Throwback : A Big League Catcher Tells How the Game Is Really Played

Ever Wonder What's Being Said at Home Plate?
How a Team Silently Communicates?
What Goes on in the Clubhouse Behind Closed Doors?

America's pastime has always left fans and amateur players alike yearning for the answers to questions about how pros play the game.

Jason Kendall is an All-Star catcher who has seen just about everything during his years with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, and Kansas City Royals. He's a player's player, a guy with true grit--a throwback to another time with a unique view on the game that so many love.

Jason Kendall and sportswriter Lee Judge team up to bring you the fan, player, coach, or curious statistician an insider's view of the game from a player's perspective. This is a book about pre-game rituals, what to look for when a pitcher warms up between innings, the signs a catcher uses to communicate with the pitcher, and so much more.

Some of baseball wisdom you will find inside:

* What to look for during batting practice.
* The right way to hit a batter.
* Who's a tough guy and who's just posing.
* How to spot a dirty slide.
* Why you don't look at the umpire while you're arguing.

Based on Kendall's 15 years of professional MLB experience, THROWBACK is an informative, hilarious, and illuminating look into the world of professional baseball-and in a way that no one has ever seen before.

Having played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers and Kansas City Royals, JASON KENDALL can boast three All-Star games and a broad national fan base. Jason is currently a special assignment coach for the Kansas City Royals (now in the American League Championship Series).

LEE JUDGE is a well-known writer at the Kansas City Star whose baseball blog gets 100,000 hits.