Wicked Curve: The Life and Troubled Times of Grover Cleveland Alexander »

When in 1911 Phillies pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander set the National League record for wins by a rookie (28), it was a sign of things to come. Alexander went on to win 373 games over his 20-year career, the third highest total in major league history, and he would lead the league in ERA four times, shutouts seven times, complete games six times, and wins six times. But he also became a deeply troubled man. After the Shell-Shocked pitcher returned from World War I, he would battle alcoholism, epilepsy, and personal demons that damaged his reputation and proved disastrous for his life outside of baseball.

This biography sheds new light on the pitcher and the man, focusing on Alexander's personal life, especially his complex relationship with his wife, Aimee, as well as their marriages and divorces. His Hall of Fame career, wartime service, and long decline are also documented.

A newspaper journalist and onetime general manager of a minor league baseball team, John C. Skipper is also the author of A Biographical Dictionary of Major League Baseball Managers (2003), A Biographical Dictionary of the Baseball Hall of Fame (2000), Take Me Out to the Cubs Game (2000), Umpires (1997) and Inside Pitch (1996). He lives in Mason City, Iowa.