Full Description
Play, watch, and understand America's favorite pastime Baseball continues to be a popular game both as a spectator sport and as a pastime. Since the publication of Baseball For Dummies, 3rd Edition, baseball teams have changed, new MLB stadiums have been built, and rules have been updated. This updated 4th Edition brings you the latest information on the players, the places, and above all, the game.
Baseball For Dummies is for baseball fans at all levels, from players and coaches to spectators who love the game. Baseball Hall of Fame player Joe Morgan explains baseball with remarkable insight, using down-to-earth language so everyone from the casual observer to the die-hard fan can gain a fuller appreciation of the sport.
Improve your hitting, pitching, and fielding
Find a baseball team to play on, from Little League on up
Evaluate stats, players, and records
Coach baseball or umpire effectively
Get more out of a trip to the ballpark
The latest on baseball stats and sabermetrics
Complete with Morgan's personal lists of top-ten toughest pitchers, smartest players, and most strategic managers, Baseball For Dummies gives you all the inside tips, facts, and stats so you can have Major League fun!
Contents
Introduction 1
Part I: Getting Started with Baseball 5
Chapter 1: The Lowdown on Baseball 7
Chapter 2: Suiting Up: Equipment 15
Chapter 3: Tackling the Rules of Baseball 31
Part II: Taking Your Swings — Playing Offense 43
Chapter 4: Preparing to Swing the Lumber: Life in the Batter's Box 45
Chapter 5: Hitting Like a Major Leaguer 61
Chapter 6: The Science of Baserunning 83
Part III: The Ball in Play — Playing Defense 107
Chapter 7: Knowing the Players and Plays 109
Chapter 8: Winning the Arms' Race: Pitching Like a Major Leaguer 123
Chapter 9: Behind the Plate: The Catcher 145
Chapter 10: Playing Infield 159
Chapter 11: Playing the Outfield: Where Fly Balls Go to Die 183
Part IV: From Little League to the Major Leagues — Organized Baseball 193
Chapter 12: T-Ball to College Baseball and Everything in Between 195
Chapter 13: The Majors, the Minors, and Other Leagues 205
Chapter 14: The Rest of the Field: Managers and Coaches 223
Chapter 15: Identifying the Rest of the Cast of Characters in the Ballpark 231
Chapter 16: Measuring Performance: Calculating Baseball's Statistics 241
Chapter 17: Going All the Way: MLB Postseason Play and the World Series 249
Part V: The View from the Stands — A Spectator's Guide 255
Chapter 18: Following the Bouncing Baseball 257
Chapter 19: Tackling Baseball's Steroid Controversy 281
Chapter 20: Keeping Up Online, on the Air, and on the Newsstand 289
Chapter 21: Playing Fantasy Baseball 301
Part VI: The Part of Tens 311
Chapter 22: Joe Morgan's Top Ten Toughest Pitchers He Batted Against 313
Chapter 23: Joe Morgan's Ten Smartest Players 319
Appendix: Baseball Speak: A Glossary 325
Index 347
