HOF Case of the Month

@ homeruncards.com

CRAIG BIGGIO

There once was a time when 3,000 career hits meant that you were an automatic for Hall of Fame enshrinement.  Craig “Mr. Astro” Biggio ended his illustrious career with 3,060 lifetime safeties–so why did the baseball writers opt to exclude him from last year’s Hall of Fame induction class?  Many believe that the voters, members of the Baseball Writers Association of America, chose to cast fewer votes than usual because of the steroid stigma that surrounds the era in which Craig played.  Yet Mr. Biggio has never had his name linked to steroid abuse, nor has his character ever been questioned.  Craig was one of the few (and lets emphasize few here folks) professional athletes that a parent would not feel uncomfortable with their child accepting as a role model.  He has always been a class act–a man well respected–who was denied his rightful place in the Hall of Fame.  Should the writers place their high horses back in the stables where they belong, Mr. Biggio will be inducted into the Hall of Fame next year.

Craig is a seven-time All-Star, five-time Silver Slugger winner, and four-time Gold Glove recipient.  He rests fifth all-time in career doubles and only fourteen players in the history of baseball have scored more runs than him.

Pin-Up of the Month

Rochelle Hudson @ erbzine.com

ROCHELLE HUDSON

If a person were to write a biography on Rochelle Hudson, a perfect title for the book would be: The Immaculate Countenance: The Life and Career of Rochelle Hudson.  Miss Hudson possessed a profile so inviting, so free of any imperfection, it seemed as if she had escaped some master artist’s canvas.  To look upon Rochelle Hudson was to witness pure beauty–beauty so uncommon one might suggest she had been deposited by some higher power; some entity rarely in the employ of creating man, for the mold that made Rochelle was a mold not often utilized.  The dark-haired enchantress starred in some notable features, such as the Claudette Colbert vehicle Imitation of Life as well as the family film Curly Top, opposite Shirley Temple.  During World War II, Rochelle, who was married to a high-ranking military official, was engaged in espionage work for the United States government (more on this interesting wartime story can be found in my book Pin-Up Girls of World War II).

Pin-Up Girls of World War II

The best attribute any aspiring writer can have is persistence.  I learned that when I shopped my first book–sent query upon query to various publishers.  After numerous rejection letters, I all but gave up the notion of ever having the work published.  However, the manuscript was bought by McFarland Publishing and I could forget about the collection of rejection letters publishing houses had delivered to me.

The second round of queries was a more pleasing experience.  The Pin-Up Girls of World War II was picked up by the first publishing house I queried.  So, all you would-be authors visiting this page, let not the rejection letter discourage you–we have all found them in our mailboxes.  Keep on writing.  Keep on querying.

The Pin-Up Girls of World War II focuses on the celebrity women who posed for the cheesecake stills that the boys in the armed forces secured to walls in their barracks or taped to the interior of their cockpits and tanks.  They were ladies of great inspiration.  The book gives biographical information on the more popular pin-ups of the day, such as Jane Russell, Betty Grable and Jinx Falkenburg, to name a few, while also offering the historical significance of pin-up art.  How pin-up art began and the manners in which it progressed over the years, is detailed within the pages as well.  Secure your copy today by clicking on the link below:

http://www.bearmanormedia.com

Baseball’s War Roster

My first book was published by McFarland Publishing based out of North Carolina.  McFarland specializes in sports books and has an extensive collection of baseball biographies and historical volumes to their credit.  I initially became aware of McFarland Publishing after purchasing the biography on former Washington Senators shortstop Cecil Travis, so when I began shopping my book on ballplayers who served in the armed forces, I felt they might be a good fit.  To order my book, or to peruse their website to locate a biography on a favorite sports star, click the link provided below:

http://www.mcfarlandpub.com