"[Tom Callahan] is the most complete sports writer in America. He knows the most, and writes the best." --Roger Rosenblatt In The Bases Were Loaded (and So Was I), sportswriter Tom Callahan brings to life the most fascinating--and often least understood--figures in the world of sports. From Muhammad Ali to Pete Rose, Larry Bird to Oscar Robertson, and Arthur Ashe to Arnold Palmer, Callahan takes us up close to athletes we thought we knew and reveals how wrong we often are. Famous for engaging his subjects in ways that uncover the real person behind the public image, Callahan has been delighting sports fans for years with profiles in top magazines such as Time, U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek, and Golf Digest. The Bases Were Loaded (and So Was I) features 90 percent new material that perfectly showcases the essence of Tom’s craft--how he avoids the clichés so often found in sports writing and comes at his subjects from often unexpected places. "When it comes to style, fresh insight, and perspective, few in a crowded field can even make the cut. As expected, Tom Callahan betters par by several strokes." --Bob Costas Callahan has a unique gift for getting his subjects to reveal things they rarely would to the mainstream media by getting to know them, integrating himself into their stories, and earning their trust. The results are profiles that, collectively, tell the inside story of sport, giving not simply the score but a close-up view of the athletes who put the numbers on the board. The Bases Were Loaded (and So Was I) is a seminal work of reportage that will appeal to sports fans and non–sports fans alike, a rare and surprising journey behind the scenes of our favorite sports legends. "Tom Callahan writing about anything is like Julia Child saying, 'If you don’t have any plans, stick around and I’ll make you some dinner.'" —Tony Kornheiser, Washington Post