Grasping the Ring II: Nine People Who Matter

Gene A. Budig tells the personalized stories of nine exceptional Americans--people who knew what they wanted in life and followed difficult paths to achieve admirable ends. In this sequel to his earlier book, Grasping the Ring, Budig profiles Rachel Robinson, widow of baseball's Jackie Robinson and a remarkable woman in her own right; Bill Veeck, a showman and owner of three baseball teams who helped teach fans how to laugh and have fun at the ballpark; Bob Costas, the longtime sports announcer and commentator; Gene Autry, the "Singing Cowboy," former owner of the California Angels, and noted philanthropist; Bob Gibson, a Hall-of-Fame pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals known as a fierce competitor; Billy Beane, a well-known baseball insider made famous in the Michael Lewis book Moneyball; Jerry West, one of professional basketball's all-time finest players; Stan Kasten, one of the great minds in baseball and current president of the Washington Nationals; and Bud Selig, the current commissioner of Major League Baseball. What emerges in Budig's engaging narrative is that these individuals were ahead of their time, and these essays paint a vivid and sometimes troubling picture of what they endured to become leaders of stature.

Gene A. Budig was president of Major League Baseball’s American League from 1994 to 2000. He served as president of Illinois State University and West Virginia University and as chancellor at the University of Kansas. He is the author of Grasping the Ring: Nine Unique Winners in Life and Sports, available in a Bison Books edition. Thomas Curley is the president and chief executive officer of the Associated Press.