{"product_id":"death-in-the-strike-zone-the-mystery-of-americas-first-baseball-hero-thomas-w-gilbert-hardcover","title":"Death in the Strike Zone: The Mystery of America's First Baseball Hero -- Thomas W. Gilbert, Hardcover","description":"\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"A fascinating must-read for baseball history buffs.\"--\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\n\u003cb\u003eHe threw the first fastball. The first curveball. He was baseball's first star--and its first tragedy.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eDeath in the Strike Zone\u003c\/i\u003e, acclaimed historian Thomas W. Gilbert uncovers the forgotten life of James Creighton, the first American ballplayer to become a national sensation. On the eve of the Civil War, Creighton invented something utterly new in baseball - modern pitching. Creighton was so dominant, so mesmerizing, that the game had to rewrite the rulebook to catch up with him. He is the reason we have a strike zone. Then, in one fateful game he collapsed--and four days later, he was dead at the age of twenty-one. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWas it a freak injury or was baseball somehow to blame? Was there a cover-up? Why has Creighton been denied the credit he deserves? \u003ci\u003eDeath in the Strike Zone\u003c\/i\u003e is part biography, part detective story, and part time machine. With vivid storytelling and groundbreaking research, Gilbert revives a vanished era of barehanded fielders, heroes and gamblers, and the strange, thrilling beginnings of America's pastime and sports stardom itself. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eDeath in the Strike Zone\u003c\/i\u003e is a remarkable journey into the past that will keep you on the edge of your seat and profoundly change how you see the game of baseball.\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/strong\u003e Thomas W. Gilbert\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/strong\u003e David R. Godine Publisher\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublished:\u003c\/strong\u003e 3\/24\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 192\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.93 lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 9\" H x 6\" L x 1.1\" W\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISBN:\u003c\/strong\u003e 9781567927597\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Flowerburst","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":66514763940144,"sku":"9781567927597","price":27.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0879\/2712\/8368\/files\/9781567927597_6cfac375-c906-46ba-a617-0686722417c5.jpg?v=1777869835","url":"https:\/\/flowerburst.co\/products\/death-in-the-strike-zone-the-mystery-of-americas-first-baseball-hero-thomas-w-gilbert-hardcover","provider":"Flowerburst","version":"1.0","type":"link"}