In 1998, baseball got a much-needed face-lift. The world watched as superstars Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa battled each other in a home-run race to beat slugger Roger Maris's 1961 record of 61 homers in a single season. Their highly publicized contest regenerated interest in baseball at a time when the sport was desperate for a public relations boost.In the process, McGwire and Sosa changed the game forever. But they are not alone. Throughout the twentieth century, athletic heroes have altered their respective sports with spectacular achievements, renewing their fans' confidence and surpassing their expectations with pioneering fearlessness, powerful expertise and unforgettable performances. In They Changed the Game, authors Ken Rappoport and Barry Wilner profile professional sports' trailblazing champions, from boxing great Muhammad Ali to runner extraordinaire Jesse Owens, from stock-car racer Richard Petty to incomparable sportswoman Babe Didrickson. Discover how baseball's Jackie Robinson created a social revolution by breaking the color line. Follow Wayne Gretzkey as he raised the popularity of ice hockey across the country. Examine the lines between "amateur" and "pro" in the story of Jim Thorpe, and learn how the combined efforts of Pete Rozelle and Joe Namath moved the NFL into the big leagues. Readers will learn about basketball's Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird; golf's Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods and other trailblazing sports celebrities. In chapters that compare and contrast the contributions of these national treasures, They Changed the Game demonstrates the amazing impact of this century's most significant sports luminaries.