Play Ball Like the Pros: Tips for Kids from 20 Big League Stars

Major League ball players share their strategies with young players and fans!

Who should a young baseball player turn to when he or she wants to know the best way to handle an infield ground ball with players on first and second? How about New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter or Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia?

In this inside look at the fundamentals of baseball, author and veteran sports writer Steven Krasner asks professional players to explain the mechanics of how they successfully field, pitch, catch, hit, and more. The book is divided into sections by subject. Within each chapter, major league ballplayers analyze different aspects of the game, such as The Art of Pitching with Cy Young Award winner C.C. Sabathia, or The Art of Clutch Hitting, with National League Rookie of the Year and All-Star Jason Bay. Each feature includes an in-depth interview with the athlete, a glossary of baseball terms, a historical anecdote, and an example of a real-life game situation and the solution for handling it. Best of all, the players share their childhood baseball memories.

More than just a how-to guide for playing baseball, Play Ball Like the Pros is an intimate look at how professionals do what they do, and how the struggles and influences of their early years informed their later successes.

Major League Ball Players featured:
Rocco Baldelli, Boston Red Sox
Jason Bay, Boston Red Sox
Carl Crawford, Tampa Bay Rays
Jacoby Ellsbury, Boston Red Sox
Zack Greinke, Kansas City Royals
Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies
Chris Iannetta, Colorado Rockies
Akinori Iwamura, Tampa Bay Rays
Derek Jeter, New York Yankees
Ian Kinsler, Texas Rangers
Jon Lester, Boston Red Sox
Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays
Russell Martin, Los Angeles Dodgers
Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins
Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox
Jimmy Rollins, Philadelphia Phillies
C.C. Sabathia, New York Yankees
Geovany Soto, Chicago Cubs
Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees
Kevin Youkilis, Boston Red Sox