Scott Pitoniak

100 Things Syracuse Fans Should
Know & Do Before They Die

   Most Syracuse fans have seen a game at Carrier Dome, have seen highlights of a young Dwight Freeney and Carmelo Anthony, and know the story of the 2003 NCAA champion men's basketball team.
   But only real fans know the history of Archbold Stadium, the words to "Down the Field," or what Otto the Orange's name could have been originally.
   "100 Things Syracuse Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die" is the ultimate guide for true fans of the Syracuse Orange and, whether you're a die-hard booster from the days of Jim Brown or a current student at the university, these are the 100 things all fans needs to know and do in their lifetime.
   Author Scott Pitoniak has collected every essential piece of Orange knowledge and trivia, as well as must-do activities, and ranks them all, providing an easy-to-follow checklist as you progress on your way to fan superstardom.

   Buy it now: Amazon.com | Triumph Books.

        

Lou Gramm

Juke Box Hero
Lou Gramm: Juke Box Hero

   Lou Gramm rose from blue-collar roots in Rochester, N.Y., to become one of the music industry's most recognizable singer-songwriters with songs such as "Cold As Ice," "I Want to Know What Love Is," "Waiting for a Girl Like You," "Urgent," and "Midnight Blue."
   The book chronicles Gramm's rise to the top with Foreigner, the ups and downs of fame and fortune and his battle with a life-threatening brain tumor. The book takes readers into the recording studio, behind the stage, and on the tour bus with the man Rolling Stone magazine referred to as "the Pavarotti of rock."
        
The Hall
A Celebration of Baseball's Greats in Stories and Images
   Everyone dreams of Cooperstown, a hallowed name in baseball for players and their fans. It's a house where legends live; it's everything that's great about the game.

   Never before has the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum published a complete registry of inductees with plaques, photographs, and extended biographies. In this unique, 75th anniversary edition, read the stories of every player inducted into the Hall, organized by position.

   Each section begins with an original essay by a living Hall of Famer who played that position: Hank Aaron, George Brett, Orlando Cepeda, Carlton Fisk, Tommy Lasorda, Joe Morgan, Jim Rice, Cal Ripken Jr., Nolan Ryan and Robin Yount.

   Buy it now: Amazon.com.

        
Johnny Antonelli: A Baseball Memoir Johnny Antonelli
A Baseball Memoir
   One of only 17 major-league baseball players never to have spent a single day in the minors, Johnny Antonelli signed a "bonus baby" contract for $52,000 out of high school and went on to become one of the most dominant pitchers of the 1950s with the New York and San Francisco Giants. In this folksy retrospective about baseball's Golden Era, Scott looks back on the career of the five-time National League All-Star and two-time 20-game winner and gives behind-the-scenes accounts of what it was like to play with the iconic Willie Mays and against such legends as Stan Musial, Sandy Koufax, Ted Williams and Mickey Mantle.
   The book also details how Antonelli became even more successful in his post-baseball career as an entrepreneur in business world.
   Buy it now: Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble (Nook).

        
Color Him Orange: The Jim Boeheim Story Color Him Orange:
The Jim Boeheim Story
   In an era when marquee coaches often hop from one big-paying job to the next, Syracuse University legend Jim Boeheim has eschewed the pull of huge money and stayed true to his school. In this first-ever biography about the Hall-of-Fame coach, Pitoniak delves into the reasons for Boeheim's devotion to his home town (Lyons, N.Y.) and his college alma mater.
   The book also examines Boeheim's complicated relationship with his father, the great players he has coached -- from Pearl Washington to Carmelo Anthony -- and the compelling games he's participated in -- from a triple-overtime loss in his final high school contest to winning the 2003 national championship.
   We learn about how the coach survived prostate cancer and discovered true love later in life.
   Buy it now: Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble.
        
Jewel of the Sports World Jewel of the Sports World
The Story of the Hickok Belt Award
   The belt was made of alligator skin and featured a five-pound, solid-gold buckle encrusted with top-of-the-line diamonds, rubies and sapphires. And the athletes selected to wrap it around their waists included icons such as Mickey Mantle, Muhammad Ali, Arnold Palmer and Jim Brown. From 1950-1976, the S. Rae Hickok Belt was the most coveted and respected individual award in pro sports and was presented annually at a Rochester, N.Y., banquet that became known as "the Academy Awards of sports." Author Scott Pitoniak takes you back to a simpler time when honors carried greater meaning and prestige. Ali contributed the foreword to this RIT Press publication.
   Buy it now: R.I.T. Press | Barnes & Noble.

        
Buffalo Bills Football Vault Buffalo Bills Football Vault:
The First 50 Seasons
   Armed with never-before published photographs, replica artifacts and compelling anecdotes the Bills Vault has been called best book ever about Western New York's favorite NFL team. More than 60 reproduced artifacts, featuring tickets, press passes, pennants, cards, program covers and more, are included in protective sleeves in this interactive book published by Whitman Publishing of Atlanta. ESPN's Chris Berman does the foreword and Bills legend Jim Kelly the afterword.
   Buy it now: Whitman Publishing | Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble.
        
Silver Seasons Silver Seasons and a New Frontier:
The Story of the Rochester Red Wings
   Fourteen years after their original book was published, Scott Pitoniak and Jim Mandelaro have updated their definitive history of Red Wings baseball. In addition to a new foreword by Wings alum and Baseball Hall-of-Famer Cal Ripken Jr., the book covers the opening of Frontier Field, the new affiliation with the Minnesota Twins, quirky minor-league promotions such as man vs. horse races and the emergence of new Wings legends like American League MVP Justin Morneau.
   Buy it now: Amazon.com Barnes & Noble

        
Memories of Yankee Stadium Memories of Yankee Stadium
   The home of the most successful franchise of all time is Yankee Stadium, and The House That Ruth Built closed its doors at the end of the 2008 season. Scott has captured numerous memories of the stadium and the riveting personalities in his March 2008 book "Memories of Yankee Stadium."
   Fond memories include Billy Crystal witnessing a monster home run by Mickey Mantle at his first game at Yankee Stadium; Bob Costas following the Yankees and Mantle -- his favorite player; Ernie Harwell calling both football and baseball games in the Bronx; and George Vecsey attending the 1956 World Series.
   Buy it now: Triumph Books | Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble.
        
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly The Good, The Bad & The Ugly:
Heart-Pounding, Jaw-Dropping, and Gut-Wrenching Moments from Buffalo Bills History
   What fan doesn't love to relive the good times of their favorite team? And in a twisted sort of way, who can resist a self-pitying look back on some of those times that tested their allegiance? "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" presents all the noteworthy moments and personalities in the history of the Buffalo Bills.
   The book includes the best and worst Bills teams and players of all time, the most clutch performances, the biggest choke jobs, great comebacks and blown leads, plus overrated/underrated players and coaches. (Sept. 2007)
   Buy it now: Triumph Books | Amazon.com Barnes & Noble

        
Steve Tasker's Tales Steve Tasker's Tales from the Buffalo Bills
   In 11 seasons with the Bills, 5-foot-9 Steve Tasker was a huge contributor as Buffalo strung together a record four Super Bowl appearances in the early 1990s. Along the way, Tasker earned seven invitations to the Pro Bowl and was named the greatest special teams player of all-time as part of the NFL's 75th anniversary celebration.
   "Steve Tasker's Tales from the Buffalo Bills" offers a behind-the-scenes look at the franchise's most glorious era, providing insight on coach Marv Levy, owner Ralph Wilson and former teammates including Jim Kelly, Bruce Smith and Thurman Thomas. (Aug. 2006)
   Buy it now: Barnes & Noble
        
Slices of Orange Slices of Orange:
Great Games and Performers in Syracuse Univesity Sports History
   From the last-second heroics of Wilmeth Sidat-Singh in Archbold Stadium to the last-second heroics of Donovan McNabb in the Carrier Dome, Scott Pitoniak and Sal Maiorana chronicle the rich tradition of SU sports.
   In "Slices of Orange," they recapture the heroics of Jim Brown, the pain of Keith Smart's jumper, the joy of Carmelo Anthony's trek to the 2003 NCAA basketball championship game, the passion of SU vs. Georgetown and the artistry of the Gait brothers. (Nov. 2005)
   Buy it now: Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble
        
Syracuse University Football Syracuse University Football
   It began Nov. 23, 1889, with a 36-0 loss to the University of Rochester — an aberration rather than an omen for Syracuse University football. The Orangemen have since established themselves as the one of the winningest teams in college football history.
   "Syracuse University Football" celebrates the proud program's star players, the bowls games and Ben Schwartzwalder's 1959 national championship squad as well as the history behind No. 44, one of football's most famous jerseys. (June 2003)
   Buy it now: Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble
        
Baseball in Rochester Baseball in Rochester
   Few cities have a richer baseball tradition than Rochester, N.Y. The game's roots there can be traced to a primitive form of baseball in the early 19th century.
   Since that time, some of the greatest names in baseball history, including Stan Musial and Cal Ripken Jr., have honed their skills in Rochester, and 19 people with local connections have been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.
   Their exploits, along with those of numerous others, are documented with rare photographs in "Baseball in Rochester," which captures both superstars and quirky characters in Rochester baseball lore. (March 2003)
   Buy it now: Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble
        
Baseball in Rochester Playing Write Field: Selected Works
   Rochester's geographic location and history make it a most unique locale from which to observe the world of sports: Professional football to the west, Division I sports to the east and a fascinating array of major-league characters in a minor-league city on the banks of the Genesee River somewhere in between.
   Scott Pitoniak dusted off his notebooks and sifted though his clippings to assemble a collection of some of his favorite columns and features, in a paperback capturing the flavor of Upstate New York sports. (March 1997)
   Buy it now: Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble
        
Silver Seasons Silver Seasons: The Story of the Rochester Red Wings
   Co-authored by longtime Red Wings beat writer Jim Mandelaro, "Silver Seasons" tells the story of Rochester's love affair with the franchise and its colorful characters over the years.
   The authors retrace the careers of the managers and players who honed their skills in the old ballpark at 500 Norton St. The many greats who played for the Red Wings included the Cardinals' Stan Musial and Bob Gibson, and future Orioles Boog Powell, Eddie Murray, Cal Ripken Jr. and Jim Palmer — all brought to life in a story rich with quirky performances and poignant moments. (May 1996)
   Buy it now: Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble
        
Buffalo Bills Trivia The Buffalo Bills Official All-New Trivia Book II
   Any football coach worth his salary knows you go back to the same touchdown-scoring play later in the game. The sequel to Scott Pitoniak's first book is loaded with updates through Super Bowl XXVI — the 37-24 loss to the Washington Redskins in Minneapolis.
   Check out all the fresh facts, lists, quotes, stats, brain-teasers and photos. (Sept. 1992)
   Buy it now: Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble
        
Buffalo Bills Trivia II The Buffalo Bills Official Trivia Book
   The Bills were still 15 months away from "Wide Right" against the New York Giants in Tampa, Fla., but they were on the rise in 1989 when Scott Pitoniak assembled a wide-ranging variety of factoids, brain-teasers, quotes and photos covering the first three decades of the franchise.
   Read the book that started it all! (Oct. 1989)
   Buy it now: Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble
        
  
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