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Taking Flight
Taking Flight

Taking Flight

The St. Louis Cardinals and the Building of Baseball's Best Franchise
By Rob Rains, Foreword by Whitey Herzog

SPORTS & RECREATION

272 Pages, 6 x 9

Formats: Cloth, Mobipocket, EPUB, PDF

Cloth, $24.95 (CA $29.95) (US $24.95)

ISBN 9781629370859

Rights: WOR

Triumph Books (Apr 2016)

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Overview

Written by veteran sportswriter and Cardinals insider Rob Rains, Taking Flight answers two basic questions – what makes the Cardinals different from other organizations, and why are they so successful?  Perhaps the most important man in the history of the organization was George Kissell. Among the future managers who came under Kissell’s tutelage were Sparky Anderson, Joe Torre, Tony La Russa and the Cardinals’ current manager, Mike Matheny. Kissell’s imprint is still everywhere on the Cardinals’ organization, nearly five years after his death. So too is the work of longtime coach and catching instructor Dave Ricketts, the man who first trained Matheny and later, Yadier Molina. It is the men such as Kissell and Ricketts, who worked for years without fame or notoriety, who helped mold the Cardinals into the franchise it is today. 

Author Biography

Rob Rains
See Author
Rob Rains is the author of 31 books, mostly on baseball and many about the St. Louis Cardinals. His list of biographies or autobiographies of Cardinals includes Tony La Russa, Albert Pujols, Mark McGwire, Jack Buck, Red Schoendienst, and Ozzie Smith. He is a lifetime member of the Baseball Hall of Fame and a lifetime member of the Baseball Writers Association of America.

Book Signings

Past Events

Jun
18
Rob Rains - Taking Flight ›
Des Peres (St. Louis), MO
12:00pm
Jun
06
Rob Rains - Taking Flight ›
St. Louis, MO
7:00pm
May
14
Rob Rains - Taking Flight ›
Fairview Heights, IL
1:00pm
Apr
30
Rob Rains with Cardinals Top Prospect Carson Kelly - Taking Flight ›
Springfield, MO
10:30am
Apr
23
Rob Rains - Taking Flight ›
Belleville, IL
9:30am
Pre-Launch Special Event!

Press Releases

Taking Flight: The St. Louis Cardinals and the Building of Baseball’s Best Franchise

By Rob Rains / Foreword by Whitey Herzog

 

Contact: Bill Ames, Triumph Books, 312-676-4256, b.ames@triumphbooks.com

 

The St. Louis Cardinals won an MLB-leading 100 games in 2015. While the players on the field played the games, some would argue they were won by the hundreds of people in the organization who never step on the diamond. Making the postseason 12 times in the last 16 seasons doesn’t happen by accident. The success of the St. Louis Cardinals stems from the efforts of the entire franchise.

 

In Taking Flight: The St. Louis Cardinals and the Building of Baseball’s Best Franchise (Triumph Books, April 2016), veteran sportswriter Rob Rains looks at the inner workings of the Cardinals’ front office, farm system and methodology for player development. Rains goes in depth in his analysis of some of the signature examples of the organization at work. Highlights include:

 

  • A heartfelt foreword from former Cardinals manager and Baseball Hall of Fame member Whitey Herzog
  • The story of George Kissell joining the team and developing “The Cardinal Way”
  • What St. Louis’s scouting department looks for in a young player beyond top athletic abilities
  • Behind the scenes looks at how the Cardinals’ organization differs from others in the league, and why players value the chance to experience it
  • How the Cardinals created the first farm system and how it grew to become a model for the entire league.

 

Taking Flight: The St. Louis Cardinals and the Building of Baseball’s Best Franchise provides an inside look at why St. Louis is known as Baseball Heaven. From the front office to the dugout, and everywhere in between, players learn to play the game the right way and the fans love them for it. This great new title offers everything Cardinals fans needs to better appreciate the team they love.  


About the Author:

Rob Rains is the author of 31 books, mostly on baseball and many about the St. Louis Cardinals. His list of biographies or autobiographies of Cardinals includes Tony La Russa, Albert Pujols, Mark McGwire, Jack Buck, Red Schoendienst and Ozzie Smith. He is a lifetime member of the Baseball Hall of Fame and a lifetime member of the Baseball Writers Association of America.

 

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