Watching Baseball Smarter: A Professional Fan's Guide for Beginners, Semi-experts, and Deeply Serious Geeks (Vintage) - Softcover

"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

"Hample calls himself an obsessed fan--obsessed in a good way--and the product of his torment is a funny and informative guide for all levels of fans." --Yankees Magazine

"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

An obsessed baseball fan celebrates his love of the American pastime while sharing important information on the ins and outs of the game, from the difference between a split finger fastball and a forkball, why the first-base coach uses a stopwatch, incredible feats, obscure rules, pitching and hitting, fielding, umpires, and more. Original.