Some books teach coaches and players what to do; this also explains why. Developed by an all-star cast of coaches selected by the American Baseball Coaches Association, "Baseball Strategies" is the most comprehensive resource ever written on the tactical aspects of the game. Providing the content are 18 of the game's top strategists, including several coaches whose teams have totaled more than 1,000 wins and have won national championships.

Meet every decision-making challenge, from setting the most effective lineup at the plate and in the field to deciding what play to call and when to call it in tight game situations. Should a runner be sent on a 2-2 pitch with one out? Should a hitter be walked to allow for a force-out even if the next batter is an RBI leader? When should a pitcher hold a runner on base from the stretch position or pitch from a more comfortable full windup? The analyses and answers to all of these questions and many more can be found in this book.

In part I, you'll learn the specifics of offense, from determining the hitting lineup to studying the strengths and weaknesses of the opposing pitcher and defense. The contributors to the offensive side of the game include Itch Jones, Mike Gillespie, Danny Hall, and Mark Johnson. In part II, experts such as Bob Bennett and John Winkin explore pitching from every angle, including strategies for shutting down hitters, stopping baserunners, and fielding the position. In Parts III and Parts IV, you'll learn better defensive strategies for fine-tuning your strategic approach from George Horton, Jim Morris, and Bobo Brayton, just to name a few.

Take a big tactical lead on your opponent. From position-specific responsibilities to situation-specific options to adjusting to the level of competition to altering your game plan in the middle innings, "Baseball Strategies" covers all the bases to give you a winning advantage in thinking the game.

House of David barnstorming baseball (1915-1957) was played without pre-determined schedules, leagues, player statistics or standings. The Davids quickly gained popularity for their hirsute appearance and flashy, fast-paced style of play. During their 200 seasons, they travelled as many as 30,000 miles, criss-crossing the United States, Canada and Mexico. The Benton Harbor teams invented the pepper game and were winners year after year, becoming legends in barnstorming baseball. Initially a loose affiliation of players, the Davids expanded to three teams--Western, Central and Eastern--as their reputation grew, and hired outsiders to fill the rosters. Prominent among them were pitchers Grover Cleveland Alexander and Charlie "Chief" Bender, both player managers in the early 1930s. They resisted the color barrier, eagerly facing Negro League teams everywhere. In 1934, before their largest crowd to date, they defeated the first Negro team invited to the famed Denver Post Tournament, the great Kansas City Monarchs, for the championship.

On October 8, 1908, Mordecai Brown clutched a half-dozen notes inside his coat pocket. The message of each was clear: we'll kill you if you pitch and beat the Giants. A black handprint marked each note, the signature of the Italian Mafia.
Mordecai Brown--dubbed "Three Finger" because of a childhood farm injury--was the dominant pitcher for the great Chicago Cubs team of the early twentieth century. Brown's handicap enabled him to throw pitches with an unconventional movement that left batters bewildered--the curve ball that Ty Cobb once called "the most devastating" he had ever faced.
How Brown responded to the Mafia's threats in 1908 mirrored the way he took life in general: with unflappable courage and resolve. Telling his story for the first time, Cindy Thomson and Scott Brown track Mordecai from the Indiana countryside to the coal mines, from semipro ball to the Majors, from the World Series mound back down to the Minors. Along the way they retrieve the lost lore of one of baseball's greatest pitchers and chronicle one man's determination to attain a dream that most believed was unreachable.