SportsBookShelf by Dr. Harvey Frommer - Breaking Ground, Urban Meyer, Big and Bright and more…

SportsBookShelf

By Dr. Harvey Frommer

Breaking Ground, Urban Meyer, Big and Bright and more…

For holiday reading, for reading anytime, what follows is a batch of books that will bring hours of insights and pleasure for any sports fan.

Breaking Ground: How Jackie Robinson Changed Brooklyn by Alan Lelchuk (Mandel Vilar Press, $15.95, 117 pages, paper) is a look at the man who broke baseball’s color line. Researched and written by the acclaimed novelist and a native of Brooklyn, the book offers personal insights detailing how Jackie Robinson not only changed baseball but also the Borough of Churches. We are there back in the day with Lelchuk, a long-time professor at Dartmouth College. The descriptions, the details, the new awarenesses provided, makes this a book to treasure. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Big and Bright by Gray Levy (Taylor Trade, $27.95, 282 pages) is an inside look at high school football in Texas. More than a game, the Texas high school football experience on Friday nights is a cultural global village. The book is a must for fans of high school football and recommended reading for others, too. BUY IT

In the same vein as the Gray Levy book comes Woodlawn by Todd Gerelds (Howard Books, $16.00, 190 pages, paper).

Above the Line by Urban Meyer with Wayne Coffey (Penguin Press, $27.95, 262 pages) is an up close and personal look at the lessons in leadership and life from a championship season from one of the coaching legends today. One of only two coaches to win a national football championship at two different schools, Meyer is offers up chapter and verse in careful detail. A MUST
If Rugby interests you Rugby Revealed by Gavin Hickie and Eilidh Donaldson is you book. Published by Bloomsbury, very over priced at twenty-five bucks, 240 pages, paper, the book showcases ways to reach “your Rugby potential” from as the book proclaims “from over 100 of the world’s top players and coaches.”

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Now available

Written by acclaimed sports author and oral historian Harvey Frommer, with an intro by pro football Hall of Famer Frank Gifford, When It Was Just a Game tells the fascinating story of the ground-breaking AFL–NFL World Championship Football game played on January 15, 1967: Packers vs. Chiefs. Filled with new insights, containing commentary from the unpublished memoir of Kansas City Chiefs coach Hank Stram, featuring oral history from many who were at the game—media, players, coaches, fans—the book is mainly in the words of those who lived it and saw it go on to become the Super Bowl, the greatest sports attraction the world has ever known. Archival photographs and drawings help bring the event to life.


Dr. Harvey Frommer is in his 39th year of writing books. A noted oral historian and sports journalist, the author of 42 sports books including the classics: best-selling “New York City Baseball, 1947-1957″ and best-selling “Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball,” the acclaimed Remembering Yankee Stadium and best-selling Remembering Fenway Park.

Frommer mint condition collectible sports books autographed and discounted are available always from the author.

FROMMER SPORTSNET (syndicated) reaches a readership in the millions and is housed on Internet search engines for extended periods of time.

ULTIMATE YANKEE QUIZ (II) by Harvey Frommer

ULTIMATE YANKEE QUIZ (II)

By Harvey Frommer

 

Apparently, even though the Bronx Bombers are out of the post-season this time around, there are enough fans still interested in all things Yankees. So as a result of popular demand – here is the second installment of the brain-teaser called ULTIMATE YANKEE QUIZ.

 Incidentally, your loyal scribe is hard at work on what is being billed as “The Ultimate Yankee Book” so if you have questions and answers, stories, sidebars, send them along for the book.
  
Now - -let’s get to the quiz: (Answers are below....no peeking!)
 
21.   Only three players served as the regular centerfielder for the Yankees from 1924 through 1968. Can you name them?

22.    Who was the last batter Don Larsen faced in the Perfect Game he pitched for the Yankees?
A. Roy Campanella B. Jackie Robinson C. Dale Mitchell D. Pee Wee Reese

23. What Yankee pitcher had the nickname “Rags”?
A. Johnny Sain B. Joe Page C.  Dave Righetti    D.  Don Larsen

24. What position did Wally Pipp play?
A. First Base B. Center Field   C. Catcher   D. Third Base 

25. What is the most games Mariano Rivera saved in a season?
A. 61   B   47    C  53    D 51

26.  "SEE YA! SEE YA! SEE YA!"  is signature call of?
A. Susan Waldman   B. John Sterling C. Michael Kay   D. Mel Allen

27. Who was the only pitcher to win 40 games in a season?
  
28. What major league team did Joe Girardi manage before the Yankees?

A. Cubs B. Marlins    C. Red Sox     D Indians

29.  Who was the “Junk Man?”
A. Ron Guidry  B. Joe Page    C. Eddie Lopat  D Don Larsen

30.  What position did Johnny Mize mainly play for the Yankees?
  

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ANSWERS

21. Earle Combs 1924-1935; Joe DiMaggio 1936-1951; Mickey Mantle 1952-1968.  
22. C. Dale Mitchell 
23. C.  Dave Righetti
24. A. First Base until Lou Gehrig came along.
25. C. 53
26. C. Michael Kay
27.  The year was 1904. The pitcher was Jack Chesbro of the Yankees who won 41 games.
28.  B. Marlins 
29.  C. Eddie Lopat  
30.  First Base

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Written by acclaimed sports author and oral historian Harvey Frommer, with an intro by pro football Hall of Famer Frank Gifford, When It Was Just a Game tells the fascinating story of the ground-breaking AFL–NFL World Championship Football game played on January 15, 1967: Packers vs. Chiefs. Filled with new insights, containing commentary from the unpublished memoir of Kansas City Chiefs coach Hank Stram, featuring oral history from many who were at the game—media, players, coaches, fans—the book is mainly in the words of those who lived it and saw it go on to become the Super Bowl, the greatest sports attraction the world has ever known. Archival photographs and drawings help bring the event to life. Dr. Harvey Frommer is in his 39th year of writing books. A noted oral historian and sports journalist, the author of 42 sports books including the classics: best-selling “New York City Baseball, 1947-1957″ and best-selling Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball, his acclaimed Remembering Yankee Stadium was published in 2008 and best-selling Remembering Fenway Park was published to acclaim in 2011.

Hall of Famer Bob Gibson to Attend Dedication of Plaque Honoring Dizzy, Daffy Dean Saturday in Hot Springs

Press release: 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:​Paul Johnson 501/225-5937​pj72205@comcast.net

Hall of Famer Bob Gibson to Attend Dedication of Plaque Honoring Dizzy, Daffy Dean Saturday in Hot Springs

Participate in Premiere of ‘The First Boys of Spring’

HOT SPRINGS NATIONAL PARK, Arkansas —Legendary Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson will attend the dedication Saturday at 9:30 a.m. of a plaque marking the inclusion of Dizzy and Daffy Dean in the Hot Springs Historic Baseball Trail. He will then participate at 10 a.m. in the world premiere of “The First Boys of Springs,” a documentary film chronicling the history of Hot Springs as “The Birthplace of Spring Baseball.”

Gibson stepped in Thursday to replace fellow St. Louis Cardinal Hall of Famer Lou Brock, who was scheduled to be in Hot Springs but had to step aside because of a family emergency.

“We are delighted that Bob Gibson found the time to come to Hot Springs for this celebration of baseball’s historic link to our city,” said Steve Arrison, CEO of Visit Hot Springs, which is one of the sponsors of documentarian Larry Foley’s “Boys of Spring” film and also created the Historic Baseball Trail.

“Coincidentally, Bob Gibson has just published a wonderful new book, ‘Pitch by Pitch,’ which documents his historic 1968 World Series game in which he struck out 17 Detroit Tigers,” Arrison said. “I’m sure he will be glad to discuss the book during his two appearances in Hot Springs.”

A plaque honoring the Baseball Hall of Fame Dean Brothers — Jay Hanna (Dizzy) and Paul (Daffy) — will be dedicated on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. at Hill Wheatley Plaza at the south end of Bathhouse Row on Central Avenue.

It will be the 29th stop on the Hot Springs Historic Baseball Trail.

The plaque dedication will be attended by all of the baseball historians who helped create the Baseball Trail — Bill Jenkinson, Tim Reid, Don Duren, Mike Dugan, and Mark Blaeuer. In addition to Bob Gibson, other special guests will be Sandy Dean and Dorothy Patrick, the son and daughter of Paul (Daffy) Dean.

Immediately following the plaque dedication all are invited to adjourn to the Hot Springs Convention Center to attend the world premiere of “The First Boys of Spring,” the documentary by Emmy Award winner Foley that details the history of baseball spring training in Hot Springs. There will be a panel discussion immediately following the premiere showing featuring Jenkinson, Reid, Duren, Dugan and Blaeuer. It will be moderated by filmmaker Foley.

Gibson, played 17 seasons (1959-1975) for the St. Louis Cardinals, part of that time as a teammate of Brovk.

Nicknamed "Gibby" and "Hoot", Gibson tallied 251wins, 3,117 strikeouts and a 2.91 earned run average during his career. A nine-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion, he won two Cy Young Awards and was the 1968 National League Most Valuable Player. In 1981, he was elected to theBaseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. The Cardinals retired his uniform number 45 in September 1975 and inducted him into the team Hall of Fame in 2014.

Jay Hanna (Dizzy) Dean and his brother Paul (Daffy)Dean were two Arkansans from Lucas, Ark., who became the most famous brother duo in baseball history pitching the St. Louis Cardinals to the World Series championship in 1934.

Both were regular visitors to Hot Springs and both coached at the nationally known baseball school that was located in Hot Springs. Paul Dean even lived in Hot Springs during the off-season at one time and his son, Sandy Dean, is still a local resident.

Dizzy Dean was one of only four National League pitchers to win 30 or more games under modern rules. He pitched in two World Series (1934, 1938) for two different teams (St. Louis and Chicago) and led the league in strikeouts for four straight years from 1932 through 1935.

Dizzy Dean, a four time All-Star, won 150 games in his 12 major league seasons with 1,163 strikeouts and a 3.02 career earned run average.

After his playing days were over Dizzy Dean became a popular radio and television announcer. He was the voice of the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, and the announcer for the CBS and NBC Game of the Week from the 1940s until 1965. Dizzy Dean was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953. He died in 1974 at the age of 64.

Daffy Dean broke into the majors in 1934 with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he joined his older brother in leading the team to the World Series Championship.

As a rookie he won 19 games and pitched a no-hitter against the Brooklyn Dodgers. The two brothers combined for 49 victories that year and both won two games in the World Series when the Cardinals beat the Detroit Tigers in seven games.

Paul Dean won the third and sixth game of that series while Dizzy won the first and seventh game. Paul Dean won 19 games each of his first two seasons in the major leagues. He played for three major league teams during his career and ended with a 3.72 ERA and a record of 50-34 when he stopped playing in 1943. He died in 1981 at the age of 67.

IBWAA NAMES LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS TOM HOFFARTH HONORARY CHAIRMAN

IBWAA NAMES LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS TOM HOFFARTH HONORARY CHAIRMAN

 

Los Angeles – In celebration of its sixth anniversary Saturday, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) is proud to announce the naming of Tom Hoffarth as Honorary Chairman of the organization.

 

Hoffarth is a sports and media columnist at the Los Angeles Daily News, regularly writing about baseball through the prism of the Dodgers and Angels influences in Southern California. He won an Associated Press column writing award for a piece on the Angels' 2002 World Series run that involved an "interview" with the Angels Rally Monkey.

 

Annually since 2007, he has written a review of 30 baseball books during the 30 days of April on his InsideSoCal.com blog, "Farther Off the Wall."

 

His prized possessions are six versions of the Jim Bouton "Ball Four" books (all signed by the author), a Vin Scully signed ball that includes the notation "God Bless," and more than 100 Dodgers-related books on team history and biographies. His favorite baseball movie is "The Natural" (his father, Tom, worked in the movie prop business and has actual copies of the fake "Life" magazine cover featuring Robert Redford that was used in the film).

 

Hoffarth, who succeeds ESPN.com’s Jim Caple as the organization’s second honorary chairman, will announce the results of each IBWAA election via social media and generally champion the group’s efforts during a one-year term. His successor will be announced July 4, 2016.

 

The IBWAA was established July 4, 2009 to organize and promote the growing online baseball media, and to serve as a digital alternative to the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA). Voting for full season awards takes place in September of each year, with selections being announced in November. The IBWAA also holds a Hall of Fame election in December of each year, with results being announced the following January.

 

Among others, IBWAA members include Jim Bowden, Jim Caple, David Schoenfield, Mark A. Simon and Dan Szymborski, ESPN.com; Kevin Baxter Los Angeles Times; Tim Brown, Yahoo! Sports; Craig Calcaterra, NBC Sports Hardball Talk; Bill Chuck, GammonsDaily.com; Chuck Culpepper, Washington Post; Derrick Goold, St. Louis Post-Dispatch; King Kaufman, Bleacher Report; Kevin Kennedy; Kostya Kennedy, Sports Illustrated; Jonah Keri, Grantland; Vlae Kershner, SFGate.com; Will Leitch, Sports on Earth; Bruce Markusen, Hardball Times; Ross Newhan; Dayn Perry and Matt Snyder, CBSSports.com; Mark Purdy, San Jose Mercury News; Tom Hoffarth and J.P. Hoornstra Los Angeles Daily News; Pedro Moura, Orange County Register; Neil Payne, FiveThirtyEight.com; Tracy Ringolsby, MLB.com; Ken Rosenthal, FoxSports.com; Bob Ryan, Boston Globe, Dan Schlossberg, USA Today; and Jesse Spector, Sporting News.

 

Association membership is open to any and all Internet baseball writers, with a yearly fee of $20, or $35 lifetime. Discounts for groups and scholarships are available. Members must be 18 years of age to apply.

For more information please visit www.ibwaa.com.

Contact:

 

Howard Cole
Founding Director, IBWAAbaseballsavvy@aol.com

THE MENDOZA LINE to be screened at VIVA Latino Film Festival New York City

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

THE MENDOZA LINE to be screened at VIVA Latino Film Festival New York City.

CONTACT: 
Contact Person: Nathan Kaufman, Writer/Director/Co- Producer 
Company Name: Prospect Productions
Voice Phone Number: (916) 704-7556
Email Address: mailto:nkaufman@sbcglobal.net
Website URL: www.TheMendozaLineMovie.com

 

INDEPENDENT FEATURE FILM FOCUSES ON MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL, HISPANIC AND IMMIGRATION ISSUES.

 

CAMERON PARK, CALIFORNIA, January 27, 2014 – The new feature length baseball themed drama THE MENDOZA LINE will be screened on February 22 at 3 pm as part of the VIVA Latino Film Festival New York City. The screening will take place at the ANTHOLOGY FILM ARCHIVES 32 2nd Ave NY, NY 10003. See www.vlff.com for more information about the festival.

 

The film is now available for on-line rental or purchase at https://vimeo.com/ondemand/themendozaline.

 

Writer/Director Nathan Kaufman and lead actor Juan Carlos Arenas will be in New York City from 2/19-2/23 and are available for media interviews.

 

The movie centers around Ricardo Perez, a low round draft pick struggling through his third year in A-ball as a back-up catcher, barely hitting above The Mendoza Line (.200).  His marriage is on the rocks and since he was brought to the United States as a child, his status as an undocumented immigrant is a constant weight on his young shoulders. 

 

 

REVIEWERS AND JOURNALISTS CAN PREVIEW THE MOVIE ON-LINE BY REQUEST.

 

 

Nathan Kaufman 

916 704 7556 

nkaufman@sbcglobal.net

IBWAA SELECTS FIVE IN 2015 HALL OF FAME VOTE

IBWAA SELECTS FIVE IN 2015 HALL OF FAME VOTE 

  

Los Angeles – In its 2015 Hall of Fame election the IBWAA selected Randy Johnson (with 98.24% of the vote), Pedro Martinez (95.15%), John Smoltz (82.82%), Jeff Bagwell (81.94%) and Tim Raines (79.30%). A 75% threshold is required for election.

Curt Schilling finished in sixth place, with 65.64%. Roger Clemens garnered 64.76% (after receiving 56.64% in 2014) and Barry Bonds received 63.44% (57.52% last year).

There are 338 members in the IBWAA, of which 227 voted in this election, both essentially doubling last year’s totals. 

Per a group decision in January, 2014, the IBWAA allows members to vote for 15 players, instead of the previous 10, beginning with this election. With their first opportunity to do so, 136 members voted for more than 10 candidates. Fifty-two members voted for 15 players. The average vote per member was 11.084.

The 2015 IBWAA Hall of Fame ballot compared identically to the BBWAA ballot, with the following exceptions:

1. Craig Biggio’s name did not appear on the IBWAA ballot because he was elected by the group in 2014. 

2. Mike Piazza’s name did not appear on the IBWAA ballot because he was elected by the group in 2013. 

3. Barry Larkin’s name did appear on the ballot because he has not reached the 75% threshold in an IBWAA election. 

Complete voting results are as follows:
  

Player                    Votes        Percentage 

Randy Johnson       223            98.24 
Pedro Martinez       216            95.15 
John Smoltz            188            82.82 
Jeff Bagwell           186            81.94 
Tim Raines             180            79.30 

Ballot tabulations by Brian Wittig & Associates. 

  

The IBWAA was established July 4, 2009 to organize and promote the growing online baseball media, and to serve as a digital alternative to the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA). Voting for full season awards takes place in September of each year, with selections being announced in November. The IBWAA also holds a Hall of Fame election in December of each year, with results being announced the following January.
  

In 2010, the IBWAA began voting in its own relief pitcher category, establishing the Rollie Fingers American League Relief Pitcher of the Year and the Hoyt Wilhelm National League Relief Pitcher of the Year Awards.  Among others, IBWAA members include Jim Bowden, Jim Caple, David Schoenfield, Mark A. Simon and Dan Szymborski, ESPN.com; Kevin Baxter Los Angeles Times; Tim Brown, Yahoo! Sports; Craig Calcaterra, NBC Sports Hardball Talk; Bill Chuck, GammonsDaily.com; Chuck Culpepper, Washington Post; Derrick Goold, St. Louis Post-Dispatch; King Kaufman, Bleacher Report; Kevin Kennedy, Kostya Kennedy, Sports Illustrated; Vlae Kershner, SFGate.com; Will Leitch, Sports on Earth; Bruce Markusen, Hardball Times; Ross Newhan; Dayn Perry and Matt Snyder, CBSSports.com; Mark Purdy, San Jose Mercury News; Eno Sarris, FanGraphs; Tom Hoffarth and J.P. Hoornstra Los Angeles Daily News; Pedro Moura, Orange County Register; Neil Payne, FiveThirtyEight.com, Tracy Ringolsby, MLB.com, Ken Rosenthal, FoxSports.com, Bob Ryan, Boston Globe, Jesse Spector, Sporting News and Tom Van Riper, Forbes.

Association membership is open to any and all Internet baseball writers, with a yearly fee of $20, or $35 lifetime. Discounts for groups and scholarships are available. Members must be 18 years of age to apply.  

For more information please visit www.ibwaa.com.  

Contact: 

Howard Cole 
Founding Director, 
IBWAA 
baseballsavvy@aol.com