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Baseball: the definitive autobiography of Ted Williams and 7 other noteworthy books

Here are excerpts from 7 noteworthy new books about baseball.

8. “Sports Illustrated Baseball’s Greatest”

  • By Ross Atkin

By the editors of Sports Illustrated

Sports Illustrated

288 pages

(Sports Illustrated editors pick the top 10 greatest players, managers, and ballparks, with staff written vignettes on each selection. Mariano Rivera of the Yankees, who retired at the end of last season, was selected as the game's all-time best relief pitcher.)

"Just three months into his new role as the closer for a budding Yankees dynasty, Rivera was suddenly unable to throw his signature four-seam fastball straight. He was gripping the ball the same way he always had. The wicked movement just ... happened. And continued to happen while Rivera warmed up one late-June night in the bullpen at Tiger Stadium. Rivera didn't have an explanation, and though he says he 'didn't have any idea where the ball was going,' his results did not suffer. He got the save in that game, then in the next three. Still, for a month, he worked to eliminate the cutting action. Then he said, 'I'm tired of working at this. Let's let it happen.' And since that day we didn't try to straighten it out anymore.' He smiles. 'And the rest is history.' "

The complete Top 10 relief pitchers:

1. Mariano Rivera

2. Dennis Eckersley

3. Rollie Fingers

4. Rich Gossage

5. Trevor Hoffman

6. Hoyt Wilhelm

7. Bruce Sutter

8. Dan Quisenberry

9. Lee Smith

10. Billy Wagner

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Mark Sappenfield
Editor

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