Hey, baseball fans! To celebrate Opening Day, we’ve pulled together five of Penn Press’s greatest baseball books from over the years. Whether you’re interested in the players, the places, or the numbers, you’ll find something to like—and they’re all available for 40% off when you use code PENN-OPENINGDAY at checkout from now through Thursday, April 4!
God Almighty Hisself: The Life and Legacy of Dick Allen
Mitchell Nathanson
Dick Allen is considered by some to be the best baseball player not in the Hall of Fame and by others to be the game’s most destructive and divisive force—ever. God Almighty Hisself: The Life and Legacy of Dick Allen unveils the strange and maddening career of a man who fulfilled and frustrated expectations all at once.
Modern Coliseum: Stadiums and American Culture
Benjamin D. Lisle
In Modern Coliseum, Benjamin D. Lisle tracks changes in stadium design and culture since World War II. Featuring over seventy-five images documenting the transformation of the American stadium over time, Modern Coliseum will be of interest to a variety of readers, from urban and architectural historians to sports fans.
Almost a Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of the 1980 Phillies
William C. Kashatus
Almost A Dynasty details the rise and fall of the World Champion 1980 Phillies. Based on personal interviews, newspaper accounts, and the keen insight of a veteran baseball writer, the book convincingly explains how a losing team was finally able to win its first world championship.
Negro League Baseball: The Rise and Ruin of a Black Institution
Neil Lanctot
The story of black professional baseball provides a remarkable perspective on several major themes in modern African American history: the initial black response to segregation, the subsequent struggle to establish successful separate enterprises, and the later movement toward integration. Negro League Baseball presents the extraordinary history of this great achievement, from its lowest ebb during the Depression, through its golden age and World War II, until its gradual disappearance during the early years of the civil rights era.
The Sabermetric Revolution: Assessing the Growth of Analytics in Baseball
Benjamin Baumer and Andrew Zimbalist
The Sabermetric Revolution examines the increasingly widespread use of sabermetrics to evaluate baseball player performance. Along the way, the book corrects common misconceptions about “moneyball” and evaluates the success of analytics in baseball front offices.
