The Hidden Language of Baseball: How Signs and Sign Stealing Have Influenced the Course of Our National Pastime |
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The Hidden Language of Baseball: How Signs and Sign Stealing Have Influenced the Course of Our National Pastime
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by Paul Dickson
Sales Rank: 293049
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$2.58
At Amazon
on 6-19-2008.
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Features
Cover Type: Hard Cover with 240 pages
Published by: Walker & Company May 1, 2003
Written in: English
ISBN 10 Number: 0802713920
ISBN 13 Number: 978-0802713926
Book Dimensions:
7.7 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
Weighs: 13 ounces
From Booklist
Dickson, whose more than forty books include several baseball titles, returns to the national pastime with a thoroughly researched account of the game's idiosyncratic forms of communication. As hard as it is to unearth fresh information about such a richly documented sport, Dickson has plenty of new stories and details. Who knew, for example, that the savvy Ty Cobb would often tip his hand, giving opponents an idea of when he planned to bunt or steal a base? And who had any idea that the Chicago White Sox 1959 pennant drive was aided by sign stealing from the center-field scoreboard? Anyone who has ever played or coached youth baseball or paid close attention to the third-base coach at a big-league game will appreciate the author's guided tour through the history of diamond sign language. Dickson is a fine storyteller, and his latest book is a welcome addition to the rich canon of baseball literature. Kevin Canfield
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Product Description
Baseball is set apart from other sports by many things, but few are more distinctive than the intricate systems of coded language that govern action on the field and give baseball its unique appeal. During a nine-inning game, more than 1,000 silent instructions are given-from catcher to pitcher, coach to batter, fielder to fielder, umpire to umpire-and without this speechless communication the game would simply not be the same. Baseball historian Paul Dickson looks at for the first time the rich legacy of baseball's hidden language, offering fans everywhere a smorgasbord of history and anecdote. Baseball's tradition of signing grew out of the signal flags used by ships and soldiers' hand signals during battle. They were first used in games during the Civil War, and then professionally by the Cincinnati Red Stockings, in 1869. Seven years later, the Hartford Dark Blues appear to be the first team to steal signs, introducing a larcenous obsession that, as Dickson delightfully chronicles, has given the game some of its most historic-and outlandish-moments. Whether detailing the origins of the hit-and-run, the true story behind the home run that gave "Home Run" Baker his nickname, Bob Feller's sign-stealing telescope, Casey Stengel's improbable method of signaling his bullpen, the impact of sign stealing on the Giants' miraculous comeback in 1951, or the pitches Andy Pettitte tipped off that altered the momentum of the 2001 World Series, Dickson's research is as thorough as his stories are entertaining. A roster of baseball's greatest names and games, past and present, echoes throughout, making The Hidden Language of Baseball a unique window on the history of our national pastime.
Reader Reviews
A short but thorough history of baseball as seen through the development of signs, sign stealing and tip-off reading. Includes some delightful photographs, numerous anotations, a lengthy bibliography and index. Paul Dickson's approach to baseball makes me wonder if the recent homerun records aren't more a case for renewed talent in sign stealing / tip-off reading than for new technology for bats or performance inhancing drugs.
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The Hidden Language of Baseball: How Signs and Sign Stealing Have Influenced the Course of Our National Pastime
Available from Amazon
Price: $2.58
Updated on 6-19-2008.
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