“K: A History of Baseball in Ten Pitches” is the best baseball book I’ve read this year. Okay, the competition isn’t steep, but Tyler Kepner’s book is aided by the fact he did not have to grovel to any front office types to get it written. (If any groveling was done, it was to very old, very illustrious baseball men whose snarky memories make the whole thing worth it).
Here’s a question for you, dear reader (the same one I asked myself before acquiring a copy of this book): Can you even name 10 pitches? Here was my effort: 4-seam fastball, 2-seam fastball, curveball, cutter, slider, knuckleball, knuckle-curve, circle-change, splitter, sinker…
Eight out of 10 ain’t bad. The 10 pitches whose histories’ are detailed in Kepner’s book are the 10 above, minus the circle-change and knuckle-curve (surprising! given the amount of space devoted to recently enshrined Mike Mussina) plus the screwball and spitball, two pitches that for all intents and purpose no longer exist in the modern Major Leagues. (By that measure, I consider myself 8 for 8).
Baseball books come out in spades every spring, and while they all have their merits, I was surprised at how illuminating I found “K: A History of Baseball in Ten Pitches” to be. Throughout, Tyler Kepner tells way more than 10 compelling stories, providing a solid mixture of hard facts and baseball lore. This book has something for fans of all ages — from the curious young fan wondering just what is the difference between a slider and a cutter, to the crustiest old-timer who remembers Tommy John from his Hall of Fame-worthy career rather than the eponymous and now ubiquitous arm surgery.
I don’t care if you’ve been watching America’s pastime since before they banned the spitball; no matter how much baseball you know going into “K,” you are guaranteed to learn something. Need a gift idea for Father’s Day or a graduation party? You could do a lot worse.
