Review of "The 1955 Mutual Baseball Almanac," by Roger Kahn & Harry Wismer

 Review of

The 1955 Mutual Baseball Almanac, by Roger Kahn & Harry Wismer

Five out of five stars

 There are two distinct sections to this book. The first is textual and has nine sections written by a player at each position and one written by a manager. Each author provides insight into the features of the game as viewed from their perspective. Other sections give the reader information about how baseball functions. They are:

*) What the scout looks for

*) How a typical big-leaguer made the grade

*) How the big leagues are run

*) How a big-league club operates

*) How the little league is run

*) The rules of scoring

*) How to score and read a score card

*) How to read a box score

*) How to figure averages

*) A concise history of baseball

*) The hall of fame

*) The major league schedule for 1955

 The second section is a compilation of all the personal and team statistics for the year 1954. This is followed by the lifetime records for the veteran and rookie players. The last part features a map of all the major league parks, including dimensions to all fields.

 Obviously dated, this is still a book that provides insights into the 1955 season. The contents of the first section is generally timeless, for success in playing any position is still based on how well you field, throw and hit.