Images From The Baseball Book

SI Staff | Oct 5, 2006

Images From The Baseball Book

The Lefty

Brian Bahr

From pages 10-11 of Sports Illustrated: The Baseball Book, Tom Glavine throws a pitch during the 2001 season.

Spheres of Influence

(Left) The evolution of the baseball had a major impact on the development of the game. (Right) The first known baseball, from the Knickerbockers, in 1854.

The Rivalry

Damian Strohmeyer

Baseball's hottest rivalry boiled over when Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek confronted the Yankees' Alex Rodriguez at Fenway Park.

Going All-Out

David Durochik

White Sox second baseman Tadahito Iguchi made a true sidearm throw to nail a runner at first in Chicago.

The Stare

Mark Kauffman, Walter Iooss Jr

(Left) Milwaukee Braves ace Warren Spahn, who won 20 or more games 13 times, was the Cy Young winner in 1957, one year after this picture was taken. (Right) The 6-foot-10 Randy Johnson had 4,161 strikeouts and five Cy Young Awards before he joined his fifth team, the Yankees, in 2005.

Pujols' Power

Jeffrey Phelps

Any way you look at it, the power stroke of Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols is a swing of beauty.

In Twilight

Brett Wilhelm

It looked like a line drive in the box score after the Rockies' Todd Hollandsworth legged out a hit in the twilight of Denver's Coors Field.

Never Too Late

George Silk

Satchel Paige had logged many miles on his cleats (left) and was already in his 40s by the time he made it to the major leagues.

The Mick

Art Rickerby

Mickey Mantle had awesome power from both sides of the plate.

Phil Bath

Luis Aparicio, a sure-handed shortstop for the White Sox, couldn't come up with an errant throw in Game 4 of the 1959 World Series, allowing Dodgers outfielder Don Demeter to advance to second.

Up Close

John G. Zimmerman, Mark Kauffman

(Left) A special camera captured the ump's view of a fastball during spring training with the White Sox in 1959. (Right) White Sox shortstop Luis Aparicio slid into third in a setup for a Sports Illustrated cover.

There's Always A Catch

Baseball Hall of Fame Library, Mark Kauffman

(Left) Mitts have evolved from defensive measures, to protect the hands, into instruments of defensive prowess. (Right) In spring training, the 1955 Cardinals were all in play: from left, Bill Virdon, Harry Elliott, Rip Repulski, Wally Moon and Stan Musial.