Expertly organized and engagingly presented, this newly updated, illustrated book "is an easy-to-use reference guide to the vague, misleading, confusing, inconsistent, and obscure rules of America's favorite pastime." From the basics (offcial specs for balls, bats, and gloves; rules for batting, pitching, running, and fielding) to the oft-misunderstood (the Infield Fly Rule, twenty-two ways a balk penalty can occur) to the downright odd (watered down mud from the Delaware River must be rubbed on all baseballs before used in play; that time a minor league catcher got ejected for throwing a potato to third base to confuse the runner), novices and hard-core fans alike will find everything they could possibly want to know in this comprehensive guide! (CH)