NOSECAT BOOK REPORTS:
LINKS TO PITTSBURGH SPORTS:
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PROUD MEMBERS OF THE SOCIETY FOR AMERICAN BASEBALL RESEARCH
PROUD MEMBERS OF THE PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL RESEARCHERS ASSOCIATION
NOSECAT BOOKS
Bill Ranier, Tom Aikens, Chris Fletcher and David Finoli have been devoted fans of Steel City sports throughout their lives. They bring this passion to their books, intended to preserve the rich history of sports in Western Pennsylvania. This Web Site will not only feature their books, which can be purchased on this site, but some provocative essays and statistical reports.
MEET THE AUTHORS
SATURDAY MARCH 22ND AT 2:00 DAVE WILL BE SIGNING "BASEBALL IN ALTOONA:FROM THE MOUNTAIN CITY TO THE CURVE" AT BARNES AND NOBLE IN ALTOONA
WHAT'S AVAILABLE
JUST PUBLISHED
NOW AVALIABLE
BASEBALL IN ALTOONA
BY
DAVID FINOLI
ARCADIA PUBLISHING
For 46 days in the spring of 1884, Altoona had the honor of having a major league baseball team, the Unions. For the next 115 years, despite the fact baseball flourished here in the form of the game that the men of the Pennsylvania Railroad played, professional baseball floundered here as six came and six teams left. Finally in 1999, Altoona proved it could support a professional team when the Curve came to town. Since then, impressively 10% of the town’s population has shown up at every game showing the love the community has for our national pastime.
Through many classic photographs, the story of baseball in this proud community is told, and the memories of the game that has been played in this scenic city are brought to life.
NOW AVALIABLE
THE PITTSBURGH PIRATES
BY
DAVID FINOLI
ARCADIA PUBLISHING
For 122 years, few major league teams have given their fans more thrills than the Pittsburgh Pirates. Beginning as the Pittsburgh Allegheny’s in the old American Association, Pittsburgh has boasted thirty five Hall of Famers, five world champions, nine National League pennant winners and nine Eastern Division titles. All the treasured memories, from Honus Wagner’s all around excellence, to Mazeroski’s remarkable 1960 World Series blast, to the grace Roberto Clemente showed on and off the field that has been immortalized since his heroic and tragic death, are captured in this book.
Through many classic photographs, the story of the proud frachise is told bringing readers to a time, unlike recently, when the Pittsburgh Pirates represented the Steel City with championship baseball.
STEEL CITY GRIDIRONS
BY
CHRIS FLETCHER AND DAVID FINOLI
FROM TOWERS MAGUIRE PUBLISHING
The French love Jerry Lewis. Pittsburghers love football. There are no pratfalls in our devotion, but there is something in our collective consciousness that views the donning of pads and helmet as a sacred rite of fall and winter. Oh how our calendars change.
Want to hold an event? Don't even think of scheduling it for a Friday night-that's high school football night. It's a pageant that reaches into all the communities of Southwestern Pennsylvania, with more than bragging rights on the line. In one match-up, the game even determines the name of a bridge. Should Monaca win, you cross the Monaca-Rochester Bridge. A loss carries you across the Rochester-Monaca Bridge.
Saturdays also bring a veritable smorgasbord of pigskin pleasures. If you crave Division I fare, there's the University of Pittsburgh, where fans can get their fill of a top-10 program. Or they can nibble at a number of smaller college programs-new powerhouses at Duquesne University and the traditional tastiness of Washington & Jefferson, Carnegie Mellon and IUP.
And finally, for many, Sundays are religious holidays that don't involve traditional churches or temples. They worship at Heinz Field. Our Lady of the Three Rivers. It's with great zeal and fervor that the congregation prays for the pilgrims in black and gold to bless them with victory and make all right with the world. Can I get an amen?
JUST PUBLISHED
WHEN THE BUCS WON IT ALL: THE 1979 WORLD CHAMPION PITTSBURGH PIRATES
BY
BILL RANIER AND DAVID FINOLI
FROM MC FARLAND AND COMPANY, INC PUBLISHERS
From the Stargell Stars placed on the 1890's pillbox hats, to the multi combination double knit uniforms, to an excited city dancing to the disco hit We are Family, the 1979 World Champion Pittsburgh Pirates have been one of the most memorable teams ever to grace the Steel City landscape. Their exploits and more are chronicled in this book. It not only takes a look at how the club was built, but gives an in depth view into the regular season and a game-by-game account complete with box-scores of the Bucs post-season endeavor.
Following their World Series victory, the team quickly slid into mediocrity. The reason for this sudden drop off is detailed in the book as a comparison between the 1979 squad and the one in 1980 shows why the family ended up being a one-season wonder. Also included, are some wonderful photos, a thorough statistical breakdown, an index and biographies of each person that was honored to be associated with the Family including every player, Chuck Tanner, Harding Peterson and the coaches. The Bios not only take a look at the 1979 championship season, but their careers before and after that magical campaign as well as complete career stats.
A quarter of a century ago the Bucs were on top of the world. The book hopefully will spark memories of those special times.
THE BIRTHPLACE OF PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL: SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA
BY
TOM AIKENS AND DAVID FINOLI
FROM ARCADIA PUBLISHERS
Professional Football at the turn of the 20th century was something considered unethical, non existant. That changed when John Brallier took $10 plus expenses to play for Latrobe against their arch rivals from Greensburg in 1895. While 70 years later Historians showed that Pudge Heffelfinger actually had been paid three years earlier in 1892 Brallier had been celebrated as the first pro ever by the NFL and the city of Latrobe officially designated "The Birthplace of Professional Football", even earning a bid to build the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
This book not only details in many fine photos and text the history of the game at the turn of the century in this quaint Westmoreland County town, but also tells the story of how their Hall of Fame dreams came crashing down eventually sending the sports Mecca to Canton.
Despite evertything that happened, Latrobe still holds many distinctions in the origin of what is now arguably the national pastime. This book takes the reader back in time, bringing to life the tales that may have been forgotten.
THE PITTSBURGH PIRATES ENCYCLOPEDIA
BY DAVID FINOLI and BILL RANIER
FROM SPORTS PUBLISHING LLC
The Pittsburgh Pirates have one of the most storied histories in the annuls of baseball, the Pittsburgh Pirate Encyclopedia captures these fabulous times though the stories of the individuals and the collective teams that have thrilled the Steel City for 115 years.
Through the years the greats of the game such as Roberto Clemente, Honus Wagner, Willie Stargell, Paul Waner and Barry Bonds have made their way through this town, writing the history of Pittsburgh baseball with their exploits such as clutch performances by Clemente and Stargell in Game 7's of the 1971 and 1979 World Series respectively and of course what was arguably the most exciting round tripper in the history of the sport, when Hall of Famer Bill Mazeroski hit a game 7 bottom of the 9th inning home run to upset the powerful Bronx Bombers in the 1960 fall classic.
Going along with those moments were such memories as the 7 for 7 performance by Rennie Stennett in Wrigley Field, seven no hitters, including the greatest game ever pitched, a bittersweet 12 inning perfect game by Harvey Haddix that he lost in the 13th inning, nine National League pennants and World Championships in 1909, 1925, 1960,1971 and 1979.
With all the exciting times there were also some periods that were not so cherished, such as the Bob Moose wild pitch in 1972, the Francisco Cabrera pinch hit single in 1992 and the untimely death of one of the greatest sports figures ever to grace Pittsburgh, Roberto Clemente.
All these exciting moments are included in the pages of this book. There is a season-by-season recap, every post season series, biographies of the top 100 Pirates, a saber metric report that rates the Pirate Managers, bios on such memorable players as Casey Stengel, Mario Mendoza and Hank Greenberg as well as those on every Bucco manager, General Manager and Owner, the top 10 and bottom 10 teams of all-time, a complete all-star chapter, a record section, other great teams to play in Pittsburgh, best and worst moves, the all time Pirate roster, with pertinent stats while they played with the Black and Gold and so much more.
The Pittsburgh Pirate Encyclopedia will provide Pirate fans as well as baseball fans in general a complete look into the team's history, sparking memories of glories past and hopes for the future.
FOR THE GOOD OF THE COUNTRY
BY
DAVID FINOLI
FROM MC FARLAND AND COMPANY, INC PUBLISHERS
Imagine if you will Your Favorite Baseball stars, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa and Derek Jeter all interrupting their baseball careers, right in the prime of it, to serve their country during a war. To go one step further, what if 80% of the players also had to go and the game was a collection of players past their prime, injured to the point where they could not be inducted into the armed forces or those too young to be drafted.As strange as that scenario is, it's exactly what happened during World War II.
For the Good of the Country, published by Mc Farland & Co Publishers, not only examines year-by year and team-by team, the game that was between 1942 and 1945, but gives a brief biography of those brave men who gave up their careers, family and in some cases, their lives to fight for Uncle Sam during the great conflict.Covered is not only the major leagues, but that of the Negro Leagues, Minor Leagues, and even the All American Girls League.To get perhaps the most thorough work on baseball during that time period.
COMING IN 2008
THE STEEL CITY 500
BY
CHRIS FLETCHER AND DAVID FINOLI
What would life be without lists? What would life be without sports? Therefore, what would sports be without lists?
Follow the logic, or lack thereof. Each day the average American compiles that beacon of efficiency, the to-do list, be it mental, or in the case of the truly anal retentive, on an actual piece of paper or digital file that is colorfully named TO DO. We’re entertained by lists, including those Top 10s that moved from Late Show host David Letterman squarely into our culture. We’re impugned by them—or at least some people are. For the past 45 years, fashion critic and former designer Mr. Blackwell has laid out his worst-dressed list of the style-challenged celebrities. If nothing else, Mr. Blackwell reminds us that Cher is still alive and well.
Lists make for lively discussions, arguments and the tossing back of a few beers. (Although we do not condone nasty arguments that can lead to emotional scarring, we are in favor of conversation and Penn Pilsner.) There are the records, where we know that Hank Aaron holds the most glamorous of all sporting achievements by crushing 755 home runs in his non-chemically altered major league career. There are the rankings, each year a source of controversy in college football. And there are those truly arcane listings and records: Most home runs hit on a birthday (5—held by Alex Rodriguez and Al Simmons). If you can dream it, you can create a list for it.
So, at last we get to the reason we’re gathered here: To select and celebrate the Steel City 500, the greatest athletes in Western Pennsylvania history. A few notes of explanation as you’re getting your beer and preparing to argue with the choices. First, in the case of team sports, we’re limiting our picks to those who competed here at either the collegiate or professional level. That same rule doesn’t hold true for individual sports (more on that in a minute). Therefore, of our great legacy of NFL quarterbacks like Johnny Unitas, Joe Namath, Joe Montana and Dan Marino, only Marino qualifies for inclusion on the Steel City 500 list (No. 20), based upon his exploits at the University of Pittsburgh. Likewise, Donora’s Stan “The Man” Musial doesn’t crack the list, despite being one of the 20 greatest baseball players of all time, because he unfortunately never played for the Pittsburgh Pirates. For us, high-school athletics paled in comparison, so we chose to identify those who competed at a higher level. (However, we’re not nuts, so we included a separate listing of great athletes who hailed from but never played here.)
Chances are you might not agree with where some of our competitors fall in the list. Barry Bonds outside the top 20? You’ll see why. That’s the beauty of this project—the discussions that are sure to ensue. The other highlight for us is to be able to showcase many of the top athletes you may not have heard of or have been overlooked. Western Pennsylvania has a great sporting heritage. Join us in celebrating it.
