How Bill James Changed Our View of the Game of Baseball
by Rob Neyer, Alan Schwarz
List Price:
Our Price: $9.50
You Save: $10.45 (52%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Alan Schwarz, Rob NeyerEditor: Gregory F. Augustine Pierce
Edition: Hardcover
Published: 2007-03
ISBN: 0879463171
Number of pages: 139
Publisher: ACTA Sports
Book Reviews of How Bill James Changed Our View of the Game of Baseball
Book Review: ultimate teacher
Summary: 3 Stars
Bill James has educated and influenced his readers in a way that few writers (or educators) ever do. He's largely responsible for a generation of internet writers and a number of savy front-office types. This book is a collection of essays that pay homage to James and focus on how James changed the writers' views, work and in some cases, lives.
The best essays are by Dave Studenmund (the editor of The Hardball Times Annuals), Daryl Morey (the assistant GM of the Houston Rockets) and Gary Huckabay (one of the founders of Baseball Prospectus).
Morey wrote that James taught him not to "assess value to randomness" (pg. 95).
Huckabay's piece is titled "The Arrogance of Bill James." Here is a passage from his essay:
"Cries of 'arrogance' are often the first reaction of an existing power structure to the suggestion of change. It's true not just in baseball but also in virtually every industry or enterprise, from politics to the arts. However, for the group that happens to be in power, making the decisions that actually drive the enterprise or industry, the disquieting reality is that the true arrogance is not displayed by the upstart with the new idea but the calcified inhabitants of the positions of power."
Huckabay goes on to explain why baseball execs and baseball writers have reacted so negatively to James over the years. His essay is, by far, the best in the book.
There are a number of sidebars that are written by regular readers of James (some are engineers, professors or writers). Some are interesting, some are tedious. There is nothing really new in this book; it's just an appreciation.
One should be familiar with Bill James' work before tackling this book.
Summary of How Bill James Changed Our View of the Game of Baseball
If all you think Bill James has done is changed our view of baseball, then maybe not. But if you add in how this guy from Lawrence, Kansas, with "mismatching sox and dirt under his fingernails," has changed how people think about a lot of things, including baseball, then maybe he does. Here are twelve provocative essays by people who know James' work well, interspersed with shorter reflections by "just plain fans" and concluded with a last word by Bill James himself. Articles include:- Freeing My Mind by Alan Schwarz
- Ten Things I Learned from Bill James by Dave Studenmund
- The Arrogance of Bill James by Gary Huckabay
- Prove It by John Thorn
- James, Tenace, McGraw and Kluszewski by Hal Richman
- Selling My Soul to Bill James by Sam Walker
- Slapping Myself on the Forehead by Steve Moyer
- The Collision of Sabermetrics and Fantasy Baseball by Ron Shandler
- Baseball, Basketball, Whatever by Daryl Morey
- Ready for the Next Question by Susan McCarthy
- The Bill James Way of Life by Rob Neyer
- Bill James Is Worth the Wait by John Dewan
- The Last Word by Bill James
Essays & Writings Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Audiobooks on Cassette
- Audiobooks on CD
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- e-Books
- Engineering
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Medicine
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Favorite Baseball Books
Win Sharesby Bill James, Jim Henzler
STATS Publishing Inc; Published: 2002-03; Paperback; Book
Best price: $33.95
The BILL JAMES GUIDE TO BASEBALL MANAGERS: From 1870 to Todayby Bill James
Scribner; Published: 1997-05-14; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $86.87
Whatever Happened to the Hall of Fameby Bill James
Free Press; Published: 1995-04-06; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.87
Price in other shops:
The Neyer/ James Guide to Pitchers: An Historical Compendium of Pitching, Pitchers, and Pitchesby Bill James, Rob Neyer
Fireside; Published: 2004-06-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.49
Price in other shops:
The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball 2007 (Sports Encyclopedia Baseball)by David S. Neft, Michael L. Neft, Richard M. Cohen
St. Martin's Griffin; Published: 2007-02-06; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.64
Price in other shops:
Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacyby Jane Leavy
Harper Perennial; Published: 2003-09-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.99
Price in other shops:
The Glory of Their Times : The Story of Baseball Told By the Men Who Played Itby Lawrence S. Ritter
Harper Paperbacks; Published: 1992-03-19; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.33
Price in other shops:
How Bill James Changed Our View of the Game of Baseballby Rob Neyer, Alan Schwarz
ACTA Sports; Published: 2007-03; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $11.74
Price in other shops:
Hitter: The Life and Turmoils of Ted Williamsby Ed Linn
Harvest Books; Published: 1994-03-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $0.48
Price in other shops:
Science of Hittingby Ted Williams, John Underwood
Fireside; Published: 1986-04-29; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.97
Price in other shops:
Similar Books and other products
The Hardball Times Baseball Annual 2008ACTA Sports; Published: 2007-11-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $12.85
Price in other shops:
Rob Neyer's Big Book of Baseball Legends: The Truth, the Lies, and Everything Elseby Rob Neyer
Fireside; Published: 2008-04-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.15
Price in other shops:
The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseballby Tom M. Tango, Mitchel Lichtman, Andrew Dolphin
Potomac Books Inc.; Published: 2007-03-10; Paperback; Book
Best price: $14.03
Price in other shops:
The Bill James Handbook 2007by Bill James
ACTA Sports; Published: 2006-11; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.89
Price in other shops:
It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over: The Baseball Prospectus Pennant Race Bookby The Baseball Prospectus T, Steven Goldman
Basic Books; Published: 2007-08-13; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $1.99
Price in other shops:
The Baseball Economist: The Real Game Exposedby J.C. Bradbury
Dutton Adult; Published: 2007-03-15; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $5.98
Price in other shops:
The Bill James Handbook 2008ACTA Sports; Published: 2007-11-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $13.65
Price in other shops:
Baseball Prospectus 2008: The Essential Guide to the 2008 Baseball Season (Baseball Prospectus)Plume; Published: 2008-02-25; Paperback; Book
Best price: $33.94
Baseball Prospectus 2007: The Essential Guide to the 2007 Baseball Season (Baseball Prospectus)Plume; Published: 2007-03-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.74
Price in other shops:
The Bill James Gold Mine 2008by Bill James
ACTA Sports; Published: 2008-02-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $13.35
Price in other shops: