Death in the Strike Zone

The Mystery of America's First Baseball Hero

By: Thomas W. Gilbert

Write A Review

Hardcover | 7 May 2026

At a Glance

Hardcover
200 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
22.8 x 15.2 x 1.9

Hardcover

RRP $54.99

$50.99

or 4 interest-free payments of $12.75 with

or

Ships in 10 to 15 business days

"Afascinating must-read for baseball history buffs."-Publishers Weekly

He threw the first fastball. The first curveball. He was baseball's first star-and its first tragedy.

In Death in the Strike Zone, acclaimed historian Thomas W. Gilbert uncovers the forgotten life of James Creighton, the first American ballplayer to become a national sensation. On the eve of the Civil War, Creighton invented something utterly new in baseball modern pitching. Creighton was so dominant, so mesmerizing, that the game had to rewrite the rulebook to catch up with him. He is the reason we have a strike zone. Then, in one fateful game he collapsed-and four days later, he was dead at the age of twenty-one.

Was it a freak injury or was baseball somehow to blame? Was there a cover-up? Why has Creighton been denied the credit he deserves? Death in the Strike Zone is part biography, part detective story, and part time machine. With vivid storytelling and groundbreaking research, Gilbert revives a vanished era of barehanded fielders, heroes and gamblers, and the strange, thrilling beginnings of America's pastime and sports stardom itself.

Death in the Strike Zone is a remarkable journey into the past that will keep you on the edge of your seat and profoundly change how you see the game of baseball.

Shipping

	Standard Shipping	Express Shipping
Metro postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Regional postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Rural postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95

Orders over $79.00 qualify for free shipping.

How to return your order

At Booktopia, we offer hassle-free returns in accordance with our returns policy. If you wish to return an item, please get in touch with Booktopia Customer Care.

Additional postage charges may be applicable.