Hey Batta Batta Swing!: The Wild Old Days of Baseball

by Sally Cook (Author) Ross MacDonald (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

TAKE A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE OF BASEBALL IN THIS FUNNY, FASCINATING JOURNEY FROM THE EARLIEST GAMES TO TODAY.

Discover what it was like before there was a pitching mound or players had numbers on their jerseys. Learn how Babe Ruth got his nickname, why Brooklyn's team was called the Dodgers, and what Roger Clemens gave to keep his lucky number 21 when he switched teams.

See what clever ways players have found to win -- even ways to cheat! Sprinkled throughout are definitions of baseball's weird and wacky vocabulary, from a meatball to Uncle Charlie. Find out which player was traded for a bag of prunes, but don't trade this book for anything!

Ross MacDonald's lively pictures bring fans close to the action with plenty of mischievous fun in this free-swinging tribute to the boys of summer.

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Hardcover
$19.99

School Library Journal

Gr 3-6 Segments of this light and breezy overview focus on uniforms, players' numbers, catchers' equipment, team names, players' nicknames, tricks, trades, and more. Throughout, there's a delightful emphasis on the game's colorful lexicon of words and phrases. Many of the terms reflect baseball's humble beginnings: in the 1880s fans were called "cranks," an "Uncle Charlie" meant a curveball pitch, and a player who "patrolled the pasture" played in the outfield. A "can of corn" (a slow-moving fly ball) meant an easy out, while a "frozen rope" (a hard-hit line drive) could spell trouble for a fielder. The text is highly readable, if loosely organized, and buoyantly carried along on the strength of MacDonald's cartoon illustrations. The watercolor and pencil-crayon pictures have an old-fashioned flavor and add plenty of detail and slapstick humor. For both fans and newcomers to the sport."Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA" Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Publishers Weekly

Starred Review
With a catchy, conversational style, the authors present a potpourri of anecdotes and facts that reveal the many ways baseball has changed over the years. One of the many entertaining aspects of the book is the way the writers weave insider slang into the narrative, highlighted in bold and defined in the margin (e.g., "gappers: hits between outfielders"; "tweeners: hits between infielders"). Fans will lap up details of the evolving style of the players' uniforms, the evolution of the jerseys' numbering system, the genesis of some of the stars' nicknames, and the ways that teammates have "doctored" balls and bats to enhance their performance. Among the kid-pleasing bits of trivia are the facts that, with only one umpire in the field in professional baseball's early days (rather than the current total of four), incidents of cheating regularly occurred, including players running directly from first to third base, and fielders tripping base runners. The book provides dates for events and incidents on a spotty basis, rendering some of the comparisons between yesteryear and the present murky. With a signature style that recalls vintage cartoons, MacDonald's (Another Perfect Day) watercolor and pencil crayon illustrations pleasingly convey the text's lighthearted tone. Baseball buffs will find this a diverting-and occasionally wild-outing indeed. Ages 6-10.(Feb.) Copyright 2007 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

Review quotes

"This is a charming and hilarious tale that fantasizes about the beginnings of baseball. A sure hit with boys." —James Patterson (USA Weekend)
Sally Cook
Sally Cook's first book for children was Good Night Pillow Fight, illustrated by Laura Cornell. Ms. Cook is also the co-author, with Gene Stallings, of Another Season, a New York Times bestseller. She lives in New York City.

James Charlton is the publications director for the Society for American Baseball Research, a founding editor of the Pushcart Prize, and a judge of the Casey Award, which is given annually to the best baseball book. He has written numerous books about baseball, and lives in New York City.

Ross MacDonald's illustrations have appeared in many magazines, including the New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Newsweek, and Time. He is also the author and illustrator of several children's books, including Another Perfect Day, which was a Publishers Weekly Best Book; Achoo! Bang! Crash! The Noisy Alphabet, which was a Publishers Weekly Best Book and a Nick Jr. Magazine Best Book; and, most recently, Bad Baby. Mr. MacDonald lives with his family in Connecticut. Visit his website at www.Ross-MacDonald.com.
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9781416912071
Lexile Measure
1050
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication date
February 27, 2007
Series
-
BISAC categories
JNF054010 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Sports & Recreation | Baseball & Softball
JNF007100 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | Sports & Recreation
JNF025170 - Juvenile Nonfiction | History | United States/General
Library of Congress categories
History
United States
Baseball
Parents Choice Award (Fall) (1998-2007)
Winner 2007 - 2007
Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award
Nominee 2010 - 2010

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