Bullpen Diaries: Mariano Rivera, Bronx Dreams, Pinstripe Legends, and the Future of the New York Yankees

Bullpen Diaries: Mariano Rivera, Bronx Dreams, Pinstripe Legends, and the Future of the New York Yankees Review

Bullpen Diaries: Mariano Rivera, Bronx Dreams, Pinstripe Legends, and the Future of the New York Yankees Overview

Baseball is the only game where the defense has the ball.

So begins an inside look at baseball's most scrutinized group of players—relief pitchers—and life in the most intriguing bullpen of all, that of the New York Yankees.

Second-guessed and overstressed, the manager finds his use of the bullpen the most debated topic after any game, but the reliever is the guy in the spotlight, game on the line, alone on a raised mound of clay.

Bestselling sportswriter Charley Rosen takes the reader on the wild journey that is the evolution of relief pitching over the years and examines the eccentric characters who have taken on the pressure of closing out games—or not. Bullpen Diaries is full of interviews with key players, coaches, and scouts from around the league; replete with the drama of blown plays and walk-off grand slams; and laced with funny anecdotes about Yankee greats throughout the years.

To underscore the drama and difficulty of being a reliever, Rosen uses key games in the 2010 season—acknowledged now as the Year of the Pitcher—to highlight strategies and mistakes, examine relievers on the rise or on the way out, and analyze the teams and the pitchers the Yanks faced. Bullpen Diaries also takes a look at Yankee strategies for success—past, present, and, most important, future. Lastly, Rosen reveals his predictions for 2011 and beyond for baseball's most storied franchise.

With insight on current players from around the league and tales of Yankee legends, Stadium history, and the author's Bronx childhood, Bullpen Diaries is a love letter to baseball and a pure joy for all fans of America's favorite pastime.

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Jun 30, 2011 07:55:04

Eiger Dreams: Ventures Among Men and Mountains

Eiger Dreams: Ventures Among Men and Mountains Review

Eiger Dreams: Ventures Among Men and Mountains Overview

Originally published in 1990 by the American publishers, Lyons and Burford, a collection of writings on mountaineering and the culture of climbing. It includes first-hand accounts of expeditions made by the author, who also wrote INTO THE WILD and INTO THIN AIR.

Eiger Dreams: Ventures Among Men and Mountains Specifications

No matter what the actual temperature may be, several pages into Eiger Dreams you will begin to shiver. Halfway through you will acquire a new appreciation for your fingers, toes, and the fact that you still have a nose. And by the end of this collection, you'll define some commonly used phrases in an entirely different way. The understated "catch some air" and the whimsical "log some flight time" are climbers' euphemisms for falling, while "crater" refers to what happens when you log some flight time all the way to the ground. "Summiting," the term for reaching the top of a mountain, seems almost colorless in comparison. The various heroes, risk-takers, incompetents, and individualists Krakauer captures are more than colorful, whether they summit or not. The author is more interested in exploring the addiction of risk--the intensity of effort--than mere triumph. There's the mythical minimalist climber, John Gill, whose fame "rests entirely on assents less than thirty feet high," and the Burgess brothers--freewheeling, free-floating English twins who seem to make all the right decisions when it counts, and hence most often fail to reach the top. Of course, they are alive. Over these and other talented climbers hangs a malignant, endlessly creative nature--its foehn winds can make people crazy and its avalanches do far worse. Eiger Dreams is an adrenaline fest for the weary, an overdue examination of a stylish, brave subculture. As one of the heroes Krakauer outlines says of his occupation, "It's sort of like having fun, only different."

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Nov 21, 2010 18:43:04

Slow Fat Triathlete: Live Your Athletic Dreams in the Body You Have Now

Slow Fat Triathlete: Live Your Athletic Dreams in the Body You Have Now Review

This book was a great read. Short and informal. A testimonial about how someone who was not (necessarily) bound for the medal stand, fell in love with the sport. The author tells you up front that if you are looking for a "how to" on triathlons, there are better books available (she even lists a few at the end of the book). There are no training plans here, though there is some information regarding how to approach training. This book covered broadly (but not deeply) what to think about at when considering a triathlon, but it was much more. The depth came in the form of how the author felt about training (through the less fun aspects of the sport as well as overcoming injuries and training burn out) and in the jubilance and personal victories competing in the races. She also talks about how (in this sport in particular) time consuming it can be and potential effects on family and friends. It reads like a conversation with a knowledgeble friend about their passion and how they set, approached and accomplished their goals. I can totally relate. Humorous, fun, compelling and somewhat informative; it is a great and motivational piece of literature.

Slow Fat Triathlete: Live Your Athletic Dreams in the Body You Have Now Feature

• ISBN13: 9781569244678
• Condition: New
• Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Slow Fat Triathlete: Live Your Athletic Dreams in the Body You Have Now Overview

Triathlon and endurance sports are not just for the skinny, the fast, and the young. They’re for you. You’re not too slow, fat, old, or klutzy. You’re just fine. Start today.

If you think that the only people who have any place in a triathlon are zero-body-fat elite athletes, reconsider right now. Triathlon and other endurance sports are a lot more accessible than you think. Jayne Williams, self-proclaimed "Slow Fat Triathlete," is living proof, and she wants you to join the fun. After years of obesity, poor health, and self-doubt, Jayne mustered up the will to exercise and worked her way from walking around the block to competing in her first triathlon in 2002. She got hooked on the rush of the race, and as a Slow Fat Triathlete, laughs at humiliation, embraces her foibles, and accomplishes impressive goals.

Slow Fat Triathlete is for anyone who may be out of shape, undisciplined, or otherwise unprepared to enter a triathlon but is curious to try. With its singular mix of practical advice (do what it takes to avoid chafing), screwball anecdotes (meet the hula dudes from the Big Kahuna Half-Ironman), and off-kilter observations (your wetsuit can make you feel like a superhero), Slow Fat Triathlete proves that you don’t have to lose weight, get your life in order, or have all the right equipment to pursue your athletic dreams. Just get off the couch, start moving, and have fun. You can do great things.

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 15, 2010 04:32:04