Review by Booklist Review
No sport in American history is as storied or as peppered with lore and legend than baseball. From its very origins, the game has invited fanatics of all ages to root for larger-than-life athletes and debate superlative achievements and rule changes. This book provides an overview of all aspects of baseball's 170-year history. Time lines, maps, caricatures, charts, and photographs chronicle the uniforms, players, rules, and records of baseball. No part of the sport is overlooked, so even experts on baseball history will learn something new. By examining baseball's past, the book manages to provide a sort of social history of the U.S., touching on the participation of women and minorities in the game, fashions though the ages, marketing and brand names, and the rituals of game day. Lists of slugging, pitching statistics, and team dynasties provide plenty of fodder for trivia lovers. As visually appealing as it is informative, this book is a comprehensive and fun homage to America's most revered pastime.--Anderson, Erin Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-3-Every aspect of our national pastime is covered in this attractive title. Using a time line format to tackle various decades, the editors provide details on players, umpires, dynasties, minor league teams, and even marketing. Readers learn about equipment, the evolution of many of the game's techniques and strategies, stadiums, and the best fielders, pitchers, and sluggers. Especially appealing are the lists of milestones for home runs, hits, and strikeouts. Though books such as Janet Wyman Coleman's Baseball for Everyone and Howard Bryant's Legends: The Best Players, Games, and Teams in Baseball contain more in-depth chapters, this title covers more ground. For instance, in addition to presenting a discussion of the first African Americans into the major leagues, this work offers information on Latin American players' influence on the sport. The chapter entitled "Fan-tastic" covers the fan experience and describes everything from baseball cards to ballpark foods. The text is complemented by well-placed photographs of teams and players as well as pencil drawings. VERDICT The comprehensiveness of this book combined with an appealing format and colorful photographs makes this a smart purchase for libraries needing updated works on this perennially favorite topic.-Margaret Nunes, Gwinnett County Public Library, GA © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
