The Baseball Hall of Shame

Following the Baseball Hall of Shame 1 by a year, this collection of anecdotes includes such embarrassments as Johnny Bench taking a third strike in the 1972 World Series when he had been expecting an intentional walk and Ron LeFlore being picked off second while reading the electronic scoreboard. Other chapters focus on forgotten players (Bill Pettit, the $100,000 bonus baby who won one game for the Pirates), Hall of Famers (Stan Musial losing a ball in the sun and getting hit in the head by it); owners, umpires and even fans (the Kessler brothers forcing the Philadelphia Athletics to trade Jimmy Dykes, who was taunted from the stands so constantly he couldn't play). This book makes the hard-core baseball fan ever more eager for spring. (March)