Men at Work; The Craft of Baseball

New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1990. First Printing [Stated]. Hardcover. Good/good. Sigrid Estrada (Jacket Photograph), Andrew M. Newm. 25 cm. ix, [3], 353, [3] pages. Illustrations. Index. Some soiling/creasing to DJ. Some edge soiling. Signed by the author on the half-title. George Frederick Will (born May 4, 1941) is an American conservative political commentator. Will writes regular columns for The Washington Post and provides commentary for NBC News and MSNBC. In 1986, The Wall Street Journal called him "perhaps the most powerful journalist in America", in a league with Walter Lippmann (1889-1974). His numerous awards include the Pulitzer Prize for commentary in 1977. Often combining factual reporting with conservative commentary, Will's columns are known for their erudite vocabulary, allusions to political philosophers, and frequent references to baseball. Will, a Chicago Cubs fan, has written extensively on baseball, including his best-selling book Men at Work: The Craft of Baseball. He was one of the interview subjects for Ken Burns' PBS documentary series Baseball. Derived from a Kirkus review: Political pundit Will is a baseball buff whose principal claim to fame has been an unrequited passion for the Chicago Cubs. Here, he essays a sort of thinking-man's guide to the national pastime. Will focuses on four real pros: Tony LaRussa (manager, Oakland Athletics); Orel Hershiser (pitcher, Los Angeles Dodgers); Tony Gwynn (outfielder, San Diego Padres); and Cal Ripken, Jr. (shortstop, Baltimore Orioles). The subjects of his profiles, however, serve mainly as departure points for wide-ranging inquiries into base-running, defense, hitting, pitching, stealing (signs as well as bases), and other of baseball's essential skills. The author persuasively rates today's ""physically more impressive"" stars above their storied counterparts of yesteryear. At his best, Will is an informed, frequently astute, student of the diamond.