Baseball Field Guide

Admit it: Even if you’re a diehard fan of our national pastime, sometimes an umpire’s call can be a little baffling. And for newer fans, Major League Baseball’s nuanced rules—developed and revised over decades—can be downright perplexing.

Now updated throughout with the latest changes, including the no-pitch intentional walk and “bona fide slides” for interferences on a double play, the Baseball Field Guide explains every rule in plain English:

Rules that apply before, during, and after the game
Equipment specifications and field requirements
Duties of the coaches, managers, and umpires
Rules for spectators (yes, they have rules, too!)
The clearest explanation anywhere of the infamous Infield Fly Rule, and much more!

Designed for quick and intuitive searches, this entertaining reference will help you understand every aspect of the game and add to your enjoyment of the sport.

Errata

The first print contained some minor errors. Please print out this errata slip for your copies.

Praise

“Splendidly clear and concise.”—Boston Globe

“A useful and entertaining resource.”—Choice

“Unlike the official rulebook, which has codes as dense as the Dewey Decimal System, this illustrated reference is easy to read and covers everything.”—San Diego Union-Tribune

Errata

Several errors appear in the first printing, which will be corrected in future printings:
P. 15: The playoffs now begin with a wild card game, followed by the Division Series, then the League Championships (the “pennant”), and finally the World Series.
P. 16: The American League and the National League now each have fifteen teams, and not fourteen in the American League and sixteen in the National League, as previously stated. The Houston Astros went to the American League.
PP. 18–20: Rather than three division winners and one wild card, there are now three division winners and two wild card winners. The two wild card winners then face off in a one-game playoff to determine which team will then face the top division team in a best three-out-of-five-game series.
P. 20 diagram: A wild card game takes place before the Division Series; there are 15 teams in the National League since the Houston Astros have moved to the American League.
P. 53: The Mets stadium outfield has been modified. You can view updated specifications here.
P. 54: The Houston Astros are now in the American League.

Dan Formosa, PhD, spent his grammar school years in Hoboken, NJ, the site of baseball’s first recorded game. A consultant to a wide range of companies and organizations, he has received numerous design awards. He also helped create the Masters in Branding Program at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Dan travels the world frequently in his work. He spends the rest of his time in Piermont, NY, and in New York City—virtually within throwing distance of Hoboken’s old Elysian Fields. He grew up playing stoopball and is a diehard Yankees fan.

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Paul Hamburger, originally from New York City, is a recent transplant to sunny Los Angeles, where he works as a creative director. Growing up in the streets of Brooklyn, Paul was an accomplished player of stoopball. As a Mets fan, he is bitter and resentful toward the relative success of other local baseball organizations. He lives in the past, nostalgic for the glory days of the mid‑eighties.

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