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6 baseball books ripe for midseason reading

Here are excerpts from six intriguing new baseball books.

3. ‘I’m Fascinated by Sacrifice Flies: Inside the Game We All Love,’ by Tim Kurkjian

  • By Ross Atkin

Tim Kurkjian’s enthusiasm for all things baseball is infectious, a passion that is regularly on display on ESPN, where he is a host and analyst on “Baseball Tonight.” Through his tireless reporting, Kurkjian has come to know every nook and cranny of the game, and comes armed with a full arsenal of hilarious anecdotes. When not sharing rib-tickling stories, he delves into a variety of insider topics, including what it feels like to be hit in the ribs by a major-league fastball.  He also offers insights on sport’s “unwritten rules” and reveals which players are among the noisiest talkers behind home plate.  

Here’s an excerpt from I’m Fascinated by Sacrifice Flies:

“Hitting a baseball is the hardest skill in sports. Remarkable concentration is required to hit a ball traveling 95 mph. Tiger Woods is incensed when a single camera clicks during his backswing. When a tennis player is getting ready to serve the ball, fans are asked to cease conversation. But when a hitter is trying to make contact with Aroldis Chapman’s 100 mph heater, the crowd is urged to go wild. Yet inner silence is imperative for the hitter.

“ ‘When you are locked in at the plate, you can’t hear a thing,’ said a [free agent outfielder] Jeff Francoeur. ‘But when you are struggling, you hear everything … especially when you’re in Philly.’

“Infield Mark Reynolds said, ‘I try to block everything out when I’m up there, like Kevin Costner in The Love of the Game. The less you hear, the better. If you hear people, you can’t hit.’ ”

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Mark Sappenfield
Editor

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