Product Description

“Joe Morgan again shows himself a rare bird: an ex–jock with savvy and the ability to communicate it.”
—People

“This book has something for everybody, from longtime fans to Little Leaguers.”
—New York Newsday

Baseball For Dummies, Third Edition, is for baseball fans at all levels, from players and coaches to spectators who love the game. Baseball Hall of Fame player and ESPN baseball analyst 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. This updated edition features:

• Everything you need to know about the game, from what it takes to play each position and how to hit and run the bases to what to watch for in the game and how to appreciate the finer points of the sport
• Coverage of new star players, new stadiums, and game milestones
• The lowdown on today’s baseball Web resources
• The latest on stats and sabermetrics
• The inside story on the new steroid rules

From how to throw a knuckleball or hit an inside pitch to how to keep a scorecard or pick a winning fantasy league team, Morgan covers all the bases, showing you how to get the most out of the game. You’ll see how to:

• Improve your hitting, pitching, and fielding
• Find a team to play on, from Little League on up
• Evaluate stats, players, and records
• Coach or umpire effectively
• Get more out of a trip to the ballpark

Complete with Morgan’s personal lists of top–ten pitchers, fielders, and relievers, as well as new quotes from Derek Jeter and Keith Hernandez, Baseball For Dummies gives you all the inside tips, facts, and stats so you can play like a Major Leaguer!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #54590 in Books
• Published on: 2005-01-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 456 pages

From the Back Cover
Covers new star players, new stadiums, and game milestones

Get all the inside tips, stats, and facts and play like a Major Leaguer

Let Joe Morgan take you out to the ballpark in this update of his classic guide to the National Pastime. From how to throw a knuckleball or hit an inside pitch to how to keep a scorecard or pick a winning fantasy league team, he covers all the bases — and shows you how to get the most out of the game.

Discover how to

• Improve your hitting, pitching, and fielding
• Find a team to play on, from Little League on up
• Evaluate stats, players, and records
• Coach or umpire effectively
• Get more out of a trip to the ballpark

Praise for Joe Morgan and Baseball For Dummies®

"Joe Morgan again shows himself a rare bird: an ex–jock with savvy and the ability to communicate it."
— People

"This book is a grand slam."
— Pete Rose

"This book has something for everybody, from longtime fans to Little Leaguers."
— New York Newsday

About the Author
Joe Morgan played on two Cincinnati Reds World Series championship teams; he is now a baseball analyst for ESPN′s Sunday Night Baseball.

Richard Lally is a prolific sportswriter and author.

Customer Reviews

For all fans of the game
The problem with calling a book Baseball for Dummies is that you assume it's meant for people who don't know about the game. Although this is primarily for such people, there is much joy to be had from this book by people who already have a good understanding.
Of course it starts with the basics ('What is Baseball?') but then moves onto the ins and outs of playing from how to throw a curve through to where does the second baseman go when a runners on second and its a base hit to left. All the way through it starts off simple and builds up to be all encompassing with foot notes from Joe Morgan, Keith Hernandez, Bob Gibson, etc... to add a pros perspective. You'll even begin to understand the ins and outs of the infield fly.
It then moves onto the infrastructure of american baseball. From T-ball to the majors. Explains what all the stats mean and how they are worked out and then onto how to score a game. It also helps you learn how to follow the game, from where to find information, how to set up a fantasy league, good parks to go to and where best to sit.
It is all rounded off with 'The Part of Tens' which gives examples of the ten best players ever, ten best fielders ever, etc... Which is dated to when the book was published but we can forgive that.
This really is everything you could ever hope to learn about baseball and all the things you didn't really care to know thrown in aswell! It presents the game from the perspective of the novice, the player, the fan and the baseball junky. No stone is left unturned and you will never find anything else out there that covers as much ground as this one tome. It'll even point you in the direction of how to find out even more. This a great book that no matter how long you follow baseball you will always be able to pull it off the shelf and remind yourself of something. You really should get this book and if you're new to this game you need this. Brilliant.

Baseball for Dummies
This is a well thought out and comprehensive guide to the basics of Baseball. It covers simple aspects such as positions and naming conventions, but also goes into more detail to cover things such as the infamous "infield fly rule" and pitching grips. A good buy and well worth having. The only negative is that some of the Player data in the latter parts of the book is a bit dated ( minor point).