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I, too, know Ron Modra, and I always look for his credits in any issue of Sports Illustrated. His photos can be counted on to be the best in that issue. It is wonderful to have a book full of Mr. Modra's baseball pictures. The pictures are extraordinary, i.e. excellent photographs which are not the ordinary, garden-variety sports photos. The photos capture wonderful moments with the subject. The commentary is also extraordinary, describing the sport in ways we, as fans, may not have considered. I'll be buying at least two more copies of this book as Chrismas gifts this year.

I've worked on occasion as Ron Modra's assistant (including on one occasion pictured in the book) so I am a bit predjudiced. However, even I was pleasantly surprised by what an interesting and original book this is, which is not easy to do with a subject covered as often as baseball. The photos, as always with Ron's work, are great but it is the text which makes the book so original. Ron's insights and those of Pat Jordan and the players are what holds one's interest and make this book a great "read" as well as a great "see". I particularly recommend Ron's comments on Barry Bonds, Pete Rose and Wade Boggs. Well done.

I've been a subscriber to Sports Illustrated for years, and often tear out great photos from the magazine to hang on my bulletin board. I first noticed Ronald C. Modra's photos when he was covering track and field at the Olympics. I still have a picture he took of Jackie Joyner-Kersee from the L.A. or Seoul Games (I don't recall which...) After that, I started looking for his credit line, and while he always took amazing portraits of men and women in a variety of sports, I soon realized his true love was baseball. I started watching the game with a fresh eye, through his photographs, and now that they've been collected in a single volume, I'm really thrilled to re-experience the pleasure his photos always gave me! This is a great gift for anyone in your life who loves the game of baseball. The text is straight from the hip, but it's the pictures that take your breath away.