Over the course of nearly a half-century of writing, Wayne Stewart has met and talked to countless baseball players. A wise and accomplished journalist can acquire a great deal of insight and observations through a lifetime of interviews. Putting all of that into an interesting and illuminating book might not be a difficult task. In fact, the simplest procedure for an author would be to write an introductory biography of a player and then prepare a word-for-word transcript of an interview.

But Stewart chose a different method in TALKING BASEBALL WITH MAJOR LEAGUE STARS, a reorganization of his years of interviews with players from bygone eras, as well as some who are still playing. The result is a wonderful collection of memories that provide readers with the opportunity to hear a great deal about the game of baseball from those who played the sport at the highest level of competition.

"TALKING BASEBALL WITH MAJOR LEAGUE STARS is a joyful book that will take readers everywhere they wish to go in the baseball world."

Stewart groups his interviews into six broad baseball topics: Hitters, Pitchers, Fielders, Managers, Covering All the Bases, and Life in the Big Leagues. Each subject has subheadings that delve into more specific questions and observations from both established players --- Henry Aaron, Willie Mays, Greg Maddux and Nolan Ryan, to name just a few --- and those who fans may not recognize. The index contains 546 names, although a few non-baseball celebrities (including Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Dick Butkus and Verne Gagne) find their way into the book. Whether from the playing field, the locker room, the front office or the box seats, the insights offered here are truly entertaining.

Ever mindful of the reviewer’s obligation to avoid spoilers, I am reluctant to provide readers with too many quotations from the subjects that Stewart shares. But a few of the more enjoyable ones are simply a part of baseball lore, and fans are probably familiar with many of them.

Recently, the baseball world was saddened by the death of Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson, the indisputable greatest leadoff man in baseball history. In a section on hitting techniques, Henderson explains his success by reciting one of baseball’s oldest adages: “First pitch, fastball.” Knowing that pitchers want to get ahead of the first hitter, they often start the game with a fastball. Looking for and receiving that fastball might explain why Henderson led off a Major League record 81 games during his career with a home run. In each of the 25 seasons in which he played, Henderson had at least one game where he hit a homer to lead off the first inning.

In addition to the serious baseball discussions, there are some enjoyable moments where the humorous side of the game receives attention. In 1969, Major League Baseball came to Canada, more specifically to Quebec, where the official language is French. As a result, baseball terms had to be prepared in both French and English. While such words as ball and strike were easily translated, others were more difficult. La balle papillon sounds quite formal, but it’s the French description for the knuckleball. It adopts the French word for butterfly since that pitch leaves the pitcher’s hand and floats toward the batter and home plate.

The knuckleball discussion, of course, reminds fans of the late Bob Uecker’s comment that “[t]he best way to catch a knuckleball is to wait until it stops rolling and then pick it up.” Charley Lau, one of baseball’s greatest hitting coaches, observed, “There are two theories on hitting the knuckleball. Unfortunately, neither one of them works.”

TALKING BASEBALL WITH MAJOR LEAGUE STARS is a joyful book that will take readers everywhere they wish to go in the baseball world. The subjects range from great moments in baseball history to little-known facts and candid observations that even longtime fans may be reading for the first time.