The Hidden Language of Baseball

by Paul Dickson

Baseball is set apart from other sports by many things, but few are more distinctive than the intricate systems of coded language that govern action on the field and give baseball its unique appeal. During a nine-inning game, more than 1,000 silent instructions are given-from catcher to pitcher, coach to batter, fielder to fielder, umpire to umpire-and without this speechless communication the game would simply not be the same. Baseball historian Paul Dickson examines for the first time the rich legacy of baseball's hidden language, offering fans everywhere a smorgasbord of history and anecdote. Baseball's tradition of signing grew out of the signal flags used by ships and soldiers' hand signals during battle. They were first used in games during the Civil War, and then professionally by the Cincinnati Red Stockings, in 1869. Seven years later, the Hartford Dark Blues appear to be the first team to steal signs, introducing a larcenous obsession that, as Dickson delightfully chronicles, has given the game some of its most historic-and outlandish-moments. Whether detailing the origins of the hit-and-run, the true story behind the home run that gave "Home Run" Baker his nickname, Bob Feller's sign-stealing telescope, Casey Stengel's improbable method of signaling his bullpen, the impact of sign stealing on the Giants' miraculous comeback in 1951, or the pitches Andy Pettitte tipped off that altered the momentum of the 2001 World Series, Dickson's research is as thorough as his stories are entertaining. A roster of baseball's greatest names and games, past and present, echoes throughout, making The Hidden Language of Baseball a unique window on the history of our national pastime.

Genres: Baseball, Sports, Nonfiction, History

230 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Paul Dickson is the author of more than 45 nonfiction books and hundreds of magazine articles. Although he has written on a variety of subjects from ice cream to kite flying to electronic warfare, he now concentrates on writing about the American language, baseball and 20th century history.

Dickson, born in Yonkers, NY, graduated from Wesleyan University in 1961 and was honored as a Distinguished Alumnae of that institution in 2001. After graduation, he served in the U.S. Navy and later worked as a reporter for McGraw-Hill Publications.
Since 1968, he has been a full-time freelance writer contributing articles to various magazines and newspapers, including Smithsonian, Esquire, The Nation, Town & Country, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Post and writing numerous books on a wide range of subjects.

He received a University Fellowship for reporters from the American Political Science Association to do his first book, Think Tanks (1971). For his book, The Electronic Battlefield (1976), about the impact automatic weapons systems have had on modern warfare, he received a grant from the Fund for Investigative Journalism to support his efforts to get certain Pentagon files declassified.

His book The Bonus Army: An American Epic, written with Thomas B. Allen, was published by Walker and Co. on February 1, 2005. It tells the dramatic but largely forgotten story of the approximately 45,000 World War I veterans who marched on Washington in the summer of 1932, at the height of the Great Depression, to demand early payment of a bonus promised them for their wartime service and of how that march eventually changed the course of American history and led to passage of the GI Bill—the lasting legacy of the Bonus Army. A documentary based on the book aired on PBS stations in May 2006 and an option for a feature film based on the book has been sold.

Dickson's most recent baseball book, The Hidden Language of Baseball: How Signs and Sign Stealing Have Influenced the Course of our National Pastime, also by Walker and Co, was first published in May, 2003 and came out in paperback in June, 2005. It follows other works of baseball reference including The Joy of Keeping Score, Baseballs Greatest Quotations, Baseball the Presidents Game and The New Dickson Baseball Dictionary, now in it's second edition. A third edition is currently in the works. The original Dickson Baseball Dictionary was awarded the 1989 Macmillan-SABR Award for Baseball Research.

Sputnik: The Shock of the Century, another Walker book, came out in October, 2001 and was subsequently issued in paperback by Berkeley Books. Like his first book, Think Tanks (1971), and his latest, Sputnik, was born of his first love: investigative journalism. Dickson is working on a feature documentary about Sputnik with acclaimed documentarians David Hoffmanand Kirk Wolfinger.

Two of his older language books, Slang and Label For Locals came out in the fall of 2006 in new and expanded versions.

Dickson is a founding member and former president of Washington Independent Writers and a member of the National Press Club. He is a contributing editor at Washingtonian magazine and a consulting editor at Merriam-Webster, Inc. and is represented by Premier Speakers Bureau, Inc. and the Jonathan Dolger Literary agency.

He currently lives in Garrett Park, Maryland with his wife Nancy who works with him as his first line editor, and financial manager.

Reviews

[Dave · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a lover of baseball I wanted to read ybis book however I only found the first quarter of the book very intetesting. Many of the stories in the book overlapped. I lost interest but pushed through to finish IT.

[Catherine Mustread · Rating 3 out of 5]

Especially relevant with the recent censuring of the Houston Astros. Listened to author interview in Baseball by the Book podcast released January 13, 2020.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the eBook version. A funny aspect of reading the eBook version of something is not having much sense of the length of it. In this case, the paper version I now see was 230 pages, but a chunk of that was the bibliography and extensive notes. So this is a reasonably short book - which I kind of regard as a good thing.

There are a _lot_ of books about baseball. Some of them treat the subject far too seriously. This was readable and light, with a lot of historical background but some more current (although not too current, published in 2003) examples too.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun and informative read. I spend so much time watching for and trying to figure out signals at ball games now. Being able to correctly predict a pitch is great fun! A good read for any baseball fan. WARNING: My old favorite seat at games used to be just this side of home plate. After reading this book, I'm lusting after a center field seat and binoculars so I can spend all my time watching the catcher.

[Kaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a fascinating book. Many people sort of know that baseball is intensive in terms of intelligence/ information thanks to Michael Lewis's Moneyball. But most if us have no idea how the chess like tactics Moneyball illustrated in selection snd acquisition of plaers extends to in actual day to day games.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific little book about the inside-inside game of signs and signals in baseball. Wonderful stories from the long and shady history of players and teams using all manner of deception to steal signs, as well as an insider's explanation of what a viewer of a baseball game should look for when watching to know what the signs are calling for.

[Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting. Signs and sign stealing are part of the game inside the game. I’ll have new things to watch for and new insight into the intricacies of this great game. I found the origin and history of how signs in baseball came into usage to be especially interesting. And many fun anecdotes in this book.

[Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun little book on the history of signs, signals, and stealing them in baseball. Some great anecdotes from baseball history and an interesting connection between military signals in the Civil War and the development of signs in baseball.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm rating the information Dickson conveys more than his actual writing. Secret codes are cool.

[CJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a little repetitive or covered the same things over and over, and I couldn't get through the whole thing. I would like to read something like this from the modern era.

[Natan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Detailed description of an aspect of baseball not usually in the spotlight. Not recommended for beginners.

[Joe Pearl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting and makes you think about the games you watch today.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looks at the signs of baseball and other nonverbal communications during the game.

[Kitty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not finished. It's more complicated so far and not as fun as the Unwritten Rules. But the Yankees are terrible this year, that may have discouraged me from reading about baseball.

[Lisa Kilbride · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not what I expected. This book mostly chronicles all the ways signs have been stolen throughout baseball's history.