This title in the Innovation in Sports series traces the many leaps forward in the history of baseball. Where most sports histories focus on the feats of certain teams or players, this series instead profiles the instrumental people and chronicles innovations that changed the game from its chaotic origins into the standardized sport that fans know today. The book discusses the early rules and playing field specifications spelled out by Alexander Cartwright in the mid-nineteenth century, follows its growth in popularity due in large part to Henry Chadwick o created the box score, and thus helped birth baseball's obsession with statistics d ends with a profile on Branch Rickey, a towering figure influential for dreaming up the minor league system in the 1920s, and then bringing Jackie Robinson into the majors in 1947. Throughout, nice-sized color photographs and sidebars that provide additional food for thought accompany the concise and easy-to-follow text. A short glossary and bibliography complete this welcome introduction to the advances of a game that has evolved into a national pasttime.

FITZPATRICK, Jim . Snowboarding ISBN 978-1-60279-260-9 . LC 2008007554. GIGLIOTTI, Jim . Football ISBN 978-1-60279-257-9 . LC 2008002305. KELLEY, K. C. Golf ISBN 978-1-60279-262-3 . LC 2008002045. KELLEY, K. C. . Soccer diag. ISBN 978-1-60279-261-6 . LC 2008006749. LABRECQUE, Ellen . Basketball ISBN 978-1-60279-256-2 . LC 2008002044. TEITELBAUM, Michael . Baseball ISBN 978-1-60279-255-5 . LC 2008002310. TIMBLIN, Stephen . Swimming ISBN 978-1-60279-258-6 . LC 2008002046. ea vol: 32p. (Innovation In Sports Series). photos. further reading. glossary. index. Web sites. CIP. Cherry Lake 2008. PLB $27.07. Gr 4-7 Innovators discussed here range from athletes and coaches to officials and equipment makers. Each book introduces ideas about problem solving as they relate to sports. For example, Skateboarding describes how one enthusiast improved wheel design after he noticed how a vacuum cleaner worked, and the ensuing text informs readers that creativity can involve making connections between seemingly unrelated things. Overall, however, these books use a traditional approach to their topics, providing brief overviews of the history, rules, equipment, and training of each sport. The texts are clear and concise if somewhat dry, and are supplemented by crisp action shots and close-ups of equipment. Appeal will be limited to report writers.