Foreword / John Thorn.
Who makes the rules and why?
Premodern baseball
Strikeouts and the dropped third strike
Foul territory and dead balls
Three-out innings
Tagging runners, nine men, and force plays
Balks and stolen bases
Nine-inning games
The Diamond
The fly game
Tagging up
Swift pitching and the balk
Called strikes and the base on balls
Implementing balls and strikes
The early strike zone
The early umpire
The fielding revolution
The ball and bat
Overrunning first base
Extra innings, tie games, and suspended games
Fair-fouls and the foul pole
The batter's box
Curveballs and overhand pitching
The modern pitch delivery and balk
Hit by pitch
Gloves and mitts
Catchers' equipment and the catcher's box
Four balls and three strikes, foul tips, and the modern strike zone
The infield fly rule
The modern umpire
Player substitutions
The foul strike
The spitball
The pitcher's mound
The designated hitter
Video replay review
The future.