I recently finished the book “Watching Baseball Smarter” by Zack Hample and thoroughly enjoyed it.
“Watching Baseball Smarter” gives the reader an overview of America’s Pastime—Baseball. While focused primarily on watching Major League Baseball, the book provides a brief history of the game, a brief explanation of the rules, and provides a quick explanation of some of the lesser known nuances of the activity on the field. I would recommend the book to people that are wanting a review of the game—like myself, or those that simply want to know more. There isn’t enough space to cover every aspect of the game, but Zack Hample does a very good job of providing a detailed overview.
I particularly enjoyed the history section of the book. Baseball is such a history oriented sport, a good review of the early days of baseball is always welcome. Hample goes back to the early days and explains how the modern game evolved through the years and why the game is the way it is today. Being a Cincinnati Reds fan, it was good to hear an understandable analysis of why gambling still continues to be such a crime in baseball and why Pete Rose continues to be banned from baseball. I also enjoyed the overview of scoring a baseball game and the statistics within baseball and why they matter.
I did enjoy the book and recommend it to anyone interested in an overview of what happens in a game of baseball. It you are a casual fan, it is very easy to read and understandable. It can be enjoyed by new comers and veteran baseball watchers alike.