Men at Work: The Craft of Baseball

George Will was always thought of a Conservative think tank columnist until he wrote a book on baseball. To his credit, his approach is, if not unique, then refreshing. He takes a micro-look at baseball, while focussing on some of the bright lights of the era of the late 1980's and early 1990's. Tony LaRussa from a managing perspective, Tony Gwynn from a hitting perspective, Cal Ripken, from fielding and Orel Hershiser from pitching.Will looks at the day to day preparation of each of these athletes, and how they approach their sport 162 days a year.He has chosen fine models for his investigation. Gwynn had a cerebral and focussed hitting approach that was so thoughtful, and so advanced, that he could have come from several decades in the future. Ripken set a standard for high level consistency that may never be challenged. And Hershiser, like Ron Guidry before him, may never be a Hall of Famer, but soared to heights for a few a seasons that few have ascended.Tony LaRussa, as of this writing is still an active manager, and is still in the elite of baseball dugout management.This is a highbrow look at professional baseball, and is a precursor to Michael Lewis' excellent book, "Moneyball."Will has a passion for baseball, and I am glad he shared this book. It is a highly worthwhile read.

I found "Men at Work" surprising in some ways and predictable in others. George Will is a very accomplished writer, and he learned and conveyed a lot of information in writing this book. As a baseball "lite" level of fan, I learned a great deal. The detail was excessive at times. For example (hypothetically), if someone embellished discussion about a team by noting that they were one of four National League teams before 1960 that had five or more consecutive losing seasons, I would prefer that the other three not be named. Being a thorough soul, Will invariably did so. The organization into four sections (hitting, pitching, fielding, managing) with a primary (and impressive) interviewee for each one was interesting, but Will wandered far afield from these primary sources fairly often. Sometimes these diversions were great. At other times, not so much.Admirably, I found Will's train of thought easy to follow throughout, which I cannot routinely say about his regular columns.I found Will's book, "A Nice Little Place on the North Side" much more enjoyable. That book focuses on Wrigley Field and the Chicago Cubs."Men at Work" appears on more than one top 20 or 25 baseball books lists. If you prefer intense immersion in baseball techniques, history, and statistics to reading a good nonfiction baseball book, then "Men at Work" will find a place on your top 25 list as well. I've probably read 20-25 nonfiction baseball books, and it would fall into the bottom 20% for me. Still, I'm glad I read it, because I learned so much.

Best book ever written on the art and craft of baseball

If you have ever wondered how the players and managers prepare to do the amazing things we see every day of the baseball season this is the book for you! I have loved the game for my entire life, but I never realized so much preparation goes into every little aspect of the game. George Will covers each part of the game - pitching, hitting, and fielding - by observing and interviewing some of the greats of the game; Hershiser on pitching, Gwynn on hitting, Ripken on fielding, and Larussa on putting it all together.George Will quoted Wes Westrum in this book - "Baseball is like church. Many attend, but few understand." This book increased my understanding of the game and as a result has added to my enjoyment of baseball. I see things I didn't see before I read this book - the nuances of the game have become more clear.I did not believe I could love the game more, but after reading this book, I do! I would highly recommend this book to both students of the game and to newcomers looking to understand the game.

I got this book for my husband who is an avid fan of the Oregon State University baseball team .. who, by the way, won the national championship 2 ot 3 years ( I don't remember stats like he does). Anyway ... he was mesmerized by this book, couldn't stop reading it and goes back to some topics over and over. There is much to be learned not only about baseball but about life and how to experience it. George Will is a wordsmith extrodinaire, he captures your interest and keeps it throughout the book. Highly recommended not only for baseball fans but students of life as well. Enjoy!

Absolutely great read if you're a diehard baseball fan. Written with information gathered around 1989, this book still reads very relevant. The information from the four participants is so in depth, that you realize there isn't a movement on the baseball diamond, that doesn't have a reason, intent or purpose. Signs, fake signs, signs that are a fake fake sign, signs just to see how/if the baserunner reacts, ways of finding out where a shortshop is "really" going to play you after the pitch etc, etc. It is endless. I don't know that this is for the casual fan, but then again this could be the tipping point for some people. The Craft of Baseball could not be a better subtitle for this book. This makes me watch baseball completely differently than I used too.

This somewhat outdated book (written in late '80s) is an ambitious compendium of the skills employed by some of the best players and managers of the game. Through the eyes of Tony LaRussa, Orel Hershiser, Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr., Will fees us a Herculean amount of "inside baseball." Perhaps the boatload of statistics and anecdotes are a little too weighty, but Will leavens it with his wit and his solid journalism. Maybe a good baseball fan doesn't need to know all that Will gives us. But as a former baseball fanatic who lost interest for decades, I found it very enjoyable to take a refresher course in the ins and outs of our national pastime and be reminded why I love the game so much. A solid, notable baseball book by a devoted fan.

Bets Baseball book ever written.