Cy Young: An American Baseball Hero (Biographies for Young Readers)

by Scott H Longert (Author)

Cy Young: An American Baseball Hero (Biographies for Young Readers)

Cy Young was one of the hardest-throwing pitchers of all time. He recorded three no-hitters--including a perfect game--and accumulated more than 2,800 strikeouts on his way to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Scott H. Longert uses Young's life story to introduce middle-grade readers to the game, explaining balls, strikes, and outs in an easy-to-understand way. Longert narrates each season and each milestone game with an enthusiastic play-by-play that is sure to draw readers into the excitement on the field and in the crowd, fostering a better understanding of and a passion for baseball. Baseball fans today know Cy Young's name chiefly through the award given in his honor each year to the best pitcher in the National and the American Leagues.

Denton True "Cyclone" Young won more than five hundred games over a career that spanned four decades, a record that no other major league pitcher has come close to matching. In addition to being the winningest pitcher in baseball history, he was also a kind, self-effacing, and generous man. Born into a farm family in rural Ohio, he never lost touch with the small-town values he grew up with.

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ALA/Booklist

Well researched and illustrated with archival photos, this biography tells a straightforward story with clarity and plenty of human interest, while providing related information in sidebars. Fans will enjoy learning why Major League Baseball's annual pitching awards honor Young as well as such matters as how the sport's rules have changed over time. An informative sports biography.

School Library Journal

Gr 6-8--Denton True "Cy" Young (1867-1955) is the only pitcher in Major League Baseball history to notch more than 500 wins in his career. In 1903, the first-ever World Series took place. Young pitched in four games, and his Boston Americans (now the Red Sox) defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 1904, he pitched a "perfect game"--no hits, no runs, no players on base. That same year, he pitched 45 consecutive scoreless innings. In his personal life, Young was widely known as a loyal friend as well as kind, generous, honest, and sober. In the off-season, he returned to Gilmore, OH, to work on his farm. He rose early to attend to chores, jogged in the forests around his home, and chopped wood to keep in shape. Photos feature Young, his wife, and many fellow players and acquaintances at various stages of his long career. The book's design and layout are mostly straightforward, with some side texts, making this title more appealing to stronger readers. In an early sidebar, Longert provides a description of the fundamentals of baseball, though later information about game play and playoff series dynamics seems to assume an appreciation for and knowledge of the sport. Numerous source notes, divided by chapter, as well as a substantial bibliography, a time line, and a glossary, are included. VERDICT A well-rounded portrait of an athletic giant. Recommended for libraries where baseball is popular.--Bob Hassett, Luther Jackson M.S., Falls Church, VA

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

 
Scott H Longert

Scott H. Longert is the author of six books (including four Ohio University Press titles) on Cleveland baseball history from the post-Civil War era through the middle of the twentieth century. He has an MA in American history from Cleveland State University and has appeared on numerous broadcast media shows and baseball documentaries. Longert is a lifetime resident of Cleveland, where he lives with his wife, Vicki, and several dogs and cats.

Classification
-
ISBN-13
9780821424193
Lexile Measure
1060
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Ohio University Press
Publication date
June 01, 2020
Series
Biographies for Young Readers
BISAC categories
JNF007020 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | Historical
Library of Congress categories
History
United States
Baseball players
Baseball
Ohio
Boston Red Sox (Baseball team)
Cleveland Indians (Baseball team)
Pitchers (Baseball)
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
Major League Baseball (Organization)
Young, Cy

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