The Baseball Maniac's Almanac: The Absolutely, Positively, and Without Question Greatest Book of Facts, Figures, and Astonishing Lists Ever Compiled

In 1987, Bert Sugar wrote "The Baseball Trivia Book to end all Baseball Trivia Books.....Promise" - a wonderful collection of basebal trivia nuggets - among them : NAME THE THE TWO FORDHAM UNIVERSITY SECOND BASEMEN TO BECOME CARDINALS (answer: Frankie Frisch [who would become the Second Baseman and Manager of the St. Louis Cardinals) and Frankie Spellman [who would become His Eminence Francis CARDINAL Spellman, Archbishop of New York]). Well, Bert has done it again - assembling a veritable cornucopia of baseball trivia gems in The "Baseball Maniac's Almanac". In this book, Bert has put together some of the most obscure baseball trivia that would leave even the most seasoned trivia buff scratching his (or her) head for the answers. Among the precious trivia nuggets are: CAREER HOME RUN LEADERS BY ZODIAC SIGN, CAREER HOME RUN LEADERS BY STATE OF BIRTH, PLAYERS WHO PLAYED DURING THE MOST PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATIONS (answer: Cap Anson), and PLAYERS WITH 200 OR MORE HITS BATTING UNDER .300, SEASON (one of them was Maury Wills who had 208 hits and batted .299 during his 104 stolen base season of 1962). As much of an authority as Bert is on Boxing, he is just as much of an authority on baseball. This book should prove once and for all that Bert is The Trivia Guru of Sports.

A smart, no-nonsense layout and oodles of curious baseball facts make Sugar's book stand out in its category. All your standard lists are here (HR, hits and strikeout leaders) but the book has its biggest fun offering up such lists as "Billy Martin's Fights," "Most Times Awarded First Base on Catcher's Interference or Obstruction" (Pete Rose), "Players Who Played 2500 Games in One Uniform", (Carl Yastrzemski at 3308) and Oldest Players Named to All-Star Team" (Satchel Paige, at 46). Too many fun, telling stats to mention here.