The Psychology of Baseball: Inside the Mental Game of the Major League Player

Pros: Fascinating look at the mental intricacies of baseball. Includes a chapter on fan psychology, which was a nice, unexpected touch Cons: Would have liked more mention of baseball superstitions, like not talking about a no-hitter in progress. Grade: A-

The research and information present in this book is top notch. This author knows his stuff inside out. On the flipside it's delivery "paints the corners" of becomming a bone dry Psychology textbook. Young readers curious for a mild read may lose their grip on this one. I found myself skipping pages upon pages of statistical analysis.

Stadler's book proves to be an interesting read for baseball fans who want to know about the game from a different perspective. Using a myriad of different psychological studies, Stadler explains many different facets of the baseball world - hitting, fielding and behavior of the fan to name a few - in an understandable manner for the average fan who has very little background in psychology. He uses examples from real-life situations to illustrate his points; in fact, one of the most interesting aspects of the book is its comparison of Billy Beane and Darryl Strawberry. Both players were drafted in about the same position, but their successes on the field were much different, and Stadler examines why this is. One part of the hitting portion looks closely at how players' eyes track the ball to the plate - or not quite. Stadler cites research that states that a player's eyes cannot follow the ball uninterrupted to the plate, which renders the adage of "keeping your eyes on the ball" useless. He also explores ways players attempt to cut down on uncertainty when batting. One drawback exists to the book: Stadler relies on play-by-play too extensively at several places in the book. While he does use the instances to make his points, this style of narration can be difficult to get through. The longest stretch of this is about five pages. However, despite this, the book as a whole remains very readable and interesting. Stadler has done an excellent job with it, and baseball fans should take advantage of it.

"The Psychology of Baseball" is well-researched, thorough, and has greatly enhanced my watching of the game. Stadler combs through a wealth of archival research that explores the psychology and physiology of hitting, pitching and fielding. I now have a new respect for the players, and my love of baseball has taken on a new dimension thanks to this book. Highly recommended!