The New Thinking Fan's Guide to Baseball

An updated, rewritten version of the 1967 baseball classic, A Thinking Man's Guide to Baseball , this book by New York Times national edition columnist Koppett delivers what its title promises: a challenging, thoughtful discourse on a sport that, for the true fan, cannot be overanalyzed. Drawing on his decades of baseball reporting (since the days the Dodgers and Giants called New York home) and countless interviews with players, managers and others, the author addresses all facets of the game--from elements of play on the field to ``behind the scenes'' subjects, including, significantly, lawyers and agents. Often, the less obvious topics are most compelling, such as the chapter on signs and his argument that managers ``who have great effect on any given game are the exceptional ones.''p. 113 In a typical fascinating observation, he points out that the average playing field has 90,000 square feet of fair territory. Throughout Koppett provides historical perspective and shows that the ``changeless'' game has always changed and continues to change. Reading this is the fan's equivalent of players' spring training. (Mar.)