Men at Work: The Craft of Baseball

Published in 1990, Men at Work is a study of the game of baseball through the work habits of three highly successful Major League Baseball players (Tony Gwynn, Cal Ripken and Orel Hershiser) and a manager (Tony LaRussa). The book captures a unique moment in baseball history — after the introduction of detailed scouting reports (which led to advancements in player preparation), but before sabermetrics and advanced analytics. Nonetheless, the book is fascinating as George Will explores the subtle factors that go through players’ minds as they are contemplating the next pitch to throw or adjusting their hitting approach based on the ball/strike count. While Will mixes in facts and anecdotes on the history of baseball that are too often either obvious or esoteric, this is an intelligent look at how 1980s MLB players and managers actually did their jobs.