Play ball like the pros : tips for kids from 20 big league stars

cover image

Where to find it

Information & Library Science Library — Juvenile

Call Number
J796.35 Krasner
Status
Available

Authors, etc.

Names:

Summary

Major league players explain the mechanics of how they successfully field, pitch, catch, hit, and more in this inside look at the fundamentals of baseball.
Who should a young baseball player turn to when they want to know the best way to handle an infield ground ball with players on first and second? How about New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter or Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia? Author and seasoned sportswriter Steven Krasner offers in-depth interviews with these major league athletes and more, as well as a glossary of baseball terms, historical anecdotes, and examples of real-life game situations. Best of all, each player shares childhood baseball memories that shaped them.
More than just a how-to guide for playing baseball, Play Ball Like the Pros is an intimate look at how professionals do what they do, and how the struggles and influences of their early years informed their later successes.

Contents

  • Introduction
  • Batter Up! p. 1
  • Pitching
  • Stretching and Warming Up p. 3 Jon Lester
  • The Art of Pitching p. 12 CC Sabathia
  • Fielding the Position p. 22 Scott Baker
  • Catching
  • Throwing Out Basestealers p. 33 Geovany Soto
  • Catching Foul Pop-ups p. 43 Chris Iannetta
  • Blocking Pitches in the Dirt p. 53 Russell Martin
  • Infield
  • First Base p. 62 Mark Teixeira
  • Second Base p. 74 Akinori Iwamura
  • Shortstop p. 83 Derek Jeter
  • Third Base p. 91 Evan Longoria
  • The Double Play p. 100 Jimmy Rollins and Dustin Pedroia
  • Outfield
  • Catching Fly Balls p. 119 Rocco Baldelli
  • Outfield Throwing p. 127 Jacoby Ellsbury
  • Hitting
  • Bunting for a Base Hit or Sacrifice p. 137 Ian Kinsler
  • Basic Hitting Fundamentals p. 147 Joe Mauer
  • The Power Stroke p. 154 Ryan Howard
  • The Art of Clutch Hitting p. 164 Jason Bay
  • On The Bases
  • Rundowns p. 174 Kevin Youkilis
  • Running the Bases p. 182 Carl Crawford
  • Conclusion
  • The Final Pitch p. 191

Other details