Why Is The Foul Pole Fair?: Answers to 101 of the Most Perplexing Baseball Questions [Paperback]

Vince Staten (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 30, 2004

Chicken soup for the baseball lover's soul -- the inimitable Vince Staten takes you out to the ol' ballgame and answers all the baseball questions your dad hoped you wouldn't ask.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The teamwork of a well-turned double play; the long arc of a deep fly ball; the sheer power, speed and grace of the all-star center fielder: these are a few of our favorite things about baseball. But as any genuine fan knows, there's more to America's Pastime than what happens on the field. Exploring the world of baseball on all its levels, Staten (whose last volume of amusing Americana was Do Bald Men Get Half-Price Haircuts?) steeps his pages in history, trivia, tradition and, of course, statistics-and not just earned run averages and slugging percentages, but hardcore baseball-geek stuff, from how many bats a player goes through in a season, to how many rest rooms a stadium needs, to how many hot dogs are consumed at the average major league game. When he's not talking numbers, Staten holds forth on such topics as the evolution of the uniform, the upkeep of outfield grass, the waning popularity of Cracker Jack and the derivation of "bleachers" and other terms, while also lobbing a few mild digs at ballparks named for corporations, long ticket lines and artificial turf. They're not all equally compelling subjects, but thanks to Staten's witty and appealingly conversational style, even the drier dissertations-like his short history of turnstiles-become interesting reading. Such facts, figures and anecdotes will sail right over non-fans' heads like a high, hard Roger Clemens fastball, of course, but true fans will hang on every word. Illustrations throughout.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

The Arizona Republic The quintessential baseball book.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster (March 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 074325791X
• ISBN-13: 978-0743257916
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,079,857 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Written by a baseball fan, for the baseball fan., April 1, 2003

By 

J. Long (Dayton, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Why Is The Foul Pole Fair? (Or, Answers to the Baseball Questions Your Dad Hoped You Wouldn't Ask) (Hardcover)

This book was amazing. It didn't change my life, but it did change the way I will watch a baseball game. If you've ever wondered why the foul pole was fair, why box seats are called box seats, how the scoreboard came to be, what the definition of a hot dog is (It's not pretty.), the history of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," or any number of other baseball things, this book is for you.

The book starts out with the author's memories of playing baseball as a kid and going with his family to see his first Major League game at Cincinnati's Crosley Field. Fast forward to 2002 and the author is now going to a Reds game with his son. Each description of the game morphs into a small history lesson on everything from how the glove became standard in the game of baseball, how bats are made, the daily job of a baseball beat writer, how a groundskeeper takes care of the field, and many many more things. You'll find yourself nodding your head and thinking, "Yeah, I've always wondered about that!"

For baseball fans, this book is a must read. For trivia fans, this book is a must read. This book truly enhanced my baseball experience and is something I plan to re-read from time to time.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An afternoon chat with a good friend, June 8, 2004

By 

Robin Currier - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Why Is The Foul Pole Fair? (Or, Answers to the Baseball Questions Your Dad Hoped You Wouldn't Ask) (Hardcover)

I was expecting an exhaustive encyclopedia of baseball trivia. This book is not that!

Instead, it's a meandering, enjoyable chat with a knowledgeable friend about baseball on a summer afternoon on the porch. Vince Staten frames his entire book around a big league game he attended with his grown son, but somehow every facet of that experience leads off on a tangent to a fascinating exploration of baseball stadium and game trivia from the ticket buying experience (which leads to essays on ticket printing and turnstiles), to telling his son about the time a shortstop lost a ball because it bounced off a pebble (which leads to an in-depth interview of a groundskeeper), to a certain snugness in the stadium seat (which leads to a well researched essay on studies through the decades of the width of the typical American backside).

These essays have certainly made my baseball game experiences more enjoyable and given me a store of trivia to trot out at parties!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Answers to Rarely Asked Questions, June 20, 2003

By 

A. M. Sulkin (wayne, nj USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Why Is The Foul Pole Fair? (Or, Answers to the Baseball Questions Your Dad Hoped You Wouldn't Ask) (Hardcover)

Vince Staten is a long time fan who has has written a baseball book almost entirely devoid of the common and usual ingredients found in most baseball books, such as statistics or rehashed history. Staten uses a baseball game attended by himself and his son to provide the reader with interesting information and anecdotes about non-playing aspects of the game and the sport. This book is not for fans into sabermetrics or player bios. This book is for fans who want to know more about topics peripheral to the actual game, such as how: stadiums are architected; playing fields are maintained; balls and bats are designed; ballpark food and souvenirs are selected and sold. We never really learn why foul poles and foul lines are fair in baseball, while their equivalents in other sports are not, but the the reader does enjoy learning more about the trivial details and background of baseball's infrastructure and history.