TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING

• 320 pages

• 7 x 10

• Softcover

• ISBN 978-1939710-895

• Copyright 2018

By David Hyde

1968 begins in the men’s room of an exclusive Columbus restaurant and ends two years later in The Rose Bowl, an unwitting but flawless metaphor for Ohio State University’s rise to the pinnacle of college football. Against a backdrop of national turmoil and international crises, Coach Wayne Woodrow Hayes uncharacteristically brings into his lagging program new young coaches and an impressive bunch of extraordinary kids, including the first significant number of African-Americans. And just as Woody predicted, by the season's end the Buckeyes found themselves a large, inextricably bound family, tied forever by the commonalities of blood—literally theirs—sweat, tears, laughter, and, of course, their near-miraculous season.

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• 326 pages

• 6 x 9

• Softcover

• ISBN 9781933197654

• Copyright 2009

By Josh Katzowitz

When Brian Kelly arrived on the Clifton Hill, the city collectively yawned. How many Messiahs had there been in the last decade or so? But then his Bearcats began to do things no University of Cincinnati team had done in over half a century. And they began to do it consistently. By the time they were nationally-ranked and headed for a BCS berth in the Orange Bowl, the university and the city had undergone a wondrous transformation. It might not have been loaves and fishes, but they were sure they had seen something miraculous.

• 256 pages

• 7 X 10

• Hardcover

• ISBN 978-1933197-678

• Copyright 2009

By Art Schlichter with Jeff Snook

Art Schlichter once had it all. The most-heralded high school quarterback Ohio had ever seen, he evolved into an All-American and Heisman Trophy candidate. By the time he was finished as a Buckeye, Woody Hayes called him the best to ever play for Ohio State. He had fame, fortune, and matinee idol looks that made women swoon, but beneath his confident exterior, Schlichter’s insecurities surfaced in a constant drive to gamble. By the time he reached his mid-30's, he had gambled away more than $1.5 million, his All-American image, his family, his self-respect, and his freedom. Busted is the candid, sometimes shocking, sometimes funny, yet appalling story of how a severe gambling addiction controlled the life of one of Ohio's greatest athletes.

• 5 x 8

• Hardcover

• ISBN 978-1933197-128

• 120 Pages

• Copyright 2008

By Johnny Bench, with Paul Daugherty

Catch Every Ball is an accumulation of wisdom gleaned from 60 years of living. Bench uses examples from his own life and playing career, as well as knowledge gathered from other successful people in all walks of life, to offer a guide to success anyone can relate to.

Follow his life through the cotton fields of Oklahoma to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Meet some of the people who have influenced him along the way: Bob Hope, Arnold Palmer, Sparky Anderson, Joe Morgan and Bob Knight, among others. Allow Bench's wisdom to help you Catch Every Ball.

• 200 pages

• 7 x 10

• Hardcover

• ISBN 1-933197-13-7

• Copyright 2006

By Paul Daugherty

Chad: I Can’t Be Stopped is the first book about the energetic wide receiver whose zany endzone celebrations have landed him over $100,000 in fines and into the hearts of football fans nationwide.

Chad is known for his flamboyant playing style and trash talking. But that’s the man on camera. Who is he or rather how is he when the camera’s put away?

He’s a practical jokester who mailed Pepto Bismol to various Cleveland Brown’s players before the big game. He also wandered the halls of his high school only to be found helping painters paint his school building.

Being raised fatherless left room for several different men and two very special women to shape this hyperactive class clown into the wide receiver that “no-one can cover.” 

• 272 pages

• 7 x 10

• Hardcover

• ISBN 978-1933197-487

• Copyright 2008

By Bob Hunter

Bob Hunter’s Chic is the untold story of the unassuming schoolboy who laid the groundwork for Ohio stadium, as well as the story of the building of America’s greatest athletic institution, the OSU program. 
It’s a near cinematic tale of how it all began, how mighty Michigan was first put in its place by the Buckeye upstarts. It is a story of the game itself creating its first modern identity, and into it all is woven the story of a boy whose prowess matched the vibrant passage of a city and a university reaching for their own potential. 

Finally, it is a love story. In all its odd and mysterious turnings, neither the city nor the university ever forgot the schoolboy. Almost half a century afterward, Chic Harley returned to Columbus and a third of the city lined the downtown streets in the rain to cheer him. 

Chic Harley is the ghost in the program, a tragic figure who—through the life of Ohio Stadium—gave as much sustained pleasure to as many people as any athlete of all time.

• 192 pages

• 7 x 10

• Paperback

• ISBN 1-882203-62-3

• Copyright 2000

By Earle Bruce

He was the man who followed The Legend, exiled forever to his fate as the man in the shadow of Woody Hayes. He was fired from Ohio State in a stormy Thanksgiving controversy played out in national headlines—“Money, Sex, and Football: A Tale of Bungling and Chaos, Honor and Revenge,” screamed one headline. Yet in terms of tenure, only The Legend himself had a better record at OSU. In his first year, Earle Bruce’s Buckeyes narrowly missed the national championship in a one-point Rose Bowl loss. In his nine years, he was the best coach in the Big Ten and—more important—beat Michigan five times. He was a highly-recruited running back who fell in love with Ohio State the first time he saw Buckeye Stadium, which, he thought, must be one of the seven wonders of the world. After a career-ending injury, he began his coaching career in the Ohio high schools, his teams at Mansfield and Sandusky beaten only twelve times in nearly a hundred games. At Massillon, he was never beaten. Tampa, Iowa State, Northern Iowa were all stops in a long and varied career, remarkable for his consistent winning at every level. After he revived the Colorado State program and beat Oregon in the Freedom Bowl, the Associated Press wrote, “Good teams just seem to follow him around.” Filled with the recruiting, the behind-the-scenes stories of the big games, the controversies both on and off the field—and the unforgettable presence of Woody—Earle is a story of toughness, honor, and independence. It is, finally, a coach’s life at the pinnacle, conforming only to the code of the field itself, where movement is ruled by perseverance, pride, and gritty determination.

• 352 pages

• 6 x 9

• Softcover

• ISBN 978-1949248-678

• Copyright 2023

By Scott Burson with Sam Smathers

From Bulldog to Bengal is the remarkable story of Joe Burrow, a small-town boy whose hard work, stoic nature and mental tenacity have taken him to the top of the football mountain.

Burrow has ascended to the peak, but not without challenges. His story includes doubters and recruiting snubs. It includes waiting for a turn that would never come at Ohio State. It includes placing a bet on himself and transferring to LSU. It includes a devastating injury and the toughest test of his life.

Ultimately, this is a story about staying grounded. Burrow has made it to the top of the mountain by keeping his head out of the clouds and feet firmly planted in Southeastern Ohio soil. From shining a light on food insecurity during his Heisman speech to wearing clothing and cleats designed by hometown kids, Burrow has never forgotten his roots and those who have helped him along the way.

This book is a celebration of Joe Burrow’s first twenty-five years. And you’re invited to the party.

• 304 Pages

• 7 x 10

• Softcover

• ISBN 978-1933197-46-3

• Copyright 2008

By Greg Hoard

He has been cursed since age 15, carrying always the appositive affixed eternally to his name—the youngest pitcher in major league baseball. And yet the Joe Nuxhall story neither begins nor ends with the appositive. He had pitched ten no-hitters before he was 15, however, and when he pitched for the Cincinnati Reds that historic time, he first had to get permission from his 9th grade principal, and ferried himself to Crosley Field and back, alone, on the bus. It was not, as history tells us, an auspicious occasion (an ERA of 67.50), but it launched the remarkable career of perhaps the best-loved and most enduring sports figure Cincinnati has ever seen. “The Old Left-Hander” pitched twenty-two seasons of professional baseball, including an All-Star year in 1955 when he led the league in shut-outs, and even when he retired to the broadcasting booth, he was still pitching batting practice. Greg Hoard’s tale of baseball’s last great innocent is the story of a charmed life, in which a blue-collar kid from a gritty industrial town, by great athleticism and a disarming guilelessness, found himself an enduring legend.

• 72 pages

• 5 x 8

• Hardcover

• ISBN 978-1939710-093

• Copyright 2014

By Doug Coates

Little Leaguer Dominic is struggling with his pitching and his temper. He doesn’t want to cheer for his teammates when he’s pitching poorly or is mad. But his passionate coach—who is also his father—teaches Dominic how to be a kinder and more patient player with the help of baseball legend, Joe Nuxhall.

Joe Nuxhall was the youngest pitcher to ever pitch in the Major Leagues. After his pitching days were over, he became an announcer for the Reds Organization from 1967–2004. He wasn’t just known for his abilities as a ball player and announcer, he was also known for his kind heart and compassionate manner.

Dominic’s father uses Joe to teach Dominic that you do not have to be a baseball player to be part of the Major Leagues. He also teaches Dominic that you can be both popular and nice.

People who don’t know you but know of you, may be impressed by your statistics. But people who do know you are more impressed by your good character traits such as attitude, sportsmanship, acceptance, courage, compassion, and appreciation.

Pitching for Success teaches young readers not just how to be a good person, but why.

• 64 pages

• Softcover

• 8.5 x 11

• ISBN 978-1939710-376

• Copyright 2015

By Sally Lanyon and Ray Bourhis

The Brutus Blog | Stories About Ohio State's Famous Mascot Brutus Buckeye

Watch behind-the-scenes video on the making of Brutus Buckeye!

It’s normally good practice to steer clear of people who are nuts. But not in this case. The story of Ohio State University’s beloved mascot, Brutus Buckeye, is the lively and first-ever-told account of Brutus' life, from his birth in 1965 on a sorority house lawn as a gigantic, papier-mâché head, to who he is today a less rotund and more sophisticated fabric version of his many former selves.

Brutus shares the inside tales of his parents, his birth, his name, his many travels, and his kidnappings. We learn that he is so much more than a rambunctious, high kicking mascot, zipping around the sidelines at Ohio State University’s sporting events. Brutus Buckeye has become the heart of Buckeye fans here and around the world, symbolic of fun, joy, good deeds, and pride for one of the most well-known universities in the nation. Who knew?

• 288 pages

• 6 x 9

• Softcover

• ISBN 1-882203-38-2

• Copyright 2004

By Chick Ludwig

The Tool, The Rock, The Machine, Cadillac, Master Thief, and Samurai.

Ice Man, Sack Man, Piano Man, Demolition Man, Eraserman.

Who were they then, and where are they now?

Chick Ludwig, long-time Bengals beat writer, answers these questions—and more—while giving the reader all the behind-the-scenes stories he's never committed to print before.

Scenes, tales, lore, gritty interviews--here's the human side of everybody's favorite players and coaches through nearly four decades of professional football in Cincinnati, accompanied by dozens of photographs.

From the revolving doors of Paul Brown's first Cincinnati team to Marvin Lewis' rebuilding, over 50 legendary Bengal personalities are revealed in all their striped glory.

• 344 Pages
• 6 x 9
• Softcover
• ISBN 978-1939710-109
• Copyright 2014

By Mark Rea

For a football program to be legendary, its players must be legendary as well. In OSU Legends; Ohio State Buckeyes, the Men, the Deeds, the Consequences Mark Rea examines fifty epic Ohio State football players and coaches and what made them so special. Their stats, football prowess, and most memorable moments are highlighted in 344 pages of Buckeye lore. Impress your friends with your knowledge of the Buckeye team and its quirky, rich history. A true fan doesn’t just wear the colors; it knows why the colors were chosen.

Watch our sneak peek video below

• 374 pages

• 6 x 9

• Softcover

• ISBN 978-1949248-623

• Copyright 2022

By Mark Rea

Mark Rea has expanded his list of legendary Ohio State Buckeye football players! In The Legends Volume II: Ohio State Buckeyes, The Men, The Deeds, The Consequences, Mark examines fifty additional epic Ohio State football players and coaches and what made them so esteemed. From players like Fred Patterson to the Bosa brothers, Legends Volume II is full of stories of how these men became outstanding on and off the football field, some against all odds. How did a baby boy who was found in a dumpster grow up to play for Ohio State and eventually play in the NFL? Read the book and find out.

• 224 pages

• 7 x 10

• Softcover

• ISBN 978-1939710-147

• Copyright 2015

By Hal McCoy

In a near-unprecedented sports writing career covering half a century (and more than 25,000 bylines), Hal McCoy crowns his own Hall of Fame career with a memoir of the Cincinnati Reds that is, by turns, brash, hilarious, and behind-the-scenes unusual. His is the storied franchise with an accent on the story.

McCoy gives fans an inside-the-dugout look that never made the daily press: the politics, the personalities, the hi-jinks, the x-rated scenes—all the classic ballpark happenings known only to those on the field.

There's the dismantling of The Big Red Machine—and what really happened to Sparky. There’s George Foster's story of his Riverfront long ball off Cubs pitcher Willie Hernandez, which he described by saying, “I hit that ball so hard that Willie moved to the American League and changed his name.” The reader learns exactly where Pete Harnisch hid his toothbrush, visits the scene of Sweet Lou Piniella and his gumball machine, and suffers with Pokey Reese on his worst day ever. 

In short, it's the complete scoop from a sportswriter who led a charmed life and, even when faced with his own failing eyesight, managed to keep his life intact and still see more then the rest of us. The Real McCoy is one of the most readable—and revealing—books about baseball ever written. 

• 326 pages

• 7 x 10

• Softcover

• ISBN 978-1939710-758

By John Erardi

The 1970s belonged to Pérez—and the Big Red Machine—and after the Big Red Machine was gone, Pérez was far from finished. He had good seasons with Montreal and Boston, made it back to the World Series with Philadelphia in 1983, and returned to Cincinnati in 1984 where he became the oldest player to hit a grand slam home run.

Erardi’s story is scenic and lively, especially describing the Big Dog’s demeanor, which endeared him more to Cincinnati fans than any player in recent memory. The courtliness, on and off the field, traces Pérez’s manner back to the Cuban lineage from which he had come.

Whether by practice or instinct he carried the best qualities of his Cuban forebear, the great El Inmortal Dihigo. Pérez was unselfish, unflappable, and joyous. Even better than that, he was a good teammate. A good man then, now… always.