Nine Innings [Hardcover]

Daniel Okrent (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1985

In Nine Innings, Daniel Okrent examines the Milwaukee Brewers' June 10, 1982, game with the Baltimore Orioles. Using this particular moment in baseball history, Okrent explores all the aspects of baseball that are crucial to its nature but invisible to the fans watching: the hidden language of catchers' signals, the physiology of pitching, the balance sheet of a club owner, the roles of managers and coaches, and scores of other subjects. Drawing on hundreds of interviews and extensive research, Okrent captures the timeless essence of America's national pastime.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Daniel Okrent, the author of The Ultimate Baseball Book, has written not just another windy paean to the national pastime, full of labored metaphors and recollections of demolished stadiums, but a detailed, digressive breakdown of a single early-season game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Baltimore Orioles on June 10, 1982. Along the way the reader learns about the history of the slider, the building of the Orioles by their famed manager, Earl Weaver, how batters' swings reveal their personality, and even which brand of vitamin C can be found in a certain player's locker. It's a labor of love, but an enthralling one that reveals the complexities at the heart of this most complex and maddening game. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Every baseball fan worthy of the name will surely want to read this. -- Publishers Weekly --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Book Sales; 1st Edition, 1st Printing edition (March 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 089919334X
• ISBN-13: 978-0899193342
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #557,862 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Utterly Fascinating, January 4, 2005

By 

Robert Wellen (CHICAGO, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nine Innings (Paperback)

As a young boy, I read Okrent's Ultimate Baseball book. As a much older man, I watched Okrent on Ken Burns' Baseball and enjoyed his witty thoughts. Finally, I came to 9 Innings. It is a terrific read. What a great idea to look at the world of baseball through the lens of one game. It was a fascinating look at the game and the Brewers in the their brief glory days. Everything from the grounds crew to the ownership books was noted. The game, between the AL Champion '82 Brewers and the soon to be World Champion '83 Orioles, was entertaining. But, the picture of life in a small market and behind the scenes stuff is the best. The updates at the end strangely gloss over a Brewers team that came within one win of the World Championship and ignore the Orioles championships (and Hall of Famers Murray and Ripken) entirely. That is ok. A brillant book by a real traditionalist. Not dated if you are a true fan.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Okrent shows just how much history goes into every pitch, December 20, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: Nine Innings (Paperback)

Dan Okrent went to the Oriole-Brewer game of June 10, 1982, and here he gives a play-by-play account of the game with enormous background on each team. He shows how a baseball game is like an iceberg -- how what you actually see of it is just one-tenth of what it's all about. If you've spent the last few years wondering about Bud Selig, Okrent offers a comprehensive look at today's acting commissioner. Arnold Hano wrote a similar book about Game One of the 1954 World Series (A DAY IN THE BLEACHERS), but Okrent proves just how compelling a non-descript game in mid-season can be in its own right

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb book for thinking fans, April 2, 2005

By 

K.A.Goldberg (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nine Innings (Paperback)

This is an excellent baseball book for the thinking fan. The book focuses on one seemingly unimportant mid-season 1982 contest between the Baltimore Orioles and the Milwaukee Brewers. As author Daniel Okrent recounts the game, he weaves in such baseball lore as the history of the slider, player behavior in the locker rooms, catcher's signals, scouting, etc. Every chapter covers an inning, and every inning leads to lengthy sidebars on many facets of baseball. The book is a bit dated, but Okrent's prose and subject matter make important reading for any fan wanting to know about the nuts and bolts of baseball. Some may not like that the author focuses more heavily on the Brewers, who won that year's AL pennant (Baltimore took the World Series a year later). Fittingly, these two teams battled each other in the season's final game to decide the division title. Fans will learn a lot about baseball from this engaging and thoughtful book.