In a game that has been our national pastime since the 1850s, there have been countless changes, additions, and adaptations to the rules of baseball. Along with providing a thorough investigation into the rules of the game and how they came to be, David Nemec offers expert commentary on the uproarious "Pine Tar Game," tells yarns about harrowing home plate collisions, and analyzes the constant fine tuning needed to maintain an equilibrium between hitting and pitching. Illustrated throughout, Nemec's book is also chockfull of tales of baseball's most famous players, umpires, and teams.