Baseball for kids

June 7, 2008 4:25 AM

Are there any good books to help explain baseball to a 5 year old?

I've been charged with helping a 5 year old understand baseball. I'm looking for recommendations on good books for us to read together that can help him get the fundamentals on an age appropriate level. We've been to a few games together and I explain the game while we are there but a book or two would be helpful.

I've been looking online and found a few books, but wonder if anyone has suggestions.

posted by sara558 to sports, hobbies, & recreation (6 comments total)

I have searched and searched and searched some more, sara, but every single one is in the 9 to 10-year-old age.
Face-to-face explanations will have to do?
posted by Dizzy at 5:30 AM on June 7, 2008

Check out the books by Matt Christopher, his website is here. I read alot of his baseball books as a kid. I was rewatching "The Bad News Bears" the other day and was astounded by how much Buttermaker teaches about nuances in baseball, but alas the sheer quantity of four-letter words in the flick would render it wholly inappropriate for a kid that age.
posted by vito90 at 6:17 AM on June 7, 2008

Dorling Kindersley has a baseball book. It lists 9-12 as the age range, but I think it could work as a jumping-off point for discussion with a five-year-old. Lots of pictures.
posted by Sweetie Darling at 6:26 AM on June 7, 2008

Forget the books, play catch with him. Help him break in his glove, get a teeball set, go see little league games instead of pro games (watching "big kids" play will make more of an impression on him than grownups).

Books are great, but come on, it's baseball! "This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains."
posted by headnsouth at 8:33 AM on June 7, 2008

My son played a lot of the Backyard Baseball video game around ages 5 or 6. But I also second the play with him point. 5 is plenty old to start swinging at a whiffle ball. Get the fat bat sete and pitch to him in the yard.
posted by COD at 4:51 PM on June 7, 2008

Thanks, everyone. I should have mentioned that we are both playing and going to games. His parents have zero interest in sports and have asked me to teach him the game and how to play. I am hoping to augment playing and going to games with books!
posted by sara558 at 7:19 PM on June 7, 2008