Through intelligent discussion of Ives's musical compositions combined with solid research on the composer's lifelong love of the American pastime, Ives's pioneering spirit and unique creativity are highlighted most clearly in this fascinating work. After a useful review of the development of baseball in Ives's time coupled with a succinct biography, Johnson examines the heavy influence of the game and some of its players on Ives's development as a composer. The observations made here are fresh and insightful, and are further elucidated by musical examples and photographs of pertinent ball players and venues. Music professionals, baseball historians, and baseball scholars will all find this a fascinating and useful resource.