Synopses & Reviews
In 1996, a brassy young team of experts produced a guide to baseball statistics. Printed on a photocopier, its distribution, which was in the low 300s, was limited to friends, family, and die-hard stat-heads. Fifteen years later, the Baseball Prospectus annual regularly hits the NY Times best-seller list and has become an indispensable guide for the serious fan.
In their new volume of essays, Extra Innings, the team at Baseball Prospectus integrates statistics, interviews, and analysis to deliver 20 arguments about todays game. In the tradition of their seminal book, Baseball Between the Numbers, they take on everything from steroids to the amateur draft. They probe the impact of managers on the game. They explain the critical art of building a bullpen. They weigh in on the question of when should stars like Jeter and Pujols retire.
In an era when statistics matter more than ever, Extra Innings analyzes and interprets the numbers side of the game better than any other book. The authors never lose sight of the value of leadership and performance under pressure as they help explain the beauty and logic behind Americas pastime.
Review
Washington Post Book WorldGo to a certain kind of bar, and chances are you will be told that everything you know about baseball is wrong. But, the wise guys at Baseball Prospectus will make you believe it — and enjoy discovering why.”
New York Daily News
One book that will surely fuel the vicious barroom arguments that make the national pastime so much fun is Baseball Between the Numbers by the stat-heads at Baseball Prospectus, a book that brings a meat cleaver to some of the games most sacred cows.”
Miami Herald
Baseball Prospectus takes an inspired approach to the game, blending science and math to bust myths.”
Boston Globe
A provocative book that looks at the game in ways not previously imagined.... These are the people making a huge impact on progressive front offices throughout the game.”
Wall Street Journal
For fans in the moderate-to-diehard category, the queries asked and answered within these pages make for surprisingly absorbing, even suspenseful, reading.”
Roanoke Times
These are people who love baseball; their purpose is not to destroy our enjoyment of it but to provide better understanding. And if youre impatient, you wont have to wait long — its in an introductory chapter — for the groups answer to the burning question: Whos the better player, Barry Bonds or Babe Ruth? We wont give it away; youll have to beg, borrow, buy or steal the book. Its worth it.”
Bob Ryan, Boston Globe
Time and again while reading this book I was dazzled by the intense depth to which these researchers are willing to go.... The depth of their knowledge is not merely formidable or impressive. It is downright frightening.”
New York Times
Freakonomics for statheads.... The Baseball Prospectus team can make just about anything interesting.”
Newsweek.com
If youre a sports iconoclast, one of those folks who believes that the conventional wisdom is usually wrong, a firm believer in the cult of Moneyball,” then this book should be next on your list. The stathead big brains at Baseball Prospectus tackle the articles of baseball dogma and dismantle them one by one. Does a batting order really matter? Is there such a thing as a clutch hitter? The title is misleadingmost of what you know about baseball is, in fact, still right. But the authors use numbers and cold hard logic to dispute myths you never wouldve even thought to challenge. Its a must-read for anybody who grew up memorizing statistics on the backs of baseball cards.”
Synopsis
For baseball fans young, old, and in between, a sequel to the ultimate guide to the new statistical thinking thats revolutionizing the game.
Synopsis
In 1996, a brassy young team of fans produced a guide to baseball statistics. Printed on a photocopier, its distribution, which was in the low hundreds, was limited to friends, family, and die-hard stat heads. Sixteen years later, the Baseball Prospectus annual regularly hits best-seller lists and has become an indispensable guide for the serious fan.
In Extra Innings, the team at Baseball Prospectus integrates statistics, interviews, and analysis to deliver twenty arguments about today’s game. In the tradition of their seminal book, Baseball Between the Numbers, they take on everything from steroids to the amateur draft. They probe the impact of managers on the game. They explain the critical art of building a bullpen. In an era when statistics matter more than ever, Extra Innings is an essential volume for every baseball fan.
About the Author
Base ball Prospectus is the top statistical website in baseball and is extensively cited in print and on air by a wide range of broadcasters, magazines, and daily newspapers.