Once upon a Game

Summary

In Once Upon a Game, Alan Schwarz, author of the critically acclaimed The Numbers Game, assembles a delightful collection of personal memories about baseball from some of the game"s all-time legends and its most famous fans. Derek Jeter tells how at age ten he declared to his parents that he would be a major leaguer; Ernie Banks recalls the moment he coined the phrase "Let"s play two!"; Mike Piazza recounts his backyard batting lesson with Ted Williams. With intimacy and insight, dozens of the game"s greatest players remember the finest moments of their careers. Lavishly illustrated and handsomely designed, Once Upon a Game is a one-of-a-kind collective reminiscence. Includes personal reflections from Yogi Berra, Kevin Costner, Reggie Jackson, Pedro Martinez, Cal Ripken Jr., Nolan Ryan, Charles Schulz, and more.

Foreword	p. 10
Introduction	p. 12
Ernie Banks On the First Time He Said, ""Let's Play Two!""	p. 14
Yogi Berra On Turning Pro with the Yankees	p. 18
George Brett On His Infamous Pine Tar Home Run	p. 22
George H. W. Bush On Meeting Babe Ruth	p. 26
Roger Clemens On His First 20-Strikeout Masterpiece	p. 30
Kevin Costner On a Lifelong Love for Baseball	p. 34
Dom DiMaggio On His Own 34-Game Hitting Streak	p. 38
Bob Feller On Serving in World War II	p. 42
Terry Francona On His Right Fielder,Michael Jordan	p. 46
Nomar
Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

Supplemental Materials

What is included with this book?

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

Excerpts

IntroductionThe best part of being a baseball writer isnt writing. Its listening. Any day I want, I can go to any ballpark, walk into the clubhouse, and talk with superstar and scrub alike about the games, the personalities, and the moments that all of us love to relive. Not just fans and writers. Ive found that even though players are out there on the field performing, a part of them-like Tom Sawyer-is up in the balcony watching, appreciating the small role theyre playing in the timeline of this wonderful sport. Listen carefully and youll hear that theyre fans, too. This book is designed to let you pull up a chair with us and with every turn of the page listen in as some of baseballs greatest names recall their most personal memories. Youll hear Ernie Banks describe the first time he was moved to say, "Lets play two!" Roger Clemens remembers how he beat a traffic jam to strike out 20 Seattle Mariners one night in 1986. Gaylord Perry takes us back to the first game he won with a spitball, and Derek Jeter remembers the moment he realized he wanted to be a big-league ballplayer. How did Cal Ripken feel when he was just a struggling rookie? What was going through Bobby Thomsons mind before he hit the Shot Heard Round the World? What was it like for Terry Francona to be Michael Jordans baseball manager? Some of the best memories are from nonplayers- Kevin Costner describes the making of Bull Durham and Field of Dreams, and Charles Schulz, the late Peanuts cartoonist, shares why poor ol Charlie Brown keeps losing games 40-0. George H.W. Bush takes us back to the day he shook hands with Babe Ruth. Every one of these vignettes comes from a personal interview with me-except a few, from long-deceased players, which come straight from old, long-forgotten articles I unearthed. Babe Ruth on his first home run as a 6-year-old? Casey Stengel on his first day in the big leagues? Those are simply too much fun to leave out. From Yogi Berra to Curt Schilling, Nolan Ryan to Pedro Martinez, you should feel as if youre right there with me, listening to one great baseball storyteller after another. Its one big Ozzie Smith backflip. Speaking of which, turn to page 132. -Alan Schwarz New York City, December 2006 Copyright 2007 by Alan Schwarz. Reprinted by permission of Houghton Mifflin Company.

Excerpted from Once upon a Game: Baseball's Greatest Memories by Alan Schwarz
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.