Answer Is Baseball

Going beyond ordinary baseball trivia, the author explores who was the first Mormon Rookie of the year, presents Thomas Pynchon's thoughts on baseball, and examines many other uncommon aspects of the national pastime

Essentially a book of baseball trivia arranged in question-and-answer format, this poses enough baffling queries that fans will find themselves caught up in the contest. For instance, what pitcher has enjoyed the highest winning percentage against the New York Yankees? (The answer will astound every follower of the sport.) What was the claim to fame of Louis Sockalexis and why did his promising career end so suddenly? Which brothers hit the most home runs in major league history and which brothers were second? Salisbury uses his queries to introduce brief essays on the game and has his say about the tragedy of Tony Conigliaro (the author is a Red Sox fan), the advent and collapse of the Players League and baseball card mania. About Salisbury we are told only that he "has a great author's name, America is his heart, and baseball in his blood."
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Three offbeat books help open the 1989 season. Trivia expert Salisbury's intriguing questions tease fans before he gives answers about pitching, batting, rookies, streaks, and other records. Meanwhile, he weaves in diamond history, baseball cards, baseball families, and the Yankee-Red Sox rivalry. His book is a challenging test and happy browsing. Okrent (co-editor of The Ultimate Baseball Book, LJ 11/15/79) and Sports Illustrated editor Wulf step in with humorous tales--new and time honored. They carry their readers from baseball's birth--not attended by Doubleday--to the 1986 Series in accounts that are happy fuel for the Hot Stove League. In Oddballs TV writer Shlain engagingly portrays the pranksters (e.g., Roger McDowell) eaters, and drinkers (Ruth, Boog Powell et al . ), along with assorted showoffs, hotheads, stuntmen, and even eggheads. His close-up portraits of Ted Williams, Pete Rose, Oil Can Boyd, and Bill Lee are winning touches. The best of these three is Salisbury's, while the others rate consideration.
- Morey Berger, Monmouth Cty. Lib., Manalapan, N.J.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.