FROM OUR EDITORS

A century of Fall Classics come alive in this colorful, gorgeous, and informative book on baseball's most revered tradition. 100 Years of the World Series documents the full history of these October championship games. The coverage includes game-by-game analyses; write-ups on important players and teams; fascinating sidebars and statistical appendices. This attractive pictorial is brightened by scores of full-color and black-and-white archival photographs.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

This tribute to the World Series is packed with nearly 600 outstanding photographs and illustrations and features box scores for every World Series game played over the championship's first 100 years. Written by noted baseball historian Eric Enders, whose passion for the game shines through on every page, 100 Years of the World Series is the most detailed popular reference work ever published on the greatest sports championship in the world.

The World Series has captivated sports fans since its very beginning—the hard-fought final contest between the two best teams of the year not only excites, but also creates the mythology of modern life. Baseball itself is part of our cultural fiber, and the Fall Classic is the sport's crucible, where dynasties are born, heroes made, and human nature put to the test. In early autumn, millions of fans eat, breathe, and sleep baseball, embracing the excitement and anxiety of the season—hoping to avoid the tragedy of a loss, and to exult in the glory of a championship. In this comprehensive work, Eric Enders recounts the fascinating history of the Series, describing the sensational events and outstanding performances that are forever etched into the memories of baseball fans around the world. The fall season was forever changed in October 1903, when baseball's first World Series began a postseason tradition that would mark nearly every future October through the next century. From the very start, the World Series has seen the sport's most iconic moments, including:

The infamous Black Sox scandal, in which eight members of the Chicago White Sox were banned for life for throwing the 1919 World SeriesBabe Ruth's legendary called home-run shot against the 1932 CubsBrooks Robinson's superhuman defensive efforts against Cincinnati in 1970Reggie Jackson's eye-popping longball clinic in the Yankees' 1977 Series victoryThe Red Sox' stunning comeback victory over the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS and subsequent World Series win

100 Years of the World Series captures all these moments and many more, detailing the highlights of the Series on and off the field, year by year, with remarkable photographs of the legends (and goats) in the making. In addition, the volume includes extensive Series statistics: box and line scores for every game played as well as composite records. Also featured are fascinating sidebars on a variety of topics that truly make the history come alive: the evolution of the game from its nineteenth-century roots; the rise and fall of the Negro League World Series; the importance of broadcast media in the world of baseball; and much more.

Packed with nearly 600 outstanding photographs and illustrations and written by noted baseball historian Eric Enders, this encyclopedic book is the most detailed popular reference work ever published on the greatest sports championship in the world.

About the Author

Eric Enders is a baseball writer and historian whose work has appeared in The New York Times and other publications. His other baseball books include Ballparks: Then and Now and the Play Ball! Baseball Scorebook. Enders is a former researcher at the National Baseball Hall of Fame Library and is an active member of the Society for American Baseball Research. A lifelong Dodger fan, he retains fond memories of Kirk Gibson's heroics in the 1988 Fall Classic. Originally from El Paso, Texas, Enders now lives in Cooperstown, New York, where he runs Triple E Productions, a baseball research and consulting service.

FROM THE CRITICS

"The centennial of baseball's World Series has occasioned a torrent of new books celebrating the Fall Classic... this gorgeous, eye-popping survey clearly bats clean-up."
—Bill Ott, Booklist (starred review)

"The photographic selection [in 100 Years of the World Series] is superior, even inspired, and Enders's research yields many original findings. But, perhaps most important, his prose captures the spirit and passion of championship baseball."
—Bill Nowlin, The Boston Globe

"The World Series slides into a second century... and publishers are pitching memories... 100 Years of the World Series captures sensational moments."
—Kent Allen, U.S. News & World Report

"My favorite of recent World Series books is Eric Enders' 100 Years of the World Series."
—Rob Neyer, ESPN.com

SYNOPSIS

Baseball fans will find much to enjoy in this comprehensive, well-illustrated history of the World Series (it's oversize, at 10.5x12"). The chapters are organized chronologically into themes that include the deadball era of 1903-1919, the free agent era of 1976-1994, etc. Appendices contain composite statistics and box scores. Annotation ©2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

In 1903, the first World Series (originally called the "World's Series") ended five games to three-in a best-of-nine series-with a Boston Pilgrims win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. In this comprehensive retrospective, Enders (Ballparks: Then and Now; Play Ball!) uses that series to begin his historical jog around the bases. He labels the first decade and a half of baseball "The Deadball Era" (1903-1919), a time when baseball experienced an expansion of teams and a change in philosophy ("the question was not whether you could hit home runs, but whether you could get a bunt down and steal bases"). From there, Enders guides readers through "Baseball Between Wars" and "The Free Agent Era" (1976-1994) to "The Reign of the Sluggers" (1995-2002). The book includes more than 600 photos, both black and white and color, of the teams and players in action-along with sidebar statistics of every World Series. (June) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

Baseball historian and former Hall of Fame researcher Enders (Ballparks: Then & Now) has assembled one of the most informative and entertaining books on the "Fall Classic"-the World Series of major league baseball. This compilation begins with the 1903 Boston Pilgrims and concludes with the most recent World Series champions, the 2002 Anaheim Angels. The series are ordered chronologically and grouped by major periods (e.g., "The Deadball Era," "Baseball in Transition," and "The Reign of the Sluggers") with a concise, well-written introduction preceding each period. This handsome, oversized book includes box scores, composite statistics, and reproductions of programs, as well as hundreds of spectacular photographs, many of which won't be found in other baseball histories. Enders also provides a brief but fascinating account of the first Negro League World Series in 1924-a touching tribute to the many phenomenal athletes denied the opportunity to play alongside whites. This well-written, well-researched book should appeal to American history enthusiasts as well as baseball fans. Recommended for sports collections in academic, public, and school libraries.-Catherine Collins, Texas A&M Univ., Commerce, TX Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

"The centennial of baseball's World Series has occasioned a torrent of new books celebrating the Fall Classic this gorgeous, eye-popping survey clearly bats clean-up."
—Bill Ott, — Booklist

"The photographic selection (in 100 Years of the World Series) is superior, even inspired, and Enders's research yields many original findings. But, perhaps most important, his prose captures the spirit and passion of championship baseball."
—Bill Nowlin — The Boston Globe