Product Description
Everyone knows that baseball is a game of intricate regulations, but it turns out to be even more complicated than we realize. What truly governs the Major League game is a set of unwritten rules, some of which are openly discussed (don’t steal a base with a big lead late in the game), and some of which only a minority of players are even aware of (don’t cross between the catcher and the pitcher on the way to the batter’s box). In The Baseball Codes, old-timers and all-time greats share their insights into the game’s most hallowed—and least known—traditions. For the learned and the casual baseball fan alike, the result is illuminating and thoroughly entertaining.
 
At the heart of this book are incredible and often hilarious stories involving national heroes (like Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays) and notorious headhunters (like Bob Gibson and Don Drysdale) in a century-long series of confrontations over respect, honor, and the soul of the game. With The Baseball Codes, we see for the first time the game as it’s actually played, through the eyes of the players on the field.
 
With rollicking stories from the past and new perspectives on baseball’s informal rulebook, The Baseball Codes is a must for every fan. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (31)

A New Look Inside the Game
Unwritten codes and traditions we sometimes hear of piecemeal, but never compiled in one place. Most of the situations mentioned are fairly recent and memorable. Now we get the inside story.

Great Subject, well covered
I always curious about alot of the unwritten things that go on
in MLB, and this books covers alot of territory. So its a good read.

However I wish it went into more details about some of the subjects
it covers. After reading the book I was amazed that after a pitcher
purposely throws a 92 mph fastball at some batters head, that some of the
fights did not carry over into the parking lot after the game. Best part of
the book was when one batter went up to the pitcher, before his at bat
and said if you throw that at me, you're a dead man, lol....

Throwing at a hitter may be part of the game, but you would think throwing
at a guys HEAD, on purpose would be criminal assult.

Codes
Not as captivating as I anticipated.Can't put my finger on why.I think more use of real and historical examples might have helped.But still an interesting subject and information for the ardent baseball fan and students of the game.

Breaking Down Beanballs and Brushbacks
There have been many baseball books over the years, though none quite like Turbow's //Baseball Codes//, which delves into a intricate and very secretive side of Major League Baseball. He wisely prefaces the book by mentioning that even attempts to explain these esoteric rules of conduct probably do very little to alleviate the concerns of the casual fan, though it does not make them any less interesting. The book tackles everything from mound conference etiquette to retaliation and clubhouse policing, each chapter bringing in a wide range of current and former players to give on the record accounts of the goings-on within the game. While fans of the game may wonder why a player was brushed back from the plate in a certain situation or why a certain pitcher has taken offense, the cause most certainly can be traced back to an unwritten, though staunchly supported rule. Extremely funny and revealing, //The Baseball Codes// is a welcome deviation from the standard format of baseball related literature. While it may or may not change the casual fans' perspective on the game, it is highly entertaining and surprising for anyone truly immersed in baseball.

Reviewed by: Leonard Jackson

For the Fans Who Really Want to Be Inside
This is the kind of book that you hope will be more than it ultimately is, but is really as good as it can be. "Baseball Codes" ends up being a laundry list of baseball's "unwritten rules". What you hope "Codes" will be is a magical portal onto a major league bench, where we can hear the profanity and smell the tobacco spit and feel the brush of a major league fastball. What you get is a collection of vignettes about each of the quasi-rules, strung together with a thin taffy of reflection, nostalgia, background apologia, commentary, admiration and genuine gee-whiz affection. And a somewhat unbalanced collection, too, as the authors have far more yarns to spin regarding beanballs and brushbacks than they do about the rest of the table of contents. Luckily, for the serious fan--the grown-up kid who would have given an arm or a leg to be one of those guys on the bench (though, on reflection, the market for one-armed or -legged ballplayers is fairly slim)--such a taffy is satisfying enough to while away a few off-days in the company of "Codes." ... Read more

Product Description
Whether you’re a major league couch potato, life-long season ticket-holder, or teaching game to a beginner, Watching Baseball Smarter leaves no territory uncovered. In this smart and funny fan’s guide Hample explains the ins and outs of pitching, hitting, running, and fielding, while offering insider trivia and anecdotes that will surprise even the most informed viewers of our national pastime.

What is the difference between a slider and a curveball?
At which stadium did “The Wave” first make an appearance?
How do some hitters use iPods to improve their skills?
Which positions are never played by lefties?
Why do some players urinate on their hands?

Combining the narrative voice and attitude of Michael Lewis with the compulsive brilliance of Schott’s Miscellany, Watching Baseball Smarter will increase your understanding and enjoyment of the sport–no matter what your level of expertise.

Zack Hample is an obsessed fan and a regular writer for minorleaguebaseball.com. He's collected nearly 3,000 baseballs from major league games and has appeared on dozens of TV and radio shows. His first book, How to Snag Major League Baseballs, was published in 1999. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (57)

I'm a new fan who never played baseball, and I loved this book.
I (i) am a woman; (ii) did not grow up playing (obviously) or talking about (or watching much) baseball (e.g., I did not know that there were any differences between the NL and the AL, and I didn't understand why the Red Sox and Yankees could not play in the World Series); (iii) have recently become a huge fan; and (iv) would now place myself well beyond the beginner level, but still pretty shy of the semi-expert. From my perspective, this is one of the most satisfying book purchases I've made in a long while. In fact, it's the first one I've liked so much that I wanted to write a review of it.

I finally decided to start taking advantage of the fact that I had moved to a great baseball city after the Red Sox won the 2007 World Series. I was tired of coming in on game 7 of the ALCS, getting fired up about the World Series, and then forgetting all about the game until next time (if there was a next time). I wanted to be as excited for the moment as all of the other fans in Boston. So I started watching every game. I loved watching the games, but I remained in a state of moderate confusion most of the time. Someone gave me a rulebook for my birthday (Baseball Field Guide: An In-Depth Illustrated Guide to the Complete Rules of Basebal). I learned a lot, but I still had tons of questions that the rulebook didn't seem to answer. How does color announcer Jerry Remy know the pitcher's going to throw an outside fastball (there are actually universal signs; plus the catcher sets up outside)? What does it mean to pitch from the stretch (it means the shorter wind-up pitchers use when men get on base to keep the runner from having time to steal -- I might have missed that in the rulebook)?Why would a team trade away its best player halfway through the season (they know they're out of the race and can get pretty good deals from a postseason-bound team who needs the player)? How in the world could anyone understand the gestures the coaches make (rub the belt, tap the nose, tap the hat, rub the shoulder, tap the belt twice, and then tap the elbow)? What thoughts go into the order of the lineup? Why is that missed out an error, but the earlier one wasn't? Why do umpires break up conferences on the mound? What makes a ballpark a "hitter's ballpark"? Other than the cheering fans, is there a real "home team advantage"? What's with all the wacky statistics, and do they mean anything?

These are just some of the many questions that Mr. Hample answers in this thoroughly entertaining and engrossing book. He also answers a bunch of questions that I didn't even think of, which was convenient, because I also got the sense that I didn't even know enough to ask the right questions and that as someone who had never actually played the game, I never would. Like, why an umpire might choose that career (he can't play but loves the game), or why I shouldn't be too quick to call a fielder a loser when he makes an error (if he's a good athlete, he's probably making the error when other fielders couldn't even reach the ball). I learned about the many things a pitcher juggles in his mind during every at-bat besides how to throw the pitch. I learned more about how batting averages are calculated. I learned that many of the goofy signs the coaches and manager make are fake to throw off the opposing team; that's why they make so many at a time.

And I enjoyed doing so, because Mr. Hample doesn't just provide definitions with diagrams (although there a a few of those). In many cases he puts you in the mind of the players at different positions (and even the umpires and base coaches) by setting up scenarios and taking you step-by-step through the rapid-fire multi-tasking that goes on in their heads. I would paste in an example, but I bought the Kindle version for Kindle for Mac, and it won't let me copy text.

The one thing missing from this book, for someone like me anyway, is a good description of the different kinds of pitches and how to tell them apart just by looking. Most websites are aimed at people trying to learn the pitch, so they focus on how to hold and release the ball. I want to know how to recognize the pitch. Even so, I learned so much that I would give the book six stars, if I could.

I think that if you (i) love baseball (but have never actually played) and want to know what to look for in order to be able appreciate the richness of baseball that semi-experts and deeply serious geeks already love; or (ii) are one of the semi-experts and deeply serious geeks who want a potentially fresh take on the already familiar intricacies of the game, then this book is definitely worth it.

(Note that you can download one of Amazon's free Kindle readers for other devices and then download a sample of this book before you purchase it. If you're considering the Kindle version, but don't have a Kindle, you should know that there are a few minor typos, as well as a couple of references to page numbers, which at least Kindle for Mac doesn't show in its e-books. Some of the charts are pretty tiny, although still readable, in the Kindle version, too, but I think this is only an obstacle on non-Kindle Kindle readers that don't allow you to zoom on images. If I could do it over again, I would buy the hard copy.)

Watching Baseball Smarter
A fairly informative book but most of the information presented is fairly obvious to baseball fans with any knowledge of the game.There are chapters with interesting facts but i expected a little more expert insight.

weak sauce
Great book if you're interested in baseball but feel a little out of your depth, terrible for die-hards.

Great book to really delve into the game
I have grown to really LOVE baseball over the past 5 years and have taken the time to really learn the game.There were some unanswered questions in my mind such as "what do they really talk about on the mound" and this book goes so far as to answer questions such as that. It has wonderful illustrations of all the pitch types - common and not so common.There are detailed explanations about all facets of the game from a "balk" to understanding statistics in baseball and other random stuff such as why baseball players always chew, etc.

I found and still find the book entertaining, helpful and useful.I keep it handy as I watch baseball and can become more active in my watching.Now baseball is no longer just a boring game (I used to think that about 10 years ago).Rather, it's a game with a lot of subtleties.This book helps the reader discover the subtle and not so subtle aspects of baseball.

I love it.A great and easy read and reference.

5 stars

Not for the Semi-Experts or Serious Geeks
If you're a big baseball fan, there's very little new information. This book would be a good gift for a younger baseball fan trying to learn the game. ... Read more

Product Description

Discover the greatest baseball players of all time!

Customer Reviews (6)

Save Your Money
All you need to do is look at the "blue ribbon" panel comprised of Yankees and Red Sox homers to know this will not be an erudite, balanced publication.Bernie Williams?Give me a break!A guy who played his entire career with one team hardly has the perspective to judge players of his own era, much less through 100+ years.Human nature will give the nod to modern players.We certainly don't need newbie panelists like Williams voting on the greatest players ever.Sheesh.

Absurd selections, excludes true top players
Any book that claims to include the top 25 of all time and includes Alex Rodriguez while excluding Roberto Clemente, Nolan Ryan, and Sandy Kofax is just absurd. Avoid like the plague.

Makes no Sense
How the author could not include Roger Maris and Sandy Koufax in a list of the greatest ball players of all time raises serious quetsions about his judgement. Certainly Warren Spahn was a great player. But greater than Sandy Koufax? And more deserving to be in the list of 25 all time greatest? I think not. This is a good book as far as it goes, but it is decidedly not the definitive word on who the 25 greatest of all time are or will be.

Buy this book!
This book will give readers of all ages much pleasure. The pictures and graphics are very pleasing to the eye. I enjoyed reading the stories of baseball players from different generations. The author gives lots of fun facts that I didn't know. I especially recommend Mr. Berman's books to reluctant readers. I wish I could discuss this book with my grandfather. He would have loved to debate who are the top 25 baseball players.

Great book to share with the family, great gift!
Posted September 16, 2010, 4:23 PM EST: This book is by no means going to please everyone with its choices of 25 players, but that isn't the point! It is meant to educate teens, pre-teens, and even adults about 25 amazing players who the "blue ribbon" panel of baseball authorities voted to include in this book. It's also a great way to start the discussion.....including A-Rod makes you talk about Pujols, Cy Young makes you talk about Nolan Ryan. This is a book which you will pick up as a family over and over....and have those good natured arguments about sports that all true fans really enjoy. Highly recommended! ... Read more

Product Description
The acclaimed nationwide best seller and companion volume to Ken Burns’s grand-slam PBS documentary—updated and expanded to coincide with the broadcast of a new, two-part Tenth Inning that lokos back on the age of steroids, home-run records, the rise of Latino players, and so much more.

With a narrative by Geoffrey C. Ward, a preface to the new edition by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, a new chapter by Kevin Baker, and an introduction by Roger Angell

Essays by Thomas Boswell, Robert W. Creamer, Gerald Early, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Bill James, David Lamb, Daniel Okrent, John Thorn, George F. Will

And featuring an interview with Buck O’Neil ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Ken Burns' baseball book
The book is excellent; I'd looked it over at a friend's house.It arrived in perfect shape in a timely manner.
No problem.

Baseball: An Illustrated History
I liked the book so well that I would like to purchase two more.One for my brother and son.

A tribute to baseball by Ken Burns and his team
This volume contains a lot that is very good.Its structure is a bit forced (nine innings, or periods, of baseball history).The 9th inning, as others have noted, covers a large time frame compared with earlier "innings."I'm not sure that the decade is the best way of organizing baseball history, either.Still and all, that's more a matter of taste than anything else.

The book's authors candidly observe that they will focus on eastern teams, e.g., Boston Red Sox and Brooklyn Dodgers, "because we felt their stories especially rich in the human drama that accompanies the history of every team." However, I agree with a reviewer (who bears the name of one of Detroit's best first basemen ever) who laments that this really does slight the deep baseball history that covers much more territory than New York to Boston.Again, though, certainly not a fatal flaw by any stretch in this book.

This book is seen as complementary to the documentary series on PBS, designed to elaborate certain issues in ways not possible in the TV medium. Some of the special features in both the documentary and book are the recollections of Buck O'Neil; interviews with historians, writers, managers, and players.Finally, essays by a number of "guests" represent an interesting twist.Roger Angell has a wonderful Introduction, "Hard Lines," in which he juxtaposes the apparent ease of playing baseball with the harsh realities of players often fighting just to stay in the big leagues or losing the joy for the game (note the brief discussion on Carl Yastrzemski).He observes that: "Once we understand how really hard it is, we become citizens of baseball, admiring its laws and just paths, even when the luck of the day hasn't gone our way."Other guest commentators include George Will, Bill James, and Doris Kearns Goodwin.

But the book is about baseball, so the nine innings are themselves the heart of this book.The early years, up until 1900, feature a strange game to us today, with very different rules--as well as the origins of racial segregation in the game (the issue of race is one of the main themes of the book).The second inning discusses the game as "Something like a war," when players played and fought hard.And so on.No need to provide a full chronology. Some special segments: the role of Babe Ruth, in the Fourth Inning, helping baseball dig out from under the disaster of the Chicago Black Sox, who threw a World Series. The Sixth Inning features the end of segregation in baseball, with Jackie Robinson's big league debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

A final quotation from Buck O'Neil illustrates how the game can be addictive--to players (and even to fans), when he says: "There is nothing in life like getting your body to do all the things it has to do on the baseball field."

All in all, an ambitious work, trying to capture the spirit of baseball, its sins, and its contributions.While I do have some questions about this volume, as already noted, it ends up not quite being a home run, but it surely is extra bases.

if you love baseball
I think that this book is great. I also own the PBS series on video. I like how it focuses on the human side of the history of baseball. It doesnt just tell all the numbers and stats. If you are a baseball fan I'm sure you will enjoy this.

Error
I looked up Curt Flood in the index, turned to p. 339, and found a story told by Flood that is quite obviously inaccurate. Flood said that in 1957 he had a very distasteful experience with a segregated clubhouse.This is the same story he told to Ken Turan of the LA Times a year or so before his death.But then he placed the story in 1956, when he was playing in a different league. Unhappily, there appears to be no substance to the story. A check with Bill White, former president of the Nat'l League in Danville where Flood placed it, elicited the response that no such situation existed.Othere attempts to corroborate the story also fell short.One has to conclude that if there is one serious error in the book, the rest of the stories might also be invented.

Stuart Weiss---slw8125@lvcm.com ... Read more

Product Description

No owner has changed the landscape of sports more than New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. From the moment he bought the team in 1973 for $10 million, Steinbrenner's monomaniacal pursuit was to restore the most fabled franchise in baseball history to its former glory. Today the New York Yankees are worth more than $1 billion and are once again world champions.

Customer Reviews (47)

ABSOLUTELY NUTS!
There is nothing, and I mean NOTHING, you will ever read as nuts as this book!The man was an absolute non-stop maniac!

A Fun Read for Any Baseball Fan
Although I am the opposite of a Yankees fan, I really enjoyed reading this work.Madden provides countless behind-the-scenes anecdotes about George Steinbrenner and the people he worked with that were highly insightful or entertaining.There is a lot for any fan of the game of baseball to take away from this book.From Steinbrenner's early attempt to purchase the Indians to the sagas of Billy Martin to the 1990s dynasty, Bill Madden's book tells the whole story of the most infamous baseball owner of the modern era.
My only real criticism of this book is a number of minor factual errors littered throughout the book.At one point Madden says Don Zimmer left his coaching position with the Yankees after 2001, which is not true, since Zimmer was in that infamous mound encounter with Pedro Martinez in the 2003 postseason.He also says the Mets beat the Diamondbacks and Braves to advance to the 2000 World Series against the Yankees, which is also not true.In the 1999 playoffs, the Mets beat the Diamondbacks and lost to the Braves.In 2000, they beat the Giants and then the Cardinals before losing to the Yankees in the World Series.I won't list them all but the point is, a professional writer with a professional editor working for a professional publisher should be able to do some simple fact-checking.I know all this stuff and I'm not even a fan of the Yankees.

A lion, indeed
Allow me to preface this by saying I am not a fan of George Steinbrenner or the New York Yankees. But to deny what the man did for baseball would be outrageous. When this book first came out, I knew it was something I wanted to read. I head off, however, and when I recently invested in a Kindle, this was the first book I got.

I'm glad I did.

I like the way Bill Madden wrote this book -- from the eyes of everyone else, but at the same time with glimpses from Steinbrenner as well. This might be the best book ever written on this man. It shows areas where many may have have already hears -- the way he treated employees, opponents and others -- to the softer side of the Boss. Such as how he always seemed to show regrets on firing somebody or how he always seemed to take care of people who had been Yankees.

There are times I laughed, felt disbelief and was saddened. To see anyone -- especially somebody such as Steinbrenner -- grow old and sick is tough. This book shows you truly what the Yankees went through during these times.

It's a true, in-depth look at Steinbrenner, his life and his team. The relationships he had with Billy Martin, Gene Michael and many other Yankee names. How the Yogi saga was finally put to rest. When I ended this book, I didn't have any questions.

I would call this a must-read for Yankee fans and true baseball fans. Even borderline fans could probably enjoy and take away from it a bit more about the Boss. I wouldn't have read many books on baseball owners, but for a man such as Steinbrenner, I did and it was well worth it. I easily give this book 5 stars.

Charged but never delivered.
This item was never delivered, though my card was charged. I see others have experienced the same result from this seller. I wonder why Amazon allows this to continue.

A must read for any baseball fan
George Steinbrenner (1930-2010) was one of the most colorful figures in the world of professional sports-In 1973,he became the owner of The NY Yankees,the most storied franchise in baseball-NY Daily News sportswriter Bill Madden has written a first-rate account of Steinbrenner's life-There's a great selection of photos in the center of the book-If you're a NY Yankees fan or a fan of baseball in general,you owe it to yourself to read "Steinbrenner". ... Read more

Product Description

From beanballs to basebrawls, the most important rules governing the game of baseball have never been officially written down—until now.

Customer Reviews (12)

For the baseball junkie: a walk-off home run and perfect game in a single serving size!
Paul Dickson has an established track record as a solid baseball writer (be sure and check out The Hidden Language of Baseball or The Dickson Baseball Dictionary (Third Edition) for other proof that he knows what he's talking about.

As one who sat with a 7-year old in Baltimore as Mike Mussina took a perfect game into the 9th inning (her favorite Cleveland India, Sandy Alomar would eventually get a double, even though Mussina got the win) and tried to explain to her what was happening without SAYING what was happening, I have a great fondness for the rules of the game that appear not in print, but in the reverie of its events by its players and fans.

Dickson organizes the rules according to those for players, for managers, umpires, official scorers, fans, the media and a miscellaneous category.

It addresses many "book" rules: when to steal (or not), when to run hard, when to run slow. I knew he had touched them all with these two gems:
"1.11.1: There Is No Rubbing in Baseball"

Filled with illuminating anecdotes from famous (and infamous)names in the game, you can easily digest this in a single sitting...or sample in tiny helpings over time.

Keep it around during coming winter...it might help tide you over until pitchers and catchers report!

a must must must must for all baseball fans...
Clearly explains all the unique nuances that make baseball the great game it is. Came in pristine condition. Great price.

Baseball beyond baseball
My wife is Canadian, which means many of her friends are Canadian, and I've been trying to explain to them for years how similar the great sport of baseball is to their beloved hockey insofar as the code of conduct beyond the official rules to which players adhere is a deeply-layered set of tradition and justice based in an abiding respect for the game. I'd compare how hockey stars get protection via their team enforcers much like pitchers are obligated to protect their best hitters by plunking the other team when appropriate. Or I'd draw an analogy between the silly, but reverent superstitions like not shaving during the Stanley Cup run and making no mention of a no-hitter in progress. Some of it would make sense to them, while other stuff would fly right over their toques.

Then it occurred to me: As much as I love hockey, I don't know that any sport could have as much unwritten etiquette as baseball simply because of its pace and longevity as a mostly unchanged game over the past hundred years.

I really wasn't sure how I could convey that to my Canucks, but this book is probably a good start. Though it won't lead anyone by the hand through the sport (I'll still have to explain some of the nuances and plays referred to), I feel like I could give it to any of them to read and understand how much more there is going on than simply what they're seeing on the field. Now, I'm not one to keep score at games, but I do try to keep a close eye on the little things not reported on the Jumbotron. I'm hoping that even reading some of this collected wisdom will help my wife and her friends draw more from the game than drunken idiots slapping beach balls or instigating 'the wave' could ever see.

(BTW - Dodgers games are probably the most unpleasant ballpark experience in one of the best ballpark settings: horribly rude, often violent fans who show up in the fourth and leave after the stretch, which, I might add, has to have its lyrics on the Jumbotron and repeats the verse twice. Abomination! The ghost of Harry Caray should torment these impostors for the remainder of their days.)

I actually ordered this book shortly after Dallas Braden's perfect game since much of the etiquette came up while the wife and I were watching the highlights of it (last year, I tried without success to convey the rarity of the perfect game and the genius of DeWayne Wise's catch in Buerhle's gem). When I winced at Longoria's bunt attempt, but then hedged on whether it was technically 'wrong,' I knew I'd confused her. Referencing the bunt that killed Schilling's perfect game a few years back certainly didn't help. Personally, I think the bunt has very limited application and breaking up a perfect game ain't it (though we did go to the Japan-Korea final of the 2009 WBC and I thought Ichiro's late bunt was one of the most brilliant pieces of hitting I've ever seen). Then again, if you're giving up on the score halfway through the game, you should probably find another profession.

When I got the book, I opened it to rule 1.17.2. Don't Bunt to Break Up a No-hitter or Perfect Game. Sure enough, the Schilling game was referenced as a very gray area in the rule. While I don't know that this cleared anything up for my wife, I was actually happy to see the nuanced examples and contrary wisdom ("I'm getting paid to hit and he's getting paid to pitch. He never gave me any breaks at the plate. Why should I give him any?") that exemplify why all these rules are unwritten: to fix them in recorded form would take away from the excitement of knowing whether they'll be observed.

(Oddly enough, Braden is quoted in rule 1.19.0. Rookies Are the Lowest Rung on the Ladder, though his name is misspelled 'Breden.' I'm sure it will be corrected in future editions now that he made history.)

Wow, I've really digressed. What I meant to say is that I think the book is a very complete list of the unwritten rules we baseball fans think we know along with a few that I probably would have never known (the section on how far you can take your jawing with the umpire seems like something tough to gauge from the fan's distance from the field). The little vignettes attached to most of the rules are often informative and fun, though, again, I don't know that they'll translate well beyond the already entrenched fan (of course, this book isn't really general interest, so I guess that's the point). The rules did feel a little brief, however, as the second half of the book consists of collected adages, wisdom, and cliches from the game that are alternately truisms, banalities, and contradictory. Still entertaining, but I might have better enjoyed more examples of the 'rules' in action. Overall, a fun, easy read that can be put down and picked up without loss of flow. To quote from Plimpton's Correlation ("The larger the ball, the less the writing about the sport"), there are "very good books about baseball" and this is among them. It's worth adding to your baseball shelf.

Unwritten Rules of Baseball
Interesting book.Many of these rules I already knew and did not know I knew them.It was a little redundant at times but a true fan will enjoy the read.

Unwritten Rules of Baseball
Great book.A lot of fun.It calls for unwritten books on Football,
basketball, hockey etc.

It's even better during baseball season. ... Read more

Product Description
During World War II, a young Japanese-American boy and his family are sent to an internment camp after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Despondent in their desolate surroundings, father and son pull the camp together to build a baseball diamond and form a league. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Stepping Up to the Plate
Shorty, the young narrator was the son of Japanese internees in a prison camp during WWII.The inmates drove home the point that having purpose and something to look forward to each day improves one's outlook on and quality of life.In order to improve their outlooks on life during a very dark time in history, they built a baseball diamond and organized teams so as to spend their time in unity as a team working with one another.(Japanese baseball lives by the credo that you don't win or lose; your TEAM wins or loses).

Branded as non-Americans and enemies in the aftermath of the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, many Japanese and other Asians were imprisoned in work camps.Their homes were taken from them and, once released from the camps were given a pittance as compensation.Rejecting the idea of being "non-American" while living in the United States, the inmates formed their own baseball team.Shorty, the young narrator threw his heart into the game as much as he threw any ball.He stood up to bigotry and hatred with amity and good will.

Once Shorty's family is released from the camp, Shorty continues his passion for baseball.He takes the lessons he learned from playing baseball and applies them to the racist sentiments that ran rampant in his immediate community.He learns that it is only through hard work and TEAM work can great good be accomplished; he learns tht it is indeed the team who carries the load and it is the team who works together to knock down barriers and obstacles.

Towards the end of the book, Shorty is up at bat facing derision and scorn from members on the other team.This causes him to have a flashback to his days in the work camp where guards adopted a similar attitude towards the inmates in their custody.He knows it is up to his team to win that game and, in addition to winning that game conquering bigotry and replacing it with unity.

This is such a beautiful book with equally beautiful illustrations.It might even make you cry, but you will undoubtedly cheer when Shorty leads his team to victory.You might even say he helped knock racism out of the ballpark.A genuine masterpiece of a book that belongs in every heart as well as on every bookshelf.It is ideal for families, educators and....everyone.

Step up to plate for someone who needs youmost - that is a very important message.

You'll also want to read Willie and the All-Stars

A Moving Tribute to Human Courage and Dignity
In this moving tribute to human courage and dignity (written by the child of Japanese internees), a young Japanese boy describes his timein the American internment camps during WWII.Recognizing that enforced idleness is detrimental to their humanity, the inmates build a baseball field and organize teams to pass the time of their imprisonment.They choose an American game, rejecting their label as non-Americans, and the boy grows in his skill by playing all through the camp.It is through this skill that he young boy faces the hatred and prejudice of his home community when his family is finally released.

In a climactic closing scene, the young boy stands up to bat amid the racist jeers of the opposing team, and sees in his mind the accusing guard, standing on the watchtower, watching Japanese-American families play baseball below him.In response to this memory, his courage rises, and instead of wilting in defeat he rallies to meet the challenge.We see him finally being celebrated by his teammates in jubilant celebration of his winning hit.

The illustrations are breathtaking, and the text describes the painful reality of this dark moment in American history in a clear, understated way, without bitterness.An unusual and outstanding book.

slow shipping
The book was in excellent condition, but the shipping was very slow.It took 3 weeks from when I ordered the book.

A story that teaches ethnic tolerance and history to young people
One of the darkest episodes in the history of the United States occurred immediately after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. In the hysteria of the moment, Japanese-Americans on the west coast were rounded up and placed in concentration camps. They were forced to leave most of their possessions behind, very little of which was ever returned. The premise for the roundup was that the Japanese-Americans were considered a security risk but there was never a documented incident of an act of sabotage or treason ever being committed.
While in the camps, the people did many things to cope and this book is about the creation of a baseball field inside one of the camps. It took a great deal of effort to carve a quality field from the land, but the people were able to do so. One of the high points in the book is when the title character hits a home run to win the game. A guard that had always stared impassively at the prisoners responded with a smile and a thumbs-up signal. Another high point occurs after the title character is released from the camp. He is playing on another team and people in the crowd are calling him a "Jap." Once again, he hits a home run and is the hero.
Anyone familiar with history knows how much progress in racial equality was a result of the success of Jackie Robinson and those that followed him in baseball. This story, which is certainly plausibly true, demonstrates that same principle with Japanese-Americans. It is an excellent story for young people as it teaches them ethnic tolerance as well as some history.

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Not many kids books deal with the Japanese-American situation during WWII. By and large, it's a piece of history that just isn't dealt with.

This book takes a child's point of view, so the understanding of the situation is necessarily limited to what a child would understand. I would suggest that you read this book in conjunction with a more complete history lesson. ... Read more

Product Description
At a 1931 barnstorming exhibition game in Tennessee, a seventeen-year-old pitcher for the Chattanooga Lookouts struck out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig back to back. Her name was Jackie Mitchell--"organized baseball's first girl pitcher." On September 9, 1965, Sandy Koufax made baseball history by pitching his fourth perfect game. In July 1970, a stripper rushed onto the field at Riverfront Stadium to kiss Johnny Bench, temporarily disrupting a game attended by President Nixon and his family. These are just some of the great, quirky, and comic moments in the annals of baseball recorded in THE GREATEST BASEBALL STORIES EVER TOLD. Here also are profiles of such legendary figures as Joe DiMaggio, Pete Rose, and Yogi Berra, essays that explore the complexities and pleasures of the game, even an excerpt from the movie Bull Durham. This is the perfect book for anyone who has ever played so much as a game of catch.

Contributors include:

John Updike
Doris Kearns Goodwin
Abbott & Costello
Ring Lardner
Bill Barich
Zane Grey
David James Duncan
Al Stump
Pete Hamill
P.G. Wodehouse
Damon Runyan
Roy Blount, Jr.
Richard Ben Cramer
Gay Talese
A. Bartlett Giamatti
and many more
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A great read for baseball fans of all ages
This is a great book if your looking for some short stories (both true and fiction) about the great game of baseball.It is a great collection covering anything from Ripken's drive for the Ironman title, the summer of 98 and the home run kings, lesser known characters like Pistol Pete Reiser and what life was like after baseball for guys named Joe Dimaggio and Ty Cobb among others.

Highly Recommended ... Read more

Product Description
Continuing in the tradition of Sports Illustrated’s 50th Anniversary Book and The Football Book comes a spectacular celebration of baseball that will be treasured by fans of the National Pastime.With the same kind of unforgettable photographs and award-winning writing that propelled The Football Book to surpass the sales of The Anniversary Book, a New York Times best-seller, this lavish coffee-table volume brings to life the legendary players, the classic action and the great traditions of the Summer Game. In 294 oversized pages, The Baseball Book commemorates the epic teams and characters, the crucial plays and classic games, the personalities and performances and artifacts that have kept baseball at the heart of American sports for more than a century. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

Great book!
Love this book! Makes a great coffeetable book and can be a great coversation starter!

Baseball illustrated
Thank you so much for your lighting fast shipping. This made our Christmas go alot smoother since this was a Christmas gift and they are going to open their gift on time now. We really appreciate professional sellers like you that try their best for their customers. Thank you,again and Merry Christmas :)

Baseball History
A great book about Baseball. Lots of Info and Awesome pictures. I highly recommend this book!

Baseball Addicts Dream Book
I bought this book for my 12 year old nephew. He said his dad has a copy but won't let him look at it. He was so happy to get his own copy. He was showing it to everybody. And..the best part is, Auntie got a big hug from him.

Great for baseball fans
Book that is great for baseball fans.Photos and facts that are good fun for an old man to sit down with. ... Read more

Product Description
Tom Gallagher is in a tight spot. The fate of the Dillontown team rests on the outcome of one baseball game, winner take all. If Tom's team loses, they lose their field too. But how can they possibly win? Just when everything seems hopeless, a mysterious boy named Cruz de la Cruz rides into town and claims to know the secret of hitting. Not to mention the secrets of Dante Del Gato, Dillontown's greatest hitter ever. Since he walked away from the game years ago, Del Gato hasn't spoken a word to anyone. But now he might be Tom's only hope for saving his hometown. From the award-winning author of Over the Wall and Choosing Up Sides comes this imaginative tale of one boy's struggle to preserve the spirit of the game he loves. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (44)

This One's a Winner
I had the privilege of meeting John H. Ritter several years ago when he spoke and signed books at an event for young readers in my hometown.Ritter's two great loves are baseball and his Christian faith, both of which inform his career as a novelist.Ritter writes sports stories that you don't have to be a sports fan to enjoy, spiritual tales that are wholesome and uplifting but not preachy.On the surface, "The Boy Who Saved Baseball" doesn't seem all that different from dozens of other stories you may have read: a big game in which there is more at stake than bragging rights and wounded egos, in this case, the heritage of a small California town.With this basic premise, however, Ritter manages to construct a tale of mythic proportions."The enigmatic figure who appears at the eleventh hour to save the day" and "the cantankerous recluse who holds the key to some great mystery" are well-worn archetypes, but in Cruz de la Cruz and Dante Del Gato, Ritter has given them new flesh.What truly makes this book stand out from the rest, however, is the frequent, lovely passages of almost lyrical prose that will take your breath away: "A boy needs to read the earth.This is a truth older than the iron dust that redpaints the boulders. . . . It's a feeling truth, a gut truth from deep inside, that leads a boy to . . . wander nights, to turn blind corners and enter black-eyed caves, hunting for earthen knowledge, follwing a starborne hunch."These moments of beauty are interspersed among fast-paced action passages with nuanced and intriguing characters.There's something in this book for everyone.Thoughtful young baseball fans in particular are sure to enjoy it.

The boy who saved baseball book review
I thought this book was very interesting.I felt that I could relate to parts in this book because I have been in situations like Tom in book.On page 176 it says "Tom could not even feel his feet touch the earth or the ball in his hand."When I played in the AAU 12U tournament in Kissimmee Florida the very first game the bleachers were full and I was so nervous that I could not feel my fingers.In the book Tom got up to bat with two outs the game tied up in the last inning.I have been in the situation.It was the championship game and there was two outs with runners on 1st 2nd and 3rd.Like Tom I got the hit. I would recommend this book to a friend because all of my friends play sports and like me they can relate to parts in the book like I did.Over all it was a great book.

Great book!
A very good book!I first learned about it from a great baseball social network - [...] .It's all players, coaches, and umpires from all levels of the game.

Believe Me, They Don't Come Much Better Than This
Can't think of a baseball novelist any better than Ritter. (Kinsella? Mark Harris?) "The Boy Who Saved Baseball" IMHO will someday be a classic. It says Ritter played college ball and you can tell he's been in pressure situations which he conveys in vivid authenic language. Always a fast moving story, always twists and turns, totally unpredictable, real characters, poetic words, the whole shot. Hats off! Glad to find out about this one.

I can also honestly recommend his other books. Each one different from the rest. Read a sample page, you'll see. Can't wait for this new one coming up too.

It's a great baseball book!
I am 11 years old and I play baseball. This was a great book I think because it had soooo many things that were going bad but then turned into great things. It made me feel...when you try your hardest, you will always win the game. ... Read more

Product Description
In this book, authors H.A. Dorfman and Karl Kuehl present their practical and proven strategy for developing the mental skills needed to achieve peak performance at every level of the game. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

The Mental Game of Baseball
This was my first time to order a book online...Amazon.com was great and processed my order on a timely basis.My grandson is enjoying the book with interest.

Great Book
My son and I find this book so helpful. Every page you find yourself learning something. I will recommended this for any serious baseball player and for those want to improved their skills mentally.

Book review
Will do business w/ again.Good baseball book to read, a MUST for would be professional baseball players!

Perfect book to help you be mentally tough
My 12 year old actually read this book himself halfway through the season.His mental toughness increased incredibly.This was by far his biggest weakness when playing baseball.I expect him to be even better, and have even more fun, going into next season having already read it.

Great Book
This is an excellent book.I found it very valuable in helping my son get better at baseball. ... Read more

Product Description
One of baseball’s most appealing features is that it is a thinking game. Athletes of all sizes can excel with sufficient smarts and skills. And managers from Little League to the major leagues can lead teams to titles with proper preparation and effective decision making.

Now students of the game who are looking for a mental edge need only turn to one complete tactical resource. Baseball Strategies explains what to do, when to do it, and why in all facets of the game.

Part I focuses on the offensive attack, from determining the batting order to sending runners on certain pitches in key situations. Part II gets inside a pitcher’s head with insights on selecting and locating pitches, holding base runners in check, and fielding the position. Part III presents a wealth of defensive tactics, from position-specific responsibilities to situation-specific alignments and plays. Part IV explains how to fine-tune your strategic approach, whether it be adjusting to the level of competition or altering your plan in the middle innings.

Developed by the American Baseball Coaches Association, Baseball Strategies contains the collective wisdom of 18 carefully selected coaches, including several whose teams have won more than 1,000 games and claimed national championships. Draw on the lessons of these experts to make sure you have all the tactical bases covered this season. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

A must for Every Coach !!
Very Easy to read and implement.Some books on coaching become to sophisticated and hard to read.This book can be read in parts or as a whole.
I am having immediate results in our competitive baseball team 12-

Great book for the intermediate player / coach
I feel I had a good handle on mechanics and teaching how to throw, hit and pitch. I felt I had a weaknesss of actual baseball strategy in certain situations and games. I now coach a 13U baseball team and have found this book to be very helpful in the actual "strategy" of the game...I like the base running aspects and the base running situations they give in the book. I also like that different chapters are written by different coaches. Overall a great book I think for the older Little League (12 years old) through adult player....

Meeting a coaches needs
Baseball strageies are very well explained. I can follow and organize material. I think it well written. I recommend it. I am a baseball coach and I beleive that the information in this would cost me in hundreds of dollars for a baseball clinic. I was grateful for the pictures and diagrams in the book because I think it enhances the material provided.

Wow! Put Away The Golf Clubs! Baseball Lives In "59" !
Put down the newspaper. Turn off CNN, Fox News and ESPN!
Pick up a copy of Marty Schupak's masterful video THE 59 MINUTE BASEBALL PRACTICE.
This video is a real treat for all youth baseball lovers. The drills are beyond fun!
The CIRCLE DRILL, LEAD DRILL, CONTINUATION DRILL and more will make practices
fun and stimulating. The beauty of this video is that it is something that you can continue
to reference back to again and again. Keep practices no longer than 75 minutes.
An hour (or 59 minutes) is fine also. Don't worry too much about tweaking every little
technique. Just have fun with it! Your players will improve as individuals and as a team.
And it's a funny thing, the fun your team has inpractice will translate into more victories
on the field. I know. It worked for us!

Baseball Strategies: American Baseball Coaches Associations
Bought for my husband. Reports this is an excellent book for the strategy of the game. ... Read more

Product Description
From the ballpark to the backyard and beyond, this book captures all the action, fun, and excitement of America's favorite pastime. You'll learn everything you ever wanted to know about:

• The history of baseball
• Your favorite American and National League teams
• Stats and records
• Ballparks around the country
• Baseball legends and current players
• How to play like a pro
• Fantasy baseball teams

Product Description
In this unique collection of short stories, the small events of daily life reveal big themes--love and friendship, youth and growing up, success and failure. Calling on his own experiences of growing up in California's Central Valley, poet Gary Soto brings to life the joys and pains of young people everywhere. The smart, tough, vulnerable kids in these stories are Latino, but their dreams and desires belong to all of us.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Baseball in April Mr. Martell's review
My 6th grade summer class and I decided to read Baseball in April in order to get to know Gary Soto's writing style a bit better. We were not disappointed.The students were able to choose from the 11 short stories which ones to read first.We started with "La Bamba;" it was an interesting story, particularly since most of my students are Hispanics.The students were able to identify with the most of the settings and characters. Other stories that the kids of any background will find interesting are:Two Dreamers--a story about a grand father and his grandson--; the girls will enjoy, Barbie and in fact all the short stories will connect with most adolescent. Gary Soto utilizes his Latino background to identify with his audience; in fact when he uses words such as "menso," the students would giggle and truly hear themselves calling a family member names. Bottom line, I fully recommend Gary Soto's Baseball in April, particularly if your students are a cultural diverse group.I assure you, they will thoroughly enjoy reading this collection of short stories.

Baseball in april,and other stories
Wow! Thats a lot of stories!Baseball in april has 11 differant stories. This book is about everyday things. It featuressports, love, school, and age. This book by Gary Soto is great in detail and strong emotion. Are you looking for a good book? Try this one!

Baseball in april and other stories
The book Baseball in april and other stories is a book based on different stories in it. I think that it's a fun book to read for us teens because if you find the first story boring or you not interested in the story, you can go to the next story. I think books like that have different stories that relate to each other(I guess. There were only about three (3) stories that I didnt like or it was just boring to me.

My favorite story was a story called "broken chain". I liked it because it relates to me in different ways. I think this book was written by different young kids that experienced something new and wanted to write about it. but I also think that a young kid wrote about different days and letting the readers know how well or bad was his day.

The part when he explains that he has a date with aq girl and he goes and tells his brother about it. That part reminded me of my brother and my cousin because they always have a habit that if they meet agirl, they tell each other about it how she looks etc.

In the story "broken Chain" the main character of the book states " please! I'll do anything for you" iI love that quote because when I want something from my brother I always use that line sometimes it works, but there be times that he doesn't fault for it (lol)

Many of the stories that are in this book relate to me every time i read i think of a time that the line had related to me. So read the book to see if it also realated to you, I hope you like it!

Great storytelling
I discovered Gary Soto's poetry in a public library in Nebraska. Then I read his short stories, my favorite being "Baseball in April." Like his poetry, these stories are beautiful in that they reveal a child's inner thought life; they also show the challenges that teenagers go through.

Soto takes us back to his childhood in California. The stories occur in sunny Fresno, which is in the Central Valley. The characters, dilemmas, and emotions that he evokes are so real that I often read them over saying, "Yes, I remember feeling like that."

I mostly read adult literature but have been reading a lot in young adult literature, because I often forget what it was like to be a young boy. Soto has a gift for recalling these events and making them come alive again. I've read this collection three times and have read all of Soto's poetry. I hightly recommend "Baseball in April," as well as the poetry collection "Black Hair."


Also recommended: How to Lose Your Faith in Divinity School

good
The reason that I think this book is very good is because,of various reasons. One reason i think this book is very good is cause in the book the kids sound like they are having fun and its very realistic ... Read more

Product Description
The definitive biography of the baseball legend who broke Babe Ruth's single-season home-run record—the natural way—and withstood a firestorm of media criticism to become one of his era's preeminent players.

ROGER MARIS may be the greatest ballplayer no one really knows. In 1961, the soft-spoken man from the frozen plains of North Dakota enjoyed one of the most amazing seasons in baseball history, when he outslugged his teammate Mickey Mantle to become the game's natural home-run king. It was Mantle himself who said, "Roger was as good a man and as good a ballplayer as there ever was." Yet Maris was vilified by fans and the press and has never received his due from biographers—until now.

Tom Clavin and Danny Peary trace the dramatic arc of Maris's life, from his boyhood in Fargo through his early pro career in the Cleveland Indians farm program, to his World Series championship years in New York and beyond. At the center is the exciting story of the 1961 season and the ordeal Maris endured as an outsider in Yankee pinstripes, unloved by fans who compared him unfavorably to their heroes Ruth and Mantle, relentlessly attacked by an aggressive press corps who found him cold and inaccessible, and treated miserably by the organization. After the tremendous challenge of breaking Ruth's record was behind him, Maris ultimately regained his love of baseball as a member of the world champion St. Louis Cardinals. And over time, he gained redemption in the eyes of the Yankee faithful.

With research drawn from more than 130 interviews with Maris's teammates, opponents, family, and friends, as well as 16 pages of photos, some of which have never before been seen, this timely and poignant biography sheds light on an iconic figure from baseball's golden era—and establishes the importance of his role in the game's history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

No Truer Yankee Than This
"Roger Maris: Baseball's Reluctant Hero" is the complete Roger Maris biography.And, because Maris was a private person who shared very few personal details with writers of the day, the book holds surprises even for those who witnessed the pressure-packed 1961 season and believe they already know the Roger Maris story. Few, for instance, are likely to know that Maris was not born in North Dakota as he claimed or that "Maris" is not the original spelling of his surname - or about the dysfunctional family dynamic that caused the spelling to be changed.

The biography, however, rightfully focuses on the way New York sportswriters and broadcasters conspired to ruin a good man's reputation and to make him miserable during what could have been the best year of his life.Old-school writers, in particular, hated to see Babe Ruth's home run record fall and, if it had to be broken at all, the last thing they wanted to see was someone like Roger Maris do the breaking.Because they did not consider Roger Maris to be a "true Yankee," this unethical group of writers trashed his reputation on a daily basis.They portrayed him as surly and unappreciative, a man who refused to play through his injuries the way Mantle played through his own.They even covered for Mantle's drinking problems and resulting lack of hustle while attacking Maris for not going full out even when ordered to play at a slower pace (to protect an injury) by his manager.And it worked - fans in every American League city hated Maris and never failed to boo or jeer him, even in his home ballpark.

That was bad enough.But just as bad was the unethical wayCommissioner Ford Frick decided to protect the home run record of Babe Ruth, a friend of his, by hanging the infamous "asterisk" on Maris, insisting that Ruth was still the single season champion for a 154-game schedule and that Maris was only the champion for a less impressive 162-game schedule (even though Ruth had three more overall at-bats than Maris).But it gets still worse because, later in his Yankee career, the full extent of a hand injury was kept from Maris by the Yankee front office and his manager, Ralph Houk, a decision that all but ensured he would never fully regain the grip in that hand or be able to pull a ball like he did when it was healthy.This is the same front office that failed to protect Maris from the rabid press in 1961 or even to promote his continuing chase to catch Ruth after the 154th game of the season, the same people who would send him off to St. Louis without ever recognizing what a great Yankee player he actually had been.

Understandably, Roger Maris hated the Yankee organization and Yankee fans by the time he was traded to St. Louis in an underhanded deal that turned out to be the biggest blessing of his career.That he would be able to reconcile with the Yankee organization, thanks to the efforts of George Steinbrenner, and that he would learn to love baseball again because of his experiences with the St. Louis Cardinals, is the best part of the Roger Maris story.When he died at age 51, still in the prime of life, baseball lost one of its all time greats, a man that, in my opinion, deserves to be in the Baseball Hall of Fame despite the successful efforts of a group of despicable writers to keep him out of it.

"Roger Maris: Baseball's Reluctant Hero" is not just a book for baseball fans because Roger Maris is a true American hero, a man whose story will be an inspiration to anyone who reads this revealing biography.

A biography every baseball fan should read
Although authors Tom Clavin and Danny Peary subtitle their biography of Roger Maris--"Baseball's Reluctant Hero"--many fans and sportswriters rejected Maris as a hero.He was one of the most unpopular and vilified athletes in 1961 as he chased Babe Ruth's single season home run record.

New York sportswriters painted Maris as a "surly, money-hungry ingrate."They treated him as an outsider (he had arrived in New York in 1960), favored Mickey Mantle over him and belittled his feat of 61 homers in 162 games.

Maris was never cut out to be, nor did he want to be, a hero.He just wanted to do his job and be left alone.He wasn't flashy and didn't like to talk about himself.He was serious, quiet, shy and thin skinned.The press, however, wanted him to be dynamic, garrulous and bigger than life.When he disappointed them (which he usually did), he paid the price.

Maris always felt embarrassed about discussing his accomplishments because of the misfortunes of his older brother, Rudy Jr., who was the better athlete until he contracted polio.Maris felt that it was his brother who really deserved to be the hero.

During the 1961 season, Maris was constantly hounded by the media, completely unprotected by the Yankees front office.Writer Maury Allen said Maris faced "the most pressure of any athlete in 55 years" he covered sports.Mantle, who finished with 54 homers in 1961, termed Maris' 61 homers as "the greatest feat in sports history."The Yankees, however, did nothing to recognize the achievement.

Hard to believe, but the fans and press were even harder on Maris in 1962.Mantle said, "The fans gave Maris the worst beating any ballplayer ever took."Playing 157 games, Maris led the Yankees with 33 homers (5th in the AL) and 100 RBI.Mantle, who played 123 games, was voted the American League MVP with 30 homers and 89 RBI. Incredulously, Maris did not receive one single vote for league MVP.Instead, UPI named him Flop of the Year.

Plagued by injuries, Maris' production fell the next four seasons.Although the Yankees promised him that they wouldn't trade him after the 1966 season, they sent him to the St. Louis Cardinals for an unknown player, Charlie Smith.That left a bitter taste in Maris' mouth.

He was, however, cheered and appreciated by the St. Louis fans and readily accepted by his Cardinal teammates.He earned high praise for his clutch hitting and all-round play.He helped lead the Cardinals to the World Series in 1967 and 1968.Maris appeared in more World Series in the 1960s (seven) than any other player.In two seasons with the Cardinals, he hit just 14 home runs.

Maris retired after the 1968 season.In retirement, Maris, who was awarded a valuable beer distributorship by the Busch family, mellowed and reconciled with the Yankees, thanks mainly to the efforts of George Steinbrenner.

In the end, Maris was able to say, "The game was good to me.The good outweighed the bad."He died in 1985 at the age of 51.

The authors did a great job of covering Maris' early years growing up and his career with the Cleveland Indians and Kansas City Athletics before coming to the Yankees.This is a biography that all baseball fans should read.

Home Run King!
After reading this book I have even more respect for Roger Maris than ever. This is a man who deserves Hall of Fame admission.
If you want an excellent read, well crafted and filled with observations from witnesses to the events, this is your book!

Roger Maris
I was aware of all the crap that Roger Maris had to put up with during the 1961 season and the ensuing years with the Yankees, which will always amaze me.A very underrated player.He is the true single-season home run record holder, and not the frauds, like "Big Head" Barry Bonds, Sammy "I Don't Speak English" Sosa, or Mark "He Touched My Heart" McGwire, who cheated Maris, Ruth and Aaron, among others.

I liked this book alot because it takes place in the era when I first came to love the game of baseball, and also because I'm a huge Yankees fan.My only quibble is that I could have done without all the Maras/Maris family history.It was confusing and boring to me.Thankfully, most of the book focuses, as it should, on its subject.For those who have friends or family who are Yankees' fans, this would make a great gift.
Recommended

Hall of Fame Player -- Hall of Fame Book
Very nice book, about a very mis-understood, but very nice man, and great ballplayer.How the press kept him out of the Hall of Fame is one of the biggest crimes perpetrated by the frustrated pundits.Though the book drags a bit with the family tree stuff, you do get a solid appreciation for a guy who has unfortuantely passed for over 25 years.The description of his two MVP seasons in '60 and '61 is very good, as are his two Cardinal years.The book focuses on more than his home runs, but the complete ballplayer he was.His bond with Mickey Mantle is well told also.The last 15 or so pages will tug at your heart, as it describes his last days, as well as his bonds with some of the special people in his life (including Mantle).I re-watched "61", the Billy Crystal movie immediately after reading this.If there is a just God, Roger gets his day in the sun at Cooperstown someday.I hope every voter on the Veterens Committee reads this in the future -- its a crime he's not in there with them.Class book on a class guy. ... Read more

Product Description
What does it mean to play heads-up baseball? A heads-up player has confidence in his ability, keeps control in pressure situations, and focuses on one pitch at a time. His mental skills enable him to play consistently at or near his best despite the adversity baseball presents each day. "My ability to fully focus on what I had to do on a daily basis was what made me the successful player I was. Sure I had some natural ability, but that only gets you so far. I think I learned how to focus; it wasn't something that I was necessarily born with." -- Hank Aaron"Developing and refining my mental game has played a critical role in my success in baseball. For years players have had to develop these skills on their own. This book provides practical strategies for developing the mental skills that will help speed you toward your full potential." -- Dave Winfield ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Book seem to work for my son
I never read the book, but my son (14) read it in a few days last week and then he went 4 for 5 that weekend.That ended a huge slump for him.I'm not sure what the book did for him, but when I asked, he said something about humming tunes, breathing techniques, confidence, and routines.He also was doing something funny with his glove.He called it part of "his routine".My son could hit in the batting cages and practice but not so well in the games.That changed this last weekend.Only difference was this book.But could be coincidence.Will see over the next few weeks.His coaches and hitting coach always tell him his problem is in his head.Sounds like a common problem for all baseball players from little league to Major Leagues.

Coaches must have this in their library
Ken Ravizza writes a great book any baseball coach should own. It is simple but spelled out in a way that makes you question whether you do it or not. I have found his suggestions are incorporated into our instructions with our players. The mental is game is something most of our guys have not thought of or been exposed to. This helps find their potential and improve their game one pitch at a time.

Very good book for coaches and players.
People say baseball is 90% mental.This book deals with how to prepare yourself mentally to play the game.It also deals with how to handle failure.I would highly recommend this book for any coach or player.

A part of your training
Easy read that is for the player, coach or parent. The tools in this book are good for the little leaguer, high school player or even pro. It also gives great advice for parents and coaches. It's a must read for all players who want to reach the next level.

Highly Recommended Book!
Heads Up Baseball should be required for all baseball players! Ken Ravizza knows his stuff! ... Read more

Product Description
Clear, readable, and updated, a one-stop field guide to the rules of baseball.

If you want to play the game the way it was meant to be played, Baseball Field Guide is for you.

With its straightforward language and layout, Baseball Field Guide organizes and explains the sometimes vague, misleading, confusing, inconsistent, and obscure rules governing America's favorite pastime. The book is comprehensive, covering all the rules from the most basic to the most complex. An easy-to-use reference guide, it is designed for quick and intuitive searches, with several tools to help you navigate your way, including:

* plenty of color illustrations
* a logical sequence of topics
* an informative table of contents
* a comprehensive index
* extensively cross-referenced information ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Great book
Excellent reference guide. Fits in a large pocket. Easy to understand diagrams. My ten year old started Little League this year and this has been a great asset. This book has allowed me to understand almost every detail of the game.

excellent
This is very easy to read, and understand, you will be able to quickly get to the rule your looking for, and there is almoest always an explanation after it. the most comprehensive, understandable rule book I've seen.

Exactly as advertised
Well done, to the point, thorough, but limited to nuts and bolts baseball--no fluff. Just what I needed.

Baseball Field Guide: An In-Depth Illustrated Guide to the Complete Rules of Basebal
This is a great reference to have nearby while watching a ball game.So many times an unusual play happens or some technicality is discussed and this book offers more information than even the broadcasters can come up with.It is nicely written and easy to understand.

Excellent guide
First rate guide to baseball, combining the obscure with the common and the everyday with the historical. A must for every baseball buff. ... Read more

Product Description
Blending scientific fact and sports trivia, Robert Adair examines what a baseball or player in motion does-and why. How fast can a batted ball go? What effect do stitch patterns have on wind resistance? How far does a curve ball break? Who reaches first base faster after a bunt, a right- or left-handed batter? The answers are often surprising -- and always illuminating.

Customer Reviews (37)

Simple explanations, correct physics but too little math
This book is easy to read, jogs from one interesting facet of the game to another with ease.Sugests simple physics underlying each phenomenon but lacks enough math for a begining reader to repeat most examples for a middle school science project.

A valiant effort at a difficult test
Beginning with the baseball itself, Adair delves into the design of the ball from its raised stitches to the bound cowhide cover and even to the rubber core. Using the ball's design as a basis, he goes on to discuss how the flight of that ball can be affected by wind, temperature, and altitude. Throughout the next few chapters, he focuses specifically on the flight of the ball as it leaves the pitcher's hand and how pitchers have found waves to manipulate that flight in their advantage. Pitchers, he says, face the task of maximizing velocity when needed but changing speed and directions in order to keep the batter guessing. Luckily for baseball fans (at least those that appreciate a well-pitched game) pitchers understand principles of physics better than they think. Additionally, a batted ball's flight, even detailing the theoretical maximum flight distance of the ball (545 feet, by the way), is described.
It is not only the pitchers and batters who need an understanding of physics to be successful in baseball, according to Adair. In fact, anyone who needs to judge the flight of a ball in order to catch it better know that the batter's choice of bat and where the batter contacted the pitched ball will affect the direction and magnitude of his--the fielder's--pursuit. Anyone who needs to run at maximum speed from base to base certainly should be aware that they won't be as fast as, say, Carl Lewis, since their start time is hindered by the efforts of the pitcher to "keep him honest." Even a player who needs to throw the ball from one part of the field to another must consider that his distance from the location of the desired landing point of the ball along with the weather conditions on that particular day will affect the velocity and trajectory with which he releases the ball. So, essentially, as Adair describes in the book, every player on a baseball team utilizes principles of physics to be successful, whether he--the player--likes it or not.
My desire for the book as I, a baseball fan, initially picked it up was to better understand baseball. Why does a curveball curve? Do balls really go farther in Denver? Why does a "corked" bat give a batter an advantage? Why are players now using lighter bats than the sluggers of the old days did? After reading the book, I better understand the answers to these questions. Yet, while Adair essentially answered my questions, it was somewhat difficult to get to those conclusions. Though he himself states that the book is intended for those interested in baseball, not physics, I was often lost in his description of the physics. It was not as simple as I had hoped. Now, that is certainly no fault of Adair. It is not that his descriptions were more difficult than needed but rather that baseball is not a simple game to describe fully. The book exemplified that fact beautifully. So, perhaps a physicist did not invent the game. Despite that fact, it is nevertheless a complex game that simple people can watch, play, and enjoy.

Will help you appreciate the talent of MLB Players
I have always loved baseball and was interested to see how The Physics of Baseball; 3rd Edition, by Robert K. Adair, PhD., would supplement my appreciation for the game.There were definitely both pros and cons to the book.Overall, I would give the book a rating of 4 out of 5 stars.

The largest plus was how the author broke down every aspect of the game and helped the reader appreciate the overlooked details of baseball.The author analyzed how physics affected hitting, pitching, and fielding, and no intricate details were left out.For example, Adair reveals that a batter has 75 milliseconds to look at a ball that has left a pitcher's hand, 50ms to think about the pitch (evaluating the spin, velocity, etc.), and 175ms to take action and swing the bat (making any necessary swing adjustments during this final time period).

Adair further breaks down, using detailed physics equations, the logistics behind other elements of the game.For instance, the author explains how pitchers get the ability to make such nasty pitches, by explaining release points, spin from grip positions, etc.Also, batted balls are treated as projectiles in motion as Adair explains how baseballs get the trajectory from wooden bats to either fly 400+ yards over the fence, or fly into the awaiting glove of an outfielder who has properly judged its flight time and position.

While such insights give a baseball fan great appreciation for the skill and talent of baseball players, the book lacked a few essentials for this baseball fan.Adair uses plenty of comparisons to baseball players, but many of the examples given seemed a little out of date.Though the book was published in 2002, no references were made to current stars of that time, such as Derek Jeter or Randy Johnson.The player references were a bit out of date.

Also, the book was a little too heavy on little unrelated details, and did not in some cases relate the countless facts and calculations back into how they relate back to baseball.Finally, it would have been interesting to hear about how steroids - due to their recent connection with baseball - would affect some of the physics that Adair explains in his book.Overall, a good read but is most appreciated by those who have a good background in both baseball and physics.

Very useful and interesting book!
This book is great at explaining why things happen the way they do. I am actually using it as a reference for a study on the physics of softball.

Interesting and also helps me Play!!!
Robert Adair did a fantastic job writing The Physics of Baseball. I just read this book and loved it. I play baseball at Milton High School and this book not only helped me better understand the game of baseball but will also help me excel in the sport.The physical evidence resulting from the tests performed and the various charts and graphs made all of the information easy to understand.Coaches always say that "the little things" win and lose ballgames.In the novel, "the little things", such as laying bunts down and many more are covered and can help teams win games.I recommend this book to all players of the sport and definitely to all coaches of teams.It may change the style of coaching but for the better by making the coach pay more attention to small things and winning games.I also recommend this book to any people that do not play or coach anymore or have kids or grandkids playing anymore.The information is can be helpful but can also be interesting to the average person. This book is great for anyone that just loves the game of baseball or any physics geek that is curious how things work in America's past time. I hope that Robert Adair will continue this "Series" and write a couple more books regarding the great sport of baseball.I would also like to see other authors write similar novels about different sports, such as basketball and football. This book was a GREAT BUY!!!!!!!!!!!! ... Read more

Product Description
The companion audiobook to Ken burns's magnificent PBS television series

The authors of the acclaimed and history-making bestseller The Civil War flow turn to another American phenomenon. Their subject is baseball.

During eight months of the year, it is played professionally every day; all year round, amateurs play it, watch it, and dream about it. Baseball produces remarkable Americans: it seizes hold of ordinary people and shapes them into something we must regard with awe. Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Joe DiMaggio ... truly gifted human beings acting out universal fantasies that, for whatever reason, are most perfectly expressed on a baseball field.

All this and more rings through Ward and Burns's moving, crowded, fascinating history of the game -- a history that goes beyond stolen bases, triple plays, and home runs to demonstrate how baseball has been influenced by and has in turn influenced, our national life: politics, race, labor, big business, advertising, and social custom. The audio covers every milestone of the game: from the rules drawn up in 1845 by Alexander Cartwright to the founding of the Brotherhood of Professional Base Ball Players in 1885, from the 1924 Negro World Series through Jack Roosevelt Robinson's major-league debut in 1947, and Nolan Ryan's seventh and last no-hitter in 1991.

Monumental, affecting, informative, and entertaining -- Baseball is an audio that speaks to all Americans.

Baseball is available in hardcover from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (169)

Quintessential documentary on baseball.
Absolutely awesome, indepth documentary.I only have one complaint:It seems that it is a rather biased view of the Dodgers move to Los Angeles.I don't see how a documentary can be made on this subject with absolutely no mention of Robert Moses and the battle between him and O'Malley.Other than that, I love this set and watch it over and over again.

Simply stupendous
It brought me back to loving and following the game I loved for years. For that alone it is worth everything bright and beautiful.

baseball
a great look at the times and history as seen through baseball along with the some great stories and facts about baseball a enjoyable dvd trip for a few quite nights

Another success with Amazon
Our purchase was priced better than anywhere else we had checked.We received our package quickly and in excellent condition.Over and over, we choose Amazon for good deals, quality service, and straight-to-our-door delivery.A pleasure.Thanks.

simply the best
I along with over 100+ million baseball lovers may know a lot on current events in baseball but the game we love today has a history that many do not know about, Ken Burns has a collection here that will absolutely entertain you and every baseball lover for hours and hours, from the very birth of American baseball to around 1994, sure there has been plenty of baseball history made after '94 ( Red and White Sox WS. champs) but it pales in comparison of the yesteryear.
You can now watch the teams your father watched when he was a little kid growing up along with the teams his father and his fathers father followed.
This is the best package value on American baseball history anywhere, I have done a lot of research and have found nun better than this.
If you are a lover of baseball history this is a must for your Christmas stocking.There is nothing better! ... Read more

Product Description
“Joe Morgan again shows himself a rare bird: an ex-jock with savvy and the ability to communicate it.”
—People

“This book has something for everybody, from longtime fans to Little Leaguers.”
—New York Newsday

Baseball For Dummies, Third Edition, is for baseball fans at all levels, from players and coaches to spectators who love the game. Baseball Hall of Fame player and ESPN baseball analyst Joe Morgan explains baseball with remarkable insight, using down-to-earth language so everyone from the casual observer to the die-hard fan can gain a fuller appreciation of the sport. This updated edition features:

• Everything you need to know about the game, from what it takes to play each position and how to hit and run the bases to what to watch for in the game and how to appreciate the finer points of the sport
• Coverage of new star players, new stadiums, and game milestones
• The lowdown on today’s baseball Web resources
• The latest on stats and sabermetrics
• The inside story on the new steroid rules

From how to throw a knuckleball or hit an inside pitch to how to keep a scorecard or pick a winning fantasy league team, Morgan covers all the bases, showing you how to get the most out of the game. You’ll see how to:

• Improve your hitting, pitching, and fielding
• Find a team to play on, from Little League on up
• Evaluate stats, players, and records
• Coach or umpire effectively
• Get more out of a trip to the ballpark

Complete with Morgan’s personal lists of top-ten pitchers, fielders, and relievers, as well as new quotes from Derek Jeter and Keith Hernandez, Baseball For Dummies gives you all the inside tips, facts, and stats so you can play like a Major Leaguer!Amazon.com Review
Baseball is another solid hit in the popular Dummiesseries. With its chatty style, snappy graphics, and enjoyably informativetop-10 lists, the book sticks to the Dummies format better than most pitchersfollow their catchers' signs, a plus to be sure. The real plus, though, resides inthe deftness of Joe Morgan's voice. The former Hall of Fame second baseman-turned television analyst has proven himself a natural communicator in the booth; hecomes across just as comfortable, informative, and thorough in print. Hisenthusiasm spills over, but not at the expense of his broad knowledge. Morgan,naturally, covers the bases--hitting, pitching, fielding, running, coaching--with plenty of whys teamed up with the requisite how-tos. For addedexpertise he calls on fellow pros such as Hall of Famer Bob Gibson andMVP third-baseman Ken Caminiti. Deceptively sophisticated, Baseball for Dummies is a marvelouslygood-natured introduction to the game, but it also hurls enough insight tohook baseball's more advanced students. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

Learn The Basics
Good book to learn the basics. Covers about everything a beginner needs to know about baseball in plain english.

Joe Morgan Wrote Baseball For Dummies?Must be an autobiography.
Joe Morgan Wrote Baseball For Dummies?Must be an autobiography.Seriously, this guy is the worst guy to listen to during a broadcast.I hate when my team is on ESPN because I have to listen to 3 hrs of ignorant comments by Joe Morgan.Hall Of Fame player, hall of shame analyst.Do a google search for Fire Joe Morgan and laugh your arse off.

Seems to be designed for parents of Little Leaguers
I was hoping to get a primer on baseball that would help me to see and evaluate more of what was happening as I follow my team from my seat in the stands. What I got was mostly blah. Not up to the usual Dummies books, or perhaps I had too much background and I was looking for something more advanced? (I doubt THAT!) There is a decent glossary in the back and a page on keeping score and a chapter on the advantages and disadvantages of several Major League ballparks, but the rest was supremely forgettable to me. Your PYA(Page Yowza Average) may vary.

homerun
Baseball is my biggest hobby!Love this book for beginners or long time baseball junkies...we can always learn something from Joe Morgan!

jargons to explain jargons
I had high hopes for this book after reading all the reviews. At the same time, my baseball knowledge is very limited. My biggest disappointment is that the author tried to explain baseball jargons using baseball jargons. In other words, the ideas are not explained in plain, effective language. Maybe the author is "born" to speak the language of baseball. Unfortunately for readers like myself who is trying hard to know more about the sport, the baseball jargon does not come naturally.
... Read more