The Rules of Baseball

by David Nemec

A study of the rules of baseball traces the development of baseball rules, examining how and why the rules have changed over the years, as well as key moments in baseball history

Genres: Baseball, Sports

288 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1994

Reviews

[Brian Schnack]

5 for the baseball geek. This was a fun read, chock full of old timey baseball — pictures, stories, wild tales, language, crazy examples of baseball being baseball. Loved it.

Who knew you could have so much fun reading the stories behind the evolution of baseball’s rules?

[Bryan Whitehead]

For anyone curious about the background of the title subject, this book is a must-read. Author David Nemec goes through the MLB rulebook (not completely rule by rule, but close enough), providing some of the history behind the hows and whys of the way the game is played. He includes descriptions of controversies like the infamous Pine Tar Incident that led to specific changes in the rules. Where no one particular occurrence led directly to a rule, Nemec colors the black-and-white regulations with anecdotes illustrating how changes in the rules have led to changes in the game. Though probably not a starting place for absolute baseball beginners, this book provides even the casual fan with a solid grounding in baseball theory as well as a deeper understanding of the game’s nuances.

[Edward]

Yogi said "In baseball, you don't know nothing." This book proves it. While accessible to even the casual baseball fan, those who love the game will find the historical guided tour through the rules of baseball enjoyable, educational and humorous. Great game, great book.

[Lonnie]

80% of the book was very interesting. I loved the layout of the book and how they showed the official rule in the margin and then gave a description about an incident that led to the rule. Not surprisingly I started falling asleep on the last chapter about statistics.

[Dana]

Baseball! History! Huzzah! This book is a great resource since it also appends the complete official rules. Definitely worth adding to your library.

[JwW White]

Want to understand the infield fly rule, read this book. Simple to understand but helpful for understanding the game.

[Jim]

Lots of good stories in here about the ways that the rules of baseball have changed and been added to over the years.

[Peter Juzyk]

The illustrated portion of the book dealt with the historical origins of selected rules. Nonetheless, an interesting source of information regarding the rules of baseball.

[Massanutten Regional Library]

Sharon, Grottoes patron, July 2016, 5 stars:

Loved it.