Books: "The Club" On The Rapid Growth Of The English Premier League

The Club: How The English Premier League Became The Wildest, Richest, Most Disruptive Force In Sports
By Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; hardcover, 320 pages; $28.00

Soccer has grown rapidly in the United States the past couple of decades, more popular than baseball among 35-54-year-olds, and closing in on basketball, and that has a lot to do with the popularity of the English Premier League.

Books: "All That Heaven Allows" On The Life Of Rock Hudson

All That Heaven Allows: A Biography of Rock Hudson
By Mark Griffin
Harper; hardcover; $28.99

Rock Hudson was the definition of a movie star: tall, dark, and handsome, he epitomized American manhood at the pinnacle of his fame in the 1950s and '60s.

America's leading man exuded charm, strength, virility, and charisma in classics like Magnificent Obsession, Giant, and Pillow Talk, and was frequently paired with Doris Day. His mainstream appeal translated into box office success during the last hurrah of Hollywood's Golden Age.

Books: LookIng For Meaning In The Ring In "Why We Fight"

Why We Fight: One Man's Search for Meaning Inside the Ring
By Josh Rosenblatt
Ecco; hardcover, 224 pages; $26.99; available Tuesday, January 15

Josh Rosenblatt, a writer and journalist who lives in Brooklyn, tracks his trajectory from pacifist to pugilist, from idle philosopher to trained fighter, his life's abrupt face, and what compelled such a change in his new book, Why We Fight.

Stottlemyre, Yankees Ace & Pitching Coach To 1986 Mets & Yankees 1990s Dynasty, Passes Away at 77

@Yankees.

Mel Stottlemyre, the ace of the Yankees pitching staff in the late 1960s who went on to be the pitching coach of the Mets' 1986 World Championship team, and the Yankees 1990s dynasty, passed away on Sunday at the age of 77.

Yankees Sign LeMahieu, Making Infield Complete

DJ LeMahieu.

On Monday, the Yankees announced the signing of two-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove-winning infielder DJ LeMahieu to a two-year contract through the 2020 season.

LeMahieu is a solid second baseman, which gives the Yankees plenty of options in the infield as they cover for the loss of shortstop Didi Gregorius until June or July as he recovers from Tommy John surgery.

Books: Looking At America Through "Revolutionary Threads"

Revolutionary Threads: Rastafari, Social Justice, and Cooperative Economics
By Bobby Sullivan
Akashic Books, Brooklyn, NY; trade paperback, 228 pages; $15.95

Bobby Sullivan grew up in the Washington, DC, punk scene, fueled by Rasta rockers Bad Brains and the foundational Minor Threat. His most notable band continues to be Soulside (of which he is the singer), which had multiple releases on Dischord Records.

St. John's, Who Played Without Ponds, Dominated By DePaul

Marvin Clark of St. John's battles DePaul's Femi Olujobi. @StJohnsBball.

St. John's, who unexpectedly had to play without their star point guard Shamorie Ponds, lost to DePaul, 79-71, on Saturday night at Carnesecca Arena.

St. John's, ranked 24th in the nation, has now lost two straight, dropping their Big East Conference record to 2-3, and they are 14-3 overall. They most likely will drop out of the Top 25 with this loss and the one to Villanova this past Tuesday night.