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Pure Baseball: Pitch by Pitch for the Advanced Fan
Former All Star Keith Hernandez teaches even the most learned fan a thing or two about baseball with his unparalleled insight into all aspects of the game, from the action in the bullpen to the positioning on the field to the plays at the plate.Praise for Pure Baseball:
"We have never seen the game scrutinised with such care and detail. Hernandez provides commentary on two ball games in the 1993 season : a Philles-Braves match-up and an extra innings battle between the Tigers and the Yankees. [He] examines the overall strategies of the game and offers good analyses of fielding techniques, base stealing, lineups, umpiring etiquette, double-steal rundowns, hit-and-runs, signals, infield shifts and more. His most intense and incisive analysis, however, is saved for the psychology of the pitcher-hitter duels. No matter where you are watching, you will never again see the game in the same way."
-- Playboy"Keith Hernandez, it turns out, is even smarter than we thought he was in the Mets' glory years. All the subtleties of baseball are revealed as the two games unfold. Mr. Hernandez's opinions and pet-peeves--intentional walks, early-inning sacrifices, throwing fastballs to prevent stolen bases, large gaps in the outfield, pitchers who 'nibble. nibble, nibble,"--are well thought out and clearly articulated. [He] is particularly strong in analyzing the cat-and-mouse game played between pitchers and hitters as the count shifts the odds back and forth."
-- New York Times Book Review
"An MVP of a guide to the national pastime from savvy 17-year veteran of the major leagues who remains an ardent fan in retirement. Hernandez came up with an angle that works to near perfection: tellingly detailed start-to-finish accounts of two games played midway through the 1993 baseball season."
-- Kirkus Reviews(starred)
- GenresBaseballSportsNonfiction
259 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
September 6, 2020
Do a search about "baseball books" or even "best baseball books". You'll get a lot of good books. Ball Four. The Boys of Summer. Eight Men Out. The Glory of their Time. The Soul of Baseball (a personal favourite or mine). Those are fine books. They are not baseball books. They are biographies. They tell personal or historical stories. They share the lives and actions of those who played, or promoted, or watched the game of baseball. But they are not about baseball.
There are exceptions. Occasionally you'll get someone to share a detail about the game itself, like how it felt standing in front of this or that player, but it's always in order to tell the story, and the story isn't baseball.
Sometimes you'll get a book like Moneyball, which isn't a "baseball book" but an economic/business story written by an economy/business writer that actually details integral parts of the game like taking pitches, or the way statistics translate to on-field performance. However, those still do it for a reason outside of the game itself, like detailing why a certain player was better, or why batting averages doesn't matter when trading for players.
And then there are the books about baseball, how to hit, how to pitch, etc. Those usually lack anything that makes the non-baseball books entertaining as they tend to be dry, laconic and full of technical stuff. I would've loved to sit with Ted Williams and have him talk hitting, but his "Science of Hitting" is way too much "science" and not enough "hitting", as in the batter and pitcher duel of physics and psychology.
"K" by Tyler Kepner is another good example. It's supposed to be about pitches, but really it's not about them at all, but about pitchers and their stories and how they won or lost games with a pitch and who learned from who. If in Williams' book you learn nothing about the hitter and a lot about hitting, in K you learn a lot about pitchers but nothing about pitching. And neither book talks about how those two interweave and develop throughout the game.
Pure Baseball, by Keith Hernandez, is, therefore, the best "pure baseball" book. It doesn't talk about the life story of the players, or about the business of running a club or how did that player feel when his error caused the pitcher to lose the game. It talks about nothing but the actual game of baseball itself. It talks balls and strikes, fast balls and sliders, swings, misses, hits and runs. It talks base running and umpire calls. It talks about fielding positions and signs. Lefties and righties, slumps and rallies. It talks about baseball. Nothing but baseball. In this sense, even if it was a bad book, it would still be the best Baseball book out there. Fortunately it's anything but a bad book.
Keith Hernandez is one of the greatest who ever played the game. Just ask any Mets or Cardinals fan. Or Astros, Red Sox, Brewers or Braves fan, for that matter. He was NL co-MVP, NL batting champion and 11 times gold glover. He was always known as a great hitter and a "tough out", and was always praised for his "baseball brain" and strike-zone awareness. He is considered the best 1st baseman ever. He was field leader and team captain. So he has the credentials.
He knows how to deliver this knowledge as well, as he's been doing for the past decade as a part of the announce team at SNY, commenting on Mets games. In this way, he's perfect for this job of narrating through two ball games, pitch by pitch, having been both cerebral as a player and entertaining as an analyst.
This book does nothing less, or more, than talk baseball. It details two games, one between the Phillies and the Braves, the other between the Tigers and Yankees. He details the game, pitch by pitch, by not only calling the plays or analysing them, but by explaining how, from 1st pitch to last, the game in front of us evolve. Why would the batter with 2 men on bases swing on that particular pitch? Why did the pitcher select that pitch? How does each of these affect the field position and how did the outcome of that play affect everything that happened afterwards?
Bob Costas used to say how talking about a single hit, or catch, or pitch was always the bad discussion because there were so many elements involved in that specific play (and he would then go into describing them). This book takes the other approach, and talks about each pitch and play in context and as they take shape. The same way that a three-pointer with the buzzer is not the play that won or lost the game, but the 170 shots that were taken before that which got the game to a 2-point lead with 0.25 seconds left on the clock.
For a fan, there are many levels of enjoying baseball, at home or at the stands. There is the casual outing, or the rooting for your team aspect. There's the excitement of seeing a team rally or shut the opposition. Some like to keep score, or argue and debate the game with their friends. This takes the game one level deeper. It presents baseball as it truly is, a game of consequences, played pitch-by-pitch, where every move is being based on what came before and influences what will come after. It's chess played with dice. It's a physical non-physical game. It's a game like no other, and deserves a book that describe it perfectly and minutely, because it's the only sport about which such a book can be written. This is this book.
There are exceptions. Occasionally you'll get someone to share a detail about the game itself, like how it felt standing in front of this or that player, but it's always in order to tell the story, and the story isn't baseball.
Sometimes you'll get a book like Moneyball, which isn't a "baseball book" but an economic/business story written by an economy/business writer that actually details integral parts of the game like taking pitches, or the way statistics translate to on-field performance. However, those still do it for a reason outside of the game itself, like detailing why a certain player was better, or why batting averages doesn't matter when trading for players.
And then there are the books about baseball, how to hit, how to pitch, etc. Those usually lack anything that makes the non-baseball books entertaining as they tend to be dry, laconic and full of technical stuff. I would've loved to sit with Ted Williams and have him talk hitting, but his "Science of Hitting" is way too much "science" and not enough "hitting", as in the batter and pitcher duel of physics and psychology.
"K" by Tyler Kepner is another good example. It's supposed to be about pitches, but really it's not about them at all, but about pitchers and their stories and how they won or lost games with a pitch and who learned from who. If in Williams' book you learn nothing about the hitter and a lot about hitting, in K you learn a lot about pitchers but nothing about pitching. And neither book talks about how those two interweave and develop throughout the game.
Pure Baseball, by Keith Hernandez, is, therefore, the best "pure baseball" book. It doesn't talk about the life story of the players, or about the business of running a club or how did that player feel when his error caused the pitcher to lose the game. It talks about nothing but the actual game of baseball itself. It talks balls and strikes, fast balls and sliders, swings, misses, hits and runs. It talks base running and umpire calls. It talks about fielding positions and signs. Lefties and righties, slumps and rallies. It talks about baseball. Nothing but baseball. In this sense, even if it was a bad book, it would still be the best Baseball book out there. Fortunately it's anything but a bad book.
Keith Hernandez is one of the greatest who ever played the game. Just ask any Mets or Cardinals fan. Or Astros, Red Sox, Brewers or Braves fan, for that matter. He was NL co-MVP, NL batting champion and 11 times gold glover. He was always known as a great hitter and a "tough out", and was always praised for his "baseball brain" and strike-zone awareness. He is considered the best 1st baseman ever. He was field leader and team captain. So he has the credentials.
He knows how to deliver this knowledge as well, as he's been doing for the past decade as a part of the announce team at SNY, commenting on Mets games. In this way, he's perfect for this job of narrating through two ball games, pitch by pitch, having been both cerebral as a player and entertaining as an analyst.
This book does nothing less, or more, than talk baseball. It details two games, one between the Phillies and the Braves, the other between the Tigers and Yankees. He details the game, pitch by pitch, by not only calling the plays or analysing them, but by explaining how, from 1st pitch to last, the game in front of us evolve. Why would the batter with 2 men on bases swing on that particular pitch? Why did the pitcher select that pitch? How does each of these affect the field position and how did the outcome of that play affect everything that happened afterwards?
Bob Costas used to say how talking about a single hit, or catch, or pitch was always the bad discussion because there were so many elements involved in that specific play (and he would then go into describing them). This book takes the other approach, and talks about each pitch and play in context and as they take shape. The same way that a three-pointer with the buzzer is not the play that won or lost the game, but the 170 shots that were taken before that which got the game to a 2-point lead with 0.25 seconds left on the clock.
For a fan, there are many levels of enjoying baseball, at home or at the stands. There is the casual outing, or the rooting for your team aspect. There's the excitement of seeing a team rally or shut the opposition. Some like to keep score, or argue and debate the game with their friends. This takes the game one level deeper. It presents baseball as it truly is, a game of consequences, played pitch-by-pitch, where every move is being based on what came before and influences what will come after. It's chess played with dice. It's a physical non-physical game. It's a game like no other, and deserves a book that describe it perfectly and minutely, because it's the only sport about which such a book can be written. This is this book.
December 27, 2013
If you love the nature of the game of baseball - it's structure, it's strategies, set plays, and what is going through the minds of every player and manager on the field - reading this book is an unparalleled experience. Kieth Hernandez covers two games - Philadelphia versus Atlanta in the National League and Detroit versus New York in the American League - played one week apart in June, 1993.
In this case covering the games means a pitch by pitch commentary on what is going on in the game. It is fascinating to hear his descriptions, critiques, and his guesses on what is going to happen next.
Hernandez takes side trips to explain some elements of baseball, including a 10 page explanation of the hit and run.
I am reading this for the second time, and enjoying it all the more. Hernandez has a good sense of humor, writes in a light-hearted but knowledgeable way, and shows both his love for and knowledge of the game.
In this case covering the games means a pitch by pitch commentary on what is going on in the game. It is fascinating to hear his descriptions, critiques, and his guesses on what is going to happen next.
Hernandez takes side trips to explain some elements of baseball, including a 10 page explanation of the hit and run.
I am reading this for the second time, and enjoying it all the more. Hernandez has a good sense of humor, writes in a light-hearted but knowledgeable way, and shows both his love for and knowledge of the game.
March 29, 2017
Keith Hernandez breaks down two regular seasons games from 1993 pitch by pitch and interjects anecdotes and lessons learned from his own 17 year career. I've read a lot of baseball books but this was a unique perspective and it totally works because Hernandez is an excellent observer and teacher of the game, as evidenced by his work announcing Mets games with former teammate Ron Darling (who he surprisingly criticized a bit about nibbling with two strikes in this book).
I've read both Hernandez's and Darling's books this off-season and while Darlings was a nice read about the inner workings of the game regarding pressure and failure, Hernandez's was far more interesting of a deep dive into baseball strategy that will actually change the way I look at certain strategies during a game this season.
I've read both Hernandez's and Darling's books this off-season and while Darlings was a nice read about the inner workings of the game regarding pressure and failure, Hernandez's was far more interesting of a deep dive into baseball strategy that will actually change the way I look at certain strategies during a game this season.
October 3, 2008
Only gave this book 3 stars, but that's more a reflection on my limitations than on those of Hernandez' book.
I want to press this book into the hands of anyone finds the game less exciting than football, not that they're gonna like it, but they'll get a feel for what they're missing (that's why the average rating, BTW: the acute feeling of what I'm missing, this book is so far out of my league; I guess if he'd taken the pain to write it down to my level, it would've been 2000 pages long?)
Baseball is only a game as chess is only a game: it's all about mindfucking the other fellow, not just if you are a pitcher, making the schmuck with the stick swallow anything you gonna serve him, but the manager, the outfielder, the runner, and yes the batter, as Hernandez showed, on the field and in this book.
He tells us the story of 2 games, one week apart, in June 93: a close one between the Phillies and the Braves at Veteran Stadium; and a ten-inning 3h40min affair at Yankee Stadium against the Tigers. "How much you can learn from just two regular-season ball games, featuring American League-style and National League-style play, grass and artificial turf, sluggers and slap hitters, fundamentals well executed and others thoroughly botched, shrewd managerial moves an a few dubious ones."
Two games he watched "from the comfort of my living room, with the sound off… not as much fun as going to the ballpark, and it makes it tougher to follow some aspects… such as the defense, but TV is the perfect way to watch the pitch selection and analyze an at-bat." And analyze he does, one pitch at a time.
If he's made my post-season more enjoyable, I'll increase the rating. Promise.
I want to press this book into the hands of anyone finds the game less exciting than football, not that they're gonna like it, but they'll get a feel for what they're missing (that's why the average rating, BTW: the acute feeling of what I'm missing, this book is so far out of my league; I guess if he'd taken the pain to write it down to my level, it would've been 2000 pages long?)
Baseball is only a game as chess is only a game: it's all about mindfucking the other fellow, not just if you are a pitcher, making the schmuck with the stick swallow anything you gonna serve him, but the manager, the outfielder, the runner, and yes the batter, as Hernandez showed, on the field and in this book.
He tells us the story of 2 games, one week apart, in June 93: a close one between the Phillies and the Braves at Veteran Stadium; and a ten-inning 3h40min affair at Yankee Stadium against the Tigers. "How much you can learn from just two regular-season ball games, featuring American League-style and National League-style play, grass and artificial turf, sluggers and slap hitters, fundamentals well executed and others thoroughly botched, shrewd managerial moves an a few dubious ones."
Two games he watched "from the comfort of my living room, with the sound off… not as much fun as going to the ballpark, and it makes it tougher to follow some aspects… such as the defense, but TV is the perfect way to watch the pitch selection and analyze an at-bat." And analyze he does, one pitch at a time.
If he's made my post-season more enjoyable, I'll increase the rating. Promise.
October 9, 2011
I thought I was a fan of the game before this book. I could not have been more wrong. After reading this book I became a true fanatic for this wonderful, maddening, beautiful, and crazy game. Mr. Hernandez shows the reader that baseball is not just a physical game,but a mental one as well. Because of his breakdown of the pitcher/catcher vs. batter matchup. I actually root for low scoring pitching duels.
February 16, 2014
Okay last baseball book for awhile I promise.
February 20, 2019
This is a great alternative take to analyzing baseball from Big Data Baseball that I read earlier this year. Actually, those two names pretty much sum it up - while that was Big Data Baseball, this book analyzes Pure Baseball. Despite approaching this book with a more modern head to the game, I still found there was a lot to love about Keith Hernandez' analysis. First and foremost, Big Data Baseball can be enjoyed without ever watching a game. That book highlights how statistics can overlay over the game to make a not so great team much better.
But this isn't a review of Big Data Baseball, and furthermore, Pure Baseball cannot be enjoyed without ever watching a game. If you don't enjoy watching every pitch of every at bat, I guarantee you are not going to enjoy reading about them. But if you do, Keith Hernandez offers perspective that not many people get to have, straight out of the mouth of someone who stood on the plate and watched how players were positioned for him. Sometimes you can catch Keith doing things that the BDB folks would look down on (like having a feeling about where to position against a specific player) but even then, he offers his analysis on why those gut feelings occur.
While some of the advice might be out of date, I still feel like my analysis of the more minute aspects of the game is much stronger. I also enjoyed reading about some big Yankee names (as I am from New York) like Bernie, Paul O'Neill, and of course Wade Boggs. Even hearing Keith describe some of his contemporaries is fun, such as is his respect for Johnny Bench, Wade Boggs, and Nolan Ryan.
This was a good read.
But this isn't a review of Big Data Baseball, and furthermore, Pure Baseball cannot be enjoyed without ever watching a game. If you don't enjoy watching every pitch of every at bat, I guarantee you are not going to enjoy reading about them. But if you do, Keith Hernandez offers perspective that not many people get to have, straight out of the mouth of someone who stood on the plate and watched how players were positioned for him. Sometimes you can catch Keith doing things that the BDB folks would look down on (like having a feeling about where to position against a specific player) but even then, he offers his analysis on why those gut feelings occur.
While some of the advice might be out of date, I still feel like my analysis of the more minute aspects of the game is much stronger. I also enjoyed reading about some big Yankee names (as I am from New York) like Bernie, Paul O'Neill, and of course Wade Boggs. Even hearing Keith describe some of his contemporaries is fun, such as is his respect for Johnny Bench, Wade Boggs, and Nolan Ryan.
This was a good read.
February 5, 2023
Pure Baseball is for anyone who wants to gain a greater understanding of what truly goes on during nine innings of an MLB game. I have watched baseball for years, but am always seeking to learn more about strategy and reactions to certain situations. This book was a revelation. Pure Baseball features a dissection of two regular season games by a former elite player who has a wealth of knowledge, a sharp eye, and a candid tongue. Various in-game scenarios are explored, explanations for actions are numerous and thorough, and debates over strategy are engaging and illuminating. This book was written in ‘93/94, but a lot of what Keith imparts to the reader still plays. In fact, I loved the trip down memory lane and was grateful for it. I’d love a sequel that looks at today’s game, but this book certainly remains worthwhile.
April 28, 2024
I wish I read Keith Hernandez's "Pure Baseball" when it first came out. I would have enjoyed it a lot more thirty years ago. There have been quite a few rule changes over the last couple of years so some of the book is outdated. I was enjoying the book quite a bit until I reached the three quarters mark. That's around where I started to lose interest. That said, it's still worth reading. I learned a lot.
August 7, 2025
I loved Keith Hernandez's Pure Baseball. I have read it several times. It is a book for the advanced baseball fan. But, if you know little about the game, this book will take you inside like no other baseball book. It is literally a Pitch-to-Pitch analysis. You will be amazed at the detail. It's an excellent book.
March 19, 2022
If you have been missing baseball this is a great read. I think its my 5th reading and I still love it. Still pertinent even after all the changes in play with stats. I would love to hear what he thinks about some of those choices.
October 14, 2018
A great guide to the serious baseball fan about pitches selected, count, runners, etc. A bit much for a new fan.
February 26, 2024
Dos juegos de béisbol analizados por un exitoso ex jugador. Explicaciones, estrategias, predicciones y opiniones; entrada por entrada. Valió mucho la pena.
September 12, 2013
A dense, detailed book that takes 230 pages to describe two - just two! - run-of-the-mill baseball games. Your guide is famed batter Keith Hernandez who naturally knows his stuff, but can also write about it in a clear and compelling conversational style. He reveals complexities of which I was completely oblivious, and which has transformed the way I watch the game.
The book proclaims itself to be for the advanced fan, which I clearly am not. I still got a huge amount from it, although I had to puzzle over some phraseology that would be natural to a more seasoned spectator. (It could easily be made more accessible, though, with a glossary and rule summary at the back). It also got more complex as the book wore on - commendably, Hernandez assumes that you have learnt what he told you previously in the book.
But, boy, is it dense! Hernandez doesn't waste many words on much that isn't pretty directly related to some facet of baseball, with that facet directly related to what is happening in the game at the point he's currently describing. I found at times that I had to limit how much I read without losing concentration.
It was written about 20 years ago, so I'm sure loads has changed, but perhaps not. It also doesn't mention any of the doping scandals that plagued the sport, but I don't know whether this is because the book is from a prior era (I don't think so), through wilful bowlderisation of history, editorial judgement, avoidance of being sued, or not wanting to piss off his colleagues.
There is a little bit of self-puffery here, but not enough for me to find objectionable. He also seems happy to let you know when he's guessed wrong, when it would have been easy to fix what he said (I don't know, maybe some of that did go on, but I didn't get that sense). It's opinionated too - he's happy to say when he disagrees with conventional wisdom.
So for all that, and for this reader, it is probably a book to reread. I got it from the library, but would definitely like to buy a copy to refer to.
Probably the best sports book I've ever read.
The book proclaims itself to be for the advanced fan, which I clearly am not. I still got a huge amount from it, although I had to puzzle over some phraseology that would be natural to a more seasoned spectator. (It could easily be made more accessible, though, with a glossary and rule summary at the back). It also got more complex as the book wore on - commendably, Hernandez assumes that you have learnt what he told you previously in the book.
But, boy, is it dense! Hernandez doesn't waste many words on much that isn't pretty directly related to some facet of baseball, with that facet directly related to what is happening in the game at the point he's currently describing. I found at times that I had to limit how much I read without losing concentration.
It was written about 20 years ago, so I'm sure loads has changed, but perhaps not. It also doesn't mention any of the doping scandals that plagued the sport, but I don't know whether this is because the book is from a prior era (I don't think so), through wilful bowlderisation of history, editorial judgement, avoidance of being sued, or not wanting to piss off his colleagues.
There is a little bit of self-puffery here, but not enough for me to find objectionable. He also seems happy to let you know when he's guessed wrong, when it would have been easy to fix what he said (I don't know, maybe some of that did go on, but I didn't get that sense). It's opinionated too - he's happy to say when he disagrees with conventional wisdom.
So for all that, and for this reader, it is probably a book to reread. I got it from the library, but would definitely like to buy a copy to refer to.
Probably the best sports book I've ever read.
March 12, 2008
Pretty much pure baseball theory in the form of Keith Hernandez watching two games (circa summer '93, I think) and breaking them down pitch by pitch. What pitch counts does the hit and run work on? Keith is happy to explain. This is more or less like listening to him call a game (I suspect it was kind of an audition tape), though without the drama of an actual game, or his delicious ever-present semi-snark. Keith definitely loses narrative momentum frequently.
February 5, 2012
Easily one of the best baseball books I've ever read. Hernandez has credibility because he played in the majors for so long. The most interesting game is the one he attended in person (Phillies/Braves); his insights into the game are excellent, even for people who've watched the game for decades. This is from 1993, and even though there have been many changes in baseball, the relationship between pitcher and batter is timeless, so this book is relevant today.
June 8, 2008
This is one of my very favorite sports books: Hernandez, who's a surprisingly engaging writer, watches two games (an AL and an NL) and breaks each one of them down, pitch by pitch. Incredibly detailed, with a rare insider's view.
March 31, 2009
Just what the subtitle says. The author breaks a couple of games down pitch by pitch. At times a bit much for the casual fan, but you really do learn a lot about the game.
July 10, 2014
On a third re-reading, bumped up a star. Essential reading for fans of baseball.
September 17, 2010
Wow. 50 pages in and baseball is even better than before. It's like Kanye's workout plan for seamheads.
May 10, 2012
If you love the pitch by pitch strategy of baseball, you will love this book.
April 15, 2011
A must-read for baseball fans.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews