Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful read.
Review: This hefty volume shines new light on baseball--and sports in general--against the backdrop of American history. Particularly illuminating are the player profiles (check out the pieces on Ty Cobb, Lefty Grove, Ernie Lombardi, Mike Schmidt and Mickey Mantle vs. Willie Mays) and the all-time players' rankings. You'll find yourself re-reading sections just for the sheer joy of immersing yourself in beautifully crafted, cliche-free prose. An essential library addition for anyone who loves the game of baseball.

Rating:
Summary: A good book, but......
Review: This is a good book, but something that reviewer RUBE WADDELL wrote stood out. James's belief that he is the only person that should determine who should and should not be in the Hall of Fame, does stick out and displays itself with a rather ugly glare. I found James to be a little over the top with his brutally candid opinions of players, but I suppose that is what makes the book a good read. The statistics are solid and make for interesting reading. I would have to agree further that James does have political aspirations within the game of baseball. The good thing is that the right people are running the HOF, and James is not amongst them.

Rating:
Summary: A good book, but......
Review: This is a good book, but something that reviewer RUBE WADDELL wrote stood out. James's belief that he is the only person that should determine who should and should not be in the Hall of Fame, does stick out and displays itself with a rather ugly glare. I found James to be a little over the top with his brutally candid opinions of players, but I suppose that is what makes the book a good read. The statistics are solid and make for interesting reading. I would have to agree further that James does have political aspirations within the game of baseball. The good thing is that the right people are running the HOF, and James is not amongst them.