Lew Freedman

Ernie Banks is perhaps the most popular ballplayer in the history of the Chicago Cubs--a man as famous for his personality and trademark phrases as for his accomplishments on the field. Nicknamed "Mr. Cub," Banks won two National League Most Valuable Player awards and slugged 512 home runs, all while battling discrimination and poverty. His conduct away from the field was so exemplary he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Based on extensive research and personal interviews conducted by the author, this biography details the life of the Texas-born shortstop and first baseman, from his childhood playing softball to his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame to his death in 2015.

By any standard of normal behavior, sports cannot escape the definition of weirdness. Sports achievements have the capacity to inspire and excite watchers, whether through athletic brilliance or magnificent team performance, but there are times when our athletes and teams go wacko on us, and the most peculiar things break out with no warning to provide wide-eyed astonishment or laugh-out-loud responses. Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs landed on the disabled list due to a back injury caused by sneezing too hard. Minnesota Vikings football stalwart Jim Marshall ran the wrong way with a recovered fumble. Former NBA player Dennis Rodman spearheaded American diplomacy with North Korea. The lyrics and music creators of “Take Me Out to The Ballgame” authored one of the most sung songs in American history without ever having seen a baseball game. And more! While those spontaneous combustions may result from someone rising from the weird side of the bed, they’re often the most memorable.

The quarterback pass is one of the leading offensive components of today's National Football League and college football's top level of play. This was not always the case. In early American football, the strategy focused entirely on advancing the ball one running play at a time, with the player tucking the then-roundish ball on his hip and sprinting ahead until tackled by a swarm of defenders. The revolution that transformed the sport began in 1906, when passing was first legalized. The passing weapon made the game safer, altered strategy, turned the quarterback into a key offensive player, and made possible the high-scoring games of today. Lew Freedman traces football's passing game from its inception to the present, telling the tale through the stories of the quarterbacks whose arms carried (and threw) the changes forward. Freedman relies especially on the biography of �Slingin' Sammy� Baugh–who hailed from Sweetwater, Texas–as a framework. Baugh, perhaps the greatest all-around football player in history, came along at just the right time to elevate the passing game to unprecedented importance in the eyes of the sports world.

This book provides readers with an abundance of information and historical perspective as well as entertaining and memorable anecdotes about professional wrestling. Readers will also learn unusual snippets of trivia that will enhance their comprehension of the sport. This authoritative work on the history and culture of professional wrestling features the biggest names in the wrestling world since the sport emerged on the American sporting landscape. It comprises short biographies of all of the key players in the sport's evolution and rise to popularity—from old-timers to barrier breakers to household names such as Hulk Hogan, The Rock, Andre the Giant, and more—and includes not only men but also many women who have made a name in the sport. Surveying professional wrestling from its roots, dating centuries, to the modern era, pre–20th century and into the 21st century, the work tells the transformational stories of prominent wrestlers and the sport as a whole, in many cases bringing out the humor and outrageousness in the nature of an activity that has always straddled the line between show business and sport.

With 363 victories, Warren Spahn is the winningest lefty in baseball history. Over 21 years, he won 20 or more games 13 times, was a 17-time All Star, won a Cy Young–award, then, of course, was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Spahn was also a war hero, serving in World War II and awarded the Purple Heart. To say Spahn lived a storied life is an understatement. In Warren Spahn, author Lew Freedman tells the story of this incredible lefty. Known for his supremely high leg kick, Spahn became one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history. However, the road wasn’t as easy as it would seem. Struggling in his major-league debut at age twenty, manager Casey Stengel demoted the young left. It would be four years before Spahn would return to the diamond, as he received a calling of a different kind—one from his country. Enlisting in the Army, Spahn would serve with distinction, seeing action in the Battle of the Bulge and the Ludendorff Bridge, and was awarded a battlefield commission, along with a Purple Heart. Upon his return to the game, he would take the league by storm. Spahn dominated for over two decades, spending twenty years with the Braves (both Boston and Milwaukee), as well as a season with the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants. Pitching into his mid-forties, he would throw two no-hitters at the advanced ages of thirty-nine and forty. From his early days in Buffalo and young career, through his time and the military and all the way to the 1948 Braves and “Spahn and Sain and Pray for Rain,” author Lew Freedman leaves no stone unturned in sharing the incredible life of this pitching icon, who is still considered the greatest left-handed pitcher to ever play the game.

Jake LaMotta is the one-time middleweight champion of the world who competed in more than a hundred professional fights. Forced as a youth to fight for money, LaMotta emerged to make boxing a profession. LaMotta was a wildly popular fighter in his home Bronx, New York. He was nicknamed the Bronx Bull for the heart he showed in the ring and his ability to go toe-to-toe with slicker boxers. When he stepped in the ring he had an indomitable nature, which he sometimes forgot to leave in the ring. His boxing mentality, which took over, inspired the Academy Award-winning movie, Raging Bull. Fighting For Life remembers LaMotta and his matches against the legendary Sugar Ray Robinson. Their matches are regarded as one of the most spectacular series of bouts between two top fighters. LaMotta was enshrined in the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Still active in writing and film endeavors, LaMotta has remained in demand for sports autograph shows.

More than a century ago, the Philadelphia Athletics enjoyed a glorious five-season run under legendary manager Connie Mack, winning three World Series and four pennants from 1910 through 1914. A's stars such as Hall of Famers Eddie Plank, Eddie Collins, Albert "Chief" Bender and Frank "Home Run" Baker are well known among baseball aficionados--and this book reveals more about their lives and careers. Mack's pivotal role in founding the team and building it into a successful franchise--before he shocked the sports world by dismantling it--is covered, along with the advent of the all-but-forgotten Federal League.

Roger Robinson has been Denali mountaineering for over forty years and has worked as a ranger for most of this time. Robinson has climbed Denali, at 20,310 feet, numerous times, leading patrols on the mountain, organizing clean climb efforts on the mountain, meeting the best climbers in the world, and leading rescues that saved lives. Year after year, Robinson has studied the mountain and its climbers, its people, and he has experienced a series of adventures on one of the best-known and formidable mountains in the world, a mountain that for many is the symbol of Alaska, the 49th state.

As a mountain climbing guide, it was Vern Tejas's job to climb the tallest and most dangerous mountains in the world. Always rebellious, Tejas never met a challenge he couldn't overcome, even the daunting task of climbing Mount Everest. In fact, he climbed all of the tallest mountains on each of the seven continents more than ten times each. Seventy Summits is his tale of the beauty, danger, and surprising freedom of mountain climbing and what it has given him throughout his life. Climb Mt. McKinley with Tejas as he battles extreme cold. Scale Aconcagua and its windy peaks. Mont Blanc provides beautiful views, but Mt. Elbrus towers over the European continent. The Roof of Africa is attempted by 35,000 people each year, but Mt. Kilimanjaro isn't as friendly as it looks and many people get hypothermia on this tropical mountain. Antarctica's Mt. Vinson boasts the last true frontier, a costly climbing trip that keeps getting more and more expensive. Take a break on Mt Koscuiszko. As Australia's tallest mountain, it's practically a stroll in the park at 7,310 feet. Finally, join Tejas on the tallest mountain in the world: Mt. Everest. Better yet, read about him doing all of them ten times each.

From Nick Altrock to Casey Stengel, Dizzy Dean to Satchel Paige, Bill Veeck to Bob Uecker, baseball has always admired the clever. This book tells the stories of some of the players, coaches, managers and broadcasters who had the most fun in the Major Leagues and made fans laugh out loud (or shake their heads in disbelief). The author recounts tales both famous and little known that capture the character of unusual and offbeat players, unique and engaging personalities and the succession of eccentrics who were officially dubbed "Clown Prince of Baseball."

Since the inception of the National Hockey League on November 26, 1917, the sport of hockey has been one of the most popular games across the globe. After the National Hockey Association (NHA), which had been founded in 1909, ceased operations, the NHL took over and became a mainstay for the sport. While there had been teams that dated back to the 1800s and many that came and went through the years, there are six teams which are considered to be the Original or Traditional Six: the Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Chicago Blackhawks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Detroit Red Wings. In The Original Six, Lew Freedman (Clouds Over the Goalpost, A Summer to Remember) takes readers on a trip down memory lane, not only introducing the NHL’s humble beginnings, but how far the game has actually come. Broken up into six sections, Freedman tells the history and stories of the teams that represent the heart and soul of the NHL. From how these teams came to be and the steps that were taken to get them established to their early years and how they helped shape the game we love today, The Original Six is not only for lover’s of these teams, but for the sport itself. Whether you’re a diehard supporter or fair-weather fan, learn how this incredible sport began and of the teams that helped it grow into one of the most entertaining and enjoyable games in the world. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports?books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team. Whether you are a New York Yankees fan or hail from Red Sox nation; whether you are a die-hard Green Bay Packers or Dallas Cowboys fan; whether you root for the Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville Cardinals, UCLA Bruins, or Kansas Jayhawks; whether you route for the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, or Los Angeles Kings; we have a book for you. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

This engaging and informative work highlights the 100 biggest moments in the history of American sports, illustrating powerful connections between sporting events and significant social issues of the time. In this homage to sports history, author Lew Freedman compiles athletic feats that caught fans off guard, inspired awe, and left viewers on the edge of their seats, all while making an impression on the world at large. Freedman ranks 100 of the greatest moments in sports, reflecting on the dramatic impact of the events as well as their greater influence on American society of the time. The work showcases the social, historical, and cultural background of memorable games, teams, and athletes, highlighting the enduring value and importance of each selection. An introduction discusses the history of sports and explains the criteria for choosing the 100 sporting events in the book. Fascinating, little-known facts punctuate entries, such as how the athletic accomplishments of Jackie Robinson and Joe Louis helped ease racial tensions in the United States; why the passage of Title IX changed gender relations in the United States forever; and which technologies have altered the way Americans view sport. Content also traces the tremendous advancements of safety gear in sports, from the batting helmet and catchers' shin guards in baseball, to the hardshell helmet and face guard in football, to the face mask for goalies in hockey.

The Rise of the Seminoles is the fairy-tale story of Florida State University football. From 1973?75, the football team at FSU had a combined record of 4?29. The next season, Bobby Bowden took over as head football coach and, over the next thirty-three years, led FSU to twenty-one bowl game wins and two National Championships. The Rise of the Seminoles is not just about Bobby Bowden; it is about the season that started it all: 1976. Before Bowden took over and the University of Miami gained its notoriety, college football in the state of Florida consisted of the University of Florida. Florida State wasn’t even on the radar. Today, FSU is a football powerhouse and recently won the 2013 National Championship. Through the writing talents of Lew Freedman, one of only two reporters covering FSU during Bowden’s time, this book follows the incredible journey the Seminoles have taken through history. Drawing from firsthand experience and Bowden himself, Freedman is the perfect author to bring this story to life. No matter their age, fans of the FSU football program can enjoy and take pride in their team’s very own rags-to-riches story. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports?books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team. Whether you are a New York Yankees fan or hail from Red Sox nation; whether you are a die-hard Green Bay Packers or Dallas Cowboys fan; whether you root for the Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville Cardinals, UCLA Bruins, or Kansas Jayhawks; whether you route for the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, or Los Angeles Kings; we have a book for you. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Chicago is a 21st-century city that is not only represented by all four major team sports--football, basketball, hockey and baseball--but is also blessed with two long-standing Major League Baseball franchises, one in each league. In Chicago's Big Teams, author Lew Freedman offers readers a comprehensive and interesting look into the histories and heroes that have made each franchise tick. In 28 unique essays, Chicago's Big Teams unwraps the stories behind the men, moments and circumstances that have forged these great franchises and unforgettable champions. Freedman leaves no stone unturned in the franchises' history, from opening day to current day, and provides snapshots of Chicago legends like Michael Jordan, Ernie Banks, Mike Ditka, Frank Thomas and Bobby Hull alongside tales of franchise curses, Stanley Cup parades, Super Bowl Shuffles and World Series fixes. Chicago's Big Teams pays homage to Soldier Field, Wrigley Field, U. S. Cellular Field and the United Center, as well as the revered structures that came before them, like Comiskey Park and Chicago Stadium. Packed with more than 150 photos, Chicago's Big Teams is the most comprehensive book on the best of Chicago's professional sports teams. Includes profiles on the following: Harry Caray Eddie Collins George Connor Glenn Hall Rogers Hornsby Bo Jackson Jerry Krause Keith Magnuson Joakim Noah Brian Piccolo Pierre Pilote Ed Reulbach Dennis Rodman Ryne Sandberg Ron Santo Jerry Sloan Buddy Ryan Nolan Ryan

For the first time, Alaska musher and tribal leader Mike Williams shares his remarkable life story with veteran sports writer Lew Freedman. Williams is a man of many parts, a sports figure, a government figure, a leader of his people, a husband, a father, and a Native man with one foot firmly planted in the twenty-first century and another firmly planted in the roots of a culture that dates back 10,000 years in Alaska. Williams competed in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race fifteen times, and was once the only Yup’ik Eskimo musher, a symbol to all Natives around the state. Although he was never a top contender for the Iditarod title, he was a competitor whom everyone cheered because he resolved that to shed light on one of Alaska’s greatest threats to the health and future of its Native people, he would carry in his dog sled pages—pounds worth—of signatures of people who had pledged sobriety. A Yup’ik Eskimo, Williams saw firsthand how alcohol could devastate people as surely as if they had contracted a deadly flu: each of his brothers had succumbed to alcohol-related accidents, incidents, or illnesses. Williams describes how he recovered from his dependence on alcohol through religion, loved ones, and racing dogs. For many years Williams carried those sobriety pledges in his sled, focusing attention on a troubling, seemingly intractable problem. Williams gained national attention, being profiled by CNN, Sports Illustrated, and Good Morning America. Fellow Iditarod competitors have voted him “the most inspirational musher.”

In IDITAROD ADVENTURES, mushers explain why they have chosen this rugged lifestyle, what has kept them in long-distance mushing, and the experiences they have endured along that unforgiving trail between Anchorage and Nome. Renowned sports writer Lew Freedman profiles 23 mushers—men, women, Natives, seasoned veterans, and some relatively new to the demanding sport, many of whom are so well-known in Alaska that fans refer to them only by their first names. The book also features interviews with administrators who organize the event and make sure it happens every year, volunteers, and others whose connection to the Iditarod is self-evident even if they don’t have an official title.