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The Cheater's Guide To Baseball: A Lively History of Sign Stealing, Scandals, and the Game's Greatest Manipulators
Ever see Mike Piazza block the plate? Or Derek Jeter slide hard into second? Illegal. But it happens every game. Baseball’s rules, it seems, were made to be broken. And they are, by the players, the front office, and even sometimes the fans. Like it or not, cheating has been an integral part of America’s favorite pastime since its inception. The Cheater’s Guide to Baseball will show you how cheating is really done. In this lively tour through baseball’s underhanded history, readers will learn how to cork a bat, steal signs, hurl a spitball, throw a World Series, and win at any cost!
They’ll also see the dirty little secrets of the game’s greatest John McGraw and Ty Cobb; Billy Martin and Gaylord Perry; Graig Nettles and Sammy Sosa; and, yes, even Barry Bonds. They’ll find out how the Cleveland Indians doctored their basepaths to give new meaning to the term home field advantage. They’ll delight in a hilarious examination of the Black Sox scandal, baseball’s original sin. And, in the end, they’ll come to understand that cheating is as much a part of baseball as pine tar and pinch hitters. And it’s here to stay.
They’ll also see the dirty little secrets of the game’s greatest John McGraw and Ty Cobb; Billy Martin and Gaylord Perry; Graig Nettles and Sammy Sosa; and, yes, even Barry Bonds. They’ll find out how the Cleveland Indians doctored their basepaths to give new meaning to the term home field advantage. They’ll delight in a hilarious examination of the Black Sox scandal, baseball’s original sin. And, in the end, they’ll come to understand that cheating is as much a part of baseball as pine tar and pinch hitters. And it’s here to stay.
- GenresBaseballSportsNonfiction
288 pages, Paperback
First published April 2, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
April 10, 2008
This was a hilarious review of the worst of baseball behavior. I really enjoyed it. I am a baseball fan, I'll admit. But I'm not really hard-core, and quite new to the game. So, a lot of the rules really mystify me. This book was written for the hardcore fan and the recreational fan as well.
After reading this book, I discovered several things. One: how I wish I could've seen baseball in the old days. It seems like things were really entertaining. Two, Gaylord Perry would've been fun to watch. Three, Pete Rose should not be inducted into the Hall of Fame. (I used to think they were too hard on them.)
Go M's!
After reading this book, I discovered several things. One: how I wish I could've seen baseball in the old days. It seems like things were really entertaining. Two, Gaylord Perry would've been fun to watch. Three, Pete Rose should not be inducted into the Hall of Fame. (I used to think they were too hard on them.)
Go M's!
July 1, 2019
If you are a baseball fan who likes the none serious side. This is a fun book. He makes fun of all the cheating and how serious everybody takes it.
December 27, 2018
This was a book that offers insights to the subtle nuances of the game of baseball, and as such, was a pretty good book to read.
The book starts out with types of "cheating" that is not actually considered cheating in baseball, but working the rules to a team's advantage. Included in the discussions are:
- How groundskeepers can legally alter foul lines and the levels of grass on a home field to provide an advantage to the home team, or a disadvantage to the visiting team, depending on how the team is built.
- The stealing of signs by the opponent. Not the using technology to do this such as using live TV to focus on what the catcher is signing or the movements of the manager. That is illegal. However, discerning what is being thrown by the pitcher or if a particular play is being put on by either a player on the field or a coach, without the use of technology is not considered illegal, and is encouraged.
- Arguing with the umpire is a time honored part of the game, (though umps nowadays have such thin skin that they throw players and managers out for breathing in the wrong direction) and this part discusses how it can be used as an advantage. The really cool thing is that the author offers advice on the appropriate ways to argue, not only for players but also fans.
Then the book continues with actions that are cheating, but are a lesser cheat. Discussed are:
- Corking the bat and what to put inside
- How to doctor the ball, or how a pitcher can use one that was scuffed during play to his advantage
- This section talks about Gaylord Perry, one of the greatest cheaters in baseball. Why his actions are acceptable enough to let him be elected to the Hall of Fame is also discussed.
The book finishes up with horrible examples of cheating that have harmed baseball:
- Gambling on games
- The Black Sox
- Pete Rose gambling
- Steroids
- (My humble opinion is that Gaylord Perry belongs in this section)
This was an interesting book that does explain some of the nuances of how the game of baseball is played. The title may skew the reader towards expecting one type of book, but it does explain a number of things that a fan of the game of baseball can see and/or hear when following the game. I would recommend this book to any baseball fan, though I think it would be a book that would be ripe for an update as it is 11 years old.
The book starts out with types of "cheating" that is not actually considered cheating in baseball, but working the rules to a team's advantage. Included in the discussions are:
- How groundskeepers can legally alter foul lines and the levels of grass on a home field to provide an advantage to the home team, or a disadvantage to the visiting team, depending on how the team is built.
- The stealing of signs by the opponent. Not the using technology to do this such as using live TV to focus on what the catcher is signing or the movements of the manager. That is illegal. However, discerning what is being thrown by the pitcher or if a particular play is being put on by either a player on the field or a coach, without the use of technology is not considered illegal, and is encouraged.
- Arguing with the umpire is a time honored part of the game, (though umps nowadays have such thin skin that they throw players and managers out for breathing in the wrong direction) and this part discusses how it can be used as an advantage. The really cool thing is that the author offers advice on the appropriate ways to argue, not only for players but also fans.
Then the book continues with actions that are cheating, but are a lesser cheat. Discussed are:
- Corking the bat and what to put inside
- How to doctor the ball, or how a pitcher can use one that was scuffed during play to his advantage
- This section talks about Gaylord Perry, one of the greatest cheaters in baseball. Why his actions are acceptable enough to let him be elected to the Hall of Fame is also discussed.
The book finishes up with horrible examples of cheating that have harmed baseball:
- Gambling on games
- The Black Sox
- Pete Rose gambling
- Steroids
- (My humble opinion is that Gaylord Perry belongs in this section)
This was an interesting book that does explain some of the nuances of how the game of baseball is played. The title may skew the reader towards expecting one type of book, but it does explain a number of things that a fan of the game of baseball can see and/or hear when following the game. I would recommend this book to any baseball fan, though I think it would be a book that would be ripe for an update as it is 11 years old.
April 24, 2020
This is the sort of book I’d write if I wrote something on the subject, which is only sort of a compliment. Derek Zumsteg serves up a light-hearted, anecdote-intensive, easy-to-read discussion of the history of chicanery in baseball. It’s wonderfully entertaining, a must-read for anyone interested in the subject. It just comes across as something written by a fan like me, not a book by one of the co-writers of several editions of Baseball Prospectus. At times the light approach is at odds with the gravity of the problem being discussed, and it creates a jarring effect when Zumsteg does occasionally pause for a sober-minded pondering of statistics (particularly the Barry Bonds steroid question). That notwithstanding, this is a pleasant way to learn some fascinating baseball history and a diverting use of a few idle summer moments (including at least two rain delays).
December 26, 2024
Goodreads should give you a special badge if you finally finish a book you’ve kept for more than 15 years, moving it a half-dozen times in the process. It would make the experience less underwhelming.
(To be fair to Mr. Zumsteg, whom an uncle of mine once called “Dagwood Bumstead” upon seeing this book, there are fun parts in here. The groundskeeping and spitball stuff stands out. And I guess it doesn’t hurt to get a refresher on the Black Sox scandal and the steroid era — wow, we used to have so many opinions about steroids. But a lot of this is How to Pad Your Page Count 101.)
(To be fair to Mr. Zumsteg, whom an uncle of mine once called “Dagwood Bumstead” upon seeing this book, there are fun parts in here. The groundskeeping and spitball stuff stands out. And I guess it doesn’t hurt to get a refresher on the Black Sox scandal and the steroid era — wow, we used to have so many opinions about steroids. But a lot of this is How to Pad Your Page Count 101.)
November 21, 2022
Excellent book on cheating by players -- and owners -- from baseball's inception through the steroids era. Informative, funny, and insightful. Check it out.
September 13, 2012
I originally bought this book for my stepdad's birthday and read it myself out of curiosity. I'm not a big non-fiction reader, but I'd already heard the podcast of Derek Zumsteg's short story "Conversations With and About My Electric Toothbrush" which had me in stitches. (If you're familiar with the Escape Pod podcast, it's episode #117.)
Avid baseball fans might not find a lot of new ground here - for example, I figured my stepdad was familiar with a lot of the content the book covered. The book gives a nice historical perspective on cheating in baseball, from the little things like heckling to the bigger things like steroid use.
The reason I give this book such a high rating is that I'm outside of its intended audience in multiple ways - first, I'm not an avid baseball fan although I like the sport, and second, I tend to steer clear of non-fiction. With that in mind, I still really enjoyed the book. It's a very funny and entertaining read with plenty of interesting anecdotes, and not even remotely dry or dull.
Avid baseball fans might not find a lot of new ground here - for example, I figured my stepdad was familiar with a lot of the content the book covered. The book gives a nice historical perspective on cheating in baseball, from the little things like heckling to the bigger things like steroid use.
The reason I give this book such a high rating is that I'm outside of its intended audience in multiple ways - first, I'm not an avid baseball fan although I like the sport, and second, I tend to steer clear of non-fiction. With that in mind, I still really enjoyed the book. It's a very funny and entertaining read with plenty of interesting anecdotes, and not even remotely dry or dull.
October 31, 2015
Baseball has never been pure and innocent as apple pie. Unless you think of apple pie as stuffed with preservatives, fake sugar and pears posing as apples. Then you might be right.
Zumsteg's point is that baseball players, managers, owners and even fans have been pushing the rules since the beginning and that pushing has actually benefited the game. The bad thing about cheating is when it the cheating moves from what is on the field (hidden-ball trick, masking balks, stealing signs while on second base) to off the field (steroids, gambling and throwing games).
There is also a good description of the Black Sox scandal in 1919. Nobody comes out very good in it (perhaps Eddie Collins?) - but one of the primary causes was that the owner Comiskey was such an asshole to his players that throwing the games might not have seemed as such a bad idea to his grossly underpaid and insulted players. A note to assholes everywhere - it all comes around!
Zumsteg's point is that baseball players, managers, owners and even fans have been pushing the rules since the beginning and that pushing has actually benefited the game. The bad thing about cheating is when it the cheating moves from what is on the field (hidden-ball trick, masking balks, stealing signs while on second base) to off the field (steroids, gambling and throwing games).
There is also a good description of the Black Sox scandal in 1919. Nobody comes out very good in it (perhaps Eddie Collins?) - but one of the primary causes was that the owner Comiskey was such an asshole to his players that throwing the games might not have seemed as such a bad idea to his grossly underpaid and insulted players. A note to assholes everywhere - it all comes around!
May 28, 2009
Oddly enough, despite giving this book four stars, I was a wee bit disappointed. I guess I convinced myself that this book would be absolutely amazing, and instead it was merely very good.
The book deals with all sorts of cheating, from stealing signs to doctoring the grounds to steroids. Luckily, Zumsteg doesn't dwell too long on steroids (since I'm not as outraged about them as many people). He obviously has done his research into the history of baseball, as the book starts with John McGraw's 1890's Orioles and the changes they brought to to the game.
Zumsteg doesn't see cheating as an entirely negative thing, and makes the case that in many cases, has actually helped bring innovation and a higher entertainment value to the game.
The book deals with all sorts of cheating, from stealing signs to doctoring the grounds to steroids. Luckily, Zumsteg doesn't dwell too long on steroids (since I'm not as outraged about them as many people). He obviously has done his research into the history of baseball, as the book starts with John McGraw's 1890's Orioles and the changes they brought to to the game.
Zumsteg doesn't see cheating as an entirely negative thing, and makes the case that in many cases, has actually helped bring innovation and a higher entertainment value to the game.
June 28, 2012
I've loved watching baseball for a long, long time. But in recent years I've been on a quest to KNOW about baseball. I didn't play ball as a kid, and, of course, I'm hindered by not being a boy --but in my late teens I fell for the Kansas City Royals and got interested in the local minor league ball team. Still, I watch "Baseball IQ" on the MLB Channel and realize I know very little.
A quirky book like this one added some good new knowledge for me. Plus, although I recently read Eight Men Out, I think Zumsteg's chapter "The worst thing ever to happen to baseball: The Black Sox scandal" is a better introduction to this story.
Plus Zumsteg is very, very funny!
A quirky book like this one added some good new knowledge for me. Plus, although I recently read Eight Men Out, I think Zumsteg's chapter "The worst thing ever to happen to baseball: The Black Sox scandal" is a better introduction to this story.
Plus Zumsteg is very, very funny!
June 8, 2015
Not quite history, not quite essay on mores of cheating, not quite anecdotal stories of baseball's cheaters, this lightweight and lightly cynical look at baseball's cheating history succeeds in holding the game in the respect it deserves.
Sidebars on how to cheat seem silly at first, but provide insight into how hard it really is to get away with cheating in any meaningful way that achieves the goal of helping win games.
One interesting tidbit from the book: the spread of televised baseball in the 1960's, with its frequent closeups of the pitcher on the mound, effectively ended the spitball as a weapon in the pitcher's arsenal.
Sidebars on how to cheat seem silly at first, but provide insight into how hard it really is to get away with cheating in any meaningful way that achieves the goal of helping win games.
One interesting tidbit from the book: the spread of televised baseball in the 1960's, with its frequent closeups of the pitcher on the mound, effectively ended the spitball as a weapon in the pitcher's arsenal.
May 12, 2013
Mr. Zumsteg writes this with his tongue in and out of his cheek. Some of the areas of cheating are fundamental to the integrity of the game. Some of the acts he considers cheating are considered hard play within the rules by baseball purists.
I don't completely agree with the author, but the areas of disagreement were not such that they caused me to close the book.
It was a very good read, humorous in most spots, guffaw producing in others.
If you are a baseball fan you will enjoy this book.
I don't completely agree with the author, but the areas of disagreement were not such that they caused me to close the book.
It was a very good read, humorous in most spots, guffaw producing in others.
If you are a baseball fan you will enjoy this book.
April 17, 2008
While it does give you a few tips on how to throw a spit ball and how to cork a bat, the book mainly gives an historical perspective on cheating in baseball. Everything from fan heckling and stealing signs up to gambling and steroids, the author manages to tell some entertaining anecdotes and provide some historical perspective to the problems in today's game. A good book for any fan of baseball history.
June 10, 2013
Mariner fan Derek Zumsteg writes about how baseball and cheating evolved together, covering the quasi-legal to downright dirty. His last chapter makes some solid points about how various cheats (trick pitches, corked bats and spitters) led us to where we are today, and I agree. The earlier chapters are hit-or-miss, but usually quite humorous. A solid 3.5 stars, and a worthy read for baseball fans.
January 7, 2009
Reading this book after reading The Looming Tower was very refreshing. I like to read Baseball anecdotes, and this one covers all of the tricky, illegal, and wrong things that have been done in baseball history.
January 11, 2018
very entertaining! talks about bernie helping the brewers cheat and how silly it is that he slides into nothing now instead of a mug of beer. sweet!
August 28, 2007
Not a lot to say about this one. I read it very quickly and enjoyed it and if you like baseball you will too. The author posts on www.ussmariner.com, one of the best baseball blogs you'll find.
October 19, 2007
Fairly shallow look at the history of cheating in baseball. It's entertaining, but lacking in details. The exception being a statistical look at Barry Bonds and steroid cycling.
April 1, 2008
A fun book. Short, too.
October 30, 2008
Quick, enjoyable read about the history of cheating in baseball. Cleverly written.
October 4, 2009
Very funny and interesting. Great book.
June 6, 2011
This is a great, funny, little book. It's all about cheating in baseball, how it's done, how it impacts the sport, and which ploys used to be legal. A must-read for any baseball fan.
November 5, 2007
A great look at cheating through the ages (of baseball).
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews