Customer Reviews

Official little league baseball rules in pictures

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Purchased by our Little League as an addition to its nascent umpiring library, this book was a major disappointment. Not only is this book actually aimed at a much younger audience -- Little League players vice umpires or managers -- it contains factual inaccuracies in contravention to baseball rules or their accepted interpretations. While generally acceptable for a Little League player, this does not belong in a League library, nor should it be referred to for rules interpretations. Rather, it is a rather light and sometimes misguided treatment by someone who appears to be less than intimately familiar with Little League or official baseball rules -- rather odd considering Dr. Hale's association with Little League baseball.

Upon initially opening this book, the first diagram I saw incorrectly depicted the size of home plate. The diagram includes the beveled trim surrounding the plate as part of the plate -- which it is not. While this would appear trivial, it is often the difference between a ball and strike, safe and out. Quickly flipping to a later chapter, I noted another diagram stating that a ball trapped between a player's arm and his body is a catch, and providing reference to section 2 of the rules ('Definition of Terms'). Compare the described situation with Official Baseball Rules, which read: 'A CATCH is the act of a fielder in getting secure possession in his hand or glove of a ball in flight and firmly holding it...' Clearly, a ball trapped between arm and body is not in the hand or glove and does not constitute a catch.

For a Little Leaguer who doesn't know any rules, this book will provide a general grounding, but could also lead to mistakes on the player's part as a result of the type of inaccuracies described above. In no case should it be used for umpires, coaches, or managers.

The cover of this book states that it contains up to date information. In 1989 this may have been true. Of what possible good can a ten year old "official rule book" be? The book contains some good, if somewhat over simplified, information for beginners, but contains many vague and ambiguous references and some contradictions. Don't keep this one in the dugout as your only reference to official rules.

Easy to read and understand. I train 16 to 60 year olds to umpire and they all love this book. I could not find the factual errors referred to by another reviewer. I highly recommend this to your recalcitrant "non readers" who think they know everything about baseball!