Baseball: The Biographical Encyclopedia

Rating:
Summary: A One of a Kind Baseball Reference
Review:

Another excellent offering from Total Sports. Between this book and Total Baseball, you will have at your fingertips far more about baseball history than any one person could possibly remember. With over 2,000 biographies, this book covers over 10% of players, managers and important figures in baseball history. There are pictures for each player along with a cursory stat line and then a biography for the player ranging from a half column for some to two or three pages for important figures like Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth. The material is fresh and interesting and I learned new things about players I thought I knew well.

I have one relatively minor complaint. If they ever produce another edition, I would like to see a somewhat expanded stat line including things like major achievements (MVP's, Cy Young's), teams played for and ranking in important career categories.

Still this is a marvelous resource for finding out something beyond what you can get in just a player's stat line.

Rating:
Summary: Ballplayers Come To Life
Review: Compiling essays on the 2,000 most influential people inbaseball history is a massive undertaking. Somehow, David Pietrusza,Matthew Silverman, Michael Gershman and the editors at Total Sports managed to pull it off -- and set a new standard for quality in the process. Previous biographical compendiums pale by comparison. Some limited their scope, concentrating on only the top players (for whom there already is ample biographical information elsewhere). Others attempted to cover more players but, for many players, provided little more than a summary of the player's statistical accomplishments. The Biographical Encyclopedia doesn't skimp on either count. It covers not only the top players, but also the most notable sportswriters, broadcasters, front office executives and statisticians. More often than not, an individual's essay includes unique biographical info that can't be found in other reference works. The worst one can say is that the book has its share of typos and that the writing is at times uneven. It goes without saying that editing a book of this length must have been a monumental task; the errors, however, rarely obscure pertinent information and are more annoying than damaging. The essays were penned by a number of different authors, so it is perhaps inevitable that some entries are better than others. The least impressive, however, are no worse than those from similar books in the past. Overall, the book marks a substantial improvement over previous efforts, and is priced quite reasonably. It would be a valuable additon to a serious fan's library, and would give a more casual fan hours of enjoyment.

Rating:
Summary: Microsoft and this book.
Review: I bought this book and when I started reading it discovered that I had read the bios on the ballplayers previously. Wondering where I had, I started to do a search in my huge collection of baseball books and cds. Sure enough, I discovered that the biographical information had previously been released on the Microsoft: Complete Baseball Cd that was available in 1995. There is some new stuff in the book that was not on the cd.

Rating:
Summary: A beautiful book for the browsing baseball buff
Review: I received this book as a gift and have enjoyed it very much. The number of players covered is extensive, and the biographies are generally fair, well-researched, and well-written. As a younger baseball fan who has long had an interest in the entire history of the game, I have particularly gotten a kick out of the analyses of the 19th and early 20th century ballplayers, as well as the pictures attached to each biography. I am a little disappointed, however, that the authors only use the classic, rather banal (generally) statistics in their biographical sketches, especially as the book was compiled by the editors of the bible of baseball, "Total Baseball". It's fine to read about how many wins Grover Cleveland Alexander racked up in his great career, but how good was he really in comparison to the other greats of his day, as well as in comparison to the greats of today? Stats like ERA+, PRO+, etc., would have really put each of these players in the proper historical perspective. I realize that this book is aimed at general audience, and that many baseball fans still deride advanced statistical analysis, but such analysis truly enriches evaluation of the long history of America's past-time. Don't get me wrong, the book is a lot of fun. I look forward, however, to when some accomplished sabermetricians expand the project. Reading about Babe Ruth's antics off the field accompanied by a searching analysis that truly reveals how mammoth a presence he was on the field, will be icing on the cake.

Rating:
Summary: A beautiful book for the browsing baseball buff
Review: I received this book as a gift and have enjoyed it very much. The number of players covered is extensive, and the biographies are generally fair, well-researched, and well-written. As a younger baseball fan who has long had an interest in the entire history of the game, I have particularly gotten a kick out of the analyses of the 19th and early 20th century ballplayers, as well as the pictures attached to each biography. I am a little disappointed, however, that the authors only use the classic, rather banal (generally) statistics in their biographical sketches, especially as the book was compiled by the editors of the bible of baseball, "Total Baseball". It's fine to read about how many wins Grover Cleveland Alexander racked up in his great career, but how good was he really in comparison to the other greats of his day, as well as in comparison to the greats of today? Stats like ERA+, PRO+, etc., would have really put each of these players in the proper historical perspective. I realize that this book is aimed at general audience, and that many baseball fans still deride advanced statistical analysis, but such analysis truly enriches evaluation of the long history of America's past-time. Don't get me wrong, the book is a lot of fun. I look forward, however, to when some accomplished sabermetricians expand the project. Reading about Babe Ruth's antics off the field accompanied by a searching analysis that truly reveals how mammoth a presence he was on the field, will be icing on the cake.

Rating:
Summary: A much-needed book
Review: This is one of the greatest baseball books that I have read in a long, long time. I am a huge baseball fan and this book tells you all about the games greatest stars. At first, I didn't think there would be a lot written about each player but, after seeing and reading some of this book, there is so much information. There are so many interesting facts about players that I never knew. On one hand, I wouldn't say this is a good book if you are strictly looking for statistics but, on the other hand, if you are looking to go beyond the statistics, it offers truly awesome in-depth biographies about so many player's lives and careers. I would recommend this book to any baseball fan who enjoys reading up on some of the game's greatest players!

Rating:
Summary: Most interesting historical baseball book
Review: With all the trouble baseball is in today, this book provides an outlet for the fan who loved the game before agents, Selig, Don Fehr, astroturf, overpaid performers, etc. You can browse through it again and again, and still enjoy the stories of these players. It is a great supplement to the statistics that we have for all the players of the past.

Rating:
Summary: Most interesting historical baseball book
Review: With all the trouble baseball is in today, this book provides an outlet for the fan who loved the game before agents, Selig, Don Fehr, astroturf, overpaid performers, etc. You can browse through it again and again, and still enjoy the stories of these players. It is a great supplement to the statistics that we have for all the players of the past.

Rating:
Summary: Perfect For Any Baseball Fan
Review: Without a doubt the most complete baseball reference book ever produced --- over 2,000 bios and photos which depict not only players but umpires, managers and front office executives as well. This book is the perfect companion piece to more statistical oriented books such as the "Baseball Encylopedia".

The game's biggest icons --Aaron, Koufax, Ruth,etc.-- are rightfully rewarded 2 or 3 page entries. While much of this material will be familiar to dedicated fans (Babe Ruth's called shot in the 1932 World Series for example), casual fans will get a thorough baseball education. Hardcore fans will relish the seemingly endless stream of juicy tid-bits regarding hundreds of lesser known players. For example the book describes in detail a brutal pre-game brawl in 1965 between Philly teammates Richie Allen and Frank "Big Donkey" Thomas. The conflict, in which both bats and fists were thrown, was allegedly ignited by Thomas' insensitve racial taunts toward quiet slugger Wes Covington. Or perhaps you'll be moved by the trials of Ryne Duren, a scary reliever who sported Coke-bottle lenses, a 100 mph fastball and a penchant for booze. Duren couldn't find the strike zone (batters feared for their lives), but he sure could find the hotel bar. Duren straightened out his life after leaving baseball. No, this ain't Frank Merriwell, this is down and dirty baseball.

The "Biographical Encyclopedia" brings hundreds of forgotten heroes (and villains) back to life in a most animated, interesting manner. Not only does it make for great reading material, but it's downright educational as well. Heck, maybe Winter won't seem so long this year as I'll have my nose buried this book for weeks on end ! Perfect for any baseball fan.