As Koufax Said... (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780071410144)

Who said the 400 best things about how to play baseball?

From the wisdom of Mickey Mantle ("A team is where a boy can prove his courage on his own; a gang is where a coward goes to hide") to the wit of Nolan Ryan ("It helps if the hitter thinks you're a little crazy") to the banter of the Babe ("I swing big and I miss big"), this one-of-a-kind collection features the most quotable advice on how to play the game from the greatest names in baseball.

Not your ordinary encyclopedia of baseball quotations, As Koufax Said . . . goes beyond the worn-out "Yogi-isms" and "Stengelese," beyond tales of players' drinking prowess and off-the-field blunders, right to the heart of the matter: How to play a winning game. The authors, baseball coaches themselves, have searched long and hard to fill this unique book with quotes chosen for their ability to teach something essential about the game or help improve skills on the field.

Organized into chapters that cover practice, batting, pitching, fielding, baserunning, managing and coaching, character, and the game in general, this rich compendium is packed with hundreds of intelligent, useful, accurate, and entertaining quotes, quips, and words of wisdom from legends both past and present--players and coaches at the highest level of the game. You can't go anywhere else to find the collective insight of Greg Maddux, Sandy Koufax, Ted Williams, Cal Ripken Jr., John McGraw, and Earl Weaver under the same cover. This is the ultimate gift for players, coaches, and fans of every generation.

Inside you'll find timeless baseball wisdom from all the greats, including:

• Johnny Bench
• Wade Boggs
• George Brett
• Lou Brock
• Rod Carew
• Ty Cobb
• Joe DiMaggio
• Joe Garagiola
• Orel Hershiser
• Reggie Jackson
• Derek Jeter
• Willie Mays
• Mark McGwire
• Stan Musial
• Cal Ripken Jr.
• Pete Rose
• Babe Ruth
• Tom Seaver
• Sammy Sosa
• Mo Vaughan
• George Will
• Ted Williams
• Carl Yastrzemski

. . . and, of course, Sandy Koufax.