The Complete Idiot's Guide to Baseball

I've been watching baseball for years and there was a lot about the game I didn't realize or know I was missing out on. This book really gives you a better understanding of all aspects of the game. Bench goes over some important baseball history, then covers some of the basics like the baseball field, equipment, etc. He then has a chapter on the rules of baseball, and although it won't explain every rule of the game (that would take a lot of writing) it explains the ones that are most important to watching a game regularly. He also explains a lot of the strategy involved in baseball that I never completely understood, like which pitcher to start and close with, how managers decide the batting lineup, what kind of hit a batter might go with, how the defense can handle fielding the ball, etc. He explains how the Major Leagues work, discusses how they recruit players, and other stuff, and explains most of the stats you will see during a game or when reading about a game or player. The other reviews are right, he does throw in a lot of personal stories about his days with the Reds but honestly it didn't bother me that much. That's the beauty of the book; if it's not something you think is essential to read, you can skip over it. You'd be hard pressed to find a better book out there for learning baseball.

I have both the "Idiot's Guide to Baseball" and "Baseball for Dummies" (I must be really stupid!). While either is acceptable as a good overall guide to baseball, I'd lean toward Johnny Bench's book; there seems to be more 'meat on it', even though I agree with one reviewer that there's a few too many personal anecdotes. One positive about either of the books mentioned is that while many of the 'Idiot's/Dummies' books had way too much 'forced humor', it's kept to a reasonable level on these.Once you've digested either book, you might consider "Men at Work" by George Wills, "A Thinking Man's Guide to Baseball" by Leonard Koppett, "Tim McCarver's Baseball for Brain Surgeons and Other Fans" and the controversial but enjoyable book, "Ball Four" by Jim Bouton.

There's no better way to get into the game than by reading this wonderfully informative, thoroughly delightful overview of the sport. Not just the rules and procedures but the history, personalities, nuances and a wealth of inside information. As someone once said, "The only people who think baseball is dull are dull people."

Bench imparts his knowledge of the game well in this book. Each chapter is devoted to a different aspect of baseball and is full of informative tips. I'm a casual fan and I learned so much reading though this book.I learned about different pitches, offensive and defensive strategies, what each player's important jobs on defense and offense are, and how the manager tries his best to win the game.There are also sections at the end of the book containing a glossary of baseball terms, all-time records, and a list of Hall of Famers.I always admired Bench as a player; now I realize Bench is an excellent student of the game as well.

I bought this book for two reasons. One, I am a fan of Johnny Bench and two, my wife wants to learn more about baseball. What I found was a comprehensive "single source" for baseball info. I found the history and insight very interesting (baseball is after all nothing if not history) and the explanations are complete without being to complex for the neophyte to comprehend. Johnnys personal insight into the game is very interesting, he certainly has the credibility to make observations and lacks the self aggrandizment that plagues so much sports writing (he doesn't include himself in his "All time greatest line up" when most people include him in theirs, deservedly so). His pointers on the technique are both simple and thorough enough to get anyone started and complete enough to include even pointers on starting a local league and how to properly fill out a scorecard. Johnny does include his own opinions on many things baseball related and while some may find that irritating, the insight of someone who has actually played the game and played it well are both interesting and compelling whether you agree with him or not. If a person loves the game of baseball, or simply wants to be able understand the game enough to enjoy it, this book is for you. If you are looking for the "star gazing" and bloated, self serving commentary so common in sports writing, this will seem pretty dry.