Baseball Reading for Christmas

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Here's the books I got for Christmas.

 

The Hidden Game of Baseball paperback, revised edition by Thorn and Palmer.

 

Curve Ball by Albert and Bennett

 

The Book on the Book by Felber

 

Twice Around the Bases by Kevin Kennedy

 

Any suggestions on which I should read first?

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I bought Curve Ball nine months ago, and I haven't made it to page 20. Dense stuff.

[Tim]

I'd say read the Hidden Game first, but it is the only one in the group I've read. I got two baseball books - "Mathematician at the Ballpark" and "The Numbers Game".

 

I'm looking forward to Curve Ball if I get any Borders/B&N gift cards.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I've made it through the first two chapters of The Hidden Game.

 

Good stuff!

[UK1679666180]

Oddly, I have never read The Hidden Game.

 

Tim, I see Curve Ball more at local libraries than at Borders/B&N. I'm still about 30 books behind as far as what I have and what I haven't read. :x

[Sabermetrician]

I'd say read the Hidden Game first, but it is the only one in the group I've read. I got two baseball books - "Mathematician at the Ballpark" and "The Numbers Game".

 

I'm looking forward to Curve Ball if I get any Borders/B&N gift cards.

 

I hated both Mathemetician at the Ballpark and The Numbers Game. I tried to read The Numbers Game, but didn't get very far because I was incredibly bored with it. Mathemetician at the Ballpark had very little baseball information.

 

Hidden Game is the best baseball book I've ever read, but it's out of print right now so if you have it, consider yourself blessed. Before I was able to find a copy on Amazon for $30, most on eBay were going towards $50 and even as high as $100. Mine is all highlighted up, but that's just a tribute to how good of an informational book it really is.

[erik316wttn]

I would personally suggest "Smithsonian Baseball: Inside the World's Finest Private Collections" by Stephen Wong. It's a big coffee table book about baseball memorabilia not in the Hall of Fame museum in Cooperstown, which is held by private collectors. It's a facinating read. My favorite part so far is the pictures of some of the old equipment and some of the very first copies of the rules of the game. I can't believe how far catcher's gear, gloves, and bats have evolved in 100 years. And did you know that in the very, very first rules of the game, shortstop was between first and second base instead of second and third?

 

Sorry, but I can't stop raving about the book. Old baseball memorabilia facinates me. The older, the better for me.

[SeldomSeen]

 

Hidden Game is the best baseball book I've ever read, but it's out of print right now so if you have it, consider yourself blessed. Before I was able to find a copy on Amazon for $30, most on eBay were going towards $50 and even as high as $100. Mine is all highlighted up, but that's just a tribute to how good of an informational book it really is.

 

Good to hear. I just bought one on half.com for $25.

 

Go me.

[Rob]

Let's see, this year I got...

 

License to Deal

The Book on the Book

Scout's Honor

 

and last, but certainly not least... Saving the Pitcher.

 

I think I'm gonna jump in on License to Deal first...

 

by the way, if you haven't read The Hidden Game yet, you better get on it.

[PieOnMyHands]

I had a gift card to a book store and bought "3 Nights in August." Has anyone here read that? What'd you think of it?

[Andy]

Blue Skies, Green Fields, a profile of 50 baseball stadiums. Unfortunately it's a bit outdated so new parks built after 2001 aren't in it, but it's a good read.

[MikeG]

I got my friend who is a huge Mets fan this:

 

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0060507322.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

[Havoc 23]

I had a gift card to a book store and bought "3 Nights in August." Has anyone here read that? What'd you think of it?

 

I am reading it right now (about 1/3 into it) and think it is great. I am a really slow reader, so I might have it done by the end of February.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

My aunt just added to my Christmas reading list by getting me an out of print copy of Win Shares.

[cubbieinexile]

Little late but I would read Twice around the bases first. Only because I haven't read it yet. Curve ball was tedious and not a very good read, Felber's was just not interesting, and Hidden game is an old book thats info has been out there now for years and years and has become common knowledge. Not a bad book but if you have reading and talking stats for awhile now then all of it has been covered already

[fulldeck]

I had a gift card to a book store and bought "3 Nights in August." Has anyone here read that? What'd you think of it?

 

I am reading it right now (about 1/3 into it) and think it is great. I am a really slow reader, so I might have it done by the end of February.

 

I am ready to read it for the 4th time. As a Cards fan, I love it, but I think Cubs fans would enjoy it too.

[treebird]

i really enjoyed curve ball, but it is really dense, and by the end i felt like they were just kind of making the same points over and over again. that doesn't change the fact that i plowed through the whole thing in four days, though.

[Tim]

Mathemetician at the Ballpark really sucks unless you want to bet on baseball games. That's pretty much the subject of the book.

[treebird]

Mathemetician at the Ballpark really sucks unless you want to bet on baseball games. That's pretty much the subject of the book.

 

is that the one by ken ross? i think i have that, but have never read it.

[Tim]

Mathemetician at the Ballpark really sucks unless you want to bet on baseball games. That's pretty much the subject of the book.

 

is that the one by ken ross? i think i have that, but have never read it.

I don't have it handy, but I'm pretty sure that's the author. The book uses betting on baseball game outcomes as an elementary introduction to probability theory. Not at all what I thought it would be.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Mathemetician at the Ballpark really sucks unless you want to bet on baseball games. That's pretty much the subject of the book.

 

is that the one by ken ross? i think i have that, but have never read it.

I don't have it handy, but I'm pretty sure that's the author. The book uses betting on baseball game outcomes as an elementary introduction to probability theory. Not at all what I thought it would be.

 

Thanks for the heads-up. I'll make sure to pass on that.

 

BTW....this thread has gotten me thinking. Would anyone be interested in an NSBB book swap?