Get a jump start on your reading list with some choice selections from the best baseball books around. And be sure to check back often, since we'll continue to add great titles in the months to come.

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THE BOOKS

	» My Turn at Bat: The Story of My Life
	.	1988 / In this selection from Ted Williams' autobiography, the "Splendid Splinter" remembers how he hit .406 in 1941
	.	Buy / Read »

	» Babe: The Legend Comes to Life
	.	1974 / Two chapters from Robert Creamer's authoritative biography of the Bambino. Chapter 31 takes a close look at the legend surrounding Ruth's "called shot" in the 1932 WS
	.	Buy / Read: Chapter 1 / Chapter 31 »

	» Spitters, Beanballs and the Incredible Shrinking Strike Zone
	.	2000 / "The stories behind the rules of baseball", explained with an eye to the unusual
	.	Buy / Read: Chapter 1 / Rules Chronology »

	» Josh Gibson: A Life in the Negro Leagues
	.	2000 / First published in 1978, William Brashler's definitive biography of the Negro League's definitive star
	.	Buy / Read »

	» Red Smith on Baseball
	.	2000 / From Red Barber to Reggie Jackson, we present fifteen of the finest essays ever penned by the immortal Red Smith, who covered the major leagues for more than five decades
	.	Buy / Read »

	» Home of the Game: The Story of Camden Yards
	.	2000 / In his survey of America's most beautiful ballpark, Thom Loverro takes time to look back at its most historic moment -- Cal Ripken's 2,632nd game
	.	Buy / Read »

	» Where They Ain't
	.	1999 / Led by "Wee" Willie Keeler, the original Baltimore Orioles were one of the pre-eminent teams of the late 19th century. Burt Solomon remembers their 1894 campaign
	.	Buy / Read »

	» Baby Bull: From Hardball to Hard Time and Back
	.	1998 / Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda remembers his turbulent last three seasons in San Francisco. Beseiged by injuries and antagonistic managers, he turned to marijuana
	.	Buy / Read »

	» Sosa: An Autobiography
	.	2000 / A bilingual first look at Sammy Sosa's memoirs. Here, Sammy tells of his love for his mother and his country and reveals how -- and where -- he prepares for each season
	.	Buy / Read en Español or in English »

	» New York Giants: A Baseball Album
	.	1999 / A small sampling of Richard Bak's wonderful collection of New York Giants images, including the "Shot Heard 'Round The World" and the last game at the Polo Grounds
	.	Read »

	» Me And Hank
	.	2000 / A sneak preview of Sandy Tolan's memoir of growing up -- and growing older -- with his childhood idols. In this excerpt, he remembers the 1960s; the Braves are leaving Milwaukee, and taking Hammerin' Hank with them
	.	Buy / Read »

	» Whatever Happened to the Hall of Fame?
	.	1995 / Milt Pappas won as many games as Don Drysdale and lost two fewer. Does that mean he belongs in the Hall of Fame? Bill James says no -- and explains why not
	.	Buy / Read »

	» Things Happen For A Reason
	.	2000 / Terry Leach had just thirty-eight victories in the majors, but eleven came in a superb season for the 1987 Mets. Yet even then, Leach admits, it was a constant struggle to distinguish himself
	.	Buy / Read »

	» How To Snag Major League Baseballs
	.	1999 / Zachary Hample has already "snagged" over 1,200 baseballs in his young life. Like anything, it takes a well-planned strategy to succeed -- and a net helps, too
	.	Buy / Read »

	» Nolan Ryan's Pitcher's Bible
	.	1991 / Nolan Ryan was known for his live arm, but in this selection from his guide to pitching the legendary gunslinger stresses the importance of mental toughness on the mound
	.	Buy / Read »

	» The Science Of Hitting
	.	1986 / With a bit of help from John Underwood, Ted Williams -- the last man to hit .400 -- explains how to succeed at what he calls "the single most difficult thing to do in sport"
	.	Buy / Read »

	» The Way Baseball Works
	.	1996 / Tim McCarver and Dan Gutman explain various intricacies of the game, including the mystery of why a curveball curves
	.	Buy / Read »

	» I Was Right On Time
	.	1997 / Former Negro League star Buck O'Neil -- nicknamed "Nancy" by Satchel Paige -- has seen it all, from Babe Ruth to Bo Jackson. That's what keeps him going
	.	Buy / Read »

	» Confessions Of A Baseball Purist
	.	1998 / Aided by Mark Hyman, broadcaster Jon Miller explains why baseball is enjoying a Golden Age. Along the way, he introduces us to his friends: Joe Morgan, Al Jackson, Don Drysdale, and Reggie Jackson
	.	Buy / Read »

	» You're Missin' A Great Game
	.	1999 / Whitey Herzog's refreshing take on baseball past and present. In the introduction, he explains why Willie Wilson's attitude frustrated him in the mid-1970s and lists what irriates him about the game today
	.	Buy / Read »

	» The Curse of Rocky Colavito
	.	1995 / Akron Beacon-Journal columnist Terry Pluto explains how the Indians sank like a stone after the fateful trade of April 17, 1960 -- and who's to blame
	.	Buy / Read »

	» Baseball in World War II Europe
	.	1999 / During World War II, nearly 5,000 pro ballplayers would swap their flannels for khakis. Gary Bedingfield looks at baseball on the European front
	.	Buy / Read »

	» Bunts
	.	1998 / George Will introduces a collection of his essays by dissecting a key play in the seventh inning of Game Six of the 1997 ALCS. With Baltimore's Mike Bordick on second, Roberto Alomar faces a tough decision at the plate
	.	Buy / Read »

	» The Ripken Way: A Manual For Baseball And Life
	.	1999 / In the first chapter of his memoir, the late Cal Ripken, Sr. remembers his early days in baseball and reflects on two of Baltimore's best: Brooks Robinson and Frank Robinson
	.	Buy / Read »