DOC Kingship and Conversion in Sixteenth-Century Sri Lanka: Portuguese Imperialism in a Buddhist Land (University of Cambridge Oriental Publications) by Dr Alan Strathern in History

Description

From an award-winning journalist; a real Field of Dreams story about a legendary coach and the professional-caliber baseball program he built in America's heartland; where boys come summer after summer to be molded into ballplayers — and men Clarinda; Iowa; population 5;000; sits two hours from anything. There; between the corn fields and hog yards; is a ball field with a bronze bust of a man named Merl Eberly; a baseball whisperer who specialized in second chances and lost causes. The statue was a gift from one of Merl’s original long-shot projects; a skinny kid from the ghetto in Los Angeles who would one day become a beloved Hall-of-Fame shortstop: Ozzie Smith.The Baseball Whisperer traces the remarkable story of Merl Eberly and his Clarinda A’s baseball team; which he tended over the course of five decades; transforming them from a town team to a collegiate summer league powerhouse. Along with Ozzie Smith; future manager Bud Black; and star player Von Hayes; Merl developed scores of major league players (six of which are currently playing). In the process; Merl taught them to be men; insisting on hard work; integrity; and responsibility. More than a book about ballplayers who landed in the nation's agricultural heartland; The Baseball Whisperer is the story of a coach who puts character and dedication first; and reminds us of the best; purest form of baseball excellence.