The New Face of Baseball: The One-Hundred-Year Rise and Triumph of Latinos in America's Favorite Sport

Wendel, Tim

ISBN 10: 0060536314 / ISBN 13: 9780060536312

Published by HarperCollins Publishers, New York, 2003

About this Item

xvii, [3], 266, [2] pages. Foreword by Bob Costas. Introduction. Nine chapters, entitled innings. The Latino All-Century Team. Selected Bibliography. Index. Inscribed by the author. Dome wear to DJ edges, small ding rear DJ Tim Wendel (born 1956 Philadelphia) is an American writer whose books include narrative nonfiction and several novels. Those works include Summer of '68, Cancer Crossings, High Heat, Buffalo, Home of the Braves, and the popular sports novel Castro's Curveball. His stories and columns have appeared in many newspapers and magazines such as The New York Times, National Geographic, Esquire, USA Today, and Washington Post, among others. He has been awarded the Professional Achievement Award and the Award for Teaching Excellence from Johns Hopkins University, both three times. Featuring material on Roberto Clemente, Fernando Valenzuela, and Sammy Sosa, as well as interviews with Latino superstars past and present -- such as Alex Rodriguez, Ivan Rodriguez, Mariano Rivera,and Alfonso Soriano -- The New Face of Baseball helps fans of America's favorite pastime to understand the history of those who bring hope and honor every season to the teams they have given their lives to, and the Hispanic culture that can lie hidden under a team jersey. With a foreword by Bob Costas, the first-ever- published Latino All-Century Team featuring players selected by Omar Minaya, and photos taken by award-winning photographer Victor Baldizon, this important book is sure to make as much of a splash a the Latino players themselves -- the new faces of baseball. For decades, Americans have been fascinated by the complexity and rich history of baseball. No other sport has captivated so many fans. The New Face of Baseball explores a different chapter in baseball's chronicles, one often ignored but remarkably influential. Into the tapestry of baseball history, Tim Wendel weaves the stories of its Latino athletes -- who they are and how they helped transform the sport into what it is today. Going as far back as the mid-nineteenth century, to the early days of Cuban baseball, Wendel traces the spread of American baseball fever in the Caribbean and Mexico, and discusses lesser-known historical standouts, including Adolfo Luque, the first Hispanic to play in the World Series (in 1923), and Martin Dihigo, a black Cuban whom many baseball insiders consider the greatest ballplayer of all time. Wendel masterfully describes the days when only light-skinned Latinos were allowed to participate in Major League competition, much like their inspirational African American counterparts, and the linguistic barrier Latinos were confronted with when playing on teams with "English-only" rules inside their dugouts. Derived from a Kirkus review: An overview of the contribution Latinos have made to the game of baseball. No one who watches the game can doubt that Latino players bring a hustle and flash to baseball. It is a style of baseball's mythical past, writes journalist and novelist Wendel, "and that is how we are beginning to see it played more and more here today, thanks to the flow of talent coming from Latino countries." Wendel is not interested in disparaging non-Latino players, but these mini-biographies of Latinos put their prodigious talents on full display. From the pioneers, the men Roberto Clemente referred to as a "double minority"â "black and Spanish-speakingâ "like Orestes "Minnie" Minoso, who came to the Chicago White Sox in 1951, Wendel tells the stories of players whose names are now household words: Rod Carew (of whom Ted Williams said, "He's so smooth he seems to be doing it without trying," like hitting .388 in 1977), Sammy Sosa, and the $252-million man himself, Alex Rodriguez, who may well become the Michael Jordan of the diamond. Wendel's style has an easy conversational tone, and more than enough enthusiasm. He gives his opinions of the players, but like the good reporter he is, he has, when possible, interviewed the players themselves. Seller Inventory # 52739

Bibliographic Details

Title: The New Face of Baseball: The ...

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers, New York

Publication Date: 2003

Binding: Hardcover

Condition: Very good

Dust Jacket Condition: Good

Signed: Signed by Author(s)

Edition: First Edition. First Printing.

About this title

Synopsis:

For decades, Americans have been fascinated by the complexity and rich history of baseball. No other sport has captivated so many fans. The New Face of Baseball explores a different chapter in baseball's chronicles, one often ignored but remarkably influential. Into the tapestry of baseball history, Tim Wendel weaves the stories of its Latino athletes -- who they are and how they helped transform the sport into what it is today.

Going as far back as the mid-nineteenth century, to the early days of Cuban baseball, Wendel traces the spread of American baseball fever in the Caribbean and Mexico, and discusses lesser-known historical standouts, including Adolfo Luque, the first Hispanic to play in the World Series (in 1923), and Martin Dihigo, a black Cuban whom many baseball insiders consider the greatest ballplayer of all time.

Wendel masterfully describes the days when only light-skinned Latinos were allowed to participate in Major League competition, much like their inspirational African American counterparts, and the linguistic barrier Latinos were confronted with when playing on teams with "English-only" rules inside their dugouts.

Featuring material on Roberto Clemente, Fernando Valenzuela, and Sammy Sosa, as well as interviews with Latino superstars past and present -- such as Alex Rodriguez, Ivan Rodriguez, Mariano Rivera, Alfonso Soriano, and the Hernandez brothers -- The New Face of Baseball helps fans of America's favorite pastime to understand the history of those who bring hope and honor every season to the teams they have given their lives to, and the Hispanic culture that, if allowed, can lie hidden and unnoticed under a team jersey.

With a foreword by Bob Costas, the first-ever-published Latino All-Century Team featuring players selected by Omar Minaya, and photos taken by award-winning Sports Illustrated photographer Victor Baldizon, this important book is sure to make as much of a splash a the Latino players themselves -- the new faces of baseball.

About the Author:

Tim Wendel is an award-winning journalist and the author of Castro's Curveball, a novel about baseball in Cuba. Wendel is one of the founders of USA Today Baseball Weekly, where he served as an editor and writer. He teaches at Johns Hopkins University and lives, in Vienna, Virginia.