"Watching Baseball Smarter" a gem at explaining the diamond sport

This isn't the first book to take on the challenge of explaining baseball intricacies, but I've never seen it done better.

Zack Hample is an obsessed fan and former college player whose goofy hobby is snagging batting-practice home runs and foul balls during games. He has more than 3,000.

In "Watching Baseball Smarter," he hits his own homer, because he has the knack of simple explanation and a sense of what will interest a casual fan.

Why do baseball players grab their crotches so often? (The protective cups are irritating.) How much do major-leaguers make? (The average salary is $2.9 million.) What do managers say to pitchers when they visit the mound? (Possibilities range from a pep talk or technique adjustments to instructions on how to pitch the next batter.)

But this isn't a Q&A book. There is a flow to it, and plenty of humor and anecdotes to support the points Hample makes. It is well-organized and covers everything: the draft, pitching (including the difference between a four-seam and two-seam fastball), hitting, fielding, baserunning, statistics, superstitions and even cheating.

Here is a sampling of surprising things a casual fan may learn from "Watching Baseball Smarter":

• Generally, major-league hitters get at most one good pitch to hit every time at bat. When you see a hitter get unusually upset at hitting a foul ball, it's safe to assume that he thinks he just botched his best chance for a hit.

• Some players have admitted to urinating on their hands to toughen their skin.

• Fielders are more likely to make an error on a ball hit by a fast runner, because they rush to make the play.

• The first pitch of an at-bat is considered the most important, because it determines whether the pitcher or batter has the advantage. The further a pitcher falls behind in the count, the more the batter can expect fastballs — and they are easier to hit if you know they are coming.

• Managers often arrange their lineups to have left-handed hitters bat behind speedsters because catchers (who are always right-handed) have more difficulty throwing to second base with a lefty in the batter's box.

• If a plate umpire gets hit by a pitch or foul ball, it is professional courtesy for the catcher to visit the pitcher, just to give the ump time to recover. If the catcher gets hit, the ump sweeps off the plate — even if it doesn't need it.

When it comes to producing "aha moments" of baseball enlightenment, the book indeed has a high batting average.

Craig Smith is a sports writer at The Seattle Times; csmith@seattletimes.com