The 34-Ton Bat

An unorthodox history of baseball told through the enthralling stories of the game's objects, equipment, and characters.

One of ESPN's Best in Baseball Books

No sport embraces its wild history quite like baseball, especially in memorabilia and objects. Sure, there are baseball cards and team pennants. But there are also huge balls, giant bats, peanuts, cracker jacks, eyeblack, and more, each with a backstory you have to read to believe. In The thirty-four-Ton Bat, Sports Illustrated writer Steve Rushin tells the real, unvarnished story of baseball through the lens of all the things that make it the game that it is.

Rushin weaves these rich stories—from ballpark pipe organs played by malevolent organists to backed up toilets at Ebbets Field—together in their order of importance (from most to least) for an entertaining and compulsive read, glowing with a deep passion for America's Pastime. The perfect holiday gift for casual fans and serious collectors alike, The thirty-four-Ton Bat is a true heavy hitter.

“This is a dangerously funny book, made brilliant by the fact it is also the genuine history of baseball, true as ash. Above all, it is Steve Rushin's love letter to the Great American Game—perfumed with the odor of hot dogs, glove oil, Frosty Malts, and exotic things like splattered grapefruits dropped from the Washington Monument. This is Rushin throwing from the outfield to the plate, at his wordsmith best.” -Award-winning sports columnist Rick Telander

“The thirty-four-Ton Bat is full of bits of information that will give even the most knowledgeable fan a new understanding of the game and those who have played it.” -Wall Street Journal