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Lyman Bostock: The Inspiring Life and Tragic Death of a Ballplayer Kindle Edition

by K. Adam Powell (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
5.0 5.0 out of 5 stars 9 ratings
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Lyman Bostock Jr. had baseball in his blood. The son of a former Negro League standout, Bostock began his professional career with the Minnesota Twins in 1975. Two years later, he became one of the first players in major league baseball to cash in on the new era of free agency, signing with the California Angels for more than $2 million—one of the richest contracts in sports history at that time. But Bostock’s true potential would never be known. On September 23, 1978, Bostock was shot and killed in Gary, Indiana. He was just 27 years old.

In Lyman Bostock: The Inspiring Life and Tragic Death of a Ballplayer, K. Adam Powell tells the story of Bostock’s humble beginnings in Birmingham, Alabama, his coming-of-age in Los Angeles, his involvement in the Black Power movement, his brief yet impactful baseball career, and his senseless murder in 1978. Those who knew Bostock and played alongside him believed he was good enough to win multiple batting titles, and perhaps even make the Hall of Fame some day. More than just a ballplayer, Bostock was known as a stand-out citizen who never forgot where he came from, investing hours of his time giving back to his community, visiting with local youth, and hosting baseball clinics.

Lyman Bostock captures a remarkable era in professional baseball, an era when ballplayers such as Bostock still engaged closely with their fans even as power shifted from management and owners to the players. Through careful research, exclusive interviews, and rarely-seen photographs, Bostock’s life and the times in which he lived are conveyed in intimate detail. For baseball fans of all ages, Lyman Bostock’s biography is a poignant and inspiring story of an upcoming star whose life was cut much too short.
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  1. Print length
    355 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
  5. Publication date
    December 9, 2016
  6. File size
    46283 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
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  9. Enhanced typesetting
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Editorial Reviews

Review

About the Author

K. Adam Powell is a reporter for the ACC Sports Journal, the ACCSports.com website, and the Mebane Enterprise newspaper. He previously worked for the Rivals.com network, and has covered Final Fours, college bowl games, and numerous NBA and NFL players. Powell is the author of three books, including Border Wars: The First 50 Years of Atlantic Coast Conference Football (Scarecrow, 2004).

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01MSR2O6X
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Rowman & Littlefield Publishers (December 9, 2016)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 9, 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 46283 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 355 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    5.0 5.0 out of 5 stars 9 ratings

About the author

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K. Adam Powell

K. Adam Powell

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Adam Powell is a native of Sneads Ferry, North Carolina, and a 2001 graduate of the University of North Carolina of Chapel Hill. He is currently the Public Information Officer of Rockingham County Schools in Eden, North Carolina. Powell served as Editor of the Mebane Enterprise newspaper, located in Mebane, North Carolina from 2017 to 2021. Powell won a Blue Ribbon Award from the North Carolina School Press Relations Association (NCSPRA) in 2023 for Excellence in Education Communications, and won a total of 11 North Carolina Press Association Awards from 2017 to 2021. Powell was the publisher of the UNC website in the Rivals.com network, TarHeelIllustrated.com, from 2006 to 2014, and the editor of the Wake Forest Rivals.com website, DeaconsIllustrated.com, from 2011 to 2013. He was also a freelance contributor to the ACC Sports Journal and ACCSports.com from 2004 to 2019. Adam has also managed to find the time to write a few books over the years as well. Adam lives in Mebane, North Carolina with his wife, Julie, a teacher in the Alamance-Burlington School System, and his two children, Colt and Jenna.

Customer reviews

5 out of 5 stars
5 out of 5
9 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

samcooke69
5.0 out of 5 stars Finally a book on Lyman and its FABULOUS!
Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2016
Verified Purchase
As a 3/4 year old growing up in Tacoma, Washington I remember hearing about a young lights out ball player dazzling Cheney Stadium constantly. I also remember how devastated I was when his life was cut short. I now own 5 autographs from Lyman & collect everything I can. That said there was hardly any quality information on Lyman. Boy has that changed now!
Any baseball fan will devour this book on principal alone. Dirt poor dude who persevered and made himself a star above all. He still holds the all time batting average for a season in Tacoma. He also was one of the first players to finally get paid at a time the owners held all the leverage. I can honestly say 90% of this book was a revelation to me.
The Lyman Bostock bible has arrived. Thank you Mr. Powell for this dream come true!
3 people found this helpful
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S Brinkman
5.0 out of 5 stars Unforgotten Twin.... Perpetual Angel
Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2017
Verified Purchase
I was 15 when Lyman died. Being a teenager living in Minnesota at that time I remember feeling the anger of not resigning Bostock in 1977. Mostly disgust towards cheap Calvin Griffith. We Twins fans agree.... he should have never been an Angel. Tragically, a year later, everyone agrees...Lyman should have never been one of Heaven's Angels.
Kudos to Powell for a job well done. Thank you for writing this for those of us who remember Lyman.... also, for those who can now know about the "inspiring life of Lyman Bostock".
Read this book & count your blessings.
2 people found this helpful
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BG
5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read for 1970's baseball fans
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2017
Verified Purchase
The details of Lyman Bostock's short career and tragic death have been under-reported through the years. The author does an outstanding job of covering all aspects of his life and career both on and off the field. He recounts the night of his shooting in a detailed yet respectful manner, and follows the story through to the aftermath including the trial and incomprehensible verdict. Every fan of 1970's baseball should take the time out to read this and remember the story of what could have been.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun fact: Bostock hit
Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2017
As a millennial through-and-through, I had no idea who Lyman Bostock is. Imagine my surprise when this book landed in my lap in time for the holidays...

Powell exhaustively provides context for 1970s-era MLB baseball and details the smallest aspects of Bostock's life in a way that helps truly appreciate the life that ended too soon. Fun fact: Bostock hit .336 and slugged 14 homers for the '77 Twins. Who knew?

Most importantly, this book moves fast, to its inevitable ending. Though you know his fate, the chapter regarding the shooting is a tough read nonetheless. Even so, would highly recommend this book for the baseball nerd, and/or lover, or even casual fans of the game.
One person found this helpful
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Dean T. Hartwell
5.0 out of 5 stars Remembering Lyman Bostock
Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2016
I have waited since September 24, 1978 for a book about Lyman Bostock. It was worth the wait!
"The Inspiring Life" stoked my memories of Bostock. The batting slump (right as I was struggling to hit in Little League), the public offer to return his salary for April 1978, the game against the Royals well-described in the book in which Al "The Mad Hungarian" Hrabosky threw pitches at him...
I am happy someone has written to tell new generations of fans about a professional athlete who left a deep legacy with integrity most people could only dream of.
One person found this helpful
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scar1rave1
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, Excellent Read
Reviewed in the United States on August 14, 2021
Verified Purchase
This book provides a great story of one of baseball’s overloooked gems. From Bostock’s birth in Birmingham to his death in Gary, the reader will experience the same highs and lows alongside him. Thankful to have read this long-overdue biography.
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