John's writing is refreshingly vivid and beyond accurate. Drawing on an unparalleled pool of players, managers and historians, John illuminates each player so eloquently that it reads like a statistically rich novel. Not just a home run in our opinion, but rather a ninth-inning, two-out, two-strike, walk off grand slam.
EDITORS, BASEBALL ALMANAC
Baseball is never a static thing, a simple compilation of numbers. It is people doing extraordinary things in an eye-blink and John Valerino's book captures wonderfully this human element. To understand the genius behind the well-turned double play can only be understood by knowing the athletes who were the best at performing it. John does this masterfully... The double play may be the pitcher's best friend, but this book should be a serious baseball fan's best friend. A fan will never look at a double play the same way after reading this book, nor ever dare to under-evaluate it.
BOB PADECKY, sports columnist, Santa Rosa Press Democrat and a member of the Baseball Writers Association of America since 1977