Six Good Innings: How One Small Town Became a Little League Giant
4/5
()
Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this ebook
In the tradition of Friday Night Lights comes an unforgettable portrait of a small New Jersey town that became known throughout the world for the remarkable exploits of its Little League stars.
Summertime in Toms River means two things: tourists and champions. The tourists head for the beaches; the 12-year-old Little League champions can be found on the baseball diamonds, where they win titles at the local, regional, and international levels.
The Toms River dynasty began in the 1990s, when the team made it to the Little League World Series three times in five years and brought home a historic world championship victory in 1998. But with each passing summer in Toms River comes renewed pressure, as the latest collection of All-Stars strives to leave its mark on the town's imposing baseball legacy.
In Six Good Innings, acclaimed sportswriter Mark Kreidler deftly illuminates the sometimes tense relationship between Toms River and the team that carries the town's hopes and dreams. Following the most recent juggernaut through one tumultuous All-Star season, Kreidler chronicles how the coach, John Puleo, works to strike a balance between healthy competition and bloodless ambition, and how the players themselves reckon with their own fleeting fame as they tumble headlong into adolescence.
Puleo, a man with a gift for inspiring young athletes, commands a team whose recent string of successes has led to speculation that this might be the squad to extend the Toms River tradition of reaching Williamsport, site of the Little League World Series. But along the path to glory, Puleo's players will deal with unexpected injuries, a brutally difficult schedule of games, and the daunting knowledge that they have been identified throughout their region—and within the neighborhood blocks of their own baseball-crazy town—as the team to beat.
With deep empathy, incisive reporting, and intimate access, Kreidler weaves the stories of the coaches, the parents, the fans, and the true boys of summer into a memorable tableau.
Mark Kreidler
Mark Kreidler is an award-winning journalist and author of the acclaimed Four Days to Glory: Wrestling with the Soul of the American Heartland. A regular contributor to ESPN television, ESPN.com, and ESPN: The Magazine, he lives in northern California.
Read more from Mark Kreidler
Four Days to Glory: The Heart of America, Flat on Its Back Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Six Good Innings: How One Small Town Became a Little League Giant Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Related to Six Good Innings
Related ebooks
The Junction Boys: How Ten Days in Hell with Bear Bryant Forged a Champion Team Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5"Then Roy Said to Mickey. . .": The Best Yankees Stories Ever Told Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFrom Darkness to Dynasty: The First 40 Years of the New England Patriots Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5We Did Everything But Win: Former New York Rangers Remember the Emile Francis Era (1964-1976) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Magnus Factor: The Bill Rose Story, Rise to One Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsReynolds Remembers: 20 Years with the Sacramento Kings Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Resurrection: The Miracle Season That Saved Notre Dame Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Grassroots Baseball: Where Legends Begin Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsConquest: Pete Carroll and the Trojans' Climb to the Top of the College Football Mountain Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Season of Life: A Football Star, a Boy, a Journey to Manhood Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Intangiball: The Subtle Things That Win Baseball Games Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe 1975 Portland Timbers: The Birth of Soccer City, USA Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFaithful: Two Diehard Boston Red Sox Fans Chronicle the Historic 2004 Season Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Beltway Boys: Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper, and the Rise of the Nationals Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFew and Chosen Negro Leagues: Defining Negro Leagues Greatness Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFairly at Bat: My 50 years in baseball, from the batter's box to the broadcast booth Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsComing Home: My Amazin' Life with the New York Mets Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInside the Star: The Ultimate Dallas Cowboys Fan Guide Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSports Illustrated The Football Vault: Great Writing from the Pages of Sports Illustrated Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFred Claire: My 30 Years in Dodger Blue Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Ray Christensen's Gopher Tales: Stories from all Eleven University of Minnesota's Men's Sports Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMore Distant Memories: Pro Football's Best Ever Players of the 50'S, 60'S, and 70'S Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSan Francisco Seals Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOrioles' Big Bird: Mark Trumbo speaks softly, but carries a big stick Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOut of Control Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTales from the Sacramento Kings Locker Room: A Collection of the Greatest Kings Stories Ever Told Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRounding the Bases Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOnce in a Lifetime: the Incredible Story of the New York Cosmos: Girls, Greed, Goals, Superstars and Excess Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Roberto Clemente: Dedication Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5
Baseball For You
The Baseball 100 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Eight Men Out: The Black Sox and the 1919 World Series Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Baseball For Dummies Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Summer of '49 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Ball Four Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Glory of Their Times: The Story of the Early Days of Baseball Told by the Men Who Played It Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5October 1964 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5As They See 'Em: A Fan's Travels in the Land of Umpires Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summary of Moneyball: by Michael Lewis | Includes Analysis Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBaseball Miscellany: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Baseball Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOur Team: The Epic Story of Four Men and the World Series That Changed Baseball Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Mosquito Bowl: A Game of Life and Death in World War II Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Palestine Speaks: Narratives of Life Under Occupation Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Sabermetric Revolution: Assessing the Growth of Analytics in Baseball Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPitching Isn't Complicated: The Secrets of Pro Pitchers Aren't Secrets At All Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Hidden Game of Baseball Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ty Cobb: A Terrible Beauty Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5100 Things Braves Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Boys of Summer Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pitch Like a Pro: A guide for Young Pitchers and their Coaches, Little League through High School Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The SABR Baseball List & Record Book: Baseball's Most Fascinating Records and Unusual Statistics Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Damn Near Perfect Game: Reclaiming America’s Pastime Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Vindicated: Big Names, Big Liars, and the Battle to Save Baseball Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Baseball Anecdotes Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Ron Shandler's 2023 Baseball Forecaster: & Encyclopedia of Fanalytics Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBottom of the 33rd: Hope and Redemption in Baseball's Longest Game Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Six Good Innings
3 ratings0 reviews