50 Moments That Defined Major League Baseball

Baseball is a game of incredible moments, awe-inspiring feats, and dramatic finishes. But not all of these events actually impacted the game itself or the players still to come. Moments such as Lou Gehrig's last Opening Day appearance, the very first All-Star game, or Mickey Mantle's first game to hit home runs from both sides of the plate are iconic not because they were game-changing plays, but because they affected the course of baseball history.
In 50 Moments That Defined Major League Baseball, Rocco Constantino provides a fresh history of the national pastime by recounting the most extraordinary and iconic moments-both renowned and obscure-that shaped the game as it moved from the Dead Ball Era, through World War II, and on to the modern era. Events include Jackie Robinson's first All-Star Game, Babe Ruth's 50th home run in his first season as a Yankee, Hank Aaron's first career home run, and many more. Highlighting these moments are Constantino's exclusive interviews with over 50 former Major League Baseball players, managers, and umpires, as they candidly share their memories and provide commentary on these impactful events. Many of the players interviewed played in the World Series or an All-Star Game, including Rod Carew, Fred Lynn, Shawn Estes, and Jeff Montgomery.
50 Moments That Defined Major League Baseball features rarely seen historic photographs of baseball immortals and modern photos of today's stars. With two bonus chapters that include first-hand entertaining anecdotes from baseball icons and moving statements about those who helped them reach the sport's pinnacle, this book is an engaging read for baseball fans and historians alike.

Rocco Constantinois the director of athletics at Santa Barbara City College and a sports historian. He is the co-founder and lead baseball writer for BallNine.com and has written for many national online media outlets, including Bleacher Report, Baseball Hot Corner, America Online, and multiple collegiate athletics official websites. Constantino's first book, 50 Moments That Defined Major League Baseball, was published by Rowman & Littlefield and was named among Sports Collectors Digest's best baseball books of 2016. Constantino resides in Santa Barbara, California.

Acknowledgments
Foreword: Jeff Montgomery, MLB All-Star
Introduction
Chapter 1: Noteworthy Debuts, Pioneers, and Baseball Firsts
Hank Aaron: Number 1 of 755
Ken Griffey Jr.: The Kid Debuts
Derek Jeter and Joe Torre: The Start of a New Dynasty
The First All-Star Game: The "Game of the Century"
Pumpsie Green: Years Overdue, Integration in Boston
Chapter 2: Magic Numbers
Pete Rose: The 4,000-Hit Club
Ted Williams: .406 the Hard Way
Walter Johnson: Closing the 400 Club
Roberto Clemente: Ending on 3,000
Lou Gehrig: 5,084 Days
Chapter 3: Masterful on the Mound
Sandy Koufax: The Dawn of the Phenom
Dave Stieb: No More Close Calls
Tom Seaver: The Franchise's Best
Fernando Valenzuela: Fernandomania
Nolan Ryan: An Early Flash from the Express
Chapter 4: Incredible Feats and Unbreakable Records
Hippo Vaughn and Fred Toney: The "Double No-Hitter:
Joe Sewell: Baseball's Unbreakable Record
Paul Molitor: Appreciating DiMaggio's Streak
Mariano Rivera: 1,000 Games in Pinstripes
Greg Maddux: Prolonged Excellence on the Path to 350
Chapter 5: Tragedy, Trials, and Tribulations
Ray Chapman: Tragedy in the Batter's Box
J. R. Richard: A Flamethrower Extinguished
Thurman Munson and Bobby Murcer: Honoring the Captain
Tony Conigliaro: A Boston Miracle, a Boston Tragedy
Darryl Kile: A Tale of Two Legacies
Chapter 6: Passing down Tradition and Influencing the Pros
Chapter 7: The Immortals
Murderers' Row: A Pitcher's Worst Nightmare
Smoky Joe Wood: Robbed of Immortality
Jackie Robinson: Gaining Acceptance as an All-Star
Babe Ruth: Topping 50
Mickey Mantle: Changing the Game from Both Sides of the Plate
Chapter 8: Baseball's Weird, Wild, and Colorful Characters
Bob Uecker: Mr. Baseball versus Juan Marichal
Reggie Jackson and Billy Martin: Boiling over in Boston
Mark Fidrych: "The Bird" Captivates the Sport
Pascual Perez: Inciting a Riot
George Brett: The Pine Tar Game
Chapter 9: Historic Home Runs
Hank Aaron: 715 with Class and Dignity
Mike Schmidt: 500 for the Win
Mel Ott: McGraw's Boy Belts Number 511
Chapter 10: Hall of Famers' Last Hurrahs
Carl Yastrzemski: From Williams to Yaz
Willie McCovey: Stretch's Last Home Run
Grover Cleveland Alexander: The Underrated Immortal
Rogers Hornsby: A Last Display of Pure Power
Chapter 11: The New Millennium
The Montreal Expos: Expanding Baseball's Borders
Tim Lincecum: Topping Christy Mathewson
Albert Pujols: A Pace Matched by No Other
Roger Clemens: The Turncoat Rocket
Chapter 12: Baseball Odds and Ends
Pete Gray: A Winner Never Quits
The 1988 Baltimore Orioles: Overcoming Futility
Ron Santo: A Hall of Famer after All
Pete Reiser: Last Rites
Chapter 13: Extra Innings
Bibliography
Index
About the Author