Revised and updated to include new teams, rules and stadiums, this guide helps promote a greater appreciation for America's pastime and includes information on player stats and records and how to get the most out of a trip to the ballpark. Original.

Autorentext

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).

Klappentext

Learn to:

Improve your hitting, pitching, and fielding
Evaluate stats, players, and records
Become a more effective coach
Get more out of a trip to the ballpark
Your complete guide to baseball, the great American pastime

Take me out to the ballgame! There's nothing as American as baseball. With this great guide, you'll get a complete overview of the game, from tips to improve your hitting, pitching, and fielding to details on equipment, rules, and the game as it's played from the Little Leagues to the Major Leagues.

Before your first at-bat -- discover the history of this great game, the rules of play, and the equipment you'll need to get ready to go
Take your swings -- find out how to grip and rip the bat in the batter's box, how to take a stance, how to make contact, and how to follow-through to ensure you get a base hit
The ball in play -- get the scoop on flashing the leather like a pro with tips on the various positions and how to play good defense
From little league to the big leagues -- uncover the latest on all levels of baseball from the Little Leagues, college baseball, foreign leagues, the minor leagues, and Major League Baseball
The top dog -- read about the many roles of a general manager and how his actions can greatly affect how an MLB team performs
The spectator's guide -- know how to measure your favorite players' performances and find out how to get the most from your trip to the ballpark
Open the book and find:
An overview to help you gear up like a Major Leaguer
Rules that dictate playing the game
The nuances of hitting, from grip to batting stance
How to run the bases like a pro
Fielding tips to help you play defense like an all-star
In-depth secrets on pitching and playing catcher
Updated information on the amateur draft
The impact of steroids on baseball
Revised specs about the MLB ballparks

Zusammenfassung
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.

Inhalt

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