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Newly Published: Rocky Colavito

New on our bookshelf:

Rocky Colavito: Cleveland’s Iconic Slugger
Mark Sommer

Iconic ballplayer Rocky Colavito captivated fans during the 1950s and 1960s with his movie-star looks, boyish enthusiasm, powerful batting and cannon-like arm. This comprehensive biography of “the Rock”—the first in more than half a century—recounts his origins in an Italian immigrant family, his close friendships with Herb Score and Roger Maris, and his rise through the minors to become one of the Cleveland Indians’ most beloved players. Colavito retired with the third-most home runs by a right-handed batter in American League history.

The author tells the story of baseball’s perhaps most controversial trade—Colavito, the AL’s 1959 home run champion, for the Detroit Tigers’ batting champion, Harvey Kuenn. Colavito’s departure was a crushing blow to Indians fans and the team’s subsequent 34–year slump was dubbed “the Curse of Colavito.”