Great Tales of Baseball is exactly that-- eight chapters (see below) of wonderful, funny, interesting stories about many aspects of the game of baseball. You'll read about an amazing pitcher who usually was just so-so, but he amazingly baffled Babe Ruth nearly every single time he faced the Bambino. Learn about quirky ballparks and those with rich traditions--and even zany ballpark traditions and gimmicks that went horribly wrong. Players share their thoughts and interesting stories on how they tease/prank rookies, their feelings on players who show others up, and one chapter focuses on some of the strangest plays and events from the not-too-distant past. It's a book that will make you laugh, give you new insights, and richly entertain all readers. This list of chapters is a sampling of the stories you'll read:CHAPTER ONE: PROMOTIONS AND GIMMICKS THAT WENT WRONG The opening chapter is full of odd events and promos from Disco Demolition and other promotions which led to games being forfeited to lighter, amusing ones such as Seance Night, Voodoo Night, and even Vasectomy Night.CHAPTER TWO: HAVE PITY FOR THE POOR ROOKIE From the days of Ty Cobb and Lou Gehrig to today, rookies have had tons of pranks pulled on them, most of them pretty funny. Read about how veterans treat raw rookies.
CHAPTER THREE: THE AMAZING MAN WHO "OWNED" BABE RUTH This is the chapter on the incredible "jinx" over Ruth.CHAPTER FOUR: STRANGE PLAYS AND EVENTS FROM THE 1990s Here you'll encounter some very odd events dealing with such things as two grand slams being drilled in the same inning-- by the same man! Other "what-are-the-odds events will amaze you.CHAPTER FIVE: RULE CHANGES BROUGHT ABOUT BY ONE MAN Quick thinking men such as Bill Veeck have come up with cunning ways to get around the rule book in baseball-- when one man's actions result in a rule change it's interesting and historic.CHAPTER SIX: SHOWING UP OTHERS It happens more now than perhaps ever before-- players thump their chest and stage antics which leave the other team fuming. You'll read about the actions of men such as Prince Fielder who "bowled" over teammates as part of a scripted walk-off home run celebration.CHAPTER SEVEN: BALLPARK TRADITIONS Baseball is a game rich in traditon and many of them take place at (or deal with) great ballparks. Read about your favorite park and so many others to learn about traditions such as Wrigley Field's raising flags to indicate if the Cubs won or lost on a given day. CHAPTER EIGHT: BALLPARKS' QUIRKS AND UNIQUE FEATURES Read more about the great parks of baseball and what made so many of them (often, but not always, the classic old parks) so special.
From Ebbets Field to Fenway and more, this chapter is bound to entertain.