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Joe Maddon Book Signing: A Guide to Meeting the Baseball Legend
Are you a die-hard Cubs fan? A baseball aficionado captivated by innovative management styles? Or simply a reader who appreciates compelling stories of resilience and success? Then you’re likely eager for the opportunity to attend a Joe Maddon book signing. This comprehensive guide will provide everything you need to know about securing your spot, understanding what to expect, and maximizing your experience meeting this baseball icon. From finding upcoming events to preparing your cherished memorabilia for an autograph, we've got you covered. Get ready to embark on this exciting journey into the world of Joe Maddon and his literary contributions!
Finding Upcoming Joe Maddon Book Signings
Securing your spot at a Joe Maddon book signing requires proactive searching. The first and most reliable method is to check his official website. Many authors, especially those with established publishing houses, announce book signings on their official websites. Look for a dedicated “Events” or “Appearances” section. It’s crucial to regularly check this section as dates and locations are often announced with relatively short notice.
Social media is your next best bet. Follow Joe Maddon’s official social media accounts on platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Announcements regarding book signings are frequently shared on these channels. Don't forget to check for announcements from his publisher as well. They usually use their own social media accounts and websites to publicize upcoming author events.
Bookstores are another valuable resource. Larger chains and independent bookstores often host author signings. Contact bookstores in your area or those near locations where Joe Maddon might be expected to appear (based on his past appearances or home city). Many stores maintain event calendars on their websites or through email newsletters, so subscribing to these notifications can be beneficial.
Finally, consider utilizing online event listing sites. Websites like Eventbrite, Ticketmaster, and others frequently list author signings and public appearances. Search for “Joe Maddon book signing” and refine your search by location and date to find relevant events near you.
Preparing for Your Joe Maddon Book Signing Experience
Once you’ve secured your place at a book signing, preparing beforehand will ensure a smooth and memorable experience. First, decide which book you want signed. If Joe Maddon has authored multiple books, choose your favorite or the one most relevant to your interests.
Next, consider what you'll use for an autograph. A book itself is the classic choice, but other items, like baseballs, photos, or even framed artwork, are possibilities. However, be mindful that the author may not sign every item. It's courteous to have a backup item ready just in case. Ensure the item is easily accessible and clean. Avoid overly bulky or fragile items that could cause difficulties.
Practice your short and sweet message to Joe Maddon (if you choose to have one written in the book). Keeping it concise and respectful will ensure that other attendees are not unduly delayed. A simple "Thank you for inspiring me" or "Great book!" is often sufficient.
Arrive early to secure a good position in line. The earlier you arrive, the better your chances of having a more extended interaction. Also, familiarize yourself with the event's guidelines. Some events may have specific rules regarding photos or interactions with the author.
What to Expect at a Joe Maddon Book Signing
Typically, a Joe Maddon book signing will involve a queue of fans waiting to meet the author and have their items signed. The event may include a brief introduction by the hosting bookstore or event organizer.
The actual signing process is usually straightforward. You’ll approach the designated area, present your book (or item), and the author will sign it. This may involve a quick conversation, especially if the lines are not overly long. Be prepared for a relatively short interaction, as the author needs to accommodate all attendees. Respect the author's time and keep your interaction concise.
A Sample Book Outline: Embrace the Target (Hypothetical)
This is a hypothetical outline of a Joe Maddon book, imagining a potential future title focused on his leadership philosophies. The actual content of any of his books would naturally differ.
Introduction:
Brief overview of Joe Maddon's career and philosophy.
Introducing the concept of "embracing the target" – focusing on achievable goals with resilience.
Setting the stage for the book’s main themes.
Main Chapters:
Chapter 1: The Power of Positive Thinking: Exploring Maddon's optimistic approach to coaching and leadership.
Chapter 2: Building a Winning Team: Strategies for fostering team cohesion, trust, and mutual respect.
Chapter 3: Overcoming Adversity: Lessons learned from setbacks and navigating challenges.
Chapter 4: The Importance of Fun: The role of enjoyment and camaraderie in achieving success.
Chapter 5: Leading with Empathy and Understanding: Understanding individual needs within a team structure.
Chapter 6: Long-Term Vision and Short-Term Strategies: Balancing long-term goals with immediate action.
Conclusion:
Recap of key takeaways and insights.
Final thoughts on the importance of embracing the target in all aspects of life.
Encouragement for readers to pursue their own goals with resilience and positivity.
Detailed Explanation of the Hypothetical Book Outline Points
Each chapter of the hypothetical book, Embrace the Target, would delve into the specifics of Joe Maddon's philosophy. Chapter 1, "The Power of Positive Thinking," would explore his famous emphasis on maintaining a positive outlook, even in the face of defeat. Examples from his managerial career would be used to illustrate this point.
Chapter 2, "Building a Winning Team," would delve into the specific strategies Maddon employed to cultivate a strong team dynamic. This could include discussions of team-building exercises, communication strategies, and how he fostered a sense of camaraderie and trust amongst his players.
Chapter 3, "Overcoming Adversity," would showcase examples of how Maddon navigated challenges and setbacks throughout his career. This could involve specific anecdotes from his time managing various teams and how he helped his players overcome adversity.
Chapter 4, "The Importance of Fun," would explore the crucial role that enjoyment and a relaxed atmosphere play in success. It might highlight specific instances where he used humor and fun-loving activities to boost morale and relieve pressure.
Chapter 5, "Leading with Empathy and Understanding," would explore Maddon’s approach to recognizing and respecting the individual needs of each player. This would potentially explore his strategies for personalized coaching and support.
Chapter 6, "Long-Term Vision and Short-Term Strategies," would demonstrate how he balanced long-term strategic planning with the need to make effective decisions in the moment. This could offer insights into his game strategies and overall management approach.
FAQs about Joe Maddon Book Signings
1. How can I find out about future book signings? Check Joe Maddon's official website, his social media accounts, and bookstore websites, as well as online event listing sites.
2. Do I need to purchase a book to attend a signing? Generally, yes. Book signings are often held at bookstores, and purchasing a book is usually a requirement.
3. Can I get a photo with Joe Maddon? This depends on the event. Some signings may allow photos, while others may not, due to time constraints.
4. What should I bring to a book signing? Bring the book you wish to have signed, a pen (though usually one is provided), and a backup item if desired. Arrive early to secure a good position.
5. How long is the line typically? Line length varies considerably depending on the event's popularity and location.
6. Can I bring multiple items to be signed? This depends on event rules. It's best to check beforehand.
7. What if I don't have a book to be signed? You'll likely be unable to attend the signing. Most events require a purchase.
8. Are there age restrictions? There are usually no age restrictions but consider the length of time spent waiting in line for young children.
9. What is the best way to contact Joe Maddon? It's highly unlikely you'll be able to contact Joe Maddon directly. Contact his publisher or his publicist instead.
Related Articles
1. Joe Maddon's Managerial Philosophy: A Deep Dive: An analysis of his innovative and unconventional management style.
2. The Cubs' 2016 World Series Win: Joe Maddon's Role: A look at his contribution to the Chicago Cubs' historic victory.
3. Joe Maddon's Best Quotes on Leadership and Resilience: A compilation of his most inspiring and insightful quotes.
4. Comparing Joe Maddon's Management Styles Across Teams: An analysis of his leadership across different teams and leagues.
5. Joe Maddon's Post-Cubs Career: A look at his endeavors after leaving the Chicago Cubs.
6. The Impact of Joe Maddon's "Embrace the Target" Philosophy: A discussion on the effectiveness of his positive, results-oriented approach.
7. Joe Maddon's Charity Work and Philanthropic Efforts: A look at his contributions to society outside of baseball.
8. Joe Maddon's Favorite Baseball Memories: A look at his most cherished moments in the sport.
9. Book Review: [Insert Title of Joe Maddon's Book]: A critical analysis of one of his published works.
| joe maddon book signing: The Book of Joe Joe Maddon, Tom Verducci, 2022-10-11 Lessons in baseball enlightenment from three-time MLB Manager of the Year Joe Maddon. No one sees baseball like Joe Maddon. He sees it through his trademark glasses and irrepressible wit. Raised in the “shot and beer” town of Hazleton, PA, and forged by 15 years in the minors, Maddon over 19 seasons in Tampa Bay, Chicago, and Anaheim has become one of the most successful, most colorful, and most quoted managers in Major League Baseball. He is a workplace culture expert, having engineered two of the most stunning turnarounds in the past quarter century: taking the Rays from the worst record in baseball one year to the World Series the next and leading the Cubs to their first World Series title in 108 years. Like his teams, Maddon defies convention. He is part strategist, part philosopher, part sports psychologist, and part motivational coach. In THE BOOK OF JOE, Maddon gives readers unique insights into the game, including the tension between art and data, the changing role of managers as front offices gain power, why the honeymoon with the Cubs did not last, and what it’s like to manage the modern player, including stars such as Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, Yu Darvish, and Kris Bryant. But you expect even more from a manager who meditates daily, admires Twain, and has only one rule when it comes to a team dress code: “If you think you look hot, wear it!” And Maddon delivers. Built on-old school values and new-school methods, his wisdom applies beyond the dugout. His mantras about leadership, mentorship, team building, and communication are meditations on life, not just baseball. Among those mantras are: “Do simple better.” “Try not to suck.” “Don’t ever permit the pressure to exceed the pleasure.” “See it with first-time eyes.” “Tell me what you think, not what you’ve heard.” THE BOOK OF JOE is Maddon at his uniquely holistic best. It is a memoir of a fascinating baseball journey, an insider’s look at a changing game, and a guidebook on leadership and life. |
| joe maddon book signing: Try Not to Suck Bill Chastain, Jesse Rogers, Ben Zobrist, 2018-04-01 With his irreverant personality, laid-back approach, and penchant for the unexpected, Joe Maddon is a singular presence among Major League Baseball managers. Whether he's bringing clowns and live bear cubs to spring training or leading the Chicago Cubs to their first World Series victory in 108 years, Maddon is always one to watch. In Try Not to Suck, ESPN's Jesse Rogers and MLB.com's Bill Chastain fully explore Maddon's life and career, delving behind the scenes and dissecting that mystique which makes Maddon so popular with players and analysts alike. Packed with insight, anecdotes, and little-known facts, this is the definitive account of the curse-breaker and trailblazer at the helm of the Cubs' new era. |
| joe maddon book signing: The Cubs Way Tom Verducci, 2018-04-03 The New York Times Bestseller With inside access and reporting, Sports Illustrated senior baseball writer and FOX Sports analyst Tom Verducci reveals how Theo Epstein and Joe Maddon built, led, and inspired the Chicago Cubs team that broke the longest championship drought in sports, chronicling their epic journey to become World Series champions. It took 108 years, but it really happened. The Chicago Cubs are once again World Series champions. How did a team composed of unknown, young players and supposedly washed-up veterans come together to break the Curse of the Billy Goat? Tom Verducci, twice named National Sportswriter of the Year and co-writer of The Yankee Years with Joe Torre, will have full access to team president Theo Epstein, manager Joe Maddon, and the players to tell the story of the Cubs' transformation from perennial underachievers to the best team in baseball. Beginning with Epstein's first year with the team in 2011, Verducci will show how Epstein went beyond Moneyball thinking to turn around the franchise. Leading the organization with a manual called The Cubs Way, he focused on the mental side of the game as much as the physical, emphasizing chemistry as well as statistics. To accomplish his goal, Epstein needed manager Joe Maddon, an eccentric innovator, as his counterweight on the Cubs' bench. A man who encourages themed road trips and late-arrival game days to loosen up his team, Maddon mixed New Age thinking with Old School leadership to help his players find their edge. The Cubs Way takes readers behind the scenes, chronicling how key players like Rizzo, Russell, Lester, and Arrieta were deftly brought into the organization by Epstein and coached by Maddon to outperform expectations. Together, Epstein and Maddon proved that clubhouse culture is as important as on-base-percentage, and that intangible components like personality, vibe, and positive energy are necessary for a team to perform to their fullest potential. Verducci chronicles the playoff run that culminated in an instant classic Game Seven. He takes a broader look at the history of baseball in Chicago and the almost supernatural element to the team's repeated loses that kept fans suffering, but also served to strengthen their loyalty. The Cubs Way is a celebration of an iconic team and its journey to a World Championship that fans and readers will cherish for years to come. |
| joe maddon book signing: Plan David Kaplan, Anthony Rizzo, Bud Selig, 2017-05-01 On October 12, 2011, Theo Epstein became the new Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations, flipping a switch on the lovable-loser franchise and initiating a plan to accomplish in Chicago what he'd succeeded in as general manager of the Boston Red Sox: ending a World Series drought. It would require a complete team tear-down and turnover, a new farm system foundation of young talent which Epstein and Cubs GM Jed Hoyer gradually added to with gutsy trades and timely signings. After years of rebuilding, Epstein's crystalline vision has been unquestionably realized in the form of one of the most exciting and talented teams in baseball, led by heavyweights like Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant as well as visionaries like manager Joe Maddon. In The Plan, David Kaplan of CSN Chicago and ESPN Radio goes behind the scenes with the Cubs and their front office, walking the steps of their captivating rise to becoming 2016 World Series champions. Featuring exclusive interviews with Epstein, owner Tom Ricketts, and other team insiders, this is the definitive account of a new era on the North Side. |
| joe maddon book signing: Managing Millennials For Dummies Hannah L. Ubl, Lisa X. Walden, Debra Arbit, 2017-04-06 Everything you need to harness Millennial potential Managing Millennials For Dummies is the field guide to people-management in the modern workplace. Packed with insight, advice, personal anecdotes, and practical guidance, this book shows you how to manage your Millennial workers and teach them how to manage themselves. You'll learn just what makes them tick—they're definitely not the workers of yesteryear—and how to uncover the deeply inspirational talent they have hiding not far below the surface. Best practices and proven strategies from Google, Netflix, LinkedIn, and other top employers provide real-world models for effective management, and new research on first-wave versus second-wave Millennials helps you parse the difference between your new hires and more experienced workers. You'll learn why flex time, social media, dress code, and organizational structure are shifting, and answer the all-important question: why won't they use the phone? Millennials are the product of a different time, with different values, different motivations, and different wants—and in the U.S., they now make up the majority of the workforce. This book shows you how to bring out their best and discover just how much they're really capable of. Learn how Millennials are changing the way work gets done Understand new motivations, attitudes, values, and drive Recruit, motivate, engage, and retain incredible emerging talent Discover the keys to optimal Millennial management The pop culture narrative would have us believe that Millennials are entitled, lazy, spoiled brats—but the that couldn't be further from the truth. They are the generation of change: highly adaptive, bright, and quick to take on a challenge. Like any generation of workers, performance lies in management—if you're not getting what you need from your Millennials, it's time to learn how to lead them the way they need to be led. Managing Millennials For Dummies is your handbook for allowing them to exceed your expectations. |
| joe maddon book signing: Seam Reading Jared Tiefenthaler, Dennis Tiefenthaler, 2020-02 LEARN THE STORY BEHIND THE SEAM READING MOVEMENT.Learn the history behind how reading the seams of the ball became a teaching tool and how the owners of Seam Readers have used this skill throughout their playing and coaching careers. This book will open your eyes to how seam reading works and gives clear descriptions and color photographs of each pitch type. This book is not only an interesting read, it's also a tool that you can use to help your player learn the faces of the ball. |
| joe maddon book signing: The Ultimate Chicago Cubs Time Machine Book Martin Gitlin, 2021-04-01 The Ultimate Chicago Cubs Time Machine presents a timeline format that not only includes the Cubs’ greatest moments—including their World Series appearance in 2016 and individual achievements—but also focuses on some very unusual seasons and events, such as the 1872 season when the Great Chicago Fire destroyed their stadium and uniforms. There are dozens of impressive, wild, wacky, and wonderful stories over the years regarding Cubs history, and Gitlin is the perfect person to write it with his trademark humor and thorough knowledge of team lore. |
| joe maddon book signing: The Extra 2% Jonah Keri, 2011-03-08 What happens when three financial industry whiz kids and certified baseball nuts take over an ailing major league franchise and implement the same strategies that fueled their success on Wall Street? In the case of the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays, an American League championship happens—the culmination of one of the greatest turnarounds in baseball history. In The Extra 2%, financial journalist and sportswriter Jonah Keri chronicles the remarkable story of one team’s Cinderella journey from divisional doormat to World Series contender. When former Goldman Sachs colleagues Stuart Sternberg and Matthew Silverman assumed control of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2005, it looked as if they were buying the baseball equivalent of a penny stock. But the incoming regime came armed with a master plan: to leverage their skill at trading, valuation, and management to build a model twenty-first-century franchise that could compete with their bigger, stronger, richer rivals—and prevail. Together with “boy genius” general manager Andrew Friedman, the new Rays owners jettisoned the old ways of doing things, substituting their own innovative ideas about employee development, marketing and public relations, and personnel management. They exorcized the “devil” from the team’s nickname, developed metrics that let them take advantage of undervalued aspects of the game, like defense, and hired a forward-thinking field manager as dedicated to unconventional strategy as they were. By quantifying the game’s intangibles—that extra 2% that separates a winning organization from a losing one—they were able to deliver to Tampa Bay something that Billy Beane’s “Moneyball” had never brought to Oakland: an American League pennant. A book about what happens when you apply your business skills to your life’s passion, The Extra 2% is an informative and entertaining case study for any organization that wants to go from worst to first. |
| joe maddon book signing: The Matheny Manifesto Mike Matheny, Jerry B. Jenkins, 2015-02-03 St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny's New York Times bestselling manifesto about what parents, coaches, and athletes get wrong about sports; what we can do better; and how sports can teach eight keys to success in sports and life. Mike Matheny was just forty-one, without professional managerial experience and looking for a next step after a successful career as a Major League catcher, when he succeeded the legendary Tony La Russa as manager of the St. Louis Cardinals in 2012. While Matheny has enjoyed immediate success, leading the Cards to the postseason four times in his first four years−a Major League record−people have noticed something else about his life, something not measured in day-to-day results. Instead, it’s based on a frankly worded letter he wrote to the parents of a Little League team he coached, a cry for change that became an Internet sensation and eventually a “manifesto.” The tough-love philosophy Matheny expressed in the letter contained his throwback beliefs that authority should be respected, discipline and hard work rewarded, spiritual faith cultivated, family made a priority, and humility considered a virtue. In The Matheny Manifesto, he builds on his original letter by first diagnosing the problem at the heart of youth sports−it starts with parents and coaches−and then by offering a hopeful path forward. Along the way, he uses stories from his small-town childhood as well as his career as a player, coach, and manager to explore eight keys to success: leadership, confidence, teamwork, faith, class, character, toughness, and humility. From “The Coach Is Always Right, Even When He’s Wrong” to “Let Your Catcher Call the Game,” Matheny’s old-school advice might not always be popular or politically correct, but it works. His entertaining and deeply inspirational book will not only resonate with parents, coaches, and athletes, it will also be a powerful reminder, from one of the most successful new managers in the game, of what sports can teach us all about winning on the field and in life. |
| joe maddon book signing: Always an Angel Tim Salmon, Rob Goldman, 2010 With those prophetic words, Angels coach Joe Maddon christened the batch of eager rookies gathered on the first day of the Angels' Instructional League camp in Mesa, Arizona, in 1989. Among them was an outfielder from Grand Canyon College named Tim Salmon. He and team-mates Troy Percival and Garret Anderson would take Maddon's words to heart and lead the Angels to the team's coveted first World Series championship. Always an Angel: Playing the Game with Fire and Faith is the story of Salmon's extraordinary baseball career and the parallel story of the Angels organization's rise to excellence. Book jacket. |
| joe maddon book signing: Hack's 191 Bill Chastain, 2012-01-24 Hack Wilson’s record 191 RBIs in 1930 may well stand the test of time, and so may the record of his hard-drinking lifestyle. In Hack’s 191, Bill Chastain recreates the most productive offensive season in baseball history while giving readers unique insight into the life of one of baseball’s most fascinating, enigmatic, and yet neglected characters. Drunk or sober, Wilson lived large in Prohibition-era Chicago, where the entertainment and nightclub industries thrived, and Al Capone, a friend of Wilson, reigned as the most publicized gangster in America. Hack finished the 1929 season batting .345 with 39 home runs and 159 RBIs, giving him his fourth consecutive 100-plus RBI season before for misplaying two fly balls in the World Series. Despite losing the Series, the Cubs entered the 1930 season favored again to win the National League pennant. After a slow start and many bad breaks, the team was in first place by the end of August, with Hack Wilson leading the way. Chronicling the ups, downs, and record-setting accomplishments of Lewis R. “Hack” Wilson, this book returns arguably the most hard-living, hard-hitting ballplayer in history to the lineup of the game’s greats. |
| joe maddon book signing: The Hidden Language of Baseball Paul Dickson, 2019-09-01 Baseball is set apart from other sports by many things, but few are more distinctive than the intricate systems of coded language that govern action on the field and give baseball its unique appeal. During a nine?inning game, more than one thousand silent instructions are given--from catcher to pitcher, coach to batter, fielder to fielder, umpire to umpire--and without this speechless communication the game would simply not be the same. Baseball historian Paul Dickson examines the rich legacy of baseball's hidden language, offering fans everywhere a smorgasbord of history and anecdote. Baseball's tradition of signing grew out of the signal flags used by ships and hand signals used by soldiers during battle and were first used in games during the Civil War. The Hartford Dark Blues appear to be the first team to steal signs, introducing a larcenous obsession that, as Dickson delightfully chronicles, has given the game some of its most historic--and outlandish--moments. In this revised and expanded edition through the 2018 season, Dickson discusses recent developments and incidents, including the illegal use of new technology to swipe signs. A roster of baseball's greatest names and games, past and present, echoes throughout, making The Hidden Language of Baseball a unique window on the history of our national pastime. |
| joe maddon book signing: Imperfect Jim Abbott, Tim Brown, 2013-03-26 “Honest, touching, and beautifully rendered . . . Far more than a book about baseball, it is a deeply felt story of triumph and failure, dreams and disappointments. Jim Abbott has hurled another gem.”—Jonathan Eig, New York Times bestselling author of Luckiest Man NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Born without a right hand, Jim Abbott dreamed of someday being a great athlete. Raised in Flint, Michigan, by parents who encouraged him to compete, Jim would become an ace pitcher for the University of Michigan. But his journey was only beginning: By twenty-one, he’d won the gold medal game at the 1988 Olympics and—without spending a day in the minor leagues—cracked the starting rotation of the California Angels. In 1991, he would finish third in the voting for the Cy Young Award. Two years later, he would don Yankee pinstripes and pitch one of the most dramatic no-hitters in major-league history. In this honest and insightful book, Jim Abbott reveals the challenges he faced in becoming an elite pitcher, the insecurities he dealt with in a life spent as the different one, and the intense emotion generated by his encounters with disabled children from around the country. With a riveting pitch-by-pitch account of his no-hitter providing the ideal frame for his story, this unique athlete offers readers an extraordinary and unforgettable memoir. “Compelling . . . [a] big-hearted memoir.”—Los Angeles Times “Inspirational.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer Includes an exclusive conversation between Jim Abbott and Tim Brown in the back of the book. |
| joe maddon book signing: Baseball Maverick Steve Kettmann, 2015-04-07 “An intimate portrait of one of the shrewdest, most decorated men to ever occupy the GM chair . . . A really fun read” (Jonah Keri, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Up, Up, & Away). In 2010, the New York Mets were in trouble. One of baseball’s most valuable franchises, they had recently suffered an embarrassing September collapse and two bitter losing seasons. To whom did they turn? Sandy Alderson, a former marine who got his baseball start in Oakland, where he led a revolution in the sport. The A’s partnered with Apple in 1980, pioneering the use of statistical analysis in baseball, and became a powerhouse—winning the 1989 World Series. Granted unprecedented access to the working general manager over several seasons, bestselling author Steve Kettmann traces Alderson’s history and his revival of the Mets, despite a limited budget, through big trades that brought back high-profile prospects to the development of young aces including Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler, and Jacob deGrom. Baseball Maverick is a gripping, behind-the-scenes look at a Major League team and a fascinating exploration of what it means to be smart. A Publishers Weekly Top 10 Sports Book for Spring “A fascinating and fresh look at the resurgent team’s winning strategy. Whether you’re a diehard Mets fan like me or just a curious baseball fan in general, you’ll want to read Steve Kettmann’s new book because it’s a compelling human interest story and you will gain insight about how the game has changed.” —Forbes “Extremely well-written and unflaggingly interesting, [Baseball Maverick] will appeal to any baseball fan who wants insight into what GMs do and into how contemporary winning major league baseball teams are built.” —Spitball magazine “Outstanding.” —Dennis Eckersley, Hall of Fame pitcher “Revealing . . . [Alderson] gave serious access to Kettman, an astute reporter.” —George Vecsey, New York Times sports columnist and author of Baseball: A History of America’s Favorite Game |
| joe maddon book signing: Baseball's Endangered Species Lee Lowenfish, 2023-04 Scouting has been called pro baseball's personalized way of renewing itself from year to year and a pathway to the game's past. It takes a very special person to be a baseball scout: normal family life is out of the question because travel is a constant companion. Yet for those with the genuine calling for it, there could be no other life. Hearing the special thwack off the bat that indicates a raw prospect may be the real deal is the dream that keeps true scouts going. Scouts have the difficult task of not only discovering and signing new players but envisioning the trajectory of raw talent into the future. But the place of the traditional scout has become increasingly dire. In 2016 Major League Baseball eliminated the MLB Scouting Bureau that had been created in the 1970s to augment the regular scouting staffs of individual teams. On the eve of the 2017 playoffs that saw the Houston Astros crowned as World Series champions, the team dismissed ten professional scouts and by 2019 halved the number of all their scouts to less than twenty. More and more teams are replacing their experienced talent hunters with people versed in digital video and analytics but who have limited field knowledge of the game, driven by the Moneyball-inspired trend to favor analytics, data, and algorithms over instinct and observation. In Baseball's Endangered Species Lee Lowenfish explores in-depth how scouting has been affected by the surging use of metrics along with other changes in modern baseball business history: expansion of the Major Leagues in 1961 and 1962, the introduction of the amateur free agent draft in 1965, and the coming of Major League free agency after the 1976 season. With an approach that is part historical, biographical, and oral history, Baseball's Endangered Species is a comprehensive look at the scouting profession and the tradition of hands-on evaluation. At a time when baseball is drenched with statistics, many of them redundant or of questionable value, Lowenfish explores through the eyes and ears of scouts the vital question of makeup: how a player copes with failure, baseball's essential, painful truth. |
| joe maddon book signing: Tampa Bay Rays Paul Bowker, 2011 Provides a history of the Tampa Bay Rays, covering the beginnings of the franchise, the greatest and lowest moments of the team, and the best players and managers. |
| joe maddon book signing: The Plan David Kaplan, Anthony Rizzo, Bud Selig, 2021-04-13 With a New Afterword: THE INSIDE STORY OF WHAT WENT WRONG AFTER 2016! David Kaplan of CSN Chicago and ESPN Radio goes behind the scenes with the Cubs and their front office, walking the steps of their captivating rise to becoming 2016 World Series champions On October 12, 2011, Theo Epstein became the new Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations, flipping a switch on the lovable-loser franchise and initiating a plan to accomplish in Chicago what he'd succeeded in as general manager of the Boston Red Sox: ending a World Series drought. It would require a complete team tear-down and turnover, a new farm system foundation of young talent which Epstein and Cubs GM Jed Hoyer gradually added to with gutsy trades and timely signings. After years of rebuilding, Epstein's vision was realized in the form of one of the most exciting and talented teams in baseball, led by heavyweights like Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant, as well as visionaries like manager Joe Maddon. Then the challenge became making the success last. Featuring exclusive interviews with Epstein, owner Tom Ricketts, and other team insiders, this is the definitive account of modern baseball on the North Side. |
| joe maddon book signing: Ahead of the Curve Brian Kenny, 2016-07-05 “A delight for baseball lovers” (Kirkus Reviews) and “one of the most significant baseball books of the year” (Bob Costas) Ahead of the Curve uses stories from baseball’s present and past to examine why we sometimes choose ignorance over information, and how tradition can trump logic. Forget batting average. Kill the “Win.” Say goodbye to starting pitchers. And please, please stop bunting. MLB Network anchor and commentator Brian Kenny provides “an excellent, entertaining read for the all-around baseball fan” (Library Journal) and shows how baseball has been revolutionized—not destroyed—by analytical thinking. Most people who resist logical thought in baseball preach “tradition” and “respecting the game.” But many of baseball’s traditions go back to the nineteenth century, when the pitcher’s job was to provide the batter with a ball he could hit and fielders played without gloves. Instead of fearing change, Brian Kenny wants fans to think critically, reject outmoded groupthink, and embrace the changes that have come with the sabermetric era. In his entertaining and enlightening book, Kenny discusses why the pitching win-loss record, the Triple Crown, fielding errors, and so-called battling titles should be ignored. He also points out how fossilized sportswriters have been electing the wrong MVP’s and ignoring legitimate candidates for the Hall of Fame; why managers are hired based on their looks; and how the most important position in baseball may just be “Director of Decision Sciences.” “Prepare to have your brain and your assumptions challenged. Guided by data and a deep love of the game, Brian Kenny takes a cutting-edge look at where baseball is and where it is going” (Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated). Illustrated with unique anecdotes from those who have reshaped the game, Ahead of the Curve is “a great story about the game in the age of information and technology” (Billy Beane). |
| joe maddon book signing: Red Sox Triviology Neil Shalin, 2011 A collection of trivia and quotes about the Boston Red Sox. |
| joe maddon book signing: The World Almanac and Book of Facts, 2008 C. Alan Joyce, 2007 Offers comprehensive facts, figures, and explanations of the events, people, and places in the news, with original articles on recent issues and topics. |
| joe maddon book signing: Sho-Time Jeff Fletcher, 2022-07-19 The story behind Major League Baseball’s two-way playing phenomenon and his rise from early days in Japan to his historic 2021 MVP season. Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels is playing baseball like no other major leaguer since Babe Ruth. His dominance as a two-way player—an electric pitcher and an elite slugger—made him the 2021 American League Most Valuable Player, the only player ever selected as an All Star as both a pitcher and hitter, and a member of Time 100’s most influential people of 2021. In Ohtani’s first two-way game of the 2021 season, he threw a pitch at 100 mph and hit a homer that left his bat at 115 mph, a confluence of feats unmatched by anyone else in the sport. He racked up eye-popping achievements all year. But awards and numbers tell only part of his amazing story. In Sho-Time, award-winning sportswriter Jeff Fletcher, who has covered Ohtani more than any other American journalist, charts Ohtani’s path through Japanese baseball to a championship with the Nippon-Ham Fighters, the recruiting war to bring him to the majors, his 2018 AL Rookie of the Year campaign, subsequent injury-riddled seasons, and then his historic 2021 season. Along the way, Fletcher weaves in the history of two-way players—including Babe Ruth and unsung Negro Leagues players like “Bullet” Joe Rogan, Martín Dihigo, and Ted “Double Duty” Radcliffe—and the Japanese athletes who preceded Ohtani in the majors. With insight from Japanese and American baseball front office personnel, managers, scouts, athletic trainers, ballplayers, and more, Sho-Time breaks down the physics of Ohtani’s game, his technologically advanced training, his international fame, and the role he and teammate Mike Trout are playing to lead baseball into the next generation. Praise for Sho-Time “Jeff Fletcher masterfully chronicles not only what Ohtani accomplished in ‘21, but also provides the full context to his achievements. . . . Fletcher’s book is the definitive look at Ohtani’s two-way majesty.” —Ken Rosenthal, Senior Writer at The Athletic “Historians will be talking about Shohei Ohtani’s 2021 season for decades, and thankfully the baseball gods arranged for Jeff Fletcher to be there to cover baseball’s best two-way player ever in the midst of a pandemic, to bear witness and mine details and write with grace about the sport’s most incredible individual performance.” —Buster Olney, ESPN “The essential portrait of baseball’s most captivating player. . . . Fletcher goes beyond the carefully scripted press conferences, revealing in vivid detail the challenges and triumphs of a baseball journey like no other.” —Tyler Kepner, The New York Times |
| joe maddon book signing: I'm Fascinated by Sacrifice Flies Tim Kurkjian, 2016-05-03 Hilarious and insightful tales from the world of professional baseball by ESPN baseball analyst Tim Kurkjian The New York Times Bestseller! In the aftermath of the Steroid Era that stained the game of baseball, at a time when so many players are so rich and therefore have a sense of entitlement that they haven't earned, ESPN baseball commentator Tim Kurkjian shows readers how to love the game more than ever, with incredible insight and stories that are hilarious, heartbreaking, and revealing. From what Pete Rose was doing in the batting cage a few minutes after getting out of prison, to why everyone strikes out these days and why no one seems to care, I'm Fascinated By Sacrifice Flies will surprise even longtime baseball fans. Tim explains the fear factor in the game, and what it feels like to get hit by a pitch; Adam LaRoche wanted to throw up in the batter's box. He examines the game's superstitions: Eliot Johnson's choice of bubble gum, a poker chip in Sean Burnett's back pocket. He unearths the unwritten rules of the game, takes readers inside ESPN, and reveals how Tony Gwynn made baseball so much more fun to watch. And, of course, Tim will explain to readers why he is fascinated by sacrifice flies. |
| joe maddon book signing: Summary of Tom Verducci's The Cubs Way Everest Media,, 2022-05-15T22:59:00Z Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 The most important game of the Chicago Cubs’ century-long championship drought was drawing near. Joe Maddon was tasked with figuring out how to dent Cleveland starting pitcher Corey Kluber, the ace who had held the Cubs to one run over 12 innings in his two starts in the series. #2 The Cubs’ lineup for Game 7 against the Indians was packed with youth: Addison Russell, 22; Javier Baez, 23; Kris Bryant, 24; and Willson Contreras, 24. Only one other team in World Series history has started so many players under age 25 in a Game 7, and that team lost 7-2 to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1967. #3 The game plan for the World Series was to start with Kyle Hendricks, the low-key, low-velocity control artist, and end with Chapman, the hardest-throwing pitcher on the planet. The key piece to the plan was another starting pitcher, Jon Lester, who had two days of rest since throwing 90 pitches in his Game 5 win. #4 In the Cubs’ World Series plan, they only wanted Hendricks to give them five innings because they were counting on Lester and Chapman to take care of the other four. |
| joe maddon book signing: 100 Things Angels Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die Joe Haakenson, 2013-02-01 Inspired by and written for the devout Angels fan, this lively and detailed book explores important facts and figures from the baseball team's storied history. Decades of tradition, victories and defeats, name revisions, and Hall of Fame inductions are distilled into an entertaining list that journeys from one to 100 into what makes a true fan of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. From the essentials, such as the Nolan Ryan era, to the lesser-known tidbits, including the team's origin and what started the Rally Monkey, this book is the ultimate resource to Angels knowledge and trivia and even suggests the best places to eat and drink before a game. |
| joe maddon book signing: Baseball Prospectus 2011 Baseball Prospectus, 2011-02-22 Provides profiles of major league players with information on statistics for the past five seasons and projections for the 2011 baseball season. |
| joe maddon book signing: Official Major League Baseball Fact Book Sporting News, 2005-02 |
| joe maddon book signing: The Hitter's Discipline Ronnie Ortegon, 2018-06-28 It takes a 90 mph fastball 400 milliseconds to travel from the pitcher’s hand to the catcher’s glove. It takes the human brain 80-100 milliseconds to process the image of the ball. And the average swing time requires 150 milliseconds. Snap your fingers. That’s more than the amount of time the batter has to assess the pitch and decide whether to swing. Hitting a baseball may be the most difficult thing in all of sports. Yet, instructor and author Ronnie Ortegon has helped hundreds upon thousands of players reach their diamond dreams with his simplistic, yet sound strategy that he calls “The Hitter’s Discipline.” “Ronnie is the best hitting instructor I’ve ever worked with,” says former MLB outfielder Drew Stubbs. Ortegon is, indeed, among the best teachers in the game, and this book contains all the philosophies and techniques he has helped others master over the course of his lifetime. |
| joe maddon book signing: The Eye Test Chris Jones, 2022-01-11 |
| joe maddon book signing: How Baseball Explains America Hal Bodley, George Will, 2014-05-01 Examining the connection between baseball and our society as a whole, How Baseball Explains America is a fascinating, one-of-a-kind journey through America's pastime. Longtime USA TODAY baseball editor and columnist Hal Bodley explores just how essential baseball is to understanding the American experience. He takes readers into the Oval Office with George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton as the former presidents share their thoughts on the game, he looks at the changes that America's Greatest Generation ushered in, as well as examining baseball's struggle with performance enhancing drugs alongside America's war on drugs. An unabashedly celebratory explanation of America's love affair with baseball and the men who make it possible, this work sheds light on topics such as the role Jackie Robinson's signing with the Dodgers played in the civil rights movement, how baseball's westward expansion mirrored the growth of our national economy, labor strife, baseball families, the international explosion of the game, and even the myriad ways in which movies, music, and baseball are intrinsically tied. It is a must read for anyone interested in more fully understanding not only the game but also the nation in which it thrives. |
| joe maddon book signing: Official Major League Baseball Fact Book, 2003 Edition Sporting News, 2003-02 This official book of Major League Baseball offers the most complete combination of a look-ahead to 2003 and a historical review of baseball. This book has all the facts fans will need for the coming season, right at their fingertips! Fans will find teamby- team listings that include official 2003 schedules, 40-man rosters, and exclusive player-by-player analysis. The 2002 review provides fans with team-by-team analysis of the past season, including day-by-day results and statistics and box scores from the memorable games of 2002. Readers will also get a recap of the postseason series, with stories and box scores, which provide the official record of postseason play. The history section offers a complete rundown of the Hall of Fame membership, by class, plus an annual listing of key award winners. Fans will also find annual standings and notes from 1876 through 2002. |
| joe maddon book signing: The Target Story Bill Chastain, 2020-10-27 Imagine if you could be a fly on the wall as a family enterprise becomes one of the most successful companies in the world. The Target Story will help you understand and adopt the competitive strategies, workplace culture, and daily business practices that enabled the big box store to become the retail giant it is today. In an industry that has seen constant disruption over the last two decades, Target has experienced tremendous growth. Establishing a strong eCommerce business and cultivating a sought-after in-store experience has kept this iconic brand at the top of the retail game. From same-day fulfillment to brand partnerships, Target has successfully fought the domination of online marketplaces by thinking outside the big box. The growth, prosperity, and expansion strategies that can be gleaned from the history of the Target Corporation amounts to a masterclass in business. Yet, the Target story has never been adequately presented. Until now. Through the story of Target, you’ll learn: How to remain nimble in times of tremendous change. How to reinvent a six-decade-old iconic brand. How to know when to build it yourself or bring in the experts. When to change the entire way you do business. And much, much more. |
| joe maddon book signing: Official Major League Fact Book (1997 Edition) Ron Smith, Sporting News, 1996-02 The Official Major League Baseball Fact Book offers a preview of the coming season, a look back at the previous season, and a history review. The guide offers a balance of baseball's past and present with a unique blend of authority, comprehensiveness, and ease. 32 photos. 28 charts & diagrams. |
| joe maddon book signing: The Big 50: Chicago Cubs Carrie Muskat, Anthony Rizzo, 2021-04-06 The Big 50: Chicago Cubs is an extensive and dynamic look at the 50 top moments and figures that make the Cubs the Cubs Longtime MLB scribe Carrie Muskat recounts the living history of the team. Learn about and revisit the remarkable stories, featuring greats like Ernie Banks, Ryne Sandberg, Ron Santo, Anthony Rizzo, and more. With dozens of interviews compiled over years of intimate access to the team, this is the perfect primer for new Cubs fans and an essential addition to a seasoned fan's collection. The Big 50 series take a deep dive into the fifty best figures and historical moments that make a team. Other Big 50 titles on Chicago sports include: The Big 50: Chicago Bears The Big 50: Chicago Blackhawks |
| joe maddon book signing: My Cubs Scott Simon, 2017-04-11 NPR's Scott Simon's personal, heartfelt reflections on his beloved Chicago Cubs, replete with club lore, memorable anecdotes, frenetic fandom and wise and adoring intimacy that have made the world champion Cubbies baseball's most tortured—and now triumphant—franchise. Heartbreak and hope. Charmed and haunted. My Cubs is Scott Simon’s love letter to his Chicago Cubs, World Series winners for the first time in over a century. Replete with personal reflections, club lore, memorable anecdotes, and tales of frenetic fandom, My Cubs recounts the franchise’s pivotal moments with the wise and adoring intimacy of a long-suffering devotee and Chicago native. Simon illustrates how the condition of “Cubness” has defined the life of so many Chicagoans and how the team’s fortunes became intertwined with the aspirations of its faithful. With the curse finally broken on November 2, 2016, My Cubs is the perfect portrayal of paradise lost and found. |
| joe maddon book signing: The Franchise: Minnesota Twins La Velle E. Neal III, 2024-06-11 In The Franchise: Minnesota Twins, take a more profound and unique journey into the history of an iconic team. This thoughtful and engaging collection of essays captures the astute fans' history of the franchise, going beyond well-worn narratives of yesteryear to uncover the less-discussed moments, decisions, people, and settings that fostered the Twins' one-of-a-kind identity. Through wheeling and dealing, mythmaking and community building, explore where the organization has been, how it got to prominence in the modern major league landscape, and how it'll continue to evolve and stay in contention for generations to come.Twins fans in the know will enjoy this personal, local, in-depth look at baseball history. |
| joe maddon book signing: Complete Baseball Record Book (1999 Edition) Craig Carter, Sporting News, 1999 A comprehensive compendium of records for major-league baseball, including stats for hitting, pitching, fielding, and base running; team-by-team records that include interleague play; and post-season stats that include Division Series, Championship Series, and World Series. Photos. |
| joe maddon book signing: I Was Right On Time David Conrads, Buck O'neil, 2010-05-11 An eye-opening biography of baseball legend Buck O’Neil, first baseman and then manager of the Kansas City Monarchs, who witnessed the heyday of the Negro leagues and their ultimate demise. From Babe Ruth to Bo Jackson, from Cool Papa Bell to Lou Brock, Buck O’Neil had seen it all. In I Was Right on Time, he charmingly recalled his days as a ballplayer and as a Black American in a racially divided country. From his barnstorming days with the likes of Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson or to the day in 1962 when he became the first Black American coach in the major leagues, I Was Right On Time takes us on a trip not only through baseball’s past but through America’s as well. |
| joe maddon book signing: Make Your Next Shot Your Best Shot Bob Rotella, Roger Schiffman, 2021-09-21 Discover how to reach your greatest potential in golf by focusing only on the shot in front of you—nothing before or after—with the world’s preeminent sport psychologist, Dr. Bob Rotella. Acclaimed sport psychologist and bestselling author Dr. Bob Rotella has advised countless professional golfers, as well as athletes in individual and team sports at the amateur and professional levels, on how to flourish under pressure and win championships. Rotella strives to make average athletes exceptional. With his decades of in-depth research and practical experience, he has encouraged people worldwide to persevere through adversity in a dozen internationally bestselling titles. In Make Your Next Shot Your Best Shot, Rotella’s message is simple but effective: to reach your greatest potential in golf, you need to set your sights high and always think positively. He wants you to aim for something incredible: free your mind, concentrate on your process, accept whatever happens, and commit to making your next shot your best shot. Rotella shows you how to focus your mind, create a routine for success, persevere, and overcome failure. Drawing from lessons learned in other sports, this book is about how to train your mind to play in the moment. It’s about spending your lifetime chasing greatness—and having a ball while doing it. |
| joe maddon book signing: Unwritten Danny Knobler, 2019-04-09 Don't bunt in a blowout. Don't pimp your home runs. Act like you've been here before. In Unwritten: Bat Flips, the Fun Police, and Baseball's New Future, national baseball writer Danny Knobler dives deep beyond the brushbacks and brawls to examine shifting attitudes towards Major League Baseball's once-sacred player codes. What emerges in the process is a much larger story, one of a more youthful, more exuberant, more diverse game in the midst of a fascinating culture clash. Featuring countless interviews with some of baseball's biggest names, including current and former major-league players, coaches, scouts, and journalists, Unwritten is a revealing, thoroughly of-the-moment portrait of a sport grappling with the loaded question of what it means to play the game the right way. Fans will not want to miss these varied, inside perspectives on America's pastime marching into the future. |
| joe maddon book signing: Hot Hands, Draft Hype, and DiMaggio's Streak Sheldon Hirsch, 2017-04-04 In sports there are lies, damned lies, and statistics. Joe DiMaggio’s fifty-six-game hitting streak was magical. The three-point shot is an essential part of NBA basketball. Babe Ruth shouldn’t have attempted to steal second base in the ninth inning of the 1926 World Series. Scientist and researcher Sheldon Hirsch has taken a decidedly unorthodox approach to sports history. He looks at myths, legends, conventional wisdom, shibboleths, and firm convictions of all kinds that sports lovers hold to be true, and demonstrates how analysis of facts and figures disproves what tradition—and sportswriters—would have us believe. Divided into three parts, on baseball, basketball, and football, Hot Hands, Draft Hype, and DiMaggio’s Streak contains enough clear-sightedness and shocking conclusions to delight any sports lover. |
