The quintessential guide for every baseball connoisseur. A comprehensive, visually appealing chronicle of the sport, The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Baseball Desk Reference is the perfect companion for any baseball fan -- whether an interested hometown supporter or a full-fledged baseball aficionado. Written in collaboration with the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, this extremely readable volume includes hundreds of photographs, illustrations, and table, making the Baseball Desk Reference both fun to browse and easy to use. Section I. The American Pastime is a reflection on the heritage and history of baseball, with an illustrated timeline of the life of the sport. Section II. The Big Leagues includes lifetime statistics on the Top 1000 players, pitchers, and managers of all time, plus team histories and year-by-year league and postseason statistics. Section III. Levels of the Game explores baseball in all its multifaceted glory, with information on the minor leagues, college baseball, Negro Leagues, youth leagues, women in baseball, and international baseball. Section IV. Lore and Lingo looks at the wonderful contribution of baseball to language, literature, song, and story -- all that celebrates the sport of baseball.