This fascinating and totally original take on baseball history?packaged in simulated baseball material with red stitching?is a richly illustrated, lively examination of the evolution of the plays, moves, rules, equipment, and strategies that make up the game. Who was the first pitcher to throw a fastball? Who invented the hidden-ball trick? Does the double curveball really exist? The first book of its kind, Splitters, Squeezes, and Steals is a celebration of the evolution of all the plays, moves, rules, and strategies that make baseball the great game it is today, as well as every hero, journeyman, manager, umpire, and owner who had a hand in the game's rich and colorful history. Full-color photographs of the great players making the great moves, sidebars, and boxes that highlight little known facts fill the book's colorful pages, making this a must-have, one-of-a-kind volume for fans of all ages.Written by sportswriter Derek Gentile, Splitters, Squeezes, and Steals is divided into seven parts: pitching, batting, fielding, baserunning, umpires and management, equipment, and ballparks. Chapters include "The Fastball," "The Hit and Run," "Stealing Bases," "The Hidden Ball Trick," and more?and each play or move is dissected in detail to reveal its history, its execution, and its greatest innovators. Read Less