Baseball for Dummies

by Joe Morgan, Richard Lally, Sparky Anderson

"Joe Morgan again shows himself a rare 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 NewsdayBaseball 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 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 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!

Genres: Sports, Baseball, Nonfiction, Reference

460 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 11, 1998

Reviews

[Stephanie]

If you have a basic knowledge of the game of baseball and really want to delve in deeper to the game, the rules, the strategies and traditions...this book is for you. I found after reading the book, I could keep up with my die hard and very knowledgable baseball fan husband who has been playing, coaching and even managing baseball all his life. You really need to love the game or desire to have more than a basic knowledge of the game though, to enjoy this book.

[Nick]

gain a better appreciation for baseball

[Glamdring]

*2,5 stars*

[Kat V]

I think this book would be most useful if you don’t know much about baseball but are hoping to learn more. I learned a lot! Some of it I already knew and some of it was past my understanding but overall it was good. 4 stars

[Jessica]

I love the 'for Dummies' series.
they are quick witted and very direct and to the point.
This book was no exception- very detailed, and fun to read.

Love it!

[Thomas Bonar]

Not just for dummies, this is a GREAT baseball book!

[Pushon Bhattacharya]

I got what I wanted from this book e.g. an explanation of the rules of baseball and the history of the sport. However, there was a lot I could have done without e.g. why is there a chapter on fantasy league?

[Graeme Wright]

Good for those who need a primer of the game and don't know Joe Morgan, who can prattle on about nothing, and that's coming from a man who loves to listen to people talk about baseball.

[Chrissy]

A nice reference if you want to enjoy the game a little bit more.

[James K]

Good book for little leaguers. Probably good for their coaches too

[Seb]

Instructive 🙃 Nice reference I'll often come back to!

[Marie]

Good review of all of baseball. Easy to skip around and find what one wants.

[Beth Williams]

Great overview! Even more in-depth than I would have guessed originally.

[Qing Mirabella]

No high expectation for this book: I need a baseball 101 to cover a little bit of everything about baseball, and it seems like a good starting point for a tee ball coach haha!

[Leew49]

How do you grip the ball differently when throwing a curve vs a fastball? Where does the 2nd baseman position himself with a runner on 1st and a left-handed batter at the plate? What pitcher won the most games? Who holds the highest slugging percentage of all time, and how do you calculate a slugging percentage? How do the major league ballparks differ? How so you keep a scorecard? What rules and historic events have changed the game over the years?

Baseball Hall of Famer Joe Morgan has answers to these and many other questions in this highly readable and entertaining baseball history, how-to manual, and reference book. Though a little out of date (Derek Jeter was a young and promising player when it was published), I found it very informative and plan to keep it close at hand as a reference as my home team moves further into the 2016 season.

[Bryan Whitehead]

Despite my objections to the whole “... for Dummies” concept, I got lured into reading this one by the promise of baseball great Joe Morgan’s thoughts on our national pastime. For the most part, my curiosity was rewarded. Some of the text is a little too basic, though I suppose if one really knew nothing about the game that one might find some benefit even there. But the real high points can primarily be found in the insights into the strategy of the game, explanations for why managers make the decisions that they do, where players are supposed to go during particular kinds of plays, and the like. The history and top ten lists aren’t too bad, either.

[Amy]

Great resource for reading about throwing, fielding and batting mechanics (nothing replaces practice!)

While it is now dated, there was some cool facts and stats that are still relevant about old players, evaluating players, league rules etc that were useful.

[Marcus]

John, you should really read this.

[Ashley]

An alright read. Not as engaging as the football version, but still learned quite a bit.