Curse? There Ain't No Stinking Chicago Cub Curse

Curse? There Ain't No Stinking Chicago Cub Curse
Author: James Wolfe
Publisher: Mary Ann Presman
Total Pages: 106
Release: 2009-12-23
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1439255903

This collection of eleven entertaining, thought-provoking stories about sports and the games people play offers both a male and female perspective on just what's so funny about the ways we compete.

The Legend of Zippy Chippy

The Legend of Zippy Chippy
Author: William Thomas
Publisher: McClelland & Stewart
Total Pages: 308
Release: 2016-04-05
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 0771081626

From acclaimed humorist William Thomas comes the funny yet poignant story of a thoroughbred racehorse that lost 100 races in a row -- but, in everyone's eyes, became the ultimate winner. On April 20, 1991, at Capritaur Farms in Upstate New York, Zippy Chippy strolled into the world. He was born from American horse racing royalty -- Compliance (his father was Kentucky Derby-winner Northern Dancer; his great-grandfather Native Dancer, the Preakness and Belmont Stakes winner) and Listen Lady (great-granddaughter of Native Dancer). Even before his birth, the hopes (not to mention the bill for his planned production) for Zippy Chippy were high. His pedigree was horse racing gold: Northern Dancer, Man o' War, Count Fleet, Bold Ruler, War Admiral, and Buckpasser were all ancestors. His success and glory seemed inevitable. But moments after his birth, Zippy Chippy struggled to his feet, took two steps forward . . . and stopped dead in his tracks. He looked around, took in his surroundings, maybe indulged in a little daydream, then promptly lay down for a nap in the straw. And thus began Zippy Chippy's storied racing career. Vince Lombardi, one of the greatest NFL coaches of all time, famously said, "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing." These words have become the battle cry of athletes, coaches, and teams everywhere, but over the years, sports have taken on a literal interpretation of Lombardi's mantra. Match-fixing, doping, sabotage, cocky and mean sportsmanship, all in the name of winning, have infiltrated and scandalized games, teams, reputations, and newspaper headlines. Yet, since his first moments in the world, Zippy Chippy ignored Lombardi and turned his nose at the concept of winning-at-all-costs. In fact, he decided to not win at all, losing, over the course of his career, 100 consecutive races, at some of the greatest tracks in the country: Belmont Park, Aqueduct, Finger Lakes, and Suffolk Downs among them. And he did so with his owner, Felix Monserrate, by his side -- a man who refused to sell Zippy, or even retire him, simply because he couldn't come in first. Soon, Zippy's cheering squad grew to include people who, enchanted by his story, would travel from all over North America to watch him lose but then happily gallop back to his stable. To them, Zippy Chippy was just like them; someone who wasn't an athlete with a million-dollar contract, or someone with movie star looks -- he was a creature who struggled, who lost, and who failed even the lowest of expectations. But, somehow, he found a way to enjoy himself and eagerly return for the next race. Told with laugh-out-loud wit and a lot of heart, The Legend of Zippy Chippy is the story of the losing-est racehorse in North American history -- a perpetual loser who would become the winning thoroughbred in professional horse racing to steal peoples' hearts.

101 Baseball Places to See Before You Strike Out

101 Baseball Places to See Before You Strike Out
Author: Josh Pahigian
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 257
Release: 2015-02-10
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 1493016474

A brand new edition of the finalist for the 2008 Casey Award, presented annually to the best baseball book, 101 Baseball Places to See Before You Strike Out profiles America’s greatest baseball museums, shrines, sports bars, pop culture landmarks and ballpark sites. From sandlots and skyboxes to TV rooms and sports bars, America’s love for baseball has inspired countless memories, discussions, and tributes. Josh Pahigian takes us across America to explore the places where the game’s history, culture, and lore come to life. Whether we travel by car or sit in the comfort of our favorite armchair, the book guides us to 101 amazing baseball places—including Ted Williams’ boyhood home, the Field of Dreams movie site, the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, the Chicago bar where the Cubs’ “Curse of the Billy Goat” was born, Babe Ruth’s grave, and scores of other captivating landmarks and curios. Replacing the now-extinct sites from the previous edition, updating entries for attractions that have moved, re-assigning coveted chapters to more inspiring baseball venues that have since opened, and including stunning color photos for nearly all of them, Josh Pahigian has created the perfect gift for any baseball fan.

The Yearling

The Yearling
Author: Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 525
Release: 2011-06-28
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1442441003

An American classic—and Pulitzer Prize–winning story—that shows the ultimate bond between child and pet. No novel better epitomizes the love between a child and a pet than The Yearling. Young Jody adopts an orphaned fawn he calls Flag and makes it a part of his family and his best friend. But life in the Florida backwoods is harsh, and so, as his family fights off wolves, bears, and even alligators, and faces failure in their tenuous subsistence farming, Jody must finally part with his dear animal friend. There has been a film and even a musical based on this moving story, a fine work of great American literature.

Dear Martin

Dear Martin
Author: Nic Stone
Publisher: Ember
Total Pages: 242
Release: 2018-09-04
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 1101939524

"Powerful, wrenching.” –JOHN GREEN, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Turtles All the Way Down "Raw and gripping." –JASON REYNOLDS, New York Times bestselling coauthor of All American Boys "A must-read!” –ANGIE THOMAS, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Hate U Give Raw, captivating, and undeniably real, Nic Stone joins industry giants Jason Reynolds and Walter Dean Myers as she boldly tackles American race relations in this stunning #1 New York Times bestselling debut, a William C. Morris Award Finalist. Justyce McAllister is a good kid, an honor student, and always there to help a friend—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. Despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can't escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates. Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out. Then comes the day Justyce goes driving with his best friend, Manny, windows rolled down, music turned up—way up, sparking the fury of a white off-duty cop beside them. Words fly. Shots are fired. Justyce and Manny are caught in the crosshairs. In the media fallout, it's Justyce who is under attack. "Vivid and powerful." -Booklist, Starred Review "A visceral portrait of a young man reckoning with the ugly, persistent violence of social injustice." -Publishers Weekly

Doomwyte

Doomwyte
Author: Brian Jacques
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 388
Release: 2008
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 9780399245442

The Redwallers face some of their most dangerous villains yet in a treacherous hunt for long-lost treasure.

The Complete Poetry of James Hearst

The Complete Poetry of James Hearst
Author: James Hearst
Publisher:
Total Pages: 576
Release: 2001
Genre: Poetry
ISBN:

Part of the regionalist movement that included Grant Wood, Paul Engle, Hamlin Garland, and Jay G. Sigmund, James Hearst helped create what Iowa novelist Ruth Suckow called a poetry of place. A lifelong Iowa farner, Hearst began writing poetry at age nineteen and eventually wrote thirteen books of poems, a novel, short stories, cantatas, and essays, which gained him a devoted following Many of his poems were published in the regionalist periodicals of the time, including the Midland, and by the great regional presses, including Carroll Coleman's Prairie Press. Drawing on his experiences as a farmer, Hearst wrote with a distinct voice of rural life and its joys and conflicts, of his own battles with physical and emotional pain (he was partially paralyzed in a farm accident), and of his own place in the world. His clear eye offered a vision of the midwestern agrarian life that was sympathetic but not sentimental - a people and an art rooted in place.

A Clergyman's Daughter

A Clergyman's Daughter
Author: George Orwell
Publisher: Namaskar Books
Total Pages: 260
Release: 2024-10-22
Genre: Fiction
ISBN:

Delve into the intricate life of a woman caught between duty and desire in George Orwell’s poignant novel, "A Clergyman's Daughter." This powerful story explores themes of societal expectations, personal freedom, and the struggle for self-identity. As the daughter of a clergyman, Dorothy Hare embodies the conflicts faced by women of her time. What happens when her pious upbringing clashes with her longing for a life beyond the confines of her father's expectations? Orwell’s exploration of Dorothy's character takes readers through her disillusionment and quest for meaning in a world that often seems indifferent to her plight. Her journey is both heartbreaking and illuminating, revealing the challenges of reconciling personal ambitions with social obligations. Are you prepared to empathize with a character whose struggles resonate across generations? Discover the complexities of human nature in "A Clergyman's Daughter"! This novel not only critiques the societal norms of its time but also serves as a timeless reflection on the human experience. Orwell’s keen observations challenge readers to consider the role of faith, duty, and the pursuit of happiness. Will you embark on this thought-provoking journey with Dorothy Hare? Purchase your copy of "A Clergyman's Daughter" today and engage with a narrative that continues to speak to our modern world!

Leaders Who Last

Leaders Who Last
Author: Dave Kraft
Publisher: Crossway
Total Pages: 159
Release: 2010
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1433513188

Powerful yet concise, Leaders Who Last instructs, warns, inspires, and challenges leaders with what it takes to live, lead, and make a lasting difference in the lives of others.

Mistakes Leaders Make

Mistakes Leaders Make
Author: Dave Kraft
Publisher: Crossway
Total Pages: 130
Release: 2012-09-30
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1433532522

You Don't Have to Learn This the Hard Way... Anyone involved in leadership knows that it's tough and mistakes are bound to happen. But some mistakes are more costly than others and can result in the end of effectiveness, the loss of important relationships, and disqualification from ministry. Using the story of a fictitious church team to demonstrate the problems, principles, and practice of finding solutions, leadership expert Dave Kraft uncovers the top 10 critical mistakes leaders make and shows you how to avoid them so you can have ministry and relationships that last.