Review of "The Immaculate Inning"

After the winter storm that we endured here in the northeastern United States, it's hard to believe that baseball season starts at the end of the month.  Nonetheless, it is spring training time and the new baseball book selections are starting to be more plentiful.  This one written by SABR member Joe Cox is a quick and fun read on accomplishments that have been achieved by famous and not-so-famous players.  Here is my review of "The Immaculate Inning"

Title/Author:

“The Immaculate Inning: Unassisted Triple Plays, 40/40 Seasons and the Stories Behind Baseball’s Rarest Feats” by Joe Cox

Tags:

Baseball, professional, records

Publish date:

February 1, 2018

Length:

256 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review: 

The nature of the game of baseball lends itself to allow players to have one outstanding inning, game or achievement in an otherwise mediocre (or worse) career.  Stories about these events, whether accomplished by a Hall of Fame player or a player who was only in the major leagues a brief time, are told in this entertaining book by Joe Cox.

The title of the book gives a hint as to one of the 30 accomplishments highlighted: an “immaculate inning” is one in which the pitcher strikes out all three batters he faces in an inning while throwing only nine pitches. Other achievements highlighted in the book include striking out 20 batters in a game, walking six times in one game, hitting and stealing for the cycle in a game (the latter is stealing second, third and home in a game – more impressive if done in an inning) and having a hitting streak of at least 40 games.

While many of the players who accomplished these feats will be familiar to fans since nearly every feat has famous players who achieved them, the stories about the lesser known players are what make this book a treat to read.  Examples of this are a pitcher who struck out four batters in an inning – one of only 33 innings Derek Wallace pitched in the major leagues; Mark Witten hitting two grand slams in an inning, and Earl Averill reaching base in 17 consecutive plate appearances in 1962.

One interesting note about that last feat was that only one other player accomplished this record – Piggy Ward, who played for the Baltimore Orioles and Cincinnati Reds when he had his streak – in 1893.  Including players who accomplished these feats in the nineteenth century, when the records and statistics kept were spotty, is a testament to the research and work that Cox put into the book.

“The Immaculate Inning” is a book that all baseball fans of any era will enjoy as it covers the entire spectrum of the game. The structure of the book is such that it can be read in one sitting or enjoyed in small pieces as none of the chapters are extremely long and once finished, it goes immediately into the next accomplishment.  It is recommended to be added to the library of baseball book collectors.

I wish to thank Lyons Press for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Immaculate-Inning-Unassisted-Seasons-Baseballs-ebook/dp/B077NW8SD3/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-immaculate-inning-joe-cox/1126827745?ean=9781493032129#/