Synopses & Reviews
Whether you’re a major league couch potato, life-long season ticket-holder, or teaching game to a beginner,
Watching Baseball Smarter leaves no territory uncovered. In this smart and funny fan’s guide Hample explains the ins and outs of pitching, hitting, running, and fielding, while offering insider trivia and anecdotes that will surprise even the most informed viewers of our national pastime.
What is the difference between a slider and a curveball?
At which stadium did “The Wave” first make an appearance?
How do some hitters use iPods to improve their skills?
Which positions are never played by lefties?
Why do some players urinate on their hands?
Combining the narrative voice and attitude of Michael Lewis with the compulsive brilliance of Schott’s Miscellany, Watching Baseball Smarter will increase your understanding and enjoyment of the sport–no matter what your level of expertise.
Zack Hample is an obsessed fan and a regular writer for minorleaguebaseball.com. He's collected nearly 3,000 baseballs from major league games and has appeared on dozens of TV and radio shows. His first book, How to Snag Major League Baseballs, was published in 1999.
Review:
"'Professional fan' Hample (How to Snag Major League Baseballs), who falls squarely in the 'deeply serious geek' category, has put together an invaluable resource for armchair fans. A former college shortstop, four-time attendee of Bucky Dent's Baseball School and an obsessive baseball collector, Hample covers basics like what to watch for in pitchers, catchers, hitters, fielders and base runners; he also provides answers to such nagging questions as why spectators stretch in the seventh inning and why most ballplayers grab their crotches. He explains the difference between a change-up and a split-finger fastball, breaks down a box score and offers an extensive glossary of baseball slang that defines both a 'courtesy trot' and a 'dying quail.' Other sections address free agency and fair balls, umpires and uniform numbers, stadiums and superstitions. Trivia abounds, including the names of the 10 switch hitters honored in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and a record of inside-the-park homeruns. Hample hits the equivalent of a reference-book homerun with his witty, loose and readable style-taking a friendly for-a-fan-by-a-fan approach that doesn't hide his enormous depth of knowledge. Highly recommended for baseball watchers, Hample also schools amateur players and coaches with well-illustrated examples of some complex pitching, hitting and base-running scenarios." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
Review:
“Engaging. . . . Hample’s book is both deceptive in its simplicity (the basic rules, but also the ten different ways a pitcher can commit a balk) and surprising in its range.” —Fortune
Review:
“This isn’t the first book to take on the challenge of explaining baseball intricacies, but I’ve never seen it done better. . . . When it comes to producing ‘aha moments’ of baseball enlightenment, the book indeed has a high batting average.” —The Seattle Times
About the Author
Zack Hample has caught roughly 3,000 baseballs from 41 Major League stadiums. His first book,
How to Snag Major League Baseballs, was published in 1999. Since then, he has been interviewed hundreds of times for print, radio, and television. He currently writes for minorleaguebaseball.com, and has a popular blog, The Baseball Collector, chronicling his obsession.
http://www.zackhample.com
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