Baseball For Dummies (4^th Ed.)

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!

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

Joe Morgan played on two Cincinnati Reds World Series championship teams and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1990. Richard Lally has written numerous popular books on baseball and other subjects, including Bombers: An Oral History of the New York Yankees and Have Glove, Will Travel (which he co-authored with for Major League pitcher Bill Lee).