Playing Pro Baseball

Being a professional baseball player is no walk in the park?it's a physically and mentally demanding job. When you're on the field, millions of people are expecting you to record base hits as a batter or strikeouts as a pitcher. And the work continues beyond game time; you need to practice, work out, and scout your competition. Aches and pains are a given. And on top of everything else, you must perform amidst constant travel, media attention, and high expectations. Baseball has been America's pastime for more than a century. And for those who uphold the tradition in the major leagues today, there's nothing else like it. This book, which was reviewed by 12-year Major League Baseball (MLB) veteran and World Series champion Gabe Kapler, offers an authentic look at what life is like as a pro baseball player. You'll learn: ? What kinds of skills it takes to play in the major leagues ? What daily life is like for an MLB player ? How MLB players prevent and treat injuries Go behind the scenes and see what it's really like to be an MLB star!

Baseball players can make their careers look effortless. They lob balls into the stands and sprint around the bases easily. But behind these actions are years and years of practice honing the skills that got them into the major leagues. This high-interest volume is an insider's guide of the path to the big leagues, from Little League to the MLB. Easy-to-follow drills and essential pro tips will interest the beginner and the seasoned ball player. Photographs of famous players as well as amateurs will further interest and enlighten young athletes.

A humorous, candid and insightful memoir of Hayhurst's rookie season in the majors. . .Grade: Home Run. --Cleveland Plain Dealer After six years in the minors, pitcher Dirk Hayhurst hopes 2008 is the year he breaks into the big leagues. But every time Dirk looks up, the bases are loaded with challenges--a wedding balancing on a blind hope, a family in chaos, and paychecks that beg Dirk to answer, "How long can I afford to keep doing this?" Then it finally happens--Dirk gets called up to the Majors, to play for the San Diego Padres. A dream comes true when he takes the mound against the San Francisco Giants, kicking off forty insane days and nights in the Bigs. Like the classic games of baseball's history, Out of My League entertains from the first pitch to the last out, capturing the gritty realities of playing on the big stage, the comedy and camaraderie in the dugouts and locker rooms, and the hard-fought, personal journeys that drive our love of America's favorite pastime. "A rare gem of a baseball book." --Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated "A fun read. . .This book shows why baseball is so often used as a metaphor for life." --Keith Olbermann "Entertaining and engaging. . .reminiscent of Jim Bouton's Ball Four." --Booklist "Observant, insightful, human, and hilarious." --Bob Costas

Major League Baseball has compiled the definitive instruction manual on learning to play the game. Fully illustrated with action photos of MLB stars illustrating key points and drills for each defensive position, this book also includes special tips from MLB players on batting, base running, the rules of the game, and coaching. Easy-to-follow instructions and diagrams of all the skills beginning players need to master the game--how to throw, hit, and field all the positions--while also promoting good sportsmanship. Each skill and position is presented separately, with photographs and drawings of a player executing the specific skill, advice on how to perform it, and when to use it, and the most common mistakes. Written and compiled by the best baseball instructors, coaches, and players in the world, this comprehensive how-to is informative enough to help even the brightest young stars shine brighter. With keen insights from instruction and developmental coaches, the need to create a positive environment in practice and encourage creativity as well as technical correctness is stressed. Most importantly, the coaches understand that kids are not just small adults--and they back up their understanding with advice on how to help kids fall in love with "America's pastime." Model training sections construct excellent practice sessions--from warm-up through cool-down exercises and hundreds of drills and games to reinforce--this is an essential tool for all coaches as a guide to improving performance and enjoyment of practice and playing the game. This must-have resource covers it all: Batting, Pitching, Base running and sliding, Specific drills for playing all defensive positions, Coaching and rules, Offensive and defensive strategy. Partial list of Big League tips on How to Play the Game: Tony Gwynn (hitting), Sammy Sosa (judging fly balls), Bernie Williams (playing the outfield), Mark Grace (approach to hitting), Alex Rodriguez (fielding ground balls), Jeff Bagwell (hitting), Roberto Alomar (fielding ground balls), Jaret Wright (pitching mechanics), Edgar Renteria (how to play SS), John Lackey (improving your pitching), Carlos Delgado (mastering 1B), Rocco Baldelli (basic approach at plate), Cristian Guzman (fielding ground balls), Danny Kolb (good approach on the mound), Dontrelle Willis (pitching strategies), Torii Hunter (playing the outfield), Jason Marquis (pitching with control), Chone Figgins (sliding), Orlando Cabrera (improving your game), Gary Bennett (becoming a better catcher), Ervin Santana (pitching under pressure), Mark Teixeira (playing 1B), Ryan Howard (hitting), Joey Gathright (playing the OF), Troy Tulowitzki (succeeding at the plate), Joel Zumaya (pitching with poise), Josh Johnson (pitching with confidence)

"Explores all the things professional baseball players do beyond playing baseball"--

"Provides instructional tips on how to improve one's baseball skills, including quotes and advice from professional coaches and athletes"--Provided by publisher.

Playing pro baseball is a dream job, but it's not all fun and games. This book is a frank and fascinating look at what it takes to get there, from starting young to staying fit, following rules set by the team, and spending time away from family and friends. Chapters cover the history of the game, a day in the life of a pro baseball player, the gear players wear, the physical risks, and honors players can hope to achieve, like being elected to the Hall of Fame. Each chapter features attention-grabbing photos and examples from the lives of well-known players. A Fun Facts section includes more facts, plus anecdotes and lore unique to America's favorite pastime.

"This delightfully written, lesson-laden book deserves a place of its own in the Baseball Hall of Fame." —Forbes Moneyball is a quest for the secret of success in baseball. In a narrative full of fabulous characters and brilliant excursions into the unexpected, Michael Lewis follows the low-budget Oakland A's, visionary general manager Billy Beane, and the strange brotherhood of amateur baseball theorists. They are all in search of new baseball knowledge—insights that will give the little guy who is willing to discard old wisdom the edge over big money.