Danny Peary

Due to his achievements as a player and manager, as well as his sterling character, Gil Hodges deserves to be in the Hall of Fame as much as any player honored by the institution. A towering figure during the Golden Era of the 1950s, Hodges was the Brooklyn Dodgers powerful first baseman who, alongside Jackie Robinson, helped drive his team to six pennants and a thrilling World Series victory in 1955. Dutifully following the Dodgers to Los Angeles in 1958, Hodges longed to return to New York City, and in 1962, joined the original Mets. He took over the manager s spot on their bench in 1968 and transformed the team from a joke to World Champions in 1969 the Miracle Mets. Yet behind his stoic demeanor lay a man prone to anxiety and scarred by combat during World War II. His sudden death in 1972 shocked his friends and family and left a void in the hearts of baseball fans everywhere. Acclaimed authors Tom Clavin and Danny Peary delve into one of baseball s most overlooked stars, shedding light on a fascinating life and career that even his most ardent fans never knew."

Muhammad Ali was a champion, a poet, a prophet. Sports Illustrated called him “the greatest athlete of the twentieth century.” And yet he was even more than all of that, “a whole greater than the sum of its parts . . . bigger, brighter, more original and influential than just about anyone of his era” (Barack Obama). He got there with his fists, with his actions, and above all, with his words. Compiled and written by his daughter Hana Ali, with sportswriter Danny Peary, Ali on Ali brings together a remarkable mix of Ali’s 70 most humorous, poignant, inspirational, political, and philosophical quotes, all with their origins. Here’s Ali’s enduring boast, “I am the greatest!”—and how it was inspired by professional wrestler Gorgeous George. The story behind one of the most memorably poetic lines of the century—“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” The heard-round-the-world defiance of “I ain’t got no quarrel with them Viet Cong,” and its moving context. And the stories behind quotes ranging from outrage—“We been in jail for 400 years,” to inspiration—“I hated every minute of training, but I said ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion,’” to that infectious combination of humor and bravado—“If you even dream of beating me you better wake up and apologize.” Included are powerful photographs throughout, from iconic fight scenes to never-before-seen Ali family snapshots; quotes about Ali, from Martin Luther King Jr. to Billy Crystal; a career timeline; and a personal introduction by Hana Ali.

It's Not About Perfect is inspirational memoir of the most decorated gymnast in American history, her recovery from cancer, and her miracle pregnancy."When the odds were against me, I was always at my best." When she retired at age 19, Shannon Miller did so as one of the most recognizable gymnasts in the country. The winner of seven Olympic medals and the most decorated gymnast, male or female, in U.S. history, Shannon tells a story of surviving and thriving. A shy, rambunctious girl raised in Oklahoma, Shannon fell in love with gymnastics at a young age and fought her way to the top. In 1992 she won five Olympic medals after breaking her elbow in a training accident just months prior to the Games. Then, in 1996, a doctor advised her to retire immediately or face dire consequences if she chose to compete on her injured wrist. Undeterred, Shannon endured the pain and led her team, the "Magnificent Seven," to the first Olympic team gold medal for the United States in gymnastics. She followed up as the first American to win gold on the balance beam. Equally intense, heroic and gratifying is the story of her brutal but successful battle with ovarian cancer, a disease from which fewer than fifty percent survive. Relying on her faith and hard-learned perseverance, Shannon battled through surgery and major chemotherapy to emerge on the other side with a miracle baby girl. Her story of trial, triumph and life after cancer reminds us all that its life's bumps and bruises that reveal our character. From early on in her career, Shannon knew that life wasn't about perfection. In this incredible and inspirational tale, Shannon speaks out so as to be seen and heard by thousands as a beacon of hope.

Tom Clavin and Danny Peary chronicle the life and career of baseball's "natural home run king" in the first definitive biography of Roger Maris--including a brand-new chapter to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of his record breaking season. Roger Maris may be the greatest ballplayer no one really knows. In 1961, the soft-spoken man from the frozen plains of North Dakota enjoyed one of the most amazing seasons in baseball history, when he outslugged his teammate Mickey Mantle to become the game's natural home-run king. It was Mantle himself who said, "Roger was as good a man and as good a ballplayer as there ever was." Yet Maris was vilified by fans and the press and has never received his due from biographers--until now. Tom Clavin and Danny Peary trace the dramatic arc of Maris's life, from his boyhood in Fargo through his early pro career in the Cleveland Indians farm program, to his World Series championship years in New York and beyond. At the center is the exciting story of the 1961 season and the ordeal Maris endured as an outsider in Yankee pinstripes, unloved by fans who compared him unfavorably to their heroes Ruth and Mantle, relentlessly attacked by an aggressive press corps who found him cold and inaccessible, and treated miserably by the organization. After the tremendous challenge of breaking Ruth's record was behind him, Maris ultimately regained his love of baseball as a member of the world champion St. Louis Cardinals. And over time, he gained redemption in the eyes of the Yankee faithful. With research drawn from more than 130 interviews with Maris's teammates, opponents, family, and friends, as well as sixteen pages of photos, some of which have never before been seen, this timely and poignant biography sheds light on an iconic figure from baseball's golden era--and establishes the importance of his role in the game's history.