Customer Reviews

The Story of Baseball

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

 

 

This book does a decent job and covers a lot of ground, from history to fielding fundamentals to famous players and records. However, it seemed rushed and somewhat shallow. A third edition of a book should *not* include blatant errors. Ty Cobb's Hall of Fame plaque may give him 4,191 hits, but the current verdict is well established at 4,189. A Cobb anecdote ("how would you bat against today's pitching?") is told wrongly. The Seattle Pilots are said now to be the Mariners, when in fact the Pilots are now the Milwaukee Brewers ... that sort of thing.

The author also has an obsession with categorizing players which he pursues in cart-before-the-horse fashion. Some players are "place hitters" and only about 5% of their hits are home runs. Some players are "power hitters" and homer in 20% of hits. Attributes are then assigned to these mystic beasts. "Power pitchers" and "control pitchers" are also introduced, and these animals MUST have certain attributes, too. Why divide batters into these armed camps instead of considering the continuums across the spectra of ability and achievement is beyond me, but he does. At length. Again. And again. Every point is made and underscored at least three times before proceeding - a condescension to the younger audience that the book does not need. The writing is clear and uncomplicated.

A decent editor who could have caught errors, questioned the writer on his occasional lapses into silliness and told him to stop repeating himself would have helped a great deal.

There are far better books out there on the subject, but for a younger fan or someone new to the game this provides a servicable introduction.

The Story of Baseball is quite simply the best book I have ever read on the subject and will appeal to young and old alike. It is very readable and filled with interesting facts and anecdotes about the sport.

With a foreword by Ted Williams this readable, generously illustrated volume is a trove of stories, historical data, and traditions. Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Roger Maris, Mark McGwire and all the greats relive some of baseball's most memorable moments.
Ritter, an acknowledged expert in this field, shares his knowledge as he examines and analyzes hitting, pitching and fielding.

This book tells the history of baseball. It highlights the past and present ball players. This book also explains the rules and how to play or be a better player. It helps those who don't understand the game to be able to understand as a viewer. This is a great book to own! Contains excellent black and white sport illustrations. An excellent book and I am recommending it for teachers, parents, and students from 3rd grade through the 12th grade levels.

I would recommend it for anyone who likes baseball. I would also like to comment on the "misprint". There was a team called the Boston Braves. They moved first to Milwaukee and then to Atlanta.

We found a mis-print. It sayed that there was a team called Bosten Braves. We were not aware of this so we asked a major baseball fan and they sayed that there was never a team called that.