Great Baseball Feats, Facts & Firsts

I still have my dingy 1989 copy, which helped me get through a boring summer that year! (I was only 14 at the time)Still, all these years later, even though some of the records have changed, and there are new ballparks and teams, I still refer to my old copy all the time, especially in December and January, when it seems like spring training will never arrive!Not just a trivia book (though fear not; you will certainly find plenty of that, such as the last wood stadium, the best one-eyed players, the toughest batter to strike out on Tuesday when the bells ring)- more of a baseball history book, humorously told and colored with fabulous stories- truth is crazier than fiction, after all. I am overjoyed to see that this book has been updated... can't wait for the 2001 copy.A great book!

I've picked up four editions of this book over the years, including the 1999 one. It's interesting to me, and fun, to watch how Nemec manages to incorporate new records and new developments in the game and at the same time maintain the book's basic structure. He even added a new era a couple of years ago--but so neatly I wasn't even aware of it at first. It also brought out the first study I've ever seen on pitchers' batting records. I'd guess there'll be another new edition in 2000, and it'll be interesting once again to see how all the wild new developments in this past season are interwoven.

This is a great book to take to a game with you. I do and read it between innings or, like today, during rain delays. Some unusual stuff here that's new to me anyway. Like "The 10 Worst Pinch Hitters". Only one ex-Oriole, Woody Held. Never realized he was that bad until I saw him in this book.

You can turn to almost any page in this book and find something unique. In addition, it has most of the traditional lists of leaders and record-holders. My favorite feature is Nemec's choice of the "Most Interesting Teams" in each era.

I read the original edition of this book back in 1987 or 1988. It apparently has been updated and reissued almost every year since. As a writer myself, I well recognize the ingenuity that went into this book. Not only is it every bit as chock full of baseball lore as it promises to be, but it is brilliantly organized.