Name: Chicago Rink Rats
Brand: Tom Russo
SKU: 9781625859686
Price: 24.99 USD
Availability: InStock

Chicago Rink Rats

9781625859686

$24.99

By 1950, roller skating had emerged as the number-one participatory sport in America. Ironically, the war years launched the Golden Age of Roller Skating. Soldiers serving overseas pleaded for skates along with their usual requests for cigarettes and letters from home. Stateside, skating uplifted morale and kept war factory workers exercising. By the end of the decade, five thousand rinks operated across the country. Its epicenter: Chicago! And no one was left behind! The Blink Bats, a group of Braille Center skaters, held their own at the huge Broadway Armory rink. Meanwhile, the Swank drew South Side crowds to its knee-action floor and stocked jukebox. Eighteen celebrated rinks are now gone, but rinks that remain honor the traditions of the sport's glory years. Author Tom Russo scoured newspaper archives and interviewed skaters of the roller capital's heyday to reveal the enduring legacy of Chicago's rink rats.

Chesapeake Bay Adventures

9781467153539

$23.99

Experience life on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. A shoreman's life revolves around nature's inevitable changes. The tides of the bay parallel the seasonal outdoor opportunities that the Eastern Shore provides. From the chaos of hunting marsh hens over flooded marshes during a hurricane to the solitude felt standing over a fallen trophy buck, gain an insider's look at this unique way of life. Feel the sea's power. Smell the gunpowder. Appreciate the solitude. Local author and outdoorsman C.L. Marshall tells the stories of the constant changes of the islands, the creeks and the bays.

Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Champions

9781625858351

$21.99

Since the 1940s, forty racing champions have traveled the hallowed grounds at the historic Aiken Training Track. Thoroughbred icons such as Kelso, Tom Fool, Swale, Pleasant Colony, Conquistador Cielo and Shuvee trained at this world-renowned track. Numerous members of the Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame won the biggest races in the sport. These champions combined for a total of 546 wins in 1,395 starts, including wins in the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes. Race along with author Lisa J. Hall as she pays homage to these equine champions and an Aiken legacy.

Baseball in Huntsville

9781467152693

$23.99

The Rocket City Trash Pandas, who made their Class AA South debut last summer, rekindled the interest in professional baseball in this area. As a journalist, it rekindled my interest in looking at the team with some historical context, to the first baseball team in the area (in 1903, with Ty Cobb as a visiting player) to the arrival of the first affiliated team (in 1985) and its ultimate demise. I discovered interesting characters of the early days (the first "graduate" from Huntsville to the majors once placed a dead rat in a sportswriter's bed, perhaps a precursor to the horse's head in The Godfather). The Huntsville Stars era was populated with some legendary players, like Jose Canseco, who was the league MVP in the first year of the franchise, Mark McGwire, Tim Hudson, Ryan Braun and Nelson Cruz. The Huntsville area also produced some fascinating players like Gabby Street, famous for catching a ball dropped from the top of the Washington Monument, Jimmy Key, Craig Kimbrel and our "Mr. Baseball," Don Mincher, who homered in his first World Series at-bat, enjoyed a 14-year career in the majors, became a team general manager, owner and, ultimately, president of the Southern League. Even as people embrace the freshness of the Trash Pandas, so often the conversation will turn to "I remember when…" moments from the Stars' era.

Louisiana Tech's Joe Aillet

9781467152334

$23.99

Trace a legend's route from an orphan train to the College Football Hall of Fame .

Baseball in Alabama

9781467138789

$24.99

Although football may first spring to mind when talking about sports in Alabama, the state has certainly made its mark with the national pastime. Thirteen players with Alabama roots are enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, including all-time greats like Hank Aaron, Ozzie Smith and Satchel Paige. Bob Veale of Birmingham led the National League in strikeouts in 1964. Superstars and former players like Bo Jackson and Britt Burns give back to their home state by organizing charities and coaching Alabama's next generation of players. Author and baseball historian Doug Wedge explores stories from this rich history.

Outdoor Tales of Northeast Ohio

9781467150231

$21.99

"This is nature writing of a kind I once devoured in my youth, and it was such a pleasure to come across it again." - Patrick F. McManus, New York Times, best-selling author and columnist for Outdoor Life and Field and Stream The fields, woods, and streams of Northeast Ohio promise no dearth of inspiration and adventure for outdoor enthusiasts. Few know this so well as Ohio native and award-winning author Andrew J. Pegman. Join him on a journey to land trophy fish, reflect on ones that got away, and embrace the beauty and freedom of the outdoors. Gain expert tips on taking up adventure fishing, flyfishing for walleyes at night on Lake Erie and for steelhead trout in the Chagrin River, and searching for elusive winter birds. This collection of classic tales captures the splendor and majesty of the outdoors and the peace and solitude to be found in Northeast Ohio and beyond.

Idaho Ruffed Grouse Hunting

9781467138444

$23.99

Ruffed grouse hunting is to bird hunting what fly fishing is to fishing--the pinnacle of the sport. Grouse hunters are a diehard lot consumed by chasing evasive birds through impenetrable thickets. Back east, grouse hunting has a rich, long-standing literary history, with great authors such as Burton Spiller, William Harnden Foster, Grampa Grouse and many others. Tapping into and carrying on this literary tradition, hunter and author Andrew Wayment offers stories from years of grouse hunting throughout the Gem State. Grouse hunters everywhere will relate to and enjoy this intimate look into "ruffin' it in Idaho."

Amos Alonzo Stagg

9781467145220

$23.99

Inside the life of Amos Alonzo Stagg, a man who not only witnessed great change, but was responsible for much of it in college football.

The arc of Amos Alonzo Stagg's life spanned the presidencies of Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy. His career flourished on the Chicago Midway and found an encore on California's Pacific coast and in Pennsylvania's Susquehanna Valley. Stagg pioneered use of the tackling dummy, the huddle, the forward pass, the shift, the man-in-motion, the quick kick and the short punt. He developed the raw talent of young men with little or no athletic background long before the age of scholarship athletes, and his championship teams at the University of Chicago established the school's national reputation before it became famous for producing Nobel laureates. He helped shape the modern Olympic Games, and the coaching tree he nurtured continues to bear fruit in football programs across the country. Author Jennifer Taylor Hall traces the remarkable life of the "Grand Old Man of Football."

The Beach Ball Classic: Premier High School Hoops on the Grand Strand

9781467135184

$21.99

The Beach Ball Classic began in 1981 as a modest avenue for coach Dan D'Antoni to attract the attention of college scouts. It blossomed into one of the premier prep basketball tournaments in the nation. From Kobe Bryant and Vince Carter to Roy Williams, some of the game's biggest stars and most colorful coaches have taken part. They also brought attention to an area generally overlooked in terms of high school sports. With calculated moves, a few risky decisions and nationwide sporting trends, the tournament continued to expand its influence. Author Ian Guerin recounts the famous faces, upcoming stars and business acumen that have made the Classic an iconic event for thirty-five years.

The Beach Ball Classic: Premier High School Hoops on the Grand Strand

Connecticut Boxing

9781467148085

$21.99

Sandwiched between New York and Boston, Connecticut has produced some of the fight game's most prominent pugilists, including Jack Delaney, Louis "Kid" Kaplan, Christopher "Bat" Battalino, Willie Pep and Marlon Starling. The state also has hosted a long list of legendary fighters that includes Lou Ambers, James J. Braddock, George Dixon, Joe Gans, Rocky Graziano, Harry Greb, Beau Jack, Sugar Ray Robinson, Tommy Ryan and Joe Walcott. And some of the finest boxing matches ever seen happened here, such as Micky Ward's stunning victory over Arturo Gatti at Mohegan Sun Casino & Resort. So, pull up your ringside seat and join boxing historian Mark Allen Baker as he details the history behind the headlines.

Baseball in the Mahoning Valley

9781467151986

$23.99

Around the horn in the Mahoning Valley The history of baseball in Ohio's Mahoning Valley has been, to say the least, eventful. Murder, the Civil War, the hot dog, a presidential assassination and one of the deadliest known volcanic eruptions all shaped America's pastime in the Valley. African American baseball pioneer and Hall of Fame inductee Bud Fowler began his professional baseball career in the area, and the first ceremonial celebrity first pitch came from the arm of a prominent local. The area also contributed to Cleveland professional ballclubs like the enigmatic 1883 Blues and the 2016 Believeland Indians, which included numerous players from the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, a minor-league team with its own rich heritage. Digging up little-known facts about Fowler and sundry other colorful stories, local author and creator of Eastwood Field's Days Gone By exhibit PM Kovach celebrates the proud history of baseball in northeast Ohio.

Japanese American Baseball in California

9781626195820

$24.99

Four generations of Japanese Americans broke down racial and cultural barriers in California by playing baseball. Behind the barbed wire of concentration camps during World War II, baseball became a tonic of spiritual renewal for disenfranchised Japanese Americans who played America's pastime while illegally imprisoned. Later, it helped heal resettlement wounds in Los Angeles, San Francisco, the Central Valley and elsewhere. Today, the names of Japanese American ballplayers still resonate as their legacy continues. Mike Lum was the first Japanese American player in the Major Leagues in 1967, Lenn Sakata the first in the World Series in 1983 and Don Wakamatsu the first manager in 2008. Join Kerry Yo Nakagawa in this update of his 2001 classic as he chronicles sporting achievements that doubled as cultural benchmarks.

Japanese American Baseball in California

A History of the Nets

9781467147835

$23.99

Relive the Ups and Downs of the Storied Saga of the Nomadic Nets

The Nets have led a wandering existence spanning over five decades. The team has been known as the New Jersey Americans, New York Nets, New Jersey Nets and now Brooklyn Nets, while constantly relocating throughout the New York metropolitan area. Though often plagued by instability and futility, the franchise has celebrated iconic moments in the course of ABA and NBA history. Julius Erving's legendary play led the team to a pair of ABA titles in 1974 and 1976. The meteoric rise of European superstar Dražen Petrović followed by his tragic death in 1993 is etched into basketball fans' hearts worldwide. Jason Kidd's uncommon will steered New Jersey to back-to-back NBA Finals appearances in 2002 and 2003. An enlightening phone call from NBA commissioner David Stern in 1997 paved the way for the team's move to Brooklyn in 2012.

Author Rick Laughland charts the brutal lows and exuberant highs throughout the history of the Nets.

Montana State's Golden Bobcats

9781467150415

$21.99

Montana State's Golden Bobcats celebrates a storied history from the hardwood

Ashworth "Cat" Thompson and brothers Frank and Orland Ward didn't know what to expect when they left southern Utah in the Fall of 1926. They arrived in Bozeman to play on the Montana State College basketball team under charismatic coach and fellow Utah native Ott Romney and Assistant Coach Schubert Dyche. Teamed with Montana products Brick Breeden and Max Worthington the following season, the core formed one of the best teams in the country. Despite Romney returning to Provo at the end of 1928, the Bobcats persevered in '29 under Schubert to win the consensus college national basketball championship, with Cat and Frank Ward earning All-American honors.

Author Paul R. Wylie recounts the on and off court challenges and triumphs of the Bobcats' Golden team

Connecticut's Girls of Summer

9781467154192

$23.99

Connecticut has a long history of producing outstanding sports teams and athletes. Two of the greatest teams to come out of the state are the legendary Brakettes and Falcons women’s fast-pitch softball teams. In their seventy-six-year history, the Brakettes are considered the most successful and longest-running organized women’s sports franchise of all time. With forty national championships, three world championships and eleven Olympians, their dynasty remains synonymous with softball excellence. Likewise, the Connecticut Falcons were the most dominant team of the Women’s Professional Softball League, winning the championship title all four years of the WPS existence. The most famous and iconic product of these two teams has been Waterbury’s legendary Joan Joyce, who is considered by many experts to be the greatest female athlete in sports history. Join author Tony Renzoni as he interviews former players and highlights the accomplishments of these two renowned teams and their legendary athletes.

Urethane Revolution

9781467139908

$23.99

One crazy year on the California coast--in 1975 a hippie skunkworks, bred in garages and shacks, launched the modern skater movement. Strap in for a wild ride replete with two car chases, two plane crashes, a massive truck bomb, Colombian narcos, the Mafia, senior White House staff, a gypsy fortuneteller, three straight-up miracles, Jacques Cousteau, big piles of cocaine and naked hippie chicks. Author John O'Malley was in the thick of it all, and he retraces the trip that starts with a bang and races to a melt-in-your-mouth ending.

Ski Jumping in Washington State

9781467147828

$23.99

"Wherever two or three Norwegians gathered together, they constructed a jump and held competitions.'? -Harold "Cork'? Anson

Ski jumping, once Washington's most popular winter sport, was introduced by Norwegian immigrants in the early twentieth century. It began at Spokane's Browne's Mountain and Seattle's Queen Anne Hill, then moved to midsummer tournaments on Mount Rainier in 1917 and expanded statewide as new ski clubs formed. Washington tournaments attracted the world's best jumpers--Birger and Sigurd Ruud, Alf Engen, Sigurd Ulland and Reidar Andersen, among others. In 1941, Torger Tokle set two national distance records here in just three weeks. Regional ski areas hosted national and international championships as well as Olympic tryouts, entertaining spectators until Leavenworth's last tournament in 1978.

Lawyer, historian and award-winning author John W. Lundin recreates the excitement of this nearly forgotten ski jumping heritage.

Professional Wrestling in Mississippi

9781467154284

$23.99

Bounce off the ropes for a high-flying jaunt through the history of Magnolia State professional wrestling. At its peak, professional wrestling was arguably the most popular sport in Mississippi. The pageantry and colorful personalities appealed to grandparents and grandchildren alike. Author Jeffrey Martin invites readers to step inside the squared circle and revisit everything from the carnival wrestling days of the late 1800s to the chiseled melodrama of modern wrestling. Along the way, readers will learn about Billy Romanoff, the old-school wrestler turned promoter who made wrestling a weekly staple at the Jackson City Auditorium; Jerry Lawler and Bill Dundee, who brought down the house on Friday nights at the Tupelo Sports Arena; and George and Gil Culkin, the father-and-son duo who split with "Cowboy" Bill Watts to create their own Mississippi territory, kickstarting the careers of Kamala, Terry Gordy, Michael Hayes and many other pivotal figures.

Legends of Delaware Auto Racing

9781467138291

$23.99

Sit back and buckle up for a fast-paced thrill ride into Delaware's rich racing history!

The earliest Delaware drivers raced on dusty tracks carved into a farmer's field. Characters like Johnny Martin and Paul Walker helped establish racing in the state shortly after World War II. The latest generation races at the famed Georgetown Speedway and Delaware International Speedway, and drivers, owners and promoters like Ricky Elliott, Curt Michael and Brett Deyo make racing the thriving sport it is today. Through interviews and extensive research, author, Delaware native and racing historian Chad Wayne Culver has captured the stories of some of the state's best-known racing legends.

Baseball in Pensacola:

9781609497828

$24.99

The Western Gate to the Sunshine State boasts an epic history of hardball, dating back nearly to the beginning of the sport. Sunshine, loyal fans and pristine beaches have attracted baseball's best athletes to Pensacola--from stars like Babe Ruth and Ted Williams to the Blue Wahoos, modern-day affiliate for the Cincinnati Reds. The city is home to major-league teams during spring training, minor-league teams during the season and baseball fanatics year-round. Whether it's following big-league icons or cheering high school future stars, Pensacola's love affair with baseball runs deep. Team up with local author Scott Brown as he details the area's greatest moments in America's oldest pastime.

The Louisville Baseball Almanac

9781596299948

$24.99

Though long associated with fine bourbons, riverboats and champion Thoroughbreds, Louisville, Kentucky, is home to another icon--the Louisville slugger. The Louisville Baseball Almanac presents the first-ever comprehensive look at the rich history of professional teams, ballplayers and managers, a history that runs deep within the city. Originally a major-league city that won a pennant in 1890, the early Louisville teams gave rise to a host of legends and eccentrics, in equal measure. And ever since, Louisville has maintained a strong position in baseball history as a top-flight minor league city. Red Sox, Yankee, Dodger, Reds and Cardinals fans--baseball fans --have Louisville to thank for launching the careers of some of the game's most memorable players. Louisville baseball historian Philip Von Borries recounts the breadth of Louisville's ballplaying heritage, his text complemented by numerous vintage photographs.

Montana Horse Racing

9781467140324

$24.99

For centuries, on prairie grasslands, dusty streets and racing ovals, everyday Montanans participated in the sport of kings. More than a century after horses arrived in the region, Lewis and Clark's Nez Perce guides staged horse races at Traveler's Rest in 1806. In response to hazardous street races, the Montana legislature granted communities authority to ban "immoderate riding or driving." Helena led the way to respectable racing, with Madam Coady's fashion course hosting the first territorial fair in 1868. Soon, leading citizens like Marcus Daly built oval tracks and glitzy grandstands. By 1890, a horse named Bob Wade set a world record for a quarter mile in Butte, a mark that stood until 1958. Horsewoman and historian Brenda Wahler highlights the Big Sky's patrons of the turf and courageous equine champions, including Kentucky Derby winner Spokane.

Integrating Pittsburgh Sports

9781467152594

$23.99

Steel City Sports as a Catalyst for Change Though Pittsburgh athletics had many of the same barriers to equality and racial discrimination as the rest of the nation for far too long, the city has celebrated some of the most important moments in the integration of sports in the country. Pittsburgh was the only city with two Negro League teams, fielding such future Hall of Famers as Josh Gibson, Cool Papa Bell, Oscar Charleston and Satchel Paige. Local high school basketball stars Chuck Cooper, Bill Nunn, Jr., Dick Ricketts, Maurice Stokes, and Jack Twyman held integrated pick-up games at local parks such as Mellon Park in Shadyside in the 1950s. In college football, Connellsville native Jimmy Joe Robinson became the first African American player on Pitt's football team in 1945 as the school continued to integrate its squad ahead of federal desegregation. The Association of Gentleman Pittsburgh Journalists present the compelling, heartbreaking and courageous history of how Pittsburgh's integration of sport helped lead the nation.

The Iroquois Hunt: A Bluegrass Foxhunting Tradition

9781626197435

$21.99

Founded near Lexington, Kentucky, in 1880--and refounded in 1926--the Iroquois Hunt Club is a small club at the heart of the Bluegrass. Its history, however, is populated by vivid characters with strong links to some of America's most influential figures and most important movements of the last 120 years. Members participated in the Black Hills Gold Rush of the 1870s, the fight for women's right to vote in the early 1900s, Theodore Roosevelt's creation of national parks and the building of the Grand Coulee Dam. At home in the Bluegrass, they also contributed mightily to the development of modern Lexington and were key figures in founding the iconic Keeneland Racecourse and in a number of historic Thoroughbred nurseries, including Calumet and the Whitney farm. Authors Christopher and Glenye Oakford retrace the storied past of an influential group.

The Iroquois Hunt: A Bluegrass Foxhunting Tradition

Jacobs Field

9781626195097

$21.99

The sports landscape changed in the spring of 1994 when the Cleveland Indiansmoved into their new stadium at the corner of Carnegieand Ontario.

No longer the joke of the league, The Jakemade the Cleveland Indiansthe jewel of baseball and helped revitalize a city and a fan base. For the first time ever, these interviews and stories from the players, managers and front office personnel give the inside scoop on what happened on the field, in the dugout and behind the scenes of this exciting time in Cleveland sports history.

Vince McKee is the author of Heroand Cleveland's Finest. Cleveland sports icon Joe Tait called Cleveland's Finest one of the best Cleveland sports books ever written. Get the best seat in the house for the most recent addition to the Tribe'scelebrated legacy.

Kentucky Handicap Horse Racing:

9781626194694

$21.99

In a handicap, horses are assigned weights based on their past performances as a way to try to create evenly matched fields. The better the horse, the heavier the weight assigned. In the United States, handicaps once accounted for the majority of stakes races and were known to boast large purses attracting the leading horses of the day. Kentucky-bred horses such as Discovery, Equipoise and Kelso won under the heaviest of weights, dominating the handicap division year after year, and were immortalized in the hall of fame. These equine stars brought recognition to the Sport of Kings and became renowned athletes for their courage, fortitude and durability. Join author and turf historian Melanie Greene as she recounts the harrowing tales of these noble steeds.

Kern County Sports Chronicles:

9781626191440

$21.99

Moon Mullen was an integral member of George Halas's old Chicago Bears. Verl Lillywhite played on the mid-century San Francisco 49ers, integrating the pro football roommates' tradition by bunking with Joe The Jet" Perry. Rodeo star Chuck Roberson doubled for John Wayne when the stunt work got dicey. Jay Carty played on the Los Angeles Lakers with Jerry West. George Culver tossed a no-hitter for the Cincinnati Reds. What these former athletes and others profiled in this collection have in common is Kern County, California, and the good fortune to have had Bryce Martin covering their careers. With decades of experience writing for top publications, former St. Louis Cardinals prospect Martin offers a collection of profiles that forms a veritable Kern County sports hall of fame."

Kansas University Basketball Legends

9781626193758

$19.99

The University of Kansas's men's basketball team is one of the oldest and most successful in the history of college basketball; the very inventor of the sport, Dr. James Naismith, was KU's first coach. Its long and illustrious history began in 1898 and includes some of the biggest names in the game, from legends like Wilt Chamberlain to "secret weapons" like Andrea Hudy, the only female strength and conditioning coach in the division. Longtime Jayhawk enthusiast Kenn Johnson offers up a unique and in-depth look at the players, coaches and other personalities who helped make the University of Kansas basketball program the unparalleled tradition it is today.

Central Florida Thoroughbreds:

9781626190757

$21.99

Back in the 1940s, when Florida was the Wild West of the East, a few hearty souls dared to think they might compete with the finest, blue-blooded racehorses and their breeders with their own stock raised among palm trees, sand and alligators. Florida was the cracker cowboy state, and cowponies were expected. But the scoffers failed to realize what the wealth of limestone, the power of warm sunshine year round and the cold, crystalline freshwater springs that are the gems of central Florida would mean to the raising of healthy, competitive animals. When the first Thoroughbreds produced in Florida, admittedly small and scrappy, began to outrun their pedigrees," the nation of Thoroughbred breeders had to take notice. Join author Charlene R. Johnson as she details the fascinating equine history of central Florida."

Hoops in Connecticut:

9781609490836

$21.99

Home to both the University of Connecticut's men's and women's NCAA championship teams as well as the Connecticut Sun WNBA team, this small state has made a name for itself in basketball. Infatuation with the sport started here in 1896 with the first intercollegiate game between Yale and Wesleyan Universities. The roster of Connecticut's round ball greats includes Naismith Hall-of-Famer Calvin Murphy; NBA stars Vin Baker, Marcus Camby, Charles Smith, the late John Williamson, Johnny Egan and John Bagley; and Harlem Globetrotter Alvin Clinkscales. Award-winning sportswriter Don Harrison wows fans with stories of the Nutmeg State's most notable players and coaches through personal interviews and firsthand accounts.

History of the Greater Boston Track Club

9781626190306

$21.99

Founded in 1973, the Greater Boston Track Club had humble beginnings but was quick to establish itself as a force of competitive runners. Initially an all-inclusive club of sprinters, hurdlers and middle-distance runners, the club evolved under the brilliant leadership of Coach Bill Squires. The club boasts nearly eighty regional, national and international titles. It has bred world-class runners such as Olympian Bill Rodgers (four-time winner of the Boston and New York marathons) and Olympian Alberto Salazar (three-time winner of the New York marathon and winner of the Boston and the Comrades Ultra marathons). Author Paul C. Clerici honors the Greater Boston Track Club through historical records and the experiences of those involved in its legacy.

History of the Greater Boston Track Club

Lake Placid Figure Skating:

9781609495657

$21.99

Figure skating has always had an important home in Lake Placid. Early on, the Sno Birds popularized this summer retreat, and Melville and Godfrey Dewey won the campaign for the 1932 Winter Olympics. The Skating Club of Lake Placid was formed, and after 1932, famous skaters trained here with legendary coach Gus Lussi. When Lake Placid again hosted the Olympics in 1980, skating dominated, with state-of-the-art facilities that have continued to be used by stars like Dorothy Hamill and Sarah Hughes, and helped give rise to Scott Hamilton's Stars on Ice. For more than one hundred years, the Lake Placid community has worked together to support figure skating and skaters in this quiet Adirondack village. Local expert Christie Sausa tells this exciting story.

Rhode Island Baseball

9781596294967

$21.99

Woonsocket native Gabby Hartnett set the world record by catching a baseball thrown from a blimp eight hundred feet above him. Then he did it again. Rhode Island Baseball possesses the same knack for astonishing you time after time with stories of baseball legends you thought you knew (like Nap Lajoie) and teams you might never have heard of (like the OSRC: Orcutt's Sure Rheumatism Cure). As you slide back into an era when men and women played professional ball barehanded and a rabbit hole could change a game, you will discover how large a role America's smallest state played in the nation's favorite pastime.