As befits a game traditionally passed from one generation to the next, baseball has always had a special reverence for origins. Claims of being first with any element of the game are disputed with fervor and passion. When the octogenarian Fred Goldsmith died in 1939, a headline proclaimed, 'Goldsmith Dies Insisting He Invented Curve Ball'; Fred Goldsmith understood the secret of immortality. Yet while countless thousands of words have been spilled on the subject of baseball “firsts,” there has been no definitive source for the settlement of disputes. Peter Morris's endlessly fascinating A Game of Inches has now arrived to fill the void. Impeccably researched and engagingly written, this treasure trove will surprise, delight, and educate even the most knowledgeable fan by dispelling cherished myths and revealing the source of many of baseball's features that we now take for granted. The scope of A Game of Inches is encyclopedic, with nearly a thousand entries that illuminate the origins of items ranging from catchers' masks to hook slides to intentional walks to cork-center baseballs. But this is much more than just a reference guide. Award-winning author Peter Morris explains the context that led each new item to emerge when it did, and chronicles the often surprising responses to these innovations. Of few books can it genuinely be said that once you start reading, it's hard to put it down—but A Game of Inches is one of them. It belongs in the pantheon of great baseball books, and will give any reader a deeper appreciation of why baseball matters so much to Americans. (A companion volume, A Game of Inches: The Game Behind the Scenes, was published in the fall of 2006.)
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Editorial Reviews
Review
I can't wait for the subsequent volumes. (Keith Olbermann, News Anchor, Countdown on MSNBC; co-host, The Dan Patrick Show on ESPN Radio )
Peter Morris's A Game of Inches is the one that every serious baseball fan must have. (Rob Neyer ESPN Magazine )
A splendidly entertaining book. (Donald Honig )
Truly amazing. (Rob Neyer The Griddle )
Wonderful baseball anecdotes...a comprehensive volume of who-did-what-first adding a necessary human dimension to baseball facts and figures. (Philadelphia City Paper )
Every season needs a browser’s delight of a baseball reference book. Morris’ remarkable volume may have set that standard. (John Marshall Seattle Post-Intelligencer )
Absolutely fantastic.... There is no end to the historical detail, the delightful anecdotes, and the clear explanations. (Dr. John D. Elgenauer, Super70s.com--Baseball )
Offering fascinating information on every page, this is a unique resource for baseball historians and serious fans. (CHOICE )
Morris combines learning, precision, and devotion to produce this charming book...This is heaven for fans of the game.... (Library Journal )
Morris' remarkable volume may have set [the] standard for this season and several to follow. (John Marshall Seattle Post-Intelligencer )
It's an everything you ever wanted to know reference source for anyone who truly loves baseball. (Albany Times Union )
Morris gives the scoop on three- and four-man umpiring crews, the history of bats, and more. (Carol Herwig USA Today )
An encyclopedic effort....interesting observations. (John Monaghan Providence Journal )
Clear some fresh space on your bookshelves. One of the all-time essential reference works for baseball has...arrived. (Daniel Gabriel Elysian Fields Quarterly )
Majestic in their detail and exemplary in their dedication to scholarship, these books will leave the reader...exhilarated. (CHOICE )
You could do no better than Peter Morris' A Game of Inches, an astonishingly well-researched history. (Keith Olbermann Msnbc )
A great source for baseball history. (Daily News )
Solid piece of near exhaustive research into...crucial aspects of the development of baseball. (John P. Rossi The Historian )
Peter Morris's A Game of Inches is the one that every serious baseball fan must have. (Rob Neyer ESPN Magazine )
A splendidly entertaining book. (Donald Honig )
Truly amazing. (Rob Neyer The Griddle )
Wonderful baseball anecdotes...a comprehensive volume of who-did-what-first adding a necessary human dimension to baseball facts and figures. (Philadelphia City Paper )
Every season needs a browser’s delight of a baseball reference book. Morris’ remarkable volume may have set that standard. (John Marshall Seattle Post-Intelligencer )
Absolutely fantastic.... There is no end to the historical detail, the delightful anecdotes, and the clear explanations. (Dr. John D. Elgenauer, Super70s.com--Baseball )
Offering fascinating information on every page, this is a unique resource for baseball historians and serious fans. (CHOICE )
Morris combines learning, precision, and devotion to produce this charming book...This is heaven for fans of the game.... (Library Journal )
Morris' remarkable volume may have set [the] standard for this season and several to follow. (John Marshall Seattle Post-Intelligencer )
It's an everything you ever wanted to know reference source for anyone who truly loves baseball. (Albany Times Union )
Morris gives the scoop on three- and four-man umpiring crews, the history of bats, and more. (Carol Herwig USA Today )
An encyclopedic effort....interesting observations. (John Monaghan Providence Journal )
Clear some fresh space on your bookshelves. One of the all-time essential reference works for baseball has...arrived. (Daniel Gabriel Elysian Fields Quarterly )
Majestic in their detail and exemplary in their dedication to scholarship, these books will leave the reader...exhilarated. (CHOICE )
You could do no better than Peter Morris' A Game of Inches, an astonishingly well-researched history. (Keith Olbermann Msnbc )
A great source for baseball history. (Daily News )
Solid piece of near exhaustive research into...crucial aspects of the development of baseball. (John P. Rossi The Historian )
About the Author
Peter Morris won the coveted Seymour Medal of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) for his book Baseball Fever, about early baseball in Michigan. He has also been honored by USA Today Sports Weekly. A graduate of the University of Toronto and Michigan State University and a former national and international Scrabble champion, he is now a researcher at the Michigan Public Health Institute and lives in Haslett, Michigan. Visit the author's website (www.petermorrisbooks.com) for more information.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
28 of 28 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
On its face this book appears to be yet another entry in the genre of collections of random tidbits about baseball. These usually are disconnected factoids, often of questionable accuracy and often with some attempt at a unifying theme. In form this is just such a collection, in this case with the theme of "firsts". Peter Morris has in fact done something much more interesting and substantial.
The book is founded on solid research, going back to as close to the events as possible. Do we know of a first because it was reported in the newspapers the next day, or do we only have someone's recollections decades later? Morris is meticulous about letting the reader know. This could serve not only as a baseball history, but as a textbook on methods and limitations of historical research.
Morris avoids the problem of random factoids: of history as a series of disconnected events. A lesser author might determine who was the first pinch hitter, give a name and a date, and leave it at that. Morris puts pinch hitting in the context of the evolution of substitution rules, expanding rosters, and adapting ideology. We get a mini-essay on the development of this aspect of the game.
Similarly, the invention of the catcher's mask is put in the context of loosened restrictions on the pitcher's delivery, which allowed faster pitching and effective curve balls. These made the older method of an unprotected catcher standing well back from the batter less tenable, and protective equipment was invented in response. As catcher's equipment got better the catcher was able to move closer to the batter, which in turn affected aspects such as base stealing.
This is by far the best book I have seen for how the game was actually played and how it evolved, reported in a clear-eye, factual manner. There is no sepia-tinged old-timey quaintness here.
The writing is consistently engaging, not dry academic prose. This is a work of serious history, but written for anyone interested in the history of baseball.
The book is founded on solid research, going back to as close to the events as possible. Do we know of a first because it was reported in the newspapers the next day, or do we only have someone's recollections decades later? Morris is meticulous about letting the reader know. This could serve not only as a baseball history, but as a textbook on methods and limitations of historical research.
Morris avoids the problem of random factoids: of history as a series of disconnected events. A lesser author might determine who was the first pinch hitter, give a name and a date, and leave it at that. Morris puts pinch hitting in the context of the evolution of substitution rules, expanding rosters, and adapting ideology. We get a mini-essay on the development of this aspect of the game.
Similarly, the invention of the catcher's mask is put in the context of loosened restrictions on the pitcher's delivery, which allowed faster pitching and effective curve balls. These made the older method of an unprotected catcher standing well back from the batter less tenable, and protective equipment was invented in response. As catcher's equipment got better the catcher was able to move closer to the batter, which in turn affected aspects such as base stealing.
This is by far the best book I have seen for how the game was actually played and how it evolved, reported in a clear-eye, factual manner. There is no sepia-tinged old-timey quaintness here.
The writing is consistently engaging, not dry academic prose. This is a work of serious history, but written for anyone interested in the history of baseball.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Baseball's legacy is the result of many influences, inventions and innovations
June 25, 2006
Format:Hardcover
A GAME OF INCHES: THE STORIES BEHIND THE INNOVATIONS THAT SHAPED BASEBALL isn't your usual coverage of major players or major memorable games: it's the first of two projected volumes to provide an encyclopedia reference covering the origins of the sport's major items, from catchers' masks to cork-center baseballs. Included in each listing are discussions of what led each new item to emerge when and how it did - much in the manner of a Burke review of history's causes and influences - and a chronicle of the responses to these changes and innovations. Baseball's legacy is the result of many influences, inventions and innovations: here's the place to read about them all.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is a must for any base ball fan interested in the evolution of the game. Mr. Morris covers the bases with subjects like the introduction of pine tar to the elimination of left handed 2nd basemen. He does it with a narrative style you don't find in many historical books. It is the vintage ballists companion.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
interesting facts, but dry reading.
to tell the truth, volume 2 was a better, and easier, read. this volume also has many fascinating things to teach, but almost reads like the phone book. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Still a Phillies Phan
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent service and product (used book)
I saw this book reviewed and wanted to purchase it for a grandson and a nephew, however, it was rather expensive (over $25.00). But I found it used for about $4. Read more
Published on May 13, 2010 by Bernice Siegel
5.0 out of 5 stars
Informative
This is one book that explain a part of baseball you don't read about in other books. Why are the rules what they are? How did they develop? Read more
Published on May 8, 2010 by Marc Ranger
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Very Complete History Of Pre-1900s Baseball
Taken piece by piece, this book should almost belong in a history course, as one could spend an entire semester (or more) poring over the onerous details. Read more
Published on August 8, 2009 by Zachary Koenig
5.0 out of 5 stars
For Baseball Fans
Any fan of baseball on any level will enjoy this well researched volume on the development of baseball as it is played today.
Published on January 3, 2007 by T. gRASER
5.0 out of 5 stars
Game of Inches: Part I
A genuinely outstanding book, probably the most important baseball history book published this year. Read more
Published on August 21, 2006 by Prof W. D. Rubinstein
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Game of Inches
A Game of Inches is an excellent resource for the serious baseball fan as well as an interesting read for the more casual fan. Read more
Published on August 4, 2006 by Ron Haas
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