{"product_id":"grooming-the-diamond-stu-rossmann-9781476698458","title":"Grooming the Diamond: Baseball Groundskeepers from the 19th Century to Today","description":"\u003cp\u003e Baseball is a game with a long and varied history. Several creation myths exist, as do some plausible theories as to the game's founding. The deepest fundamentals of the game, however, seem to far pre-date that uniquely American modern baseball which emerged in the 19th century. Even Ancient Greeks and Egyptian pharaohs seem to have engaged in some manner of ball-playing. One constant in these ball games, in all their forms, is the humble groundskeeper, unsung heroes before-and-after preparations for the beautiful game. The legendary groundskeeper George Toma espoused the cornerstone of the groundskeeper mindset: \"I'm here to give the players the best possible condition to play on a safe playing field and then some.\" This unique historical narrative briefly introduces the origins that laid the foundation for the game as we know it today, followed by 25-year-increments that chronicle stories of the sport's more notable and influential groundskeepers: those men and women who prepared the playing field before and after each game--and then some!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Stu Rossmann\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1476698457\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781476698458\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e McFarland \u0026amp; Company\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 06\/09\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 161\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.33d","brand":"Stu Rossmann","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":47427551658239,"sku":"9781476698458","price":39.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_b2f2ca4a-e2ca-4a45-bdde-4d806cf584b1.jpg?v=1761580094","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/grooming-the-diamond-stu-rossmann-9781476698458","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}