Ballard, Chris

Tells the story of a small-town baseball team from Illinois in 1971.

Provides a rated listing of seven hundred places to play pickup basketball in the U.S., organized by region; features information about court fashion, hoops lingo, and legendary players; and includes anecdotes about the author's six months on the road doing research for the guide.

"Sports Illustrated" senior writer Chris Ballard draws on his experiences interviewing and spending time with professional basketball players to explore the training, mental and physical demand, skills, and other aspects of the game.

Tells the story of a small-town baseball team from Illinois in 1971.

Provides a rated listing of seven hundred places to play pickup basketball in the U.S., organized by region; features information about court fashion, hoops lingo, and legendary players; and includes anecdotes about the author's six months on the road doing research for the guide.

Recounts the journey of hippie, dreamer, and intellectual Lynn Sweet, who arrived in Macon, Illinois, in 1966 and became the reluctant coach of the high school baseball team, leading the Macon Ironmen through an improbable season to the state final.

Profiles ten people with unusual vocations, including a man--legally named "Spiderman"--who assesses damage and makes repairs on the sides of two-hundred-foot buildings, an NFL kicking coach with no kicking experience, and the voice of thousands of movie trailers, explaining the paths they took to their unique professions.