Home Run: The Definitive History of Baseball's Ultimate Weapon [Hardcover]

David Vincent (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 10, 2007

The home run is indeed baseball's ultimate weapon. It can change a game in a heartbeat, making a tight game into a blowout or a seemingly easy win into a nail-biter. Homers are majestic, powerful, and awe inspiring. And sluggers are the sport's biggest stars, from the days of Babe Ruth through Barry Bonds.

David Vincent, called "The Sultan of Swat Stats" by ESPN, delves into the long history of the home run with great detail and color. He starts when the rules of the game were highly unstable and sometimes the definition of a home run could change in a park from year to year; follows through the "Deadball Era," when the home run was rare; explores the explosion Babe Ruth brought to baseball in the 1920s; discusses how both world wars affected homer statistics; looks at great home run races such as Maris versus Mantle in 1961; assesses the effects of the juiced ball, juiced players, thin air, and smaller ballparks; and so much more.

If there is something to know about home run history, look to David Vincent for the answer-Major League Baseball does. With Home Run: The Definitive History of Baseball's Ultimate Weapon, now you can know it too. A 1990s Nike commercial proclaimed that "chicks dig the long ball." In this thorough and colorful look at baseball's ultimate weapon, David Vincent shows you why.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Written by the recognized master of home run statistics

Covers the long history of the most exciting play in baseball

Discusses players from "Home Run" Baker ot Babe Ruth to Roger Maris to Barry Bonds

About the Author

David Vincent is the author of Home Run: The Definitive History of Baseball’s Ultimate Weapon and coauthor of the award-winning book The Midsummer Classic: The Complete History of Baseball’s All-Star Game, and SABR Presents the Home Run Encyclopedia: The Who, What, and Where of Every Home Run Hit Since 1876. Major League Baseball, ESPN, FOX, USA Today, and many other media entities consult him regularly on the history of the home run. He lives in Centreville, Virginia.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Potomac Books Inc. (April 10, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1597970352
• ISBN-13: 978-1597970358
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,909,301 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything you ever wanted to know about the home run, July 7, 2007

By 

Barry Sparks "freelance writer" (York, PA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Home Run: The Definitive History of Baseball's Ultimate Weapon (Hardcover)

Author David Vincent is the recognized expert on home runs, and he covers all the bases when it comes to the long ball in this book. Vincent is at his best detailing rule changes through the years, factors affecting home run production and home run trivia.

There are lots of interesting charts, graphs, lists and factoids that serious baseball fans will find appealing. The book walks the line between a reference book and commentary.

Vincent debunks several myths, including the common perception that expansion dilutes pitching and that there's a correlation between home run production and illegal drug use at the beginning of the 21st century.

Vincent contends that charges of a correlation between home run production in the 1990s and illegal drug use are emotional, overblown and misleading. He says the charges are not based on factual evidence but rather on conjecture and are more inflammatory than informative.

In chapter 12, Vincent lists 18 factors (in no particular order) that could possibly explain the increased home run production since the 1990s. All baseball fans would be well served to read this chapter closely.

While Vincent cautions baseball fans to wait for the evidence before condemning certain sluggers, his publisher's choice for the cover is interesting. What two home run hitters do you put on the cover of a book that is "The definitive history of baseball's ultimate weapon"? Babe Ruth, of course, is a given. Who's your other choice? Hank Aaron (who broke Babe's career record)? Barry Bonds (the single season record holder with 73 and likely all-time home run king)? Sammy Sosa (three 60-plus home run seasons)? Mark McGwire (first to break Roger Maris' single-season record)?

How about neither? The publisher seemed to be playing it extremely safe by selecting Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals, who entered 2007 with 250 career home runs after six seasons. While Pujols may end up being one of the greatest home run hitters, he had not won a home run title or hit 50 home runs in a season when he graced the cover of Vincent's book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome book, and very timely!, May 15, 2007

By 

Kevin Cuddihy (Oakton, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Home Run: The Definitive History of Baseball's Ultimate Weapon (Hardcover)

What with the homer rampage, I thought this book would be a great perspective on Bonds about to break the all-time record and the people about to join the 500-homer club this season. And is it ever! What I didn't expect was to find out that the recent homer rampage isn't really all that out of the ordinary, and some interesting explanations for why Bonds has hit so many homers. David Vincent doesn't accept that "steriods" is the only answer, and as the man with the most homer knowledge he can back things up with facts as well.

I highly recomment this book to any and all baseball fans, but especially those who dig the long ball.

4.0 out of 5 stars You Have To Love Stats to really enjoy this book..., September 13, 2007

By 

R. L. Kaye (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Home Run: The Definitive History of Baseball's Ultimate Weapon (Hardcover)

I enjoyed this book tremendously and often found myself reading excerpts to my wife because I found them so fascinating. However, the early days of baseball with the different rules, stranger names and the myriad of facts that go with that era was very dry and hard to embrace. But I made it through that section and gained a greater appreciation of the players who helped make baseball the greatset game in the world. This book is the definitive history of the most exciting play in all of sports, the HOME RUN! If you love baseball, you will enjoy this book.