Customer Reviews

Pure Baseball: Pitch by Pitch for the Advanced Fan

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I never knew how much I was missing during a game. Even with twenty years of baseball experience, I learned much about the game after reading Pure Baseball.

Based on two games played in 1993, one in the American League and one in the National, Pure Baseball is a pitch-by-pitch analysis that scrutinizes every decision made. This is not just a replay of two games; it's a text on just about every offensive and defensive strategy in baseball. Known for his insight on and off the field, Keith Hernandez's knowledge of the game flows from the pages.

What modern day baseball writer (other than, perhaps, George Will) would devote several pages to the importance of hitting the cutoff man? The consequences of not executing the proper defense on a long double are detailed. Many baseball commentators claim that the "little things" win baseball games. Positioning the infield and outfield, holding runners on first and pickoff moves are more important than one might think. Mr. Hernandez's attention to the arcane details of the game is what really drives this book.

The most interesting part of Pure Baseball is the explanation of the hit-and-run. The hit-and-run is probably the least understood concept in baseball. Mr. Hernandez believes that "the in's and out's of the hit-and-run go to the heart of baseball strategy, and you have to understand them to understand the game." The author got my attention with this sentence. No fewer than nine pages are devoted to this subject, and I would have liked to see more. Since I now understand the strategy behind the hit-and-run, it's easier to match wits with the manager when the leadoff runner reaches first base.

This is a great book. If you're an aspiring coach or just want to understand more about baseball, you can't go wrong here. Save some money when you go to the ballpark, buy a scorecard rather than that third beer. When you start bringing your own scorebook that counts balls and strikes, Keith Hernandez will say you've really made it to the bigs. As a fan, of course.

Pure Baseball is a treat for the serious, and I stress 'serious' baseball fan who wants to delve deep into the minds of pitchers and batters. This is pretty dense reading material, but Hernandez shares his wisdom in an entertaining fashion. I found myself having to re-read portions of the book, sometimes even using it as a reference.

For those of us who like keeping score during a baseball game and trying to get inside the real game, Pure Baseball is highly recommended. Keith Hernandez explores two ballgames, one NL and the other AL, and goes pitch by pitch and analyzes the pitcher/batter confrontation in depth. Perhaps it's in too much depth, one of Hernandez's axioms is that this is the essence of baseball, and devotes little time to fielding and baserunning. No matter, the NL game in particular is fascinating to study, as Atlanta's Pete Smith faces the Phillies under lefthander Danny Jackson. I learned so much reading this section alone. Hernandez does his best work in the first half of the book. The AL section seems rushed and not as in-depth, perhaps because the designated hitter takes out so much of the strategy when it comes to pitching changes. If you see this book and enjoy the inner game of baseball, by all means pick it up. It's a book I've re-read a couple of times, there's so much of value here.

If ever there was a necessary baseball book, this is it!! I reread it every season (as does at least one other reviewer) and always learn something more from doing so.

I have taken Mr. Hernandez' advice and always turn off the sound when watching a game on TV. I find it to be a major improvement and I'm no longer distracted by the content-free, pointless remarks made by most announcers.

Frankly, judging from the mental errors common to the game today, it should be required reading for each and every player from the rookie leagues to the bigs.

If you're not a serious student of the game, then maybe you should pass on this one!!

It takes time and patience to read this book. The title says "Pitch by Pitch for the Advanced Fan," and it means it literally. Hernandez talks about what goes through a player's mind during a game. His descriptions of how a batter thinks about an at-bat are priceless. It takes a while to plow through all this stuff - there's a *lot* of detail - but if you do you'll have a deeper knowledge of the little in-game strategies and decisions that make baseball so special.

I read this book at the start of every baseball season, and I love it. This is the book to read if you want to learn everything about baseball's strategies and complexities and learn why baseball is the greatest game in the world. Hernandez examines two games in the 1993 season in great detail, stopping and explaining each situation. He talks about hit-and-runs, double-steals, fielding techniques, large gaps in the outfield, infield shifts, and much more. But, because Hernandez considers the give and take between the pitcher and batter the heart and soul of baseball, he concentrates on that and shows how the count shifts the odds back and forth. I am a huge baseball fan and know so much more about the game from reading this book. This book is only for a serious fan, but it will give anyone great information.

I love baseball and this is one great book. If you think the game is too complicated, pick up this little gem. It's a real treasure. Not only will you come to understand baseball, you'll fall in love. (With the game!)

Easily the best baseball education in print that I've ever seen. It's like taking a master's course in baseball. You have an opportunity to almost sit down with a major leaguer and say "Teach Me" and he does. Keith has a bit of a weakness as far as pitch sequencing and understanding missed spots, but they are not particularly glaring. His understanding of counts, and situations outside of the count (inning, score, particular players involved etc..) are exemplary. Any serious ballplayer's dream.

I am sick of explaining to novices that baseball is not boring. You'd think it would be obvious that anything that you don't know something about can be boring, but the more you know, the more interesting it becomes. Surely baseball is much the same. As a longtime baseball fan an avid softball/baseball player, I can't think of a sports book I enjoyed more. This is the thinking person's view of two baseball games. Did you ever think that every single count (2-2, 3-2 etc...) implies a whole new field of possiblities for batter, pitcher and fielders? No one will make you appreciate the art and the intellectual side of baseball like Hernandez (no relation -- get a grip!) Rather than trying to explain your love of baseball next time, buy a skeptic this book or better yet, read it yourself. Even a pro would learn a lot from this pitch by pitch account.

As a baseball fan who's trying to get a little more knowledgeable about the game, this book was excellent. This book goes into pages and pages of details and opinions about the minute details of baseball. I already knew the basic principles behind the hit and run and whatnot, but this book allows itself six or seven page tangents, explaining the vagaries of such subjects in far great detail than I could have. The device of doing so through two baseball games was well-concieved, showing not just the strategy behind techniques, but what the fan watching the game should look for when watching a game. Both games were close, and there was some of the same sense of anticipation, wondering who would win, as attending a baseball game.

Be aware that this book was very technical. While I will definitely lend this book to my brother, who wants to become a sports announcer, I was hoping this might be a primer to baseball strategies for my girlfriend. However, it would obviously be over the head of anybody who can't talk baseball already, or is willing to closely study the book.

My only real complaint is that Hernandez quite often predicts strategies, and then watches the manager do something entirely different. I appreciate the honesty, but instead of speculating, re-explaining himself, or better yet calling up Sparky Anderson after the game, he leaves it at "who can tell?" Still an excellent book, I'd recommend it to anybody who wants to expand their knowledge of baseball.