It is amazing how one life could drastically change with hard work, a passion, and dedication. Three years ago, Bob Salomon was just a regular family man with a wife, two kids, and a full-time job as an officer for the state of New Jersey. While Salomon enters his 24^th year on the job, these days you can also find him at the center of a unique movement with the commitment to making a difference. As the co-creator and driving force behind the children’s book, “A Glove of Their Own,” Bob has watched numerous organizations and foundations use his book as a platform to spread the message of giving and helping children.

“A Glove of Their Own” is a story about paying it forward and children who play baseball simply for the love of the game. You’ll find no coaches, no concession stands, and sometimes just an old bat and ball. This is the way baseball was meant to be. It has the power to touch both the old and young, with the underlining theme of both kindness and “paying it forward”.

Salomon now collaborates with some of the biggest names in sports, as he has gained the trust of the hundreds that support him. Since its publication in 2008, “A Glove of Their Own” has received recognition and attention on a national level, with numerous accolades and supporters that include both former and current players alike. The endless list features names such as Yogi Berra, Joe Torre, Tommy John, Phil Niekro, Bud Harrelson, Roy White, Bernie Williams, Eric Chavez, and Nelson Cruz, among many others. Even companies such as Louisville Slugger, Modell’s, Rawlings, and Upper Deck have joined the cause.

Bob’s latest addition to the list of superstars is former New York Yankees great and current Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly. Like the many others behind his movement, Bob and Don share many of the same values, beliefs, and overall determination that have helped form the basis for their success. With their respected efforts, these men have only one mindset towards the future, and that is to help children.

Mattingly currently orchestrates “Mattingly Charities,” which is a nonprofit fundraising organization that launched in January of 2011. Its main purpose is to serve under privileged children by supporting programs that promote baseball and softball participation. The former Yankee is also an avid supporter and contributor to the Boys’ Club of New York. When ordering “A Glove of Their Own,” $3 will be donated to Mattingly Charities when using the code “DON23” at AGloveOfTheirOwn.com.

“It is an honor to have Don Mattingly on board,” Salomon said. “He is an icon and a role model for many in professional sports. He is also a class act, whose off the field work is second to none. I grew up rooting for Don as a kid, so I am truly grateful to have him support me today.”

“A Glove of Their Own,’ captures the spirit and true meaning of giving back and sharing with kids less fortunate,” said Mattingly. “It is another reminder of why the game of baseball is so special.”

After the success of the first book, Bob hopes to reach even greater heights as he produces a second children’s book, while this time, using the sport of football. The story will portray the true gift of athletes, which is the impact they have on children. It will unite all sports and also showcase the message of never giving up.

The story promises to take you on a roller coaster of emotions as the game of football helps a father and son overcome and obstacle that simply defines the will to keep fighting. Salomon’s own love for the sport is beneficial, and with many big names sharing his beliefs, the sky is the limit for what this new project can achieve.

“The goal of the football book is to make all athletes come together to help kids,” Salomon said. “We want to tour throughout hospitals around the country with various sports figures and send the message out about not giving up. My dream is that the NFL and United Way will use the book to help promote this message and place a positive impact on children and the game of football.”

With the baseball book, the vision is almost parallel. Bob continues to reach out to all 30 Major League Baseball teams and hopes that one day, each team will use his story as a platform for the various outreach programs in the sport. His latest efforts have led him to an advisory board position with the Dave Clark Foundation, which helps children with disabilities.

“Bob Salomon is one of those people who you can just tell is extremely motivated to promote a great cause,” said Rich Lampmann, director of promotions and public relations at Modell’s Sporting Goods. “Bob shares the same feeling as countless Americans when it comes to the game of baseball. The memories of pick-up games in the yard, lot, or at the field stick with us for a lifetime. Bob and his team have taken this a step further and are not only promoting the game in and of itself, but also using the game as a means of spreading sportsmanship and teamwork for the greater good.”

It is amazing to step back and see the relationships that Salomon has made since the inception of “A Glove of Their Own.” Today, one of his valued friendships is the one he holds with former MLB player and current ESPN analyst Doug Glanville, who has served as a sounding board for Bob’s endeavors.

“I connected with Bob Salomon through a mutual passion and cause,” Glanville said. “We both shared the desire to help youth through sport. After one phone call that could have lasted 24 hours, we knew right away that we spoke the same language. His drive and passion through the phone was tangible. I was drawn to his selfless will to step aside and let the purpose lead the way. There was no ego, there was no filter. It was real and it was about children.”

All in all, it is clear that Bob Salomon, Don Mattingly, and the rest of Bob’s supporters, are all truly blessed and want to do right by the children.

“I hope you will join him,” Glanville added. “Because it is a runaway train and it will one day bring the humanity back to all of the sports we hold dear by employing our greatest resource – people.”

To join the movement and to learn more, please visit AGloveOfTheirOwn.com.

To contact Bob Salomon, feel free to e-mail him directly at AGloveOfTheirOwn@aol.com.

The Winter Issue and Convention Guide is available for FREE download here:

http://gothambaseball.com/GB006_WINTER2011.pdf

Gotham Baseball covers the past, present and future of New York baseball, and in this latest issue, which features a pair of aces; New York Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia and New York Mets southpaw Johan Santana. Gary Armida profiles Sabathia’s return in “The Big Man is Back”, while Healey opines that for the Mets, “The Ace is The Whole”.

Also in the issue:

The Catcher Says Bye – Yankees catcher Jorge Posada is retiring. Armida takes a look at his great career.

The Magic is Back? – Joseph M. Lara tries to make some sense of the current Mets by looking at the past Mets.

Reading By The Hot Stove – Jerry Milani reviews some of his top choices for offseason reading.

The issue also includes a comprehensive guide to the three-day event, which will once again feature some of the world’s top baseball instructors in a range of settings, including new Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine, New York Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long, pitching guru Rick Peterson and softball star Jennie Finch.

Baseball Digest’s online editor Mark Healey, who is the founder of Gotham Baseball, will also be in attendance, manning BD affiliate Gotham Baseball’s booth with GB Co-Publisher Joseph M. Lara.

The Winter Issue and Convention Guide is available for FREE download here:

http://gothambaseball.com/GB006_WINTER2011.pdf

For more info visit the official site for the event or call 860.674.1500

I was the first player drug-tested in baseball, and I am the one who asked for it.” – Babe Dahlgren

The recent news that 2011 MVP Ryan Braun is appealing a failed “banned substance” test wasn’t expected, but after hundreds of failed tests for recreatiional or performance-enhancing drugs for baseball players, even the fact that a reigning MVP not thought to be the strerotypical behemnoth wasn’t all that’s shocking.

Let’s face it, we live in an era where its hard to imagine people choosing integrity over the millions that can be made with the popping og a pill or the injecting of a needle. Ryan Braun may indeed be innocent, and if he is, he will have the power, resources and platform to defend himself.

Some other players never got that opportunity.

There was another player who once took a drug test, the first one in known baseball history. It was paid for by then-MLB Commisioner Judge Kenesaw Moutian Landis, and it came back clean. For some reason, Landis and several of the commisioners that followed him, refused to make the results public, or provide ther player with some level of justice.

Instead, Babe Dahlgren, once considered the best fielding first baseman in baseball, was sentenced to a life as a baseball vagabond,  and even after his playing days, plagued with the inaction of a baseball industry that turned it back on him a long time ago.

The whole story is chronicled in the book, Rumor In Town: A Grandson’s Promise to Right a Wrong, written by Dahlgren’s grandson, Matt Dahlgren.

Sadly, two of the most respected figures in baseball history played a large role in Dahglren’s misery, and it is perhaps that reality which is responsible for the lack of coverage and discussion of these events.

From Gotham Baseball’s Spring 2011 Issue, “Going Nine: The Other Babe”

“The guy can do everything, and I have a hunch that he invents plays as he goes along. If an old-timer were to swear to me on a stack of testaments that there was every a greater defensive first baseman than Ellsworth ‘Babe’ Dahlgren of the Yankees I wouldn’t believe him.” John Lardner, The New Yorker, June 13, 1940

According to Matt Dahlgren, Babe was also the victim of a vicious rumor, that he was a marijuana smoker. Mike Lynch of Seamheads.com summarized it best, stating that the rumor was “started by a Hall Of Fame manager, perpetuated by a Hall of Fame executive, and buried by a Hall Of Fame Commissioner.”

Dahlgren started his career in the Boston Red Sox system and was poised to become the team’s first baseman until the Bosox got Philadelphia A’s slugger Jimmie Foxx. Babe hoped for a trade and got one, to the Yankees, where Lou Gehrig was entrenched. Determined to prove that he belonged, Dahlgren took his game to the Yankees’ top farm team in Newark in 1937, where he hit. 340 for the Bears, one of the greatest minor league champions in baseball history.

He would make the Yankees in 1938 as a utilityman, but played in just 27 games, mostly as a pinch-hitter. In 1939, he would make the most of an opportunity he desperately wanted, he just hated the way it happened.

Replacing Gehrig, Dahlgren hit a home run, a double off the top of the fence and two drives that were caught against the fence in a 22-2 rout over Detroit. “I especially admired Gehrig because he was a first baseman like me,” Dahlgren told Newsday’s Joe Gergen in 1988. “I never dreamed one day I’d be in New York to take the man’s place.”

He would hit only .235 that year for the Yanks, but he would hit 15 home runs and drive in 89 runs batting seventh or eighth in a powerful lineup. In the World Series that year, Dahlgren would hit his only World Series home run, helping the Yankees sweep the Reds. The future looked bright for the 27-year old Dahlgren. Then he went home to San Francisco, and his life would never be the same.

Local legend Lefty O’Doul hated the fact the Joe McCarthy, and not he was the manager of the New York Yankees, telling anyone who would listen that “Ol’ Marse Joe” was a bush-button manager and that anyone could manage the Yankees. An Associated Press photographer took a picture of Dahlgren receiving batting tips from O’Doul at a off-season (the reality was that they barely talked that day). Combine the cracks that O’Doul made that day, “The Yankees have to send me their players to learn how to it.” a thin-skinned heavy drinker in McCarthy, and a now-veteran first baseman who was well-liked by his teammates and the local press, and you had the makings of a very bad situation.

Dahlgren had another solid year in 1940, hitting .263 / 12/ 73, and played a brilliant first base, but when the Yankees did not win the pennant. McCarthy seemed to blame Dahlgren, citing a key error down the stretch that cost the Yankees a ball game.

He was sent to the Boston Braves in 1941, and was dealt midway in the season to the Cubs, where he really played well, hitting .263 / 23/ 89 for the season. While he was having the best year of his career to date, McCarthy was telling the New York sportswriters – who all liked Dahlgren, thought he was a superb first baseman, and were watching Johnny Sturm hit just .235 with no power and nowhere near the glove – that Dahlgren’s arms were too short to play first base.

Really.

The longer the season wore on, the longer it looked like McCarthy had had a personal beef with Dahlgren, and the writers pressed McCarthy on the trade. Now, remember, it was the 1941 season, and Joe DiMaggio was setting his magical streak and Ted Williams was hitting .406 for the Red Sox. Dahlgren was happy in Chicago, playing well and finally getting the accolades he deserved.

Then, almost instantly, Dahlgren would spent the rest of his career, from 1942, getting traded from Chicago to St. Louis to Brooklyn (where Branch Rickey would accuse him of smoking marijuana, the first time Dahlgren would hear of the rumor) to Philadelphia (where he became an All-Star) to Pittsburgh (where he would drive in 101 runs and hit .289 in 1944) and finally back to St. Louis, where he would finally be discarded.

In the midst of the incredulous rumor, Dahlgren informed then-Commissioner Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis of the rumor, and the Judge, according to the book, paid all the expenses for what would prove to be a “clean” drug test for Dahlgren. But Landis and every subsequent Commissioner – up until his death in 1996 – failed to address Babe’s cause.

Dahlgren also died not going who had started the rumor. He had always assumed that it was Rickey, because of the way the situation had played out. It wasn’t until his grandson Matt, who wanted to write the manuscript that would become “Rumor in Town” (Babe’s original manuscript, as well as a letter from Landis proving the rumor existed, were lost in a fire at Babe’s home in 1980), that the origin of the rumor surfaced.

Dahlgren was doing research for his book when someone suggested the aforementioned Marty Appel, arguably the preeminent Yankees historian, for stories about his father.

Appel told him about a conversation he had with New York Times sportswriter John Drebinger in 1973, recalling McCarthy talking to a small group of baseball insiders at the end of the 1940 season. McCarthy, Appel remembered Drebinger telling him, noted that the Yankees would have won the pennant in 1940 had it not been for an error that Dahlgren made in a late-season game against Cleveland. “Dahlgren doesn’t screw up that play if he wasn’t a marijuana smoker.”

Tired of being made a fool for suggesting that the obviously proportionally-limbed Dahlgren’s arms were more than long enough, McCarthy decided to spread a rumor so incredible, so scandalous that few would ever repeat it. But the ones that did cost a good man his career.

“Rumor in Town” might be a promise by a grandson to his grandfather to right a terrible wrong, but one would hope that it also motivate Major League Baseball to right a terrible injustice. To date, the case is one that MLB doesn’t feel needs to be reopened.. And that is a big a tragedy as was the rumor that cost Babe Dahlgren his career.

Filled with great writing and amazing photography, the SI Baseball book is everything that a book that celebrates the American Pastime should be (and rarely is), featuring essays by respected baseball writers including Rick Reilly, Peter Gammons, Richard Hoffer, George Plimpton and Frank Deford.

Stories like “How Tiny Tim became a Pitching Giant,” in which Tom Verducci marvels at the powerful pitching mechanics of the Giants’ diminutive Tim Lincecum, a wonder of modern science; “War of the Words” by S.L. Price looks at the relentless honesty of White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen; and in “Pure Hitters,” Verducci points to the exciting future of baseball, with a new generation of hitters and a tougher drug policy. Verducci commends the memorable grace and sportsmanship demonstrated by Detroit’s Armando Galarraga in “A Different Kind of Perfect,” and recalls baseball and beyond within the treasured walls of the great Yankee Stadium in “It’s Gone! Goodbye!”

As Baseball Digest gets ready to celebrate its 70th year as the longest-running baseball magazine ever, we’ll keep doing what we’ve always done, bring the best of baseball to the millions of fans that love this great game. That’s why it’s easy to call The Sports Illustrated BASEBALL Book the perfect holiday gift for your favorite baseball fan.

So who better to capture the essence and flavor of the game than broadcasters, and who better to collect and organize them than Curt Smith, the former Presidential speechwriter who has studied baseball’s mikemen (and women) probably more than anyone else on earth.

His latest work, A Talk in the Park (Potomac Books, 308 pps.), is a set of “as told to” stories of 116 Voices past and present, from Kenny Albert to Bob Wolff, impressively including several notable Hispanic broadcasters.  Even die-hard fans will likely find that most of the stories are new to them, and even the one’s they’ve heard are those that demand retelling.

Figuring out how to place the hundreds of interviews must have been a monumental task, and doubtless there were many others that didn’t make the book.  But Smith’s system works, separating pieces on players, managers, umpires and owners, but also dedicating chapters to comments on Ernie Harwell, to minority broadcasters and to stadia.

Smith draws mainly from his own interviews, borrowing a few from other sources.  Though ostensibly the words of each broadcaster, the passages have Smith’s distinct style: no one uses the colon quite as often.  But the stories are worth fighting through the sometimes jarring technique, and the great diversity of voices, from internationally known Frick Award winners to local names from coast to coast provide plenty of flavor, even a few reminiscences back to the likes of Dizzy Dean, and Wolff taking it back to the turn of the 20th century with thoughs on Clark Griffith.

There is lots of good Bob Uecker and Jon Miller material, and of course Wolff and Vin Scully contribute significantly.  But equally interesting are the stories by Pat Hughes, Ken Korach, Denny Matthews and others who epitomize what a local baseball broadcaster means to a team’s fandom.

Baseball is a zero-sum game; for every home run hitting hero there is a pitcher who served it up.  Often, like Mike Torres, Dennis Eckersley and, yes, Ralph Branca, he is as famous for having delivered the pitch as the batter for having swung the bat.

Thomson’s “Shot Heard Round the World” changed many lives, none more than those of the principles, who like many of the pitcher-hitter duos have become inextricably linked.  For decades, Branca kept secret the knowledge that for the latter weeks of the ’51 season, including the fateful playoff at bat, the Giants had utilized an coordinated sign-stealing system involving powerful binoculars and an electronic buzzer system to erase a huge deficit to force the extra series to decide the NL crown.

That story was first told in Josh Prager’s The Echoing Green in 2006.  But for the first time, Branca himself puts pen to paper on the subject in the newly-released A Moment In Time: An American Story of Baseball, Heartbreak and Grace (Scribner, 223 pps.), which delightfully details the New York native’s life.  While the ’51 season and sign controversy is the flash that helps draw readers to the book, the rest of Branca’s story is well worth the read.

Branca’s story is a delicious slice of the baseball world in an intriguing time in its history.  Jackie Robinson joined the Dodgers, changing the game forever, and he and Branca became fast, lifelong friends.  Branca’s absolute love for the game comes through page after page, and his straightforward, tell-it-like-it-is style gives his own perspective on some of the most significant figures of the time, including Leo Durocher and Branch Rickey.

Though he eventually developed a close friendship with Thomson, Branca to this day is distressed that the Giant never admitted to using the stolen sign on the winning home run.  It’s one of the few tinges of sadness that can be found in what serves as a celebration of the life of man who though many remember him primarily for it, has never allowed his life to be solely defined by a single moment in time.

But in the first two decades of the 20th century, the American League’s New York entry was a perennial also-ran, utterly dominated by the Giants, the Senior Circuit squad with whom they, for a time, shared the Polo Grounds.  The acquisition of Babe Ruth in 1920 is, of course, an important turning point in the competitive and financial dynamic of the two franchises.  But it was the opening of Yankee Stadium in 1923, a move in many ways forced upon the Yankees by John McGraw and the Giants, which turned the tides forever in the Pinstripes’ favor.

Robert Weintraub chronicles the events and actions which led to this sea-change in the excellent The House That Ruth Built: A New Stadium, the First Yankees Championship, and the Redemption of 1923 (Little, Brown and Company, 420 pps.).  Ruth’s power, as Weintraub shows, was actually more suited to the Polo Grounds, as his frequent right-center-field clouts that previously were home runs now turned into outs and, occasionally, doubles and triples in the park dubbed in his honor.

But the boon of playing in their own park, rather than one rented from their NL foes, allowed the Yankees to build the dynasty that had its roots in the 1921 and 1922 teams which won the AL but fell both times to the Giants in World Series played entirely at the Polo Grounds.  Ruth was totally dominated in both Fall Classics, McGraw’s “scientific baseball” still reigning supreme despite the imminent and permanent changes the new “rabbit ball” would cause.

Weintraub looks deeper into the development of Yankee Stadium plans, giving more credit than is usually afforded to the Yankees’ “other” co-owner, Tillinghast L’Hommedieu Huston, who is much less remembered today than beer magnate Jacob Ruppert, who won a power play of sorts to claim dominant ownership of the club.  Huston’s story is at least as fascinating, and his contributions to building the Yankees, as well as the Stadium, are significant.  His already strained relationship with Ruppert completely shattered, Huston sold his share to his partner just two months after Opening Day.

The House That Ruth Built is filled with interesting stories, like Ruth’s off-season regimen to recover from an injury-filled 1922, McGraw’s refusal to have his team dress in the new Stadium (opting to make the trip across the river in full uniform) and an exhibition game right before the World Series which actually combined the Yankees and Giants forces — unimaginable today!

The star of the book, though, is Ruth, who ushered in this new era, rising to the occasion with a home run — of course — in the Stadium’s inaugural game and leading an early form of Murderer’s Row to the team’s first title.  In wresting control of the sport from McGraw, Ty Cobb, Tris Speaker and the “old” way of playing the game, Ruth and the Yankees were at the front of this inevitable and permanent change.

The PCL, pre-Major League expansion, could almost be considered “4-A” – not quite the level of play of the NL and AL, but nearly so, with some who could have played in the majors opting for the weather and other advantages of the West Coast.  In fact, there were several failed attempts to establish the PCL as a third Big League circuit.

In Pitchers of Beer: The Story of the Seattle Rainiers (University of Nebraska Press, 352 pps.), Dan Raley recounts how the team became one of the most popular in the PCL, with home-grown heroes like Fred Hutchinson and Edo Vanni and well-known stars like Rogers Hornsby and Johnny Pesky providing fodder for a breezy but well-researched narrative.

Sick, who had close ties with another beer baron, Yankees’ owner Jacob Ruppert, similarly rescued a moribund franchise, one that had hit such rock bottom that federal treasury agents had stormed the stadium and seized gate receipts to pay back taxes prior to his takeover of the team.  Thus began a colorful run as the owner who always put the team ahead of profits.  Sadly, but perhaps fittingly, Sick and Hutchinson, the two most prominent figures in Seattle baseball history, passed away within two days of each other, Hutchinson far too young at 45 to cancer.

And while the individual stories of the well-liked Joe Taylor, who had all the tools but succumbed to alcoholism, Bob Fesler, the softball-style windmill pitcher and many others make up the majority of the book, Pitchers also serves as a history of how expansion, television and other factors changed the game, particularly for the minor leagues.

The appearance of Hall of Famers such as Hornsby, Ted Williams and Babe Ruth further enliven Pitchers, especially for readers without a Seattle connection.  Shunned by the Yankees and other major league teams, Ruth inquired in 1941 about the Rainiers’ managing job, among the most prestigious in the minors, only to find out that the position had been filled just two days earlier by one of the Bambino’s nondescript teammates from years past, Bill Skiff.

That bit of poor timing on the part of the Babe notwithstanding, baseball maintained a prominent place in the Seattle landscape for decades on the minor league level, and while it met an inglorious end which coincided with an ill-fitting affiliation with the Los Angeles/California Angels in the mid-60′s, the Rainiers proved baseball could work in the Pacific Northwest, eventually leading to the Pilots and then the Mariners a decade later.

Since its publication in 2008, “A Glove of Their Own” has received recognition and attention on a national level, with numerous accolades and supporters that include both former and current players alike. The endless list features names such as Yogi Berra, Joe Torre, Tommy John, Don Mattingly, Jim Eisenreich, Dick Drago, Eric Chavez, Michael Cuddyer, and Nelson Cruz, among many others. Even companies such as Louisville Slugger, Modell’s, Rawlings, Eric Chavez – Brown Gloves / Diego Bats, and Upper Deck have joined the cause. The story and its process to stardom is certainly unique as it originally began with words and ideas placed on a computer by first-time authors Debbie Moldovan and Keri Conkling. Both are family friends of Salomon, and knew that he loved to give back and help children. Add that with his love for baseball, and the two women were certain that he was the one to jumpstart the project.

“After I read the story for the first time, I thought it was amazing,” proclaimed Salomon. “I knew we had to get it out to the world.”

Soon thereafter, Bob did just that. With his first move, he contacted a third author in Lisa Funari-Willever. While offering advice, Lisa soon learned of Bob’s vision and after much dialogue, agreed to join the team. Her experience and efforts ultimately got the book published. Although the publication of “A Glove of Their Own” was a special day for Salomon, he quickly realized that the real work was ahead of him. What followed was a process of networking that involved creating friendships in the sporting world. In order to promote the book’s release, daily interaction was key. Bob’s sincere way of drawing people together led him to the many relationships that he still holds dear to him today. One person in particular who he feels has had a big impact on his success is Jim Watson of New Egypt Entertainment. Like most who encountered with the cause, Jim asked for nothing in return, except friendship. Bob soon formed the ability to network at a rapid pace, which was driven by a nonstop passion and the desire to make a difference.

For each book sold, $3.00 is given to one of the many non-profit organizations affiliated with the movement. As the winner of the Benjamin Franklin Children’s Book Award, it is safe to say that this story is a product of hard work and triumph, which comes from a group that although new to the game, refused to fall short of reaching their full potential.

Now, Bob hopes to reach even greater heights as he assembles a new team of individuals to help produce a second children’s book that will portray the true gift of athletes, which is the impact they have on children. It will unite all sports and also showcase the message of never giving up. This project involves joining forces with Doug Glanville and creating another impactful cast.

Glanville, a native of Hackensack, New Jersey, is most known for his nine-year playing career in the major leagues, most notably with the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies. The outfielder entered the game with promise after the Cubs made him their first round selection in 1991. He enjoyed his best season in 1999 while with the Phillies, as he finished the season with over 200 hits, batted .325, and drove in 73 runs. Currently, he can be seen on ESPN’s Baseball Tonight as an in-studio analyst.

Like Salomon, Glanville has also surprised many with his success in the book world. As a former player, he is the author of “The Game from Where I Stand: A Ballplayer’s Inside View.” In it, Glanville gives his perspective on his playing days and treats fans with a true and humble story. Through their own works, it was evident that Doug and Bob shared a similar agenda, one that helped pave the way for a friendship.

This friendship will also serve as the basis for the new children’s book that the two will produce together. After reading Glanville’s story, it was clear to Salomon that he was the perfect match to help produce a second book.

“We have the same nucleus and the same passion and as I got to know him, I knew he was my partner,” Salomon said. “His kindness and humble ways were unmatched. It was clear that he portrayed his passion in his writing. He loved the idea and we immediately started on our vision.”

“As a father of two, I often think about the world I want my children to inherit and I can’t look myself in the mirror if I don’t use every gift I have to do what I can to make that world as healthy as I possibly can,” Glanville said. “Bob shares that same spirit. We did not have to talk about money, contracts, splits, whose name appears first, we just talked about the goal, the will to help children, and how to tell that story. Amazingly, like this book, gifts just keep falling from the sky to help us achieve this mission.”

Since Salomon’s son is an avid football fan, the idea involved using a story about football to represent the gift of athletes and the theme of never giving up. The story promises to take you on a roller coaster of emotions as the game of football helps a father and son overcome and obstacle that simply defines the will to keep fighting. Salomon’s own love for the sport is beneficial, and with Glanville on the team sharing his beliefs, the sky is the limit for what they can achieve.

As the two co-authors complete the beginning stages of the book, Bob has already brought on board a promising illustrator in Cortney Wall, who will produce the many images that will appear on the book’s pages.

Because of the significance of the project and the vision its authors have for it, choosing the right illustrator was of the utmost importance.

“I was looking for a perfect match,” Salomon said. “We had a couple of illustrators in mind. One was very popular and established in the art world.”

Originally, that one name was not Cortney. It was not until a phone call to the young artist that Bob realized what he needed to do. What started out as a courtesy call, turned into the realization that the “perfect match” was on the other end.

“I had my heart set on a particular person,” Salomon admitted. “But after giving a call to Cortney, I knew that she belonged. Within five minutes I knew she had to be the one. She told me that a book was her dream. And as a 26-year old illustrator, she has done so much in that short time. Her kindness, willingness, and energy was absolutely off the charts. The next day I gave her a call and asked her to be on my team.”

“It became clear that we share a lot in common from the importance of family, values, sports, and living a positive life that can impact others,” Wall said. “He recognizes the fact that this project is a dream come true for me.  I am truly grateful to him. But one thing that makes Bob such a great guy is not only that he is humble, but that his positive attitude of paying it forward is not only an important message in ‘A Glove of Their Own’, but it’s one that he truly lives his life by.”

Cortney Wall is undoubtedly an excellent addition to Bob’s new team. She has done a lot of work with kids and in foundations. Her vast experiences at such a young age will help prove her talents as the book nears completion.

She has always had a passion for sports, which has helped pave the way for her career as an artist.

“I grew up an athlete and an artist,” Wall said. “My family was always incredibly supportive of me and always encouraged me to pursue my dreams, whether it was art or to be the first female pitcher on the Yankees which was my dream at the age of eight.  Growing up and playing three sports year round paid off in high school where I was the captain of my softball, volleyball, and tennis teams.  My two passions merged naturally as I began experimenting ways of incorporating sports into my artwork.”

One of Wall’s most notable accomplishments came at the age of 24, when the New York Yankees commissioned her to create a painting of pitcher CC Sabathia. She delivered her work to the Yankees ace on the field before a 2009 regular season game at Yankee Stadium. The painting served as a welcome gift during his first year in pinstripes, and incorporated his tattoos which include the names of his children, along with their footprints, and the words, “Truly Blessed.”

All in all, it is clear that Bob Salomon and his new team of Doug Glanville and Cortney Wall are all truly blessed, as they want to do right by the children and see them smile. As each contributes with their own unique talents, the end result of this anticipated children’s book is sure to be extraordinary, just like its projected impact on others.

“The goal of the football book is to make all athletes come together to help kids,” Salomon said. “We want to tour throughout hospitals around the country with Doug and other sports figures and send the message out about not giving up. My dream is that the NFL and United Way will use the book to help promote this message and place a positive impact on children and the game of football.”

“This story has been rallied behind and a movement was spawned with a charitable heart and the will of a lion,” Glanville said. “And we plan on barnstorming the globe, sharing the message, bringing more people into the fold, and truly ‘paying it forward.’ I hope you will join us, because it is a runaway train and it will one day bring the humanity back to all of the sports we hold dear by employing our greatest resource – people.”

Steve Sidoti can be reached through e-mail at Stephen.Sidoti@gmail.com.

To contact Bob Salomon, please feel free to call him directly at (732) 604-0468.

Chicks included.

Lew Freedman captures the essence of the home run in Going Yard: The Everything Home Run Book (Triumph Books, 257 pps.), in which he delivers numbers and stories about the long ball and the colorful sluggers who produced many of the most memorable blasts in the game’s history.

But Freedman goes even further, breathing new life into some “lost” characters like Joe Hauser, a 1920s and 30s-era bomber who totaled 399 minor league home runs, once blasting 69 in a season, breaking is own record of 63.  And 19th-Century whammers Ned Williamson and Roger Connor get their due as well.

The most prolific sluggers, from Ruth, Willie Mays and Hank Aaron to Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds get plenty of space, with interesting tidbits weaved around more commonly known stories.  Written in a breezy style, the easy read is suitable for the young fan, but has plenty of meat for more experienced followers, particularly in the quotes from dozens of players, bringing a human face to what could have been a dull recounting of stats and tired stories.

There is also commentary throughout, including a foreword, by Frank Thomas (the future Hall of Famer who hit 521 homers for the White Sox, Jays and A’s, though his namesake, who swatted 286 for seven different National League teams from 1951-66 also deserves mention), which fits right in to the book’s tone.

Freedman acknowledges the difference in eras, including the questions of PED use in the 90s and 2000s — there is a chapter entitled “Steroids — Was It All fake?” — but Going Yard is a celebration of the efforts of power hitters everywhere, not a condemnation of those who took the drugs.

Home runs certainly aren’t everything in the game.  But they often produce the biggest cheers and most excitement in a game.  In other words, home runs are fun.  Going Yard succeeds in reflecting that feeling.

For many fans outside of Chicago, Ernie Banks is something of an unheralded star.  Aside from being known as perhaps the best player never to win a World Series and for his signature “Let’s Play Two” catchphrase, Banks’s story seems less known than that of many top-tier, all-time greats.

In Ernie Banks: Mr. Cub and the Summer of ’69 (Triumph Books, 288 pps.), Phil Rogers, national baseball columnist for the Chicago Tribune and insider for the MLB Network, shines a spotlight on the man whose name has become synonymous with the star-crossed franchise for six decades.  But while Banks’ enthusiasm, durability and talent were all world-class, and he was often subjected to the hazards of being African-American in a time when racism was much more overt in society, his tendency away from activism leaves his story without that kind of conflict that has made those of other stars like Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron and others more compelling.

With the fateful — for the Cubs — 1969 season as the hook, Rogers ably chronicles Banks’s career, noting interesting facets of the Dallas native’s early life that forever shaped his attitude toward baseball and life.

“What kid would remember this experience with relish?” asks Rogers rhetorically when writing of Banks’ youthful days picking cotton.  But it comes into play later as Banks credits the chore with improving the quickness of his hands, one of his best qualities as a hitter.

Banks was and is loved almost universally, with the notable exception of Leo Durocher, who as Cubs’ skipper in Banks’s last six years seemed to be trying to replace him every season with players that, looking back today, have all slipped into deep obscurity.

Banks was the kind of player and person that didn’t let that bother him, also evidenced in a brief but telling story Rogers relates about the legendary Rogers Hornsby, not known for progressive feelings towards African Americans.  Coaching the Cubs in Spring Training in Arizona one year early in Banks’s career, the Hall of Famer worked wonders with the future star, imparting a sense of confidence he would keep his whole career.

So who is right?  Is Derek Jeter on the extremely short list of best shortstops of all time?  Or has his appeal been greatly exaggerated by his celebrity and other New York-centric factors?

In The Captain: The Journey of Derek Jeter, longtime well-respected New York columnist Ian O’Connor presents a soup-to-nuts look at Jeter’s life, from his time as the scrawny kid from Kalamazoo (by way of New Jersey), to the most highly-rated high schooler in the MLB draft, to the overmatched first-year minor leaguer to Yankee rookie to Yankee icon.  O’Connor doesn’t try to answer the question of where Jeter fits, but it’s hard to get through the outstanding 400-plus pages without wondering if Jeter is, indeed, too good to be true.

That players’ poll is particularly interesting because, for a guy who is so hated by opposing fans (more a product of jealousy or anger at having been beaten so often by him), there are very few within the game who show any dislike for Jeter, even among principle rivals like the Boston Red Sox and New York Mets.

Most discussion regarding Jeter today revolves around his future spots in the Yankee lineup and field alignment over the next three or four years, and the diminished skills over the 2010 and 2011 seasons which are causing that conjecture.  But his imminent 3,000th hit should instead be a celebration of what he has meant to the franchise and the game; in a period replete with PED users and other bad actors, Jeter has remained the humble star he has always been.

The Captain shows that Jeter’s consistency has always been part of his personality.  The worst “human frailty” that O’Connor can cite is his failure to forgive:  it’s one-and-done with Jeter as far as crossing him.  Once out of the circle, former friends, even close ones like Alex Rodriguez, can find themselves eternally banned.

This fierce loyalty towards those in his circle comes through many times in the book, notably when O’Connor discusses Jeter’s refusal to help recruit Jason Giambi to replace his friend, Tino Martinez, being the lone significant Yankee to refuse to do so.

It’s that character trait that makes Jeter so complex.  He has the world by the tail — he’s been the starting shortstop for the World Champion Yankees, dates supermodels and has made millions of dollars.  But Jeter has been bound by duty to his parents, to the way they raised him, maintaining dignity and privacy in an era when that is almost impossible to achieve for someone even approaching his stature.

To focus on just the parts of the book regarding Jeter’s relationship with Rodriguez, while making great headline and tabloid fodder for a few days, misses the point that The Captain is as deep and interesting as The Captain himself.

Enter noted “ballhawk” Zack Hample, whose The Baseball: Stunts, Scandals, and the Secrets Beneath the Stitches (Anchor Books, 356 pps.) could really be three books, bound by the common thread — made of Big-League-spec yarn, no doubt — of the roughly 5 1/4-ounce, 9 1/4″-around sphere that was once so precious that only a few were used per game.

In the first section, Zample, who has bagged more than 4600 baseballs since his first in 1990, presents a collection of stories related to the ball, some familiar, many less known but all interesting. The scope is wide, from pop culture references (including fun analysis of the authenticity of each) to on-field and off-field stunts and unique events.

The history of the baseball, its specifications and the many theories of “juiced” balls dating back a century could be a book unto itself, though Zample’s chronological treatment seems right in place and properly detailed without diving into too many facts that might bog down the narrative.

Of particular note is a “tour” of permitted areas of the Rawlings factory in Costa Rica where the balls are assembled, each one painstakingly hand-stitched (how many baseball fans would have thought that?), as well as some of the innovations (yellow horsehide, white seams, even glowing covers) along the way that never caught on.

Zample could have stopped there and had a thorough but lively work. But he’s clearly having too much fun, and adds a third section on ballhawking, the practice of seeking out baseballs at MLB parks. It’s filled with practical tips on how to snag baseballs — first names when addressing players, last for umpires; find a section with a cross-aisle, for example — gleaned from more than two decades in the practice.

The fan who couldn’t care less about ballhawking and who might even disdain the practice could skip the section and not miss much. But Zample’s thrill at nabbing a baseball, even after thousands, and excitement at sharing the pointers, makes it worth at least a skim.

Jim Bouton may have been speaking figuratively when he closed Ball Four with the timeless line, “You spend a good piece of your life gripping a baseball and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time.” Zample captures that spirit, not just in the game, but literally in the object itself.

His new book, 1961* (Triumph Books, 288 pps., $20.00), is not really a rebuttal of the way Crystal showed Pepe’s colleagues during the run, although he does take rather strong exception to that general characterization at one point.  Pepe’s main arguments on this front are that he himself never witnessed hostility on the part of the other writers towards Maris, and that with selling newspapers the main goal, it would be in the writers’ best interests if the slugger *did* break the mark.  The former may have to do with the fact that Pepe joined the beat after four months plus spring training had already passed, and the latter seems a stretch — then, as now, bad news sells better than good, and Maris as the anti-hero playing off Mickey Mantle the fan — and player — favorite made great copy, particularly when, as Pepe revealed, the mandate was a daily story on the “M&M Boys,” home run or oh-for-four.

Pepe’s work doesn’t cover tons of new ground, but does give some of that sportswriter perspective, though not as much as might have by, say, Milton Gross of the New York Post, famously “snubbed” by Maris late in the season when awaiting an interview.

Though subtitled “The Inside Story of the Maris-Mantle Home Run Chase,” much more attention is paid to the former.  And with good reason, as the torment that the chase caused Maris, though familiar to fans, is the defining conflict of the season.

Maris ultimately comes off in 1961* as a sympathetic character, if not as much so as in the more hero-worship-driven movie.  The narrative, crisp throughout, picks up even more intensity as the season progresses, in part because of the events of the race, but also because of Pepe’s daily presence in the clubhouse and field in August through October.

Pepe can do more than just report the facts of the game and some post-game quotes because he had first-hand experience with Maris, for example, “hiding out” in the trainers room, avoiding the growing media hordes’ questions.  The additional detail that in Detroit, the visitors training room was part of the main clubhouse is a vivid addition that only someone there would glean.

Just as the chase and all it meant had done to him figuratively all season, Maris was quite literally hiding in plain sight.

But 1920?  The second half of the title of the new book about that season how it changed the game forever, Under Pallor, Under Shadow (Univ. of Nebraska Press, 304 pps.) refers to the precarious position the game found itself in at the time.  But it also could also be seen to reflect that this pivotal year has been somewhat lost to history in its importance.

Nineteen twenty, though, is the year that the Black Sox scandal, and as author Bill Felber points out, numerous other rumored game-fixes, was adjudicated in the court of law and within the game.  The power structure of baseball was fundamentally changed, the three-man commission which had ruled for the past two decades replaced by the omnipotent Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis.  Babe Ruth played in his first year with the Yankees, his transformation from pitching standout to superstar slugger well on its way.  And, tragically, 1920 saw the first on-field casualty in Indians shortstop Ray Chapman, whose influence on the entire baseball community, in life and death, is detailed beautifully.

Carl Mays

Add in a three-pronged American League pennant race (very little reference is made to the Dodgers’ NL pennant run as Felber focuses on the White Sox, Indians and Yankees), Ring Lardner and Grantland Rice covering the Indians and Dodgers, perennial also-rans, in the World Series (which included the Classic’s first grand slam and unassisted triple play), and Ruth’s chase after his own home run mark and numbers heretofore thought unattainable, and Felber takes the reader inside the beginnings of the modern era of baseball – and the behind-the-scenes politics that often shaped it.

Felber does more than recap games, though the detail in those summaries gives a feel for many players’ strengths and weaknesses — who knew the Yankees outfielder Bob Meusel started as such a butcher in the field, a point Felber makes clear numerous times?  He also captures the Indians’ reaction to the loss of the universally beloved Chapman and its profound effect on the team, notably player-manager Tris Speaker, and across the league, and the conflicting emotions of fatal pitch hurler and almost universally disliked Carl Mays.

The story of the 1920 season is replete with Hall of Famers like Ruth, Speaker, Ty Cobb and many others, but Under Pallor looks at the influence that virtual unkowns like “Duster” Mails, purchased by the Indians from the minors for the princely sum of $35,000 and Harry Lunte, the benchwarmer thrust into the shortstop spotlight in place of Chapman, had on the year.  And a few gems like Ruth’s movie shoot schedule: for weeks during the heat of the pennant race Ruth was 45 minutes away in the fields of the Hudson Valley, racking up ailments while filming Babe Comes Home.  Imagine Alex Rodriguez trying to slip that one past Hal and Hank Steinbrenner.

It was a different era, and a year that deserves the kind of treatment Felber affords it.

Suffice it to say that John Thorn, recently named official baseball historian by MLB, goes a bit deeper in Baseball in the Garden of Eden: The Secret History of the Early Game (Simon and Schuster, 365 pps.)  Uncovering long lost history and characters, Thorn’s mystery weaves through places like Pittsfield, Mass., Hoboken, N.J., Brooklyn and even Hawaii in unraveling more lasting myths and the stories behind others.

Thick with detail, Garden of Eden recounts many instances in which individuals have been afforded far too much credit for the game’s founding. Alexander Cartwright, for example, has been generally tabbed with having set the official rules to paper, though no note of it was made at his death in Hawaii years later. Thorn found strong evidence that this was largely an invention of Cartwright’s grandson, a theory that was mostly accepted as an alternative to the debunked Doubleday theory.

Not satisfied with the simple idea that Doubleday had been anointed the founder simply because of his fame as a Civil War hero on the Union side and the desire to present baseball as an All-American invention, Thorn digs deeper and finds a connection between an obscure religious cult, the Theosophical Society, and Albert Spalding, sporting goods mogul and himself a pioneer of the game, or more specifically, Spalding’s wife, who was an avid practitioner.

King Kelly

It is this detail that makes the book such a delight for fans of baseball history, though even those well-versed may find themselves having to reread passages to keep up with the names and places. These colorful characters and teams come through in Thorn’s writing, which captures the flavor of the era but doesn’t glorify it. The sad case of pitcher Jim Devlin, disgraced after having been found to have thrown games, is more powerful with the inclusion of his desperate letters.

Thorn leaves nothing unchallenged; long-held beliefs about the timing and origin of rules changes, field dimensions and circumstances of events are given a thorough look, often refuting common, largely accepted theory.

One hundred and seventy years or so can hide a lot of history. And while it may be impossible to draw a straight line back to a true origin of the game, the journey of discovery is a wild, fun ride.

Donnie Baseball is like that fandom — he’s not even booed once in the book; that is to say, the author’s admiration for Mattingly comes through just as that of millions of fans has over the past 25-plus years.

Mattingly is like the everyman.  He didn’t have the impressive look of a Dave Winfield or Dale Murphy or other stars of the day, but reached the game’s highest levels nonetheless.  In a lot of ways, he took over that role from Thurman Munson, who had died a couple of months after Mattingly was selected with the 493rd pick of the 1979 draft.  Later Mattingly would be named the team’s first captain since the departed catcher.

But he seemingly outworked everyone, hitting and fielding his way into the Bronx and then into the hearts of the fans, who now more than 15 years since he played his last game still have that spot reserved.

Shalin freely admits that the book is “definitive” rather than “authorized,” leaving Mattingly to do his  official biography or own book later.  But Mattingly and dozens of others contributed mostly glowing accounts, filling in details of his journey from Evansville, Indiana, right up until he was named Dodgers’ manager for this season.  The doubters are noted, and eventually his body of work as a skipper will determine if they were right on that account.

“Universal Respect” is the title of Chapter 4, and is the theme of the entire book.  Even at the most contentious times in their relationship, owner George Steinbrenner always respected Mattingly, and the feeling was mutual.  Shalin relates the story of how 13 years after receiving gifts and being honored with a “Day,” Mattingly chose to remember Steinbrenner’s interaction that day with Mattingly’s young son, as the most prominent feature of the day for him.  Sums up Mattingly perfectly.

Mattingly-philes won’t find anything in Donnie Baseball that will make them any less of a fan.  And those who don’t know as much about the 1984 A.L. batting champion and 1985 MVP will find new respect for him in the breezy read.

Havana Heat (Univ. of Nebraska Press, 322 pp., $18.95), reprinted this year in paperback after its initial run in 2000, charmingly takes readers back a century to 1911, with real-life deaf mute pitcher Luther “Dummy” Taylor (deaf players of that era earned that moniker, just as American Indians were dubbed “Chief”), a relatively forgotten player, weaving a tale based on the early postseason barnstorming tours of Cuba.

Indeed, both the Phillies and Giants played in Cuba in 1911, and author Darryl Brock‘s depiction of individuals of the time, principally manager John McGraw and early 20th century stars Christy Mathewson and “Turkey Mike” Donlin adds deep color to the narrative.

Readers with knowledge of that era of baseball will likely revel in Havana Heat‘s pages.  Seen through the eyes of Taylor, players long relegated to obscurity — and BaseballReference.com stats pages — gain new life.  The hope and promise of Taylor’s fictional attempted comeback after three years out of the majors parallel those of the young, deaf pitcher “Luis” who Taylor “discovers” on the trip.  And the appearance of the great Cuban pitcher José Mendez punctuates the inherent unfairness of the exclusion of players from the majors based on skin color.

The novel also serves to bring Taylor’s story back into the minds of baseball fans 100 years later.  His acceptance by his teammates — McGraw and numerous players even learned sign language to better communicate with the popular hurler — is particularly notable in the context of the time, when tolerance wasn’t often in fashion.

John McGraw

Taylor compiled a 116-106 won-loss mark and 2.75 ERA in nine seasons, nearly all with the Giants.  His having been passed over for a start in the 1905 World Series despite a 16-9 season — which actually occured — provides a motivational tool for the fictionalized Taylor as he chases his last big league dream.

Ultimately, a good novel, rooted in history or otherwise, demands a good story, and Havana Heat has one that is replete with details that fans of McGraw-era baseball will appreciate, but breezy enough to appeal to a broader fandom.

Though he was a pioneer as the first African-American to hold a full-time play-by-play gig when he joined the Yankees in 1971, then the first to serve as National League president nearly 20 years later, White doesn’t necessarily see himself that way.  His soon-to-be-released autobiography, Uppity (Grand Central Hardcover, April 1, 2011, $26.99), is a pulls-no-punches look at his almost accidental life in the sport.

White never thought he’d make a living in baseball; his dream was to be a doctor, but, as he writes, “baseball got in the way.”

While many of his experiences along the way, from hostility playing in the South to separate accommodations from his teammates in certain cities to breaking stereotypes may seem familiar to those who have followed the lives and baseball careers of the Jackie Robinson, Larry Doby, Joe Black and many others, White’s position of strength in all of the pivotal moments of his life helps shape them.  Not offered enough by the scout trying to sign him? White was ready to stay in college anyway.  Hang around for an extra year in the majors? White found a new career in broadcasting, one that had started while he was still in uniform.

Then, when it was time to finally leave the game that had been a part of his life for so long, when White writes that he had no regrets, you have to believe him unreservedly.

If White’s friendship with Rizzuto provides some of the lightest moments in the memoir, and some of the most touching, his relationship with then-Baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent and others in position of power in the game shows White at his most unflinching.

That no-nonsense approach made White such an effective broadcaster and executive.  His on-air style ensured not just a well-reported game, but that White would call it as he saw it – no sugar coating if something that needed to be noted, and no cheerleading.  And his dealings with owners, teams and umpires displayed that same straightforward – and forward-thinking – style.

Jim Riggleman has taken a long, winding road to arrive back in the DC suburbs. The 58 year old manager of the Washington Nationals graduated from Rockville High School (Rockville, MD) and attended Frostburg State University (Frostburg, MD), where he starred on the Bobcats baseball team. He was drafted as an infielder by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1974. His playing career eventually peaked out at Triple A with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1979. He retired after the 1981 campaign at the age of 28.

Jim Riggleman was always regarded as a heady player with a keen knowledge of the game. Coaching was a logical progression. He remained in the St. Louis organization as manager of the St. Petersburg Cardinals, a Class A affiliate. He would eventually reach the Triple A level as manager with the San Diego Padres organization. And after Padres skipper Greg Riddoch was fired at toward the end of the 1993 season, Riggleman took the helm and was retained through the 1994 season.

His next managerial opportunity was with the Chicago Cubs in 1995. In 1998, he led the Northsiders to a wild card postseason appearance that ultimately resulted in a loss to the Atlanta Braves. He would manage the Cubs through the 1999 season. After stints as a bench coach and interim manager with the Seattle Mariners, that pattern continued with the new Washington Nationals in 2009. Riggleman was named manager of the Nats in July of 2009 after Manny Acta was relieved of duties. He heads into his second full season in DC.

The young Nationals have responded to Riggleman’s steady hand at the helm. The team is loaded with promising talent like power pitcherStephen Strasburg (currently rehabbing from elbow surgery) and teen power-hitting sensation Bryce Harper. So the future is bright for baseball in your nations’ capital.

Jim Riggleman is a family man and a father. He’s finally back home again. And when he read the book, “A Glove Of Their Own”, he was deeply touched. He was captivated by its story. Obviously its theme of playing baseball as a young lad caught his eye. But the book is so much more. It’s message is a powerful one. So powerful that Riggleman has brought along his own batting coach Rick Eckstein and starting shortstop Ian Desmond to join the cause.

Bob Salomon is the co-creator and driving force behind the “A Glove Of Their Own“. He had read my CultureMob blogmany times. Knew that I was a retired elementary school teacher and that I covered the Washington Redskins. I did over three thousand read alouds during my three decades in the classroom. As the sports editor for JuniorRank, the preeminent youth football camp organization in the nation, it is obvious that I love sports. And this book was long one of my favorites. Long one of my students’ favorites as well. And every time I read it to them, I would stress the book’s message of sharing and kindness with my own childhood memories. We never had enough equipment growing up poor in Northeast Pennsylvania. We, too, played on a field covered in rocks with no bases. The happiest day for us was when the Archbald Athletic Complex opened up just up the road from that rock field. This book has the power to stir memories in grownups. My first article on the book, ”All-Pro Act of Kindness“ was my final piece for CultureMoband became an internet sensation.

“A Glove of Their Own” has its own life force because of its effect on adults who play and love the game, like Riggleman, Eckstein and Desmond. The award-winning book has become so popular that baseball icons like Yogi Berraand Joe Torre have jumped on board. Dozens of other professional players from baseball, including current stars Michael Cuddyer and Nelson Cruz , as well as pros from other sports support the cause.

Salomon’s book has generated funds for over forty non-profit charitable causes such as Cheerful Givers, Covenant House, the Joe Nierko Foundation, and World Baseball Outreach. Major sports corporations like Rawlings, Upper Deck, Louisville Slugger and Modell’s Sporting Goods have joined the cause. Fellow Jersey native Jim Watson, the CEO of New Egypt Entertainment, has befriended Bob Salomon and is instrumental in promoting the book. A football follow-up is in the offing.

“It is my goal to get “A Glove Of Their Own” in the hands of every Nationals player. Every major league player. Its baseball theme is apparent. But I believe that with quality people like Jim Riggleman on board and knowing the charitable potential the book generates, many more good baseball people will join us. Together we can benefit needy, underprivileged youngsters in this community. In every community,” said Bob Salomon.

I, too, remain a loyal believer in Bob Salomon and the message of the Glove. That’s why I wrote this follow-up. You really can make a difference in a kid’s life: a little can go a long way. Giving back and extending friendship is written between the lines of “A Glove of Their Own“; a story of kids who play with little, worn-out equipment, without coaches or concession stands, all for the love of the game. Salomon’s goal is to heighten awareness, raise funds, and motivate everyone to play the game forward. Whether you donate your old equipment, organize a community collection, or donate funds to the dedicated organizations I mentioned earlier, you will positively impact the life of a needy child.