Play Ball Like the Pros: Tips for Kids from 20 Big League Stars

Major league players explain the mechanics of how they successfully field, pitch, catch, hit, and more in this inside look at the fundamentals of baseball.

Who should a young baseball player turn to when they want to know the best way to handle an infield ground ball with players on first and second? How about New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter or Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia?

Author and seasoned sportswriter Steven Krasner offers in-depth interviews with these major league athletes and more, as well as a glossary of baseball terms, historical anecdotes, and examples of real-life game situations. Best of all, each player shares childhood baseball memories that shaped them.

More than just a how-to guide for playing baseball, Play Ball Like the Pros is an intimate look at how professionals do what they do, and how the struggles and influences of their early years informed their later successes.

Steven Krasner was a sportswriter for the Providence Journal for more than twenty-five years, covering baseball as a beat writer for the Boston Red Sox beginning in 1986. He is a graduate of Columbia University and the author of several picture and chapter books. He lives in Rhode Island.