second pitch out of the park
591044
I love automatic watches.  But the first product arrived broken and would not work.  A second one was on the way before I had shipped back the broken one... so that is uncommon service.  I really like this watch.  It is large, which I like, but is not super heavy like a man's watch.  I have very small wrists, but this one looks and feels good.
Overall...  A+++ deal.
778114
The bat was a nice weight and size but it broke in my second game. Didn't feel like it had much power.
3466661
I am happy with the way these work. I use it everytime I pitch, and since I've used them, no pain after the game. Would definitely recommend.
1953406
Super good book. Really enjoyed the baseball analogy. Order two for friends.
366047
So there really isn't much mystery about Sandy Koufax.  Shortly after he retired he married twice,  each marriage being relatively long lasting, and he led a quiet life.  He attended various baseball ceremonies, raised some money for charities, and coached a bit.  Leavey demolishes the "recluse" nonsense.
She also sets out clearly why Sandy had to retire early.  He like other starting pitchers of his era were exploited by their teams.  Throwing fastballs for nine or more innings per game game after game would have ruined anyone's arm.  Baseball had not yet appreciated the middle reliever and the closer.  Had Sandy pitched 6 or 7 innings per game, his career would have lasted another 5 years easily.  I have to admire his and Drysdale's work ethic though.
The book recalls the late 50's and early 60's well and makes you realize how much society and baseball has changed.  It is a fun book to read.
409525
There seemed to be a grinding in the background.  It is not our player.  I would like it replaced if possible.
1505957
Got this book on my Kindle because I was intrigued by the baseball player turned sleuth angle.  I was not disappointed in the least.  Outfield Harvey Blissberg works his way through a clubhouse murder just like he works a slightly wild pitcher for a walk. I will probably follow Harvey's further exploits along this line, because he's a decent character on and off the field, with a slightly irreverent outlook on life that makes you want to follow him no matter where he's headed.
2391099
The Case of The Pitchers Pendant is the second in a series,Bilibub Baddings is on the job again and this time with one of his favorite clients. When the manager of his beloved Cubs comes calling he can't help but say yes. Pitchers Pendant will keep you plastered to the pages as you follow Bili through life after Black Thursday and what time in the Great Depression is like for a 4'1" dwarf. A very fun romp through Chicago and is elements even as seedy as Capone.
693993
Bought this because I have two little league kids and last year they wore out my shoulder pitching to them. I can't pitch real great anyway. Set this up at 48 feet from the plate in the back yard and now I can get 100 hitable pitches to my kids in less than a half hour. The pitch always stays right down the middle of the plate and can be slightly bumped to get an inside and outside pitch. Buying the same brand baseball and making sure you don't let them get wet is important, otherwise it is hard to control whether you get a high or low pitch as a little weight change in the ball makes it difficult to control. If all the balls are the same it is easy to adjust the fine adjustment height screw to change pitch height. Construction is heavy and appears like it will last many years. Worth every penny.
2545623
As real as playing it live. Timing for hitting just amazing. Pitching on MLB 14 it is just perfect. The souds of the game are so real. The pop off the bat, the sound os a foul tip ball. Just what a baseball fan wants on a baseball game.
1411815
Next in The Hometown All Stars series, Magic Bat Day focuses on Nick's second day of baseball practice. Excited to promote team spirit, Nick and his teammates get to wear their baseball uniforms to school. His enthusiasm spills over into every activity at school as Nick anticipates practice and wonders what new things he'll be learning. And learn he does as coach introduces Nick and his team to the proper techniques to batting.

The Christofora-Tangeman team hit another home run in Nick's adventures with baseball. Young readers and parents who are familiar with Nick's Very First Day of Baseballthe first book in the serieswill also be familiar with the fun-filled format of that follows in Christofora's first person narrative. Including Billy Ball's facts and questions, there is also a hidden-picture page abounding in baseballs, a trivia page, an autograph page, and a short list of new words learned. Once again Tangeman's artistic and playful images create magic to Christofora's baseball-laden text. Most notable scenes are a stunning Babe Ruth baseball card and hilarious two-page portrayal of Nick's batting concentration.

As envisioned for his innovative interactive series, Christofora's mantra of 'less screen, more green' speaks loudly to how "he wants to bring back the joy of being outdoors and playing, that kids in recent years have lost" and his firm belief that children learn valuable lessons, such as teamwork, discipline, strategy, and thinking before they actjust from playing the game. Geared specifically for the three to seven age range, there is much more in store for fans of The Hometown All Stars. Stay tuned!

Anita Lock
Freelance Book Reviewer
1635583
So last night, Citizen's Bank Park was packed with fans who watched with intensity a poor call at second base by the umpire.

He was roundly boo'd for at least 3 innings as the continuous replays and drawn-out drama played out until the Mayberry walk-off granny.

That's Philly sports and those are fans, like me, who appreciate attention to detail.

You will enjoy this book if you consider yourself a fan of any Philly team.
1861457
I keep this nearby when I watch a game and often take it to a game - it's the perfect size for that. But some year the 'WWIB" will need to bite the bullet, reset the type, and add Walks and Strikeouts. Their absence is glaring.
4504094
I bought this book in an airport and read it over several days on airplanes.  It held my interest pretty well.  It compares well to some of the best baseball writers and is a mix of story-line and analysis.  Basically it covers a 3 game series between the Cubs and Cards in August 2003.  There are several excursions into timelines of various players and events, but mostly the book is an analysis of the players and the games in this series.

One strength of this book is how it portrays the character of the teams involved.  Teams and stadiums have very distinct characters.  For example, when I lived in Chicago the Cubs games at Wrigley field were fairly laid back.  They were almost always day games because the community restricts how often the lights can be on.  This meant you had to take a day off work to see them.  Tickets were easy to come by, and you parked on some guys lawn for 5 bucks.  On the other hand, I never came home from a game at Old Comiskey Park without being drenched with beer.  The gestalt of a game at Wrigley vs. a game at Comiskey was completely different.

But the funny thing about this book is that I keep remembering parts of it as I watch games and the insights in it are incredibly useful.  I live between a rookie league team (Ogden Raptors - Dodgers) and an AAA team (Salt Lake - Angels).  Over and over some insight in this book will come to mind as I watch some future major-leaguer.  Ex-manager Tommy Lasorda is at the Ogden games fairly frequently and after reading this book I can more often figure out just what it is in some minor-leaguers play that gets Lasorda swearing.  And as I see the bonus babies from Ben Sheets to Prince Fielder come through the rookie league I can better evaluate the players and see what their managers are looking for.  The net result: the game is more enjoyable.

I'm not into fantasy leagues.  I don't pay attention to the new esoteric stats.  I just love to spend summer evenings watching baseball with my sons with the Rocky Mountains as a backdrop to some awesome minor league stadiums.  In the book, the author uses a phrase - "Beautiful.  Just beautful baseball."  And after reading this book, I find myself muttering this to myself as I watch a well-executed bunt or a heads-up base-running play that brings in a run.

This book is not a statistical primer.  It does almost have a little too much hero worship of Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa.  But you don't have to be a fanatic to enjoy this book which has the pacing of a good ball game - sometimes up, sometimes down but just right in the end.
3061036
Lewis has written a fascinating study of the bean counter approach ,used by Billy Beane and the Oakland Athletics to construct a team of moderately priced players chosen on the basis of ,primarily, on base percentage for everyday players and the number of groundball outs and strikeouts for selecting pitchers.
  This approach generated a number of divisional championships for Oakland in the weakest American League division,but no pennants and world championships. There are omitted variables and misspecification  problems in the sabermetrics(statistics) approach of Bill James used by Beane. First,James's system totally ignores the number of batter strikeouts. All outs are not equal. Hitting flyouts and groundball outs will many times advance the baserunner if any previous batters got on base. Hitting the ball also allows the baserunner to get on on an error. Strikeouts are thus the worst type of out. This omitted variables problem can be dealt with by simply deducting 1  to 1.25 points from the on base percentage for every strikeout over,say,100 for a regular,everyday player who gets 600 official at bats over the course of the season. The second problem is that the James system does not differentiate between walks due to the hitting skill of the batter and walks used by the pitcher to set up forceplays and double plays,especially if he is a pitcher who gets a lot of ground ball outs. Another category is needed-walks that are not followed by forceouts or double play groundouts and/or walks where the runner is able to steal second base. These walks are different from the walks given to a 40 homer player who strikes out 150+ times a year and hits .250 but has a .375 OBP.
  James's system needs to be adjusted to take into account these two factors.
1570032
In his second player diary, pitcher Jim Brosnan describes his day-to-day participation as a member of the pennant-winning 1961 Cincinnati Reds.  Brosnan writes with the same wit and amused irreverence he used two years earlier in his superb initial diary, THE LONG SEASON.  Here we get an insider's view of star teammates like Frank Robinson (that year's MVP), Vada Pinson, Jim Maloney, manager Fred Hutchinson, etc.  Readers will enjoy hearing about now-forgotten players in long-gone ballparks like Crosley Field, Shibe Park, Forbes Field, etc.  We also get the tension and thrill of a pennant race.  Unfortunately, the author omits spring training, and he ends the diary on the last day of the regular season, before the Reds played the Yankees in that year's World Series - thus I gave the book just four stars instead of five.

Brosnan was a college-educated player who gained recognition (and notoriety) for his writing.  PENNANT RACE is as readable and charming as its predecessor, and once again landed Brosnan in some hot water with baseball's establishment.
399155
This is not one of the stronger books in John R. Tunis' eight-part Brooklyn Dodgers series, sad to say.  Tunis continues with his penchant for centering his story around a rookie, as is the case in all the Dodger books  except "World Series" and "The Kid Comes Back," which  continue the focus on Roy "The Kid From Tomkinsville" Tucker.  The designated rookie this time is a young pitcher named  "Schoolboy" Johnson, who will remind fans of the young Don  Drysdale.  Similar to Bones Hathaway in "Rookie Of The Year" and  Cecil McDade in "Highpockets," Johnson is headstrong and full of  himself (neither of which endears him to his teammates).  After a strong  start, he starts getting batted around a bit and has to deal with  self-doubt for the first time.  Again, not the strongest Tunis effort  because the ideas have pretty well been worked before.  However, the  writing is solid.  One intersting note is that the book first came out in  1958, the real Dodgers' first year in LA.  Try to find references to  Brooklyn in this one.  Worth reading and having because it completes the  series.