Rating: 
Summary: An immense amount of baseball
Review: McCarver pretty much covers all the bases in this book. He talks about everything, pitching, hitting, fielding, managing, running, broadcasting, etc. I was overwhelmed by the book, eventually skimming through the last 50 pages, and intending to pick it up again next season. My criticism is that a few pictures could've helped a lot, especially with describing how various pitches are gripped, and the motion of those pitches. I especially liked the fact that it's new. The best baseball books are frequently the newest ones - a book on baseball strategy written in 1975 will not be as meaningful as a book that names Clemens, Maddux, Mac, Griffey, etc, to point out which players do things well.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent baseball reference
Review: The book gets off on the wrong foot talking too much about TV broadcasts (which camera does what, etc) - skip those chapters.Tim McCarver is a fountain of information. This book is hardly a classic, but take it for what it is - anything you want to know about baseball strategy is in this book. I recommend it to all *serious* baseball fans
Rating: 
Summary: Snore
Review: This book is poorly organized and confusing. It's irrelevant to the real sports fan. Tim McCarver should write about solipsism. That's what he is about. Everytime he came on a baseball broadcast I immediately had to hit the mute button. I'm glad Steinbrenner's Yankee network had enough sense not to inflict McCarver's unique brand of sledgehammer commentary on the Yankee fans, where McCarver mercilessly pounds a meaningless point into the ground over and over again. McCarver consistently confuses the trivial and picayune with deep, significant insight. Hey, if anyone spent as much time crouching behind the plate and sitting behind the microphone at baseball games as he has in his life, they'd have just as many, if not more, equally worthless and useless observations about the game. Many in fact do. But you don't hear or see them going around burdening people with them ad infinitum. ....
Rating:
Summary: Snore
Review: This book is poorly organized and confusing. It's irrelevant to the real sports fan. Tim McCarver should write about solipsism. That's what he is about. Everytime he came on a baseball broadcast I immediately had to hit the mute button. I'm glad Steinbrenner's Yankee network had enough sense not to inflict McCarver's unique brand of sledgehammer commentary on the Yankee fans, where McCarver mercilessly pounds a meaningless point into the ground over and over again. McCarver consistently confuses the trivial and picayune with deep, significant insight. Hey, if anyone spent as much time crouching behind the plate and sitting behind the microphone at baseball games as he has in his life, they'd have just as many, if not more, equally worthless and useless observations about the game. Many in fact do. But you don't hear or see them going around burdening people with them ad infinitum. ....
Rating: 
Summary: Who edited this thing?
Review: This book needs an editor. Did they just let McCarver ramble on and type what he said word for word? You literally drown in McCarver's stream of consciousness. There is no organization of thought. Ideas do not flow from one topic to the next. I gave it two stars because I feel there is information to be found in this book if you are willing to wade through the rest of the mess. It's not McCarver's fault, he's a baseball guy, not a writer or publisher. Check it out from your local library and save yourself the money. I'm returning my copy.
Rating:
Summary: A baseball book that is very different...
Review: This is a unique and wonderful look at baseball at the end of the century. The book is funny, on the mark and the most educational sports book I've ever read. McCarver truly teaches the fan, both experienced as well as the novice, so much about the inner game - not talking stats here - that one feels that you have earned a P.H.d in baseball when you complete the book. Timmy McCarver is not only baseball's best brain, but he's its best teacher as well. If you think you know baseball - read this book - you'll learn a heck of a lot more. And most of all, it's fun!
Rating:
Summary: A baseball book that is very different...
Review: This is a unique and wonderfull look at baseball at the end of the century. It's funny, on the mark and the most educational sports book I've ever read. The book truly teaches the fan (experienced or novice) so much about the inner game - not talking stats here - that one feels that you've earned a Phd in baseball when you complete the book. Tim McCarver is not only baseball's best brain, he's its best teacher as well. If you think you know baseball - read this book - you'll learn a hell of a lot more. And most of all - it's fun!
Rating:
Summary: Wow, what a blowhard!
Review: Tim McCarver, you were a good to mediocre player. You're a smart man. Please, please stop writing down lists of observations to insert into your broadcasts. And please, please, please stop writing books. This was given to me as a gift. I use it to hold up up the broken end of a bookcase.
Rating:
Summary: A great baseball book
Review: When I started reading this book I thought I knew everything there is to know about the game of baseball, and maybe I would learn a few ptching tips.But after baing finished I feel that if I show George Steinbrener that I read this book, he would sign me on the spot and fire Joe Torre. I have learned so much about the game that I didn't know. You can't enjoy this book if you don't already know some things about baseball and are a fan of the game. This book changes the way I watch a game, I look for every little thing that McCarver talks about. So if you want to learn a lot about baseball and learn to watch and play it like a pro, go and get this masterpeice book.
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