Why is the Foul Pole Fair (by Vince Staten) is a perfect book for those of us that are interested in all the things that make baseball unique.

Subtitled “Answers to 101 of the Most Perplexing Baseball Questions”, Staten’s book goes far beyond things related to the game of baseball and offers many great tidbits about things at the ballpark.

Staten starts the book by relating his personal history of playing baseball as a child and going to his first big league game. He then jumps to 2002 and going to a Cincinnati Reds game with his son.

As he describes that day – he uses each story to offer a lesson on many different parts of the game.

Included are subjects such as what a groundskeeper does every day, the origin of the baseball glove, why stadium seats got wider through history, details on food vendors and many more.

This isn’t a book about playing the game – statistics and records and such – this is about all the little things that you notice (and don’t notice) at the ballpark.

I found many great facts that I still bore my friends and family with:

“Did you know that the song ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame’ isn’t the whole song? It’s just the chorus – and was written by a guy that had never been to a game!”

“Did you know that turnstiles last 30-40 years before needing replacement?”

Overall, Why is the Foul Pole Fair? is a very enjoyable book – and would make a great gift for any baseball fan!

You can find this book on Amazon and by purchasing it (or anything), you will be supporting West Michigan High School Baseball!

Click here to go to Amazon:

Why Is The Foul Pole Fair?: Answers to 101 of the Most Perplexing Baseball Questions