The Baseball Book of Why: The Answers to Questions You've Always Wondered about from America's National Pastime

Why do we sometimes refer to a left-handed pitcher as a “southpaw"? Why are major league pitchers normally limited to 100 pitches per game? Why was Jack Roosevelt Robinson the first African-American ever to play as part of an official lineup for a team in Major League Baseball? Why is a baseball field sometimes referred to as a diamond?

This book provides over 100 questions and detailed answers concerning the traditions, rules, and history of the national pastime. Organized by the sport’s five eras—Dead Ball, Live Ball, Golden Age, Expansion, and Steroid Era—it answers questions about hitting, pitching, fielding, base running, managing, scouting, and ownership that vex even the most ardent fans of the game. Moreover, this book is an appreciation of how baseball’s traditions began.

John McCollister is a life-long baseball fan and author of 24 books, including histories of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Detroit Tigers. In addition to being a licensed pilot, federal arbitrator, and former Lutheran pastor, McCollister has had the honor of singing the national anthem before baseball games in Minneapolis and Detroit. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada.