An Unlimited Series

As the authors near home plate on their first ambitious project together, people ask, "How were players selected for Before the Glory?" That's a very good question. The beginning of the road was rough, and any major leaguer with a childhood story willing to sit down and tell it was a breakthrough. As time went on and word of mouth spread, participation increased. Then, as finished chapters were circulated, players began to approach the authors.

The first volume of Before the Glory is a landmark in that it is the first book of its kind. It is also a landmark in that it captures the childhood-told frankly and in the first person-of so many living Hall of Fame players. But the authors have a goal that goes beyond working with the elite of this profession or any other. The goal is to reach everybody, and the way to do that is diversity.

Before the Glory features black, white, and Latino players. It features players who grew up under nearly ideal circumstances and those who faced a childhood that could bring us to tears. It spans from the 1930s boyhood of Hall of Fame pitcher Whitey Ford to the 1990s childhood of Baltimore Orioles 2nd baseman Brian Roberts. It explores the trials of being born into poverty and crime like Ron LeFlore, and the hardships of being black and being born and raised in the south in the 1920s, like Monte Irvin. The only requirements are that the stories be interesting and inspiring. In these timeless narratives, readers will see both themselves and others in a new light. Baseball is the vehicle-truth is the message.

These same principles will be applied to all other books in the series. From Before the Glory - Music Stars to Before the Glory - Movie Stars to Before the Glory - World Leaders, the subjects range in status from accomplished professionals to household names. But with childhood as the great equalizer, all tales of triumph and failure, frustration and revelation, are equally valid.

For the authors, Before the Glory is more than a series. It's a mission. And like most missions, it becomes a lifestyle. Within the world of baseball alone, this humble teacher and this reverent writer have been asked to put to paper the youths of more all-star players than you could fit on a league roster. There have been serious discussions of individual books focusing on teams with storied histories-the Yankees, the Red Sox, the Dodgers. As the books themselves are published and stir discussion, and as the series naturally expands to other walks of life, this potential will only grow. Like the universe we live in, the universe of Before the Glory is always expanding. And like the space travelers who preceded them, the authors will always ask, "Where to next?"