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.

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.

"A biography of baseball Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew"--

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

The subject of a front-page New York Times article, Frank Messina takes the same seat at every New York Mets home game. His self proclaimed title as “The Mets Poet” is emblazoned across the back of his Mets jersey and printed on the season–ticket-holder plaque next to his seat. A collection of seventy-five of his poems that pay homage to his favorite team, Full Count is the ideal inspiration for any Mets fan, whether in those all-too-long, quiet stretches of life between games or for impassioned recitation in the bleachers or in front of the TV.

"Billy can't seem to connect with a pitch, and is convinced that his bad luck at bat is caused by his baby sister's irritating wail. How he works through not only his athletic crisis but also his family concerns forms the basis of the story. Marzollo's latest effort is sure to score a hit with young sports fans."--"School Library Journal.

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.