Basketball's been cancelled for 2020. Baseball may operate on a modified schedule with zero fans in the bleachers. The 2020 Summer Olympics have been postponed for a year. These are just a few of the losses sports fans are enduring during this pandemic. But you can still go for a run before settling into YouTube reruns of your favorite plays. Or read one of these great sports books on OverDrive or the Libby app. Here's to better days ahead.
Moneyball
Michael Lewis
eBOOK
Nonfiction, Sports
Moneyball is a quest for the secret of success in baseball. In a narrative full of fabulous characters and brilliant excursions into the unexpected, Michael Lewis follows the low-budget Oakland A's, visionary general manager Billy Beane, and the strange brotherhood of amateur baseball theorists. They are all in search of new baseball knowledge—insights that will give the little guy who is willing to discard old wisdom the edge over big money.
My Cubs : a love story
Scott Simon
eBOOK
Nonfiction, Sports, Memoir
"NPR's Scott Simon's personal, heartfelt reflections on his beloved Chicago Cubs, replete with club lore, memorable anecdotes, frenetic fandom and wise and adoring intimacy that have made the world champion Cubbies baseball's most tortured--and now triumphant--franchise. No metaphor is necessary; the Chicago Cubs have been the living example of disappointment and failure for more than a century--until now. The Cubs' 2016 World Series win marked the end of a 108-year drought in the team's history, and Game 7 will forever be remembered as one of the most thrilling, monumental moments in sports history. For Scott Simon, host of NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday and a lifelong Cubs fan, it was a moment he never thought he'd live to see. MY CUBS chronicles Simon's adolescence in Chicago as a die-hard fan to tell the story of the relationship between the team and the neighborhood and city, and how the condition of Cubness has both charmed and haunted the lives of so many fans. From theories and curses to jinxes and myths, Simon chronicles how a team of "loveable losers" inspired such fervor and dedication from their fans, and how their 2016 win transcended sports to become an underdog narrative for the whole nation"--
Boom town : the fantastical saga of Oklahoma city, its chaotic founding... its purloined basketball team, and the dream of becoming a world-class metropolis
Sam Anderson
eBOOK
Nonfiction, Sports
"A lively and introspective look into Oklahoma City, where colorful city officials business leaders, artists, and sports fans have turned an unassuming Southwestern city into a thriving metropolis with a dazzling basketball team"--
War fever : Boston, baseball, and America in the shadow of the Great War
Randy Roberts
eBOOK
Nonfiction, Sports, History
American culture in upheaval and a sweeping account of the conflict, War Fever is narrative history at its best."--
The boys in the boat : nine Americans and their epic quest for gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
Daniel James Brown
eAUDIO
Nonfiction, Sports, History
This is the remarkable story of the University of Washington's 1936 eight-oar crew and their epic quest for an Olympic gold medal. The sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and farmers, the boys defeated elite rivals first from eastern and British universities and finally the German crew rowing for Adolf Hitler in the Olympic games in Berlin, 1936.
Foxcatcher : the true story of my brother's murder, John du Pont's madness, and the quest for Olympic gold
Mark Schultz
eBOOK
Nonfiction, Sports, History
"On January 26, 1996, Dave Schultz, Olympic gold-medal winner and wrestling golden boy, was shot three times by du Pont family heir John E. du Pont at the famed Foxcatcher Farms estate in Pennsylvania. Following the murder there was a tense standoff when du Pont barricaded himself in his home for two days before he was finally captured. How did such a horrifying senseless murder happen?...Mark Schultz takes us through his remarkable wrestling career from high school to world and Olympic championships, revealing both the triumphs of his career and the personal and financial struggles that gave him no choice but to join forces with the eccentric, controlling du Pont."--Provided by publisher.
The Sixth Man : A Memoir
Andre Iguodala
eBOOK
Nonfiction, Sports, Memoir
"A standout sports memoir from NBA powerhouse, a swingman and NBA All-Star of the Golden State Warriors"--
A personal favorite of former President Barack Obama, this is more than just a sports book. It's an intimate look at the strength of individuals in teams and enduring the challenges as a young Black man.
- Melody
Forward : a memoir
Abby Wambach
eAUDIO
Nonfiction, Sports, Memoir
"Abby Wambach has always pushed the limits of what is possible. Named by Time magazine as one of the most influential people of 2015, the iconic soccer player captured the nation's heart when she led her team to its recent World Cup Championship. Admired for her fearlessness and passion, Abby is a vocal advocate for women's rights and equal opportunity, pushing to translate the success of her team to the real world. She has become a heavily requested speaker to a wide a range of audiences, from college students to executives at Fortune 500 companies. In Forward, Abby recounts her own decisions, wins, losses, and the pivotal moments that helped her become the world class athlete and leader she is today. Wambach's book goes beyond the soccer field to reveal a soulful person grappling universal questions about how we can live our best lives, and become our truest selves. Written with honesty and heart, Forward is an inspiring blueprint for individual growth and rousing call to action"--
Masters of Modern Soccer : How the World's Best Play the Twenty-First-Century Game
Grant Wahl
eBOOK
Nonfiction, Sports
"Masters of Modern Soccer is the definitive thinking fan's guide to modern soccer. For a supporter of any team, from the U.S. national teams to Manchester United, or any competition, from Mexico's Liga MX to the World Cup, this book reveals what players and managers are thinking before, during, and after games and delivers a true behind-the-scenes perspective on the inner workings of the sport's brightest minds. America's premier soccer journalist, Grant Wahl, follows world-class players from across the globe examining how they do their jobs. This access imbues Masters of Modern Soccer with deep insight from the players on how goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, and forwards function individually and as a unit to excel and win. Wahl also shadows a manager and director of soccer as they juggle the challenges of coaching, preparation, and the short- and long-term strategies of how to identify and acquire talent and deploy it on the field. A book that will stand the test of time, Masters of Modern Soccer is the most in-depth analysis of the craft of soccer ever written for the American fan. For any fan, player, coach, or sideline enthusiast, this book will change the way they watch the game" --
The incomplete book of running
Peter Sagal
eAUDIO
Nonfiction, Sports, Memoir
Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me's Peter Sagal muses on his running life.
- Melody
North : Finding My Way While Running the Appalachian Trail
Scott Jurek
eAUDIO
Nonfiction, Sports, Memoir
Running with the mind of meditation : lessons for training body and mind
Rinpoche Sakyong Mipham
eAUDIO
Nonfiction, Sports
Endure : mind, body, and the curiously elastic limits of human performance
Alex Hutchinson
eBOOK
Nonfiction, Sports
"From the National Magazine Award-winning Runner's World columnist, frequent NewYorker.com contributor, and Cambridge-trained physicist: a fascinating and definitive exploration of the science of endurance and peak performance"--
Alex Hutchinson is an expert on science and athletic performance.
- Melody
Michael Lewis' Moneyball popularized using analytics to build a better baseball team.
- Melody