Baseball's Two-Way Greats

""Chris Jensen's Two-Way Greats gives readers a fascinating look at the often-overlooked history behind the most incredible thing happening in sports-Shohei Ohtani's dominance as both a hitter and a pitcher. With Two-Way Greats, Jensen manages to both contextualize Ohtani's generational talent and introduce readers to the rest of baseball's fascinating two-way players. Jensen's work is both meticulously researched and engaging as it builds its case that the history of two-way players goes well beyond household names like Ruth and Ohtani, highlighting names that fans may not know, such as Bullet Rogan and John Montgomery Ward. If you are a fan of baseball history, you'll love this book.""-Scott Bolohan, editor-in-chief of The Twin Bill literary baseball journal and host of The Twin Bill podcast ""From the early days of Hall of Famer John Montgomery Ward to the modern-day brilliance of future Cooperstown inductee Shohei Ohtani, Chris Jensen's Baseball's Two-Way Greats provides an in-depth analysis of more than 130 players who excelled both as pitchers and hitters. ...Jensen's book sparks discussions on how players from different eras contributed to their teams, shaped league play, and influenced strategic decisions. ...This grand slam of a book is a compelling justification for its place in any baseball fan's library. Five Stars!!!""-Larry Lester, author, historian and founder of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum ""In this meticulously researched work, Jensen not only celebrates the modern-day marvel of two-way talent-exemplified by stars like Shohei Ohtani-but also shines a long-overdue spotlight on the many other players who have successfully balanced pitching and hitting throughout the ages. The book is an immersive journey that begins in the 19th century, charting a chronological course through baseball, revealing how the dual-threat concept has evolved over time.... Highly recommended for any baseball fan eager to deepen their understanding of the game and its unsung pioneers.""-Alex Painter, author of Folk Hero Forever: The Eclectic, Enthralling Baseball Life of Luke Easter ""Though Shohei Ohtani is celebrated now for his unique ability to both pitch and hit at the highest level, there have been dozens of excellent dual-threat players littered across the history of the game. Chris Jensen does a wonderful job reviewing the best of them in his latest book, Baseball's Two-Way Greats: Pitching/Batting Stars from Ruth and Rogan to Ohtani. It's a fun and educational walk through the best of the game's dual threats and is a worthwhile addition to the library of anyone who loves baseball history.""-Paul White, author of Cooperstown's Back Door