{"product_id":"willies-boys-the-1948-birmingham-black-barons-the-last-negro-league-world-series-and-the-making-of-a-baseball-legend-9780470400135","title":"Willie's Boys: The 1948 Birmingham Black Barons, the Last Negro League World Series, and the Making of a Baseball Legend","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe story of Willie Mays's rookie year with the Negro American League's Birmingham Black Barons, the Last Negro World Series, and the making of a baseball legend\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBaseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays is one of baseball's endearing greats, a tremendously talented and charismatic center fielder who hit 660 career homeruns, collected 3,283 hits, knocked in 1,903 runs, won 12 Gold Glove Awards and appeared in 24 All-Star games. But before Mays was the \"\"Say Hey Kid\"\", he was just a boy. \u003ci\u003eWillie's Boys\u003c\/i\u003e is the story of his remarkable 1948 rookie season with the Negro American League's Birmingham Black Barons, who took a risk on a raw but gifted 16-year-old and gave him the experience, confidence, and connections to escape Birmingham's segregation, navigate baseball's institutional racism, and sign with the New York Giants. \u003ci\u003eWillie's Boys\u003c\/i\u003e offers a character-rich narrative of the apprenticeship Mays had at the hands of a diverse group of savvy veterans who taught him the ways of the game and the world.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSheds new light on the virtually unknown beginnings of a baseball great, not available in other books\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCaptures the first incredible steps of a baseball superstar in his first season with the Negro League's Birmingham Black Barons\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIntroduces the veteran group of Negro League players, including Piper Davis, who gave Mays an incredible apprenticeship season\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIlluminates the Negro League's last days, drawing on in-depth research and interviews with remaining players\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExplores the heated rivalry between Mays's Black Barons and Buck O'Neil's Kansas City Monarchs, culminating in the last Negro League World Series\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBreaks new historical ground on what led the New York Giants to acquire Mays, and why he didn't sign with the Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Yankees, or Boston Red Sox\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003ePacked with stories and insights, \u003ci\u003eWillie's Boys\u003c\/i\u003e takes you inside an important part of baseball history and the development of one of the all-time greats ever to play the game.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJohn Klima, an award-winning baseball writer, has written for the \"New York Times, \" Yahoo! Sports, and \"Los Angeles Times.\" His story \"Deal of the Century\" was selected by David Maraniss to be included in the 2007 edition of \"Best American Sports Writing.\" In 2007, he was honored by the Associated Press Sports Editors for column writing. He is a member of the Baseball Writers Association of America and the Society for American Baseball Research. Visit his Web sites at www.klimaink.com. and www.baseballbeginnings.com.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Trade Paper Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50625743225106,"sku":"9780470400135","price":22.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_8014d53b-bb87-4393-904d-5a76ec636e52.jpg?v=1732638825","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/willies-boys-the-1948-birmingham-black-barons-the-last-negro-league-world-series-and-the-making-of-a-baseball-legend-9780470400135","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}