No one changed baseball's record book like Babe Ruth. Some of the Babe's incredible career records may stand forever, though many of his single-season records were finally topped by modern era giants. Find out if anyone's knocked in more RBIs than Ruth in a season and more in this book of stats, photos, and lore.

From his first year in the majors, George Herman "Babe" Ruth knew he could profit from celebrity. Babe Ruth Cigars in 1915 marked his first attempt to cash in. Traded to the Yankees in 1920, he soon signed with Christy Walsh, baseball's first publicity agent. Walsh realized that stories of great deeds in sports were a commodity, and in 1921 sold Ruth's ghostwritten byline to a newspaper syndicate for $15,000 ($187,000 today). Ruth hit home runs while Walsh's writers made him a hero, crafting his public image as a lovable scalawag. Were the stories true? It didn't matter--they sold. Many survive but have never been scrutinized until now. Drawing on primary sources, this book examines the stories, separating exaggerated facts from clear falsehoods. This book traces Ruth's ascendance as the first great media-created superstar and celebrity product endorser.

For more than half a century, Black baseball players, barred from the Major Leagues by systemic racism, competed in leagues of their own. This book re-interprets the history of race in baseball from the ground up. It tells the story of how the Major Leagues became the "Caucasian Leagues," and names the person most responsible for their segregation; showing how Major League owners and executives tried to delay and even prevent integration; and proving, using a broad range of methods, that Negro League players were every inch the equals of their Major League counterparts. Cherished records held by white players since the days of segregation are shown to belong rightfully to Negro League superstars. This book takes a fresh look at a subject that's both straight from today's headlines and as old as baseball itself.

A year's worth of ideas and activities to revitalize every teacher's class This book is phenomenal! This resource is the perfect springboard to help me tackle tough concepts.--Barb Stoflet, Minnesota Teacher of the Year, 2002The diversity of topics covered and the user-friendly language guarantee that we won't grow tired of using The Teacher's Calendar.--Tim Bailey, Utah Teacher of the Year, 2002For five years The Teacher's Calendar has been a fixture in classrooms and school libraries across the country. Teachers will find innovative ideas for lessons, bulletin boards, and school calendars on every page. Infopacked sidebars highlight specific dates and provide curriculum ideas and lists of appropriate books and websites.Almost 5,000 month-by-month, day-byday listings--all fully revised and checked 50 new essays on how to use this material in class for overworked teachers Appendixes with U.S., Canada, and Mexico at-a-glance facts And more! With its extensive listings and seemingly inexhaustible treasure of classroom ideas, The Teacher's Calendar will take the guesswork out of lesson planning and put fun and creativity back into the classroom.