Jim Maggiore Bücher

Professional golf came to Broome County in 1971 as the Broome County Open, a one-day event. By 1973, it had become a four-day stop on the PGA Tour called the B.C. Open. Over the next three decades, it hosted such luminaries of the links as Lee Trevino, Tiger Woods, and Fuzzy Zoeller, while national icons like Bob Hope, Mickey Mantle, and Johnny Hart played in various Pro-Am tournaments. The Dick's Sporting Goods Open began in 2007 as part of the Champions Tour. The sporting goods company got its start in the neighboring city of Binghamton, the hometown of founder Richard "Dick" Stack, making it a natural choice as primary sponsor. The biggest attraction besides golf is the annual Concert on the Green when the 18th green is converted to a stage. Among the major recording artists who have performed are Tim McGraw and the Zac Brown Band.

The Greater Binghamton area's undulating history mirrors that of its terrain. The area has evolved from a transportation center to a hub of manufacturing and technology and, with the expansion of Binghamton University and SUNY Broome Community College, a growing center of erudition. First, canal boats and trains dominated the landscape, then, cigars were produced in abundance, followed by shoes, simulators, and computers. Now, with Binghamton University expanding into downtown, student housing, breweries, and eateries fill Binghamton's streets. The area has earned the monikers "Parlor City," "Carousel Capital of the World," "Sports Mecca," and the "City of Festivals." Binghamton's cultural legacy is rich; besides being the home of professional baseball, bicycling, golf, hockey, running, and tennis, Binghamton's annual celebrations have included Mural Fest, July Fest, Spiedie Fest, and Luma Fest.

Viera, Florida, has been the spring training home for the Washington Nationals since the team's inception in 2005 and author Jim Maggiore has made the sojourn to Florida every year to watch the team get ready for the regular season. From Nick Johnson and Frank Robinson to Jayson Werth and Matt Williams, this book captures the Nationals in action through the years, not only on the diamond of Space Coast Stadium, but also on the backfields of the Nationals' spring training site. The enthusiasm, optimism, and insouciance of spring are delivered in these pages, as well as suggestions for getting the most out of a visit to Viera. Nationals fan or not, you will greatly appreciate this work; through its spring training stories and more than 200 photographs, it captures the intimacy and charm of baseball's spring training season.

Since 1988 the New York Mets have used Port St. Lucie (a.k.a. "St. Lucie") as their spring training home. Loyal fans from Flushing and beyond have made an annual trek to the bucolic backfields of St. Lucie to literally walk in the footsteps of their baseball heroes. The theme of loyalty and patience fill these pages, as we take a pictorial history of the Mets in St. Lucie. Though undergoing some change through the years, the fields of St. Lucie have remained mostly unchanged, while the Mets have migrated through a variety of managing styles, ranging from the brashness of Davey Johnson, Dallas Green, and Bobby Valentine, to the humble demeanors of Jeff Torborg and Art Howe, to the humor-filled reign of Jerry Manuel, who became adept at substituting jokes for wins during his years managing the Mets. Today Terry Collins is at the helm of the team and for only the second time since training at St. Lucie, the team enters 2016 spring training fresh off an appearance in the World Series! While the post September 11th 2001 era ushered in increased privacy for the players, the St. Lucie complex still ranks extremely high in "fan friendliness." In turning these pages, you not only revisit the Mets of yesteryear, but you also get a glimpse of the changing nature of the game, as well as the changing face of the nation.