How to Watch Baseball; A Fan's Guide to Savoring the Fine Points of the Game [from DJ]

New York: Facts on File Publications, 1987. First Printing [Stated]. Hardcover. Very good/Very good. xvii, [1], 204 pages. Illustrations. Index. Signed with comment by author on half-title page. DJ has slight wear and soiling. Steve Fiffer is an American author whose books include his memoir Three Quarters, Two Dimes, and a Nickel. Fiffer is a graduate of Yale University and the University of Chicago Law School. Fiffer has collaborated with civil rights lawyer Morris Dees and former Secretary of State James Baker. Fiffer's non-fiction books include How to Watch Baseball, Jimmie Lee and James, Tyrannosaurus Sue, and Fifty Ways to Help Your Community. The winner of a Guggenheim Fellowship, his work has appeared in numerous publications, including the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and Slate. This study of the fine points of baseball is too detailed to interest most fans; its chief readership will likely be players and sports reporters. Fiffer, who writes for several sports magazines, examines the roles of managers, coaches and players at all the positions. But the matters dealt with here such as whether a coach's touch of his cap is a signal or a prelude to a signal, whether it is possible for someone (even a batter) to tell whether a pitch is a curve or a slider or a change-up, whether the mound in the bullpen is higher or lower than the mound on the field are too technical to interest the average viewer in the stands. Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly. Fiffer explains what to ``watch for'' in chapters devoted to pitching, hitting, defensive strategy, base stealing, the role of the manager, and on-field communication. The reader will learn why a batter is unlikely to bunt the ball with a count of one and two, what a change up is, and what the role of the third base coach is. Dick Howser, Ken Harrelson, Carlton Fisk, etc., contribute their expertise to this unique inside look at the mechanics of the game suitable for the novice and knowledgeable baseball fan alike. Library Journal - Library Journal.