California: The Baseball Capital of the World

Is there a better place in the world for baseball than California? This look at the sport from the major leagues down through the colleges, high schools and even Little League argues that there may not be anywhere as strong. With an emphasis on the many great baseball players from California high schools, the book includes rare photos of Jackie Robinson and Ted Williams plus lists all-time top players from Southern California, Northern California and from select regions.

Is there a better place in the world for baseball than California? This look at the sport from the major leagues down through the colleges, high schools and even Little League argues that there may not be anywhere as strong. With an emphasis on the many great baseball players from California high schools, the book includes rare photos of Jackie Robinson and Ted Williams plus lists all-time top players from Southern California, Northern California and from select regions. Why does the state have more College World Series titles, more Little League World Series titles and more ex-high school players in the World Series by far than any other state? It's not just the weather and the population. Some of the best high school coaches in state history offer their reasons as does the author. It's a unique look at America's Pastime that any fan of any team in the Golden State should check out.

Mark Tennis has been the editor of Cal-Hi Sports since 1979, overseeing the production of weekly newsletters, comprehensive websites, plus seven state record books. From 1992 to 2003, he also was editor of Student Sports, a monthly national magazine. Working alongside publisher Andy Bark, the magazine later added digital assets and a national record book in football and boys basketball and was part of the Rivals.com network from 2004 to 2008. From 2008 to 2012, Mark was deputy sports editor for ESPN, specializing in high school sports content. He was director of the ESPN FAB 50 national rankings program for all four years he was with the company.