Moon Shots and Short Hops : And Everything in Between

To the ardent Major League baseball fan, statistics make the game. Base hits are exciting, but the rabid fan wants to know how a particular batter fares against a particular pitcher with a particular count with men on base. Or, who holds the record for the most grand slams hit against left-handed pitching after the fourth inning. Stats like these can be found in the team media guides or on team web sites.

But what about the other stats and records? For example, what U.S. president holds the record for most season opening ceremonial first pitches? Who are the only two players to be traded for themselves?

This is where Moon Shots and Short Hops comes in. For the sincere fan, it answers the questions he never thought to ask. It is a collection of facts and figures about the game that few people know and even fewer have ever thought about. Divided into chapters, each covering one aspect of the game, Moon Shots even has a collection of players who have the same names as rock stars.

Jammed with facts and figures, Moon Shots fills in the gaps that watching the game or listening to the commentary just can't provide.

Brian Honea was born in Garland, Texas, in 1971, and has been an avid baseball fan all his life?particularly of the Texas Rangers. He currently works as a sports editor for three suburban Dallas newspapers. Moon Shots and Short Hops is his first published book.