The 34-Ton Bat: The Story of Baseball as Told Through Bobbleheads, Cracker Jacks, Jock Straps, Eye Black, and 375 Other Strange and Unforgettable Objects

Rushin, a longtime acclaimed writer for Sports Illustrated, chronicles the history of baseball through the items used by players (baseball bats, sanitary socks), enjoyed by fans (beer and hot dogs), and sported by both (baseball caps). A lot of the fun in Rushin’s exhaustively researched, very readable history comes from learning about the people behind the innovations. The Dodgers’ advertising v-p Danny Goodman, who made popular souvenirs such as the bobblehead to baseball, saw the stadium crowd as a captive audience willing to buy anything, from underpants to aprons. Foolproof Taylor spent years unsuccessfully promoting his protective cups and helmets. His sales method? Skeptics would kick Taylor, who thankfully was wearing his fortified handiwork, in the groin or smash him in the head with a bat. Baseball merchandise, which has long been an important part of the game, was until recently generally dismissed by players and sports writers alike. Players once scoffed at sunglasses and baseball gloves, which makes sense considering how many of them endured day games in broiling flannel uniforms. Rushin’s exuberant prose describes the continuous evolution of baseball paraphernalia. 40 b&w photos. Agent: Esther Newberg, ICM. (Oct.)