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Baseball Between the Numbers: Why Everything You Know About the Game Is Wrong Hardcover – March 6, 2006

by Jonah Keri (Author), Baseball Prospectus (Author)
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In the numbers-obsessed sport of baseball, statistics don't merely record what players, managers, and owners have done. Properly understood, they can tell us how the teams we root for could employ better strategies, put more effective players on the field, and win more games. The revolution in baseball statistics that began in the 1970s is a controversial subject that professionals and fans alike argue over without end. Despite this fundamental change in the way we watch and understand the sport, no one has written the book that reveals, across every area of strategy and management, how the best practitioners of statistical analysis in baseball-people like Bill James, Billy Beane, and Theo Epstein-think about numbers and the game. Baseball Between the Numbers is that book. In separate chapters covering every aspect of the game, from hitting, pitching, and fielding to roster construction and the scouting and drafting of players, the experts at Baseball Prospectus examine the subtle, hidden aspects of the game, bring them out into the open, and show us how our favorite teams could win more games. This is a book that every fan, every follower of sports radio, every fantasy player, every coach, and every player, at every level, can learn from and enjoy.
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  1. Print length
    496 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Basic Books
  4. Publication date
    March 6, 2006
  5. Grade level
    11 and up
  6. Reading age
    13 years and up
  7. Dimensions
    6.5 x 1.5 x 9.5 inches
  8. ISBN-10
    0465005969
  9. ISBN-13
    978-0465005963
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Who deserves recognition as the best baseball player of all time--Barry Bonds or Babe Ruth? The stuff of endless debates among baseball fans, such questions come into sharp focus when the experts of Baseball Prospectus start parsing their trove of statistics. Looking, for instance, at the Bonds-versus-Ruth issue, the BP statisticians systematically adjust the two stars' numbers to reflect changes in parks, in level of competition, and in training technology as they establish that although Ruth still holds the overall edge, Bonds could overtake him with a couple more good seasons. But these baseball mavens look beyond the performance of individual players, as they examine entire teams (the '04 Red Sox and '01 Diamondbacks, for instance) and even whole epochs (the golden era of 1949--57). BP numbers help readers see the world beyond the diamond as well, clarifying the economic pressures that push marginal players to use steroids and are increasingly pushing working-class fans right out of the stadiums their taxes are subsidizing. A valuable reference for baseball fans and cultural critics alike. Bryce Christensen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Baseball Prospectus is the top statistical web site in baseball and is extensively used, in print and on air, by a wide range of major broadcasters, magazines, and daily newspapers that cover Major League Baseball.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Basic Books; 1st edition (March 6, 2006)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 496 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0465005969
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0465005963
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 13 years and up
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 11 and up
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.45 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 1.5 x 9.5 inches

About the author

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Jonah Keri

Jonah Keri

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Jonah Keri currently covers baseball for CBS Sports and Sports Illustrated. He is the host of The Jonah Keri Podcast, on the Nerdist network.

He is the author of "Up, Up, and Away: The Kid, the Hawk, Rock, Vladi, Pedro, le Grand Orange, Youppi!, the Crazy Business of Baseball, and the Ill-fated but Unforgettable Montreal Expos" (Random House Canada, 2014).

He is the author of the New York Times bestseller "The Extra 2%: How Wall Street Strategies Took a Major League Baseball Team from Worst to First" (ESPN Books/Ballantine, 2011). He also edited and co-authored "Baseball Between the Numbers" (Basic, 2006), and has contributed to many other books.

From 2011 to 2015 Jonah was the Lead Baseball Writer for Grantland. From 1999 to 2010 he covered the stock market for Investor's Business Daily. Jonah's writing has appeared in ESPN.com, SI.com, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Baseball Prospectus, FanGraphs.com, Bloomberg Sports, Montreal Gazette, and many other publications.

Jonah is a native of Montreal and currently lives in Denver. He profoundly hopes to see Tim Raines enter the Hall of Fame.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
115 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the writing quality good and worthwhile. They also describe the book as interesting, well-researched, and thoughtful. Opinions are mixed on readability, with some finding it a must-read for baseball fans while others say it's not an easy read.

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Writing qualityInterestReadability
14 customers mention "Writing quality"14 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well-written and entertaining. They say it's a worthwhile guide and worth the effort.

"...The top-notch writing and the way the book presents its findings and arguments combine to present a work that I give it the highest rating I..." Read more

"...Good stuff!" Read more

"...But for me it was outstanding! Well researched and thoughtful and well- written ." Read more

"...The book is fairly well-written and is entertaining enough to pick up if you're interested in this kind of book." Read more

13 customers mention "Interest"13 positive0 negative

Customers find the book interesting for reference. They say it's well-researched, thoughtful, and well-written. Readers appreciate the great examples and keep the content light enough for casual readers. They also appreciate the reasoned, documented arguments and superb explanation of the new metrics being used in MLB.

"...But reading through how the authors got to these conclusions is fascinating, and ultimately impossible to argue with...." Read more

"...Statistics galore and a point of view that you may not have considered. Good stuff!" Read more

"...Some of the essays do this very well -- particularly the chapters on stadiums and re-development, on whether Barry Bonds is better than Babe Ruth,..." Read more

"Some takes have aged better than others but a great foundational introduction to baseball analytics." Read more

6 customers mention "Readability"3 positive3 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the readability of the book. Some mention it's a must-read for baseball fans, while others say it's not an easy read.

"I really enjoyed reading the book. It’s a great book for the baseball fan who really wants to know more about the intricacies of the major league..." Read more

"Not an easy read, but a great although nerdy look at the Game from a different perspective." Read more

"...comfortable with statistics and some math, this book is a must read for baseball fans." Read more

"Certainly not a light and easy read, but if you enjoy statistics and baseball this book is incredible...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Patrick Reddick
5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Own For Baseball Fans
Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2012
Verified Purchase
Baseball Between the Numbers is obviously a book for baseball fans and one that will appeal to both those who are and are not into sabermetrics. The top-notch writing and the way the book presents its findings and arguments combine to present a work that I give it the highest rating I possibly can.

The group I was in when I first started reading--newer to advanced statistics and looking to get more into how all the numbers work--will eat this book up. The best aspect of BBTN, however, is that it does not ignore what the game has been for so long, and still is to most people.

It is not a bunch of cold numbers or saying a player stinks because stat X is under Y, as if each guy is an answer to a third graders' math test--which is too often the impression people get of advanced stats, particularly among the non-sabermetric crowd. It's quite the opposite. Had somebody shown me concepts in math class--a few of which I recognize from school--and explained I could actually apply them to sports, you bet I would've been a heck of a lot more excited to go to math every day and probably actually understood the concepts.

Nobody is claiming these findings are gospel either. In many cases, they let the numbers themselves point out why a statistic is or is not repeatable. Or say flat out, that in certain cases it comes down to luck. This may seem to weaken the entire argument of why to use sabermetrics in the first place, but it is actually quite the opposite; understanding the weaknesses of your field will allow you to apply the findings more appropriately.

The most eye-opening sections are why the statistics shown with every batter on television are often poor gauges of performance. Many of these figures were developed at a time when the game was very different and while the game has changed, our ways of analyzing it has not (at least in the mainstream).

Each chapter seeks to answer a simple question: "Is David Ortiz a Clutch Hitter?" or "Is Joe Torre a Hall of Fame Manager?" While they seem simple, those questions encompass a great deal and each author does a solid job of explaining why they look at the figures they do to answer the questions. A side effect of which is training the readers to not only come up with their own questions, but figure out how to answer them. That is, if they are not too busy reading this book's sequel.
5 people found this helpful
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Jeff
5.0 out of 5 stars Required reading for any baseball fan
Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2014
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Baseball is a game of statistics and probabilities, yet "sabermetrics", as the study of advanced baseball statistics has come to be called, proves scientifically that much of what's been historically valued in baseball is wrong. This book is broken down into case studies that definitively settle some of the hottest debates in baseball. What's the ideal batting order? When should you bring in a closing pitcher? How long should a starting pitcher stay on the mound? Who's the best hitter of all time? And more.

It's really an interesting book if you go into it with an open and analytical mind. Some of the conclusions may be controversial - for example, don't tell any New Yorker that Derek Jeter's actually a below average shortstop, a Pirates or Tigers fan that Jim Leyland didn't really do much to help his team, or an A's fan that Rickey Henderson's steals were mostly worthless! But reading through how the authors got to these conclusions is fascinating, and ultimately impossible to argue with. Math doesn't lie, and the statistics that back up these conclusions - while requiring a few more calculations - are no less factual than batting average or on-base percentage (OBP itself is a sabermetric stat!).

It would be easy for this to have been a dry, reductionist book, as you might expect from a bunch of mathemeticians. It's written by multiple authors and while it's true that some chapters are a little livelier than others, generally speaking everyone seems to realize they're writing about a game - and that game is supposed to be fun. This book exists because these people love baseball and have fun thinking about it, and thinking of different ways they can challenge conventional wisdom.

It's taken a while to overturn baseball's old guard, but many teams these days incorporate some level of sabermetric thinking into their team building and on-field strategy. Times are changing, and this book will help you understand why that pitcher's swinging away instead of bunting, why your favorite team doesn't have a "speed guy" in the leadoff spot, and why you shouldn't be too upset when a manager gets fired.

Maybe more than that, it'll leave you wondering why teams still do things that are mathematically proven to be self-destructive. (Usually it's because it's what the fans and media expect them to do.) Baseball still has a ways to go to catch up to its own science, but reading this book will literally put you ahead of the game.
8 people found this helpful
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A. Onlinebuyer
4.0 out of 5 stars BBall Fan's Delight
Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2009
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Whether Fantasy or reality, a real fan of the game will find much to love in this book. Statistics galore and a point of view that you may not have considered. Good stuff!
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JohnnnySmallls
3.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, But Dated
Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2012
Verified Purchase
Will the Allies be organized to win World War II? Can Richard Nixon overcome his personality in his second term? Will Michael Jordan finish his career with the Chicago Bulls?

I know those questions are off-topic, but I found myself thinking along those lines while reading "Baseball Between the Numbers" because I found it to be a groundbreaking work that would've been even better if some of the questions posed throughout had more staying power or covered a greater expanse of time. Some of the essays do this very well -- particularly the chapters on stadiums and re-development, on whether Barry Bonds is better than Babe Ruth, the value of the RBI, and five starters vs. four.

However, some of the essays show their age -- is David Ortiz a clutch hitter?, is A-Rod overpaid?, what causes Billy Beane's teams to struggle in the playoffs, etc. A lot of these questions are settled, or irrelevant 10 years later. I definitely recommend purchasing this and reading some of the more topical elements, but the work would benefit from a re-print with new material (which Baseball Prospectus kind of did in "Extra Innings," its newest publication).
8 people found this helpful
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Nick Stratman
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2024
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Some takes have aged better than others but a great foundational introduction to baseball analytics.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Christopher Lok
5.0 out of 5 stars A great starting point if you want to get into sabremetrics and advanced baseball stats
Reviewed in Canada on July 16, 2019
Verified Purchase
This book does a great job introducing the advanced statistics and does so in a very accessible way. Some of the articles are out of date, but the core message of them still stands, there are better ways to quantify performance on the field rather than just the traditional stats you see in the boxscores or flashed on your television screen. I would actually give this cook 4.5 stars if I could as I feel some of the articles near the end of the book are a little weaker. Neverthless still a great read.
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BtotheS
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing
Reviewed in Italy on December 1, 2019
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Wonderful book
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Juan Javier Sada Borrego
5.0 out of 5 stars Disponibilidad de un libro inexistente en México
Reviewed in Mexico on July 12, 2015
Verified Purchase
Para comenzar la página me sorprendió al tener títulos de libros editados en Estados Unidos y que básicamente son imposibles de conseguir en México o bien quieren cobrar una fortuna por ellos. En este caso fue un regalo, el cual llego en tiempo y la experiencia de compra lo mejor
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Luis Manuel Pérez
5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente
Reviewed in Spain on December 30, 2012
Verified Purchase
Muy buena narrativa y fácil comprensión. Todo lo que necesita saber del baseball y mucho más de que se imagina. 100% recomendable
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ajra21
3.0 out of 5 stars Baseball Between the Numbers
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 5, 2011
Verified Purchase
if you like the modern sabermetric view of baseball, this book could well be for you. it isn't for the regular baseball fan. you need some understanding of the new statistics being utilised to evaulate the game, however you don't need to be anywhere near an expert. chapters aren't linked, meaning it can be read out of order without losing track of where you are. different authors pen different sections, giving a good spread of views and approaches to analysing the game. a good read for intrigued baseball fans.
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