Mark McGwire. Sammy Sosa. Cal Ripken, Jr. Mike Piazza. Ken Griffey, Jr.

The share more than fame and fortune and awesome talent. They're also the Good Guys of baseball, terrific role models in a world where that can't be said of a lot of sports heroes.

Theirs are just some of the inspiring stories Terry Egan, Stan Friedmann, and Mike Levine tell in The Good Guys of Baseball. Some of the names may not be as familiar as others, but all represent the very best values of sportsmanship, courage, and dedication. And they remind us why baseball will always be America's favorite pastime.