baseball has changed since the early days of Athletics general manager Billy Beane and the publication of Michael Lewis' classic book.Over the past twenty years, power and analytics have taken over the game, driving carefully calibrated teams like the Astros to victory. Seemingly every pitcher now throws mid-90s heat and studiously compares their mechanics against the ideal. Every batter in the lineup can crack homers and knows their launch angles. Teams are relying on unorthodox strategies, including using power-losing - purposely tanking a few seasons to get the best players in the draft.As he chronicles each inning and the unfolding drama as these two teams continually trade the lead - culminating in a 9-8 Oakland victory in the bottom of the ninth - Neyer considers the players and managers, the front office machinations, the role of sabermetrics, and the current thinking about what it takes to build a great team, to answer the most pressing questions fans have about the sport today.
Unguarded
By Pippen, Scottie
Scottie Pippen has been called one of the greatest NBA players for good reason. Simply put, without Pippen, there are no championship banners - let alone six - hanging from the United Center rafters. There's no Last Dance documentary. There's no "Michael Jordan" as we know him. The 1990s Chicago Bulls teams would not exist as we know them. So how did the youngest of twelve go from growing up poor in the small town of Hamburg, Arkansas, enduring two family tragedies along the way, to become a revered NBA legend? How did the scrawny teen, overlooked by every major collegiate basketball program, go on to become the fifth overall pick in the 1987 NBA Draft? And, perhaps most compelling, how did Pippen set aside his ego (and his own limitless professional ceiling) in order for the Bulls to become the most dominant basketball dynasty of the last half century? In Unguarded, the soft-spoken, six-time champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist finally opens up to offer pointed and transparent takes on Michael Jordan, Phil Jackson, and Isiah Thomas, among others.
Yoke
By Stanley, Jessamyn
Jessamyn Stanley's first book, Every Body Yoga, with 59,000 copies in print, taught us how to do yoga. Now, in she tells us why. Writing about what she calls the yoga of the everyday - which is not just about poses but about applying the hard lessons we learn on the mat to the even harder daily project of living - presents a series of deeply honest, funny, gritty, thoughtful, and largely autobiographical essays that explores the issues of race, self-love, capitalism, sex and sexuality, cannabis, and more.Drawing its name from a literal translation of the Sanskrit root "yuj," from which the word "yoga" derives, , invites every reader to find their own authentic "yoga of the everyday," and learn to handle life's toughest moments with the same flexibility, strength, grounding energy, and core awareness found in a headstand or Tadasana or cobra pose.
My Conference Can Beat Your Conference
By Finebaum, Paul
An all-access pass into the powerhouse teams and passionate fanbases of the legendary Southeastern Conference from one of the most influential men in college football ESPNs Paul FinebaumProud owner of prestigious college football programs producing seven consecutive national championships twelve NFL first round draft choices and a budget that crushes the GDP of Samoa the Southeastern Conference collects the most coveted ratings rankings and revenue of any conference in college football With its pantheon of illustrious alumni like Bear Bryant Herschel Walker Peyton Manning and Nick Saban the SEC is the altar at which millions of Americans worship every Saturday from Texas to Kentucky to FloridaIf the SEC is a religion its deity is radio talk-show host Paul Finebaum In My Conference Can Beat Your Conference Finebaum chronicles the rise of the SEC and his own unlikely path to college football fame Finebaum offers his blunt wisdom on everything from Joe Paterno and the Penn State scandal to the relevancy of Alabama quarterback AJ McCarrons girlfriend and chronicles the best of his beloved callers and the worst of his hatersMy Conference Can Beat Your Conference is illustrated with pages of color photos.
Wooden
By Davis, Seth
A provocative and revelatory new biography of the legendary UCLA coach John Wooden, by one of America's top college basketball writersNo college basketball coach has ever dominated the sport like John Wooden. His UCLA teams reached unprecedented heights in the 1960s and '70s capped by a run of ten NCAA championships in twelve seasons and an eighty-eight-game winning streak, records that stand to this day. Wooden also became a renowned motivational speaker and writer, revered for his "Pyramid of Success."Seth Davis of Sports Illustrated and CBS Sports has written the definitive biography of Wooden, an unflinching portrait that draws on archival research and more than two hundred interviews with players, opponents, coaches, and even Wooden himself.
The Year's Best Sports Writing 2021
By Stout, Glenn
A must-read collection featuring the best in sports journalism Glenn Stout, founding editor of the Best American Sports Writing, has curated an essential anthology showcasing incredible feats and diverse perspectives across the world of sports. Selected from a wide range of newspapers, magazines, and digital publications during the previous year, these stories capture enduring moments while celebrating the craft of writing at its most sublime. This extraordinary collection reveals the fascinating stories behind the sports we love, the competitors who push their boundaries, and the cultures they are ultimately embedded in.
The Game Plan
By Polian, Bill
As one of the most successful general managers and team presidents in NFL history, few people understand how to create the blueprint for a winning football team like Bill Polian. After building the Buffalo Bills team that went to four consecutive Super Bowls and taking the expansion Carolina Panthers to the NFC Championship just two years after the team’s creation, he was responsible for the Indianapolis Colts drafting Peyton Manning with the first overall pick in 1998 and oversaw the team’s victory in Super Bowl XLI. Now, Polian shares his blueprint for building a successful football team in The Game Plan. He details the decisions both a team needs to make in the regular season and the offseason to bring teams to the postseason and the NFL’s ultimate test of a well-built team: the Super Bowl.
The Six Pack
By Balukjian, Brad
From the bestselling author of The Wax Pack, comes another eye‑opening road trip adventure into a pocket of iconic pop culture - professional wrestling - starring the Iron Sheik, Hulk Hogan, Tito Santana, and many more larger‑than‑life characters of the WWF of the 1980s. In 2005, Brad Balukjian left his position as a magazine fact-checker to pursue a dream job: partner with his childhood hero, The Iron Sheik (whose real name was Khosrow Vaziri) , to write his biography. Things quickly went south, culminating in the Sheik threatening Balukjian's life. Now seventeen years later, Balukjian returns to the road in search of not only a reunion with the Sheik, but something much bigger: truth in a world built on illusion. Balukjian seeks out six of the Sheik's contemporaries, fellow witnesses to the World Wrestling Federation's (WWF) explosion in the mid-'80s, to unearth their true identities.
Home Game
By Boone, Bret
From the first third-generation baseball player in Major League Baseball history, a sometimes moving, always candid look at his family's 70 years in the world of professional baseball.A five-foot-ten firecracker who was spurned by scouts for his small size, supposed lack of power, and temper tantrums (one scout called him a "helmet-throwing terror") , Bret Boone didn't care about family legacy as fought his way into the Major Leagues in 1992; he wanted to make his own way. He did just that, building a 14-year career that included three all-star appearances, four Gold Gloves, a bout with alcoholism, and the ignominy of being traded for the infamous "player to be named later." Now that he's coaching minor leaguers half his age, and his 15-year-old son has the potential to be a fourth-generation major leaguer, Bret is ready to reflect on and tell the story of baseball from the perspective of his family's 70-year history in the sports. Combining the brashness and candor of Ball Four with a dollop of Big Russ and Me sentiment, this book will trace the evolution of the game--on the field and behind the scenes--from Ray Boone's era in the 1950s to Bob Boone's in the 70s and 80s to Bret and Aaron's era in the 90s and 2000s, when players made millions, dined on lobster in the clubhouse, injected themselves with PEDs, and had their choice of "Annies"--female clingers-on, or as today's players call them, "road beef." Along the way, the book will touch on pieces of Boone family lore, including Bret hitting zero dingers in a home run derby and Aaron's home run (if you don't know what this is referring to, then consult the nearest Red Sox fan) . Blending nostalgia, behind-the-scenes profanity, close analysis of the game that only players can offer, and insight into baseball's ongoing evolution as a sport and a business, Bret Boone will offer a one-of-a-kind look at America's favorite pastime from a family who has seen it all.
The Complete Book of Pickleball
By Brungardt, Kurt
A holistic workout program that shares ways to improve the fitness benefits of this wildly popular sport while remaining injury-free.. Build Your Best Pickleball Body and Play Fast, Strong, and Injury-Free. Easy to learn and fun to play, pickleball is also a surprisingly athletic sport. In this user-friendly book, fitness superstars, the Brungardt brothers, focus their expertise on the needs of pickleball players of all levels, applying the same innovative training methods they've used with NBA MVPs, Cy Young Award-winners, and Olympic and tennis champions, to make picklers more athletic and injury-resistant.. To safely reach your pickleball potential, health and fitness professionals agree that the sport should not be your only form of exercise. To fill this critical gap, the Brungardts have created PB-150, a comprehensive program that delivers all the components of an elite pro training center experience - with the fun and flexibility of the pickleball spirit.