Alphabetically arranged profiles of 100 of the greatest sluggers of all time including for each a photograph, career statistics, and other facts.

This step-by-step approach starts from the ground up, including: problems in the stance, pre-swing movements, hip rotation, the swing, and more.

Crack of the Bat is a comprehensive and entertaining look at the most famous icon in the history of baseball, the Louisville Slugger bat. It includes the evolution of bats from pioneer wagon tongues to the sleek aluminum models of today. It examines the amazing physics involved in hitting a baseball, where .003 seconds means the difference between a home run and a foul ball. It tells the fascinating history of the still family-owned Hillerich & Bradsby Company, which in just 80 years went from making butter churns to making seven million bats a year. Reinforcing this are dozens of stories about the bats themselves, and the personal idiosyncracies of the most famous hitters in baseball history, including Honus Wagner, Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Stan Musial, Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams, Tony Gwynn, Cal Ripken Jr. and Derek Jeter. The book explains why the players picked the bats they did, the amazing lengths they would go to to protect them, and how valuable these bats have now become in the hands of collectors. Illustrated with hundreds of archival photographs, baseball decals, and icons, many in color, this book will become as much a cherished keepsake as some of the bats it describes.

Details the differences from men's softball and offers effective strategies.

Away from the game and the players for which it was crafted, the baseball bat is a sleek but humble creation. Yet in the hands of batters both young and old who have been stepping to the plate on diamonds around the world for more than a century, the bat is a powerful tool, capable of yielding lasting memories or making legends of a lifetime. And no bat has had more impact on baseball and the players of the game than Louisville Slugger, the tool of the trade used by millions-from the major leagues to college and youth leagues. In accordance with Louisville Slugger's 125th anniversary, the complete history of the bat, its impact on the game, and the ongoing story of Hillerich and Bradsby's family business is told in these pages. Blending firsthand stories from former and current major leaguers with details from more than 100 years of craftsmanship and contribution, this comprehensive history of baseball's bat and its impact on America's game is a must-have and must-read for anyone who has ever stood at the plate waiting on a pitch-or watched as a fan-hoping for a miracle.

Reveals the collected wisdom of the legends of the game, from Ty Cobb to Tony Gwynn, from Babe Ruth to Barry Bonds, and helps parents, coaches, and players at all levels sort through the advice to find the hitting style that's just right for them.

For over 100 years Louisville Slugger has been the premier name in baseball brands. All the greatest have used its bats, from Babe Ruth to the big hitters of today. This book profiles 100 of the greatest sluggers of all time, organized alphabetized, from Hank Aaron and Ted Williams to Albert Belle and Cecil Fielder. 100 photos.