How Baseball Works - Softcover

Thomas, Keltie

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1894379616 ISBN 13: 9781894379618

Publisher: Maple Tree Press, 2004

Synopsis

The amazing science behind America's favorite pastime.

Play ball! How Baseball Works is a behind-the-scenes examination of the physics of baseball: home runs, curve balls and stolen bases.

Baseball relies on scientific principles more than any other sport. Here's how the pros use physics to throw pitches that seem to defy gravity. Kinetic energy plays a role in knocking the ball out of the park. The number crunching for statistics shows the importance of mathematics to the game.

Topics include:

• Stories of great players, old and new
• How pitchers can stay ahead of the game
• How the pros hit with accuracy and power
• Baserunning: sliding, stealing and scoring
• How to warm up, prevent injuries and strengthen muscles
• Famous fields and the Astroturf vs. grass debate

Fun-to-read and colorfully illustrated, How Baseball Works makes the National Pastime more enjoyable than ever.

About this title

About the Author:

Keltie Thomas, a seasoned science writer and life-long sports fan is the former editor of OWL magazine and developer of the award-winning web site, Owlkids.com.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:

How Does Baseball Work?

Fans, players, and inquiring minds everywhere want to know!

What makes baseball such a great game? Why is the ball so flighty? What makes bats perform so smashingly? Do pitchers really have the edge over batters? What are the tools of ignorance, and why is baseball such a mind game? Just how do players' stats add up? What makes major-league grass greener? Does a curve ball really curve? How do pitchers get a grip...on the ball? How do hitters swing with such zing? How do pitchers and hitters work the count to psych each other out? And what exactly is the count, anyway?

Well, just like everything else on earth, it all comes down to science (plus a few things science hasn't managed to explain yet!). And if you think that makes baseball sound boring, you'd better check what planet you're on. But, hey, why don't you turn the page and check out the world of baseball in action for yourself. It doesn't matter whether you play baseball, softball, T-ball, or even none at all. If you want answers to those burning questions, tips on becoming a better player, the scoop on inside information, or just to have a blast with the game, this book's for you.

Legends of the Game: The Year of the Bat

Crack! The tell-tale sound of a home run repeated over and over throughout 1998. Sluggers Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire were smacking, whacking, and racking up long balls in the most explosive home-run race major-league baseball has ever seen.

At first there wasn't much of a race at all. McGwire had 29 homers at the end of May, while Sosa had just 13. But then Slammin' Sammy began closing in on Big Mac in a big way. He blasted 21 home runs in 30 days on a record-setting hitting streak. Soon the two sluggers where neck and neck, chasing Roger Maris's 37-year-old record of 61 home runs in a single season. Then, in the middle of August, Sammy belted out his 48th round-trip-per, moving ahead of Big Mac for the first time. But not for long. Later that day, Big Mac hit two homers.

In September, in a game the sluggers played against each other, Big Mac smashed the record. Slammin' Sammy hugged Mark in celebration and Big Mac lifted him off his feet. But the race between them kept on. By the end of the season, Slammin' Sammy hit 66 home runs, and Big Mac sped past him, cranking out a record-setting 70. And fans everywhere were left wondering, "Just how do they do that?"

About this edition

• Publisher: Maple Tree Press
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 1894379616
• ISBN 13: 9781894379618
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 64
• Illustrator: Hall Greg