The Baseball Codes
Beanballs, Sign Stealing, and BenchClearing Brawls: The Unwritten Rules of Americas Pastime

Everyone knows that baseball is a game of intricate regulations, but it turns out to be even more complicated than we realize. What truly governs the Major League game is a set of unwritten rules, some of which are openly discussed (dont steal a base with a big lead late in the game), and some of which only a minority of players are even aware of (dont cross between the catcher and the pitcher on the way to the batters box). In The Baseball Codes, oldtimers and alltime greats share their insights into the games most hallowed, and least known, traditions. For the learned and the casual baseball fan alike, the result is illuminating and thoroughly entertaining. At the heart of this book are incredible and often hilarious stories involving national heroes, like Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays, and notorious headhunters, like Bob Gibson and Don Drysdale, in a centurylong series of confrontations over respect, honor, and the soul of the game. With The Baseball Codes, we see for the first time the game as its actually played, through the eyes of the players on the field. With rollicking stories from the past and new perspectives on baseballs informal rulebook, The Baseball Codes is a must for every fan.