For decades, Americans have been fascinated by the complexity and rich history of baseball. No other sport has captivated so many fans. The New Face of Baseball explores a different chapter in baseball's chronicles, one often ignored but remarkably influential. Into the tapestry of baseball history, Tim Wendel weaves the stories of its Latino athletes -- who they are and how they helped transform the sport into what it is today.
Going as far back as the mid-nineteenth century, to the early days of Cuban baseball, Wendel traces the spread of American baseball fever in the Caribbean and Mexico, and discusses lesser-known historical standouts, including Adolfo Luque, the first Hispanic to play in the World Series (in 1923), and Martin Dihigo, a black Cuban whom many baseball insiders consider the greatest ballplayer of all time.
Wendel masterfully describes the days when only light-skinned Latinos were allowed to participate in Major League competition, much like their inspirational African American counterparts, and the linguistic barrier Latinos were confronted with when playing on teams with "English-only" rules inside their dugouts.
Featuring material on Roberto Clemente, Fernando Valenzuela, and Sammy Sosa, as well as interviews with Latino superstars past and present -- such as Alex Rodriguez, Ivan Rodriguez, Mariano Rivera, Alfonso Soriano, and the Hernandez brothers -- The New Face of Baseball helps fans of America's favorite pastime to understand the history of those who bring hope and honor every season to the teams they have given their lives to, and the Hispanic culture that, if allowed, can lie hidden and unnoticed under a team jersey.
With a foreword by Bob Costas, the first-ever-published Latino All-Century Team featuring players selected by Omar Minaya, and photos taken by award-winning Sports Illustrated photographer Victor Baldizon, this important book is sure to make as much of a splash a the Latino players themselves -- the new faces of baseball.

The New Face of Baseball: The One-Hundred-Year Rise and Triumph of Latinos in America's Favorite Sport

Wendel, Tim

Biographies & Memoirs

Rayo

Going as far back as the mid-nineteenth century, to the early days of Cuban baseball, Wendel traces the spread of American baseball fever in the Caribbean and Mexico; discusses lesser-known historical standouts, including Adolfo Luque and Martin Dihigo; and describes the days when only light-skinned Latinos wereallowed to participate in Major League competition as well as the linguistic barrier many Latinos faced when playing on teams with "English only" rules. Featuring interviews with Latino superstars past and present; a foreword by Bob Costas; the first-ever-published Latino All-Century Team, featuring players selected by Omar Minaya; and photos taken by award-winning Sports Illustrated photographer Victor Baldizon, The New Face of Baseball helps fans of America's favorite pastime to understand the history of those who bring hope and honor every season to the teams they have given their lives to, and the Hispanic culture that, if allowed, can lie hidden and unnoticed under a team jersey.

It Books

What is it about a quality fastball that brings us to the edge of our seats? How is it humanly possible to throw more than 100 mph? And the big question: Who is the fastest pitcher ever? Drawing on interviews with current and former players, managers, scouts, experts, and historians, Tim Wendel delivers the answers to some of the most intriguing questions about the fastball, providing insight into one of baseball’s most exhilarating yet mystifying draws. In High Heat he takes us on a quest to separate verifiable fact from baseball lore, traveling from ballparks across the country to the Baseball Hall of Fame, piecing together the fascinating history of the fastball from its early development to the present form while exploring its remarkable impact on the game and the pitchers who have been blessed (or cursed) with its gift. From legends such as Nolan Ryan, Walter Johnson, Steve Dalkowski, and Satchel Paige to present-day standard bearers like Tim Lincecum, Billy Wagner, and Randy Johnson, Wendel examines the factors that make throwing heat an elusive ability that few have and even fewer can harness. Along the way he investigates the effectiveness of early speed-testing techniques (including Bob Feller’s infamous motorcycle test), explains why today’s radar gun readings still leave plenty of room for debate, and even visits an aerodynamic testing lab outside of Birmingham, Alabama, in order to understand the mechanics that make throwing heat possible in the first place. At its heart, High Heat is a reflection on our infatuation with the fastball—the expectation it carries, the raw ability it puts on display, and, most of all, the feats and trials of those who have attempted to master it. As Wendel puts it, “The tale of high heat can lead in several different directions at once, and the real story has more to do with triumph and tragedy that with the simple act of throwing a baseball.”

High Heat: The Secret History of the Fastball and the Improbable Search for the Fastest Pitcher of All Time

Sports & Outdoors

Baseball

Da Capo Press

What is it about a quality fastball that brings us to the edge of our seats? How is it humanly possible to throw faster than 100 mph? And the big question: Who is the fastest pitcher ever?
High Heat takes us on what filmmaker Ken Burns calls a "compelling, relentless, riveting" quest to deliver answers to the most intriguing questions about the fastball. Wendel provides insight into one of baseball's most exhilarating yet mystifying draws while exploring the remarkable feats and trials of the pitchers who have attempted to master it.

The extraordinary story of the 1968 baseball season—when the game was played to perfection even as the country was being pulled apart at the seams
From the beginning, ’68 was a season rocked by national tragedy and sweeping change. Opening Day was postponed and later played in the shadow of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s funeral. That summer, as the pennant races were heating up, the assassination of Robert Kennedy was later followed by rioting at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. But even as tensions boiled over and violence spilled into the streets, something remarkable was happening in major league ballparks across the country. Pitchers were dominating like never before, and with records falling and shut-outs mounting, many began hailing ’68 as “The Year of the Pitcher.” In Summer of ’68, Tim Wendel takes us on a wild ride through a season that saw such legends as Bob Gibson, Denny McLain, Don Drysdale, and Luis Tiant set new standards for excellence on the mound, each chasing perfection against the backdrop of one of the most divisive and turbulent years in American history. For some players, baseball would become an insular retreat from the turmoil encircling them that season, but for a select few, including Gibson and the defending champion St. Louis Cardinals, the conflicts of ’68 would spur their performances to incredible heights and set the stage for their own run at history. Meanwhile in Detroit—which had burned just the summer before during one of the worst riots in American history—’68 instead found the city rallying together behind a colorful Tigers team led by McLain, Mickey Lolich, Willie Horton, and Al Kaline. The Tigers would finish atop the American League, setting themselves on a highly anticipated collision course with Gibson’s Cardinals. And with both teams’ seasons culminating in a thrilling World Series for the ages—one team playing to establish a dynasty, the other fighting to help pull a city from the ashes—what ultimately lay at stake was something even larger: baseball’s place in a rapidly changing America that would never be the same. In vivid, novelistic detail, Summer of ’68 tells the story of this unforgettable season—the last before rule changes and expansion would alter baseball forever—when the country was captivated by the national pastime at the moment it needed the game most.

Summer of '68: The Season That Changed Baseball--and America--Forever

History

Americas

The extraordinary story of the 1968 baseball seasonwhen the game was played to perfection even as the country was being pulled apart at the seams
 From the beginning, '68 was a season rocked by national tragedy and sweeping change. Opening Day was postponed and later played in the shadow of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s funeral. That summer, as the pennant races were heating up, the assassination of Robert Kennedy was later followed by rioting at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. But even as tensions boiled over and violence spilled into the streets, something remarkable was happening in major league ballparks across the country. Pitchers were dominating like never before, and with records falling and shut-outs mounting, many began hailing '68 as The Year of the Pitcher.” In Summer of '68, Tim Wendel takes us on a wild ride through a season that saw such legends as Bob Gibson, Denny McLain, Don Drysdale, and Luis Tiant set new standards for excellence on the mound, each chasing perfection against the backdrop of one of the most divisive and turbulent years in American history. For some players, baseball would become an insular retreat from the turmoil encircling them that season, but for a select few, including Gibson and the defending champion St. Louis Cardinals, the conflicts of '68 would spur their performances to incredible heights and set the stage for their own run at history. Meanwhile in Detroitwhich had burned just the summer before during one of the worst riots in American history'68 instead found the city rallying together behind a colorful Tigers team led by McLain, Mickey Lolich, Willie Horton, and Al Kaline. The Tigers would finish atop the American League, setting themselves on a highly anticipated collision course with Gibson's Cardinals. And with both teams' seasons culminating in a thrilling World Series for the agesone team playing to establish a dynasty, the other fighting to help pull a city from the asheswhat ultimately lay at stake was something even larger: baseball's place in a rapidly changing America that would never be the same. In vivid, novelistic detail, Summer of '68 tells the story of this unforgettable seasonthe last before rule changes and expansion would alter baseball foreverwhen the country was captivated by the national pastime at the moment it needed the game most.

Summer of '68: The Season That Changed Baseball -- and America -- Forever

Da Capo

Never before in baseball history had a team finished last and rallied to take the pennant the following season. Yet in 1991, lightning struck twice as the Minnesota Twins and the Atlanta Braves both reached the World Series. The remarkable turnarounds resulted in arguably the greatest Fall Classic of all time. Four of the games between the Twins and Braves were settled by "walk-off" runs. Three of them, including the climactic Game Seven, went into extra innings. And all seven games had memorable moments—from close plays at the plate to base-running blunders to pitching gems to dramatic late-inning home runs. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution cautioned fans about sleep deprivation as the nation was riveted watching Jack Morris, Kent Hrbek, Dan Gladden, and Kirby Puckett go against Tom Glavine, Lonnie Smith, John Smoltz, and David Justice on primetime television. In Down to the Last Pitch, award-winning writer Tim Wendel brings to life these seven memorable games, weaving contemporary interviews with discussions decades later about this classic World Series, and teasing out fact from legend. When the final out was recorded in 1991, the cover headline in Baseball Weekly read, "BEST WORLD SERIES EVER?" While that can always be debated, what happened inside and outside the lines in 1991 continues to resonate today.

Down to the Last Pitch: How the 1991 Minnesota Twins and Atlanta Braves Gave Us the Best World Series of All Time

Never in baseball history had a team ranked last rebounded to take the pennant the following season. Yet in 1991 lightning struck twice as the Minnesota Twins and the Atlanta Braves, a pair of cellar dwellers the year before, faced each other in an unforgettable World Series. When the final out was recorded, the cover headline in Baseball Weekly read: Best World Series Ever.”

Down to the Last Pitch

Castro's Curveball

Fresh, original, and peopled with a rich cast of colorful characters, Castro's Curveball captures the passion of baseball and the vibrant flavor of Cuba in a grand-slam work of fiction. Whether you believe in fate, the stars, a Supreme Being, or Mr. Coincidence, you can always count on one thing--life will throw you a wicked curveball or two. Billy Bryan has seen his share. A former minor-league catcher for the Washington Senators, Bryan is now a retired high school teacher, widowed with a grown daughter, and "coming to the end of many things." Then a long-forgotten scrapbook stirs memories of a distant past--and beckons him on a reluctant journey to relive his own extraordinary role in history. . . . In 1947, Bryan is playing winter ball in Cuba, immersing himself in the decadent nightlife of Havana, and dreaming of someday "making it" to the majors. But his future on the diamond is as uncertain as Cuba itself, a country where rumblings of revolution hang in the air like a high fly ball to left. Then one fateful night Bryan witnesses a young student radical named Fidel hurl pitch after amazing pitch. So begins Billy's tug-of-war with destiny--to score a victory for the game he worships, win the heart of the woman he loves, or make his mark in a world racing toward revolution. . . .

Literature & Fiction

United States

Ballantine Books

Recently widowed and now retired, Billy Bryan is "coming to the end of many things." Then a long-forgotten scrapbook stirs memories of a distant past--and beckons him and his grown daughter on a reluctant journey to relive his role in history. In 1947 Billy Bryan is playing winter ball in Cuba, his future as uncertain as the island country. Then one fateful night Bryan witnesses a young student radical named Fidel unleash an amazing curveball. So begins Billy's tug-of-war with destiny. . . .

Romance

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Wendel, Tim. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Wendel, Tim

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Wendel, Tim. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The New Face of Baseball: The One-Hundred-Year Rise and Triumph of Latinos in America's Favorite Sport

The New Face of Baseball: The One-Hundred-Year Rise and Triumph of Latinos in America's Favorite Sport

High Heat: The Secret History of the Fastball and the Improbable Search for the Fastest Pitcher of All Time

High Heat: The Secret History of the Fastball and the Improbable Search for the Fastest Pitcher of All Time

Summer of '68: The Season That Changed Baseball--and America--Forever

Summer of '68: The Season That Changed Baseball -- and America -- Forever

Down to the Last Pitch: How the 1991 Minnesota Twins and Atlanta Braves Gave Us the Best World Series of All Time

Down to the Last Pitch

Castro's Curveball

Castro's Curveball