The Fan's Guide to Baseball

From his musings on the psychology of the game to his opinions on strikes, trades, and cheating, this collection of spirited, incisive essays by the late Bart Giamatti--former president of the National League and Commissioner of Baseball--offers a thoughtful meditation on baseball, character, and values.

A lavishly illustrated production including two-page photo spreads of all of the 30 current major-league parks and the 3 new parks opening in 2004. Also contains photos and information on 16 old parks, many of which no longer exist. Complete histories and fascinating anecdotes about each park are also included. A perfect gift for any baseball lover, for any season!

A Celebration of the Golden Years of Baseball, the Boys of Summer is a loving look at a time when the Brooklyn Dodgers still reigned over Ebbets Field and Jackie Robinson made history by being the first black player in the Major Leagues. When first released, it inspired Gay Talese to announce, 'Kahn's book is marvelous ... a splendid historical work. It is about youthful dreams in small American towns and big cities decades ago, and how some of these dreams were fulfilled, and about what happened to those dreamers after reality and old age arrived'. Reading The Boys of Summer reignites the enduring fascination Americans have with our national pastime and its players.

'This isn't a book; it's a love affair between a man, his team, and an era'. -- Christian Science Monitor

In one frenzied season, a book title has become imprinted in the consciousness of American sports fans. The Curse of the Bambino, a phrase Dan Shaughnessy has coined, will live in infamy for Red Sox fans because it summs up 70 years of horror and heartbreak which all began when Babe Ruth was sold to the Yankees. With old-fashioned New England humor and the authority of a lifelong Red Sox fan, Dan Shaughnessy captures all the joys and heartbreaks that the curse of the Bambino has brought to Boston.

From his perspective as a journalist and a true fan, Bob Costas, NBC's award-winning broadcaster, shares his unflinching views on the forces that are diminishing the appeal of major league baseball and proposes realistic changes that can be made to protect and promote the game's best interests.
In this cogent--and provocative--book, Costas examines the growing financial disparities that have resulted in nearly two-thirds of the teams in major league baseball having virtually "no chance of contending for the World Series. He argues that those who run baseball have missed the crucial difference between mere change and real progress. And he presents a withering critique of the positions of both the owners and players while providing insights on the wild-card system, the designated-hitter rule, and interleague play. Costas answers each pr

A book about baseball and the meaning of life from the author of "Living Prayer". During the course of a single baseball game, Benson draws parallels between the game's moves and events in life.

To Dickson and to fans everywhere, baseball without a scorecard or box score is unthinkable. And within the history of the scorecard are some of baseball's greatest moments. From the first scorecard introduced in 1845, to the scoring system devised by direct-marketing genius L. L. Bean; from presidential scoring habits to batting titles decided by official scorers to Phil Rizzuto's inspired scoring symbol "WW" (Wasn't Watching), Dickson delights in his subject. Henry Chadwick (the inventor of the scorecard), Ty Cobb, Mel Allen and Red Barber, FDR and Ike, concessionaire Harry M. Stevens, California Angels' official scorer, Ed Munson, and many others all play their parts in this history. Among this book's many illustrations is a gallery of historic scorecards, some of them from baseball's most memorable contests, including Don Larsen's per

Published to the accolades of critics and sportswriters and the raves of thousands of readers everywhere, this phenomenal coast-to-coast bestseller is an incisive, intelligent and always fascinating analysis of America's favorite pastime. Will gives a unique look at this intricate sport, including in-depth profiles of Tony Gwynn, Cal Ripkin, Jr., Tony LaRussa, and Orel Hershiser. 16 pages of photographs.

The Oakland Athletics have a secret: a winning baseball team is made, not bought. A story about money, science, entertainment, egos, "Moneyball" traces the remarkable success of the Oakland Athletics, a major league team with a minor league budget.

In nearly 1,000 separate articles, James ranks--and writes about--the top 100 players by position in baseball history . . . and, more than that, introduces a remarkable new statistic called "Win Shares, " a way of quantifying individual performance that equalizes the offensive and defensive contributions of catchers, pitchers, infielders, and outfielders. 50 photos throughout.

This unprecedented book provides the first-ever history of baseball statistics--their keeping, their study, their creators--and analyzes this cultural phenomenon from 1845 until today.

In this era of spoiled millionaire athletes and Big Business baseball, the spirit of the Game is alive and well -- if a bit deranged -- in America's heartland.

In SLOUCHING TOWARD FARGO, author Neal Karlen describes his two-year journey with the St. Paul Saints -- the most audacious bush-league ballclub ever to plumb the bottom of the pro sports barrel. Co-owned by comedian Bill Murray and run by Mike Veeck -- son of the infamous sports promoter Bill Veeck -- this motley collection of mutts, hopefuls, and has-beens has become a national phenomenon for playing with as much gusto off the field as on ... while proudly adhering to the timeless sports credo that it takes heart, skill, and cheap theatrics to plant devoted butts in stadium seats. This is where Darryl Strawberry was rehabilitated (the first time) and began his long comeback cli

"I started McCarver's book because I was sure he would teach me something. I finished it as Casey Stengel."--The Cincinnati Enquirer
Tim McCarver, baseball's preeminent analyst, has set down all that he knows about how the game should be played and watched. With his trademark wit and style, McCarver explains the fundamentals and proper mechanics at the level necessary for success in the major leagues.
Baseball for Brain Surgeons and Other Fans is a gold mine for all fans, brain surgeons or otherwise, and anyone learning how to play or coach the game. (Even major leaguers will pick up some pointers.) After the wonderful 1998 season, America's pastime has never been more popular, and with the deeper knowledge and understanding of baseball that Brain Surgeons provides, any fan will be able to watch it like a pro.