Diamonds Around the Globe: The Encyclopedia of International Baseball (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780313322686)

Baseball is increasingly popular throughout the world, as evidenced by the many talented players (such as Ichiro Suzuki, Miguel Cabrera, Albert Pujols, and Hideki Matsui) coming to the Major Leagues from around the globe. The influx of such players is testament to the many high-quality professional and amateur leagues that thrive throughout the world. In this reference book--the first of its kind-- narrative chapters trace the history of baseball in Australia, Canada, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Japan, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and throughout the rest of the world. Bjarkman profiles the teams and leading players from each country. He also covers the history of tournament play throughout the world, including Olympic baseball. This volume provides an invaluable and unprecedented source on the growth of America's national pastime into a global phenomenon that one day might feature a true World Series. Backmatter includes a chronology of important events, an annotated bibliography, and contact information for official baseball federations throughout the world.

Author: Peter C. Bjarkman
ISBN-10: 0313322686
ISBN-13: 9780313322686
Publisher: Greenwood
Language: English
Published: 02/28/2005
Pages: 656
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 2.82lbs
Size: 10.36h x 7.16w x 1.38d

Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 06/01/2005 pg. 174
Booklist 06/01/2005 pg. 1845
Multicultural Review 09/01/2005 pg. 96
Rec Ref Bks for Small/Med Libr 01/01/2006 pg. 163
American Reference Bks Annual 01/01/2006 pg. 363