Baseball Books

During much of the World War II era the best teams in Major League Baseball (MLB) could be found in St. Louis, the Cardinals of the National League and the unlikely Browns who dominated in 1944 and came close to doing so in 1945. The Cardinals, a team built through the extensive farm system engineered by Branch Rickey, dominated the National League and won three World Series--1942, 1944, and 1946--and won the pennant but not the overall championship in 1943. It was a dynasty every bit as dominating as that of the New York Yankees during that time.

The Cards won a franchise record 106 games in 1942, and bested the Yankees in the World Series. The next year they won 105 games, but lost to the Yankees in the fall classic. In 1944 the Cards also won 105 games and defeated the cross-town Browns in the World Series, the only "streetcar series" in St. Louis history. In 1946, just as the troops were mustering out of the military after the war, the Cardinals had to beat the emerging dynasty of the Brooklyn Dodgers in a three game playoff to claim the National League Pennant, but then they went on to defeat the Boston Red Sox in a dramatic seven game World Series.

Wiliam B. Mead's "Baseball Goes to War" is an outstanding journalistic account of this era in MLB. It is built around the story of the Cardinals and Browns in St. Louis, but goes beyond that to take in and comment on the milieu of the 1940s. This is the third edition of this wonderful book. It was originally published in 1978 as "Even the Browns," emphasizing the fact that although the Cardinals were one of the most successful franchises of the National League the Browns were one of the American League's weakest.

Indeed the joke, "first in booze, first in shoes, and last in the American League," characterized the plight of the Browns better than perhaps any other statement about them. A revision in 1982, "The Ten Worst Years of Baseball," followed with Mead emphasizing the loss of MLB talent to the military during the war years. Mead notes that the Browns, while becoming respectable in the early 1940s after years of mediocrity, did not so much rise to take the American League pennant in 1944 as the rest of the league declined from the loss of talent to the war effort. In reality, the Browns rebuilt into a decent team during this period, posting winning seasons in the war years 1942-1945. They finished a distant third in the American League in 1942, but finally won the big one in 1944, capturing their only St. Louis pennant. As the "streetcar series" ended in 1944, however, it took with it the last opportunity for the Browns to produce a winner in St. Louis. After a good season in 1945, they slid back into their normal place at the bottom of the league until their departure from St. Louis for Baltimore in 1953, where they became the Orioles.

This is a wonderful, pleasurable history of baseball during the war years, focusing on the Browns and Cardinals, but going much beyond. Enjoy!

This book was originally published as "Even the Browns" and it is both a lovingly detailed valentine and a eulogy to baseball's worst franchise, the St. Louis Browns.

Author William B. Mead, who spent his boyhood watching these mediocrities play their home games from the cheap seats at Sportsman's Park, has compiled a remarkable history of a last place team that seemed cursed to play its games before a few hundred disinterested fans year in and year out. Mead chronicles how the Browns seemed poised to achieve great success before the rival Cardinals stole the hearts and minds of St. Louis baseball fans during the Twenties.

The management of the slumping Browns even rented their ballpark to the Cardinals and ended up subsidizing the successful National League club by agreeing to divide the cost of janitorial service at Sportsman's Park equally. The Browns played before empty seats while the Cardinals had capacity crowds filling the concourses with discarded paper cups, hot dog wrappers, peanut shells and litter.

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor had several unintended consequences: the Browns were denied a lucrative opportunity to relocate from St. Louis to Los Angeles and military conscription meant that all of the teams lost key players to the armed forces. Suddenly, the collection of untested rookies, minor league journeymen, grizzled veterans and pathetic alcoholics on the Browns roster seemed to be competitive! Could this motley crew cope with success long enough to win?

This book is an entertaining and enjoyable read. Nostalgia at its best. Welcome back to the era of rationing cards and railroad travel when baseball's sixteen major league teams were based in eleven cities and St. Louis was the far Western frontier of the big leagues.

THIS BOOK IS AN EXCELLENT LOOK AT THE WWII ERA. ALOT OF GREAT INTERVIEWS AND STORY TELLING DESCRIBE THIS HISTORIC ERA IN GREAT DETAIL. IT LIKE BEING THERE. MR. MEAD DOES A FINE JOB AND THIS IS TRULY AN EXCELLENT BOOK FOR HISTORIANS AND FANS OF THE GREAT AMERICAN SPORT. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

William Mead's wonderful book about a baseball in the 1940's has appeared under several titles (EVEN THE BROWNS, BASEBALL'S WORST DECADE). In each guise it is a sprightly written and judicious account of the personalities (Judge Landis, Pete Gray) and events of baseball in a time of national crisis.

This book is a must read for anyone who enjoys watching or playing the game. Ken and Marilyn are living the American Dream by doing something they both love and sharing it with the world. Not only are Ken's stories entertaining, they bring you to the games and practices with them. Each time I pick up the book to look at the great pictures or read one of the great stories, I smile and imagine where they are visiting. Ken has hit a grand slam with this one.

This is a beautiful book on baseball. Ken Proctor's experiences with the game as a player, coach, fan and overall baseball guru are truly amazing. I know no one who knows more about the game. This book takes us places, introduces us to people, and gives us a 'feel good' journey thru the great eras of the game; it's players, parks, towns and great people that support it. His anecdotes about high school ball, coaching and characters that he's met throughout are remarkable. Anyone that has a love for this game should consider this a MUST read as you not only enjoy Ken's stories, but you will surely LEARN a whole lot along the way. Baseball fans will be instant Ken Proctor fans!!
Harry Reinhart (Wheeling, Illinois)

Ken Proctor really outdid himself with this highly personalized walk down baseball's memory lane.

It is a beautiful creation, and was clearly and absolutely a labor of love.

His observations on all facets of the game, from playing to coaching to simply being a consummate fan of the game, will certainly appeal to baseball afficionados, whether or not they have ever played the game seriously.

Those who do know baseball intimately and appreciate that it is a thinking man's game, and that there is always "a game within the game," will find Ken's comments and insights particularly gratifying.

The day my copy of "Baseball Memoirs of a Lifetime" arrived I literally could not put it down until after midnight, but by then I had looked at every page.

It is that compelling.

Thanks, Ken. You did a huge favor for all of us who truly love the game of baseball.

With over 200 individual stories, this is more than just a baseball book. It is also about long lasting friendships, coaching, the importance of teamwork, and a great love of the national pastime.
The author had the good fortune to meet some of the greats in the sporting world- Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, John Wooden. Included are stories about his great high school coaching career, throwing out the first pitch at a Major League game, tours of the Baseball Hall of Fame and the Hillerich & Bradsby factory, reviews of the many ballparks he and his wife have visited, comments on his favorite baseball radio and tv announcers, and stories about his favorite ballplayers.
Most of the sories are short (1-2 pages). A great "pick up" and read. Full of wonderful photos.
77 years- Ken, thanks for sharing your memories!

Not only is Ron Polk the best college baseball manager that ever walked the face of the earth, he recently made the best decision of his life. That decision being to retire from MSU and the come back and coach at a real school, UGA. God bless Coach Polk and GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!! HUGH4HEISMAN DON'T WANT NONE!!!

Ron Polk breaks the game of baseball down not only position by position, but all aspects of the game off the field. A veteran college coach and one of the most respected men in the game, Polk gives excellent tips for coaches of all levels, from the first day of practice to the final game of the postseason tournament. The former Mississippi State coach is still a popular speaker on the clinic tour and after reading the book, one will understand why. Not only does Polk discuss teaching fundamentals and game strategies, but also gives excellent ideas and points on the "behind-the-scenes" aspects of the game - everything from organizing tournaments and field maintainence to dealing with the local officiating associations, fans, and bringing in support staff to help run a smooth program. Polk even includes ready-to-copy charts and forms for player information, public address announcers, game schedules, equipment managing, and setting up and enforcing team policies. If you're looking for big-names and shiny pictures, forget it - this book is for serious coaches....and Polk doesn't leave any aspect of coaching in an organized baseball league uncovered.

This book has helped me so much. With me currently being a baseball player, I need a little more help to push me over the edge to make my high school team. This book has helped me in batting and outfield. Of course, those are the things I do. This book has anything and everything for all postions. It even has a section where it tells you where all fielders are supposed to move in every kind of situation. You name it and it has it. This book however, is not only for players. This is for coaches and believe it or not, it is also for people in charge of the fields! This book has a detailed picture of a field and how you're supposed to water it and stuff like that. So if you would like to get a few pointers, I guarantee this book will help you for however you are involved in the wonderful game of baseball.

This work is all a coach needs to organize and run a successful program. It includes all the charts and referances you'll ever need. Included are diagrams for all defense situations and a drill series that covers every necesaary defense skill.

Be The Ball presents the author's experiences as a weekend golfer who tries to improve his own game and bring the practice rang swing to the golf course. Relaxation, visualization and auditory cues are used in this audio to help guide listeners to pre-shot skills which will lead to improved scores. An intriguing application for meditation and learning.

BE THE BALL is worth keeping!

This 40-minute cassette recording is the perfect gift for all interested golfers.

The author Sean Ryan is an avid golfer and often can be found at the practice range near his New Jersey home.

Improve your skills by learning how to visualize the ball by listening to Mr. Ryan's auditory cues. This cassette is full of helpful techniques, which he cleverly transmits in a to the point and easy to understand manner.

Whether you are a weekend golfer, or an every day on your lunchtime break golfer--I'm positive that you will find this audio recording helpful, fun and just the right thing to help you relax, swing and get your first "hole in one!"

My husband, who is an avid golfer, and I, as a weekend golfer, found Mr. Ryan's cassette recording extremely rewarding. Clear your mind, learn to relax before each shot, develop a routine to get you in the "groove" so you can easily determine the speed of each putt, swing freely, and learn pre-shot skills resulting in an improvement of your game score.

I highly recommend this clever audio recorording..........

Be The Ball is a superbly produced, forty minute, audiobook presentation on how to play a better game of golf. Listeners will learn to relax and focus before each shot; develop a routine to get into the "zone"; free their mind from last second adjustments; teach themselves to swing freely and confidently; discover an easy way to determine the speed of a putt; practice their mental game while relaxing; and incorporate positive talk into their golf game. Be The Ball is highly recommended for anyone seeking to improve their game, their ability to relax while playing, and to hone their pre-shot skills resulting in significant game score improvement.

I listened to it and knocked 5 strokes off my score the next day. The tape suggests subliminal keys to trigger positive thoughts or should I say eliminate negative thoughts. As a 9 handicap, I think it it's well worth trying.

At the 2006 Cape Cod Baseball League All-Star Game at Red Wilson Field (South Yarmouth, MA), I finally picked up the book Beach Chairs and Baseball Bats by Steve Weissman. Steve was parked behind home plate, as usual, in a tent selling and autographing copies. He is a very down-to-earth friendly guy, and graciously personalized my copy of the book.

The day after the All-Star Game was nice and sunny, so I headed to Covell's Beach (Centerville, MA) to start reading the book.

Beach Chairs and Baseball Bats begins with Steve's first encounter with the Cape League and explains the history behind the league. Then, the book looks at each team, their field, and other facts (e.g. Does the field have lights or not?). Steve then goes into details behind the off-season and the beginning of the season. Sprinkled throughout are player profiles with interesting facts about individual members from various teams. The latter half of the book is filled with tidbits about the league (e.g. The 50/50 raffle), and goes into detail about the season and playoffs.

Because I know a lot about the league, I was initially concerned that Beach Chairs and Baseball Bats would not tell me anything new. But, I was pleasantly surprised to learn quite a bit. The author has a great knack for unveiling interesting facts. For example, I had always wondered about the history behind the Orleans Cardinal's mascot, Mr. Cardinal. I don't think the other Cape League books I read even mention the team mascots ("Homer" in Falmouth and "Mr. Cardinal" in Orleans).

The story of the 2004 Cape League playoffs is told in great detail in the chapter "The 'Second Season'." The playoffs last less than a week, but consist of the most exciting games to watch, and I am glad that Steve decided to narrate them.

The book finishes with personal notes from players in the Cape League, a list of former Cape players in Major League Baseball, a list of Cape players drafted in 2004, and a plethora of fascinating black & white photos.

Overall, I think this book is the best option for anyone who has been, or plans to go to a Cape game and wants to learn more about the league. After reading this book, I would then recommend watching the Cape League documentary Touching the Game. For those looking for more of a story that follows an entire Cape season, look toward The Last Best League by Jim Collins, or the novel Slider by Patrick Robinson. And for those looking more for historical information check out Baseball by the Beach by Christopher Price. The only book I have not yet had a chance to read is Cape Crusaders by Mike Thomas, which apparently is filled with interviews and accounts from players, coaches and volunteers.

As a frequent visitor to Cape Cod for over 30 years and a baseball fan, how could it be that I've only recently attended my first Cape Cod Baseball League game? But it took just one visit and I'm hooked. Why? Maybe it's the friendly atmosphere or the colorful townies cheering on their teams along side the vacationers or the sense of community that enhances the opportunity to watch the best college players in the country playing their hearts out and showing everyone what they've got. It is a great take for the whole family or for the single fan. And it's priced right ... admission is free. Where can you get that in America these days?

Steve Weissman's book "Beach Chairs and Baseball Bats" is not a history of the CCBL (although there is enough to give you the basics), but the book goes beyond the baseball and captures the Cape League experience. It looks at the players, the teams, the host families, the fans, the volunteers and everything that makes the league tick. And best of all, it answered all of the questions I had about the CCBL. Did you know that there is a Cape Cod Baseball League Hall of Fame in Sandwich? Did you know that many of today's major league players once played in the Cape Cod League? Did you know that many of the players are being studied by major league scouts right before your eyes? "Beach Chairs and Baseball Bats" explains it all from many different angles and makes this book a compelling, feel-good read.

I read this book twice this summer while at the beach in my beach chair. Then I'd head out to a few games afterward armed with a little more knowledge of what I was witnessing. And you know what? I may end up reading it again this winter when I want to recapture a little of that summer magic.

Light easy read. Bought it for my Dad, who is a huge lover of baseball and an ex-college baseball coach. The whole family read it while on vacation in Cape Cod this summer. We found the writer's review of the history and the "business" of running this league fascinating. The personal anecdotes of past players also helped the author convince you of the special place that this league holds in the history and the future of our favorite national sport.
My advice...read the book and plan your summer vacation in Cape Cod. Then, using this book as your reference, see how many Cape Cod baseball games you can attend at as many fields in as many towns as you can. Life doesn't get much better than this!!

I am a huge fan of the Cape Cod Baseball League and the more I learn, the more I love it! If you know nothing about the league or even baseball itself now, you will become a fan as you read. This book really captures the great human stories and the inner workings of the league. It is so wonderful to experience the game at this level...to read about so many great players on the cusp of making it to the major leagues. When I meet people who don't know why baseball is still America's pasttime, I show them this book...it is great that such a pure baseball experience still exists and we can all enjoy it! A great slice of Americana!

My "newbie" Tee Ball player laughed hard at one character's silly interpretation of "going home". When teaching children to play a new sport, it's important for all -- including these young players -- to keep a sense of humor.

My twin 5 year olds played t-ball for the first time this spring. We bought this book recently and it made them laugh out loud. The story reminded them of the many funny things that happened when they were first learning the rules of the game. Wish we had read it before the season began. It's a fun read.

This is such a cute book. Brother and Sister bear are trying to coach a T-ball team but neglect to teach the cubs how to play. So, when they're told to "run home" after making a hit, the little cub literally runs home to her house. This book is full of such little quips and makes learning about a sport very entertaining. It's also great for that little one just starting T-ball and learning about the game. Even sportsmanship is discussed as Brother bear learns that nothing is ever accomplished by stomping up and down on your hat! This book helped explain a lot in our house. Recommend!

I loved this book because of its humor. Great for teaching a young one about T-Ball and there is also the valuable lesson about teaching kids about teaching/coaching a sport. Also, fun stickers included!

I absolutely loved this book. It's both fun and easy to read and fully thorough. It's definitly the standard book on Jewish baseball players.

They're all here -- the ones you can name (Hank Greenberg, Sandy Koufax, Shawn Green) and the ones you can't (just about everyone else). This is the perfect Father's Day gift for Jewish, baseball-loving Dads everywhere and a great resource to have on your baseball bookshelf. At least, I'm sending a copy to my father-in-law and I love having a copy on my own shelf!

This is a great book to thumb through and read all of the interesting stories. It's well-written, entertaining, and extremely interesting. The stories rang from the compelling to the hilarious. You don't have to be Jewish to enjoy it. It's a great book for any sports fan!

I recieved this as a gift and found it very interesting. I also was able to use it in a research project for school. I recomend this book for anyone intrested in sports.

I am not a big sports fan, but I was very moved by this book. It actually creates the experience of that last game. The photos are amazing and the book is first class in its design and presentation. I was surprises to find out how little it was selling for. This book is a piece of art.

The book was awesome, it did arrived damaged by UPS, they sat the package outside my office late Friday and it rained on it all weekend - the book was not in plastic so therefore the binding was ruined - I did get my money back from Amazon - the book itself was very much worth the reasonable price, anyone that is a Craig Biggio fan would cherish this book, the photos were so emotional and so clear and vivid that you feel like you are at the game.

I was at this game, and being a displaced Astros and mainly Biggio fan this will be something that I truly treasure forever.

This is an absolutely incredible book. Many thanks to Michael Hart for deciding to put this out. I was at the last game, with standing room only tickets and it was an unbelievable atmosphere to be a part of as everyone celebrated 20 years of grit, hustle, humility, and leadership that is Craig Biggio. Unfortunately from my perspective I wasn't able to see every moment, facial expression, etc that happened that day, but thanks to Hart, I can now enjoy and remember that day on many levels.

A must have for any Astros fan or any true baseball fan in general who wants to let their kids know how the game of baseball once was.

I'm a raving fan of the Bill James Baseball Handbook.

This year's edition has everything that you would expect from the Bill James Baseball Handbook - plus some new wrinkles, including: career post-season stats (through 2007) and a new section on relief pitching.

Some interesting facts and figures from the Bill James Handbook 2009:

Did you know that Joe Girardi had Yankees runners moving with a pitch 173 times in 2008? That was tops in the majors - and the tops in the A.L., by far.

Yet, this past season, the Yankees were 62/230 in terms of going "1st to 3rd" on the bases - and 110/192 going "2nd to home."

For a point of comparison, the Rays were 60/199 going "1st to 3rd" and 105/185 going "2nd to home." And, the Angels were 85/235 going "1st to 3rd" and 121/202 going "2nd to home."

And, in terms of "manufacturing" a run - in terms of producing a run where a stolen base, bunt, or pinch-runner was involved, the Yankees "manufactured" 52 of these types of runs in 2008.

For a point of comparison, the Twins had 95 of these runs, the Angels had 65, the Red Sox had 57, and the Rays had 62.

O.K., that's just a taste of the sort of stuff that you can find in the Bill James Handbook 2009.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys baseball stats. You can sit with it for hours and enjoy it. I know that I will...in fact, that's why I'm not writing more about it now...as I'd rather be reading it at this moment that writing about it.

The book sells itself. See the Key Features. If those appeal to you, you should buy it. The book is as good as ever. The question is whether the book is necessary, given the raft of other excellent sabermetric books that will be on the market this winter. The other books, by and large, are focused on fantasy baseball or prospects. The Handbook is different. No matter how much baseball you watch or read about during the season, it's impossible to keep up with all of it. And there's not enough time during the daily grind of the season to assimilate what's happening, if you're interested in how this season fits into the broader perspective of past seasons. The Handbook allows you to experience the season with the benefit of hindsight, to catch up, and to learn some things about how managers really used their personnel. On every page you'll probably see something you didn't know, or that corrects what you thought you knew. In addition to the stats, you have unique sections on base running, bullpens, lineup efficiency, small-ball tactics, etc. With a lot of other books, the emphasis is on the bottom line answers. With Bill's book, the journey matters as much as the destination. The Handbook allows you to spend the winter reconstructing the journey of the past season in a variety of ways, and to make sense of it for yourself. If you want to do your own thinking, the book is as relevant as ever.

Kim: Looks like you got another !@#$ing book in the mail.
Me: The new Bill James Handbook is here! The new Bill James Handbook is here!
Kim: [not quite under her breath] Loser.
Me: ::grinning like a goon::

That conversation may not have actually taken place, but it might as well have. I've nearly filled an entire bookshelf with baseball annuals, including six separate editions of the BJH. In a vast sea of baseball annuals, the BJH distinguishes itself from the pack by -- among other things -- hitting the streets just after the World Series ends. This year's edition was available on November 1st, and I think I may have received my review copy a day or two before then, even. I'm still not sure how they get it finished and shipped so quickly; I think it has something to do with elves.

First off, the Fielding Bible awards are back, and Carlos Beltran was honored as the top defensive centerfielder, beating out former Mets Carlos Gomez and Mike Cameron, among others. A panel of ten "experts" voted on the awards, including Bill James, John Dewan, Joe Posnanski and Rob Neyer. David Wright finished tied for fifth at third base (Adrian Beltre won), Jose Reyes finished tenth at shortstop (Jimmy Rollins) and Johan Santana was the sixth highest-ranked pitcher (Kenny Rogers). The voting was somewhat subjective, though I suppose each panelist reached his conclusions using whatever means he considered the most meaningful. The objective counterpart to the awards are Dewan's plus/minus leaders, which would seem to cut into his profits on the forthcoming Fielding Bible 2009. Jose Reyes appears on neither the leaders nor the trailers list, so we may actually have to wait for the FB2009 to know how he actually rated. From the "Kinda Looks Like a Misprint" department, Chase Utley was 47 plays better than average at second base, which is mind-boggling. Also mind-boggling: Pat Burrell was -73 in left field from 2006-2008. Do. Not. Want.

As usual, the BJH devotes near 300 pages to the career registers of every player who was active in 2008. I understand why they include it, and it's theoretically handy to have that kind of information on hand, but in practice I just find it negligibly useful. All of that information -- and much, much more -- is seconds away on the internets. I've got a desktop and a laptop (and an iPhone), so there's rarely a time when it's more convenient to look up a player's statistics in a book instead of hopping online. Maybe I'm on an island here, but I'd prefer they save some trees, cut the career register, and maybe add a few more Bill James articles about the prior season in order to flesh things out a little bit.

The time I save by not looking at the career register I can spend on the 2008 baserunning statistics, which are just fascinating to me. If we can accurately measure runs created on the basepaths, there's no reason they shouldn't be included in a player's total value when we're quantifying his contributions to the team. Offense is X, defense is Y, and baserunning should be Z. The BJH's baserunning stats measure each player's ability at:

* Going first-to-third on a single
* Going second-to-home on a single
* Going first-to-home on a double
* Advancing on outs
* Not getting doubled off
* Not grounding into double-plays

All of those factors are thrown into a mixer which spits out a base runs gained/lost. That number is combined with stolen base gain/lost to arrive at a total baserunning gain/lost, expressed in runs. Carlos Beltran cracked the top ten with +35 base runs, which you can add to the list of things he does extraordinarily well. Jose Reyes was at +32. Derek Jeter was -13. Willy Taveras led all big leaguers with +70 base runs. Dioner Navarro trailed everyone at -39. As a team, the Mets were fourth in the majors with +85 base runs. The World Champion Phillies were first overall with +114 base runs.

The relief pitching section is also neat, as it breaks down saves into different types (easy, regular, tough), and also includes things like stranding inherited runners, pitching on consecutive days, high-leverage situations, long outings blown save/win situations, and some other stuff. A "tough save" is defined as one in which a reliever comes into the game with the tying or go-ahead runs on base. Tough saves were only converted successfully 22% of the time in 2008. The Mets' bullpen served to drag that number down a bit by going 0-for-8 in tough save opportunities.

We've also got a section on manufactured runs. This goes a bit beyond productive outs by determining actual runs that scored as a result of "productive" outs. A manufactured run, per the BJH, is "(a) any run on which two or more of the bases come from something other than playing station-to-station baseball, or (b) a run that scores without a hit, or with only infield hits". They're further separated into deliberately manufactured runs (runs that involve a stolen base, a bunt, or a pinch-runner) and non-deliberate manufactured runs (one that don't include the aforementioned managerial decisions). For whatever it's worth, the Mets manufactured more total runs -- 207 -- than any other National League team, and just shy of the 213 manufactured by the Twins. Yay! Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran are the top two manufacturers in the NL, craftily assembling 42 runs and 37 runs, respectively.

The book goes on and on. We've got managerial records, park factors, comprehensive ballpark statistics (Shea Stadium suppressed RHB batting average more than any NL park outside of San Diego), lefty/right splits for batters and pitchers, esoteric stat leaderboards (David Wright had the second-highest NL OPS among players under 25; Mike Pelfrey led the NL in GIDP/9 with 1.30; Oliver Perez was the most extreme flyball pitcher in all of baseball;), career win shares, and the Young Talent Inventory (Wright and Reyes are both among James's top ten players under 27). We also get 2009 projections for batters and pitchers.

If that weren't enough, there's also career targets (formerly known as the Favorite Toy), which evaluates the likelihood of certain players hitting certain milestones. For instance, Jose Reyes has a 31% chance of reaching 3,000 hits and a 5% chance of reaching 4,000 hits. Alex Rodriguez dominates this section, and has a 49% chance of breaking Barry Bonds's career homerun record.

There's really just an astounding amount of information in here, and it's very easy to get lost within it for hours at a time. I urge you to pick up your own copy and support the folks that make this and other great baseball books possible.

So assuming you haven't been hiding under a rock for the past 30 years or so, and you have even the slightest interest in statistical analysis and/or fantasy baseball, you know who Bill James is. Hopefully you've picked prior versions of this book so it isn't a completely new topic to you.

But If it is your first encounter with Mr. James' work - don't do yourself the disservice of just picking TBJH2009 up and flipping through it. The majority of pages contain statistics and you'll probably just dismiss it as being an encyclopedia of players' performance. Not that this isn't entirely true...but the real key is to understand why the book contains all this data.

James has been at work for 30 years trying to figure out the correlation of numbers to winning. He knew that it wasn't all about the "traditional" statistics - batting average, win-loss record, and ERA to name a few...he sensed that there was something more out there that could be used as a gauge of a player's ability to contribute to his team's ability to win ballgames.

It's James' thinking about the relation of statistics to winning that is what deliver the punch of the book. Even though it only occupies a dozen or so pages, his analysis and introduction to certain statistical categories give the numbers context and meaning, and turn them into things that should be thought about as opposed to just looked at.

The first thing that really captured my attention - and this is on page 321, mind you - is his article on bullpens, specifically his assigning of positions to the pitchers who comprise a bullpen. It's not fair to compare a utility reliever to a closer - yet the current mainstream thinking does just that. Each pitcher in the bullpen comes into the game in different situations, and James argues that we need to look at their performance on an individual basis while in the context of their role. The Bill James Handbook 2009 provides the tools and instructions for doing just that, and the result is a smarter and more educated fan.

In the same vain of understanding what affects success, James and the crew at Baseaball Info Solutions have provided a tremendous amount of data on managers - how many lineups they use, how quick they are to pull their starting pitchers, and one of my favorites - how successful they are when they call for an intentional walk. Managers tend to be either overlooked or somewhat unfairly criticized, and James reminds the reader that he is there "trying to pollute the discussion of managers with actual facts."

To James, it's one thing to suppose something, it's quite another to actually have numbers and facts that can be used to support tendencies.

What James and his collaborators ultimately are trying to do with The Bill James Handbook 2009 - besides sell books, of course - is to challenge your way of thinking and to take the shackles off your brain and allow you to look at statistics and numbers in a whole new light and not only learn what they think, but possibly discover your own correlations.

For instance - James suggests the possibility of MLB teams "employ(ing) platoon players like Las Vegas employs comedy acts." He takes two players at the same position who have such polar opposite lefty/righty splits that combining them would be a dream come true - and he subsequently renames the tandem to elicit a decent chuckle from the reader.

The book concludes with two sections that ultimately challenge the reader the most - league leaders and 2009 projections. The former encourages you to look at the top 10 leaders in an array of statistical categories and see which tend to have the most influence on winning; while the latter gives you a glimpse into the future through the eyes of James and his team. You can't argue with the leaders, yet you can debate the projections until everyone is blue in the face - that is a big part of the appeal.

Not to be left out are the Fielding Bible 2008 awards and a realtively new project that Mr. James has shared with his readers - his Young Talent Inventory, where he attempts to rate the best young players in baseball as well as which team has the best young players in their system. Depending on how your team came out, it could either be a bright spot for the future, or signs of conern if you believe in developing talent and bringing up the future from within your organization.

The Bill James Handbook 2009 is another heavy hitter, particularly when it comes to off-season reading both to recap the 2008 season and look ahead to the 2009 campaign. I'm glad to have my copy ready to go, knowing that it's assuming it's rightful position on my desk's reference shelf.

Dan Price has done a wonderful Job it is hard to believe this was his 1st book. For Billy you seem to grasp him under your wings and follow each and every move along his path to regain happiness. Dan really grasped your attention in his play by play of the games. Children of all ages and even adults would love this book. I bought one for my daughter In-Law a 2nd grade teacher for her classroom.

I received this book as a gift some months ago and thoroughly enjoyed the experience of this read. "Billy's Victory" is a story about a hero. The protagonist isn't the typical cape sporting crime fighter. Rather, he is a regular 11 year old boy dealing with tragedy and finding courage face to his fears for the wellbeing of others.

Sewn into the plot of Billy's heroic actions is a baseball yarn that parallels the reality of Billy's real-life issues. You will find yourself cheering Billy on in the grandstands hoping he will taste the thrill of victory.

This is a fantastic read for the everyday hero. Here's hoping for more from Dan Price.

I ordered this book for the kids in my life. When it arrived it looked interesting and I decided to read it myself. What I found is that it is good for all ages. I was charmed by Billy and his family. Kids who like sports will love it and adults will enjoy the historical references.

I bought Billy's Victory for my grandkids and I was amazed how they stuck with the book and read it from cover to cover. They both love baseball and the play by play action of the games seem to grab their attention. The author, I understand, is a first-time author. I hope he does more!