Great Baseball Books

A Game of Inches: The Stories behind the innovations that shaped Baseball
Morris, Peter
Ivan R. Dee, 2010 (orig. 2006)

This remarkable compendium of the origins and history of virtually everything in the game, both on the field and behind the scenes. An encyclopedic reference book, this work can also be enjoyed in bite-size readings: just open the book and enjoy a few pages. If you've wondered who really invented or started something—from the bat to the batboy, from a rule to a strategy—this book gives you the answer. It draws heavily on 19th-century and early 20th century research, with quotes from those times.