In the summer of 1923, Shoeless Joe Jackson, who was banned from organized baseball in 1921 for his alleged participation in the 1919 Chicago Black Sox World Series scandal, was signed on to play baseball for the Americus, Georgia semi-pro team of the independent South Georgia league. With the Americus club struggling, Joe Jackson came on board and turned things around not only for the team but the entire league. There was controversy with his playing at first, but it soon settled and made way for an astounding run of our national pastime. Shoeless Joe's time in Americus was capped off by leading the team to the league championship at the end of the season. Shoeless Summer, written by Americus native John Bell, tells the fascinating story of Shoeless Joe Jackson's days playing baseball in Americus in 1923. This book features a day-to-day chronology of the season with emphasis on the uproar that followed Americus signing the famed baseball outlaw to play for the team. Statistics and biographies of each of the Americus players, daily lineups and box scores, and the only photograph of Shoeless Joe with the Americus team in uniform known to exist make this a well-rounded piece of baseball history. The cities of Albany, Americus, Arlington, Bainbridge, Blakely, and Dawson each had teams in the South Georgia league. Shoeless Summer includes a complete list of players from each team as well as those who played in the major leagues. Baseball fans young and old will enjoy this factual account of one magical summer in a rural, baseball-crazed region on the country. "...He came to Americus, Georgia in 1923 and helped a struggling, hometown baseball team get back on its feet and win the league title from its chief sports rival. None of the fans really cared what he was accused of or what he did or didn't do. All they knew was that he was the greatest ball player they had ever seen, and for a short time, they could call him their own. When Shoeless Joe Jackson left Americus, he left memories of a hero to a small baseball town -- memories of a Shoeless Summer."

Shoeless Summer: The summer of 1923 when Shoeless Joe Jackson played baseball in Americus, Georgia

Biographies & Memoirs

Bell, John

Regional U.S.

Vabella Publishing

Before television came along, baseball proved to be a primary source of entertainment in small towns around America. Carrollton, Georgia was no exception having had teams in the Georgia State League in 1920-21, and in the Georgia-Alabama League in 1928-30 and again in 1946-50. In this book, author John Bell has taken an in-depth look at each of these seasons as well as the "in-between" years when semi-pro and industrial league baseball provided the fans with their diamond entertainment.  PICKLE IT! features a detailed recap of each season including league standings, team rosters, astounding baseball feats, on-field marriages, and fans attacking the umpire for making a bum call. There is also a Carrollton player statistics section that includes every player that took the field in a Carrollton uniform; a player register section with listings of all the different teams the Carrollton players played for; and league opponent rosters for each season. There is a photograph section with eighteen pages of rare photographs of the Carrollton teams through the years including a shot of Commissioner Happy Chandler on a visit in 1948, and a section of Carrollton team and league records. Learn about major leaguers who came through Carrollton such as Merrit "Sugar" Cain, Ed Chaplin, Carl East, Lou Finney, Paul Fittery, Charles "Red" Roberts, Jo-Jo White, Kemp Wicker, and others. Also learn about Bing Russell, actor Kurt Russell's father, and his playing days in Carrollton before he went on to star on the TV show Bonanza. And find out the answer to the burning question, "Why is the book called PICKLE IT!"  If you're a fan of minor league baseball, you'll love reading PICKLE IT!

PICKLE IT!: Minor League Baseball of Carrollton, Georgia

Sports & Outdoors

Baseball

This 502 page book is a statistical history of the Georgia-Alabama, Georgia-Florida, and Georgia State Baseball Leagues spanning from 1906 to 1963. It features player statistics for nearly every player who ever pitched, batted, or took the field in one or more of these leagues. Also featured are recaps of each year and league, team rosters of each team, season and all-time league leaders and records, league all-star teams, maps of each league by year, players who played/managed at the major league level, and more. See the stats of Willie McCovey from his first professional baseball assignment in Sandersville, Georgia in 1955. Check out the early managerial numbers of Earl Weaver when he played and managed for Fitzgerald and Dublin in 1957 and 1958. Another Hall-of-Famer named Red Schoendienst made his professional debut down in Albany, Georgia in 1942. Numerous big leaguers got their start playing class-D baseball in one of the small Georgia cities. League cities in Georgia include: Albany, Americus, Baxley, Brunswick, Carrollton, Cedartown, Columbus, Cordele, Douglas, Dublin, Eastman, Fitzgerald, Griffin, Hazlehurst, Jesup, LaGrange, Lindale, Lyons, Moultrie, Newnan, Rome, Sandersville, Sparta, Statesboro, Thomasville, Thomson, Tifton, Valdosta, Vidalia, and Waycross. Cities who participated from other states include from Alabama: Alabama City, Anniston, Attalla, Dothan, Gadsden, Huntsville, Lanett, Opelika, Selma, Talladega, Tallassee, and Valley; and from Florida: Gainesville, Panama City, and Tallahassee. This book is loaded from cover to cover with statistics and information about these three great class-D minor leagues. Sorry, there aren't any pictures except on the cover. Hoping to have a photographic history of the leagues in the near future.

Georgia Class-D Minor League Baseball Encyclopedia

Reference

Encyclopedias & Subject Guides

When Steve Davis became pastor of the First Baptist Church in Carrollton, Georgia in 1995, one of the first things he learned was the expectation that he was to write a weekly newsletter column. They were to be about 300 words and could be on any topic he chose. Some pastors make these columns into promo pieces about upcoming church events. But Steve decided that this would be a good opportunity to bring a smile to the faces of parishioners and bring a touch of inspiration as well. Steve had never done much writing but nonetheless undertook the weekly assignment with enthusiasm. He began to get much positive feedback, which only inspired him more. Over the years, his articles have covered topics such as Christian living, Church, Sports, Holidays, and Family. Many people in the church had encouraged him to put his articles in a book. Well, after about ten years of articles and some prodding from others, he did just that. He chose to focus, in the first book, on articles dealing with the subjects of Church and Christian Living. When searching for a book title, he came across one of his articles with the title, Steeple People, and he quickly settled on that. You will find these articles easy to read, humorous and inspiring. They will make excellent stories for preachers and teachers who need to illustrate a particular point.

Steeple People: A Collection of Humorous and Inspiring Stories

Humor & Entertainment

Davis, Steve

Humor

Everyone goes through a difficult time in their life when the pieces of the puzzle of life just don't seem to fit.So what do most people do when that happens? Why in 1976 you get in a suspect beat up old Chevrolet and travel all across the Western USA...Don't you? Well Gary did.Now you can ride westward with him and listen to all of the "mostly"true tales of what happened with Gary and his buddies in college and just after as "The Green Pig"motors westward and back...maybe??

Go West Young Man...But Don't Come Back: Mostly True Tales From A Southern Boy's Travels

Spillers, Gary

Travelers & Explorers

Fourteen-year old Juniper "Junebug" Summerville loses her parents and her ability to talk in a car accident.  Against her silent protests, she is sent to live in a remote swampland infamous for its ghosts, federal prison and insane asylum.   As Junebug struggles with her emotional scars, she begins to heal with help from six other orphans at Dearborn, a once famous Milledgeville Plantation.  Just as she begins to enjoy the peace she’s long desired, she finds herself in a fight for her sanity when she stumbles upon a tear in the fabric that separates the possible from the impossible, and she must choose which to believe.   Milledgeville Misfit is a young adult novel that deals with grief and healing, and has an ending that leaves the reader with the choice of what to believe.

Milledgeville Misfit

Literature & Fiction

Gray, T.L.

Genre Fiction

Diane Quimby's inspiring personal narrative details life with a traumatic brain injury, and invites the reader along on her challenging journey. Along the way, the reader meets fellow patients and shares in Diane's unexpected life changing spiritual lessons learned on the road to recovery. This is one road trip the reader won't soon forget.

Head Lights for Dark Roads: Packing Humor & Hope for the Unexpected Trip through Traumatic Brain Injury

Quimby, Diane

Jake Keening is a 22-year old college graduate who covets an exciting job as a reporter for a big-city newspaper. But the only opening he can find is in a small town on the open plains. He believes he is doomed to cover small-time happenings. After a few weeks on the job, he finds out how wrong he has been. Not only does he face the difficult task of digging up proof of rampant corruption in county government, but he must deal with officials – led by the nefarious Bobby Boyle – who stonewall him at every turn. At the same time, he is carrying on a hot romance with a town beauty. It's enough to keep him very busy, and the reader very engaged. Jake is so immersed, he almost wrecks his health and career. Before that can happen, he decides to uncover evidence of corruption on his own (but with a little help), and in a most unconventional way.

Jackson Flats

Wanager, Chuck

Contemporary

Seven-year-old Lela Watson waved daily for four years to the passing Frisco train until she becomes their unofficial mascot. When Lela's father loses his job and cannot find another, Christmas looks bleak for the large family until the crew of the Red Ball Express decides to do something about it. The Little Biggest Fan of the Red Ball Express is a creative nonfiction account of the actual event that took place in 1959 Oklahoma.

The Biggest Little Fan of the Red Ball Express: A true Christmas fable

Parenting & Relationships

Jones, Jay Michael

Family Relationships

Another Season Spent

Anderson, Richard Allen

Poetry

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