Toronto Blue Jays ace pitcher Alek Manoah is off to a tough start this year, in part, because he's having trouble with his slider.
Over 100 years ago Ojibwe pitcher Charles Bender was likely the inventor of that pitch. "He entered the game at age 19 and it's amazing to think that he is the inventor of this pitch that's still used today from young ages to the pros," said author Traci Sorell.
Contenders: Two Native Baseball Players, One World Series is a new children's book written by Sorell. It tells the story of Bender facing off in the 1911 World Series against catcher John Meyers, who was Cahuilla — a first for two Indigenous players.
The book is illustrated by Arigon Starr. Meyers was considered a strong hitter with a career batting average of .291 and Bender was a Hall of Famer, but their story isn't widely known.