Watching Baseball Smarter: A Professional Fan's Guide for Beginners, Semi-experts, and Deeply Serious Geeks

by Zack Hample

Book Overview

Zack Hample's bestselling, smart, and funny fan's guide to baseball explains the ins and outs of pitching, hitting, running, and fielding, while offering insider trivia and anecdotes that will appeal to anyone--whether you're a major league couch potato, life-long season ticket-holder, or a beginner.

- What is the difference between a slider and a curveball?
- At which stadium did "The Wave" first make an appearance?
-...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0307280322
• ISBN13: 9780307280329
• Release Date: March 2007
• Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.3" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

Superb Gift and Tactical Book Without Peer

I strongly disagree with the reviewer that says that there is not much here that has not been said elsewhere. While I am new to baseball, at the age of 55 vastly more familiar with soccer, football, and basketball, my youngest son loves the game, and I have spent time looking for the perfect book that can both help him see the nuances, and help me follow the game. This book is nothing less than extraordinary. It would be a superb gift for any high school or college student who loves the game, and for any parent or grandparent new to the game. Personally I think it has a great deal of information that those who consider themselves avid fans have NOT noticed, but you can decide that better than I. Here are some of the nuggets in this book, which is the tactical complement to the strategic companion by another author, "Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game." The two books together constitute an instant reference library from any baseball affecionado. 1) 1 in 100,000 make it to major leagues from among those who strive to get there. 2) Going to college is a superb way to perfect your skills and shorten the time to selection for minor leagues--a tiny handfull get to go straight to the majors. 3) Five tool players can field well, throw hard (and accurately), run fast, hit home runs, and hit a high batting average. 4) Any major leaguer, however "bad" they might appear on a given day, is the best of the best and has spent a lifetime getting there. 5) Awesome concise clear description of the many kinds of balls that a pitcher can throw to a batter. 6) Runner on second can see catcher's signals and signal to the hitter more often than not. I had no idea. 7) When bases are loaded, a fast ball is more likely, hit to it and improve your batting average. 8) Amazing list of all the *many* reasons a coach might walk out to talk to a pitcher. 9) Leg strength is critical for all players and helps power the ball. 10) Run bases on a CURVE for faster rounding of bases. 11) A catcher can be the team's reference librarian, a goldmine of knowledge about hitters built up over a lifetime of observation. 12) Strike zone defined by each player, not a fixed box. From the kneecaps to a line halfway between the belt and the shoulders. 13) Outstanding section on umpires, who can spend thousands on a school and endure 8-12 years in the minors on bare subsistence salaries. If they do make it to the majors, then they earn a six-figure salary. 14) Lovely section that clearly illustrates and explains all of the symbols needed to record every move in a baseball game. 15) Umpires WILL remember every slight over the years, and when borderline calls need to be made, the slights will come home to roost. Superb glossary. I am giving this review and the book to my 12-year old, in the hopes that he will read every word and refer back to this book many times in the years to come. This book is a GEM. Ignore the faint praise by other reviewers. See also t

Go from Beginning Watcher to Vivid Describer of the Action

Watching Baseball Smarter will appeal to youngsters around 9-12 who are eager to grab as much baseball knowledge as possible by attending and watching games on television. For those young people, scoring, colorful terms, and obscure rules can make the game seem more mysterious than it is. At the same time, learn those elements of active watching and a youngster can develop the basics to enjoy being a lifelong fan. If someone had given me this book at that age, I would have treasured Watching Baseball Smarter above all over gifts I got that at that time. I would have been most thrilled by the illustrations of how the various pitches are thrown. Remember that observation when you consider if you know any budding fans who would be thrilled to have this book. As for the claim that the book is also for semi-experts and deeply serious geeks, I don't think so. I didn't see any material that wasn't well known to me by the time I was 15. And I was hardly a semi-expert or a deeply serious geek. I just enjoyed watching and attending the games. Don't give this book to a serious baseball fan; you'll embarrass yourself if you do. Here are few questions to test your ability to enjoy the book: 1. What is the infield fly rule? 2. What is a double switch? 3. What is a catcher's earned run average? 4. What is a safety squeeze? 5. How do you keep score? If know all five, this book isn't for you. If you know four, you'll get an occasional nugget from the book. If you know three or fewer, this book is a good choice for you. On this reading, the main pleasure was from remembering when I first learned the material and from an occasional bit of trivia that was new to me. The former pleasure was what kept me reading, and I was disappointed that the book was aimed mostly at an elementary level . . . having found the subtitle to be misleading in terms of the book's relevance for me. Play ball!

makes watching more interesting

It's easy to read and entertaining. The book is well-edited - chapters are split up in such a way that makes it easy to find immediate answers during a game, yet it flows cohesively enough to make it an entertaining read on a quiet night. I like the extensive dictionary of baseball terms and phrases. It has lots of whats, but frequently also includes the whys behind things like the history of certain stats and the main reason the MLB did away with spitballs. There's lots of insider info, interesting facts and anecdotes; everything from how to read a box score to unusual attributes of ball parks. This book is loaded, and any baseball fan will enjoy it.

Fan, player, or tyro - this book is GREAT!

So you'll probably hear a lot of reviews for this book that start with, "Okay, I'm a huge baseball fan..." or "I played baseball my whole life, and..." followed by praise for Mr. Hample's insight, research, and humor. Although the book would TOTALLY help peak interest and raise awareness amongst new baseball fans, you will probably pick it up because the huge, warn-in baseball looks good enough to eat, and you love the game like a member of your own family. As someone who has lived and learned baseball for 30 years, Mr. Hample's book provided me with more knowledge, more open doors, and more "No kidding!" Pick this book up. Read it. Carry it with you to a game. Have it out on the table when you watch games on TV. You'll see why... Bravo, Mr. Hample. You have created a gem.

heads up baseball fans

this book is a must read for anyone interested in getting the most out of watching a baseball game. even the most knowledgeable fans will find lots of new and interesting information in this extremely thoughtful book...but not to worry, it is extemely entertaining and funny as well. in addition to the well laid out text there are references in italics linking to a prodigious glossary at the end containing every imaginable baseball term. this is a welcome addition to the literature especially as it comes right at the beginning of the new season.