Rating: 
Summary: Another Hit for Bill James
Review: The first part of the book - "The Game" - is a fascinating compendium of tidbits about each decade of the game's history, and is a lot of fun to browse at random.The second part - "Player Ratings and Comments" - is equally good and lends itself to both browsing and sequential reading. Yes, it would be nice to have a detailed description of how Win Shares is calculated, given that it's mentioned on virtually every page of the section. Yes, some of the player rankings seem a bit curious, to say the least, and some of the player evaluations are sometimes silly. However, whether you agree with Bill or not, this section is still a fascinating read. I can't get enough of it and wish he'd included the top 200 at each position. Regarding the various statistical approaches used in the book, one must appreciate that they're not the ultimate word on the subject - they're all just one man's opinions and best efforts at analyzing a large and difficult body of data. No evaluation of players is going to be perfect and definitive, so appreciate Bill's numbers for what they are - the product of a very knowledgeable baseball historian and statistician. One glaring gaffe appears in the essay entitled "State of the Union". The comment is that the UA Saint Louis Maroons "eventually became the St. Louis Cardinals", which is not true. The Maroons joined the NL for two seasons after the UA died, moved to Indianapolis for three more, and then expired. The Cardinals' ancestor was the AA Browns, who moved to the NL in 1892, after the demise of the AA. (BTW, what's this essay doing in the section on the 1870's when the UA operated in 1884?)
Rating: 
Summary: A New Trend
Review: This review is not about the quality of the book (of course it is excellent and well thought out, its by Bill James), but the proof reading. There were at least 50 errors in this book (typo's, wrong verbage, etc). It is a trend that I find to often in today's publications. Is it asking too much after paying $45.00 for a book, that it not seem as if it were edited by a ten year old.
Rating:
Summary: Baseball Fans Rejoice
Review: A new Bill James book is always welcomed by baseball fans, even if it is an updated version of an earlier edition. The centerpiece of the new Abstract is James' greatly expanded player ranking and associated commentaries. The rankings, based on some new James player stats, and his own judgement, take off from the first version's list. The rankings follows a decade-by-decade history of professional baseball. Longtime James readers, dating from his 1980's abstracts, may look for more statistical analysis, but the general reader will find the new Abstract a worthy addition to their baseball book shelf.
Rating:
Summary: Good...not great
Review: I've read a few of James books before, so i was definitely interested when i heard this one was coming out. Huge book w/a ton of info. Most of which is great, especially the essays about the greatest teams, relief pitchers, how baseball should speed up the game, etc. The book is divided into 2 sections- A decade by decade look at the game & a player rating section. I thought i'd like the player rating section better, i was wrong. Most of the essays mentioned above were in the decade section & that section was truly interesting. OTOH, i was kind've disappointed in the players section. Here's a few reasons: 1. He never fully explains the Win Shares system. Now i know it's supposed to come out next year. As someone who spent [price]on this book, i think it should be explained now, not next year. I can't imagine having putting 15 pages on Win Shares would've hurt. 2. The players section is too long. 100 at each position doesn't sound like much until you realize how many guys you've never heard of from 1900-1940 are ranked & how many guys that had 3-4 OK years are in there..I skipped over alot of these.. 3. The book is published in 11/01,yet, the ranking only go thru 1999 for current players. I know he's got a little section of updates, but, why couldn't he just put them in the order after 2000 since he obviously knew where they'd rank? That said, still a heckuva book. I love seeing guys like Roy White ranked over 1 dimensional guys like Jim Rice..& to the guy who said Seaver wasn't better than Ryan..Re-read the book, James spends a page explaining how good Seaver was & compares him to Ryan..& Seaver didn't pich for that many good teams..The 69 & 73 Mets, the late 70's Reds were decent, but, he missed the Red Machine days
Rating:
Summary: Mixed emotions
Review: It is a requirement of any real baseball fan to have this book in their library. The first section of the book focuses on the history of the game, decade-by-decade. James presents a very readable and enjoyable view of strategy evolution, baseball economics, and throws in a few odds and ends for good measure. The second section rates the top 100 players at each position and includes short (sometimes lengthy) comments for each player. The section also provides a general description of the "Win Shares" system that is the basis for the player ratings. The third section of the book is a reference section containing statistics and Win Share data for several teams of varying quality. If you've never read James before, you'll understand why he is the greatest baseball writer of our time. James mixes insightful analysis, personal opinion, and humor to create an enjoyable reading experience. A big plus for the book is the structure. The book is designed for those who want to read about how baseball was played in the 1930's, then skip over to find out who James ranks as the 53rd best 2nd baseman. Readers of the original Historical Baseball Abstract or the yearly Baseball Abstracts will probably be somewhat disappointed by this edition. After all, the first edition of this book is one of the greatest baseball books ever written. Personally I prefer the first section of the book. I am more interested in the history of platooning or the evolution of the minor leagues than who is ranked as the 87th best left fielder. Unfortunately, the first section of the book has not changed a whole lot from the first edition, and the more interesting articles are edited or eliminated entirely. The new section on the Negro Leagues and the series of articles on the greatest all-time team are notable exceptions. My opinion on the player rating section is mixed. It's nice to be reminded that Don Money played baseball, or to read about players like Johnny Bassler (who knew anything about him?). On the other hand, the best part of the first edition was the controversy over the player ratings. In this book, James is much more factual than argumentative (maybe he's softening up), plus the most interesting part of the first edition, the Peak Value vs. Career Value argument, is no longer included in the book. But it is still Bill James. Read it, think it, agree or disagree, but most of all enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Have Fun This Winter
Review: Any real baseball fan will have a ball with this book! Now that the holidays are winding down and winter has fully settled in this book is perfect with a hot drink and some time on your hands to read - it will get you thinking and daydreaming about baseball. It will also give you endless topics of discussion with other like minded baseball fans who cant wait for spring. Get the book and enjoy!!! Pitchers and catchers will be reporting to spring training in no time!
Rating:
Summary: The great classic returns showing a different excellence
Review: The great classic returns in somewhat different form. The original version was James' greatest achievement and belongs on a short list of the most essential baseball books ever written. And the new version? Most of the new book has been completely rewritten, yet it retains the same flavor as the original. If pressed, I prefer the earlier edition. This is partly because I read it often in the last decade and thus am somewhat biased in its favor, but also because James' new rating system - Win Shares - is introduced in only in general, without demonstrating the nuts and bolts. James is promising us that his next book (out next year?) will tell us a lot more about this interesting and probably excellent system, but in the meantime we have to take Win Shares on faith. However, this reservation pales next to the excellence of the book. The historical overview and the player rankings are a tour de force, as before. In particular, the ranking section is much more ambitious and comprehensive, with many more comments than before. This is one of those books that is more fun to read by skipping from place to place rather than from cover to cover. Note: this is actually the third edition of this book. The "original" was actually two very similar editions - a 1985 hardcover and a 1988 paperback. Here are some things I particularly liked: * Decade-by-decade outlines of the game.
* Greatly expanded capsule lists of odds and ends in each decade.
* Sidebars descibing interesting events and stories from each decade.
* New 1980s, 1990s, and Negro Leagues chapters. The Negro Leagues chapter is the best addition to Section 1 (the historical overview).
* Comments and reasoning about the 100 greatest players overall in addition to raw list.
* Vastly expanded section 2 - now there there are 100 greatest cited at each position (instead of 25 or 50), most of them with substantial comments and/or stories.
* Fielding overview - James clearly explains why traditional fielding statistics mislead.
* The stories and narratives keep the book from revolving around statistics.
* Excellent new articles about the Union Association, the greatest teams ever, the best way to use a relief pitcher, power pitchers, the future of the game, and more.
* Excellent returning articles on the Black Sox era scandals, the evolution of the minors, catchers blocking the plate, and more. Here are some things I wish were different: * The layout in the old book was more informal, part of its charm.
* Some outstanding articles from the old book - such as those on the 1912 World Series, platooning, and the history of relief pitching - are gone.
* The glossary at the end of the old book is omitted. New readers should have a place to check exactly what "secondary average", "the pythagorean method", and other terms mean.
* The old Section 3 was a reference section showing major players' yearly records, including fielding, hit-by-pitch (omitted from most references!), notes, and more. The new Section 3 replaces this with Win Shares by year for major players. While most (not all) of this is available in Total Baseball, this was useful to have here.
* In the old book, James goes to some length to describe his Runs Created and Offensive Winning Percentage methods, and proves their accuracy. In the old hardcover, he takes Pete Palmer and John Thorn to task for not likewise proving their Linear Weights method. In the new book, he mentions that there are new, more advanced Runs Created formulas but does not say what they are.
* I must reserve judgement about Win Shares.
* In the old book, James strongly asserts that a player must be ranked for his peak and career value separately. He has two separate lists for each position because it's "an unavoidable concern," and "I think it's silly to try and put them together." In the new book, he does put them together. He is certainly entitled to change his mind, however since he so emphasized this point in the old book, I would like to hear why he changed it.
* The book's tone at times assumes the reader is familiar with James' earlier works. This may disconcert new readers. James is a brilliant baseball historian. By sharing his insights into the game, many people, including myself, view it through different eyes. He communicates the grand sweep of the game's history very well, and his player evaluations, already fascinating and sometimes amusing, are now much more comprehensive. His statistical innovations have revolutionized baseball analysis. I recommend that new readers read the earlier edition first. In the old book, even though I had never read any of James' work before, I had no problem understanding it, including his explanation of Run Created and Offensive Winning Percentage. I was so impressed that I went on to read all of his 1980s Abstracts and (when they came out) his later books on the Hall of Fame and managers. If I read this edition first, I would be much more skeptical of Runs Created and Win Shares. I hope when this book comes out in paperback, he restores the glossary. My reservations about this book are minor compared to my admiration for this achievement. This is a magnificent overview of baseball history and of baseball's greatest players. This book is too good to get less than five stars.
Rating:
Summary: Baseball's Designated Diagnostician Sees and Raises Himself
Review: So the WinShares concept might need a shard more explanation? So be it. It hardly detracts from the essential enough point that baseball's designated diagnostician has seen and raised his previous masterwork by quite a few notches. He never fails to instruct, challenge, provoke, delight, and amuse. The historical sections have been bolstered just right and remain as engaging as they are revealing; the players' sections include both intriguing anecdotes, a few striking revelations, and some very acute analyses of their values. He also, wisely, rolled a few choice essays over from the previous edition, most notably his striking essay on the contemptible Hal Chase, which he changed not one syllable and bless him for that - Chase was probably the most corrupt baseball player of his and most eras. My only regret: that Mr. James didn't include with this edition that which so enhanced the player ratings sections the last go round, the more detailed career charts. And, since he does allude to this in several points, I would have loved to see an array of the prime clutch hitters of all time, defining clutch hitting as who hits how and with what from the sixth inning onward and particularly in the final two innings (and, by the way, Joe Carter DOES have a reputation for clutch hitting out of all proportion to his actual performance, and you can look it up). But why complain about a few missing peas when the prime rib is so delectable and the salad just the right mix - and, by the way, Tom Seaver WAS a better pitcher than Nolan Ryan, Eddie Murray WAS a better player than Willie McCovey, Darrell Evans WAS better than Tony Perez, and the 1961 Yankees are probably one of the most overrated teams of them all. Put Bill James on your shelf right alongside Roger Angell and Thomas Boswell. They are the best baseball writers alive (Red Smith, alas, is dead).
Rating:
Summary: Thank God for good writers
Review: For the past few years I have, upon entering a book store, looked to see if either Bill James or Jonathan Franzen have written books. This year they both do! I would rather have James' book on a deserted island and you would too.
Rating:
Summary: James rates Number 1
Review: I've read James material for years and this is his best work yet. His rankings are fun and informative. His comments are fresh views on old "Hot Stove" topics. The only question is, " what took you 15 years--and please don't wait another 15 years for the next one."
A must have for any baseball fan.
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