Triumph and Tragedy in Mudville: A Lifelong Passion for Baseball

Science meets our national pastime in this vibrant, entertaining, and instructive collection of baseball writing by the late, best-selling, evolutionary biologist Stephen Jay Gould. With candor and insight Gould explores the complexities of childhood streetball, spring's joyful opening day, and the golden era of the subway series. He pays tribute to the icons of baseball as well as lesser-known heroes such as the deaf-mute center fielder "Dummy" Hoy, and he applies the tools of evolutionary theory to the demise of the .400 hitter and the improbability of Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak. This book is an essential addition to Gould's remarkable legacy.