Showing results by author "Tim Wendel" in All Categories

Alex loves to play hockey, but he has a difficult time controlling his temper, on and off the ice. Nothing seems to work until his grandfather's "magic" radio transports him back in time, where he meets Stan Mikita of the Chicago Blackhawks. Together, Alex and Stan find a way to help each other out.

Young Teddy and his older sister, Amanda, find themselves stranded on South Manitou Island on the second full moon of the month, or as the old-timers call it, the night of the blue moon. Little do they know that on such nights the past can come alive here, with ghosts and demons, spirits, and pirates, once again walking the earth.

In this visionary sequel to Castro’s Curveball, the former Washington Senators Minor League catcher has returned to Havana with a small role in a movie being filmed on location. Billy Bryan soon realizes that this place and his past remain as star-crossed as when he played winter ball in the Cuban capital decades before.

When a beautiful showgirl married to Cuba’s most famous baseball player escapes to the sea, only a boy and a boat and a belief in the “American Dream” keep her afloat. Planning to rendezvous with her husband after an exhibition game in El Norte, the showgirl risks everything only to discover that crossing the straits might be easier than spanning allegiances. Set against the backdrop of actual games played between the Cuba National Team and the Baltimore Orioles, Habana Libre is the story of people caught between home and hope.

Buffalo, Home of the Braves chronicles the rise and fall of the National Basketball Association franchise in Western New York that existed from 1970-1978. The team roster included such key players and personalities as Bob McAdoo, Dr. Jack Ramsay, Randy Smith, Paul Snyder, Jack Marin, Gar Heard, John Shumate, and Ernie DiGregorio. The Braves made history with their up-tempo style of play and had three Rookies of the Year. This award-winning book highlights each of those memorable seasons, including the playoffs.

The best-kept secret of World War II? The Japanese fire balloons. In this novel, a Japanese-American woman goes undercover to destroy these delicate but deadly creations.

Three decades later, the "Miracle on Ice" still captures imaginations around the world and causes American hearts to swell with pride. This is the thrilling true story of how a ragtag team of collegiate and amateur athletes united in the shadow of the Cold War to defeat the seemingly invincible Soviet ice hockey team at the 1980 Winter Olympics.

Never in baseball history had a team ranked last rebounded to take the pennant the following season. Yet, in 1991, lightning struck twice as the Minnesota Twins and the Atlanta Braves, a pair of cellar dwellers the year before, faced each other in an unforgettable World Series. When the final out was recorded, the cover headline in Baseball Weekly read: Best World Series ever.”

When Eric Wendel was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 1966, the survival rate was less than 10 percent. Today, it is 90 percent. Even as politicians call for a "Cancer Moonshot", this accomplishment remains a pinnacle in cancer research. The author's daughter, then a medical student at Georgetown Medical School, told her father about this amazing success story. Tim Wendel soon discovered that many of the doctors at the forefront of this effort cared for his brother at Roswell Park in Buffalo, New York. Wendel went in search of this extraordinary group.

What is it about a quality fastball that brings us to the edge of our seats? How is it humanly possible to throw more than 100 mph? And the big question: Who is the fastest pitcher ever?Drawing on interviews with current and former players, managers, scouts, experts, and historians, Tim Wendel delivers the answers to some of the most intriguing questions about the fastball, providing insight into one of baseball’s most exhilarating yet mystifying draws. In High Heat he takes us on a quest to separate verifiable fact from baseball lore, traveling from ballparks across the country to the Baseball Hall of Fame, piecing together the fascinating history of the fastball.

Recently widowed and now retired, Billy Bryan is “coming to the end of many things.” Then a long-forgotten scrapbook stirs memories of a distant past - and beckons him and his grown daughter on a reluctant journey to relive his role in history. In 1947 Bryan was playing winter ball in Cuba, his future as uncertain as the island country’s. Then one fateful night Bryan witnessed a young student radical named Fidel unleash an amazing curveball. So begins Bryan's tug-of-war with destiny.

From the beginning, ’68 was a season rocked by national tragedy and sweeping change. Opening Day was postponed and later played in the shadow of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s funeral. That summer, as the pennant races were heating up, the assassination of Robert Kennedy was later followed by rioting at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. But even as tensions boiled over and violence spilled into the streets, something remarkable was happening in major league ballparks across the country. Pitchers were dominating like never before, and with records falling and shut-outs mounting, many began hailing ’68 as “The Year of the Pitcher".

With Rebel Falls, Tim Wendel takes us to late summer of 1864. The Civil War rages on. Sherman is marching on Atlanta, while the armies of Grant and Lee battle across Virginia. In the North, war-weariness has made Lincoln's bid for reelection seem doubtful. As the fate of the nation hangs in the balance, Confederate agents gather in Niagara Falls to plan one last maneuver to turn the tide of the conflict.