One Shining Moment: Sports Heroes for a Day (Mass Market Paperback)

~ (Author) "The future is now, and fifteen minutes in the lime light is as much as most anyone can expect..." (more)
Key Phrases: New York, Olympic Games, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

For Every Babe Ruth, There's a Dick Nen ...

Everyone knows the great ones: DiMaggio ... Namath ... Jordon ... Orr ... But what about the other guys, the sports unknowns who spent entire careers in anonymity, until that single remarkable moment when they found themselves in the spotlight with a golden opportunity to triumph ... or flop spectacularly?

In this fascinating, informative, and endlessly entertaining compendium of brief athletic accomplishments, the little guy finally gets his due! From the amazing and inspiring to the downright absurd, here is a treasure trove of little-known lore that every sports fan will cherish; a grand celebration of the unsung heroes of athletic competition -- like the incomparable Dick Nen, who, with only eight at-bats all season, blasted a towering home run that catapulted the lowly Dodgers over the mighty Cardinals, propelling his team into the World Series .. yet did not have another plate appearance for two more years!

About the Author

Burnham Holmes is a veteran author, teacher, and editor who divides his time between New York City and Poultney, Vermont.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: HarperTorch (February 25, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380798794
• ISBN-13: 978-0380798797
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,570,667 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST FOR TRIVIA BUFFS AND SPORTS FANS, March 9, 2006

By	carl womack (north carolina) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I bought this book for the simple reason that I found it compelling, intriguing, and very entertaining. In fact, I'm hoping to buy a second copy to add to my collection because I know I'm going read the other one so much it will end up falling apart.
This publication is dedicated to select individuals in baseball, football, basketball, bicycling, bowling, boxing, football, golf, hockey, horse racing, running, soccer, swimming, tennis, track & field, walking (Frankly I didn't know this was a sport), water sports, weightlifting, winter sports, auto racing, as well as coaches, officials, and even a few fans, who for one reason or another had their one glorious famous or infamous moment in sports.
You can read just about anywhere about guys like Babe Ruth, or Ken Griffey Jr. or Chipper Jones, but, to my knowledge (and unless it is printed in some newspaper), the only place you're going to read about people like Ed Cole or Carol Polis or Jeff Reese, is in this most excellent publication. A few examples in the book that stick out in my mind include:
Pat Scantlebury who became the last player to go from the Negro Leagues to the major leagues in baseball, and Terry Felton who pitched for the Minnesota Twins from 1979 to 1982, yet had an 0- 16 record.
These and many more little or unknown individuals are found in this fun and interesting publication. I highly recommend it to any sports fan, especially anyone interested in select records.