The Thinking Fan's Guide to Baseball

by Leonard Koppett

An updated edition of the now-legendary baseball handbook covers every aspect of the game, from pitching, fielding, and batting to scouting and baseball economics, revealing baseball as a sophisticated pursuit. Reprint.

Genres: Baseball, Sports, Nonfiction

416 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you don't know anything about baseball, read this book. If you think you know everything about baseball, read this book. If you know some but not much about baseball, read this book. It will get you thinking about the game in ways you never considered.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a terrific book about so many aspects of baseball. Each of the chapters is relatively short and self-contained, so it's easy to read in pieces as you want. (And many will find it a little dry, so that's probably the way to do it.) Of course, I was obsessed and read it cover-to-cover during the offseason.

The author was one of the leading baseball writers in the last century, now a member of the Hall of Fame (after having previously been part of a Hall of Fame voting committee). So he knows a lot about the game, and offers many interesting perspectives on the many changes in the game over the last several decades. (Spoiler: he's not nearly the change-fearing crank you might expect from a baseball old-timer.)

The book is divided into three main parts. The first covers basic aspects of the game in detail: it starts by explaining hitting and pitching as a battle driven primarily by fear. Then it covers baserunning, fielding, coaching, signs and signals -- a solid foundation that's interesting on its own. The second part covers aspects of baseball life: the road, the media, the offseason, spring training, the Commissioner's office, the player's association, and so on. This section talks a lot about the hidden elements of the industry and how they impact the game we see on TV. The last part is a hodge-podge of topics from changes in hitting over the years to the evolution of the playing rules. This last topic includes an excellent explanation of "baseball from first principles". I thought these topics were going to be less interesting, but even the "Who's the best: Mays or Mantle" chapter turns into a good discussion on the nature of these kinds of questions.

The book is sprinkled with dozens (hundreds?) of real stories as recounted by players, coaches, writers, and others in the industry. These range from fascinating to hilarious, and are worth the read by themselves.

The only complaint I've heard about the book is that it doesn't have a lot of new information for serious fans, but I find that doubtful so I'd still say it's is a must-read for anyone at all interested in baseball.

[PJ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried. I really tried to read this book. But Koppett really struck out with this one. The style is ponderous, but, worse, I didn't learn anything.

Admittedly, I didn't read the entire tome. But I just couldn't wade through it. There are a couple of chapters on behind-the-scenes business that I may skim someday when I have a lot of free time.

If you want to learn about baseball, I recommend you watch ESPN Sunday nights in the summer to get your edification from Jon Miller and Joe Morgan. You'll learn more in one game with them than this book has to teach, and they're more entertaining to boot.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Koppett's talent lies in his ability to describe, logically and succinctly, the many possibilities of any baseball moment. Years of reporting add to his craft, and the stories he shares often illustrate the point. The reader may be left wanting more of those stories, however. Look instead for nearly every aspect of the game to have coverage - except the steroids era. One wishes Koppett would weigh in on this; in fact betting and other shady aspects of the history of the sport is painfully missing in the discussion. It's baseball, the strategy it employs, and the positions that use the strategies for their employment.

[Mary Brodd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember reading this book probably fifteen years ago and being absolutely amazed - "you mean, there's a reason the batter bunts in a particular situation?" "there's a reason he's pitching like that?" "there's a reason (this person) is doing (that thing)?" This book is a mesmerizing combination of history, philosophy, kinesiology, social commentary, business analysis... If you have any interest in baseball at all, you will not be able to put this book down.

[Scott Malyszka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall a very good read, but I'm baffled that there was no attempt to cover the Negro League and the entire topic of segregation in the history of American baseball. The author went into detail on the rule changes for balls and strikes in the 1800s, but somehow Josh Gibson never comes up. Neither is there mention of baseball in Japan and other parts of the world.

[Ian Mullet · Rating 5 out of 5]

the clarity of thought and presentation makes this book a masterpiece of its genre.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detailed and full of keen observations.