Diamonds in the Rough: The Untold History of Baseball

An anecdotal history of baseball reveals many of the forces, events, and people that have shaped Americans' perceptions of the national pastime

"Altogether wonderful . . . I challenge any fan to read Diamonds in the Rough and not come away with a hundred gems he did not own before. Erudite, properly skeptical, and unfailingly lively--in short, a hit. I rise to my feet in admiration and gnash my teeth that I did not write it."—John Thorn, author of Total Baseball: The Ultimate Baseball Encyclopedia. "One of the greatest baseball books of all time."—Allen Barra, New York Observer. "The range [of topics] is mind-boggling, and even for those who like to think they know the game, there is much that is new in this eclectic collection of anecdotes, folk tales, and basic history. . . . As baseball history and Americana, Diamonds in the Rough offers something for everyone."—Orlando Sentinel. "The most up-to-date study of baseball’s early history."—Fox Butterfield,New York Times.

Pairing their detailed, informative research with a sophisticated anecdotal approach, Joel Zoss and John Bowman have written a fascinating, original, literate, and concise compendium of the history and issues surrounding America's national pastime. Addressed are such diverse topics as the origins of the game, the contributions of minorities and women, the evolution of umpiring, baseball's influence on literature and music, substance abuse, on- and off-field tragedy, and the game's international presence. Diamonds in the Rough is an invaluable and stimulating resource both for those who already study the game and for those who would like to learn its revealing history.

Novelist Joel Zoss and historian John Bowman have collaborated on a number of baseball books, including The American and National Leagues: A Complete History and The Pictorial History of Baseball.