BASEBALL EXPLAINED is the definitive introduction to and explanation of America’s pastime. It draws on a variety of historical, cultural and personal sources to create a book that is not only extremely informative, but is also a great deal of fun to read. For example, the poem “Casey at the Bat” is used to demonstrate the difference between a called strike and a swinging strike, a “Seinfeld” episode is brought in to illustrate the difference between a hit and an error and the importance of the Official Scorer, and Jackie Robinson’s steal of home plate in the 1955 World Series is used not only to help explain the rules governing stolen bases, but also to introduce the reader to the history of the Negro Leagues and Jackie’s historic role in baseball’s desegregation. There is no other book on the market or any single website that attempts to do what BASEBALL EXPLAINED does: explain and clarify this beautifully complex game while educating the reader as to its rich history and its important place in American life.
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As a copyboy with the New York Daily News, I came within three feet of catching Reggie Jackson's historic third home run in Game Six of the 1977 World Series. I later enjoyed a 22-year career with the New York City Police Department, and I am currently practicing law in New York City. BASEBALL EXPLAINED is my fourth book, following CATCHING BODIES (1985) and SUPREME (1989), both from North Atlantic Books, and FROM BOTH SIDES NOW, an anthology of Vietnam War-related poetry (Scribners, 1995). I am currently working on a memoir of my first three years on the police department, called SCOOP'S WAY. Please see my LinkedIn page for more information by clicking here.