The Long Snapper

The words leap from the cryptic poem left for Harvard professor Seth Stein by his Papa Sol, the doting grandfather who vanished without a trace two years earlier. It was Papa Sol who instilled an unquenchable passion for baseball in Seth's soul; it was Sol who also ignited Seth's obsession with history, spinning fabulous tales of times and people long gone.

Seth is still searching for answers to Papa Sol's disappearance when the poem leads him to a scuffed, yellowed baseball resting in a box handmade by his grandfather. A single touch of the rough leather thrusts Seth through the swirling vortex of history onto the streets of 1950s Brooklyn, and then to the greatest baseball game ever played, the Bobby Thomson "Shot Heard 'Round the World" play-off classic. In this surreal, sepia-toned site of past glory, Seth begins a wondrous, life-changing odyssey to find the answers he so desperately seeks.

Suspenseful, thought-provoking, funny, and poignant, this beautifully crafted novel is a joyous tribute to our inspiring and timeless national pastime, and a rare treasure for all those who love baseball.

"Back . . . back . . . back . . . back. Yes, this novel is a home run." --Chris Berman

"Bob Mitchell writes like a crafty veteran with a lot of pitches . . . he mixes baseball, history, and family to show us how sports connects. Enjoy." --Dan Shaughnessy

"An endearing tale of love and loyalty . . . this delightful romp is a love letter to a time gone by." --T. Jefferson Parker

Coach your kids the Dom Scala way

Sticking to the basics and keeping it simple, Dom brings together his 30 years of experience combined with special advice from baseball all-stars and hall-of-famers including Lee Mazzilli, John Franco, and Goose Gossage. Inside he'll teach you how to:

• Help young pitchers excel on the mound
• Turn any player into a powerful hitter
• Impart the secrets of running, sliding, and stealing
• Work your fielders at the college level
• Manage equipment and schedules
• Deal with umpires and parents
• And understand what makes your kids tick at every age

A Big Easy legend returns to the limelight

New Orleans was once one of the hottest cities for pro wrestling because of one man — Sylvester Ritter, better known as the Junkyard Dog. JYD became a legend in the Big Easy, drawing huge crowds to the Superdome, a feat no other wrestler ever came close to. In 1980, he managed to break one of the final colour barriers in the sport by becoming the first black wrestler to be made the undisputed top star of his promotion.

This biography aims to restore JYD to his deserved place in the history books by looking at his famous feuds, the business backstories, and the life of the man outside the ring. The King of New Orleans recounts the story of how an area known for racial injustice became the home of wrestling’s most adored African–American idol. A remarkable tale of a man still remembered on the streets of New Orleans and in the hearts of pro wrestling fans.

But Friedman never forgot the love his father had for golf, and after many years, when he was in his forties, he reached out and asked his dad to teach him the game. He thought that perhaps he could learn something about his old mans view of life and thereby find a way to communicate with him.