Rushin discusses the link between the military and baseball and describes how the military endeavored to design a hand grenade shaped like a baseball which they believed would give American soldiers a natural advantage over the enemy because of the soldier's prowess in throwing balls.

In this chapter he also discusses various stunts performed in the 20th century such as catching baseball dropped from planes.

The facility, opened in 1961, boasted a private airstrip, an 18-hole golf course, and five baseball fields as well as player rooms, training and administrative offices for the team.

The consumption of beer by patrons drove the need for large and smartly designed ball park bathroom facilities that could quickly and safely drain the urine of thousands of fans.

Rushin pieces the story together by recounting how a New York city police officer was shot in 1877 and given an award for valor that featured the letters "N" and "Y" superimposed on each other.

'Material culture' is the academic term for the study of physical objects as a means of getting at larger truths and understanding historical turning points.

In recent years, popular authors have taken a page from this playbook and given us, among other titles, Neil MacGregor's "A History of the World in 100 Objects," Harold Holzer's "The Civil War in 50 Objects" and Tom Standage's "A History of the World in 6 Glasses."

Now veteran Sports Illustrated writer and columnist Steve Rushin has applied this notion to baseball by rummaging through the attic of the national pastime and telling its story through objects as central as the bat and ball and even humbler elements-including the primitive steel cups fashioned to protect the "family jewels" and ballpark urinals, a necessity made all the more urgent because of the oceans of beer consumed at ballparks.

Sportswriter Steve Rushin tells the story of these objects in his latest book, The 34-Ton Bat.

"[14]"In an unhurried manner not unlike a leisurely afternoon game, author Steve Rushin wanders through the fields of baseball, passing through locker rooms and outfields, touching upon every object in between.

Such uncommon tidbits will also appeal to baseball fans who are already nuts for stats, history, and the minutiae of America's Pastime.

The glorious 2013 baseball season may be behind us, but "The 34-Ton Bat" can keep you company until the defending champs step up to the plate in spring training.