Cook, Sally.
HEY BATTA BATTA SWING! : THE WILD OLD DAYS OF BASEBALL
New York : M.K. McElderry Books, 2007
IL 3-6, RL 6.2
ISBN 141691207X

(2 booktalks)

What was baseball like back in the days before free agency and designated hitters?  Back when the game was young and new and the teams were still trying to figure it all out.  Back when there were no uniforms and only one umpire?  Where did those team names come from?  Learn about some of the ways the game has changed -- maybe not for the better!

Booktalk #2

What color is the uniform for the team you play on? Did you know that uniform jerseys showed the position of the player not the team? That would be confusing! To get a player out who was off base, players used to hit him with a ball. Aren’t you glad that’s not a rule anymore? In olden days, there was only one umpire, and players used to cheat. These are just a few of the facts about baseball that you can learn in “Hey Batta Batta Swing.” But people still love baseball, and “each team will always try to find new ways to win,” so check out this book for some fantastic baseball history.  (Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Awards Program, 2009-2010)