Tony Gwynn is the greatest hitter in the history of baseball. That's the conclusion of this engaging and provocative analysis of baseball's all-time best hitters. Michael Schell challenges the traditional list of all-time hitters, which places Ty Cobb first, Gwynn 16th, and includes just 8 players whose prime came after 1960. Schell argues that the raw batting averages used as the list's basis should be adjusted to take into account that hitters played in different eras, with different rul...

"A kind of gonzo Moneyball": The New York Times–bestseller about two statistics-minded outsiders being allowed to run a professional baseball team ( New York Times Book Review).It's the ultimate in fantasy baseball: You get to pick the roster, set the lineup, and decide on strategies—with real players, in a real ballpark, in a real playoff race. That's what baseball analysts Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller got to do when an independent minor-...

In A Mathematician at the Ballpark, professor Ken Ross reveals the math behind the stats. This lively and accessible book shows baseball fans how to harness the power of made predictions and better understand the game. Using real-world examples from historical and modern-day teams, Ross shows: Why on-base and slugging percentages are more important than batting averages How professional odds makers predict the length of a seven-game series How to use mathem...

The systematic analysis of baseball statistics, often called "sabermetrics," has evolved in recent years to resemble something of a science, attracting fans from diverse professional and educational backgrounds, all fascinated by the analysis itself and its insights into the game. But one problem has defied solution: estimating runs saved by fielders throughout history. Traditional statistics include errors and plays made, but not hits that could or should have been prevented. The latter c...

In Juicing the Game, award-winning journalist Howard Bryant offers the only big-picture look at the insidious manner in which performance-enhancing drugs infested baseball as the game’s leaders stood idly by, reaping the rewards.Combining hard-hitting investigative journalism with interviews with baseball heavyweights such as Jason Giambi, Commissioner Bud Selig, union head Donald Fehr, and Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson among many others, Juicing the Game is the de...

Every summer, in ten small towns across Cape Cod, young college baseball players showcase their talents in hopes of making it to the "show." A vicious filter, the league has produced one out of every six major league players, from Nomar Garciaparra and Todd Helton to Jeff Bagwell and Barry Zito.In this brilliantly crafted narrative, Jim Collins chronicles a season in the life of the Chatham A's, perhaps the most celebrated team in the Cape Cod Baseball League. Set against a seemingly bucol...

As part of the acclaimed Sports Virtues series, "Branch Rickey & Jackie Robinson: Nobility" discusses the struggles and triumphs of Branch Rickey's and Jackie Robinson's lives. As with each story in the Sports Virtues series, this book assigns a virtue to a celebrated athlete or coach, and uses that person's story to help the reader achieve that virtue for him or herself.What emerges after reading these stories is not only a greater understanding and appreciation of the virtues tha...

My E-Book looks at George Washington Keefe from the perspective of a player and family member. He was the son of a diabled Pennsylvania Union Civil War soldier. Charles Keefe was a cabinetmaker who drew a pension after being wounded as a reservist in combat with the Pennsylvania infantry. His son, George pitched for three seasons for the Washington Nationals. It was a different time in baseball history. The Detroit Wolverines played in the National League. Baltimore's club was also in the ...

Funny, moving, and each one a diamond in the rough of the American consciousness, the essays in this book are the ultimate baseball conversation that pays homage to the perfect sport, in this perfect companion for all our personal baseball journeys.For some people baseball means a memory-of a certain dusty ball field on a certain summer day, or the first time they walked into a major league park and saw the perfect emerald playing field. For some, baseball means on...

Ty Cobb and Tris Speaker are both legendary Hall of Fame baseball players. The men were icons in the early 20th Century sports world where baseball was truly the national pastime and the biggest sport of them all in America. In the summer and fall of 1926 a former major league pitcher, Hubert Dutch Leonard, came forward with letters that had been sent to him by Ty Cobb, his former manager. Cobb and Leonard had a tempestuous relationship that culminated with the pitcher being sent back to t...

Of the 17,000-plus players who have donned major league uniforms over the years, not all were particularly nice or ethical. In fact, the actions of a handful were so heinous, they left an indelible mark on the sport. In Baseball’s Most Notorious Personalities: A Gallery of Rogues, Jonathan Weeks thoroughly examines this dark side of our National Pastime.Liars, cheats, hotheads, even axe murderers—you’ll find them all here in the Gallery. From scapegoats to maniacs, meddling manager...