The Thinking Fan's Guide to Baseball (Hall of Fame Edition) [Paperback]

Leonard Koppett (Author)

Book Description

Series: Hall of Fame Edition | Publication Date: April 1, 2004

Despite the changes in the game of baseball, Koppett's book remains a must read for anyone interested in the national pasttime's game beyond the game.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Koppett's perceptive comments make this book a treat for both the casual fan and the seasoned baseball lover." -- Bruce Dancis, Sacramento Bee, April 8, 2001 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Sport Media Publishing; Revised Edition edition (April 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 189496330X
• ISBN-13: 978-1894963305
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #404,989 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good survey of the game..., November 1, 2005

By 

BillJitsu (SF Bay Area) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Thinking Fan's Guide to Baseball (Hall of Fame Edition) (Paperback)

This is a good overall book for the casual baseball fan who is looking to improve his or her overall understanding of the game of baseball.

The book is broken into into three parts, each building on the previous one. The first part, "The Game on the Field" explains pretty much everything that goes on during an actual game. Everyone's roles are explained fully, from the starting pitcher, to the umpires. Each major part (pitching, for example) has its own chapter dedicated to it, and usually includes interesting historical anecdotes

The next section, Behind the Scenes, explains all the "other stuff" that is part of baseball, if not necessarily the actual "game". Things like the media, agents, the commissioner, owners, etc.

The book concludes with some classic baseball discussions/arguments that that will sound familiar to most fans: Who Deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, Who was the better player: Mantle or Mays?

There are also three very brief and basic appendices, which seemed a little tacked-on.

Overall, the book is very well done, but I was a tad disappointed. The title of the book led me to believe that there would be a lot more in-depth analysis of particular strategies, similar to what one might find in a book by Bill James or John Thorn. Instead, what I got was a good, if rather basic book on the game of baseball and all that is a part of it.

This isn't a big deal, really. The book is well-written, and Koppett includes a lot of interesting anecdotes about famous players. The book is also an excellent primer for the budding baseball afficionado who wants to understand the game at its deepest level. It is almost impossible not to find something in this book that interests you, which is a very good thing also as it leads you to read and learn more about the game, no matter where your particular interests may take you.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Far too basic...., May 29, 2006

By 

Jeffrey C. Bullock - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Thinking Fan's Guide to Baseball (Hall of Fame Edition) (Paperback)

Far too basic for even the average fan - i found myself skipping around too much when i started reading things that anyone who has any knowledge of baseball should know. This book may be a good beginner's book for younger fans.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The perfect baseball book, October 6, 2007

By 

L. Francos (Valley Stream, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Thinking Fan's Guide to Baseball (Hall of Fame Edition) (Paperback)

I've been a baseball fan and observer for nearly fifty years. What Leonard Koppett has accomplished in The Thinking Fan's Guide to Baseball is nothing less than the encapsulation of baseball history, politics, strategy and behind-the-scenes activities into 385 extremely readable pages. I have the 2001 edition and it is completely up-to-date to that point. Highly recommended.