Sports

Tom Boswell covers sports for the Washington Post. He's collected his writing about golf in a new book called Strokes of Genius.

The novelist's new nonfiction book is a meditation on the violent, intense sport, which her father exposed her to when she was a child. Despite her interest in boxing, Oates finds it difficult to watch live fights.

Bill James publishes yearly collections of baseball statistics. From the data he compiles, James sees narratives emerge about the sport and its athletes.

The sportscaster started off as a catcher before becoming a sportscaster covering the New York Mets. His career in baseball has spanned four decades.

Veteran football player Rosey Grier never imagined a life in sports, but his imposing figure helped him distinguish himself in the NFL. Later in life, he worked as a bodyguard for Bobby Kennedy, and was present when the presidential candidate was assassinated.

Joe Namath was among the highest paid rookies when he joined the NFL. A series of injuries both on and off the field forced the quarterback to retire from football after thirteen years. He has since made a career acting and doing commercials. His new book is called Football for Young Players and Parents.

Bill Lee pitched for the Boston Red Sox from 1969-1979. He was later traded to the Montreal Exos where he played until 1982. Lee, known as "Space Man," was known for hid antics and sarcastic quotes. He currently plays baseball in Canada and South America and does commentary and book reviews for the CBC. Lee has written a new memoir called "The Wrong Stuff."

Former Major League Baseball Umpire Ron Luciano was known for his flamboyant style. His book "The Umpire Strikes Back," was a hot, and Luciano has written a follow-up "Strike Two." He shares humorous stories about his career in MLB and discusses some of the colorful characters working in the sport today.

The baseball radio broadcaster began his career in the 1940s. He was informed in advance of Jackie Robinson's recruitment by the Brooklyn Dodgers. Initially against baseball's desegregation, Barber grew to admire and support Robinson.

Gregg is one of the first and few African American in MLB's National League. He's also famous for his dramatic weight loss and appearance in television commercials.