Fall 2023 Titles

<p>For over three decades, Angelo Cataldi was the on-air voice of&nbsp;Philadelphia sports fans, leading the charge with unabashed zeal and infectious energy. He was the maestro of the mania, the conductor of the symphony of vitriol that blared through car radios every morning in the most misunderstood yet passionate sports city in America.<br aria-hidden=&#34;true&#34; /><br />It made him his share of enemies, but he walked away from the microphone with enough stories for several lifetimes&mdash;or one jam-packed, lively memoir.<br aria-hidden=&#34;true&#34; /><br /><i>LOUD</i>&nbsp;is an exuberant chronicle of Cataldi&#39;s life, from his childhood as a self-described &quot;king nerd&quot; in Providence, Rhode Island, to the traditional newspaper career he left behind, and his eventual rise to the top of the Philadelphia sports radio scene on WIP.<br aria-hidden=&#34;true&#34; /><br />Through it all, Cataldi remained dedicated to his mission of talking about what the city was talking about, in the same tone. And that tone was loud, passionate, and unapologetically real.<br aria-hidden=&#34;true&#34; /><br /><b>Full of encounters with athletes, personalities, and power brokers as well as candid reflections,&nbsp;<i>LOUD</i>&nbsp;is a must-read for die-hard Philadelphia sports fan and anyone who appreciates a good story.</b></p>

<strong>Celebrate the Boston Bruins&#39; centennial with this essential coffee table book</strong><br /><br />In celebration of the Original Six franchise&rsquo;s 100th season,&#8239;the Boston Bruins present a visually stunning retrospective featuring hundreds of archival images and vivid, in-depth writing.<br /><br />This official illustrated history tells the stories behind all the iconic moments, the legendary players and people, and so much more. Fans will treasure this commemorative book as a definitive portrait of Boston&#39;s rich hockey heritage.

Wataru &quot;Wat&quot; Misaka, a Japanese American boy born to immigrant parents, liked to play basketball under the glow of stars and a small street lamp in Ogden, Utah.<br /><br />America was home to Wat, but with the onset of World War II, many people thought he didn&#39;t belong.<br /><br />&quot;Go home!&quot; they would shout as he dribbled the ball down the hardwood court, but Wat continued on his chosen path, winning state tournaments in high school, becoming a national champion with the University of Utah, and even serving in the U.S. Army.<br /><br />The New York Knicks took notice, and in 1947, Wat became the first person of color to play in the NBA.<br /><br /><strong>During a time when nearly all of America mistrusted and mistreated Japanese Americans, Wataru Misaka embodied courage and strength, pursuing the game he loved and becoming a symbol of hope for Japanese Americans sent to incarceration camps. Lost in the annals of history for too long, this remarkable story of identity, belonging, and following one&#39;s own path is now illuminated through lyrical text and vivid illustrations.</strong>

<p>In <em>Tell Me a Story I Don&#39;t Know</em>,&nbsp;veteran sports reporter and broadcaster George Ofman shares his most fascinating conversations with some of the biggest names in sports media.&nbsp;Through these previously untold anecdotes and insights, readers will gain a deeper understanding of the events and moments that have shaped sports history, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at how these moments are shared with the world. With wit, charm, and insight, Ofman&#39;s captivating interviews bring&nbsp;to life the voices and personalities that have made sports such an integral part of our culture.<br /><br /><b>Featuring conversations with Bob Costas, Michael Wilbon, Eddie Olczyk, Sarah Kustok, Greg Gumbel, Chris Chelios, and more.</b></p>

<strong>A fascinating and immersive chronicle of hockey&#39;s original maskless warriors</strong><br /><br />More than 400 stitches decorated Terry Sawchuk&#39;s face during his 16 years as a goaltender in the National Hockey League, the result of high-speed collisions and slapshots that whizzed directly at his skull. All in a day&#39;s work for an elite goalie of his era.<br /><br />Before facemasks became standard equipment in the 1960s and &#39;70s, men like Sawchuk, Glenn Hall, and Jacques Plante&mdash;the first goalie to ever wear a mask in the NHL&mdash;put their bodies on the line in the name of hockey, enduring broken bones, damaged organs, and even psychological turmoil.<br /><br />In this thoroughly researched book, Rob Vanstone illuminates the stories of these intrepid warriors while examining how the goaltender position has changed throughout the decades. As masks evolved from ghoulish-looking creations not out of place in horror films to today&#39;s caged helmets with custom artwork, goalies&#39; body positioning and tactics were similarly transformed along with NHL regulations.<br /><br /><strong>Told with charm and verve, this is an essential portrait of a uniquely brutal and harrowing chapter in hockey history.</strong>

Christian Okoye never dreamed of playing football.<br /><br />He passed hours playing soccer each day in Enugu, Nigeria, until he outgrew the sport&mdash;physically. His focus shifted to track and field, honing an elite talent for discus throw that brought him to Azuza Pacific University in California. Only when those Olympic dreams were inexplicably dashed did he pick up a football for the first time at age 23.<br /><br />By 1987, Okoye was one of the NFL&#39;s most beguiling draft prospects, a 260-pound running back who was the picture of raw, unstoppable athleticism. The Kansas City Chiefs selected him in the second round, and the &quot;Nigerian Nightmare&quot; was born.<br /><br />In this timely autobiography, Okoye unfolds his life story from the heart, detailing a childhood upended by civil war, his unconventional path to football, and his glory years with the Chiefs.<br /><br />He also candidly discusses the darker facets of his American dream: an existence filled with chronic pain and and memory loss which forces Okoye to grapple honestly with the biggest question: If he had to do it all over again, would he play football?

There is only one sport, outside of actual combat disciplines, where two participants can square off in old fashioned, bare-knuckle pugilism without facing swift ejection. Hockey has long held a place for two willing combatants, and it has been said that &ldquo;no one goes for popcorn during a fight.&rdquo;<br /><br />Fans know what to expect on the ice from players with nicknames like Knuckles, The Grim Reaper, The Bruise Brothers, or The Hammer. Yet off the ice, the men who step into these brutish roles are often the kindest, gentlest and most popular players on a team--not to mention some of the best storytellers to ever lace up skates.<br /><br /><em>Tough Guys</em> honors the experiences of these NHL enforcers throughout history. Author and longtime broadcaster Dale Arnold profiles fighters across eras, sharing their journeys, struggles, and moments of glory.

<div><strong><em>Sports Illustrated</em>, the most respected voice in sports journalism, has covered the National Football League for over seven decades, documenting its heroes, villains, great characters, and iconic moments.</strong><br /><br />A wide-ranging portrait of America&#39;s game, this anthology features the best pro football writing from the <em>SI</em> archives by nationally renowned journalists including&nbsp;George Plimpton, Frank Deford, Rick Reilly, and Paul Zimmerman.</div>

<strong>An entertaining look at one of hockey&#39;s most unique traditions: the emergency backup goaltender.</strong><br /><br />Tom Fenton was in a barber’s chair when he got the call. Nathan Schoenfeld was giving his 5-week-old twin boys a bath. Eric Semborski was teaching kids to play hockey at a suburban rink.<br /><br />Within hours, each was wearing a mask, pads, and an NHL uniform as an emergency goalie, perhaps the most unusual position in all of sports.<br /><br /><em>Odd Man In</em> shares the stories of these unlikely masked heroes, tracing the origins of this quirk of the game while profiling those who have experienced the chaotic thrill of suiting up on short notice for an NHL team.<br /><br />David Ayres, a Zamboni driver, became an overnight sensation with the Carolina Hurricanes after beating his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs. Accountant Scott Foster signed on the dotted line then played an unforgettable 14 minutes for the Chicago Blackhawks, finishing his one-day career with a perfect 1.000 save percentage.<br /><br /><strong>Their stories and more are celebrated in this fascinating volume for all hockey fans.</strong>

<p><strong>The improbable story of the birth of modern-day pro basketball in Toronto</strong></p><p>In just over 25 years, the Toronto Raptors have evolved from an intrepid expansion team to an NBA champion. But for all the triumphs of the past decade, the beginning looked a bit different. When the franchise began its first season in 1995, a pro basketball team in Toronto was viewed as an experiment. There was no playbook to follow, and very few people gave them a chance to succeed.&nbsp;</p><p>In&nbsp;<i>Prehistoric</i>, irreverent Raptors voice and culture writer Alex Wong explores the franchise&rsquo;s fascinating and unconventional inception through 140 original interviews with those involved with the team&rsquo;s very beginning, examining the process of how the team came up with their name and logo inspired by the blockbuster film&nbsp;<i>Jurassic Park</i>, taking a behind-the-scenes look at the drafting of star point guard Damon Stoudamire, telling the backstories of a group of misfits who formed the first-year roster, and providing an in-depth look at the team&rsquo;s opening night victory at the SkyDome and the expansion franchise&rsquo;s signature win over Michael Jordan and a 72-win Chicago Bulls team.&nbsp;</p><p>The Raptors boldly and intentionally pursued a much different audience in a hockey-first town. The result is a team who went through the necessary growing pains and eventually captured the heart of a city, as told in this essential origin story through the lens of the people who were there to help lay the foundation for a thriving modern-day basketball franchise in Toronto.&nbsp;</p>

Dave Hill&mdash;author, actor, rock musician and stand-up comedian&mdash;is a truly outstanding American. For one thing, he&#39;s part Canadian (an advantage he explored in his previous book&nbsp;<i>Parking the Moose</i>). For another, and maybe this has something to do with his Canadian heritage, he&#39;s a totally obsessive fan of hockey. That makes him a minority within a minority: apparently only five percent of the US population admit to liking hockey more than any other sport.<br /><br />In his latest opus, Dave&mdash;who&#39;s from Cleveland, which hasn&#39;t had an NHL team since 1978&mdash;tackles this hockey conundrum with full force, drilling down into what makes hockey so damn important in so&nbsp;many parts of the world, despite the average American not recognizing the sport&#39;s preeminent greatness. His search for the very soul of hockey has taken him across the globe, from Poland to LA to Kenya, and brought him into contact with many of the sport&#39;s great and good. Humorous but heartfelt, Bill Bryson-like but hipper, this is arguably the greatest book ever written about hockey and definitely the one to be asking for at Christmas.<br /><br /><strong>Told with charm and verve, this is an essential portrait of a uniquely brutal and harrowing chapter in hockey history.</strong>

<strong>In <em>The Franchise: New York Rangers</em>, take a more profound and unique journey into the history of an iconic team.</strong><br /><br />This thoughtful and engaging collection of essays captures the astute fans&rsquo; history of the franchise, going beyond well-worn narratives of yesteryear to uncover the less-discussed moments, decisions, people, and settings that fostered the team&#39;s iconic identity.<br /><br />Through wheeling and dealing, mythmaking and community building, explore where the organization has been, how it got to prominence in the modern NHL landscape, and how it&rsquo;ll continue to evolve and stay in contention for generations to come.<br /><br /><strong>Rangers fans in the know will enjoy this personal, local, in-depth look at hockey history.</strong>

<strong><em>JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD GOLD STANDARD SELECTION 2023</em><br /><br />A moving illustrated biography of the late Joe Delaney, an NFL star in the making who valued helping others above all else</strong><br /><br />On the football field, Joe Delaney possessed all the qualities of a great running back. He was fast with keen instincts, a burst of red and gold as he sprinted toward the end zone for the Kansas City Chiefs.<br /><br />Off the field, he embodied the qualities of a great person: generous, hard-working, humble, and honest. Helping people was simply second nature to Joe.<br /><br />In 1983, on a summer&#39;s day in Louisiana, Joe Delaney gave his life trying to save three children from drowning in a pond. While others stood by, Joe didn&#39;t hesitate before rushing into the water, though he was not a strong swimmer himself. Now, football fans of all teams honor his legacy as an extraordinarily brave young man who cared fiercely for his community.&nbsp;<br /><br /><strong>Written with the support of the Delaney family, <em>Heroic Heart</em> is a lushly illustrated, lyrical story of selflessness and courage. Adults and children alike will learn about the remarkable life of this compassionate NFL star.</strong>

<div>From its inception, <em>Sports Illustrated</em>&nbsp;has chronicled baseball&#39;s greatest spectacle:&nbsp;the World Series. Now, SI&nbsp;celebrates the grandeur and spirit of the Fall Classic with&nbsp;a deluxe commemorative book featuring the magazine&#39;s iconic photography alongside&nbsp;classic stories from&nbsp;legendary writers.&nbsp;<br /><br />Along with overviews of notable teams and championships, this new volume&nbsp;includes stats, facts, and anecdotes&nbsp;spanning World Series history. The nostalgic past meets the electric present in this ultimate examination of baseball&#39;s storied event.<br /><br />Bringing MLB history to life by diving into the legendary SI archives,&nbsp;<em>Sports Illustrated The World Series</em>&nbsp;is essential for every baseball fan&#39;s collection.</div>

When Kenny Albert was growing up, family gatherings sounded a lot like a dispatch from the first all-sports radio station. There was his father, Marv, whose voice shaped the sound of modern basketball, and there too were his uncles Al and Steve&mdash;a trio of professional play-by-play men with a listenership that spanned the country.<br /><br />It was only a matter of time before Kenny, armed with a toy tape recorder, yearned to follow in their footsteps.<br /><br />Some 3,000 broadcasts later, Kenny Albert has amassed countless stories from the world of sports and media. <em>A Mic for All Seasons</em> is his chronicle of a charmed yet unlikely journey, from a youth spent calling games in his bedroom for a fictitious audience to ten-hour bus rides with a minor-league hockey team, plus the time he worked five different sports in one chaotic, 19-day stretch.<br /><br />The only play-by-play broadcaster who currently calls all four major sports in North America, Albert details the stand-out moments from his three-decade career, including the 1994 Stanley Cup Final, Jose Bautista&#39;s bat flip in the 2015 ALCS, and the U.S. women&rsquo;s hockey Olympic gold-medal winning shootout in Pyeongchang in 2018.<br /><br />Part memoir, part behind-the-scenes look at the world of broadcast media, <em>A Mic for All Seasons</em> also features stories about life in the booth, game preparation, travel hijinks, marquee events, meetings with star athletes and coaches, and much more.