Description
Book SynopsisThe dying art of the hidden-ball trick dates back to the early days of pro baseball, with seven successful executions documented in 1876 alone. This ruse occurs when a baseman conceals the ball instead of returning it to the pitcher. When the runner steps off the base, he is summarily tagged out with the hidden ball. The trick has been used some 264 times with success, a rarity roughly in the class of the no-hitter. The hidden-ball trick has produced many hilarious stories throughout the years, and even enjoyed a renaissance of sorts in 2013 when it was employed twice late in the season. In Finding the Hidden-Ball Trick: The Colorful History of Baseball's Oldest Ruse, every known execution of the hidden-ball trick in the major leagues is documented, compiled from decades of research. This book recounts how the hidden-ball trick has completed triple plays, ended games, resulted in two arrests, cost a Hall of Famer a managing job, and even occurred in a World Series. Stories include how
Trade ReviewI met Bill Deane at the Baseball Hall of Fame library in 1991, when he was the Senior Researcher there, and I've been marveling at his research expertise ever since. He's in the handful of top researchers (by that I mean dogged, tireless, and ingenious). . . .This treasure-trove of baseball tales makes for a fast, entertaining read. . . .I recommend Deane's book for many reasons: the sheer wealth of lore he excavated; the shrewd way he organized it; his compelling quest for documentation, and the sometimes glowing, sometimes grumbling accounts by generations of reporters. * Never Too Much Baseball *
Baseball is full of quirky little tricks and gimmicks. The Hidden Ball Trick takes a look at the history of this dying art form. . . .It truly is an art-form to get this trick to work in today’s modern game, but it is a fun look at how it can be conducted. Rowman & Littlefield made a fun book with this one and fans should check it out. * Gregg's Baseball Bookcase *
For those of you who live for the more overlooked aspects of the game, here is Bill Deane’s latest scholarly probe into baseball’s only legal deception. Enjoy! -- Wes Parker, Dodger first baseman, 6-time Gold Glove Award winner, and 1965 World Series champion
Finding the Hidden-Ball Trick is an encyclopedic treatise on this most unusual of baseball plays. Not only has Bill Deane documented the more than 200 known cases of this ancient ruse, he has also provided remarkable historical context and discusses the evolution of the play over the years. Everyone interested in the subtleties of baseball will find this book informative and fun to read and it will be sure to bring new information to everyone who picks it up. -- David W. Smith, founder of Retrosheet
Bill Deane is a magician. Spinning out the story of baseball's most ancient sleight of hand, he draws your attention to a game, a date, a perpetrator, and a victim. Yet all the while he is weaving his way—and yours—to a unique view of the game's whole history. Devilishly ingenious, this is a gem of a book. -- John Thorn, Official Historian of Major League Baseball
As surprising as the hidden-ball trick has been for so many unwary base runners, the rest of us get a wonderful surprise with Bill Deane’s latest gem. -- Rob Neyer, author of Rob Neyer’s Big Book of Baseball Legends
Table of ContentsIntroduction What is the Hidden-Ball Trick? History of the Trick Masters of the Trick … and Their Victims 1876-89: The Early Tricks 1890-99: Gaiety in the ’90s 1900-09: Coughlin Corner Tricks 1910-19: Ban Tries to Ban It 1920-29: A Decade Dominated by Babe Who? 1930-39: The Crow Flies High 1940-49: Pesky Holding the Ball 1950-59: Step off the Base a Minute, Will Ya? 1960-69: Stick Was Slick 1970-79: Elementary, My Dear Watson 1980-89: Happy Birthday, Kid! 1990-99: Master Matt 2000-Present: A Dying Art? Tricks Gone Awry Unsubstantiated Possibilities Odds and Ends Chronological Listing Appendix A: Successful Executions of the Hidden Ball Trick Appendix B: Unsubstantiated Possibilities Bibliography Notes Index About the Author
