50 Moments That Defined Major League Baseball (eBook)

Rocco Constantino is an NCAA athletics administrator at Bloomfield College and baseball historian. He is also a freelance writer, most recently as a featured columnist for Bleacher Report and Baseball Hot Corner.

AcknowledgmentsForeword: Jeff Montgomery, MLB All-StarIntroductionChapter 1: Noteworthy Debuts, Pioneers, and Baseball FirstsHank Aaron: Number 1 of 755Ken Griffey Jr.: The Kid DebutsDerek Jeter and Joe Torre: The Start of a New DynastyThe First All-Star Game: The “Game of the Century”Pumpsie Green: Years Overdue, Integration in BostonChapter 2: Magic NumbersPete Rose: The 4,000-Hit ClubTed Williams: .406 the Hard WayWalter Johnson: Closing the 400 ClubRoberto Clemente: Ending on 3,000 Lou Gehrig: 5,084 DaysChapter 3: Masterful on the MoundSandy Koufax: The Dawn of the PhenomDave Stieb: No More Close CallsTom Seaver: The Franchise’s BestFernando Valenzuela: FernandomaniaNolan Ryan: An Early Flash from the ExpressChapter 4: Incredible Feats and Unbreakable RecordsHippo Vaughn and Fred Toney: The “Double No-Hitter:Joe Sewell: Baseball’s Unbreakable RecordPaul Molitor: Appreciating DiMaggio’s StreakMariano Rivera: 1,000 Games in PinstripesGreg Maddux: Prolonged Excellence on the Path to 350Chapter 5: Tragedy, Trials, and TribulationsRay Chapman: Tragedy in the Batter’s BoxJ. R. Richard: A Flamethrower ExtinguishedThurman Munson and Bobby Murcer: Honoring the CaptainTony Conigliaro: A Boston Miracle, a Boston TragedyDarryl Kile: A Tale of Two LegaciesChapter 6: Passing down Tradition and Influencing the ProsChapter 7: The ImmortalsMurderers’ Row: A Pitcher’s Worst NightmareSmoky Joe Wood: Robbed of ImmortalityJackie Robinson: Gaining Acceptance as an All-StarBabe Ruth: Topping 50Mickey Mantle: Changing the Game from Both Sides of the PlateChapter 8: Baseball’s Weird, Wild, and Colorful CharactersBob Uecker: Mr. Baseball versus Juan MarichalReggie Jackson and Billy Martin: Boiling over in BostonMark Fidrych: “The Bird” Captivates the SportPascual Perez: Inciting a RiotGeorge Brett: The Pine Tar GameChapter 9: Historic Home RunsHank Aaron: 715 with Class and DignityMike Schmidt: 500 for the WinMel Ott: McGraw’s Boy Belts Number 511Chapter 10: Hall of Famers’ Last HurrahsCarl Yastrzemski: From Williams to YazWillie McCovey: Stretch’s Last Home RunGrover Cleveland Alexander: The Underrated ImmortalRogers Hornsby: A Last Display of Pure PowerChapter 11: The New MillenniumThe Montreal Expos: Expanding Baseball’s BordersTim Lincecum: Topping Christy MathewsonAlbert Pujols: A Pace Matched by No OtherRoger Clemens: The Turncoat RocketChapter 12: Baseball Odds and EndsPete Gray: A Winner Never QuitsThe 1988 Baltimore Orioles: Overcoming FutilityRon Santo: A Hall of Famer after AllPete Reiser: Last RitesChapter 13: Extra InningsBibliographyIndexAbout the Author