The Art of Hitting

Part memoir (when Gwynn got his first big-league hit against the Phillies in 1982, Pete Rose, playing first that night, congratulated him and then counseled, "Just don't try to catch me in one night") and part sound, conversationally proffered advice, Gwynn's liberally illustrated Art mirrors his persona: thoughtful, personable, and approachable. He breaks hitting down into its essential components--grip, stance, swing, and follow-through--but also builds on them intellectually and psychologically in his constant search for an edge. His analyses of pitchers--Greg Maddux, Randy Johnson, and Nolan Ryan among them--invite you into the chess match of the hitter-hurler confrontation. But it's his admission that he's "gladly taken less money to be where I'm happy"--with the Padres--rather than just take the money, change uniforms, and run, that may be his best hitting tip of all: a mind free of angst and greed can better concentrate on cut fastballs and dipping sliders. --Jeff Silverman