Pirates Reader,Used

From the Inside Flap Whether winning world championships or falling into last place, fielding teams with Hall of Fame players or trotting out bumbling boys of summer, the Pittsburgh Pirates, for over a century, have thrilled, frustrated, and fascinated generations of fans. One of the oldest franchises in majorleague baseball, the team began in 1876 as the Pittsburgh Alleghenies. They entered the National League in 1887, and within a few years, their name was changed to the Pirates after "stealing" second baseman Louis Bierbauer away from the Philadelphia Athletics. Barney Dreyfuss purchased the team at the turn of the century, and began a winning tradition that brought four pennants and a World Series championship to Pittsburgh in a span of ten years. The Pittsburgh Pirates now own five world championships, and have had thirtysix players and managers inducted into the Hall of Fameincluding Honus Wagner, Pie Traynor, Lloyd and Paul Waner, Ralph Kiner, Willie Stargell, the great Roberto Clemente, and the hero of the 1960 World Series, Bill Mazeroski. The team plays in a stateoftheart ballparkPNC Parkreminding many fans of the once palatial Forbes Field. Yet, the history of the Pirates has also been dotted with disappointing moments and underachieving teams. Pittsburgh survived Branch Rickey's rinky dinks, Bob Moose's wild pitch, the drug trials of the mid1980s, Barry Bonds's late throw to the plate, and, most recently, a decade of losing seasons. In The Pirates Readera tribute to those Pittsburgh teams, their fans nationwide, and to the franchise's rich history of baseballRichard Peterson has collected the writing of baseball's greatest storytellers. Included are early pioneers of sports journalism, such as Henry Chadwick, the father of baseball statistics, and Alfred H. Spink, founder of The Sporting News. Hall of Fame writer Frederick G. Lieb profiles Honus Wagnerarguably the greatest ballplayer ever to wear a Pirate uniformwhile Ring Lardner trumpets Pittsburgh's first World Series championship in 1909. Later generations of gifted writers weave their own Pirate talesLester J. Biederman describes Harvey Haddix's loss in one of the greatest games ever pitched; Roger Angell explores the mystery surrounding Steve Blass's sudden and permanent inability to find the strike zone; Thomas Boswell profiles longtime manager Danny Murtaugh; George Will provides a unique insight into the character of Pirate reliever Jim Gott. Baseball has always fired the imaginations of a wide range of writers, and The Pirates Reader captures some of the best, including Donald Hall on the "country of baseball," W. P. Kinsella on the tragic loss of a hero, Dave Barry on our national pastime, and Eliot Asinof's candid interview with "Pops" Stargell. Ballplayersincluding Christy Mathewson, Babe Ruth, Joe Garagiola, Ralph Kiner, and Bill Mazeroskigo inside the clubhouse to offer their own perspectives. And the city's fine sportswriters offer a hometown view of the teamfrom the first dean of Pittsburgh sportswriting Ralph S. Davis and local legend Myron Cope, to Bob Smizik, Paul Meyer, and Ron Cook on the presentday Pirates. From Exposition Park to PNC Park, from Honus Wagner to Brian Giles, this collection brings to life the players, games, and magical moments of one of baseball's classic and wellloved teams. Product Description Whether winning world championships or falling into last place, fielding teams with Hall of Fame players or trotting out bumbling boys of summer, the Pittsburgh Pirates have thrilled, frustrated, and fascinated generations of fans since 1876. To date, the Pirates have won five World Series and have a total of thirtysix players and managers in the Hall of Fameincluding Honus Wagner, Pie Traynor, Lloyd and Paul Waner, Ralph Kiner, Willie Stargell, Roberto Clemente, and Bill Mazeroski.The Pirates Reader is a tribute to the fans, players, and teams who have forged the franchise's rich history. Richard