Every April, the call "Play ball!" can be heard in ballparks and on playgrounds all over the country as major league teams suit up for opening day and kids everywhere sign up for softball, tee ball and Little League.

Whether you're a player on the diamond or in the dugout, or a fan in the stands, we've got a ton of cool baseball books that put the action of the game right at your fingertips. Check out biographies of historic players like Babe Ruth or modern such modern heroes as Sammy Sosa. We've got books on the game itself and even baseball mysteries, too. So come along and join us for a championship season of reading.

  ----- Shannon Maughan

TEAM PLAYER (The Jersey #5)
by Gordon Korman
Disney
ISBN: 0786844469
Ages 8-12
128 pages

Head for the baseball diamond in this latest book tie-in to the popular Disney Channel program, The Jersey. This time around the magic jersey transports Nick and his cousin Morgan into the bodies of Atlanta Braves pitcher Kevin Millwood and catcher Eddie Perez. Their time in the Major League helps the boys discover the true meaning of teamwork.

WHO IS BASEBALL'S GREATEST HITTER? (Revised and Updated)
by Jeff Kisseloff
Henry Holt & Company
ISBN: 0805067337
Ages 10-14
144 pages

Test your baseball I.Q. with this book filled with stats, achievements, records and fascinating stories about 32 of the game's greatest hitters, including Ted Williams, Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron and Mark McGwire. After checking out all the facts, make your own choice for greatest hitter.

CASEY AT THE BAT: A Ballad of the Republic Sung in the Year 1888
by Ernest L. Thayer
illustrated by Christopher Bing
Handprint Books
ISBN: 1929766009
32 pages

The famous poem about an exciting baseball game in Mudville first appeared in the newspaper The San Francisco Examiner in 1888. The illustrations here turn this into a cool scrapbook, featuring baseball cards, tickets and more. A great book for baseball fans of any age.

HANK AARON: Brave in Every Way
by Peter Golenbock
illustrated by Paul Lee
Harcourt
ISBN: 0152020934
Ages 6-9
32 pages

As an African-American playing in the major leagues in the 1960s and 1970s, Hank Aaron faced prejudice, resistance and even received hate mail. But he never let those challenges keep him from being the best player he could be. In 1974 he broke Babe Ruth's legendary (and thought to be unbreakable) home run record, with 715. Find out more about this very special --- and courageous --- hero in this picture book.

CAL RIPKEN, JR.: PLAY BALL!
by Cal Ripken, Jr. and Mike Bryan
adapted by Gail Herman
illustrated by Stan Silver
Puffin
ISBN: 0141301848
Ages 6-9
48 pages

You know how tough it is to keep perfect attendance at school. What about in major-league baseball? Cal Ripken, Jr. has done way more than show up on the Baltimore Orioles roster, he holds the major-league record for most games played in a row. Read his story in this exciting book filled with more than 30 photos.

THE CATCHER'S MASK (A Peach Street Mudders Story)
by Matt Christopher
illustrated by Bert Dodson
Little, Brown
ISBN: 0316141852
Ages 7-9
64 pages

When Rudy buys a catcher's mask at a garage sale, strange things begin to happen. He even starts to play better. Could the mask be magic?

CLOSE CALL
by Todd Strasser
illustrated by Name
Putnam
ISBN: 039923134X
Ages 8-12
128 pages

Lately, baseball has become a real battle for Ian and his friends. They can't seem to agree on anything and every game turns into an argument. It's definitely no fun. Why can't they just play ball?

DEREK JETER: A Biography
by Robert Craig
Pocket Books
ISBN: 0671028081
Ages 9 and Up
160 pages

In DEREK JETER: A BIOGRAPHY, author Robert Craig takes you from the very beginning, when Derek Jeter was in Little League, all the way to the 1998 World Series victory. Reading this book, you get a very good idea of how down to earth Derek Jeter really is, and how he got to be that way. You also learn how his career as the shortstop for the New York Yankees happened so fast.

Being a huge Derek Jeter/Yankees fan myself, I was very surprised at how much I learned about Derek from this book. Anybody who is a fan of either or both should read this book --- I think you will definitely enjoy it, especially during this exciting World Series.

EL DUQUE: The Story of Orlando Hernandez
by Kenneth Lafreniere
illustrated by Name
Random House
ISBN: 0375801979
Ages 8-12
96 pages

Maybe you know Orlando Hernandez as a star pitcher for the New York Yankees. But do you know how he got to the major leagues? This is the story of how he made a daring escape from the turmoil in his home country of Cuba to find a new life and new baseball career in the United States.

FAIR BALL!: 14 Great Stars from Baseball's Negro Leagues
by Jonah Winter
Scholastic
ISBN: 0590394649
Ages 7-10
32 pages

On these pages, the spotlight shines on such legendary players as "Pop" Lloyd, Oscar Charleston and Buck Leonard --- stars you may never have heard of before. Discover what made these players great in this lively picture book.

HOME RUN: The Story of Babe Ruth
by Robert Burleigh
illustrated by Mike Wimmer
Harcourt Brace
ISBN: 0152009701
Ages 6-10
32 pages

Meet one of baseball's all-time greats, The Babe, in this vintage-looking picture book. You'll get a look at the New York Yankees of days gone by, and some of the artwork even resembles old-time baseball cards.

HOW TO SNAG MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALLS: More Than 100 Tested Tips That Really Work
by Zack Hample
illustrated by Name
Aladdin
ISBN: 0689823312
Ages 8-up
140 pages

Want to walk away from a baseball game with a super souvenir? From the best places to sit to what time to arrive at the ballpark, this book gives you all kinds of tips on how to snag a ball for your very own.

IT'S BASEBALL SEASON AGAIN
by Charles M. Schulz
HarperResource
ISBN: 0061075507
All ages
32 pages

Good grief! The Peanuts gang is taking to the baseball diamond again for some hilarious fun. Check out these comic strips and watch Charlie Brown lose his shirt (and socks) on the pitcher's mound.

LOU GEHRIG: The Luckiest Man
by David A. Adler
illustrated by Terry Widener
Harcourt Brace
ISBN: 0152005234
Ages 5-9
32 pages

The nifty picture-book biography of baseball star Lou Gehrig, shows the New York Yankee as a great player on the field and, when he becomes ill, a brave man off the field, too.

McGWIRE & SOSA: A Season to Remember
by James Preller
illustrated by Name
Aladdin
ISBN: 0689828713
Ages 6-up
32 pages

Relive the 1998 baseball season, which saw St. Louis Cardinal Mark McGwire and Chicago Cub Sammy Sosa both break a 37-year-old homerun hitting record, held by the late Roger Maris. McGwire's 70 homeruns for the season is now the number to beat. Check out photos and stats.

THE NEW DICKSON BASEBALL DICTIONARY
by Paul Dickson
Harcourt Brace
ISBN: 0156005808
All ages
576 pages

Did you know that in baseball a "salami" is a grand slam home run? Everything you wanted to know about the game is gathered in this collection of definitions and facts. A cool family reference volume every baseball fan will love.

PITCHERS: Twenty-seven of Baseball's Greatest
by George Sullivan
Aladdin
ISBN: 0689824548
Ages 10-up
80 pages

Roger Clemens, Nolan Ryan, Satchel Paige and Cy Young are just a few of the players featured in this glossy book.

PLAY BALL! (Scrappers #1)
by Dean Hughes
Aladdin
ISBN: 0689819331
Ages 8-12
128 pages

Check out this exciting new series about the Scrappers, a rag-tag team of kids, looking for a chance at the league championship. In this first book, Robbie and his best friend Trent scramble to pull together a summer team after they've missed the sign-up deadline. Each title includes cool trivia trading cards, too.

PLAYOFF DREAMS (An Allstar SportStory)
by Fred Bowen
illustrated by Ann Barrow
Peachtree
ISBN: 156145155X
Ages 8-12
112 pages

Brendan is frustrated that his baseball team never seems to win the big games. But something unexpected happens to make Brendan see that his love of the game is more important than winning.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
by John R. Tunis
Harcourt Brace
ISBN: 0152688803
Ages 8-up
220 pages

When his team is in the race for the pennant, a rookie pitcher has to face the pressure. Will he come through?

SLUGGERS: Twenty-seven of Baseball's Greatest
by George Sullivan
Aladdin
ISBN: 0689824556
Ages 10-up
80 pages

Sharp color photos and tons of facts make this book about the sport's best hitters a winner.

THE STORY OF BASEBALL
by Lawrence S. Ritter
foreword by Ted Williams
Beech Tree
ISBN: 0688162657
Ages 10-up
208 pages

In this handy volume, get the scoop on how the game of baseball has changed --- and stayed the same --- since the first recorded game was played in 1846.

TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME
by Jack Norworth
illustrated by Alec Gillman
Aladdin
ISBN: 0689824335
All ages
32 pages

Everybody knows the words to this favorite ballpark song, right? But in this picture book, the lyrics have a nifty backdrop: game 5 of the 1947 World Series between the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Yankees at Brooklyn's Ebbets Field. Great historic players like Jackie Robinson take the field in this fascinating and fun title.

THE SLUGGERS CLUB
by Paul Robert Walker
Harcourt Brace
ISBN: 0152761632
Ages 8-up
153 pages

Hey! What happened to the team's baseball equipment? A group of Little League sleuths is on the case. Follow along and gather clues in the investigation.

Back to top.