"The Way Baseball Works will change the way you view America鈥檚 national pastime. By breaking baseball down into its integral parts, the book explains the importance of each to the whole through minute analysis and highly detailed visuals. Veteran baseball writer Dan Gutman answers the big questions and then opens your eyes to elements you hadn鈥檛 even imagined. Not just a simple how-to book, The Way Baseball Works covers all the bases, including equipment: how the tools of the game - the bat, ball, glove, mask, and so many more - were born, how they developed, and how they influenced the game; strategy: how the manger makes decisions, what each player is thinking as the pitcher goes into his windup, the psychological warfare that goes on in the confrontation between hitter and pitcher; and playing the game: how the fastball, curver, splitter, slider and knuckler are thrown, and what a batter can do to hit them. The beauty of the double play. The art of the stolen base." "Through photos, charts, and computer-generated graphics, this fascinating and instructive book will deepen every fan鈥檚 understanding and appreciation of the game. Created in conjunction with the National Baseball Hall of Fame, The Way Baseball Works carries the mark of one of America鈥檚 most venerable institutions and the world鈥檚 best source for baseball knowledge."--BOOK JACKET.