Do you write letters anymore? I admit, I don’t as much as I should. And when I ask if you write letters – I mean with a pen and paper…not an e-mail.

Well, author Seth Swirsky does – and in his book Baseball Letters, he writes to his heroes – ballplayers, some famous, some not so famous, and the responses shed some interesting light into the inside stories of our national pastime.

Imagine asking Cal Ripken how he learned about baseball from his father. Or asking Ted Williams for the best advice he ever received about how to hit a baseball. Swirsky does just that, and you’ll get to read their responses in “Baseball Letters.”

While there are questions asked of lots of baseball’s bigger names, some of the more interesting responses come from the players you may not know. For instance, do you know who Carroll Hardy is? He’s the only person to ever pinch hit for Ted Williams. Swirsky writes to him to ask what he remembers from that event and how it’s stuck with him since.

The book is a compilation – it’s photos, letters to ballplayers and their responses. It’s definitely not a heavy book – as there’s not much analysis, and there’s absolutely no stats or theory. But don’t let the simplicity of the book deter you from reading it – it does have its share of real gems.