Home-run

The Society of American Baseball Research's (SABR) Home Run Encyclopedia is the reference book for the fan of baseball statistics and baseball's most hallowed feat--the home run. The bulk of the book's more than 1,300 pages is devoted to a complete breakdown, by player, of every home run hit from 1876, when the National League was formed, to 1996. Easy-to-read charts list in alphabetical order the stats of every ball player to hit a home run in each year of his career, including how many men were on base for each home run; whether the homers came against left- or right-handed pitchers; and cross-references for how the hitter's statistics compare to others' during a particular season.

Fans can look up stats for childhood heroes and see how they rank with other hitters of their generation and against the 125-year history of baseball legends. Besides player statistics, the book also contains 200 pages of facts about home run records. Want to know who hit the most homers after turning 40? The encyclopedia tells you (Carlton Fisk: 72). Or maybe you're curious who won the National League's homer title in 1977 (George Foster: 52) or which switch hitter has smashed the most dingers (Mickey Mantle: 536). If it's a homer question, this book provides the answer. --Uma Kukathas